The IB Evaluation Process

As an established International Baccalaureate World School, we value a culture of ongoing reflection, review and action. This is a mindset we develop with our students, to help them become life-long learners. For the past twelve months, as part of the IB evaluation process, ASPS staff have been involved in an intensive self-study which ensures that the IB Programme Standards and Practices are being upheld.

Teachers have worked collaboratively to identify our major curriculum achievements over the past five years, since our previous visit, and to identify practices that could be further developed. This self-study process has given us an opportunity to reflect authentically on our successes as a school and to create an action plan for continuous improvement.

A comprehensive self-study questionnaire summarising our findings will soon be submitted to the IB office in Singapore, along with a range of required curriculum documents to be analysed. The next stage in this process for our school is the IB evaluation visit, which will occur from 4th - 6th May 2020. Two members of the IB visiting team will spend three days with us, visiting classrooms and meeting with teachers, students and other representatives of our school community. The purpose of the evaluation visit is to bring our submitted documentation to life, with the IB representatives observing and gathering evidence within the school context in order to verify the school’s self-study findings.

This is an exciting time for ASPS. We have so much to be proud of as a school and the IB evaluation process gives us an opportunity to acknowledge this ourselves and demonstrate it to others. The process also provides us with objective feedback from educators outside of our own school context.

A few weeks after the visit, the school will receive a written report based on the analysis of the self-study and the observations of the visiting team. We look forward to the feedback we will receive as a result of the IB evaluation process, as it will provide affirmation of what we are doing well and recommendations for areas of where we can become even better at providing significant, relevant, challenging and engaging learning experiences for our students. As a community of inquirers and life-long learners, we value this process.

School Council News

Welcome back all and welcome to ASPS all new families! I hope everyone enjoyed the long summer break and fully revived for what I am sure will be a fantastic year.

The School Council are required to meet at least twice a term and we held our first meeting for 2020 last week. All School Council meeting dates are now in our calendars and noted on the school newsletter and anyone interested is always welcome.

A significant event this year is the PYP evaluation which is required every five years to maintain status as an International Baccalaureate World School. Shaz Bailey gave an update to the School Council on the self-study process that the staff has undertaken and the Principal Team is busy coordinating the required documentation for the visit by IB representatives in May.

As already noted in last weeks newsletter the installation of the much-anticipated heating and cooling system in the school hall was completed during the holidays. This will allow the space to be used all year and in all weather. A HUGE thank you to all those that enabled this to happen.

Over the coming weeks and months other smaller projects will be initiated including further work around the Tooronga Road sensory garden where the pavers have already been laid. This will include further developing the path and substantial plantings partly supported by a biodiversity grant ASPS was successful in obtaining late last year.

Council members are always happy to hear from the school community so feel free to contact me or any other member, you can find our details on the newsletter which will be updated as and when the new Council is formed next month.

Nell Carswell

School Council President

2020 Fair Committee Meeting

Please note that our Fair Committee are having their first meeting for 2020 on Tuesday 3 March. The meeting will commence at 7:00pm in the school's staffroom. All interested parents are encouraged to attend.

Team Yearly Overviews (re-run from last week)

All families will have now received via Geddup, a Yearly Overview document from our year level teams. These documents provide a succinct summary of the following to help you get organised for the 2020 school year:

Team Members and Contact Details
Effective Communication Approach
Important Events and Dates
Home Learning Details
Units of Inquiry
Ways Parents Can get Involved
Year Level Specific Information (i.e. camps, BYOD)

We hope that these documents, along with the You Tell Us interviews have helped your family in feeling connected, informed and ready for the year ahead.

Allergy & Anaphylaxis Awareness

At Auburn South Primary School, we have a number of children who may have a severe allergic reaction to substances and certain foods (i.e. all sorts of nuts (including peanuts), sesame seeds, dairy products fish and eggs). These students may have an anaphylactic reaction not only by ingesting the food, but from skin contact.

Please be aware of what you may put into your child’s lunchbox for recess and lunch. Please do not pack products that contain nuts in your child’s play and lunch boxes. Common snack and lunch items such as peanut butter, pesto and Nutella must not to be brought into the school. Other products have warnings on the back of the packet as to whether or not they contain traces of nuts.

In addition to the products mentioned above, these are some other common snack, lunch and after school items that must not be brought to school:

Peanuts, Hazelnuts, Pistachios, Walnuts, Macadamia, Pecans, Almonds, sesame seeds, Pine Nuts and all other.

If you're not sure, please read product labels carefully to make sure that you're not packing products that contain nuts in your child's lunchbox. Importantly, please share this information with other family members and friends that may visit the school or be involved in family drop-off and pick-up routines.

While dairy, eggs and fish products are allowed, I ask you to discuss the importance to your own child to not share their food with others and only eat what is in their own lunch box. All of these allergies are very serious and certainly life-threatening. These students may require an Epipen to be administered if they come into contact or eat, and react to these foods.

Thank you for your assistance and your understanding in this very important matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our school nurse, Caroline Coleman for further advice.

School Council Election (extension of nomination period)

Please note that parents are able to submit nominations up until this Friday 21 February (9:00am). If you have any questions, please feel encouraged to contact Marcus via the school office.

Upcoming Events: School Picnic & 2020 Prep Parents Welcome Night

Have Your Say! Fair 2020 Survey Closes Tuesday 3rd March

The Fair Committee is currently in the planning stages, so now is the time when your input can help shape the 2020 Fair. They are looking for your feedback and opinions about the 2018 Fair, as well as new ideas or ideas from other Fairs/Fetes you have attended.

The survey is 8 questions and will only take around 5 minutes to complete

Students can complete the survey, however the Fair Committee plans to visit classrooms to gather feedback from ASPS students in the coming weeks.

Community Notices

Gladiators Welcome Day this Saturday