PRINCIPAL UPDATE
Welcome back to Term 4, hoping everyone had a great break.
We have a busy term ahead of us with 3 camps, excursions, incursions the very special Art Show along with welcoming our new Preps during transition sessions and farewelling our graduating Grade 6 students.
SCHOOL REVIEW
In addition to this we have our 4-year school review. This is a 3-day process whereby a panel consisting of an external consultant, Julie Myers, Challenge Partners (Peter Walsh, Principal Surfside Primary and Fiona Taylor, Principal Western Heights Secondary College) and Senior Education Improvement Leader, Robyn Marr (my direct line boss) along with our School Council President, David Meade to review goals and targets set over the past 4 years, achievements and challenges since 2021. During these 3 days the panel will review data, Strategic Plans, Annual Implementation Plans, staff planning documentation, observe teaching and learning, interview staff, students and parents. We have completed a very detailed self-evaluation, that the panel are now reading. This is an in-depth process, but one we are very much looking forward to. From this analysis, we then set our goals and targets for the next 4 years, and what we want to achieve as a school community.
We will be seeking parents interested in participating in a panel at 9am or 3pm on Wednesday 6th November. This process is essential to capture parent community voice to reflect on the past and guide future goals. During this time parents will be part of a discussion group whereby they can give feedback pertaining to specific questions asked by a panel member. These will be small groups with one panel member and a few parents and run for no longer than 30 minutes. I will be sending an invite out in the coming weeks.
CLASS STRUCTURE 2025
As I have mentioned previously, we will have a number of composite classes again next year. Due to the new curriculum and in particular the new phonics approach in Prep, 1 and 2 for 2025, we are making plans to keep these straight grades. The Department of Education has developed specific lessons, and for the first couple of years of implementation request a sequential lesson implementation, building on from Prep. This will not remain this way indefinitely; however, we are wanting to embrace this new phonics approach and therefore will be following their advice in 2025.
In 2025 Grade 3 and 4 classes will become composite classes. You will find my previous correspondence in relation to the research behind straight or composite classes on COMPASS.
If anyone has any questions relating to this, feel free to email the school and we will get back to you.
We are very much looking forward to continuing our planning for 2025 and are in the process of finalising staffing for the year ahead.
Can we please ask any families that are moving on next year to please ensure they inform the office via Chilwell.ps@education.vic.gov.au as soon as possible. This information is vital in our planning of 2025 classes.
Many factors are considered in the placement of students into classes including, but not limited to, the individual’s academic and social learning. If you believe there are students that your child learns well with, or is not so productive, within class, which you feel the classroom teacher is not aware of, please put this in writing to me via email Chilwell.ps@education.vic.gov.au no later than 9am on Friday 1st November.
We will not be accepting any further requests from this date or after classes are announced. These are requests only and the final outcome is NOT guaranteed. We use multiple sources of information when developing classes and a great deal of factors are considered.
Please note, no individual classroom teacher requests will be considered.
Swimming Carnival- Monday 16th December
We are very excited to be holding a swimming carnival for Grades 3 to 6 on Monday 16th December.
Staff along with some parent volunteers are in the process of organising this and ask that all parents complete the additional section of the Google Form (survey) when received later this week.
First section of the Google Form is for the whole school and required by The Geelong College to arrange our swimming lessons in the weeks of Monday 2nd December and 9th December.
Second section of the Google Form will be for students to nominate events they would like to participate in on the day of the carnival. Please note, students can nominate for as many events as they would like, however will only be selected for 2 (at this stage).
I am heading to camp this Wednesday to Friday with Grade 6 and look forward to some fun in Healesville undertaking the High Ropes challenges and Swinging 30 metres high in the Giant Swing!
Grade 3 have a fun cinema experience on Friday watching the movie ‘Runt’, which was their class novel last term, half of the 1/2 cohort head to Scienceworks on Monday and Preps travel to Werribee Zoo on Friday 1st November.
Don’t forget that next Wednesday (23rd) is a Public Holiday and there will be no school.
Have a great week all.
Kind regards,
Meg