03-September-2021
Dear Families
When the History of this pandemic is written, the efforts of our students, families and staff will be written in bold type! The roles that we play together to support the wellbeing and learning of our students has been extraordinary and the genius thing we have all done is to not give up!
DEVICE FREE DAY Friday September 10.
Today we posted out Year Level activity grids for students to complete next Friday. There are a range of tasks for students to attempt – some independent and some to do with family members where possible. Stepping back from the screen for a day may just recharge our collective batteries fand help us freshen up for the final week.
As part of our whole school Device Free Day where students and staff will be asked to complete their learning ‘offline’ we have planned an ‘Edi Explorers Rally’. This is a completely OPTIONAL activity. We sincerely hope that you enjoy this activity and a chance to get in some exercise as well as seeing some of our staff on the streets of Edithvale.
Our first ever Edi Explorers rally will be held between 1pm and 2pm on Friday September 10
This ‘rally’ involves students, who will need to be with family members to ensure this is a safe activity, riding, scooting or walking through parts of Edithvale searching for clues. Different teachers and support staff members will be scattered around the streets and they will BE the ‘clues’ to solving a crossword. We will be posting out a hard copy of the crossword and will have an electronic version available on the website that can be downloaded too 🙂
It is planned to run at a time that we hope will fit in with the work schedules of as many families as possible and also aims to fit within the school staff planning day schedule. We note that this is a small window of opportunity and hope that the investment into our students’ wellbeing will be worth any disruption to family schedules.
While on the rally, we ask that families follow mask wearing and social distancing requirements so we can make this activity as safe as possible.
STUDENT FREE DAY
We are looking to shift (again) our school’s Student Free day from September 17 so that our staff can reap the benefits of a face to face professional learning day on supporting students. We are hoping to reschedule this event to November 1 (day before Cup Day), when our professional learning facilitator is available. We’re hoping that by then we can meet as a whole staff face to face as the presentation and learning will be infinitely better in this mode rather than via a screen.
NAPLAN
Our 2021 results landed last week. NAPLAN results do not define us or our students and we were grateful and impressed with our Year 3 and Year 5 students’ determined efforts during this series of assessments. Included below is a snapshot of some broad achievement level data. Some pleasing parts to this include a number of Areas that our school registered their highest scores over the last 5 years. There is, as always, work for us to do, but the results are something we can celebrate in light of such a challenging year.
YEAR 5
READING- Above the State Mean
WRITING- At the State Mean and Our Highest School Scores in 5 years
SPELLING- Marginally below State mean and Our Highest School Scores in 5 years
NUMERACY – Marginally below State Mean
GRAMMAR and PUNCTUATION – At the State mean and Our Highest School Scores in 5 years
YEAR 3
READING- Above the State Mean and Our Highest School Scores in 5 years
WRITING – At State mean
SPELLING – Marginally below State Mean
NUMERACY – Well Above State Mean
GRAMMAR and PUNCTUATION – Well Bbove State Mean and Our Highest School Scores in 5 years
PROGRESS REPORTS.
The Term 3 Progress reports that reflect both face to face and remote learning undertaken over the last 8 weeks will be available in COMPASS on Tuesday of the last week of term – September 14
WHOLE SCHOOL PLANNING DAY – Friday September 17.
The extended lockdown means that we will continue with Remote and Flexible Learning until the end of the term.
We are none the wiser as to what the start of Term 4 looks like in schools and we are trying to predict and plan for a number of eventualities. We MAY have a staggered start back to school, as was the case in Term 2 last year? We MAY be (fingers crossed) back to face to face teaching and learning? We MAY be forced to continue as we are now.
Teachers will check in with their classes for one final time on this day and then begin the work of getting some strong plans in place for each of the scenarios listed above. Teachers will be available throughout the day to answer any questions you may have
Paralympian Kurt Fearnley was born without the lower portion of his spine and is wheelchair bound. A few years back he spent two week’s in Papua New Guinea crawling the 96 kilometre Kokoda Track. Of this experience he says:
“There were tears streaming down my face, but I drove myself on, screaming, ‘Who are you? Who are you?’ And each time the answer that kept bouncing around in my mind was just: ‘I am someone who will never stop. Someone who will never give up. Ever.”
Take care and stay strong
James Whitla
