Principal's news
Dear mums, dads, carers and colleagues
It is always busy at our school - even on the weekends. The newsletter this week is once again filled with some wonderful celebrations, achievements and important plans. Read on...
Free dress day (Friday 20 March)
We are joining forces with schools from all over Australia next Friday when we acknowledge Bullying - No Way! day. This is a national day of action against bullying and violence. I encourage parents to visit the website to learn more about what bullying is and isn't and ways that you can teach and support your child.
Our free dress day will cost a gold coin donation and all proceeds will go to our student council. So wear orange (or just free dress) next Friday!
Parent teacher interview bookings are open
Interview info at a glance:
Dates:
- Monday 23 March (2:50pm - 7:00pm)
- Tuesday 24 March (2:50pm - 5:00pm)
Venue:
- School Hall
How to register:
- Appointments can be made on-line. Registering is simple.
- Click HERE for direct log in
- Register your identity for interviews by following the prompts
- Then select your child’s teacher and the appropriate time from the available list. Once you select a time it will be locked out. A confirmation email will be sent to you
Bookings close on Thursday 18 March at 6:00pm.
On the day:
- Have your questions prepared
- Be early for your interview
- Finish on time so the next interview can begin promptly
- Your child should attend with you
If teachers are away on interview day, you will receive an automated email. Teachers will contact you later to make an alternate plan to be completed as soon as possible.
Traffic do's and don'ts at school
In order for the morning drop off and afternoon collection to be smooth and safe, I need every motorist to do their part. Cranky drivers make poor decisions and these could be disastrous for our children.
- Never cut into the Kiss n Go line. Join the end of the line and wait your turn too. This applies to all cars going into the main car park of the staff car park.
- Keep moving forward in the Kiss n Go line. The best place to collect your children is from the covered shed at the end of the Kiss n Go lane. This is where the supervision for safety is.
- There is one Kiss n Go lane and one car park area. If you want to wait in your car, use the Kiss n Go and leave the car park for parking.
- Do not leave the car in the Kiss n Go line. Help your children where necessary but never leave your vehicle unattended.
School photos next week
Make sure that you check out your child's photo schedule next week. You will find the schedule on class newsletters and on Facebook. The photo program runs over three days - 17, 18 and 19 March.
Disco
We tussled today with the decision around the disco in what is always a difficult choice to make. The primary concern for anything we do must be around student safety and well-being. The rain this week and the forecast for more this evening meant that we opted to not go ahead with the event. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this decision may have caused.
I am cooking up a sausage sizzle on Monday lunchtime so bring along $1 to buy yours. Only cash on the day can be accepted. It will be a good idea to bring a lunch as well just in case we sell out!
Hygiene at school starts at home
With the possible spread of some nasty bugs and viruses - especially the Coronavirus - we are focusing at school on regular and strong personal hygiene standards. Did you know that:
- All of our classrooms have tissues and bins. Please teach your children how to use tissues. The bins are emptied every day.
- All of our classrooms and bathrooms have soap dispensers. They get a lot of use so they do run out from time to time. That is why we check the content levels twice each day.
- All of our classrooms also have hand sanitiser and we encourage children to use it.
- My weekly video message to all of our students will explain the best way to wash hands. You can help by teaching your children good hygiene habits at home.
Year 1 excursion
Year 1 students and teachers had a fantastic time on their excursion to the Jacobs Well Environmental Education Centre. They had a fun day of learning in the mangroves and ponds, classifying and grouping living things - just like scientists!
Using podcasts
6K were introduced to Podcasting as an independent literacy activity this week. Podcasting goes beyond just passive listening. It provides information in a fun and entertaining way (thus, increasing student engagement). It extends student learning with critical links between content areas and allows students to visualise their learning. To engage at a deeper level, students completed a graphic organiser to demonstrate their new learning.
Year 4 students Design ~ Create ~ Share
This term, students in Year 4 have been using Keynote to create visualisations of their class novel. The ‘Shapes’ in Keynote make it easy for all students to have success in this task and create work that they are proud of.
Students have also been using PicCollage to create #booksnaps to demonstrate their understanding of texts read in class and for homework. They have also started creating Vocab Snaps of their STRIVE words. These are where we develop vocabulary.
ChatterPix has been an engaging way for students to record short clips of themselves reading. Once uploaded to Seesaw, these videos are a great way for teachers to monitor their reading fluency.
4K has recently started a Global Kindness collaboration project using Flipgrid.
4C has been working on using Green Screen to create a movie about ‘The Learning Pit’. Students were given a script, required to learn their line fluently, and then filmed their section. When these are ready, families will be invited to the ‘Movie Premiere’ where the students will show off their creation.
Please watch for...
School sores. We have had at least one confirmed case of impetigo (School Sores) reported to the school. These are very contagious so please follow the exclusion requirements shown on the poster below.
Kind regards
Vic