From the Principal
Winter is coming… and so is
SNOW SPORTS
Last year, the school entered a very small but enthusiastic snow sports team into the Victorian Interschool Snow Sports Competition. Our four keen competitors thoroughly enjoyed the experience, despite their limited experience. They entered with a positive attitude, ready for fun and willingness to ‘give it a go’.
This year, we would like to support a snow sport team once again. Students need to know how to ski or snowboard enough to be able to get down the blue or green slopes and to manage getting on and off the lifts and tow ropes.
The Interschool Snow Sports event is held at Mt Buller between 21 – 27 August. Entries open on 13 June and close on 7 August.
If this is an opportunity your child and family are interested in, or you’d like to know more, we’ll be holding an information session on Webex on Monday 22nd May (7:00 – 7:30pm).
Webex details will be posted on compass.
COVID, COUGHS, COLDS, FLU
It’s timely to remind everyone of the strategies that are in place at school to keep everyone healthy.
Maintaining a healthy classroom environment.
Despite the cold weather, classrooms have windows ajar to promote cross ventilation in addition to having air purifiers turned on. Hand hygiene remains a priority with students being asked to wash hands regularly including before and after eating and using the hand sanitiser.
Feeling Unwell?
Students who have symptoms (coughs, runny nose, etc) are asked to do a rapid antigen test at home and if they test covid positive to stay home for 5 days following testing. Pleasecontact the school if you need a box of rapidantigen tests. Students who are symptomatic but not covid positive, are encouraged to wear a mask.
We recognise that the above strategies are no longer mandated, but in the interest of keeping us all healthy, especially those with immune deficiencies, we are asking everyone for their support.
ATTITUDES TO SCHOOL SURVEY (AToSS)
The Attitudes to School Survey is an annual student survey offered by the Department of Education and Training to assist the school to gain an understanding of students' perceptions and experiences of school. Students are asked about their thoughts and feelings in relation to their school, their learning, peer and family relationships, resilience, bullying, mental health and wellbeing, physical activity, and life in general.
This year, the AtoSS will be conducted at our school over the period Monday 29 May to Friday 9 June.
We value student voice to improve student engagement, wellbeing and quality instruction and so by conducting the DET survey we find out what our students think about their school.
A copy of the student survey will be held at the office and available for parent viewing.
EDUCATION WEEK
Education Week will be celebrated at Murrumbeena Primary School from Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2023.
This year’s theme goes hand in hand with our Annual Implementation Plan focus which includes enhancing student voice and agency. The theme ‘Active Learners: Move, Make, Motivate’ focuses on some of the amazing ways students learn inside and outside of the classroom through physical activity, hands-on-learning and student voice in education.
In the previous newsletter, I posted the incorrect date for the parent workshop. The workshop will be on Monday 29 May (6:00 – 8:00pm). This will be an opportunity to learn more about how teaching and learning is changing (and why we’re endeavouring to increase student voice, agency and leadership) and to provide your feedback and share ideas for our school’s future.
CONTINUOUS REPORTING
We are changing the way we report student progress. We will still provide parents and carers with a formal report at the end of each semester indicating the student’s progress against the Victorian Curriculum, but only a general comment will be written.
We are moving to a ‘continuous reporting’ method where teachers will share with parents and carers the outcomes students have achieved at the end of each unit of inquiry.
The parent workshop (mentioned above) will provide parents with a more in depth understanding of how the new reporting formal will look and how it will work alongside the semester reports.
MOTHER'S DAY
The Mother's Day stall was once again a top hit with our students on Wednesday 10 May. Not only did the students enjoy their shopping today but it was also a fabulous opportunity to explore the value of the dollar. The discussions were priceless, especially from the younger students.
To those who are attending the special Mother's Day breakfast at Levi on Friday, we know you’ll enjoy the morning. To all our school mums and mother figures, we wish you a very heartfelt Mother's Day this Sunday.
2022 ANNUAL REPORT TO THE WIDER COMMUNITY
The school’s 2022 Annual Report to the school community will be presented to the School Council at the upcoming meeting on Monday 15 May (commencing at 7:30pm).
School community members are invited to attend to hear the report.
Following the school council meeting, the Annual Report will be uploaded to the school website.