Principal's Message

Jackson School is a collaborative learning community for all. We aim to develop independence through safety, respect and responsibility. We aspire to offer authentic, quality educational experiences that develop futures, create opportunities and inspire student potential; enabling our students to be valued and contributing members of the wider community. We share and celebrate our successes and achievements.   

The Issue Highlights

• A reminder that the first day of Term 3 will be a Pupil Free Day (Common Professional Practice Day). Students return to school on Tuesday 11th July. 
• 93% of our students achieve good, very good or excellent progress in their ILP Goals across all learning areas.
• Goodbye Halina, Julie and Julia. Thank you for being part of our community.
• Good luck Jacqui, Laura and Eva who will be taking leave from Term 3.
• Congratulations Hand-On-Learning Team for winning First Prize!
• School Building Update: Finishing touches are now being made to our new Prep Classrooms and Allied Health Centre.
• The modules for our new Middle School (Years 5-8) have started to be delivered this week.
• Thank you from Edgars Creek PS in Wollert for the donation of our old playground.
• Semester 2 2023 Reports published by email yesterday.
• Students of the Week from our PBIS rewards system.
• Showcase of students' learning from across the school in Primary and Secondary
• Health and Wellbeing information to support you and your child.
• Community News
• School Dates -For the most up-to-date calendar dates, always refer to the Xuno Calendar in your Parent Portal.

Dear Families,

End of Term 2

Where did Term 2 go? A shorter term isn't necessarily a blessing. For staff, we have to continue our normal Term 2 work but will less time. It has been a interesting term to navigate all round. Despite the staffing challenges and school building upgrade disruptions, our end of semester assessments indicate that 93% of our students achieve good, very good or excellent progress in their ILP Goals across all learning areas. This wouldn't be possible without the effort and attitude of our students, the commitment and resilience from our staff and the support and partnership with our families and wider community. Thank you! Today we celebrated our termly Achievement Assembly. Congratulations to all of our award winners! 

Staffing Changes for Term 3 - Goodbye Halina, Julie and Julia.

We have a number of staff leaving at the end of this term due to personal reasons and planned leave. Halina is retiring from her role as Principal Executive Assistant and School Council Secretary. Halina started with Jackson in 2013. Halina has had a varied role from editing the newsletter, organising school photos to SSGs. On behalf of the community and School Council we thank you for your commitment, dedication and support to us all that you have brought in the role. You will be missed!

Julia our Occupational Therapist is also leaving us after 7.5 years. Julia has had a significant impact of our student's independence, regulation strategies, self-care and fine/gross motor skills. A significant part of Julia's role has been building staff capacity across the school so that our teaching and education support staff can provide these adjustments, strategies and supports throughout our students' week at school. Julia now takes on an Assistant Clinical Director role (OT and Education Services) with Dee Wardrop coordinating private school-based consultancy and therapy services. We are now recruiting for another Occupational Therapist.

Julie Boyd has also been working as a casual relief teacher and tutor (travel education) for the last couple of years. Julie has now made the decision to finish working in education and is moving back to Wodonga. Eva Collins is taking leave to travel and work in the UK. Eva is due to return back to Jackson next year. Eva will be replaced. by Janet Hill. Kat will take on the role of 7/8 PLT Leader. Gordana Bekavac has planned long service leave in Term 3 and will return in Term 4. We are still recruiting for this position. Michael Linder has decided to pursue his acting career accepting a play in Term 3. Michael will return to us in a part-time capacity for the rest of this year. Colin and Cody will take 78C from the start of Term 3. Jacqui Kamenar and Laura Gianfriddo will take maternity leave from the second week of Term 3. We wish you both all the very best at this exiting time. Pagan Newman will take 4-6C. Ian Phelan will continue in 10A for the remainder of the year whilst Kal is on leave. 

Congratulations Hands-On-Learning (HOL) - First Prize!

Over the last couple of years Helena (Leading Teacher) and Cameron Edgar (HOL Artisan Teacher) have established a partnership with Animal Land Children's Farm in Diggers Rest. Our new Flexible Learning space is a base for students to use during their re-engagement programs at the farm and work on their individual learning goals.

Our Hands-On-Learning students have created their own scarecrows to enter in the HOL conference competition against schools across Australia. Our upside down scarecrow placed first in the HOL conference competition. We will be receiving a green house as a prize. Congratulations Wasif and Sammy!

School Building Upgrade

Finishing touches are now being made to our new Primary School and Allied Health Centre. Students and staff will be in their new rooms at the start of Term 3. The old Mod 5 Prep portable was removed on Saturday 17th June in preparation for the landscaping works. The power upgrade works were more complicated than initially thought. These are now complete in the car park and in our first stage of buildings. These will now continue through the playground to connect up to our new 5-8 Middle School building. We are exploring a temporary timetable change to facilitate a Primary/Secondary split recess and lunch timetable due to reduced playground space during the landscaping works. The playground is due to be installed at the start of August. 

This week, Rendine Modularity has started delivering our Middle School modules at the back of the site. The end is in sight! Thank you for your understanding with the traffic disruptions this may have caused. We will begin to move classes into these buildings towards the end of August. Landscaping is due to be completed by September/October.

Works in our Library/Food Tech/Cafe and Performing Arts spaces are now well underway. Now the walls are installed you can truly get a sense of what these new learning spaces will be like. These are due for completion at the end of July/August. Furniture has been ordered and is now in production.

Edgars Creek Playground

Edgars Creek Primary School in Wollert have sent photos and a letter to School Council to thank us for donating our old Prep playground to them. This is now installed and being enjoyed by their students. The school opened in 2021 and now has around 700 student enrolments.

End of Semester 1 Reports

You should have received your child's end of semester report by email yesterday which outlines your child's achievement and progress against their learning goals based upon the Victorian Curriculum (P-10) or VPC/ASDAN in Years 11 & 12. These are based upon robust end of term assessments and teacher's professional judgement. Parents/carers can also access them online via Xuno Parent Portal. Parents and carers are able to request a hard copy of their child’s report if they would like one through their current class teacher. There is a section for you to provide any comments or feedback to the classroom teacher on your child's report should you wish. 

Parents and carers will have an opportunity to discuss your child's progress from Semester 1 and their proposed learning goals for Semester 2 2023 at your upcoming Student Support Group (SSG) parent-teacher interviews in Term 3.

A reminder that the first day of Term 3 will be a Pupil Free Day (Common Professional Practice Day). Students return to school on Tuesday 11th July. School buses will run as normal.

I hope you all have a restful holiday.

Anthony