From the Office
News From the Principal
Welcome to 2024 !
A very warm welcome to all of our Raywood Primary School students, families and friends. This year is already looking to be full of exciting opportunities for our students; we may be a small school but by comparison, our students are able to access so many more learning experiences and educational opportunities than those at larger schools. We pride ourselves on providing individualised teaching and learning support that matches each of our students needs, ensuring we are always using researched-based best practice, with high expectations for all of our students. Our weekly timetable in 2024 once again includes daily Reading, Writing, Phonics and Numeracy as well as regular sessions of Physical Education and Integrated Studies (Science, History, Geography, Civics & Citizenship). Our students will once again participate in specialist sessions of weekly Art and Sport as well as fortnightly MARC and Wellbeing Sessions.
Extra Curricula programs that are already planned for 2024 include Year 3-6 Cluster Sporting Events, whole-school cluster Science Day and Cross -Country, Year 6 Leadership Events and opportunities, Year 3/4 Cluster Camp and a Year 5/6 Cluster Camp. There will be further whole-school excursions and events each term and these will be announced once details are finalised.
Staffing for 2024:
Principal : Lisa Duffy
Classroom Teachers: P-2 Lisa Duffy & Year 3-6 Hayden Collins
Specialist Wellbeing & Active Schools Teacher: Sarah Roediger (Thursdays and Fridays)
MARC Librarian: Susan Gentry (fortnightly visits on Thursdays)
Business Manager: Bree Blake (Monday-Thursday mornings)
Classroom Helper and general all round support to everyone- Mez Kimberly.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Sarah Roediger to our school. Sarah comes to us with a strong background in student wellbeing as well as teaching and learning. Sarah will work will both classes on a weekly basis taking Wellbeing Sessions. Active Schools Sessions as well as working in the classrooms as part of our regular core programs. We are very fortunate to have secured Sarah as a member of staff for 2024 and we are so excited to be working with her.
Swimming & Water Safety Program
I am delighted to announce that we have secured sufficient funding to run our 2024 program for 8 sessions at no cost to families. This is wonderful news and I am sure appreciated by each one of our Raywood Families. The program is for all students in Years P-6 and will run each Thursday afternoon beginning next week. We will leave just after lunch and have our sessions at the Peter Krenz Leisure Centre beginning at 2.10pm. We will then return to school in time for our usual dismissal. Can I please ask all families to log onto uEducateus and read the information regarding this program and provide permissions. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Our Campaspe Cluster Swimming Sports will be held on Monday February 26th at the Elmore Pool. This event is for Years 3-6 and our students will be joined by their friends from our cluster schools. Once again, further information is provided on uEduateus, along with the required permissions.
Spectators are most welcome at any of these swimming events.
Bus
All families should have received a new bus timetable. Adjustments to times were necessary due to us no longer having students getting on or off the bus in Eaglehawk or Hartlands Road due to Piper and Link graduating). If you require a new copy then please let us know at school. Our bus driver is Pam Howard and as most of you know she is wonderful and we appreciate her flexibility and patience greatly. If you are a regular bus traveller and are not going to be on the bus then please let the school know so we can tell Pam and she is not sitting at a stop waiting, similarly if you are changing stops for some reason.
Playground
Our new playground has been fully installed and is ready for use (well kind of). We
desperately needed some playground mulch and had some delivered yesterday afternoon. It is now sitting in two piles on the edge of the playground. If anyone has some spare time (even just half an hour at a time) and can come along with a shovel and wheelbarrow to help spread it around the fall and landing points of our new playground that would be great. This might be before or after school, over the weekend or even during school time. I figure many hands make light work and if a few people can just spare some short blocks of time over the next week, we can get it done. We will need to order more to top up, but want to spread what is there first, so we know how much more to order. Thanks in advance.
Graduation
A huge thank you to everyone who attended graduation. It was so wonderful to have every school family represented and to have community members join us also. Although hosting this event ourselves in the local hall meant some additional work in terms of set up,
arrangements for catering and clean up, the feedback we have had so far from families seems to indicate that it was all worthwhile. If you do have any feedback, helpful suggestions or ideas for this year's event, please contact Lisa to discuss.
School Council News
Our first meeting for the year will be on Monday February 19th at 5pm. Thank you to Julian Ashley who has offered to fill our vacant parent position. If any other parents would like to nominate to serve on our council, please see Lisa for further information and a nomination form. Meetings are generally held twice per term and run for about an hour.
Lunch Orders
These will commence next Wednesday - an updated list will be forwarded to families before then as we have been required
to make some alterations for 2024. Students should bring their orders written on a named envelope or bag with payment enclosed. Orders are due in by 9am.
Big Day Out 2023
Our end of year celebration day was so much fun. We travelled to Echuca and spent the morning enjoying jumping at The Gravity Shack, which is an indoor trampoline centre with a playground.
We then travelled over the border and had lunch at McDonalds in Moama, with each student ordering and paying for their own meal- a first for some. We then travelled back into Echuca and boarded the paddle steamer, Pevensey for a leisurely cruise up the river. The students enjoyed the quiet pace (as did the staff) but seeing the inner workings of the steam powered engine and water powered paddles was a highlight.
A quick trip to the lolly shop was had before heading home.
That's all for this week- Lisa Duffy
News From Bree in the Office
Family Contributions 2024- a big thank you to those families who have already forwarded their payment. The early payment makes a huge difference to us being able to budget strategically as we are required to pay most student subscriptions and for student learning materials early in the year.
A reminder to families that contributions stand at $150 per child and can be paid in full or in installments. If families would like another copy of the account sent out at the end of 2023, please contact Bree in the office.
Thanks Bree
.