Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that we are already past the halfway point of Term 1. Students have achieved so much already which you can see from the evidence of learning they have shared on their Seesaw Digital Portfolios. As we reach the end of this learning cycle, we prepare to celebrate and set new learning goals which will be shared with families at our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences. These are scheduled for Tuesday the 26th and Wednesday the 27th of March. It is expected that a family member will attend a conference for each of their children. We are also requesting that the student also attends the conference with their parents. This is important as the format for our conference celebrates students' achievements but also opens the conversation between the student, the teacher and the parent to develop a shared understanding of their next learning goals.

This is a critical element toward strengthening our partnership between the home and school.

Conference bookings will go live to families on Friday 8.3.24 on Compass. A notification will be sent out. If you require support in making a booking please contact our front office.

Student Free Day- Monday 11th March (Labour Day)

Monday the 14th of March is the Labour Day Public Holiday and students are not required at school on this day.

School Council Elections

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the parents who were nominated and elected to our school council for 2024. We are scheduled to have our first meeting and Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday 20/03/2024 so we can commence our successful partnerships together.

Harmony Day

Recently, you would have received a Compass Event notification for Harmony Day which we will be celebrating on Friday 22/03/2024. The day will include immersing students in a range of classroom activities focussed on different cultures from around the world. In recognition of our Italian Language Program, we will then enjoy an Italian Pizza and Gelato Lunch before engaging in a whole-school incursion with cultural performances from around the world. The school will be covering the cost of the performance however, families are asked to pay $5 for the pizza and gelato lunch for their child. This can be consented to and paid for on Compass or at the front office. Financial support is available, please see our friendly office team.

Students are also encouraged to wear something orange on the day. This could be a t-shirt, jumper, headband, ribbons, etc. Here are some links to cost-effective orange apparent you may be interested in (click the underlined link below):

Kids T-shirt: $3 from Big W

Kids Orange Shoelaces: $7.99 from Rebel Sport

Kids Orange Socks: $2 from Big W

Alternatively, students are welcome to come in traditional or cultural clothing. Please be mindful of safety standards in schools including no open-toed shoes, singlets or hoodies.

Uniform

At Albanvale Primary School, all students are expected to wear the approved uniform reviewed and ratified by the school council. A shared uniform supports a sense of cohesion across the school and drives a sense of connectedness among students. Our success in achieving this is evident in our annual Student Attitude to School Survey data where 98% of students stated they feel a sense of connectedness whilst at school. This is significantly higher than the state average of 78%.

To maintain our positive climate we need your help to ensure your child is in full school uniform every day. A list of our uniform can be found on our website and orders can be placed through PSW. Lost Property is also located at the front office with uncollected, unnamed items offered to families after 21 days. If you need further support with the uniform or have any queries, please get in touch with our office.

Buildings and Grounds

It is with great pleasure I share that after 2 years of negotiations, the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) has agreed to repair and upgrade our school hydraulic fire system. This a complex system that runs through a series of pipes below the ground under the entirety of our school. This is a vital system that protects each of us in the unlikely event of a fire. The original piping was laid just over 40 years ago and has been the cause of significant issues in recent times including sinking and ground damage across the school. The VSBA agreed to the repairs and went to tend to engage an external provider to complete the works. Work is expected to commence in the coming weeks and is anticipated to take approximately 12 weeks to finish. Minimal disruption to our school is expected with most of the major work taking place during the upcoming school holidays. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank your proactive school council for advocating on behalf of all of us and persisting with this long process. Once the works are complete our school can resume our buildings and groups upgrades according to our master plan.

Finally, I would like to wish all of our year 3 and 5 students the best of luck for their upcoming NAPLAN assessments. This is a great opportunity to celebrate the cumulative learning they have completed over the last 24 months. Although this is simply one assessment on an isolated day, it does provide our school a snapshot of how our systems and structures are working to meet the needs of our students. If you have a child who will be sitting the assessment next week, please support them by encouraging them to switch off when they get home and understand that applying their best effort is already an achievement.

Date	Event
11/03/24	Labour Day - Student Free Day
13/03/24 - 19/03/24	NAPLAN
22/03/24	Harmony Day
26/03/24	Sports Awareness P - 2 Parent Teacher Interviews
27/03/24	Sports Awareness 3 - 6 Parent Teacher Interviews
28/03/24	Last Day of Term 1
29/03/24	Good Friday - Student Free Day

Important Dates