Principal's Report

Dear Parents, Families and Community members,

Principal update - School Strategic Planning

Halfway through our 4 - year school strategic plan, we have either achieved, nearly achieved or well and truly surpassed the strategic targets we set back in the middle of 2020. After analysing our student learning results and reviewing our goals, this year we direct our focus to the refinement and even further improvement of existing structures and practices.

With any school planning there is always one ultimate goal - academic achievement and growth for all students. Academic emphasis is a priority focus for us; supporting all learners to achieve the best they can in their learning. 

We know that in order to achieve this, our students must have access to high quality teaching which is responsive to the needs of all. In 2023 we will continue to deliver this in through our highly structured English instruction which emphasises the essentials in Reading (e.g. Phonics, Phonological Awareness, Vocabulary, Fluency and Oral Language) as well as Writing (e.g. Spelling, simple sentence construction, grammar and punctuation).

There will also be a more intensive shift to Mathematics with a particular focus on Number. Teachers will ensure students build their fluency in the building blocks of maths so that they have the necessary skills to apply when faced with higher order thinking and application.

Staff at Armstrong Creek School are highly analytical problem solvers who always look for further opportunity to improve. We also recognise that all great learning can only take place in a highly supportive school climate where student engagement and wellbeing is nurtured. 

This has lead us to identifying one overarching goal that helps to serve everything else we aim to improve;  to promote and maintain an orderly and focused learning environment. 

Visitors to Armstrong Creek School who have the privilege of observing our students and teachers in action frequently comment on the lovely ‘feel’ of the learning environment. It reminds us just how important this is when aiming to maximise student learning.

What this will mean in action is:

• Making high expectations of student behaviour even more explict
• Further embedding school wide routines
• Maximising participation in learning from all students - high expectations around attendance
• Placing emphasis on high academic expectations of all learners
• Supporting student and staff wellbeing

Over the year we will share insights into our work and often seek the support of parents and carers in promoting what we ultimately are all here to achieve; happy, motivated learners who believe they can achieve!  

High expectations of student behaviour

School-wide positive behaviour support drives the values, engagement and behavioural expectations at Armstrong Creek School. To make high expectations of student behaviour even more explicit, our SWPBS framework identifies clearly how the values of Care, Collaboration and Commitment translate into daily expectations in the classroom and yard.

Values and expectations are tricky things to observe or measure as they are largely invisible. Often we demonstrate them in the way of our daily routines. For instance, the dinner time routine in a family. Each of our households would have their own unique dinner time routine which for an observer might look fairly similar across the board. 

When I was a little girl and would have dinner at a friend's house, despite the expectations being fairly similar to the ones in my own family, I distinctly remember how different it still felt. Now that I reflect, I know that it was because little nuances and unspoken rules existed which I had not been explicitly told about. Even though things looked the same on the surface, there was a level of invisible expectation that was largely left for me to guess. For example, the expectation might appear to be that a family has a conversation around the dinner table. In one family it might be spontaneous, general chit chat whilst in another there might be a particular word-game that is played instead. Neither is wrong or right, better or worse, they are just a bit different.

Considering the school environment, we all know they are busy places. When we break it down and look at the finer details of what goes on socially, emotionally and academically in the classroom and playground, it is easy to see just how complicated they can be and how many hidden rules must be at play. Adding to this, when we have individuals, families and groups who all have their own beliefs, values and expectations, things we assume to be simple tasks, like moving from one play space to another, asking someone if you can join in a game, choosing a book for the teacher to read to the class, can actual become quite complex!

Routines

A routine is a familiar, adaptable protocol for engaging students in learning. Routines are one way of eliminating any guesswork when it comes to processes and behaviour.  

They help define specifically for all what an expectation or value looks like in action. This removes uncertainty from the daily events in school life, which reduces anxiety, creates a predictable environment and ultimately lightens the load on our students. When the standard behaviours or actions we engage in daily become automatic and routine, our students can:

• Predict what each lesson, task or process will look like
• Feel success by knowing exactly what is expected of them - it's hard to get it wrong when you know precisely what and how to do it!
• Think less about standard things that occur daily (like putting a book away) and focus more on their learning
• Spend less time thinking about the process of learning and more time on the content

Over the coming weeks and months we will share with you some of the school-wide positive behaviour support expectations look like so that you can chat about them with your child or even practise them at home! Like the dinner table, the routines we embed may look a little different to the way you do it, but that's ok!

Check out this clever group of Year 1 students from Sarah's homegroup which was 'awarded' best home group in assembly last week for showing the school value of care. More explicitly, what they did was demonstrate the following behaviours:

• Track the speaker by watching them with our eyes
• Keeping silent during assembly 
• Sitting with a space between each other so that hands and feet kept to self

Well done on all receiving a Principal's award sticker!

Meanwhile, Louis Pike also in Year 1 received a Principal Award sticker this morning. When asked to respond to my welcome of 'Good morning everyone' Louis not only replied with the expected "Good morning Kathryn" he continued to show care by checking in on me in my new role as Acting Principal. Thanks Louis!

Pupil free day - tentative place holder

Please keep Monday the 24th April in your minds as the next potential pupil free day. This is the first day back of Term 2 prior to the Anza day public holiday on Tuesday 25th.

School council will finalise pupil free days for the year in the coming days and all families will be notified.

Harmony Day - Tuesday 21/3/2023

We will celebrate Harmony Day at ACS and students will participate in activities throughout the day within their Learning Communities.  Students and staff are welcome to "wear a splash of orange" to celebrate! (think orange socks, gloves, a hair tie, a headband, a ribbon, or perhaps the splash is just the orange stripe in their uniform!)

Harmony Day is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. This year’s theme is ‘Everyone Belongs’.Belonging is a human need to be connected and accepted by others and a way of making sense of the world around us. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. It allows us the opportunity to find out about each other and celebrate our similarities and differences.

National Ride 2 School Day - Friday 24 March

Our school will be participating in National Ride2School day again this year. We had a fantastic turn out last year and the students loved the opportunity to ride their bikes with their peers in class time as part of our Ride for Fun session!

Make sure you check out the 'Ride 2 Ready Checklist' before March 24th!

PACC Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser

Our first fundraiser for the year has been organised by PACC and is the fantastic Routleys Bakery Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser! Routleys Bakery has been making Pies & Cakes for over 60 years, so have perfected their recipes over a long time. For every pack sold, Armstrong Creek School will keep approximately 25% of the selling price! 

Orders will be delivered to the school on Friday 31/3/2023 to your eldest child to bring home. 

Fruit Hot Cross Buns - 6 Pack  @ $6.50 each

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns - 6 Pack @ $6.50 each 

All orders to be submitted by Tuesday 28/3/2023  at 12:00pm via the link below: 

Please share the link with your family and friends!

https://compasstix.com/e/guzb7rqg1n 

PLEASE NOTE: ORDERS CAN ONLY BE SUBMITTED VIA COMPASSTIX. CASH SALES ARE NOT ABLE TO BE ACCEPTED. 

Fundraising activities such as this make a vital contribution towards improving resources for the benefit of all our children. In anticipation of a successful fundraising drive, we thank you for your support!

Book Club - Issue #2

A reminder that Orders for Book Issue #2 close on Sunday 19/3/2023 - Ordering from Book Club is easy—simply go online and place your order and then Scholastic’s ‘book elves’ take care of the rest. Before you know it, your child will have a lovely surprise to take home once their order gets delivered to their classroom. (All the details are on the back of each catalogue Issue).

Please note:  All orders MUST be paid for online via the LOOP ordering system at  www.scholastic.com.au/LOOP

CASH PAYMENTS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED AT THE SCHOOL OFFICE

Using the School Crossing Safely

A recent audit on 7/3/2023 was conducted by the City of Greater Geelong on the usage of our school crossings.  It was noted that it was quite concerning how many students were reaching very high speeds on their bikes when approaching the crossing and not dismounting to walk across the crossing.  It appears that it has unfortunately become common ground to ride over the crossing and not dismount to walk the bike.

It was also very concerning to see that some students would really struggle to pull the brakes and stop at the crossing if required to stop.  As young children are also walking across the road, students riding bikes across impact the safety of other students.  

Can families please remind their children to always stop, dismount from their bike or scooter and walk safely across our school crossings to ensure the safety of all users.

Absences from School and Late Arrivals

Parents/carers are required to ensure their child attends school every day and have an obligation to contact the school to notify the school of their child’s absence.

Parents/carers should inform the school in advance of known upcoming absences, or on the day of absence as soon as practicable. 

It has been noted this term that there has been a continual large number of late arrivals to the office.  A reminder to parents\carers that each day student learning starts promptly at 8.55 am.

If students arrive at school after 8.55 am, parents\carers must accompany them to the office to be signed in on the Compass Kiosk before they head to their Learning Community.  Students will receive a pass to give to their teacher so that they know they have been signed in.

Cross Country

Kathryn Sier

Acting Principal