From Our School Leaders

Badge Presentations At Assembly Last Week

It is always an exciting day when the new school leaders receive their shiny new badges, and this year was no exception. Their wide smiles were a dead giveaway! 

Our 2023 School Captains and Vice Captains have had a terrific start to the year and are already confidently conducting school assembly and organising the set-up and pack-up.  They are also helping with Breakfast Club and Icy-pole sales.  The school leadership group are a willing bunch of students who take their roles seriously and are mindful and inclusive of others. It is a pleasure working with such enthusiastic students. We are looking forward to a terrific year with them.

At this week’s assembly we have our School Council President, Erin Parkin, handing out the next round of leadership badges; our SCR, Digi-tech and Sustainable representatives will be receiving their badges tomorrow. 

Maths @ Home

Our 3/4 team were the first to showcase a place value game on Monday for their Maths @ Home task. Thanks to those parents who were able to make the session at school and be guided through the game by our students.

All students in Year 3/4 went home on Monday with the game and resources for families to play. The aim is for all levels to showcase activities or games for playing at home with families. It is one of our focuses this year. 

There is so much Maths - both incidental and direct - that you can do with your children at home to build Numeracy skills and deepen their Maths understanding...measuring, cooking, puzzles, telling the time, setting timers, playing games (chess, Yahtzee, Monopoly), sorting and classifying - it’s endless.  It is so good for children to be aware of the mathematics we use in everyday life. It gives Maths context and meaning. If you are looking for more information on this, please see use this link: Numeracy at home (global2.vic.edu.au) You can also chat to your child’s teacher. 

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests for Year 3 and 5 students begin on Wednesday 15th  March and are completed by Monday 27th March. The NAPLAN tests are conducted by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and administered by the Year 3/4 and 5/6 teachers.

NAPLAN assesses skills in Literacy and Numeracy that are developed over time, through the school curriculum.  NAPLAN is not a 'pass or fail' type of test, but rather shows how students are progressing in Numeracy and Literacy skills against national standards for all Australian children.  It also provides valuable information that allows schools and governments to better target effort and support to help all students achieve their potential and acquire the basic skills to help them build successful and happy lives.

NAPLAN tests fundamental skills rather than specific content and, as such, is not a test for which students can study or drill.  The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to let them know that NAPLAN is just one part of their school program and to urge them to simply do the best they can on the day.

This year we continue to participate in the online version of the testing.  The online tests are now adaptive and allow students to access the testing at their level and potentially go higher than the paper version has allowed in the past.

Later in the year, parents will receive their child’s personal report. The report will describe the child’s particular skills in Reading, Writing, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. The report will also show how the child performed in relation to national benchmark standards.  These benchmarks describe minimum acceptable standards for students across Australia.

For more information about the tests, please visit the VCAA website or the NAPLAN website

Our Testing Schedule

Nominations For School Council 2023

We have called for nominations for parents to join our School Council for 2023 -2024. There are 5 positions available for this round. We are looking for enthusiastic members who are able to attend 2 meetings per term and who want to be part of the team that makes plans for the school. 

A Compass post was sent out on Monday explaining the process and the relevant dates. If you have any questions about nominating for School Council, please pop in and see Sue. 

Foundation Open Afternoon

This year we will be offering a range of open sessions and tours of our fantastic school for prospective Foundation families for 2024. 

We will be opening our learning spaces in the late afternoon for those who may be able to take a tour after work. Also, our school will be conducting open nights, and some weekends, as well as the normal school tours throughout the day. 

Our first Open Afternoon will be on Thursday 16th March from 5.00 - 6.00pm. The Foundation room will be open and we can also offer a school tour. 

Prospective families are welcome. 

Please share the flyer with anyone who is looking at schools in the area for their children in 2024. 

SUE HARTLEY AND NICOLE RHEUMER

Scoresby Primary School Leaders