Principal Team's Message
Nurture. Innovate. Celebrate.
Dear Students, Parents, Carers and Families
Remembrance Day
On Monday, 11th November, Maramba Primary School will observe Remembrance Day to commemorate those who have served in all wars and peacekeeping operations. Remembrance Day marks the date in 1918 when the First World War came to an end. It is officially observed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month each year.
We will have a brief commemoration ceremony at our next assembly on 14th November in our gym. The Member for Parliament for Bruce, Honorary Julian Hill, will attend our assembly and share a few words. Please join us at this assembly on Thursday.
Sticks and Stones Incursion
On Friday November 1st, Brainstorm Productions performed the play 'Sticks and Stones' for all students in Foundation to Year 6. Sticks and Stones is a fun and inclusive student wellbeing play that focuses on positive relationships and supports all children to build confidence, social and emotional skills. Toby, the main character, demonstrated how he would respond with antisocial and aggressive behaviour when things went wrong at home, school or online. In the play, with the help of his friend Joe, he learns about positive ways to deal with his anger which includes stopping and taking a rest, taking breaths, walking away and talking about his feelings with an adult. Through the journey, he learns to be assertive and respect boundaries.
Our students enjoyed the play, and it has complemented many of the discussions and activities completed in our RRRR lessons.
Spotlight on Morning DNA Routines
Explicit teaching of routines provides structure, predictability and consistency to support student learning, helping students feel safe and happy at school. This links in well with the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support framework. Routines are sequences of recurring tasks or actions, for example entering the classroom, designed and taught by the teacher and practised by students. Their efficient, productive and automatic execution reduces wasted learning time and helps to free up students’ working memory to focus on learning.
This week our spotlight is on 1R, the Super Squad, who have been interviewed by our School Leaders, Susanna and Ashleigh. DNA stands for Do Now Activities that have been developed by Ms Ren to set the students up for success as they start the day feeling valued and appreciated.
Questions for Ms Ren:
What does a morning routine look like in your class?
Ms Ren: The morning routine is a structured slide that includes "the date," "do now activities", optional "can do" activities, "get ready for" notes, and "weekly goals." It was developed to provide students with a clear, consistent start to their day, promoting independence and focus.
How have the students responded to it?
The students have responded very positively, enjoying the structure and the flexibility within their morning choices. They feel more prepared for the day and are motivated by having achievable daily and weekly goals.
Student Interviews:
| Name of the person being interviewed | Q.1 What is your morning routine? | Q.2 How do they help you learn? | Q.3 What score would you give it out of ten? |
Imaan
| It is a routine that reminds us what to do in the morning, like put our lunch boxes away. We have choice in the book we want to read and the activity that we would like to complete in the morning, such as Math or phonics. | It is nice and relaxing. It helps me focus and helps my brain work better. | 10! |
| Charlie | We can choose a book or activity when you walk in. You can solve Math questions. | It helps me get ready for class. I like the Math problems. | 5 |
| Ariani | We put our bag away, read, do Math activities and then draw. | It helps us get ready for learning and feel happy. | 9000 |
| Peyton | We choose a book to read by ourselves or with a friend. We can also complete a Math activity from the bin box. We can also do phonics. | It helps me feel smart, focused and happy. Also, when the teacher provides feedback, it makes me a better learner. | 10 |
Foundation 2025
We have enjoyed two transition sessions with our 2025 Foundation students who have been fantastic in settling in at school.
The 2025 students read the story, 'Brave Bear' by Sean Taylor and made their own bear headband. All students were very brave as they said goodbye to their parents to complete the transition sessions. We look forward to continuing to get to know our future 2025 Foundation students and families.
Future 2025 Foundation sessions:
- Thursday 14th November 2:30-3:15pm
- Thursday 19th December 2:30-3:15pm. This will be the meet your 2025 teacher session.
Transition 2025
As 2024 comes to a close, we start looking ahead to 2025. Next year, we will welcome a new cohort of Foundation students while bidding farewell to our Year 6 students from 2024.
To get ready for 2025, we will hold four transition sessions for all students entering Years 1-6 next year. These sessions provide a valuable opportunity for students to meet new friends and build relationships with their future teachers. 2025 Foundation students will participate in the final transition session on Thursday December 19th.
Transition activities will start in week 8. During these sessions, students will be placed in different mixed groups each week and will work with various teachers.
The dates and times for these sessions are below:
- Week 8: Thursday November 28th session 6
- Week 9: Thursday December 5th session 6
- Week 10: Thursday December 12th session 6
- Week 11: Thursday December 19th session 6. This will be the meet your 2025 teacher session.
Assemblies and Newsletters
Please see the schedule below for our assemblies and newsletters:
| School Newsletter | Whole School Assembly |
|---|---|
| Friday, 8th November | Thursday, 14th November (Special Assembly) |
| Friday, 22nd November | Thursday, 28th November |
| Friday, 6th December | Thursday, 12th December |
| Friday, 20th December | Friday, 20th December (Special Assembly) |
Curriculum Days 2025
- Curriculum Day 1: 28 January
- Curriculum Day 2: 7 March
- Curriculum Day 3: Assessment and Reporting 10 June
- Curriculum Day 4: 28 November TBC
- Common Professional Practice Day (PPD) TBC – Proposed 9 May
We are very excited to be running a Christmas raffle that will be drawn at our last assembly. Our parent volunteer community, FOM, are organising it so please check out the FOM page of this newsletter for details. Enjoy the weekend everyone!
Kind regards,
Moniba Ehsan and Stephanie Sharp
Principal and Assistant Principal