Hello, Giinagay, Hai
Dear Families,
I hope you have had a great week. It's hard to believe we are already 6 weeks into Term 4. In what has been a challenging and at times long year, time is now moving quickly. As we come to the mid-point of Term 4 we are in the process of planning for 2021. As I know you could appreciate, this is a complex task both in staffing the school, structuring classes and placing your children into classes that ensure they are well looked after. Class placement and staffing will be announced in two weeks’ time for the transition day on 1 December.
Out of School Child Care
We are working behind the scenes to make child care a reality in our village. Please if you know anyone who might be interested in accessing the service ask them to fill in a survey form and drop into the school.
Presentation Day Years K-6
On Tuesday 8 December we will celebrate the achievements of students at our Presentation Day from 9.30am – 11.00am.
COVID 19 restrictions means parents will not be able to attend the assemblies. We will record the event and it will be made available to parents through a link for you to view later.
Year 6 Celebrations
In the last two weeks of school, there will be a number of events to celebrate our Year 6 students as they move onto high school. The Year 6 Farewell will be in the evening on Wednesday 10 December, followed by an overnight camp at the Christian Youth Centre, concluding with a special graduation exiting ceremony from the school at 2.45pm on Wednesday 16 December. The Year 6 dinner will be held at Club Scotts.
Due to COVID 19 restrictions we are limited to numbers, therefore unfortunately the year 5 students will not be able to be part of the evening. Each family will be restricted to one family member. Information will be sent home to Year 6 parents regarding these events this week.
School Development Days
Parents will be aware that schools have school development days on the first day of Terms 1, 2 and 3 and the last two days of Term 4. These days are non-teaching days and focus on teacher professional learning and school planning.
The school development day scheduled for Thursday 17 and Friday 18 December was re-scheduled this year with teachers completing their professional learning workshops during Saturday sessions. Accordingly, there will be no staff present on Thursday or Friday 18 December and the school will be deemed ‘non-operational’.
Changes for 2021 for School Development Days
- At the beginning of 2021 staff will return on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 January to participate in professional learning related to curriculum development and wellbeing for two days. We will also be engaged in whole school strategic planning and look forward to sharing this with you early next year.
- The first day of attendance for students in Years 1-6 for the 2021 school year is Friday 29 January 2021.
- New Kindergarten students will complete their Best Start Assessments on Friday 29 January – Tuesday 2 February. Their first day of school will be Wednesday 3 February.
A School Focus on Attendance Matters
Teacher quality is the single most important in-school factor influencing student achievement (Hattie, 2009). However, the relationship between teacher quality and student achievement is mediated by the amount of time students spend in the classroom. Irrespective of the reasons for absences, non-attendance affects student outcomes.
Attendance at school is essential to assist students to maximise their potential. Schools, in partnership with parents, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students.
Encouraging regular attendance is a core school responsibility.
Thanks, yaarri yaraang, terima kasih.
Bu Gillian
Gillian Stuart - Principal
