Dear Parents, Families and Community members,

2019 We Are Done

We did it! We’ve reached the end of our ‘Second Ever’ year!!

It’s amazing to think back on how much has happened and how much we’ve achieved in such a short space of time. From welcoming our 2019 Preps (all 85 of them) at the beginning of the year, to the opening of our Secondary School, the implementation and development of new programs including Performing Arts and Camps as well numerous other developing school cultures and customs.

Throughout this time our ‘core business’ has remained our focus; Teaching and Learning’. We have been proud of the work we have done with regards to Positive Climate for Learning and our embedding of school-wide expectations and behaviours, which has been influenced by the Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and Respectful Relationships (RR) frameworks. Our Creek Coin system has really supported the reinforcement of our school values and what it means to be an ACS student and Community member.

It has also been amazing to see the tremendous Reading Growth in students right across the school, thanks to the commitment of our dedicated and highly skilled staff. With reading being so fundamental, we know that our students with such strong foundations, will continue to grow and achieve well into the future.

As we welcome a number of new staff in 2020, we will also be saying farewell to some staff, on either a temporary or more permanent basis.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank these people for their contributions to ACS and wish them well in their new roles.

Jazz Campling who was a ‘Foundation Member’ of ACS, has been successful in picking up a secondment to Regional Office in a Leading Teacher, Differentiated Support for School Improvement Initiative (DSSI) role where she will work with and support a number of schools in the Geelong Area. At this stage this is an 18 month position and I am sure the skills and experience that Jazz has developed in her time at Lara Lake PS and ACS, will position her well to have a significant impact in this role.
Brooke Henderson who began with us this year in her second year of teaching is on the move to Surfside PS on a 12 month contract. Brooke is looking forward to returning to a school where she did one of her teaching placements and being closer to her local community and home. Brooke has been part of the 3-4 LC in 2019 and formed many great relationships with the staff, students and families she has worked with.
Carla Gross will be finishing up at the end of term and commencing Family Leave. Exciting times ahead for Carla and we will eagerly await the news of her baby’s arrival and hopefully we will have Carla in for a visit in the near future. We look forward to Carla returning to ACS, when the timing is right!
Chris Kelly will also be heading off next year and has picked up an ES role at Moriac PS. Chris has worked with us this year in the 1-2 team and provided great experience and support to the staff, students and families she has worked with. All the best in the new role Chris.

End of Term Awards

Congratulations to:

PREP LC

Care: Quinn Baxter - For always being so kind to all students and for being a welcoming and caring member of the Prep learning community.

Collaboration: Heman Shao - For being a great friend to others and for working well with all peers in any situation.

Commitment: Mark Donaldson - For always striving to achieve his best and for making outstanding progress in Literacy during Semester 2.

Principal's Award: Noah Blowers - For consistently upholding our school’s Core Values & for making outstanding progress across all areas of her learning this year.

1-2 LC

Care: Oscar Lyon - For always showing care and being supportive in all your interactions and having a willingness to lend a hand. Well done Oscar!

Collaboration: Amelia Moss - For displaying an excellent attitude during collaborative learning tasks and always listening to the ideas of others. Great work Amelia!

Commitment: Sebastian Thomas - For always working with great focus and commitment in all learning experiences. Congratulations on a fantastic year Sebastian!

Principal's Award: Thomas Lampe - For building resilience as a learning and showing huge improvement across all areas this year.

3-4 LC

Care: Lilly Robinson - Lilly has demonstrated the value of Care this term by always completing her work on time and to the best of her ability, by always looking after her friends and offering a helping hand, consistently taking pride in the Learning Community and packing away her own belongings and classroom items and seeking help from a teacher when there is a problem she is unable to fix herself. Well done Lilly!

Collaboration: Logan Harkness - Logan has worked really hard on his collaboration with others this term. He has learnt to ask for help before seeking teacher help and he also has helped others with their learning. When outside he asks others to join in his group during play times. Well done Logan!

Commitment: Chayse has made massive growth in the area of commitment! He now attempts new things, has worked hard on his learning goals and has been a leader in creating rules of games and makes sure that he and others are following them. Well done Chayse and keep up the great work!

Principal's Award: Brody Zammit - Brody demonstrates the school values of Care, Collaboration and Commitment on a daily basis. He has been a leader in all groups that he has worked in and a great role model for others and he helps inside and outside the classroom. He gives his best effort and he has made great progress in his learning.

5-6 LC

Care: Codie Crothers - For always helping others in collecting and putting away equipment, showing care for our Learning Community by keeping it tidy and being a kind friend.

Collaboration: Matthew Cook - For including others in learning and play, he is always listening and helping classmates and using his manners.

Commitment: Chloe Sieber - For her dedication towards her learning and continually presenting her best efforts.

Principal's Award: Ethan Plant - For being a kind and caring student in the Learning Community and for actively challenging himself to improve in all aspects of his work.

7-9 LC

Care, Collaboration, Commitment: Damon - For demonstrating our school values at all times.

Principal's Award: Mark Brennan - For exceptional progress in his learning goals.

Icy Pole Canteen

Throughout Term 4 the Grade 5-6 students have been selling icy poles at the canteen during recess and lunch play. It has been a great learning experience for our grade 5-6 students to use their knowledge from their maths unit on money in a real life setting.

The icy poles have proven very popular and we have been able to donate a portion of the money, equaling $460, to the Give Where You Live Foundation's 'Feed Geelong Appeal'. The Feed Geelong Appeal aims to raise awareness and reduce hunger and immediate food insecurity for the most vulnerable people across the wider Geelong region.

The remaining profit helped fund Chemical Science activities, including science in the kitchen as well as gift making and has been put to good use in the last few weeks of term.

A big well done to the Grade 5-6 students and staff for this initiative, it has been a great success.

Have a happy and safe summer holidays everyone!

We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Thursday 30 January and seeing our new Prep students for their first day of school on Monday 3 February.

Evan Savage

Principal