Primary Leader's Report
As the term continues to whizz by the students and staff are working hard on all areas of their learning.
The Melbourne Cup weekend was a welcome break for families to cool their heels before the crazy ride into the end of the year. I know the staff welcome this opportunity to get ahead with some planning and admin tasks, as they prepare for the assessments and reporing that happens at the close of the term.
After the fun of our dress up day, Macleod Masquerade for Halloween and the four-day break for many families over the Melbourne Cup weekend, the Primary team have been very focussed on keeping the children on track, to ensure that they are completing all the necessary learning required before they move onto their new grades for 2026. There is always a mixture of fatigue and excitement as we prepare for what’s to come, as well as tying up loose ends for the year.
As term 4 rolls along, the students are enjoying participating in the swimming program. We hope that this will equip them well for the summer ahead when they are around water. With a couple of interruptions to our Mondays, we are now on a smooth run for the rest of the program. There will be a make-up session on Friday 28th November. This is due to the technical issues with the pool heating in the first week of the program.
The Year 4, 5 and 6 students are enjoying their Design It, Build It unit this term. They are learning about the considerations that go into building a new house. They are discovering the environmental considerations of their designs, as well as the real costs and building materials involved in building a new house. There will be an exhibition of their finished builds towards the end of the term. Mr Lo Nigro and Mr Cameron will notify parents inviting you to come along and view the students’ builds in the next few weeks.
On Monday 11th November, Remembrance Day, Ms Nguyen took our Primary College Leaders on the train to Watsonia RSL as our representatives at the annual Remembrance Day Commemoration Ceremony. Pepe, Jack and Xavi proudly laid a wreath at the cenotaph on our school’s behalf. They also attended a presentation for this year’s RSL ANZAC Scholarship which is awarded to a year 6 student who demonstrates the values of mateship, courage and commitment. This year we nominated Billy Crawford for this award. It comes with $400 to contribute to books, uniform and requisites for Year 7. We congratulate Billy on his achievement.
We have returned to our Friday afternoon assemblies this term, which are currently being held in the library due to VCE exams and other events. Our new leaders have now taken over the reigns and they are doing a very professional job. Their first assembly had them in full Halloween costumes which demonstrated their real commitment to their leadership roles. Don’t forget parents, that you are more than welcome to join us. It is a positive way to wrap up our week and reflect on and celebrate what we have been doing, as well as setting up for the week to come.
Just a gentle reminder, to ensure that your children have a hat to wear when they are outside at school. The policy from the Education Department now is to ensure that students are wearing protective clothing such as hats as well as sunscreen when we have days of UV ratings of 3+ which is most of the time at this stage of the year. It is acceptable for the children to wear a spare hat in the meantime, if you are arranging to buy them a new school hat. If the students do not wear a hat in the school yard, they are asked to stay in the shaded areas for their protection.
Please let us know if you are planning on a move for your child/ren to another school next year, as soon as you are able to confirm, as we are in the middle of planning classes and staffing for next year and we need this information to inform our arrangements.
Karen Butterworth
Primary Leader