Week 3 Term 4 2024

Dear CNPS Families

What a busy first 3 weeks of Term 4 it has been. Part of my role as Acting Principal is meeting with new students and their parents/carers prior to them commencing at CNPS. During the ‘Meet and Greet’ sessions, members of the Principal Class team use these occasions to connect and find out more about incoming students and their families. I have personally welcomed these sessions as a great opportunity to further connect with the CNPS community. One of my favourite questions to ask incoming families, is why they choose CNPS? The most common answer I hear to this question is, they live local, believe in community and have heard great things about this school.

Class Placement for 2025

Since the start of this term teachers have commenced creating the classes for 2025. Within class, teachers will ask students to list 4-5 friends that they work well with in the classroom. We are asking you to please have a chat with your child at home to start identifying these friends.

If you have a request for your child’s class placement due to wellbeing concerns, please ensure that you make this request (in writing, to Jane, Erin, Billy or myself) no later than Monday 4 November 2024, so that your request can be considered when organising classes for 2025. Creating classes is a very complex process and it is very difficult to make changes to the classes once they are formed.

At Carlton North Primary School we recognise the importance of fostering and maintaining friendship groups. We also understand that it is equally important for students to mix and learn with peers who have different interests. We will not always be able to accommodate class placement requests, however we will endeavour to take your wishes into consideration where possible. All teachers at CNPS are caring and committed educators and we collectively strive to ensure that all students are provided with a high quality education. Whilst we appreciate that you may believe that your child would benefit from being placed in a class with a particular teacher, we are generally unable to accommodate these requests.

Assessment and Reporting

Term 4 is a busy period for staff at CNPS. It is a period when teachers begin collating, moderating and assessing student learning. I recently attended a writing moderation session, where teachers worked across year level teams to analyse writing samples using a school constructed rubric. These important professional dialogues support teachers in making end of semester teacher judgements on student academic performance.

Communications

Clear two-way communications between home and school are important features of a true partnership. At Carlton North Primary School there are multiple ways parents/carers can connect with the school:

Face to face (formal and informal meetings)
Email
Telephone
Compass
Newsletter
Website

As a school we encourage proactive communication between home and school to support all students to thrive in their learning and wellbeing. Please do not hesitate to make contact with the school, should you have any questions or require support.

CNPS Staff Catch Ups

Throughout Week 2 & 3, I had the opportunity to meet with my new colleagues for a one on one ‘building connections’ conversation. It has been a wonderful opportunity to hear from staff about successes they have achieved so far this year and goals for the term ahead. Reflecting upon these conversations, it is evident that staff at CNPS are dedicated professionals who put student learning and wellbeing at the centre of their work.

Term 4 Curriculum Day / Public Holiday

Monday 4 November - Our last Curriculum Day for the year is on Monday 4 November – the day before Melbourne Cup. Our teachers will be analysing student assessment data and continuing Semester Two report writing. Our Before and After School Care provider, Team Kids, will be offering full-day care services. You can make bookings online.

Tuesday 5 November - Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday, the school will be closed.

Please reach out to Jane, Erin, Trish or I should you have any questions or require support.

Warm Regards

Matthew Ferguson

Acting Principal

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