Welcome back to our final term for 2024.

To protect our children from dangerous UV light, in terms one and four we require students to wear their navy, sun-safe hat. A very big thank you to families for ensuring that children have a hat for break times and outside activities. Hats are available from the school office.

Planning for 2025 is currently underway. We will begin to look at class structures soon. May I ask parents who have concerns about their childs placement to put those concerns in writing and leave at the school office on or before the 4^th of November. Please be aware that a lot of thought does go into the planning of classes.  Our teachers discuss each child, their strengths and friendship groups. Classes are then structured around the best 'fit' for each child and the best combination for group dynamics.

Today is a staff planning and professional learning day. We will be undertaking training in teaching reading, in trauma informed practice and also interrogating the school’s achievement data so that we can plan for continuous improvement. 

For example – the graph below depicts the school’s results for improving students’ reading and mathematical achievement over time. It tells us that we are making steady gains, that our children are improving in reading faster than in other like schools, but that our work in mathematics (although showing steady gains) needs more attention. I am thrilled to see that steady upward trajectory. 

Kind regards

Due to the amazing support of the 24 Carrot Gardens organisation, our garden is in the process of receiving an extensive overhaul to make it functionally and aesthetically more user friendly. This includes building of class learning spaces, better irrigation and drainage, new garden beds, better pathways and edging, and lots of planting!

The redevelopment, at this stage, should be complete around early to mid of November.

Towards the end of the redevelopment, we are hoping to involve a number of classes across the school in the planting process.

We look forward to resuming classes in our new and improved garden learning space later this term.

As part of our preparations to transition the Kinders to Prep, we are having have some of our play times in the prep playground. This will help the children to become familiar with the area, playground expectations, and meet some of the current Prep and Grade 1 students with whom they will share the playground next year. Everyone really enjoyed playing in this new space, and we have been so impressed with how well everyone adapted to the new experience! Lots of siblings were delighted to meet up and have a play together too!

Again we ask that parents do not use the small car park off Kensington St for morning drop off and afternoon pickup.

The car park is too small for manouvering and it is dangerous for our little people.

Please use the Hull St drive through in the morning and afternoon. We realise that this can sometimes be busy but with its one way flow of traffic is much safer for our children. Our staff provide supervision and assist children to meet their parents as they drive through. If your child is not ready and waiting for pick up at the end of the day and you are asked to move on because of traffic congestion it is then a simple 'go round'.

Thank you to all our parents who are currently using Hull St.

During terms 1 and 4 and we have a rule that all children MUST wear a hat when playing outside, during break times, working in the garden or doing PE.

Many of our children have remembered their hats but quite a number have not. Our rule is NO HAT NO PLAY and children will be asked to sit in the shade.

Our school hats are available from the office for $8.

Please remember to write your child's name on their hat - this will help us to return it to your child when they lose it!!

1/2 Boston-Vince have been working (and drawing) hard in class!

Drawing improves our sense of space and attention to detail. This ‘Complete the Animal’ activity is a great activity to help us practise our fine motor skills.

We hope you like our drawings…

Prep Morrisby have started term 4 learning about the digraph 'ow'.

A digraph is two letters that work together to create one sound.  The 'ow' digraph, teams up to create a unique vowel sound that you hear when you say words out loud.

Learning about digraphs, is important because it helps us understand how to pronounce words correctly and how to spell them.

Our 'owl sitting on a bough' artwork was a great way to practise our digraphs that we created!

Every Monday and Tuesday afternoon for the rest of term the Hull Street car park boom gate will be closed to cars entering or leaving from 1:45 - 2:20pm. This is to ensure the safety of our students as they make use of the bike track as part of their Wheelie Workshop sessions.

If your child was born in 2020, please complete an enrolment form for Kindergarten next year and bring it along to the office with ID documents. Forms are available from the LiL sessions or the School Office.