Mitchat - Term 1 Week 6 Friday 10th March

Dear Parents and Friends of Mitcham Primary School,

Welcome to another edition of the Mitcham Primary School Newsletter. I hope you all had a wonderful week.

Lunch Time Clubs

It has been wonderful chatting with our students about which lunchtime clubs they have joined and attended this week. We have such a talented and committed staff, that there is something different on offer every single day: yoga club, dance club, robotics, gardening club, choir, art club and quiet space, just to name a few. The playground can feel overwhelming on some days, so having lunchtime clubs gives students alternative spaces to play in, opportunities to meet new friends and pursue different interests.

Peer Mediation

On Thursday last week all of our Grade 6 students participated in Peer Mediation Training. Peer mediation offers a dispute resolution process by which students are actively involved in resolving their own disputes. The program involves two trained Grade 6 students assisting other students through a structured process to reach a resolution of a dispute. Our peer mediation program is coordinated by Mr Netanel Koles and Ms Sam Barkley, who provide ongoing supervision and support to student mediators. Our peer mediators will be out in the playground very soon, students are able to identify the students easily as they wear a yellow sash.

School Athletics Carnival Recap

On Wednesday and Thursday this week, our students participated in the annual junior and senior school athletics carnivals the senior carnival was held at Bill Sewart Reserve in Burwood and the junior carnival at the Mitcham Sports Ground. Both carnivals were a fantastic success, filled with athletic excellence, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Students from all grades participating in various track and field events, including sprints, high jump, long jump, shot put, and discus. Both days were bursting with cheers, excitement, and a great sense of community as parents and friends came out to support their children.

The highlight of the senior carnival was the relay races, where students from each of the houses competed against each other. And for the junior carnival most certainly the teacher sack race! All students put in a great effort and showcased their team spirit and determination.

We would like to thank all the parents and friends who came out to support our young athletes. We would also like to thank our teachers and staff members for their hard work in organizing and coordinating the event, most especially Miss Ellis. We had two fantastic days of sport for everyone involved, and we look forward to next year's athletics carnivals.

NAPLAN

Next week our Year 3 and 5 students will commence their participation in the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN tests the sorts of skills that are required for every child to progress through school and life, such as reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. It is important to remember that NAPLAN is not about passing or failing, but about assessing learning progress. This year, all tests will be completed online, except the Year 3 Writing, which will be pen and paper. We hope our students have come with a positive, growth mindset ready to do their Personal Best. Dates for the NAPLAN tests are as follows:

Wednesday, March 15 @ 9:30 - Writing
Thursday, March 16 @ 9:30 - Reading
Monday, March 20 @ 9:30 - Conventions of Language
Tuesday, March 21 @ 9:30 -Numeracy

Wishing all our families a relaxing extra-long weekend. Thank you for your continued support of Mitcham Primary School. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Warmly,

Erin

Specialist