Assistant Principals
Welcome back to Term 2!
We hope all families had a restful break and are feeling refreshed and ready for another term full of learning and fun. We are looking forward to a fantastic Term 2 at Grayling!
Kids ROAR – Building Confidence, Resilience and Strong Relationships
We are excited to share that our Foundation to Year 6 students will have the opportunity to participate in the Kids ROAR program this term.
Kids ROAR is a specialised wellbeing program delivered by trained facilitators. It focuses on supporting students to build confidence, manage emotions, develop positive relationships, and strengthen resilience. The sessions are engaging, interactive, and tailored to suit the needs of primary-aged students.
Throughout the program, students will participate in activities and discussions that support them to:
- Understand and manage their emotions
- Build confidence and develop a positive self-image
- Develop respectful relationships with peers
- Strengthen problem-solving and decision-making skills
- Learn strategies to stay calm, focused, and ready to learn
At Grayling, we are committed to supporting the whole child. Programs like Kids ROAR complement the work already happening in classrooms, such as Circle Time and our wellbeing approaches, by equipping students with practical tools to navigate social and emotional challenges.
We know that strong partnerships between school and home make a big difference. If your child shares something they’ve learned in Kids ROAR, we encourage you to continue the conversation at home.
If you have any questions about the program, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this program will have on our students.
A big thank you to Mr Van Harten, our Mental Health in Schools Educator, for organising this valuable opportunity for our students here at Grayling.
ACE Foundation
At the end of last term, we were delighted to receive a very generous donation from the ACE Foundation, which provided a book for every one of our Foundation students.
The ACE Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that supports children across the City of Casey, and we are incredibly grateful for their ongoing contributions to schools like ours. Each of our Foundation students received their very own copy of Ethel to enjoy at school and treasure at home.
Ethel tells the story of a totally wild (and very cheeky!) penguin who runs away to ride on a Ferris wheel, with her parents in hot pursuit. Told in rhyme, this delightful story follows a mischievous anti-hero on an adventure, and a little bit of trouble unfolds.
We would like to sincerely thank the ACE Foundation for its continued support of our students and for helping to foster a love of reading in our school community.
Curriculum Day – Numeracy
At Grayling Primary School, we are committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-based education. A key part of this is improving student outcomes in Numeracy.
Last term, on our Curriculum Day, our teachers were fortunate to work with Brad Nguyen, an expert in explicit maths instruction who supports teachers and leaders to achieve excellent outcomes for students. With a background as a classroom teacher and Learning Specialist in primary schools, Brad has also worked with education systems to support the implementation of explicit teaching.
We began the day by exploring the science behind how students learn. It was valuable for staff to hear Brad reinforce the work we have already been doing to strengthen student participation and engagement in learning.
Teachers then explored what high-quality maths instruction looks like in the classroom, with a focus on clear explanations, guided practice, and ensuring all students are actively involved in learning. There was a strong emphasis on building students’ confidence and fluency in key maths skills.
What this means for your child:
- More opportunities to practise and build confidence in essential maths skills
- Clear, step-by-step teaching to support understanding
- Regular opportunities to respond and show their thinking
- Increased support to ensure all students are successful in their learning
This work will continue throughout the year as we refine our teaching practices to ensure every student is supported to achieve success in Numeracy.
Have a great fortnight everyone!
Assistant Principals
Meagan Lindberg and Lach Clydesdale