Assistant Principal's Report

A New Term Begins!

Term three has begun and we have hit the ground running! Classrooms are already buzzing with the energy of busy learners and behind the scenes, teachers are preparing for Parent Teacher Interviews, planning engaging lessons, and organising exciting activities and events – which will further students’ engagement with the content being taught and enrich the learning occurring in the classroom. 

Some of the exciting things happening this term include:

• Year 3 & 4 concert, Under the Dragon’s Wing
• Year 1 & 2 Concert (at the end of August)
• Foundation incursions about fire education and programming robots
• Excursions to CERES, Scienceworks and Edendale Farm
• House Athletics Day

…and that’s just to name a few! 

The Year 5 have a camp, the Year 6 cohort have a camp, students in years Foundation, 1 & 2 have the Learn to Swim program, there are two dress up days… (Football Colours Day on Friday 21 July & Eco Day on 27 July).

These activities are fun and they also link to the learning program, providing students with opportunities to engage, explore, make connections and transfer skills. Some of these activities are used to teach new skills, or as a tool to initiate discussion and introduce new experiences before a topic is taught in the classroom. Other activities are designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn from experts in the field, use their new learning in a different environment, or celebrate their learning by showcasing their new skills. Keep reading the newsletters to hear more about some of the exciting activities happening across the school this term. 

Supporting Your Child with Change

It can be tricky getting up and ready in the mornings when a new term begins. While a few of us experienced some wobbly mornings, it didn’t take long for everyone to settle back into the school routine. 

If your child (or you!) is having trouble getting back into the swing of things, a predictable morning routine and planning out a weekly schedule can make things a lot easier.

Create a morning routine

• Create a simple step-by-step routine for your child to follow, with tasks you expect them to complete each school morning. 
• Include your child in creating this if you can – the more input they have, the more likely they will be motivated to follow it.
• Display the routine! You could use a system where your child ticks off each task as they complete each one. Some examples of how to do this are to display the routine in a picture frame, using a whiteboard marker to cross the tasks out each morning, have the tasks printed and cut out so they can be moved from one side to another as they complete them, or simply place the routine on your fridge and pop a magnet over each task as they complete them.

Create a weekly schedule (or a month, or a term!)

• A weekly schedule goes a bit further, and helps organise activities, events or tasks that are only important or relevant on particular days.
• Include reminders of what your child needs only on particular days (such as their library bag) and list any after school activities.
• If your child asks a question which can be answered by looking at the schedule, encourage them to look at the schedule!

You may wish to include some of the exciting events mentioned above in your schedule!

~ Sarah Abbott, Assistant Principal