Dear Parents/Carers,

What a brilliant start we have had to Term 2. It was wonderful to return to school in Week 2 and see how engaged our students are in their learning. This busy term is a 10 week term, which offers many learning opportunities for our students in the classroom, whole school events and sporting activities.

Explicit Improvement Agenda 2019

In 2019 we are focusing on three key priorities as part of the schools explicit improvement agenda. As a staff we regularly review our goals and have put into place strategies in order for us to achieve these. Our school priorities focus on whole school, classroom and individual students. Our key priorities for 2019 are:

Priority 1 – Quality teaching in English and Maths

Priority 2 - Enhance student and community engagement

Priority 3 – Effective implementation of the Australian Curriculum

As a school we are making significant progress towards our school priorities. Our staff and families should be commended on all their hard work in Term 1 and I look forward to what we will achieve in Term 2.

ANZAC Day

Thank you to everyone who supported our school ANZAC Day event and marched with the school last Thursday. Our students were very well behaved and very respectful during these ceremonies. It’s great to see that the significance of our involvement in these hardships are remembered and passed on to our young people.

NAPLAN testing

On Tuesday 14th, Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th May, students in Years 3 and 5 will take part in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy, or NAPLAN, as it is commonly known.

Skills that will be tested include: reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.

These tests are done here at school and are considered just another part of the curriculum. It is important for you and your child to know that NAPLAN is not a pass/fail test. It simply looks at what level students are achieving in literacy and numeracy against National Standards and compared with student peers throughout Australia. NAPLAN cannot be studied for and students are not expected to do so. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to let them know that it is just a routine part of their school program, and to urge them to do the best they can on the day.

Please ensure that if you have a child in Years 3 or 5 that they are in attendance during that week in May. Please avoid booking holidays or appointments during those days. If you can’t avoid those days e.g. specialist appointment, please try to make it in the afternoon. All testing will be completed by 12.45 on those days. Later in the year we will send you an individual student NAPLAN report that you can use to view and monitor how your child is progressing.

Have a great week 3!