Principal's Report

Welcome Back

Welcome back to an exciting new term! It has been great to see our playgrounds and classrooms once again filled with the buzz of students playing and learning. As we commence Term 3 I would like to bring our school values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Optimism to the front of our minds as we again centre our values at the heart of all we do. Term 3 will provide a range of exciting opportunities in and out of the classroom for students to continue to explore, grow, and support one another. Our staff are here to work with you in building the team around our learners and I encourage you to reach out to them for support where needed. Welcome back, and let's make Term 3 another positive chapter in our journey through 2023.

State Cross Country 

Congratulations to Grace, Molly, and Anna on their incredible achievement of participating in the State Cross Country this week! Competing at a State level is a significant accomplishment that reflects their dedication, hard work, and outstanding athletic abilities. Their commitment to training and their unwavering determination have paid off, and the entire school community is bursting with pride. They have represented not only themselves but also our school with distinction, sportsmanship, and resilience. Well done, Grace, Molly, and Anna! Your accomplishments are a shining example of what can be achieved through passion and perseverance.

NAIDOC Week

I would like to acknowledge NAIDOC Week, a significant celebration that honours the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students have engaged in a number of NAIDOC week activities this week to deepen their understanding, foster cultural awareness, and promote reconciliation. This year’s theme For Our Elders acknowledges and celebrates the important role and prominent place Indigenous Elders hold in communities and families as cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and loved ones. 

Theatre Upgrade

We are delighted to announce that the Performing Arts Theatre has undergone a lighting upgrade during the holidays. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Jimmy Harris, who coordinated the scope of works and trades involved, and Gavin Andrew, who invested countless hours to position and program the new lights. We look forward to watching our students perform at the upcoming School Concert where I am sure the upgrade will enhance the experience for both our performers and the audience. 

Working Bee

Our Term 3 Working Bee will be taking place on Sunday 23rd July from 9-11am. We understand that it is always difficult to find the time in the busyness of life but if you are available for a couple of hours we would be incredibly grateful for your help. There is a link to our Sign Up sheet on Compass that has itemised tasks with an accompanying image to help people in allocating themselves to a task. Please add your name in the yellow column that corresponds with the task you would be happy to help with. We will provide all materials and as much equipment as possible but would also appreciate any additional wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, paint brushes, etc. Some morning tea will be provided and of course children are more than welcome to come along and play or help out where they can.

ACPS Book Fair

Our annual Andersons Creek Book Fair starts next week. It's open Thu 20th, Fri 21st and Mon 24th July. Opening times are 8:30am - 9am and 3pm - 4:30pm. 

 A percentage of all sales goes towards new books for our ACPS Library.

ICAS Assessments

Andersons Creek Primary School is partnering with ICAS Assessments to reward and recognise academic achievement. This year, students will participate in the prestigious ICAS Assessments, allowing them to apply their higher-order thinking skills and gain recognition for their efforts. Learn more by visiting icasassessments.com. 

You can now pay for ICAS online! To confirm your child’s participation, visit https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps and enter our unique school code MUA405 to make a direct payment to ICAS Assessments. 

Online payment closing dates are available at icasassessments.com.  

Upcoming changes to NAPLAL Reporting

Ahead of NAPLAN results for students being released from Monday 17 July 2023, I’m writing to inform you of some changes to this year’s reporting. These are changes being introduced nationally by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).

NAPLAN will continue to measure student achievement in numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, and grammar and punctuation but the results will now be presented in 4 proficiency levels:

These are:

· exceeding

· strong

· developing

· needs additional support.

This change will give schools, parents and carers clearer information that details student achievement against new proficiency levels.

Students’ NAPLAN reports will continue to show how they are tracking against their peers and provide an indication of their skill levels against national averages and where we would expect them to be in order to get the most out of schooling. This provides valuable information to teachers about how we can continue to support your child.

Each set of NAPLAN results is an important milestone but it’s also important that students know that one result does not define them – these results are about making sure every student gets the support they need so they can continue to get the best from their learning.

When we provide you with your results, you will also receive information about what the new proficiency levels mean.

As ever, you’re welcome to speak to me, or your child’s teacher with any questions about these changes.

Daniel Webber 

Principal