From the Principal 

Dear Parents and Carers,

The school is buzzing with students focused on learning and making connections. In classrooms and specialists’ activities, the students can be observed participating with confidence and enthusiasm. It is a privilege working in an environment where everyone is on the same page, striving to be the best they can be. 

Library Update

Miss Anna and the student library leaders have put a lot of time and effort into improving the common area. New displays have been mounted and furniture rearranged. 

Chickens

The chickens have landed and are settling into their new home. They add another layer to the vegetable garden space, and we are looking forward to collecting fresh eggs in the coming weeks. 

Green Team

On Wednesday the Green Team facilitated Clean Up Our School Day. Students picked up buckets and tongs, and donned gloves, to pick up every piece of litter on the school grounds. At assembly the team will present all they collected and provide further information regarding their plans to keep our school clean.

Lighthouse Team

This week the newly elected Student Lighthouse Team met for the first time. After clarifying the purpose of the Lighthouse Team and introductions, the team brainstormed what they like about school and what they would like changed. Next week the team will prioritise the top three areas of change and discuss plans and timelines. The team suggested that two new agenda items be permanent, Concerns and Fresh Ideas. One of the first projects will be the planning and running of the ANZAC Day assembly to be held on Friday 28th of April. 

NAPLAN

The students have been preparing for the NAPLAN, getting used to navigating the online platform. The tests will be conducted over the coming 10 days.

Student Free Day Tuesday March 14

This weekend is a long one with Monday being the Labour Day public holiday. On Tuesday, the staff will participate in a whole-day 7 Habits of Highly Effective People refresher course. This will help bring our new staff members up to speed and serve as a deeper experience for our long-time staff.

Retiring School Council President

Next Friday at assembly, we will acknowledge the contributions of Emma Doble, our retiring School Council President. Emma was an active school community member on many levels and for many years, as her children attended Le Page Primary School. Emma’s commitment and support ensured the successful relaunching of the school in 2017. We will miss her.

Working Bee

The first working bee for 2023 will be Wednesday March 22, 3.45-5.00. Main tasks will include raking soft fall under play equipment and tidying gardens. A reminder will be posted on Compass next week.

Gum Tree Removal

For safety reasons the large tree next to the art room will be removed on Tuesday March 14th. In that same area four large poles have been erected and an expansive waterproof shade sail will be attached. This will provide another comfortable outdoor playing space.

Website Update

The staff is reviewing and rewriting all outdated components of the Le Page Primary School website. The aim is to have current information across the site by the end of term.

What's the Problem with Being Late?

When students are chronically late to class, they’ll experience a wide range of problems. First and foremost, a late arrival is disruptive to the entire classroom. Instead of being focused on the beginning of class procedures, students turn to look at the late student–especially if they make an issue of being late or try to turn it into an excuse to get everyone looking at them. Other common issues with late arrivals include:

• Spreading lateness as other students realize that it’s becoming increasingly common for their peers to be late to class.
• Students who miss information that’s shared at the beginning of class.
• Students who are unable to complete assignments in a timely manner and struggle to keep up through the rest of the class.
• Disruption to the entire classroom environment, including a lack of respect for the instructor and the subject.

Lateness impacts the entire class–especially when it happens on an ongoing basis. At its most extreme, teachers may have to start class 5-10 minutes in order to account for late arrivals, which means that students will miss out on valuable instructional time on a daily basis.

Thought for the Week

Living is the art of getting used to what we didn’t expect. Eleanor C. Wood

George Danson