Primary School News
Primary School
Primary Newsletter - End of Term 4, 2024
Steiner College of Teachers - End of Year Performance
Our school community was treated to a delightful performance in our theatre from school staff today; lead by our Steiner College of Teachers. The “Cobweb Christmas” recounted the story of Tante; a kind, elderly woman in Germany who prepares for Christmas with great care each year. After cleaning her home, she decorates a tree and shares the joy with the village children and animals. However, she desires a bit of Christmas magic. On Christmas Eve, a group of spiders sneak into her home, leaving webs on the tree. When Christkindel touches the webs, they turn to sparkling gold and silver, creating a magical gift for Tante.
Thank you to all of our staff who undertook roles in the performance and to the members of our school community who were able to join us for the performance.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
After many months of rehearsals the big moment had arrived! I was able to attend the Friday performance of the Wizard of Oz and was simply blown away by the quality of the performance.
From the moment the curtain rose, audiences were transported to the Land of Oz, where Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Toto all embarked on a magical adventure.
The students’ dedication and hard work shone through every scence. The vibrant costumes, stunning set designs, and lively music created an immersive experience for all who attended. It was clear that every student had poured their heart into their role, making the show a true celebration of teamwork and creativity.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the teachers, staff, and volunteers who helped make this production possible. This performance not only showcased our students' artistic talents but also highlighted the importance of imagination, friendship, and perseverance.
A big round of applause to everyone involved – It will certainly be a performance that will be remembered for years to come!
Semester Two Reports
Semester Two academic reports for all students are now available to view on the Compass parent portal. These reports provide valuable insights into your child's progress, achievements, and areas for growth throughout the second half of 2024.
To access your child's report, simply:
- Log in to your Compass parent portal account
- Click on your child's profile
- Select 'Reports' from the menu
- Choose 'Semester 2, 2024' from the available reports
If you experience any difficulties accessing your child's report or need assistance with your Compass login details, please contact our school office.
The semester report includes:
- Detailed assessments of your child's progress in each subject area
- Information about their personal and social development
- Teacher comments on achievements and future learning goals
Please take time to review these reports with your child, to celebrate their achievements and discuss opportunities for growth in the new school year.
Camps
By the time you are reading this, Our Year 5\6 students will have (hopefully) returned back from Camp Manyung in Mount Eliza. By all accounts, student had a fantastic time and were treated with glorious weather. Thanks to Claudia, Ben, Bryan and Lochy for attending the camp and creating these special memories for our students.
Graduation
Our Grade 6 students marked the end of their primary school journey with a heartwarming ceremony held in our school library on Monday 9 December. The space was beautifully transformed into an elegant venue that perfectly captured the significance of this milestone.
The ceremony included speeches from school leadership and a touching photo presentation highlighting the students' journey through their primary years.
We would like to extend our thanks to Ben, Claudia, Bernice, Lisa and #### for their exceptional work in preparing the venue. Special thanks also to Chef Judy who provided the delicious catering for the event.
We wish our Grade 6 graduates all the best as they prepare for their next adventure in secondary school; be that across the corridor or at other school settings. We are confident they will continue to achieve great things.
Class performances
Our Steiner Classes have performed a number of performances in the last few weeks based on the work from their Main Lessons.
Thank you to the teachers for your work in creating these opportunities and to our families for supporting these events.
PLC Work
Our staff took part in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) cycle this term. We explored assessment data, moderation, collaborative conversation & reflection to build our knowledge and practice. Classroom teachers focused on Writing and Specialist teachers worked together to focus on students’ transitioning respectfully and safely between classes. Teachers celebrated their work and presented their wins, challenges and ideas to the staff cohort. There were some thought provoking and inspiring reflections and wonderings for the school moving forward!! We will continue this work in 2025 and keep you updated on our progress!
Prep Transitions
Our Prep Transition Program finished up last week on Wednesday with our final transition visit and information session for parents. We have hosted four sessions for both students and families to get acquainted with school staff and information on the programs and practices here at Collingwood College. With many students feeling slightly apprehensive about coming to “big school” at the first session, many felt quite at home by the final sessions (with some benign quite sad they needed to leave!)
Special thanks to the families for joining us for these sessions and to Mia, Meredith, Muna and Carmenza for running these sessions for our future students.
Recruitment
Following on from the information that I communicated to families via Compass, we have been been able to finalise our recruitment for the 2025 school year.
Sormeh Afkari will return to the Primary School Principal position at Collingwood College. Sormeh returns to Collingwood with renewed vigour and clarity for continued improvement in our Primary School years and for Collingwood College as a Prep to Year 12 school. Her strong relationships, understanding of Collingwood and focus on improved learning for all, is why I am so pleased that she has applied and been successfully appointed.
I have been liaising with Sormeh over recent weeks to bring her up to speed on our work over the later half of the school year and will continue to support her during her transition back.
We welcome Brenton O’Hoy to the Primary teaching team for 2025. Brenton is currently teaching at Ripponlea Primary School. As a local northsider with a past family connection to our school, Brenton is very much looking forward to joining us.
Recruitment has also been completed for our remaining teaching position. Callum Blackburn will be joining the Primary teaching team for 2025. Callum will be teaching in the Year 5\6 team and will be working 0.6 (3 days a week) on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Elly will be also working in Year 5\6 on Wednesday and Thursday.
Start of 2024 school year
Students in Years 1-6 will return for 2025 on WEDNESDAY 29 JANUARY 2025.
2025 Prep students will commence on THURSDAY 30 JANUARY 2025.
If your family is taking an extended holiday or your child will not be starting school on the first day of 2025, please be sure to notify the office so we can update our records. Our school funding is determined by students who are present at the start of the 2025 school year so it’s important that we can account for all students who are enrolled with us.
Farewell
We are farewelling a number of Primary staff at the end of this year.
Benjamin Guest has recently applied for and been successfully appointed to a position at Brunswick North West Primary School. Ben has been a staff member for many years and has taught across a range of year levels and held a number of positions of responsibility. We wish Ben all the best in his new role and thank him for his many years of service to Collingwood College.
Rebecca Grimaud has also accepted a teaching position at Yarra Junction Primary School. Having recently moved, I know Rebecca will enjoy the ‘tree change’. Thanks Rebecca for your work with our students and families in our Prep\1 program this year.
Danielle Tzivakis will also be finishing up with us at the end of the school year. We wish Dani all the best for her future endeavours.
My secondment as Acting Assistant Principal is due to conclude at the end of the school year and I will be returning back to my substantive role at Lalor East Primary School. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the students, staff and families during my time here. I am excited for the future of Collingwood College and look forward to watching its growth and development over the years to come.
Kind Regards,
Scott Duncan
Acting Assistant Principal (Primary)
Primary Art
As part of the Performing Arts program Year 5/6 students have created two plays. Students worked in groups developing ideas. All the ideas were put together to create two plays. The Golden Ball and Through Time.
Angela Dionysopoulos
Art/Performing Arts
Mural opening
As part of the Primary Art program, Year 5/6 students were invited to paint three murals on the corner of Perry Street and Hoddle Street in Collingwood about climate change. On a later date they were invited to the opening celebration. The Mayor of The City of Yarra Stephen Jolly opened the event. Kindley supported by YCAN (Yarra Climate Action Now).
Angela Dionysopoulos
Art/Performing Arts
Chinese Language Primary
The past few weeks Primary Chinese classes have been focused on various aspects of Chinese history and culture. This has included learning about silk and the Silk Road, the history of chopsticks, and elements of Chinese philosophy.
One highlight of this term was collaborating with ACYA Monash, which is the Australian-Chinese Youth Association at Monash University. ACYA President Leon and three fellow members of his club came to Collingwood College to run a Chinese Culture Workshop with us. The workshop involved hearing the story of the upcoming Chinese New Year, followed by Chinese paper cutting in which students were taught how to make their own Chinese lanterns and “Double Happiness” character decorations. We are very grateful to these wonderful volunteers who ran a very engaging workshop for our students and answered all their many questions! Equally, the ACYA representatives were very impressed by our school and by the level of enthusiasm and excitement our students displayed. Well done to all involved!
Danni Tzivakis
Chinese Teacher Year 3 –Year 9
INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE (updated 27 October) - Contact Person - Steve Wu
Please click on the attachment below to see a list of Stringed instruments for sale. If you have an instrument for sale please email Steve at: fengchih.09@gmail.com
COLLINGWOOD COLLEGE ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
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