Dear Craigslea Community,

Welcome to Term 4, our final term of 2024. It’s hard to believe how quickly we’ve arrived here. This term is always a busy one, filled with events and celebrations as we wrap up the academic year and prepare for the next. It’s an exciting yet bittersweet time, especially as we bid farewell to our Year 6 cohort, who are about to embark on the next stage of their journey. I know they are counting down their final days of primary school with a mix of anticipation and nostalgia.

L.I.F.E House Shield Competition

Last term, I met with a student who expressed concerns about how the school currently acknowledges positive student behaviour. I shared the student's insights with our Positive Behaviour for Learning team, and together we explored ways to improve our recognition of positive behaviour. As a result, this term we are excited to launch the L.I.F.E House Shield competition, which combines individual recognition with a house team competition.

We will continue to use our Gotcha system to acknowledge individual positive behaviour. The Gotchas have been updated to include our LIFE expectations, and each week we will focus on a specific expectation. Staff will actively look for students demonstrating this focus.

When students receive a Gotcha, they will write their name on it and place it in their house team’s box, located outside the office. Each Gotcha earns one point for their house. House Captains will tally the Gotchas each week, and the weekly winning house will be announced at assembly. At the end of the term, the house with the most points will enjoy a special celebration afternoon.

Year 6 Graduation
Another exciting event this term is our Year 6 end-of-year celebrations, which include the highly anticipated Graduation ceremony. These celebrations mark an important milestone in the students' primary school journey and provide an opportunity to reflect on their achievements, friendships, and experiences over the years. We are working closely with our Year 6 students and their teachers to ensure that these events are meaningful and memorable. Together, we are refining the details of the Graduation ceremony, along with other celebratory activities, to make sure they reflect the unique character of this cohort. We would like our year 6 students to be actively involved in shaping these celebrations, contributing their ideas and helping to design an event that will honour their time at Craigslea and provide a fitting send-off as they embark on their next chapter in high school. We are looking forward to celebrating this special occasion with students, families, and staff.  More information will be provided to year 6 families in the coming fortnight.

2025 Student Leadership Process
It was wonderful to see the excitement in Year 5 this week as they began the student leadership process, voted on the design for the 2025 Senior shirt, and discussed their upcoming camp. This is an exciting time for our Year 5 cohort as they begin preparing to take on leadership roles within our school. A reminder that 2025 Student Leadership applications are due by Friday, 18 October. Ms. Williams has emailed all Year 5 families with further information, and application forms have been provided to interested students.

Later this term, our Year 5 students will meet their 2025 Prep Buddy, as they will play an important role in welcoming the newest members of our Craigslea community. They will also participate in the Prep “Meet the Teacher” picnic and will continue their connection into 2025 as Prep Buddies.

Staffing Update
This term, we are pleased to welcome Ms Nikki Smales to our teaching team. Ms Smales will be teaching PE to our Prep students on Mondays. We also welcome Mrs Nicole Colquhoun, who joins our office team.

Additional staffing updates include:

• Ms Williams will continue in her role as Deputy Principal for Years 3–6.
• Mrs Da Conceição will be teaching 5/6K for the remainder of the year.
• Mrs Rachel Close will take on the role of Targeted Learning Teacher for Years 3 and 4.
• We are also happy to welcome back Ms Sam Hezelhurst, who will be working one day per week as a Targeted Learning Teacher for Years 3 and 4.

Everyday Counts
Attendance at school every day is vital for students to achieve their learning goals.  Regular absences, late arrivals and/or early departures have a significant impact on student learning outcomes.

In Term 4, our focus on learning remains as strong as ever. While the excitement of end-of-year events and celebrations fills the air, our commitment to academic growth continues to be a priority. A key part of this is the use of learning walls in classrooms, which help make learning expectations clear to all students. These walls provide a visible guide to the steps required for success, ensuring students understand the criteria for achieving their best. Our focus is on starting at the A level of achievement, encouraging all students to aim high from the beginning. Teachers will continue to support students in reaching their goals, reinforcing key concepts and building new skills. As we wrap up the year, our goal is to finish strong and set a solid foundation for the future.

“Education is not the preparation for life, education is life itself.”  John Dewey

Yours in Learning,

Melanie Rehm