18-Nov-2022
Dear Families
It has been great to witness so many random acts of kindness by of students this week and the number of tokens they received as a collective is testament to our students’ character and sense of belonging. I never get sick of trying to explain to other educators, friends and families that our kids are amazing. Yes we have wonderful parents, carers and staff but the best thing about our great school is our students. They truly are wonderful.
With just over 4 weeks until the end of the year, I hope that you and those closest to you are all travelling ok and have plenty of energy to get through to the end of the year. Take care and stay safe.
2023 AIP Goal
In 2023 Edithvale Primary, as are all schools in the State, will continue to focus on student learning – with an increased focus on Numeracy – AND Student Wellbeing.
This week I have met with our Senior Education Improvement Leader (SEIL) to refine our key improvement strategies and major activities and actions that will hopefully help us achieve our targets. These include
Key Improvement Strategies
Learning – Support both those who need scaffolding and those who have thrived to continue to extend their learning, especially in numeracy
Wellbeing – Effectively mobilise available resources to support students’ wellbeing and mental health, especially the most vulnerable
A large piece of this work is to consistently embed our Model of Instruction which includes key elements for a successful lesson. A major issue in learning is retaining information and limiting the impact of the natural process of forgetting. If we don’t review what we have learned, we remember fewer details and make fewer connections to previously learned material.
Reviewing material through Daily, Weekly and Monthly Reviews is a key pillar to each lesson.
One purpose for revisiting and reviewing material each day is that it allows students to re-activate recently acquired knowledge, reducing ‘brain overload’ at the beginning of each lesson so that students can then more readily ‘absorb’ new knowledge throughout the lesson.
A purpose of the Weekly and Monthly reviews is to ensure that previously learned material is not forgotten – and slow the natural rate of forgetting that we all experience. This is outlined in the image below Forgetting Curve
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/forgetting-curve.htm
Breakfast Club
Another reminder that this service for our students commences at 8:20 each morning when the gate along Edithvale Rd is opened. Students arriving earlier than this can be directed to TeamKids’ Before School Care program where they will be safe and well look after until the commencement of our school day. Students attending Breakfast Club are required to proceed straight to the Science room where they can have breakfast in a supervised setting. Our staff are on duty 15 minutes before scheduled instruction is to begin – 8:45 am each day – 5 minutes after the perimeter gates are unlocked.
Council Update
Christmas Picnic Concert #1
This week our School Council met and discussed the discrete consumption of alcohol at our upcoming Christmas Concert Picnic. Our council has considered the unique nature of this event and approved the consumption of alcohol – on the grounds that where possible, alcohol is kept out of sight of students.
We are hopeful that this community celebration will be enjoyed by all who attend and look forward to many more opportunities to connect with each other in the future.
A reminder also that all children who attend the Concert will be under the direct supervision of their parents and carers.
Christmas Picnic Concert #2
Raffle- Thanks to a couple of parents and the support of many businesses, we are putting together some incredible hampers for our Christmas Raffle. Tickets will be available shortly and we’re hoping these coincide with the arrival of our Christmas Tree next Friday. Tickets will be sent home with students and more will be available from our office AND on the night of the Picnic with the winners drawn shortly before the close of proceedings – at 6:00 pm.
2023 Classes now complete
I wish to thank families for following our processes to help us finalise our 2023 classes for next year. We have accommodated most requests and ensured EVERY student has at least ONE of their preferred learning buddies. Our staff have spent countless hours putting the grades together to ensure a balance of academic and social needs of as many students as possible can be met. We have used our professional judgement, knowledge of students’ needs and observations of interactions in the yard and in the classroom to land on our finalised lists. I wish to also acknowledge the tireless efforts of all classroom and specialist teaching staff and our Education Support staff for their input, time and energy that we have all invested into getting this right.
Our ‘step up’ Transition program for students will begin shortly and staff have already started having conversations with your child’s 2023 teacher. This helps to maximise the opportunities to have a smooth transition and a great start to the school year.
Staffing
We have almost completed our staffing roster for 2023. Over the last few weeks we have offered teaching and education support positions to a number of educators who will join us next year. This week we also interviewed for a second Assistant Principal position and we hope to appoint someone to this role early next week. Ideally this will complete our staff list for next year, however if history is a good judge, there may still be a few changes that we will manage as they arise.
Kind regards,
James Whitla
Key dates:
- November 24 – Melbourne United Basketball Clinic- whole school
- November 25 – Foundation to Year 2 Athletics Fun Day
- December 1 and 8 – Year 5 and 6 Life Saving
- December 2 and 9 – Year 3 and 4 Life saving
- December 9 – Community Christmas Picnic 4 – 6 pm
- December 15 – Year 6 Graduation
- December 16 – Welcome to Country and Smoking ceremony at 9:15 am Assembly
- December 16 – Class parties and School Colour Fun Run
- December 19 – Students’ final day of school and dismissal after a 1:30 pm Assembly
- December 20 – Student Free day, TeamKids in operation
I wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet, the Bunurong- members of the eastern
Kulin Nations – and pay my respects to elders past present and emerging. I wish to acknowledge all First Nations
people in the room and pay respects to them. I note further that these lands were never ceded and are, and always
will be, Aboriginal Lands.