Clifton Hill Primary School

Assistant Principal's Note


Dear CHPS Community,

 

It has been a busy last few weeks at CHPS. Our school community’s organisation and running of the school fair, our teachers writing those important end-of-semester reports, our students participating in incursions, excursions, sporting events and musical concerts and finally our Year 6 students in the midst of their final primary school days, preparing for End of Year 6 celebrations as they edge closer to Graduation have all created a real buzz around our whole school. As the holiday season is just around the corner, it will not be long before those festive bells will be ringing.

 

Big Play Out

What an amazing day we had for our much anticipated CHPS Fair – Big Play Out! With beautiful warm weather, great food and drinks, entertainment, rides and activities for the kids, stalls selling a wide variety of items and of course the good old dunking machine, there was a huge crowd out to play. The day saw both our school and wider school community come together to celebrate our wonderful school.

 

There is much gratitude expressed to every person who played a crucial role in coordinating the Big Play Out or generously volunteered their time and effort on the day. From the fair committee, to the fair legends and all the parents, teachers, students and wider community who contributed in some way, we say thank you. We are lucky to have such an active and engaged parent community and an event such as the Big Play Out serves as a testament to the incredible power of our community engagement, 

Once again, thank you for making this event such a resounding success! 

 

Student Reports

The end of a semester is a busy time for teachers as they finalise their assessments and complete written reports for the students they teach. All parents and carers will be given access on Compass to their child’s report for this semester from Tuesday 12th December (4pm). This is the second of the written reports the parents and carers receive for the year. A student's report provides a formal record, at a point in time, on their progress and achievement. The key purpose of reporting is to support student learning by providing information to students and parents about student achievement and progress.

 

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parents have the opportunity to meet with your child's classroom teacher to discuss their school report if required. These interviews are optional and will be conducted by phone. Please email your classroom teacher by Monday 11th December if you wish to book a 10 minute slot. The following times have been allocated for these discussions:

  • Wednesday 13th December, 3:45-4:45pm
  • Monday 18th December, 3:45-4:45pm

Education Transitions 

The transition to a new learning environment usually brings changes to a child’s relationships, physical and social environments and daily routines. Education transitions can bring challenges and opportunities for social and emotional learning. While this brings exciting opportunities, some children, and their families, can find these changes stressful. 

 

As the end of the school nears, our attention turns to student transition. At CHPS, transition has three key components, Kindergarten to Foundation, Step Up and Year 6 to Year 7.  A positive start to any new year can make a big difference to a student’s school engagement, learning and wellbeing.

 

Starting primary school is a major milestone in a child’s life and strong family-school partnerships help make a smoother transition. Preparing for the start of their first day of school next year, we had our 2024 Foundation students participating in three orientation sessions last month. These sessions allowed the incoming students to spend time with their 2024 classroom teacher, participate in learning activities and become familiar with their 2024 classroom environment. During these sessions, parents and carers attended information sessions with the focus being on how to best support their child to transition into primary school.

 

On Tuesday 12th December, Foundation to Year 5 students will have their Step Up transition session. During this time, the students will meet their 2024 teacher and be with their classroom peers for next year. Building blocks in developing positive teacher and student relationships can begin to be laid on this day.

 

Over this term, many secondary schools have been working with the Year 6 teachers to make the Year 6 to Year 7 transition easier for our graduating students. Many students who are attending private schools have already participated in their orientation day while students who are attending state secondary schools will have their orientation day on Tuesday 12th December. Transitioning Year 6 students who experience a positive transition into their secondary school are more likely to feel comfortable with their new school, feel excited and motivated to learn, have good relationships with others and develop a sense of belonging within their new school community. 

 

COVID-19

There is at present an increase in community transmission of COVID-19 in Victoria.

To keep members of our school as safe as possible, if your child shows symptoms of COVID-19, please ensure they stay home and get tested. The easiest way to test is to use a rapid antigen test (RAT). Free RATs are available from your local council where you can collect 2 packs of 5 RATs and an extra 2 packs for each person in your household. People with disability and their carers can get 4 packs of 5 RATs. You are not required to have a Medicare card and you can collect RATs as many times as you need. You can also buy RATs at supermarkets, pharmacies and other retailers.

 

If the RAT test result is positive, please ensure your child stays home for at least 5 days and until there are no more symptoms. If your child has symptoms but tests negative, please ensure they stay home until they no longer have symptoms.

 

Thank you for your support – these steps will help us all stay well.

 

Gareth Buck

(Assistant Principal)

 

Clifton Hill Primary School acknowledges the Wurundjeri people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we come together to learn, and we pay our respects to Elders of the Kulin Nation past and present.