Raywood Primary School Newsletter

From the Office 

  News From the Principal 

I am excited to introduce myself as the Acting Principal at Raywood Primary School for Term 1. My name is Ayshia Howden, and I have previously worked as the Assistant Principal and Curriculum Manager at Kalianna School in Bendigo.

I am honoured to be stepping into this role while the amazing Lisa Duffy supports Lockington Primary School. My focus is on fostering a positive and supportive learning environment where every student can thrive.

I look forward to working with our wonderful students, staff, and families to ensure a smooth and successful term. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or just want to say hello—I am always happy to chat!

A New Year of Learning

The Victorian Department of Education have created a New Year of Learning webpage to help families, and students of all year levels, prepare for the 2025 school year. 

You will find:

  • tips to help transition from early childhood education to Prep, and primary to secondary school 
  • what to expect at school 
  • where to find help with school costs and fees 
  • health and wellbeing guidance to support children’s mental health 
  • learning and disability supports.  

This is the link to access the page which will have content added to it throughout the year. New year of learning

 

Homework Begins This Week

Homework will commence this week across all year levels at Raywood Primary School. As part of our evidence-informed approach to teaching and learning, homework is designed to support and reinforce the skills and knowledge being developed in the classroom.

Please note that homework will look different at each stage of learning. Letters will be sent home outlining how homework will be structured for each year level, so we kindly ask all families to read these carefully.

For our new Prep students, readers will not be sent home until they have mastered their first stage of sounds. In the meantime, they will receive sound drills that reflect the sounds they have been learning in class.

Thank you for supporting your child’s learning at home. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

 

Parking Reminder – Keeping Our Students Safe

A friendly reminder to all families that parents and carers are not permitted to park inside the school grounds. With students moving around before and after school, extra vehicles pose a significant safety risk.

To keep everyone safe, we ask that families use the designated parking areas outside the school. 

We appreciate your cooperation in making our school a safe place for all students. Thank you for your support!

 

 

 

That's all for this week- Ayshia Howden 

News from Bree in the office

Swimming Program 2025

We are excited to announce our upcoming swimming program! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to build confidence in the water while developing essential swimming skills.

At Raywood Primary School, we continuously strive to support our students in various ways. We are pleased to announce that we have successfully secured a grant from State School Relief to provide a swimming pack for each child. Each pack will include a towel, swimming bag, bathers, goggles, and a swimming rash shirt. Please note that the sizes for the bathers and rash shirts are based on what was available, so we cannot offer size swaps or returns. If the provided sizes do not fit, we kindly ask that you pass them on to someone else who may be able to use them.

This initiative comes just in time for our upcoming swimming program. Students are welcome to use these items during the program; however, it is not mandatory. The swimming program will be held at Eaglehawk Pool, which is an indoor facility, so rash shirts are not required.

 

Children will need to bring a packed swimming bag that includes bathers, a towel, and goggles on the following dates:

  • Friday, 7 February
  • Tuesday, 11 February
  • Tuesday, 18 February
  • Tuesday, 25 February
  • Tuesday, 4 March
  • Tuesday, 11 March

  • Tuesday, 25 March

    Timings

    We will be leaving school at 1:15 PM and returning by 3:00 PM. If your child needs to be picked up early on any of these days, please inform us in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements.

    Permissions & Medical Information

    Please check U Educate Us and sign the required permission forms. If your child has any medical conditions or additional needs related to swimming, kindly let us know as soon as possible.

    We look forward to a fun and safe swimming experience for all students!

uEducateUs

We would like to inform our new families that we use a program called uEducateUs for managing permissions for camps and excursions, tracking absences, attendance, and reporting.

I have sent home unique login details for each parent. The easiest way to access uEducateUs is by installing the uEducateUs app on your internet-enabled phone or tablet. You will also find instructions for setting up the app in the materials I sent home.

If you need any assistance with this, please reach out, and I will be happy to help.

 

Security Cameras 

We would like to inform our community that during the last week of the school holidays, we installed security cameras around the school grounds. Please note that these cameras do not monitor the inside of the buildings. After experiencing a few minor incidents after hours in the past, the Department recommended the installation of cameras, and we believe this will add an extra layer of security to our school.

Signs have been placed at the gates and on buildings to notify the community of the cameras' presence. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you, Bree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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