From the Principal 

We are in the final stages of planning our school structures and classes for next year. Our teachers are working hard to finalise our 2023 classes and prepare for our whole school Meet the Teacher and New Class – student transition session, to be held on Tuesday 13th December. 

All current and new students attending Gilgai Plains Primary in 2023 will meet their teacher and spend some time with their new class. On the same day, some of our Year 6 students moving to currently operating government secondary schools, will have their Year 7 Transition Orientation. 

An important part of our transition program is the very comprehensive handover from your child’s 2022 teacher to their 2023 teacher. This handover includes student learning and wellbeing needs to ensure our students are supported in their new year level and class. Following this, the second important handover will come from you, the parent/carer. You are your child’s first teacher and you can share important and valuable information that will support your child to be happy and succeed in 2023. Your first opportunity to do this with your child’s new teacher will be at our 2023 'Meet the teacher – parents and student session' on Monday 30th January.

Last Day of the 2022 School Year

The final day of the school year for students is Friday 16th December. Many families have indicated to classroom teachers and the office that they are leaving earlier than this to go on a family holiday.  Please ensure you enter their absence into Compass as soon as possible so we can finalise our student attendance records for the school year.

2023 Start of Year Key Dates 

Please ensure you enter these important dates into your calendars and diaries. Information about booking times will be sent out on Compass next week. 

• Friday 27 January 2023 - Teachers and Education Support: Staff commence and office is open. No students.
• Monday 30 January 2023 – Year 1 – 6: Meet the Teacher – parent & student session. Individual meeting times to be confirmed. Foundation individual assessments begin. 
• Tuesday 31st January 2023 – Year 2 – 6: Students commence
  Foundation and Year 1 individual assessments continue, students only attend for their assessment time.
• Wednesday 1st February 2023 
• Foundation and Year 1 individual assessments continue, students only attend for their assessment time.
• Thursday 2nd February 2023: Year 1 students commence
• Friday 3rd February 2023: Foundation students “Meet the Teacher – Parent and student” sessions
• Monday 6th February: Foundation students commence full time
• Monday 13th March: Labour Day Public Holiday
• Friday 24th March: Curriculum Day (no students)
• Thursday 6th April: Last Day of Term 1

End of Year reports

Our staff have been working hard writing individual student reports that will be available through Compass on Tuesday 13th December. These reports are a thorough representation of your child's growth over the last semester. If you have a question about the report, please don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teacher.

Road Safety and Our Community Responsibility

We need your help!

It is fantastic that many of our students are riding their bikes and scooters to and from school every day. Riding is great exercise and a healthy travel option for everyone.  It is important that all children wear helmets when they are riding.

We have been talking to the children about the importance of wearing a helmet when riding or scootering to school.  Many of our children are still not wearing a helmet! Bike helmets can reduce the risk of brain injury or death by up to 85 percent. Bicycle helmets are designed to crush in a specific way, controlling the crash energy and extending the deceleration time of your head and brain. This action soaks up the force of an impact. That’s a very good reason to wear a helmet and well worth the argument with a reluctant child. Children never think that it will happen to them however statistics and a visit to the Children’s Hospital, tell a very different story.

If we need another reason – Victorians face a $227 fine for not wearing a helmet, and the police have informed us that they will be out to help keep our children safe.

We are also asking our community to please walk their bikes or scooters on the footpath around our school. There are too many vulnerable people on our paths to make riding a safe option. We ask that you walk your bike and scooter until you have left the busy footpaths surrounding the front and side of the school.

Please partner with us and reinforce these important messages with your children.

Direct link to the Vic Roads website: Vic Roads - wearing a helmet

It’s an exciting and joyful time of year and our children will be involved in many end of year celebrations with their teachers and peers. We look forward to our whole school celebration on the 9th December and to watching the amazing performances. 

I look forward to seeing you all there.

Anthea Jamieson

Principal