Welcome back!
A warm welcome back to all existing and new families. The high level of energy and enthusiasm from students and staff alike is wonderful to watch. It has been great talking with students about their learning goals for the term. Thank you to the staff for their work over the holidays they have done in setting up the learning journey for students throughout Term 2.
Our total student enrolment is 276.
We welcome Linda Travers to Room 22A whilst Tammy Kearns is on leave.
I wish all students and staff a rewarding term filled with new learning.
External School Review
Our External School Review (ESR) took place last week. Ms Rebecca Pears, Review Officer, and Mr Graeme Fenton, Principal Review Officer, spoke highly of the work that has taken place since the last ESR in 2019. They were able to verify the implementation of the last ESR directions through class walk throughs, meetings with students, staff, parents and leadership, analysis of whole school curriculum agreements and other processes in place. Rebecca and Graeme spoke very highly of how welcoming students were, the commitment and dedication of staff, passion and pride in the school from parents and the positive culture and processes in place to drive student improvement.
Mobile phone and personal device policy - consultation
The Department for Education has directed all schools adopt a mobile phone policy. This will mean all students must keep their mobile phone/personal device (such as smartwatches) off and away whilst at school. Students will only be able to use personal devices if they have an approved exemption from their school. This applies to all government primary and high schools from the commencement of Term 3 this year.
Whilst the majority of the policy is mandated, there are limited aspects we can modify. The highlighted sections are the ones that have been modified.
Your feedback is welcome as part of the consultation. A copy of the draft policy has been attached or can be collected from the Front Office. Feedback can be submitted to the school email address dl.0200.info@schools.sa.edu.au until Thursday 1st June.
Social and Emotional Learning
Social and emotional learning begins at birth and is first experienced in the family home. Throughout their lives children learn from parents and carers as a teacher and role -model for the social and emotional skills they need in their world. The Australian Curriculum outlines these social and emotional skills as personal and social capabilities which are to be taught in every school across Australia. As parents/carers you play an important role in enhancing this learning at home. Tips for talking to your child to help build social and emotional competencies include:
‘Hunt for the specks of gold’. At the end of a school day ask them to share with you ‘3 good things’ that happened today. You may need to start with one and build up to three. You may need to prompt an answer by saying;
‘What was a good thing that happened at recess today?’
‘What was a good thing that happened during Maths today?
‘How did someone help you today?’
‘How did you help someone today?’
‘Tell me about something you found hard/challenging to do and you persisted?’
Often when we ask ‘How was your day?’ children choose to tell us about the things that went wrong or they didn’t like or they couldn’t do. This strategy helps students to start a conversation in a positive way. It also helps children to see that a problem did not necessarily happen for the whole day.
Bus behaviour
Recently we have had some reports of inappropriate behaviour on school buses. Students and parents are reminded that there is a code of conduct which needs to be adhered to, which assists in ensuring the safety of all on the bus. Please remind your child of what appropriate behaviour on the bus looks and sounds like.
Kind regards,
David Pitt - Principal
