Primary Report

What a busy week we have had this week on the Primary campus!

On Tuesday 10th March, the Year 5 and 6 students headed off to Meadow Glen Athletics Track with the secondary students to take part in the College Athletics Carnival. They had a big day of events which they were able to compete in. It was good to see them come back with some ribbons and be so proud of their achievements. The teachers were very pleased with the level of engagement by the students and how keen they were to have a go at some new events. 

This was followed by our Primary Swim Carnival on Wednesday 11th March at Yarra Swim School. This event is always a lot of fun for the students. It brings out their House pride as they cheer for their classmates in the races and relays. I was so impressed to see how many students were willing to participate in the events, even if they found them a bit of a challenge. A big thank you to our teachers and aides as well as the swimming teachers, who ran some great fun games and challenges for the children. We will look forward to returning to the Yarra Swim School in Term 4 for our swimming program later this year. 

This week was also the beginning of the NAPLAN season. It began on Wednesday morning with the Writing testing. Year 3 students complete this test on paper, but the Year 5 students were affected by the statewide system problems, as they tried to complete their test online. They were able to come back on Thursday morning to do their Writing test. Students will also be tested over the next few days in the areas of Reading, Language Conventions (Grammar and Spelling) and Mathematics. Our students understand the importance of the testing conditions and are very respectful doing their best. They are well supported by their teachers and our computer technicians as they logon to their tests or encounter any technical problems along the way. 

The Dance Program has been running well over the past few weeks, and the students have been very enthusiastic about it. They have been working on dance routines with their teacher over the course of the program and we are keen for them to perform these for their classmates and parents and teachers in the last week of term. We are aiming to include these as part of our final assembly this term. This will be communicated to you through Compass.  

The events continue next week with our Twilight Sports on Thursday 19th March. We will be starting about 5:00pm with the barbecue run by the PAFM. Food will be available to purchase for the adults and our family members. This year, the Their Care team and Mark, our amazing OSHC educator will provide free sausage sizzle and drinks for the students who attend on the night. A big thank you to Mark and Their Care for supporting our school at this event. The sports activities will kick off around 5:30pm and we encourage as many of our families to come along as possible. It’s a great opportunity for our new families to meet other members of the community and get involved with the school. 

In the last week of this term, you will have the opportunity to book a Parent/Teacher/Student interview time with you child’s teacher. There will be in-person interviews at school on Monday 30th March from 5:00-7:00pm and on Wednesday 1st April (Student Free Day) online from 10:00am-6:00pm. Please take this opportunity to talk with your child’s teacher about their progress. Of course, if you have any other issues that you wish to discuss, you are welcome to talk to the teachers before or after school daily. 

Thank you for a great start to the year with your children. We hope you are able to enjoy some quality time with your families over the coming break. 

Karen Butterworth

Primary Leader