A Message from David & Cam...

Whilst there are only 3 weeks left of Term 3, there are so many great things happening at AGPS. We are all looking forward to welcoming all the dads, grandads and other special visitors to our school next Friday and the week after we get to celebrate all things books with our Book Week celebrations. And then after all that excitement the Year 2 students get to pack their bags and head on their very first school camp in the final week of term - I think those kids (and staff) might need the holiday by then!

Teaching & Learning: Maths 

This term, we have been working on refining teaching practices in Mathematics to ensure high-quality instruction for all students.

Part of this work has been to revise the AGPS Maths Instructional Model, which outlines the structure and strategies within a Maths lesson.

The revised model embeds an explicit teaching approach (I do, We do, You do) and is underpinned by the following principles, which align with the science of how students learn:

• Daily review of previously taught content
• Present new material in small steps
• Clear worked examples and explanations
• Guided student practice after each step
• Check for student understanding
• Provide immediate feedback
• Independent practice to apply learning

We are looking forward to sharing our updated Maths Instructional Model next term!

-Amy McFarlane (Leading Teacher)

2024 Enrolments

It is that time of the year when we begin planning for 2024. As there is a high demand for places at AGPS we would really appreciate it if you could notify the school if your child/ren will not be returning to AGPS in 2024. We would also appreciate it if you have a child starting prep in 2024 and have not informed us that you do so as soon as possible.

Please contact the school office on 9360 0777, or alternatively on altona.green.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

Book Week

Book Week is fast approaching! AGPS have moved our Book Week celebrations later in the term than the official week to minimise disruptions to our other programs and events. We are very much looking forward to the range of activities planned with a highlight being the dress-up parade being held at 9:15am on Friday 8th September under Gumbuya. This is always a great event and a lot of fun for the whole community. We encourage younger siblings to also get dressed up and join in on the fun!

Here is a full overview of the week:

Inclusive School Fund Playgrounds

The fences came down early Monday morning and the kids were treated with the upgrade to the beloved ship playground. The new play space features a raft, fort, climbing structure and 'ocean' surrounding the painted ship. The final touch was added yesterday which is the pirate KEFAR flag to the flagpole!

The sensory garden opened earlier this term and provides a nice play space for the kids to sit, relax and play with some features such as the teepees and dry creek bed the biggest hits. There is also one final piece of play equipment to be installed in this playground in the future.

Both areas provide some structure to the unstructured environment of our school grounds. This is important as break times can be the most challenging time for many of our students. Having structured play spaces with imaginative, natural, sensory and passive play elements provide the conditions for all students to engage, connect with peers and enjoy playtimes.

NAPLAN Results

This week, the state results were released for the NAPLAN tests that were conducted earlier this year. We are very proud of our students and their results. As you can see in the below table, the percentage of our students in both Grade 3 and Grade 5 whose results placed them in the 'Exceeding' or 'Strong' categories are higher than the state average in each of Reading, Writing & Number. These are terrific results for our students and align with the other school data sets that we collect that highlight the strong academic standards of our school and the growth of our students.

Laverton District Athletics

What a great day of competition for our students at Altona Green Primary to attend the Laverton District Athletics on Monday 21st of August. We were able to gather a team of 58 students to represent the school across a range of track and field events. By all reports, the students tried their best, some achieved personal best results and others will find out later this week if they are invited once again to the next level of competition, being the Hobson’s Bay Division Athletics Carnival. This will be held at Newport Athletics Track on Wednesday 6th of September. Wishing everyone all the best for those going further, and above all, thanking students and teachers for their participation and assistance on the day. It was great to see some family members in the crowd cheering on our students too!

-Nancy (PE Teacher)

Here are some reflections from the students…

• Ruben 4/5E: It was great that I had to challenge Joseph U from our school for 1st and 2nd place in our event. We both did well at 11yr boys shot put.
• Addison/Luca 6F: We really enjoyed watching our 12yr boys relay team progress closer and closer at each stage, with a super tight finish right to the end.
• Levi 4/5BM / Georgia 4/5Z: I saw people supporting each other because they tried their best at their event, and happy, smiling faces were spotted everywhere.
• Eloise 6F/ Willow 4/5Z: I was proud that I completed the hurdles event by clearing each hurdle as I jumped them.
• Petar 2/3C: In my first athletics I achieved my personal best record at high jump.
• Felix 4/5E: I was pleased with how I held my position during the 800m race, saving my energy to sprint at the finish and win the race.
• Bonnie 6F: Now that I ran the 200m event, I understand how fast some people can run.
• Joseph 4/5Z: The 10yr boys relay was a thriller, as well as bringing home several 1st place ribbons for my own events.

Jensen is off to the Nationals!

Jensen is competing in the Team Vic Cross Country National Championships in Canberra tomorrow. This is an incredible achievement by Jensen and we are all so proud of him for not only the achievement but the wonderful effort that he puts in to reach his goals. We will all be cheering for you, Jensen, and cannot wait to hear all about the race - GO JENSEN!!

Tree Planting Day

On Monday 21st the Year 1s and some 6s, along with Trish and some wonderful volunteers, continued planting more trees along the residential fenceline of our school grounds. The plants have all been donated by ResourceSmart as well as Hobsons Bay City Council to promote and develop native habitats in the western suburbs. We thank Trish for her continued work to make our school grounds as lovely as they are as well as the parent volunteers who came along and supported our students with the planting during the day. We cannot wait to see these plants grow!

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Fundraiser

On Wednesday, Trish, Annabelle and a group of volunteers held a stall to raise funds for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program. The stall was really well attended with many parents buying a range of delicious goods such as cordials, jams and preserves. We thank all that purchased items from the stall and a huge thank you to Trish and her helpers for putting all this together.

Here are some pics of 4/5Z making the cordial for the stall:

And some of our Year 6s at a recent kitchen session:

Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Survey Reminder

A reminder that The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey is open until Friday 8 September 2023. The survey is conducted online and only takes 20 minutes to complete. At the time of writing, we only have 45 out of 280 families that have completed the survey. We would really appreciate it if you could take the time to complete the survey before the closing date as this information is used to monitor our progress towards our improvement goals as well as supporting us with our overall strategic direction.

Details of the survey were sent via email to Person A on your child's enrolment form. If you cannot find the email or have any questions, please contact David (david.king@education.vic.gov.au) or the office 9360 0777.

Thank you all for a wonderful fortnight. We hope you all have a fun-filled weekend.

Take care,

David and Cam