Principal's Report 

 We, at Miners Rest Primary School, would like to acknowledge the Wadawurrung people of the Kulin Nation.

We pay our respects and thank the Wadawurrung people.

May we share your land. We promise to look after it, as well as the animals and people too.

Year 5 Camp Dates

This is important information for our Year 5 families. Unfortunately, the dates for our Year 5 Camp to Roses Gap needs to change to ensure that our children and staff engage in the experiences that we had planned and booked for this year. New dates are slightly earlier next term, which we hope may mean some milder weather. The Year 5 Roses Gap Camp will now take place on May 13, 14 and 15 of next term. We apologise for any inconvenience, please speak to me if you have any concerns. Putting the experience of the children is first and foremost in this decision.

Athletics Day

We are so very fortunate to have two sporting experiences that will bring Term One to an end. Ball Sports will take place on Wednesday (27 March) morning, with families warmly invited to join us on the tennis court area. A coffee van will be available for families and we look forward to you cheering on the events of the morning with us.

Athletics Day (Thursday 28 March) is happening on the final day of term. This date has been booked since the beginning of 2022 and next year's Athletics Day is also booked to take place on the final day of term. The challenge with this event happening on the final day means that we face the challenge of collating scores for presentation, as well as concluding the day by 2:30 pm - the logistics in front and behind the scenes are challenging. We understand that these changes impact families as well, with transporting children directly to the venue for an earlier start. 

Please understand that we are considerate of these challenges and this is why the dates and processes were communicated last year. There will be a soft start for Foundation - Year Two children to allow for students to be transported to Llanberris Recreation Reserve. Once again, I welcome communication from families with any concerns or considerations around Athletics Day to contact me via the school email. 

I would also like to acknowledge the tireless organisation and effort from Katherine and Emily to ensure enjoyable and authentic sports experiences for our children. 

Connect Ed

I would like to acknowledge our Foundation staff and our Learning Specialists for developing and delivering the 2024 Connect-Ed Program. This program not only supports developing knowledge as to what Literacy and Numeracy looks like at school and how parents can effectively support learning at home. Knowledge gained through this program also supports assisting learning in the classroom as a parent volunteer. Thankyou to our families for attending and supporting this program.

Policies

Miners Rest Primary School and Kindergarten have many important policies accessible through our school website. Families are encouraged to read these policies to remain informed with the processes and programs that the school and kinder have in place, particularly around Child Safe Standards. Feedback, questions and comments are welcomed through an email to the Principal, with all correspondence valued and considered.

Voluntary Contributions

I would like to sincerely thank our families for paying the 2024 voluntary contribution. We have experienced an increase in families providing this payment to our school this year - we thank you for your support.

New Reporting Format

In response to parent feedback, and the results of our parent survey late in 2023, our reporting format has been reviewed and improved with the aim of aligning with the requirements of the Department of Education while also being responsive to parent feedback. 

Student Learning Statements will be shared with families later this term and bookings will be available for a Student Led Conference on March 25 and 26. I encourage all families to book in a time to attend a Student Led Conference. As a school, we are supporting our students to have a greater level of voice and agency in this conference and your child/ren will also be proudly sharing their Student Learning Portfolio during the conference. Bookings for Student Led Conferences will be open today for families to make a booking and the portal for bookings will close on March 20.

Please note: S2 families will have their Student Led Conferences next term due to Mrs Riddoch being on leave at the end of this term.

Wishing you a happy and safe long weekend,

Kylie Nissen.