Principal's Report
Dear Parents, Families and Community members,
Principal Update
Welcome back to school for Term 2. I hope our families all had a restful and enjoyable break. It has been lovely to see our smiling and enthusiastic students walking through the gate each day.
We started the term with a Pupil Free Day last Monday where our staff were onsite participating in professional learning. We were privileged to hear from Professor Jared Cooney Horvath, PhD, MEd from the USA about the Science of Learning.
Staff were highly engaged in learning about how the brain actually learns. Research about the brain has changed and evolved in recent years and scientists now know that building ‘schema’ or experiences first is what influences our perception of the world and how we interpret it and retain information. We learned that people understand facts at a surface level before developing skills and being able to problem solve.
From a school perspective this influences the way we teach and how our students learn. We learned that all people, whether they have a disability or not, use exactly the same mechanisms for learning. Having the opportunity to hear from an expert in the field of learning not only enhances our understanding of learning but consolidates the model of learning that we are already implementing at ACS. We will have more opportunities throughout the year to explore the Science of Learning and implement this new knowledge through our teaching and learning programs.
As we head into the new term, I encourage you all to ask your child each day, “What is one thing you learned about today at school and how will that help you become a better learner?”
Newsletter and Assembly Dates for Term 2
Newsletter
28 April
19 May
2 June
16 June
Whole School Assembly in the Games Hall (Parents \ carers welcome)
5 May
26 May
23 June (End of Term Awards)
Year Level Assembly (Staff and Students only held in their Learning Communities)
12 May
9 June
Camps Program at ACS
School camps are historically a milestone moment for primary school children; an experience in addition to the regular day to day curriculum to enhance social, emotional and academic engagement.
As we continue to grow as a school, we are constantly reviewing all programs and activities to ensure they meet the intended purpose, are purposeful and engaging, and that participation and attendance of students is maximised.
Some of the considerations when planning our camps sequence need to include:
- Growing numbers of students and capacity of camp providers to accommodate large groups
- Balancing the quality of camp programs available with the cost to families
- Aligning camps with the Victorian Curriculum and ensuring overnight stays are developmentally appropriate
- Staffing considerations
- Adhering to all DET teaching and learning requirements
A new agreement between the teachers’ union and the DET in 2022 dictates that schools must now compensate staff attending a camp with time in lieu which comes at a considerable financial and operational cost.
This new condition has not been funded which means in order to do any ‘out of hours’ activity, schools need to find additional resourcing. We are not able to charge families for this cost, and would not do this regardless as it would make a camp experience financially untenable for most.
Many schools across the state have either reduced camps or cancelled them altogether because of this. At ACS we have worked hard and very creatively to make sure that in 2023, a camps program can still be provided along with an array of excursions and incursions. The sequence of camp experiences gradually builds up, beginning in Prep and increasing to overnight stays when students reach Year 4.
We look forward to our next newsletter where a full reflection of our Year 4 camp from this week will be shared! Year 4 families, make sure to check out Seesaw for lots of pictures from the time away.
Have a great week end everyone!
Kathryn Sier
Acting Principal