Dear Parents/Carers,

As the 2022 school year draws to a close, it is important to reflect on the past year and how much your children have learned and grown as young people. We wish our year 6 graduating students all the best for their high school adventure and look forward to welcoming our new group of Prep students in 2023. The final school day for 2022 will be Friday, December 9. I hope you all have a happy and safe summer vacation and I look forward to working alongside you next year.

Staffing

There will be some staffing changes for the commencement of the 2023 school year.

We welcome Ashleigh Kroll from Hilder Road SS as a class teacher.

Welcome back to Shaun Kirby, Stacey Peach and Loan Dang.

We farewell Alison Harris who will be transferring to Ironside State School.

Amanda Dossetto and Amy Knight will be on maternity leave for 2023.

Sheyne Meiklejohn, Sue Joyce and Jane Rozynski will be enjoying some leave for the 2023 school year.

Reporting on Academic Achievement

Student report cards will be distributed on Wednesday, December 7. These reports to parents provide information on student learning for the semester and are based on the achievement standards outlined in each of the Learning Areas in the Australian Curriculum.

School Events

We’ve enjoyed a wonderful week of school events, including the School Christmas Concert and the Senior Swimming Carnivals. Unfortunately, the weather was not our friend this week and the Junior swimming carnival was cancelled. We hope to offer this for our students in years 1-3 in early Term 1 next year.

The support from our parents for the Christmas concert was incredible and your children certainly performed beautifully. Thank you to Mrs Pauline Stockhill for the way she led all our year levels to sing and perform for our parents, teachers and community. The community spirit that I have observed at Craigslea SS was also evident in the generosity from our families with their donations to the Salvation Army. Thank you for supporting this charity.

The students enjoyed their time competing in their races at the swimming carnival. This was a mammoth effort from our PE teacher Mr David Heidrich with the support of our amazing teachers, teacher aides, OSHC team and parent volunteers. We are very privileged to be able to continue our partnership with the High School to access such a fabulous swimming facility.

On Tuesday, December 6, at 9:30am there will be a whole school final assembly where we will farewell our graduating year 6 students.

Class Parties

All class break-up parties will take place on Thursday of Week 10. The current COVID guidelines do not state any restrictions regarding food brought into school, however teachers will continue to manage hygiene practises amongst students. Teachers will communicate any information regarding student allergies for consideration.

Kind Regards,

Nikki

As the year winds down, our teachers have been getting together in planning sessions to reflect on 2022, map out 2023 in their year levels and begin thinking about a new year with a new cohort of students. This is always a bit of a bittersweet time of year for teachers as we get excited about summer holidays and beginning afresh with a new group of students, but also get a little bit sad about saying goodbye to those children that have been so important to us all year. It is all a part of the rollercoaster of emotions that teachers experience because they care so much about what they do and who they do it for and with. If you get a chance, please take the time to thank any teachers in your life for their hard work and commitment throughout the year.

Step Up Day

Monday 5 December – 9:30-10:30am. Our Year 1-5 children will have an opportunity to meet their 2023 teacher, visit their classroom and engage in get to know you activities with their new class.

Report Cards

Semester 2 Report Cards will be emailed home on Wednesday 7 December, or will be accessible via the Q Parents app. What needs to be made really clear is that the comments and feedback are very important to the growth and improvement of a child or indeed an adult at any age, if they are a willing and open lifelong learner. Done correctly and with the right intent, it is the greatest gift you can give someone to help with self-improvement.

The scale on scoring a child’s academic achievement can never tell the whole story. It cannot show the growth in a child’s character, their resilience, grit, determination, and ability to work collaboratively and cooperatively in a group, to show empathy, how they build relationships and simply just be a really good human being.

• When you look at the scale for Prep, please understand that the achievement of each level is as follows:

Applying

Making Connections

Working with – working at year level expectations

Exploring

Becoming Aware

• When you look at the scale for years 1 & 2, please understand that the achievement of each level is as follows:

Very High - Working well above year level expectations

High - Working above year level expectations

Sound - Working at year level expectations

Developing - Working below year level expectations

• When you look at the A-E scale for year 3-6, please understand that the achievement of each level is as follows:

A      Working well above year level expectations

B      Working above year level expectations

C      Working at year level expectations

D      Working below year level expectations

E      Working well below year level expectations

Therefore, being at a ‘C’ level or ‘sound’ is actually stating that a student is achieving at the year level expectations for that subject area. It does not indicate they are struggling with the work. Throughout the year the teachers undertake moderation within the school and across our city cluster of some 17 other schools. This is undertaken to provide consistency with the results that are given to students.

If a child is achieving above ‘Working With/ Sound/ C level’, then that is wonderful, however, it is more about their application and determination that speaks highly of them as a person. We are seeing far too many students who are ‘burning out’ or suffering from mental health conditions due to undue pressure to perform at a high standard, sometimes above their capability.

Santa Walk – 7 December 2022

Join in on the Active School Travel fun on Wednesday 7/12 as we meet up at a one of two designated parks (Redbourne St and Craigslea St) for the final time this year and walk to school with the Active School Travel Team. As some end of year fun as we walk to school, we will be on the look out for Santa who may have a sweet reward for our eagle-eyed spotting!

Have a fantastic and relaxing holiday! 

See you in 2023!

PREP

Prep have been enjoying the story “The Potato People”. They even made their very own potato people!

Christmas Concert

Senior Swimming Carnival

Well done to our Senior Swimming Carnival swimmers and champions.