Dear Families,

Last week we hosted our first Pancake Friday morning.  There was a great sense of community which was fantastic to see. Some of our parents volunteered their time which was greatly appreciated, and students stepped up to help and showcase their leadership skills. What could be better than our families, staff and students working together and of course the experience of starting your day with a delicious pancake!  I would like to extend a big thank you to Mr Dand, Mr Bennett, Ms Field, Ellena, Elle, Summer, Kaidyn and Tanya .

Yesterday Miss Lovell’s 5/6 class attended a cultural event which was organised by the Kutalayna Collective and Material Institute (24 Carrot Garden). We thank our community partners for their support providing such a fantastic experience for our students. We were immensely proud of 5/6 L as their behaviour at the event was exemplary.

Speaking of community, next week we will be hosting our Primary Athletics Carnival (Grades 3 – 6) between 10:30 and 12:30.  Parents are invited to attend. There will be a seating area specifically for parents and we kindly ask parents to support us by encouraging students to remain in their seating area so that the carnival runs smoothly.   At the carnival student leadership will again be showcased as our wonderful House Captains will assist with the event.  Yesterday students presented their speeches to their peers to vote in House Captains.  House Captains will be announced tomorrow.

Carolyn Brown, Principal

On Monday 20 February Ms Field took a group of 5/6 students to the Tottenham Road Park for the launch of the "We Love Country" book.  "We Love Country" is a children's picture book developed by the Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) through a collaboration between Aboriginal Education Services and Early Learning.

Our students enjoyed the morning and came back to school with artwork designs on their faces.

Thank you to Ms Field for organising this trip at such short notice.

We celebrated our first "Pancake Friday" for the year last week.  Many families enjoyed sharing in this special breakfast with their children.  Our next pancake breakfast will be on Friday 10 March, please come along and join in the fun.

Here is Taha proudly displaying a rather large zucchini picked from our garden on Monday morning.  Looking forward to a beautiful big bowl of zucchini soup.

If your child is late for school in the morning it is most important that they are signed in at the front office.  Most students know how to sign themselves in using Kiosk located next to the office.

If you must collect your child early from school, the same process applies and students must be signed out at the office.

Thank you.

Students will be sitting NAPLAN between 15 and 27 March 2023.

The National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance; however, students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.

This is the first year NAPLAN will be held in March, having previously taken place in May. This change was made so school systems would have access to results earlier in the school year, so they can be used to inform teaching and learning plans for the remainder of the year.

Why NAPLAN is conducted online

NAPLAN online provides a better assessment and more precise results.

One of the main benefits of NAPLAN online is that it uses tailored (or adaptive) testing. This means that students receive questions better suited to their abilities, so they can show what they know and can do.

Online testing also allows us to provide a wide range of accessibility options to support students with disability to access NAPLAN.

Feedback from students is that they find the online test more engaging.

Please note that students in Year 3 complete the Writing Test on paper.

Parent information brochures and other resources

Your questions answered on NAPLAN and what it means for your child:

NAPLAN information brochure for parents and carers

The link will take you to the official National Assessment Program (NAP) website.

Please contact the school if you have any further queries.

Validation forms for 2024 were sent home with students at the end of last year.  Please complete the forms and return them to the office as soon as possible.  Thank you to those parents that have already completed and returned their forms.

It is a legal requirement that validation reports are completed at the start of every school year, updating student permission and contact address details.  Thank you for your support in this matter.

Notices for the school lunch project were also sent home at the end of last year, if you have not returned your child's form, please complete and return the form at your earliest convenience.

Students in grades 3-6 have been given the opportunity to play futsal at PCYC on a Thursdays.  If you would like your child to participate in this roster, please return permission slips to the office that were sent home earlier this week.

Janina & Tracy