Dear Parents and Carers
It was great to catch up with so many of you at the P & C’s annual sundowner. As a school community we benefit so much from the enthusiasm, hard work and dedication of the team of people who make up the P & C. Thank you for supporting their significant efforts – there is always unseen research and planning going on between meetings and events. Everything they do supports our students … and brings families together. Thanks to everyone who has already paid the P & C general and ICT voluntary contributions.
Faction Carnival
Last Tuesday we held our Faction Swimming Carnival for students in Years 4-6. In addition to seeing so many students reap the rewards of many hours of training, it was heart-warming to see students work through ‘nervousness’, show persistence, encourage and celebrate with their peers and demonstrate sportsmanship. I was particularly proud of several individual students who showed care, compassion and integrity in challenging circumstances, when a hiccup with the electronic timing system and last-minute lane changes in the first few races, resulted in some errors with points tallies at the end. Thank you to those students for their mature and exemplary behaviour.
We are yet to present ribbons to those students who placed first to fourth in the Butterfly events, and medals not presented on carnival day. We would like to do this at a brief assembly on Friday 17 March. This will take place at 2:45pm, just before school pick-up time … and the P & C’s CAKE STALL.
Our sincere thanks to parents and teachers who helped out on carnival day and continue to assist at Swim Squad. Special thanks to Ms Kate Scott and Ms Jenny Carruthers, our Physical Education specialist teachers for their hard work and meticulous planning. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes and we are grateful for everyone’s commitment and support. Thank you!
Staying Safe Around Dogs
Last Friday we hosted an incursion presented by two of the Rangers from the Town of Cambridge. The presentation focused on (i) identifying what a dog’s body language is telling them at a given point in time (happy, relaxed, scared, angry, playful) (ii) how to interact safely with dogs (iii) what NOT to do when interacting with dogs and (iv) what to do if you are approached by a dog and feel unsafe (‘be a tree’). Please find attached the newsfeed email, two documents made available to us by the Rangers: ‘Body Language of Dogs’ and ‘Responsible Dog Ownership’.
Dogs on School Site
As much as many of us love seeing dogs (particularly puppies), this is not the case for everyone. Our Department’s (and consequently our school’s) position is that ‘animals, including pets, are not allowed on school grounds unless they are a part of a school event, or are authorised assistance animals’. We do in fact have an ‘authorised assistance dog’ in training who often comes onsite with his This beautiful, rapidly growing labrador can be easily identified by the fluro orange jacket he wears.
NAPLAN
Tomorrow our Year 3 and 5 students will commence NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy). There are four tests which assess students’ skills in the areas of writing, reading, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The assessments are completed online and are similar in nature to other activities and assessments students complete online, beginning with a simple literacy and numeracy assessment at the end of Year 1. As I say each year, the best way to ‘prepare’ for NAPLAN is the same way that we ‘prepare’ children for any other day of learning and assessment. That is, have a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast and arrive at school on time and ready to focus. When we make judgements about students’ levels of achievement and progress, information from NAPLAN assessments is one component of a much broader range of data. It’s important to keep it in perspective.
Harmony Day
Next Tuesday we will celebrate Harmony Day with a special dance incursion that celebrates and recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.
Best wishes
Elizabeth