SKiPPS Newsletter

Important Notices

Seesaw Ongoing Reporting

As we mentioned in our previous newsletter, ongoing reporting continues this term with our teachers keeping busy in the classroom, regularly uploading learning samples for each child in Reading, Writing, Maths, Art and Performing Arts. 

 

At SKiPPS we highly value ongoing reporting. We have spent many years ensuring that we provide parents and carers with a reporting system that enables open dialogue around student learning between teachers, parents and students. 

 

We have achieved this over the years by investigating other schools that provide ongoing reporting, engaging in professional readings, running several surveys with small groups of parents and up-skilling our staff through several professional development sessions.

 

Our teachers at SKiPPS have spent countless hours collaborating and ensuring they provide high-quality feedback to students and parents. As a leadership team, we have witnessed the extra time and commitment our teachers have demonstrated in taking on this new form of reporting on board and wanting to make it a success.   

 

To enable us to continue with ongoing reporting and ensure we are providing timely feedback to students and parents through seesaw, we are asking the parent community to complete a Reporting at SKiPPS survey relating to how we have provided academic reports this year. The survey will help us continually improve our practice around reporting and ensure we deliver the best academic reporting for every child at our school. 

 

To access the survey you will need to use the QR Code below 

Staffing Update

With the end of the year less than a month away, our 2023 staff team is almost complete.

 

As always at this time of year, we are preparing to say goodbye to some of our wonderful staff who are moving on to new challenges.

 

Luke Jones, our Year 5/6 Team Leader is moving onto a new role at Bonbeach PS in 2023, a school far closer to home and his young family. We wish Luke all the best with his shorter commute and thank him for the great things he has done in his 8 years at SKiPPS, in particular around Sports and PE. 

 

Stephen Stanisic, our Performing Arts teacher is also moving onto a new role next year. As well as his outside work as a professional musician (follow him at www.facebook.com/sunsetstrangermusic), he will be moving into a role teaching instrumental music to secondary students. Stephen's contribution to our school's specialist program over the last 7 years has been incredible - in particular the amazing Celebration of the Arts evenings.

 

Meg Garland is also moving onto a new role next year teaching at Northcote PS. Meg has done a great job at SKiPPS as a pre-service teacher and, this year as a member of our 1/2 teaching team. We wish Meg all the best with her move north of the river.

 

Luke Jones
Stephen Stanisic
Meg Garland
Luke Jones
Stephen Stanisic
Meg Garland

As we say goodbye to some staff members, we are looking forward to others returning. 

 

Tom Mckenzie will return to the school on a part-time basis as he continues his outside career as a visual artist (check him out at https://goldernboi.com). Tom's role at SKiPPS in 2023 will be a specialist teacher combining PE (during terms 1 and 4) and STEM and Digital Technologies (during terms 2 and 3).

 

Jess Allender also returns to SKiPPS as a full time class teacher after a year teaching at Hamlyn Banks in Geelong. We are excited to welcome Jess' enthusiasm and experience back to our school.

Tom Mckenzie
Jess Allender
Tom Mckenzie
Jess Allender

We also have a couple of other staff members who will be taking on new roles next year.

 

Natalie Gallucci will be returning to her role as our Italian specialist. Natalie has worked in a few different roles at our school, including as a Year 1/2 teacher this year. She is excited to get back to working with all classes across the school and we are excited to have her back teaching Italian.

 

Bianca Langenberg, who has worked at the school this year as both an Integration Aide and a Tutor, recently graduated as a qualified teacher and we are excited that she will be a class teacher at SKiPPS in 2023.

Natalie Gallucci
Bianca Langenberg
Natalie Gallucci
Bianca Langenberg

We will be putting the finishing touches to our recruitment and will confirm our full 2023 staff and year level teams in our next newsletter.

Dads' Camp

Next weekend sees Dads' Camp 2022 taking place and it has been great to see so many of our families get involved and book their spots. We hope that all attending have a wonderful time.

A couple of reminders for those dads attending;

 

  • A reminder that the camp is not a school event and is completely parent-run. There will be no school staff in attendance and supervision of your children remains your responsibility at all times.
  • If you are planning to beat the rush to Wye River and pick students up early from school, please note preferred picked up times have been established to avoid disrupting the learning sessions (and to reduce the FOMO of those students not going on camp).
  • We ask that you sign out your child/children at the office at either 10:40am or 1.05pm (the start of our break times) and not come to school during lesson times as making announcements and bringing children out of class is very disruptive for all students.
  • Students in Year 3/4 will be attending a Soccer Gala Day at Fawkner Park on Friday 2nd December. So as not to disrupt the team-based activities, we ask that children who are being picked up early for camp, be collected at 2pm from Fawkner Park. Coming to collect them earlier than this will remove players from teams and create major issues for the tournament they are competing in. Please make sure you speak to Joe Gardiner at the park so we sign them out and are aware that they have left.

End-of-term arrangements

Whilst December still seems some way off, I wanted to update you on arrangements for how we will finish the school year.

 

As shared in our last newsletter, students are not required at school on Tuesday 20th December .

 

This means that classes will finish for the year at 3:30pm on Monday 19th December. 

 

Team Kids will offer a full-day program at the school on Tuesday 20th December for those families that require childcare.

 

This arrangement means that the other end of term events and milestones will happen as follows;

 

  • Thursday 15th December - Final transition session and 2023 class lists sent home - students will meet their 2023 teacher and class and bring home a class list for next year.
  • Friday 16th December - 9am: Final school assembly and Year 6 Leadership awards. We will start the day with a whole-school assembly to celebrate our leaving students and families, sing carols and round off the year. 
  • Friday 16th December - 3:15pm: Year 6 students will sing their graduation song at an end of the day assembly. Students dismissed at 3:30pm.
  • Friday 16th December - Semester two reports will be sent home via Compass

Mango Fundraiser

This coming Monday (28th November) we will be taking delivery of the trays of mangoes ordered through our 2022 SKiPPS Mango Fundraiser. 

These will be available to collect from school at pick-up time (3:20 - 4:00pm) from the Performing Arts room. If you placed an order online via Compasstix earlier this year, please come along and collect at this time. 

 

If you are unable to collect on Monday, we are happy to hold on to them for collection later in the week but, please note, we will be unable to refrigerate them at the school. We look forward to seeing you on Monday.