Leadership Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

Students are settling into classroom routines and are in the process of creating their 'Essential Agreement' in collaboration with their teachers. It has been fantastic to see students engaged in their work and contributing to a positive school environment, both inside and outside of their classrooms. An important part of the first term is the development of routines to assist in the creation of a safe and orderly learning environment. Students and teachers will have discussions in relation to our learner profiles, such as being caring and principled. This is also a topic worthy of a family discussion.

Parent Information Sessions

We have had an excellent response to our parent information sessions. These sessions have provided teachers and families with an opportunity to share information at an individual year level. Families have also been able to tour classrooms and ask questions related to student learning and school processes. An outline of each year level's presentation has been sent home to all families, should you wish to revisit the presentation or if you were unable to attend on the night. We look forward to working closely with families this year.

Nightly Reading

One of the best ways for students to improve their reading ability is to practise reading after school. Reading with your child at home and promoting independent reading will help your child in all areas of their learning. Research shows the importance of reading on a daily basis in developing students' use and understanding of vocabulary and increasing general knowledge. Reading will be part of students' weekly homework tasks. We encourage all students to read independently and to share reading material with family members. 

The Point Cook Library is also a wonderful resource. 

Library details are below:

ADDRESS: 1-21 Cheetham Street, Point Cook, VIC 3030

PHONE: (03) 9395 7966

https://www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/venues/point-cook-library

Opening Hours:

• Monday - Wednesday 10am - 8pm
• Thursday: 10am - 9pm
• Friday: 10am - 6pm
• Saturday: 10am - 4pm
• Sunday: 1pm - 5pm
• Return Chutes: open 24/7

Point Cook Library is now hosting Libraries After Dark!  Staying open till 9pm on Thursdays.

Sun Smart

Our school has a 'No Hat, No Play' policy from mid August to April. This month, there have been a number of days where the temperature has exceeded 30 degrees and more hot weather has been forecast.  We would like to remind families of the importance of students bringing an appropriate school hat to school which can be worn during outside play sessions. We understand that this is often an item of school clothing that can be easily lost. Please ensure that hats are clearly labelled with the student's name. There is usually a collection of hats in our lost property collection near the front office. It is also a great idea for students to bring a water bottle in order to stay cool and hydrated. Please remind your child to apply sunscreen before leaving home and during the school day.

NAPLAN

Our school has been busy preparing for the upcoming NAPLAN assessments which will take place in March. The Year Three, Five and Seven students have been working on some practise tests to familiarise them with the test structure and the types of questions they might encounter. We will very shortly have some demonstration videos available to families which will explain each type of test and how to navigate the online platform. We would also like to remind parents of the need to bring student devices to school to be configured if you have not already done so, as the NAPLAN will be conducted mostly in an online format. Please see the XUNO notification sent out, regarding assessment dates. 

Road/Traffic Safety

We would like to remind families about the importance of road safety around our school, especially during drop off and pick up times. Due to the large volume of traffic around the school at peak times, we request that families exercise patience and care. 

We have had a number of incidents where students have crossed the road in front of moving vehicles. A discussion about road/traffic safety would be a great family conversation to have at home, especially in relation to crossing roads and the safe use of bikes and scooters.

Kind Regards,

Saltwater Leadership Team