We have been very impressed with how well the students have settled back into normal routines. Thank you and well done to our families who have prepared the students for such a smooth return. Our staggered start and finish times have certainly helped with less congestion in the carpark. I thank you for all your support in following our requirements. I am sure you are also enjoying hearing the adventures of the day from your children as they return home from school.

World Teacher’s Day

Thank you to our wonderful P and C volunteers for recognising our teachers on Friday. It was a wonderful gesture that brought many smiles and was certainly appreciated by the team.

Classroom Furniture for Years 3, 5 and 6

The final phase of our furniture replacement plan includes years 3, 5 and 6. Below you can see the items for each cohort which can be configured in many ways to suit the needs of the class. This furniture will arrive in January 2022. We are pleased to be able to donate our existing furniture to schools in need. Pacific Assist has sent over 160 shipping containers to islands such as Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Papua New Guinea.

New Classrooms

Our building expansion project with 4 relocatable classrooms and a toilet block is progressing. We have had Project Managers appointed this week who have been out to view the site. We aim to have the buildings completed ready for the 2022 school year.

Satisfaction Survey

The survey is now available for completion. This gives us important feedback about how we are tracking in the eyes of our school community. Families will receive a second email with the link by the end of this week.

NAPLAN Results

Students in Years 3 and 5 will bring their individual results home this week. 

We are particularly impressed with our school reading growth data from year to year for year 5. It is beginning to reflect or focus on all students demonstrating growth and achievement in reading.

What will Term 4 look like?

Transition Week

The first week will be much like the start of the year with a focus on reconnecting, establishing expectations and having fun with peers.

Assessment and Reporting

We do not wish to bombard the students when they return with assessment. Reports will reflect what we know about students up to and including the remote learning period. We have considered learner assets and capabilities (e.g. communication, problem solving, self-managing) as a focus for ongoing assessment to share in general comments.

Learning

When students return, we want to balance structure and familiarity within an environment that fosters socialisation and enjoyment for learning. After transition week teachers have planned for:

• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Design Challenges

The design challenges incorporate a range of subject areas and have been developed to give students an opportunity to have choice, creativity, and opportunities to collaborate with their peers.

ICAS Competitions Years 2-6

We have rescheduled most of the ICAS competitions to occur over the next few weeks for those students who had already registered. Unfortunately, the testing window for the writing test has closed. Tests will occur in each of the bubble locations.

Take Home Reading Years K-3

Take Home Reading will commence in week 6. Teachers have developed a quarantine system as books are returned to school. 

Dental Bus

Rebecca Turner

Principal