Principal's Message

Principal's Report

Dear Families & Carers,

We have had a quieter week here at Our Lady's as our Grade 5/6 cohort of students continue to recover from the epic adventures from their Melbourne Camp. We have lots of tired students at the moment as we begin to approach the end of the term. Even when we are tired, we must continue to attend school and put our learning first. 

NAPLAN

A huge congratulations to our Grade 3 & 5 students who completed NAPLAN assessments. The students have all undertaken 4 tests in total: Writing, Reading, Language Conventions & Numeracy. Students who were absent for any of the tests will complete catch up testing this week. Our teaching staff have approached these tests just like any other assessment we complete within school time. Now that NAPLAN is an online assessment, student feedback indicates that the tests are more achievable then in the past. 

Easter Presentation

Our student community are busily preparing for our annual Easter Presentation. Each year, our students re-enact the story of Holy Week. Classes have each been allocated a part of the Easter Story. We will be performing this story on Thursday the 30th of March at 2.10pm in the Church. All are welcome to attend.

Grade 3/4 Camp

Notes for our upcoming Grade 3/4 camp will be coming home today. Please complete and return to school ASAP. The students are very much looking forward to this adventure. 

There has been some chatter, especially with the children, about camps and our decision as a school to reduce the time away for students. This has been an active decision based on common practice across schools. Our Camps should be reflective of the developmental needs of each age group within our care. Therefore, we are aiming for the following;

Foundation/1/2

We are still in discussions as a staffing group in regards to what educational outcomes we need to provide for our junior school. The goal we have for our Grade F/1/2's is all about preparing the skills for their first overnight camp when they reach Grade 3/4. When students are away on camp, they require independence. From buttering their own toast in the morning to brushing teeth and organising belongings, these skills are what we are aiming to develop with our junior students. This year we will be exploring an early drop off at school where children arrive in their pyjamas, prepare breakfast, get dressed and then head off on an excursion outside of the school. We may alternate this from year to year with a dinner at school, getting prepared for bed and then having parents pick up. Stay tuned in this area as we develop the essentials students need to successfully navigate future camps. 

Grade 3/4 - 1 night away to a location close by

We choose this strategy for our Grade 3/4 cohort of students as for many of these children, this is the first night they have ever spent away from home. We chose a location close by just in case we need parents to attend at any stage. Sleeping away from home can be exciting and challenging at the same time. One night allows us to make this camp achievable. When students know they are only going for one night, this can encourage them to take the risk to attend. 

Grade 5/6 - 2 nights away to a location further away

By Grade 5/6, we are looking to extend on skills developed through school and take our students further out of their comfort zone to a place where they can continue to develop essential independent skills. We choose two nights/three days as this is ample time to explore and yet return without facing too much fatigue and exhaustion for the kids. We want the children to experience everything a camp has to offer.

Industrially, we also have a number of things happening for our teaching staff in the background including the concept of time in lieu. We need to actively balance our camps with the lives of our staff members. Reducing the time away at camps allows us to continue these vital programs in our schools safely, looking after all involved. 

Yesterday our Grade 1/2BH class ran a beautiful Assembly. This week, we celebrated the following learners in our school community:

Foundation: Jasmine

Grade 1/2NH: Indie

Grade 1/2BH: Alexis

Grade 3/4WY: Miles

Grade 4/5G: Evie

Grade 5/6G: Heidi

In closing, I am just wanting to share a few snap shots from the last few weeks. I really am blessed to have the job I do and spend time with all our amazing students. They really are a delight. 

Blessings,

Cassie Lynch