Dear Parents/ Carers,

This is a brief newsletter as a more comprehensive one will be issued next week. Welcome to 2020 and to our new newsletter format! This newsletter has a variety of features which we will use as we gain familiarity with them but the most important feature is the translation button which can be clicked on top so it can be translated into any language.

We were excited to welcome our Preps and new students to Craigslea this week. We also want to welcome new staff to our school, Miss Duong on Year 2 and Mr Brush who is working in 6J and 6K whilst Mrs Jones and Mr Kleidon act in the Head of Curriculum position for Term 1.

We now have an access path down to the bottom oval and we eagerly await the completion of the top oval which at this stage is scheduled for early March.

This week, all classes visited all the different areas of the school, eating areas; tuckshop, office, the hall etc to learn about the behaviour expectations in these areas. This is an important part of our Positive Behaviour for Learning Program and one of the many strategies we use to proactively teach what appropriate behaviours look, sound and feel like in all the different school settings.  

Our full model of inclusion commenced this week which has a Targetted Learning Teacher and teacher-aides assigned to each year level. This team which includes classroom teachers, meets fortnightly to plan programs to meet the needs of all students across the year level.  A number of our Special Education Program (SEP)staff have moved into these broader roles and in doing so we have used school funds to increase greatly the number of teachers and teacher-aides supporting classrooms.  After receiving some excellent ideas for re-naming our SEP building we settled on “The Kubbi.” This is an Aboriginal word  for possum. There is a possum that lives nearby in the 2/3 eating area sharing its space with our students. It is also a homonym (a word that sounds the same but has a different meaning) for the word cubby that is a child-centred, happy place which is what we would like to create for all our students at Craigslea. “The Kubbi” is a calming space where programs can be run to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of students and where therapies can take place. We hope to make the most of this great space at playtimes to provide some alternative programs for students who need to be there or would like to be as a preference.

First Junior Assembly will be next week on Tuesday February 4 at 2.15pm.

Parent Teacher Nights will occur as follows:

Tuesday 11 February
Prep - Year 1        5.30pm - 6.30pm
Year 2 & 3            6.30pm - 7.30pm

Wednesday 12 February
Year 4 & 5            5.30pm - 6.30pm
Year 6                  6.30pm - 7.30pm

We hope to see all parents at Parent/Teacher Nights so that you can hear the plans your child’s teacher has for 2020.  Free childminding will be provided. We will advise of those details next week.

Have a good week,

Kathy
PRINCIPAL

Because education is a shared process between school and home, in each newsletter, I share the social-emotional learning focus for the fortnight with parents.  The focus is addressed on assembly with the children and teachers do some follow-up in the classroom.  Conversations between you and your child over the dinner table or at homework time around the same topic will reinforce the relationship that will benefit your child’s growth.  This week, Be a learner:  Have an enquiring mind.

VOLUNTARY HELPERS

In recent times, numerous educationalists have determined that a school, if it is to play an effective role in the education of a child, can no longer be an isolated institution.  In the teaching of a young child, it is this school's firm belief that a cooperative teacher-parent relationship is not only desirable but essential. Indeed, because of the predominant influence of the home on the course of a child's development, education must become a three-way communication process, involving teacher, parent and child. Interested parents and grandparents are always welcome at our school. In fact many mothers, fathers and grandparents enjoy helping at the school. These people help teachers with preparation of materials, assisting with small groups of children, and sharing their special skills and abilities.

If you feel you would like to assist the school in this way, please contact your child's teacher.  You will also need to complete the Key Messages Guide at the beginning of each year before volunteering and supply the office with a Record of Completion.  Whenever you come to school to help as a volunteer, please report to the office, sign the register and put on a volunteer badge.

Helpers without a child in the school, including grandparents, will require a Blue Card before volunteering in classrooms or swimming.  Please see the school office to complete the required paperwork.  Please note there is around a 6-8 week turnaround for Blue Cards.

Narelle Green
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Book Club

Book Club Issue 1 catalogues have been sent home. All ordering and payments will now be completed online using the Scholastic Book Club LOOP Platform. Register at www.scholastic.com.au/LOOP and place your Book Club order by February 17. 

Before School Reading Club

Before School Reading Club will start in Term 1 Week 2. Students can visit the Library between 8:30am and 8:50am Monday - Thursday to particpate. Our goal is for students to read 20 books each during the term!  

Tess Bryce
Librarian 

Swimming Lessons

Welcome back to the new year. We will be commencing swimming with years 1-6, Tuesday week 2 of Term 1. If you are able to assist with your classes swimming time please let your child's class teacher know your availability. If your child is in Prep-2 (Prep start swimming lessons in Term 4),   I generally like to have up to 4 or 5 of us in the water to run smaller more effective groups. Years 3-6 I like to run at least 3 groupings with the classes. Looking forward to meeting you with your child's class.

Thankyou

David Heidrich
PE Teacher