Dear Parents, Families and Community members,

One week of the Term remaining and in so many ways it has flown by!

This week has been another busy week at ACS and I've continued to be extremely proud of our students and staff for how they have transitioned back into learning after the last period of Remote Learning.

House Athletics

On Tuesday our students from grades 3-11 went off to Landy Field to compete in the House Athletics.

This is the first time some of our children have been to compete at Landy Field in these events. We were very proud of the way the children represented ACS and their houses.

All those that went should be very proud of the effort they put in to represent the school.

Thank you also to the amazing staff that went to help, these days don’t happen without your support.

Results of the day will be announced at our final assembly next Friday!

Wishing Krystina Well!

At the beginning of Term 3, Krystina Simpson Leading Teacher for Grade 1-2, will be leaving us (temporarily we hope!) to take on an Acting Assistant Principal role for the next 6 months at Hamlyn Banks Primary School.

This is a great opportunity for Krystina to continue her school leadership journey and development. Having seen the fantastic contribution she has made to our ACS Community since starting with us in 2020, I have no doubt our loss is Hamlyn Banks' gain!

We will miss Krystina each morning and afternoon at the crossing gate and for so many other reasons of course, but please do wish her well as you see her over the next week and we hope to see her at ACS in the not too distant future.

Semester 1 Reports

Semester One Reports

As we near the end of our first semester, again another slightly interrupted few months, it is time to celebrate the wonderful achievements your child has made in their learning so far this year.

In 2021 we have moved away from our previous cycle of ongoing reports (Learning Tasks) after feedback from families. Our system of reporting and providing student learning feedback to parents now includes a parent/teacher conference in Terms 1 and 3 along with a formal semester report in Terms 2 and 4.

This Semester 1 report is a summary which outlines specifically what your child has achieved and where on the Victorian Curriculum continuum they are placed in terms of their learning. See the table attached along with an explanation of just how the Victorian Curriculum works and what it means for your child.

Parent/Teacher conferences

In Week 7 of Term 3 we will have our second parent/teacher conferences which will provide another opportunity to discuss your child’s learning and individual needs.

In between now and then, if you have any questions about your child/ren’s report or learning, please contact their home group teacher.

Individual Learning Plans

For those students who have DET mandated Student Support Groups and ILPs, these SSGs will take place again in Week 3 of the term. Reporting feedback on individual learning goals will be available to read by the end of Week 2, Term 3.

Student attendance data

This year we have also introduced another table to illustrate to families the importance of school attendance as one of greatest factors influencing student learning outcomes at school (see below).

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind both academically and socially.

Did you know?

Students who are absent for more than 20 days per year are deemed to have ‘chronic absence’
Being away from school for one day a fortnight equals missing 1.5 years over 13 years of school

This table attached shows what the Department of Education and Training deem to be excellent, satisfactory and unsatisfactory rates of attendance. If you are curious about where you own child/ren currently sit on this scale, you can log in to Compass and go to the ‘attendance’ tab on your child’s profile page. This will show you both the number of days absent so far this year along with the total percentage of attendance so far.

Naturally we do understand and expect that a child who is ill does not attend school for the day/s they remain sick.

As a school, we are monitoring absences closely and will support parents and caregivers to ensure they meet those expectations. We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.

The Victorian Curriculum

The Victorian Curriculum F–10 sets out a single, coherent and comprehensive set of content descriptions and associated achievement standards to enable teachers to plan, monitor, assess and report on the learning achievement of every student. It incorporates the Australian Curriculum and reflects Victorian standards and priorities.

The Victorian Curriculum is not structured according to nominal year levels that equate to particular school grades. Rather, the curriculum is structured as a learning continuum, that is, developmental levels that enable teachers to identify current levels of achievement and then plan to enable students to achieve expected levels. At Armstrong Creek School, we focus heavily on the development of personalised learning programs for all students, where the curriculum is planned in relation to the actual learning level of each student rather than their assumed level.

We use the curriculum flexibly to reflect what happens in the typical mixed- ability classroom, that being a five-year range of achievement between students. This is based on evidence from a Grattan Institute report which asserted that ‘at any given year level there is a five to six-year difference between the most advanced and the least advanced ten per cent of students.

This means that, for example, not all the students in a typical Grade 5 class will be studying the Level 5 curriculum. Some will still be acquiring the curriculum knowledge and skills at levels below that, some will be acquiring the knowledge and skills defined for that level, and some will be acquiring a level of knowledge and skills well beyond that nominally defined for Grade 5. 57.

Scores are used by teachers when they make judgements against the Victorian Curriculum standards for formal reporting to parents and DET. The year level of the student is not a factor in this process. The student’s level of achievement demonstrated against the achievement standards is what is recorded. This table shows how the scores relate back to year level and age-related guidelines.

Visitors to School Grounds

Our school will continue to limit non-essential visitors inside school premises and our parent helpers program will re-commence once we have further guidance from DET. For all parents who have a scheduled appointment with a staff member, you may still attend and must sign in via the Compass machine at the front office.

All visitors to school grounds must comply with physical distancing and face mask requirements set, and practise good hand hygiene. Visitors who are required to be onsite for 15 minutes or more are required to sign in via the front office.

Parents and Carers are reminded that visitors are not expected to enter Learning Communities unless part of an agreed plan or appointment. This is in accordance with Health Advice from DET.

The density limit of 1 person per 4 square metres should be applied to any spaces and activities being attended by parent/carers and other visitors. The density limit applies to all persons in the space, including students.

For this reason, our school Assemblies will be held with staff and students only until further notice.

Pyjama Day

On the last day of Term 2, Friday 25th June, our SRC (Student Representative Council) has organised to host a Pyjama Day through The Pyjama Foundation to raise much needed awareness and funds for children in foster care.

Please bring along a gold coin donation on the day to help our ACS community raise money which will go towards funds for educational resources, learning skills and stable, positive relationships to more than 1000 children.

So please put on your favourite (warm) PJ's, help raise funds and enjoy the last day of Term 2! We look forward to seeing everyone looking warm and comfy!

Curriculum Day

As you will remember, our most recent curriculum day was cancelled due the recent Lockdown and wanting to ensure continuity of learning as students returned to school. This day has now been rescheduled for Term 3 and has been approved by School Council to be held on Wednesday the 21st of July. No students will be required at school on this day.

Please also be mindful that we have a 'pre-planned' Curriculum Day in Week 5 Term 3, Friday August 13th which will also take place (all things COVID permitting).

Government schools are provided with four Curriculum Days each year. We had one on the first day of the school year and this year have one on the last day of the school year. These two in Term 3 make up our four for the year and we were provided with an additional day to prepare for the recent period of Remote Learning.

Beanies are Back!

Exciting news! From the start of term 3, our uniform suppliers, PSW will be stocking our school beanies. These will be available in store at 164 Malop Street, Geelong and will now be a regularly stocked item.

Last day of Term

Next Friday the 25th of June is the last day of Term 2. Students will have an early finish time of 2:10pm on this day. We hope you all enjoy your break and we look forward to seeing you back at school on Monday the 12th of July!

Take care and enjoy!

Evan Savage

Principal

Dates to Remember

June 2021

July 2021

August 2021