Willunga Primary School Newsletter

Term 3 is an extremely busy time for data.  We have received our NAPLAN data, our Phonics data, Brightpath writing data, Running records and intervention data!  Parent NAPLAN data hasn't arrived yet, but will come out (hopefully) before the end of this term.

This data allows us to track and respond to site programs and interventions, and to measure the success of our improvement plan each year.  It also allows us to respond individually at a student level to ensure we know the next step of learning for all students and also consider who would benefit from a short term, intensive intervention.

NAPLAN 

o   Year 3 solid results (steady)  with all areas benchmarked in Band 4 or 5.  (Benchmark is band 3 for year 3). 

o   Year 5 results solid (growth) with all areas benchmarked at Band 5 or Band 6 (Benchmark is band 5 for year 5).   

o   Year 7 solid results – (growth) – benchmarked in all areas Band 6 or Band 7 (Band 6 is benchmark for year 7)

Our Site Improvement Goal 3 'increase High Band Writing' has been a resounding success with 46% of our students achieving High Bands for writing in this years NAPLAN.  This is an increase from 0% in 2017 and 17% in 2018.

BRIGHTPATH writing 

• showed an effect size of .5 growth (1 year for 1 year) across all classes (or higher)

Running Records

• showed a good spread of students achieving High Bands along with a number of students that will require intervention to achieve or surpass the benchmark

PAT M / R (Progressive Achievement Testing Maths & Reading)

• we are finalising this whole site data collection currently and will use this to triangulate our NAPLAN data as well as consider individual student learning needs and growth.

Testing is a vital part of a students learning journey.  It provides multiple ways for us to view growth and consider learning needs.  Unfortunately, the media promotes NAPLAN as high anxiety testing contributing to over 30 of our student withdrawing during the testing period.  This will impact us in 2020 as our funding for learning is linked directly to our NAPLAN data.  NAPLAN is only one way that we measure student growth, but unfortunately it is the main way that we are are measured externally as a school.  It would be great if all children participated in NAPLAN in 2020.

Ali Colbeck

Principal 

We value volunteers at Willunga Primary and if you would like to volunteer you just need to drop in to see Carmen in the front office for a volunteer booklet.  This booklet clearly shows the process and online courses that need to be undertaken.  Carmen will also arrange a meeting with a site leader at a convenient time for an induction. 

From July 1, the new Working with Children Check (WWCC) comes into being. Volunteers who have a current Relevant History Screening through DSCI / DHS are still clear to work with children. When this screening expires, you will then apply for the new WWCC. If you are applying for the first time, it will be a WWCC through the Department of Human Services. Further information is available at school.

A reminder that anyone on site after 9.00am, must be signed in through the front office and have completed the volunteer process

We are busily working around classes for 2020 and will begin the placement process early next term.  This is a highly structured and time consuming process as we try to place every child in what we feel would be the best place for them, as well as the class as a whole.  

Class teachers submit learning, behaviour and social information, students are asked to nominate friendships and parents are also invited to submit information for the placement process.  This  form collected from the front office.  For this information to be considered in the placement process, they need to be returned by Friday of week 2 term 2.  Any requests must be in writing, and cannot rely on a conversation held at a previous time during the year with a teacher or leader.
To manage this successfully it is important that we know of any students moving out or into the zone in 2020, if you think you may be leaving, please make sure you let us know, we maintain your position until you tell us officially

As adults we understand that feeling angry from time to time is normal.  Some things that happen in this world make us feel angry and rightfully so!  When I have been working in classes I tend to find that some children think that all anger is wrong and is not normal.  It’s the differentiating between the feeling and handling the appropriate action that becomes the issue.  Here’s some conversation starters you might like to discuss together as a family:

1. Is it ever ok to feel angry?

2. What is something that makes you really angry?

3.  What happens if you let your anger get out of control?

4. Who can help you if your angry feelings feel out of control? 

September 6th was our

 Junior Primary Country Royal Show:  

Here are some of the entries from our students:     

 Willunga’s Got Talent is underway with many acts still to come!  

Here are a couple of photos of our talented students:

Families please note;

Due to OSHC regulations we have a maximum number of children per session that we are allowed to have for our service. Some session we are very close to our maximum number or even full.

Currently we are looking at increasing our maximum number with the Education Standards Board.

This means at the moment when we are at our maximum, we cannot accept any more children for that session.

If you require a booking, casual or permanent, please contact us first to see if there is availability on 0438761656 or ask at the school front office.

If children arrive to OSHC without being booked in first for these sessions, families will be contacted to collect their children straight away. Any children attending the service on any session need to be booked in first.

 October Vacation Care program is out now, please grab your copy from the OSHC room, school front office or online skoolbag app.

Belinda 

Congratulations to the 14 boys and 14 girls who played in the Onkaparinga South Sapsasa District Hockey Teams at the State Carnival.

Great team-work, determination and a high level of skills helped the Onkaparinga South Sapsasa District Boys to achieve our best-ever result in a Sapsasa State Hockey Carnival – 3rd placing!

The Onkaparinga South Sapsasa District Hockey Girls were competitive and showed improvement as a team every time they played. It was great to see how easily the girls mixed together, whatever their ages!

Students from Willunga Primary School that competed in the carnival were Archie M, Christopher P, Alice P and Olivia H. Well done!