Principal's Report 

& School News

From the Principal...

Learning and Teaching

This week our Year 3 and 5 students undertook their NAPLAN assessments.  They had opportunities to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and the format of these tests prior to the testing week. Information has been sent home to parents about how the results are used and what the purpose of NAPLAN is. We also encouraged students in Year 4 and Year 6 to complete practice NAPLAN experiences to gather some assessment information for mid-year reporting but to more importantly expose students who did not sit NAPLAN in 2020 to this type of assessment. All students have been highly focused throughout the week to achieve their personal best. I thank them for their efforts!

As you all know, the parent teacher interviews were brought forward this year in an effort to address community feedback arising from the challenges of 2020. The interviews will allow for opportunities for staff to discuss how your child/children are tracking but also how they settled in to the year after remote learning in 2020. Further assessments will occur throughout the year, based on our whole school assessment schedule. The formal mid-year report will again indicate how your child is tracking when it goes out in the final week of this term. 

Staffing Update

The school has appointed Jessica Dijanesic to replace Mr. Justin Ward in 3C. Jess has settled in to the school very well and she is being supported by her very experienced colleagues in the Year 3 level. During classroom visits and on school tours, I can see that the students have adjusted to their new teacher incredibly well. Welcome Jess!

School Council News

Our new school council met to review the whole school strategic plan and how the subcommittees can assist and support the work needed to be done to achieve the overarching goals and targets. We met in the STEAM centre and collaboratively planned and actioned a number of whole school improvements in response to parent, staff and student feedback. It was a highly productive meeting and I thank Jo Feather and the members on school council for their contributions. I also want to acknowledge our newer members who have completed their whole school governance training in their own time.

Extracurricular Activities

Students across the school are looking forward to a number of extra-curricular activities coming up in the next few weeks. The Year 2 classes will be visiting the Shrine of Remembrance, the Year 5’s will head to Sovereign Hill and on the sporting front we have the district cross country coming up and our intensive swimming program for Years 3 to 5. Back at school, we have a number of student driven lunch time clubs commencing. This includes a gymnastics group, chess club and a creative visual arts club. Students who come to me with a written proposal are then encouraged to take their ideas to the SRC. The SRC then look at the proposal and decide on when and how this type of lunchtime club will operate. Having supervised both dance and loom band clubs in the past – I have seen how much children of all ages enjoy these lunchtime opportunities.

Students Attitude to School Survey 

Each year, the Department issues an Attitude to School Survey to all Years 4, 5 & 6 students. These surveys are designed to identify the positive aspects of school life for students, as well as identifying if there are areas to be considered for improvement. Student Engagement and Wellbeing are at the forefront of our students’ success at school so the feedback provided will lead to positive outcomes for the children. Students in Grade 4, 5 and 6 will complete these surveys later this term and a parent consent form will be sent out as the survey has some additional questions relating to social and emotional adjustments after returning to school post COVID.

The Importance of Play 

Positive and purposeful play promotes healthy bodies and healthy brains. There are numerous research studies linking active play and academic success. Furthermore, exercise increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and this is important for reducing stress or anxiety. Kids NEED to play in order to develop in every way possible to be their best! Play allows children to master their fears, try new roles and expand their imagination and worldviews; play helps kids develop social skills, including conflict resolution skills and self-advocacy skills. Play also helps children develop patience, a sense of belonging and essential communication skills. There will be days where the children may be kept inside due to extreme weather conditions such as too hot or too wet and cold. We make that call on a daily basis based on the conditions of the day. During the cold months please send children with coats and warm gear to wear. Please remember not to send sick children to school as it may spread germs to other children and we are also still operating under the most recent COVID guidelines.

School Tours

School tours have commenced and we are seeing great interest in enrolling at the school in 2021. Families are interested in looking at the types of programs we run and observing the children working in their classrooms to get a feel for the school and its’ culture. It is a big decision on where to send your children for their first year of schooling and this is the first step in the process for parents with young children heading in to Foundation in 2022. A full list of dates and times are available on the website or in this newsletter (pg3). Bookings are essential, and are limited to 5 adults per tour. Please contact the office to book your tour on 03 9578 1327

Kerri McLeod

Principal

Seeking relief School Crossing Supervisors

Glen Eira City Council is currently recruiting relief school crossing supervisors. We are looking for people who are willing to travel across the whole of the municipality, have their own transport and have availability to be called on at short notice in the mornings and in the afternoons. Applicants must have excellent communication skills, enjoy working with people, be reliable, hardworking & have basic computer skills.

If you are interested in applying for the role, please use the following link:

https://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/about-council/careers/explore-our-jobs/job/4685

For further information, contact School Crossing Business Support Officer Sandra Horrigan or Rob Parker on 9524 3333 or email schoolcrossing@gleneira.vic.gov.au.

Lost Property

Our lost property cupboard is bursting at the seams! If your child has lost any uniform items, lunchboxes or water bottles please ensure you come and check and reclaim your belongings. With School Tours happening weekly, it is important that we present our school in a favourable way. Keeping on top of the amount of lost property as well as whole school yard tidy up sessions each week will help continue our school looking fabulous. 

Please speak to your children about looking after their belongings at school and ensure all belongings are clearly labelled with your child's name to assist in items being returned to their owners. This also includes food containers and renaming any 2nd Hand uniform items you acquire. 

We would also appreciate 1-2 parent volunteers who are available to help with sorting and maintaining lost property along with some of our student leaders. If you have a spare 30-60 minutes a week or a fortnight to assist us we would be extremely grateful. Please contact the office.

Lost property is located in the main building outside the Foundation classrooms as well as in the Hall with Before/After School Care.

Students in Foundation to Year 5 have access to a digital reading program called Wushka. Some of you may be familiar with Wushka, as some classes used it last year whilst working remotely. Wushka is available for students to use at home during the week, on the weekend or during the holidays. It’s there as an extra reading resource at their disposal. 

Head to www.wushka.com.au and log in, using your child’s login details provided by their teacher. 

Tips for Home Reading

Before Reading

• It’s important to get your child into the right frame of mind for a successful reading session. Try to find somewhere quiet and comfortable that is away from distractions. This will not only improve your child’s concentration and the quality of their reading, but will also help to develop a positive association with reading as a method of relaxation.
• Before you start reading, ask your child to think of one question about the reading material based on the subject matter, their existing knowledge or what they can see on the front cover. You can then go back to this question once you have finished reading and try to answer it.

During Reading

• During reading, use positive and encouraging language to support your child. If your child makes a mistake when reading, allow them to continue to the end of the sentence without interrupting them. Then, go back to the mispronounced word and ask, ‘What’s that word?’
• Be patient, and allow your child time to self-correct if they have made a mistake. Avoid using negative statements such as, ‘That’s wrong.’
• If you are reading a story with dialogue, you could encourage your child to use different voices, or take it in turns to read the dialogue of different characters in voices. This will make your reading session more enjoyable and engaging, and your child will enjoy your participation.

After Reading

• After reading, encourage reflection on what you’ve just read by asking questions such as, ‘Did you enjoy the book? Why/why not? Who was your favourite character? What was your favourite part? Did you learn any new words/informa- tion from this book? Does it remind you of anything else you have read or seen? Would you like to read more books like this?’
• Above all, have fun! Happy reading!

Effie Liarakos

English PLAT Leader

Library News

We now have many new book titles added to the library due to the support you have shown by ordering online from Scholastic book Club.

Some of these titles were:

• Bad Guys 13
• Diary of a Minecraft Zombie
• Wings of Fire Graphic Novels
• Weirdo Vol 15.
• Tom Gates – The tremendous tales
• David Walliams – Beast of Buckingham Palace.

The library is also going through some changes with Cataloguing.

All the non-fiction books will be changing over to an easier system so all students can identify the subject matter they want with ease, keep an eye out for this. 

Mini Lit 

Congratulations to the following students for completing level 1 and 2 of Mini-Lit.

• Emmy  T
• Eddie S
• Eden Mc
• Austin Y
• Hector C

Your hard work and perseverance was exemplary.

SRC Fundraisers 

The National Breast Cancer Foundation supports many Australians each year. This year, for Mother’s Day, the SRC decided to celebrate this great organization. On Monday the 10th of May, we had Pink day, to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It was a great day and we raised $450. We should all feel proud for contributing to such a substantial donation. Thank you for your participation in pink day and your support of this life changing foundation. We also helped the Bentleigh RSL by raising $315 for the ANZAC Appeal through the sale of ANZAC badges and other product. 

Great effort everyone! 

Clem & Luca

SRC Captains

Foundation News

This week in Maths Foundation students have been having fun looking at Data. We focused on asking YES and No questions. As a class we first collected data on questions we came up with together, such as ‘Do you like bananas?’ The students then went on to create their own question and collect data from their classmates. 

Year 2 News

Students have been studying water and its properties. Here are a few sensory water poems written by the year 2 students.

Year 3 News

Our Year 3 students put a lot of effort into making some wonderful, colourful cards to give to their mother on Mother’s Day.  If you weren’t blinded by the colour I am sure you would have liked the very sweet verses some of the children wrote. I hope your child’s talent and wit brought a smile to your face and you shared a memorable Mother’s Day together. 

Year 4 News

Telling the Time

The Year 4 students have been learning to tell the time using 12 and 24 hour clocks. They have also been calculating elapsed time and future time. Here the students are playing a game with school made dice to practise skills and help each other with their learning. Discussion about time at home are also a fabulous way to consolidate learning in this area.

Year 5 News

Year 5 students enthusiastically supported the National Breast Cancer Foundation fundraiser by dressing in pink last Monday. Many students made a special effort to get behind this important SRC community event. The teachers and students loved Harry and Noam's pink outfits, tutus, wigs and all manner of pink! A great effort by all the Year 5 students.

Year 6 News

The Year 6 camp to Coonawarra Farm Resort was an outstanding success! The weather was beautiful for the five days students were in attendance and it was used to its full potential with a broad range of activities and challenges. It was an amazing opportunity for students to soak up all the revitalising benefits of being in the outdoors and take a break from devices. Ormond shared the grounds with another school for part of the time and it was so pleasing to see how they respectfully socialised and participated in sporting competitions. The night time events of trivia and Spotlight gave students lots to chat and laugh about. A huge thank you to all the staff that gave up their time to attend and support the sixes! Can’t wait for next year!