Assistant Principal Update

Hello everyone,

This will be my final newsletter for 2024, so I will take the opportunity to reflect on the school year and wish you all a fantastic summer break.

By far the most rewarding aspect of my job is the variation in experiences that I get to have each day and the people I get to experience those with, primarily, the staff, students and community of APS.  I am grateful to have experienced such a wonderful year at APS. 

• The Science Expo, Writers Festival & Art Show were great evenings. As well as demonstrating the talents of our greatest assets – our students!
• Yet again the P/1 and 2-6 Concert evenings were highlights. The students’ ability to put all their efforts into creating such a great performance, after weeks of hard work is always extremely rewarding for all of us involved.
• I have thoroughly enjoyed working with students in my mathematics groups this year. I have worked with several students in Years 2, 3, 4 and 5 with a focus on problem solving and reasoning and challenging ourselves with a range of investigation problems. The highlight of this was when our Year 5 Mathematics Talent Quiz team received their High Distinction award at the awards ceremony at RMIT Melbourne.
• The various camps that I got to attend, including Ski Camp which was amazing. Seeing the growth in students’ confidence and ability throughout the week was certainly the highlight. We got lucky with the weather for the most part and it was one of the best weeks of the season. 
• The embedding of the house system and the number of great events led by our school leaders and SRC. The final house event is being held next week and the race for the 2024 House Cup is still very close… Which house will have their name added to the shield?
• I feel very privileged to be able to be a part of the many sporting events that take place throughout the year, whether it is attending and proudly watching our students at district and division events or being part of the teamwork at interschool sports. While participating and being a good sport is first and foremost, I always acknowledge that I am competitive, and it is nice to win. So, a highlight was watching the AFL team put in a season best performance in their semifinal against an opponent who had comprehensively defeated them during the regular season and making it to the district AFL final.

Farewell Year 6 

We officially farewell our graduating Year 6 class of 2024 tomorrow night. I have been extremely fortunate to have worked alongside Alan and Megan and our graduating students over the past few years, and it has been a privilege to have had the opportunities to support them in their academic, social, and sporting endeavours.

They have made a wonderful contribution to our school as the leaders this year and they have embraced all the different opportunities that Year 6 has provided them. 

I sincerely believe that the final year of primary school is one of the most memorable periods of your childhood and can set the tone for students as they transition into high school. I wish each Year 6 student the very best for the future.

Year 5 Portsea Camp

Melissa and I attended the Year 5 Camp at Portsea last week. The weather was stunning. We had a lovely walk down to the point and national park, with James acting as our tour guide. We then returned along the beach and the coastline. Lots of the students were impressed by the ‘mansions' and tennis courts. I skipped the Giant Swing this year and selected the just slightly less thrilling Flying Fox. I’ve now ticked off all the activities at Portsea so next year I might just go along for the more sedate activities.

A big thank you to the teachers and parent volunteers for their time and effort organising and supporting the camp.

2024 Semester Two Reports

Reports will be published on Compass on Friday 13 December. We encourage families to discuss the report with their child to develop an understanding of the learning and celebrate the achievements. If you wish to discuss your child’s report with their teacher, you can make an appointment to do so during week 11.

Year 6 Legacy Item

Our Year 6 students have completed their 2024 Legacy Item, and it has been installed on the Gaga Pit – instantly lifting the space and softening the harshness of the timber. Students worked with Megan and Alan to develop the bold designs, paint the panels and then install them in a coordinated approach onto the walls. We think they’ve done a great job and created an item that will remind us of their efforts in bringing the Gaga Pit into existence. A big thank you to Megan, her partner and Alan for coming in on Sunday to install the panels.

 2025 Curriculum Planning

This week teachers are planning in their 2025 teaching teams. This is an extremely important process, as staff review the 2024 curriculum plans and begin developing the learning units for Term 1. We have made significant progress in our English and Mathematics curriculum teaching programs. Our teachers have developed a deeper understanding of the Victorian Curriculum, and our planning documentation has become more sophisticated. In 2025 our priority is developing lesson plans which allow learning to be differentiated in ways which provide students with multiple entry and extension points. Additionally, we are developing assessment rubrics across each subject which support students in goal setting and teachers providing feedback aligned to curriculum goals and semester progress reports.

In 2025 we will continue to build upon our approach in the teaching of science, technology, and humanities.  Our Integrated Inquiry units focus on developing a cross curricular approach that provides students with opportunities to engage in authentic projects that give back to their communities. As students learn we foster the concept of developing global citizens. ​ Students are encouraged to explore their curiosity, and engage in real life experiences, empowering self-directed learning. 

2025 Leadership Announcements

This week we will be announcing the 2025 Year 6 Leadership Team at assembly. This process has been very considered and involved students, staff, the current Year 6 Leadership Team and the School Leadership Team. Every year it seems to get harder as there are so many students who could very capably fill the roles. We feel that this is a positive reflection of the work we do building student voice, confidence and passion for their beliefs. 

Staffing

Each year we have some staff changes and 2025 presents new opportunities for a few. We have two staff leaving us: Claire who is planning on teaching in Darwin for the year and Chelsea who wants to pursue replacement teaching work. Mary, our speech pathologist, has gained a promotion and will work with us in a different capacity. We thank those staff for their considerable efforts and wish them well with their future endeavours.  We also have some new staff joining our teams: Jack will be joining our Year 5 team, Chloe will be joining our Year 3 team and Meg becomes our new speech pathologist. We welcome these new staff members and look forward to the expertise they will bring to APS. 

Step-Up Day – Tuesday 17 December

Next week students will take part in their Step-Up Day. It is common for students to feel both excited and slightly nervous at the prospect. This is completely natural – humans are indeed creatures of comfort and routine, and changes to these can cause us stress. But it is also through these challenges that we learn to become resilient allowing us to explore and enjoy wider life experiences. As part of the planning time this week, teams dedicate a portion to planning activities for Step- Up Day to ensure students get a positive sense of what their teacher and class will be like in 2025.

A great deal of time goes into the formation of classes with many layers of complexity considered. Teachers’ of 2025 have met with previous teachers last week to share student transition information. Some teachers may make calls to families to gather further insight. We do this to ensure we can provide the best support possible. Please reach out if you would like to discuss further.

Classes 2025

Location of classrooms

We want everyone to enjoy the end of year activities and the last few days in their classes. This is why we maintain the focus on all the great things that happen in current classes’ right up until the last day. As discussions about 2025 become more frequent teachers will be holding extra circle times allowing students to discuss their feelings and any worries they may have about change. Please support us by also focussing on the current class events. 

Enjoy your week.

Shane Wilkie

Assistant Principal