Principals message
Welcome back to term two
Students have now settled back into classrooms for term two after the holiday break and we take this opportunity to wish our families a very happy Eid Mubarak. We have enjoyed seeing children returning to school after family celebrations with beautiful henna on their hands.
What’s coming up this term
Term two is always a busy one at Fitzroy Primary School. Don’t forget to stay up to date with the school’s calendar by regularly logging into Compass.
- NAPLAN for grade 3 & 5 students
- Education week
- National Sorry day
- School photos
- Victorian State Principal conference
- Queen’s birthday public holiday
- Refugee week
- Semester reports published to parents
Student free day and teacher professional practice day
On Monday, staff spent the day with our expert consultants in Literacy (Leah) and Numeracy (Genovieve) to participate in a full day of professional development with a strong focus on differentiation. We know that great teaching and learning caters for the wide range of abilities and our staff are continually challenged to differentiate for students in both French and English classrooms, as well as specialists. Leah and Genovieve will continue to work in classrooms throughout the term providing coaching support.
Semester reports
In the last week of term, parents/carers will have access to student achievement reports in Compass. Teachers have already started preparing student assessment tasks which will take place over the coming weeks and the school provides staff with meeting times to moderate student assessments. Parent-teacher conferences will be held early in term three either in person or online.
NAPLAN
Grade 3 and 5 students will be participating in NAPLAN assessments over the next two weeks and we wish them the very best. We understand that this can be a stressful time for our students and our staff have been working hard to minimise pressure whilst ensuring our students are adequately prepared. You can help your child by practising calming techniques, making sure they get plenty of rest, have a healthy breakfast and letting teachers know if you have concerns about your child during this time.
Clubs/clinics
Mondays – Fitzroy Lions lunchtime soccer clinic
Wednesdays – F-2 choir with Bryce
Thursdays – Fitzroy Lions lunchtime soccer clinic and Collingwood All Stars Basketball games
Fridays – Gardening club
Winter uniform
This week the weather has turned very quickly and we have noticed that some of our children are feeling the cold! Please make sure that your child’s jumper/jacket is clearly named so that it can be returned quickly if left behind. Mary can provide you with a voucher for the uniform shop, APlus Schoolwear in Coburg if you are a health care card holder, or visit our uniform page to order online.
DET languages unit visit
Today we hosted three visitors from DET languages unit who were here to have a look at our French bilingual classrooms and to talk about future funding supports. The delegation saw a Numeracy lesson in our Foundation classrooms, a grade 1/2 reading lesson and a writing lesson in grade 3. The group were very impressed by the high standard of quality teaching in French and gave their ongoing support for the school.
Staffing update
Last week we said farewell to Badria (SCLO) and Amy (Tutor) who both commenced their maternity leave. This week we officially welcome two new staff members to our team! Meghan Verbeek joins us in the tutoring role and she will be with us Mon-Fri. Kerryn Cormick joins us in the PE teacher position and has already started running a fantastic basketball clinic on Wednesdays and Thursdays with a coach from the Collingwood All Stars. Kerryn will also be team teaching with Camelia in the grade 5/6 class.
This week we also congratulate Bryce, Alex, Leah, Elodie and Lorna who have transitioned into ongoing positions. It is testament to their dedication and committment to the school, plus a growth in student enrolment numbers which means that we can provide our staff with ongoing employment, rather than annual contracts. Great work team!
-Angela Richmond and Andrea Hennessey