Deputy Principal's Report

Wishing all our families a wonderful and safe upcoming school holidays!

Current Whole School Focus: Respect

As part of PBL (Positive Behaviour for Learning) and our Social Emotional Learning, our school has been focusing on the value of respect. This week, students explored what respect means to them at an age appropriate level by discussing what respect looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Classes worked together to brainstorm ways respect can be shown in everyday situations and reflected on how it can be enacted in the classroom, on the playground, at home, and in the wider community. These discussions have helped students develop a deeper understanding of how respectful words and actions contribute to positive relationships and a supportive learning environment. Through our Positive Behaviour for Learning and Social Emotional lense, we will continue to explicitly teach this value from Prep to Year 6. 

Ripple

Ripple is a daily wellbeing check-in completed by all students from Years 2 to 6 at least three mornings each week. It provides valuable insight into how our students are feeling as they enter their learning environment, helping staff identify patterns, respond proactively, and provide the support students need to thrive. Our latest data shows that students are reporting strong feelings of being safe (7.5/8), close (7.3/8), and relaxed (7.2/8), which are wonderful indicators of positive wellbeing across our school community. Areas that students identified as requiring some ongoing attention were feeling awake (6.5/8), full (6.8/8), and focused (7.0/8). We know these areas often have a ripple effect on one another, with sleep, nutrition, and concentration being closely linked. While these have been identified as areas for growth, it is important to note that all scores are rated out of 8 and remain highly positive overall. Ripple continues to be a valuable tool in helping us support the wellbeing and learning success of every student.

Mid-Year Reflection

We're currently completing over fifty parent meetings to discuss learning adjustments and how we can best support students who may need extra help with academics, behaviour, or wellbeing. These conversations give us a valuable snapshot of how things are going across Prep to Year 6.

There's been so much to celebrate. We're seeing students respond well to targeted support, and the collaboration with parents on refining strategies has been fantastic. Whether or not your child is part of these meetings, we welcome the opportunity to reflect together on the semester and set goals for the remainder of the year. Our students have also spent time thinking about this, highlighted in their reflections in their mid-year report comments.

A Common Theme: Homework Struggles

One topic that came up repeatedly was the challenge of homework. Whether that's difficulty getting started, finding it too hard or too easy, juggling it with after school activities or simply having a child who refuses to do it. If you can think of it, we've seen it.

What causes this? The answer isn't simple, but here are some common reasons we've encountered:

• Worn out after school: A tired or overloaded child won't achieve success. You know your child best. If this is the case, take a break first and tackle homework later.
• Hungry: Food first is always a great idea.
• Lack of routine: Establish regular habits around where homework is done and how long is spent each night.
• Overwhelmed by the task: One parent shared a great tip: name the specific task rather than calling it "homework." Break it into smaller steps if needed.
• Confidence: Many children lack confidence in reading, writing, or maths. Focus on effort rather than results, and let the classroom teacher know if this is ongoing. Homework shouldn't be challenging and it may need adjusting.

Once we understand the cause, we can adjust the plan. The biggest takeaway is that you're not alone. If homework is a struggle, please reach out to your classroom teacher. Together, we can develop a plan that builds success and keeps the peace as well as your relationship with your child intact.

Learning in the Classrooms - Year 2 Writing 

This term, our wonderful Year 2 students have been exploring information reports in Writing. They are very proud to share some of their work below. Throughout the unit, students learnt to identify the difference between facts and opinions, researched and explored information on a range of topics, and practised organising their findings into categories. They then used their knowledge to write and publish their own information reports on their Chromebooks, including relevant images to support their writing. We are incredibly proud of their effort, growth, and enthusiasm throughout this learning journey.

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Peggy McDonald & Laura Zeeng