Phonics – It’s All Happening At Scoresby PS

We are very pleased to say that Scoresby PS is well across the new instruction of phonics mandated by the Department of Education (DE) for implementation this year.

We began our journey into explicitly teaching phonics last year in every grade level. All staff were trained in the Write 2 Read (W2R) approach, and we are training more staff this year to keep our practices consistent.

DE has released new phonics lessons which are created based on educational research, and these are being implemented in our junior school this year.

Your children will be coming home with knowledge and information about “codes”. These codes (as they are referred to in the W2R approach) are the phonemes we use for reading and spelling each day. There are 26 letters in our alphabet, but there are 76 phonemes we use in our language.

Our junior school (F-2) are concentrating on learning the codes and the sounds, and the senior school (3-6) is concentrating on applying the rules around each code and putting them in practice when spelling out words when they write.

Our long-term goal is to equip our students with the very best of knowledge in spelling, reading and writing, which will enable them to participate fully in the world; writing resumes, essays, letters, applications and, maybe one day, even theses. We also want our students to leave primary school having a love of reading and learning.

New Windows And New Front Door

This is a great way to kick off our new year! We are finally getting new windows in the main building along the south side, and a new electronic sliding door for our main front entrance. It has been a long time coming.

We have been working with consultants from the Victorian Schools Building Authority, and they have been really helpful. The overseeing manager called me in Week 2 and told me the good news. Our front entrance update was a bonus.

We have no timeline as yet, but it will be in the first six months of the year. They will try to keep disruptions to a minimum, but we are in the fortunate position to have space to move classes temporarily while the work is completed.

Once this work is complete we will be ready to start updating classrooms. The classroom update will be planned and paced over a couple of years, and we will look to do two classrooms at a time. All classrooms in the main building require a paint and new carpet.

Out Of Hours School Care – Free Sausage Sizzle Next Friday 28th February

We are delighted to formally welcome our new Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) provider, DS Sports, to Scoresby PS. We were speaking with Nahid, our OSHC worker, and she is very happy at SPS. DS Sports have rearranged the OSHC space and settled into our school really well.

DS Sports are holding a sausage sizzle for our community next Friday afternoon, 28th February, 3.00 – 4.00pm. They will be in the rotunda between the hall and veggie garden. Please call past and grab an afterschool snack!

Safety At School

Dogs

A reminder to all families that dogs are not permitted on the premises during school hours.

Staff Carpark

Please do not park in the staff carpark before or after school, and children are not to walk through the carpark either. Over the years we have had a few near misses. Please arrange a safe pick-up place to meet your children.

Communication

Please be aware we use COMPASS for all school communication (excursions, newsletters, reports, etc.). Each Friday, events for the coming week are posted so families can keep in touch with what’s going on at school. Your teachers and school leaders are happy to meet with you if you have any concerns. You are welcome to pop in for a chat or book a time for bigger issues that may need addressing.

Curriculum Contributions

Thank you to the school families who have paid the 2025 Curriculum Contributions. Your support is greatly appreciated. These contributions go towards your child’s classroom stationery and equipment, your child’s digital learning subscriptions, provisioning the specialist subjects, and classroom photocopying. If you have not yet paid your child’s 2025 Curriculum Contribution, we would appreciate payment ASAP.

Also, a big thank you to the families who have generously contributed to the ‘Other Contributions’ listed to support the school. These payments assist us with our library and literacy books, first aid supplies, online communication systems, and building and grounds improvements. If you have any questions regarding the contributions, please do not hesitate to contact our Business Manager, Tina Clark.

School Council Elections

Information regarding the 2025 School Council election process will be sent to families soon. School Council is an extremely vital part of the school and has many functions such as approving external contracts, policies, school camps and overseeing school finance.

Please look out for this information if you think you may be interested in nominating or being nominated. Information will include a timeline and summary of the role of School Council.

SUE HARTLEY AND NICOLE RHEUMER

Scoresby Primary School Leaders

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