Dear Parent and Carers

As we say goodbye to another school year, it’s clear that 2022 has been a year where we have been able to reconnect as a community after two years of many lockdowns resulting in home learning. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to Clifton Hill Primary School over the past year…parents, community members, staff and students to help us feel like a school community again.

Educational 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 difficult. Keeping a positive and open mindset about change will have a positive impact on your children.

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 2023 Foundation students participating in three orientation sessions last month. These sessions allowed the incoming students to spend time with their 2023 classroom teacher, participate in learning activities and become familiar with their 2023 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 13th December, Foundation to Year 5 students had their Step Up transition session. During this time, students met their 2023 teacher and were with their classroom peers for next year. Building blocks in developing positive teacher and student relationships were 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. This has included high school selection and nomination process, Year 7 coordinator visits from some schools and Year 6 teachers completing relevant transition documentation for all students. Many students who are attending independent schools participated in their orientation day early in term 4 while students who are attending state secondary schools had their orientation day on Tuesday 13th December.

Year 6 Graduation

Our Year 6 students will be celebrating their graduation on Thursday 15th December. Graduation ceremonies become a key part of one’s education timeline; a symbol of change, of progression and of moving onto new adventures, a segue into the next stage of their education. The graduation ceremony gives our Year 6 students a moment to celebrate what they have achieved so far and to reflect on their memories of CHPS. It is also an occasion for parents and carers to be proud as well. They have seen their child’s primary school journey, experienced the ups and downs and know how much hard work has gone into their achievements, so this is their graduation as well.

Farewells

We say farewell to the Graduating Class of 2022. We wish them all the best for their secondary schooling and hope that their futures are happy and successful. The next years of their lives will be full of new adventures, new teachers and new friends.

The end of the school year will see us farewell not only our Year 6 students but also families who have been part of the CHPS community for many years. Each year we acknowledge the families of Year 6 students who are the final member of the family to be enrolled at CHPS. We also acknowledge the families who are moving to new schools through choice and circumstances. We wish them all the very best for the future and thank them all for their contributions to our school community.

Furthermore, we have a number of teaching staff who will be departing at the end of the year. We wish Kristie Hiscock, Cristal Flood, Jamieleah Coombs, Ben Murray, Di Henderson, Jacqui Pola, Sophie Robson, Gemma Minuz and Ebony Taylor all the best in their next pursuits and hope to see them around CHPS soon. CHPS thanks them for their contributions to our school - they will be missed very much.

Finally

Just a reminder the school year for students will finish on Monday 19th December at 2:30pm.

As we wrap up a year where some normality has returned, we all need to take the time to acknowledge, celebrate and pay gratitude for how well we have worked together as a community to reconnect.

On behalf of all the staff, I would like to wish the CHPS community a festive and relaxing summer holiday period. Stay safe!

See you in 2023

Megan Smith

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.

A fantastic day at the fair!