Principal's Report

GRADE 5/6 HALLS GAP CAMP

Last week I had the pleasure of joining the 5/6s on their Halls Gap camp.  The focus at this camp is team building and a number of problem solving activities are designed with this in mind. 

In addition the kids get to experience, high ropes, archery, some cooking and a bush walk.  Apart from organised activities, students get some free time to hang out with their friends and the experience of spending a few nights away from parents & carers.  Having responsibility for unpacking and packing without mum or dad can be a challenge for some, but this simple experience is good for many of the kids. 

On all grade 3-6 camps the kids are placed in duty groups, which lead the way at meal times.  They set the tables, clear up afterwards and wash the dishes, which is significant given the numbers.  I was super impressed with how the kids handled this.  They were all keen to pitch in and get the job done, which is impressive. 

Half of the 5/6s spent Mon-Wed on camp and had perfect weather.  The same can’t be said for the Wed-Fri group, who were forced to work around a very wet Wednesday afternoon and all of Thursday.  Everyone adapted to the conditions and had a great time, despite being confined to indoor activities.

Well done to the staff who planned and ran the camp and to our parents who attended and helped out.  Well done also to the kids who embraced and made the most of the experience.

Good luck to all involved with the Sleepovers (Buninyong & Scotsburn) on Thursday night, which is bound to be a lot of fun.

ORGANISING CLASSES FOR 2023

Term 4 is slipping by and next month the process of organising students into classes for next year will begin.  If there are significant issues we need to be aware of when allocating your child to a class, please make sure they have been made known to Nicole, Narelle or myself by Monday, November 7th.   Teachers will be meeting soon after to begin sorting children into classes.

It is not our intention to provide parents with the opportunity to select a teacher of choice.  We have developed a very strong teaching team and parents can be confident the needs of their child will be met by any member of our team.  

Developing well-balanced classes is best for everyone and that can be made difficult if there are large numbers of requests – as such, it is important that placement requests be founded on significant reasons and not related to specific teachers. 

 We try to accommodate parent requests relating to student placements, but you will understand this is not always possible.

 It is also important when we come to organise classes that we know of students who will not be at our school next year. If your family is moving on, please let us know as soon as possible.