Leadership Report

Dear Saltwater families, 

Welcome to Term 4, Week 6.  We hope you were able to enjoy valuable family time during the recent extended weekend.

We are now halfway through the term, with many exciting experiences planned over the remaining weeks. From here on, it is important that as a school, we reflect on the year we’ve had, celebrate our achievements, acknowledge our accomplishments, and plan for the year ahead. We value sharing our forthcoming decisions and directions, thus we kindly request you to thoroughly review all school communications in order to stay fully updated.

2024 Curriculum Days Approved by School Council. 

Please note our 2024 Curriculum days, which are student free days. 

Curriculum days are days set aside by our school for teachers and staff to engage in various activities related to curriculum planning, development, and improvement. These days are designated as non-instructional days for students, meaning that students do not attend school on these days. In 2024, our school has five allocated curriculum days which have been approved by our School Council:

1.Monday 29 January

2.Tuesday 30 January

3.Friday 23 February

4.Monday 4 November

5.Friday 20 December

Please mark these days in your 2024 diary as students do not attend school on these days.

Fundraising Carnival News 

Our school carnival day is fast approaching as the excitement builds up to the biggest day on the school calendar (Nov 18th).Our carnival is not only a way to raise funds but also to build a sense of community and provide a fun and memorable experience for students and their families. We rely on volunteer efforts and support from local businesses to make our carnival a success. A big thank you to all our volunteers who plan to devote their Saturday to support the school. Please check the regular updates in the Carnival Tab of our newsletter and on social media, for updated information and to volunteer on the day. We are eagerly awaiting this spectacular community event to promote a sense of community and engagement. 

Instructional Coaching at Saltwater

At Saltwater College, we believe that we are all learners, and this includes students, teachers, leaders and staff. To increase the capacity of our teachers and to embed research based approaches, we offer instructional coaching to our teachers. Coaching is a form of professional development that focuses on improving teaching practices to enhance student learning. It involves a collaborative and ongoing relationship between a teacher and an instructional coach, where the coach provides guidance, feedback, and support to help the teacher develop their instructional skills and improve their classroom practices. Our Coaching Model is run by our Director of Teaching and Learning, Taxia Katsouranis, and is designed to support educators in improving their teaching practices and enhancing student learning outcomes. Our Leading Teachers, coach teachers in each of their year levels and tailor their support to meet the specific needs of the teachers and their students. 

Two coaching initiatives that we have embedded across the school this year, have been Reading Conferences and our Maths Instructional Model - Launch Explore Discuss (LED). These initiatives are in line with our School’s Annual Implementation Goals. 

Positive Schools Conference Information 

This week, many members of our leadership team attended the Positive Schools Conference. The conference is an event created for those in the field of education to explore and discuss topics related to positive education and well-being in schools. Positive education is an approach that focuses on fostering the holistic development of students, emphasising not only their academic achievement but also their social and emotional well-being. The primary goal of the Positive Schools Conference is to promote the well-being and positive development of students in educational settings. This was achieved by bringing together experts, practitioners, and leaders to share research, insights, and best practices. Our leaders will collaborate on the research presented to decide on the crucial next steps for our school context. 

Remembrance Day Assembly 10/11/2023

On Friday (10/11/22) we held a Remembrance Day assembly for our whole school. During the assembly, we were able to honour Remembrance Day through a special commemorative service, poetry readings and a very special reading from our two visitors, Officer Bradley Smith and Pilot Officer Nick Aari Kavitha, from the Point Cook RAAF base.

We observed a minutes silence to honour fallen soldiers. At the conclusion of our assembly, students from each year level laid wreaths. The assembly serves as an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made by military personnel and to express gratitude for their service.

We hope our families can dedicate some time to remember the significance of Remembrance Day and to pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their nations, on Saturday 11 November. 

LEST WE FORGET. 🥀

2024 Class Allocations

Our dedicated leadership team and current staff diligently manage the intricate process of class development in Term Four. In creating classes, teachers consider various factors, including the balance of male and female students, academic performance, behaviour, students with special needs or medical conditions who receive additional support and the placement with at least one known peer.

Teachers collaborate to allocate students to classes for the year 2024, with a strong commitment to fostering an environment where your child can thrive and reach their full potential. We greatly value your trust in our expertise and judgment when it comes to selecting the most appropriate class for your child's educational and well-being requirements. Please understand that, due to the complexity of this process, we are unable to accommodate specific requests for class placements or teachers.

To assist us, we kindly request that you notify us at your earliest convenience if your child will not be returning to our school next year. You can reach us by phone at 03 8366 7700 or via email at saltwater.p9.co@education.vic.gov.au.

2024 Prep Transition

Currently we have 230 future prep enrolments for 2024. This week, we began our Prep Transition program, where we held a parent information session for our future prep students. It was wonderful to address the families of our littlest incoming students; some students are siblings of current students and are very familiar with our school already, and other students are joining us for the very first time. Please note the details for our Prep 2024 Transition Sessions: 

Transition Morning 1:                  

Wednesday 15th November 9am – 10.15am (Prep A,B,C,D,E) 

Thursday 16th November 9am – 10:15am (Prep F,G,H,I,J,K) 

Transition Morning 2:                  

Wednesday 29th November 9am – 10.15am (Prep A,B,C,D,E) 

Thursday 30th November 9am – 10:15am (Prep F,G,H,I,J,K) 

Our Prep team is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to meet with our prospective Prep students in our school setting. 

Uniform Expectations Reminder

We've observed that a few students haven't been adhering to the complete school uniform policy. Teachers have been gently reminding students to consistently wear their uniforms. All students are required to be in their academic uniform, unless they have PE or dance classes, on which days they are permitted to wear their sports attire. Additionally, Fridays are designated as Sport Uniform Days. We would appreciate your support and cooperation in upholding our uniform policy. 

Sun Safety Reminder - Hats Required for Term One and Term Four

We kindly wish to emphasise the significance of wearing sun-smart hats during outdoor activities such as recess, lunch, and physical education lessons. Any student not wearing a hat will be asked to take a break in the shaded sections of the school. We acknowledge that hats can sometimes be misplaced, so please be sure to label them clearly with your child's name. Please encourage the responsibility of your child to remember their hat.

Communicating Absences

A reminder to all families to remember to communicate all reasons for student absences with the school. The preferred method for communication of absences is for parents to do this directly through the Xuno Family app, as it greatly reduces the administrative duties of our office staff and school leaders. However, you may also continue to email the school if this is your preferred method. 

Noteworthy Dates

We've organised a host of engaging events and activities for this term. Don't forget to check out the ‘Important Dates' section in our newsletter so that you are fully informed. 

Fourth Term

Fourth term spans 12 weeks, which commenced on October 2, and concludes on December 19, 2023. We extend our best wishes to all our families for the rest of this term.