Leadership Report

Dear Saltwater Families,

Welcome Back to Term Four. We trust that you had a restful break, enjoying some much-needed relaxation and special moments with family. As we step into Term Four, we also welcome the warmer days of spring, bringing with them a sense of renewal and energy. Whether you spent time outdoors soaking up the sunshine or simply recharging at home, we hope you're feeling refreshed and ready for the exciting term ahead. We're thrilled to have you back and look forward to a fantastic Term Four together!

Student Free Days Term Four

Please be advised of the following Student Free Days, with the next curriculum day allocated to student reporting, on Monday 4 November, 2024. 

On these student free days, students either stay at home or are able to attend Out of School Hours Care. Big Childcare will be operating on Monday 4 November, should you require care. They have planned a ‘Carnival Day’ to entertain the children who attend. Please contact them to make arrangements for care via saltwater@bigchildcare.com or 0413 258 139.

Dates to note: 

• Three-Way Student-Led Conferences Early Finish at 12.00pm – Tuesday, 29 October 2024
• Melbourne Cup Eve (Report Writing) - Monday 4 November 2024
• Tuesday 5 November is a public holiday (Melbourne Cup) and there is no school or care available on that day.
• No school from Friday 20 December 2024.

Sun Smart policy - Hats 

As we embrace the warmer weather of Term Four, we kindly remind you of our commitment to sun safety. All students are required to wear hats when playing outside or during outdoor activities. This simple yet essential measure helps protect our children from harmful sun exposure and ensures a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience. Please ensure your child comes to school with a hat every single day this term. 

We would like to remind you that the school provides sunscreen for students to use during outdoor activities, which they may apply themselves. You are welcome to supply your own sunscreen for your child/ren to use while at school. Please ensure that any sunscreen sent is clearly labelled with your child's name.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our students sun-safe!

Planning for 2025

It's that time of year when the leadership team begin working through 2025 planning, class structures and recruitment processes. We are currently recruiting teaching staff for classroom teacher positions for 2025. As we continue the planning process for next year, we would appreciate parents notifying the school if your child/ren will not be returning to our school in 2025, as soon as possible. Please contact the school office on 8366 7700 to let us know.   

Class Formations for 2025

Class formation is a complex process which is carefully curated throughout Term Four by our leadership team and current staff. When creating classes and allocating students, teachers pay consideration to a balance of factors including gender balance of male/female, academic ability, behaviour, students in receipt of additional funding for disabilities, and students with a diagnosis or medical issues.   

Teachers will work in Collaborative Teams during Term Four of this year, to allocate students to 2025 classes. In order to allow for student voice in this process, early in Term Four, students are expected to complete a ‘Friendship Circle’ in Primary and a ‘Working Well With list’ in Secondary. This will give the students an opportunity to state who they work well with and who they would like to be placed with for the following year. 

Parents will be asked to complete this form at home, to support their child/ren through this process, with a focus on selecting students who they work well with and not necessarily ‘play friends’. We endeavour to place students with at least one member from their requests when creating classes.   

Three-Way Student-Led Conferences Early Finish – Tuesday, 29 October 2024

We warmly invite our families to participate in our Student-Led Conferences in Week 4, on Tuesday, 29 October from 12pm.

Your support in accommodating the day's schedule, including the early dismissal at 12pm, is greatly appreciated. These conferences offer a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their learning and achievements, celebrate their progress, and strengthen the home-school partnership.

Please note that students' end-of-year reports will be made available to families via Xuno in December.

Safe Social Media 

Parents and carers play a key role in guiding their children as they navigate the online world and begin to learn through exploration, play and social interaction.

Parents and carers can prepare their primary school aged child to be safe on social media even if they don’t use it yet. You can do this by building good online habits and staying informed about online safety.

You can learn more how to help your child begin their online journey on the eSafety Commissioner’s website.

You can also learn about the range of social media, games, apps and sites in the eSafety Guide, including what all the apps are, their minimum age requirements, how to protect personal information and how to report content within the apps themselves.

For more information, please see the link: 

https://www.vic.gov.au/safe-socials-parents-and-carers-primary

E-Scooter Safety and Legal Use for Students

As e-scooters become more popular, it’s important for parents and students to be aware of the legal requirements for riding them in Victoria. Please note that most students at our school are under 16, which means they do not meet the legal age requirement for riding e-scooters.

To ride an e-scooter legally in Victoria, riders must:

• Be at least 16 years old.
• Ride on shared-use paths or roads with a speed limit of up to 60km/h, not on footpaths.
• Always wear a helmet.
• Keep speeds under 20km/h.
• Avoid using mobile phones while riding.
• Not carry any passengers.

We encourage all parents to discuss these rules with their children to ensure their safety and compliance with the law. Let’s work together to keep our community safe!

Prep Transition Program for 2025

The following information is regarding our kinder-to-school transition program for new Prep students beginning school in 2025. The aim of these transition sessions are to help develop student confidence and familiarity with our school environment, Prep teachers and Prep procedures. In doing so, our future Prep students will be better prepared for the commencement of their school life. 

Prep 2025 Information Session on 6 November 2023 at 5.00pm 

An online Prep 2024 Parent information session will be held on Wednesday 8 November at 5pm, via the Webex online platform. The Prep leaders will present relevant information and answer general questions about our Prep program at Saltwater College. For 2024 Prep families only, please click the link at 5pm, to join the info session: https://eduvic.webex.com/meet/katsouranis.taxia.t 

Transition Sessions

We offer two transition sessions in November 2024. Kinder to school transition sessions aim to make the process of moving to school as positive as possible by providing an opportunity to become familiar with the layout of the school, classrooms, facilities, staff and other students. This can help reduce anxiety on the first day of school.

• Group 1 will meet on Tuesday 12 November and Tuesday 26 November from 9am to 10.15.   
• Group 2 will meet on Wednesday 13 November and Wednesday 27 November from 9am to 10.15.                    

Our Prep team are really looking forward to meeting our prospective Prep families this term.

Celebrating World Teachers’ Day – A Tribute to Our Amazing Staff at Saltwater College

As World Teachers' Day approaches on October 25, it’s the perfect moment to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of our teaching staff here at Saltwater College. Every day, our teachers bring passion, dedication, and expertise to their classrooms, inspiring young minds to grow, learn, and thrive.

This year’s theme, "The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want," resonates deeply with the values we uphold at Saltwater. Our teachers are not only educators but also role models, mentors, and leaders. Whether it’s through creative lesson planning, fostering a positive learning environment, or adapting to new teaching technologies, they consistently strive to make learning engaging and meaningful for our students.

It’s also important to acknowledge the teamwork and collaboration that defines our school community. Our teachers work together, sharing knowledge, supporting one another, and creating a network of learning that extends beyond the classroom walls.

On behalf of the entire school community, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every member of our teaching staff. Your hard work, care, and commitment are the foundation of our students' success. We are proud of everything you do, and it is a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals.

If you have a teacher you would like to acknowledge, please reach out to them directly. 

School Saving Bonus

As shared with you previously, parents and carers of every child enrolled in a Victorian government school in 2025 will receive the one-off School Saving Bonus $400 support.

In the coming months, the Department of Education will send you 2 email communications for each of your children enrolled in Victorian government schools.

By Friday 18 October 2024, please ensure that your child’s 2025 enrolment is completed and that your contact information is up to date.

The 2 emails from the Department of Education will:

1. Confirm your email address between mid-October and late-November.

2. Provide you with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code by the end of November.

If you do not receive a confirmation email from the department by late November, please check your spam or junk folders and contact our school on 03 8366 7700 if needed.

Supporting Our Students in Uncertain Times

With recent events unfolding around the world, many children may be exposed to news of global conflicts and violence. Whether through media or discussions at home, some students may feel confused, anxious, or concerned about what they are hearing and what is happening. We understand that these challenging events can impact their emotional wellbeing, and it’s important to recognise how this might affect their thoughts and feelings.

At our school, we want to reassure both parents and students that we are here to offer support. If you are concerned about your child's wellbeing and feel they need additional support during this time, we encourage you to speak to your classroom teacher, your year level AP, or a member of the wellbeing team. We are committed to creating a safe, caring environment where students feel comfortable sharing their worries, and we’ll work together to help them navigate these emotions. 

To all of our community members who have family members impacted by the events, our thoughts are with you.

ACE Testing in Secondary

This week, our secondary students completed their ACE tests (Accelerated Curriculum and Enrichment). If your child was registered but absent during the test, we will arrange a catch-up session for them. Further details will be shared once the first round of testing is finalised. Thank you for your patience and support throughout this process. 

Important Events and Reminders

Please be sure to access the 'Important Dates' tab of our newsletter as we have many planned and exciting events coming up this term.

Term 4

We look forward to seeing Term Four unfold. This term began on Monday 7 October and is an 11 week term which concludes on Thursday 19 December, 2024.  

Thank you, 

On behalf of the Leadership team.