Hello parents, families and friends,
It is hard to believe that we have now finished one whole term of school. This is a huge achievement for our new Grade Prep students who are now well-adjusted school life. I would like to thank all our staff for the time and effort that they have put into making sure that all students have positive experiences at our school. A highlight of our term has been the flexibility and adjustments we have been able to make as a community with so many new staff, students and families starting with us this year.
NAPLAN
Congratulations to all Grade 3 & 5 students who participated in the NAPLAN testing. A lot of effort goes into making sure students understand how to use the testing platform, entering test codes and adhering to test conditions, all of which can be a daunting task. Our school will receive the results for each student and then pass these onto parents at a later point in the year.
Swimming
Our Grade Prep, One and Two students have successfully completed a full week of swimming at the Melton Swim School. It was great to see the students having fun in the water but also learning lifesaving skills that they will no doubt use when swimming. We encourage parents to enrol their children in extra swimming lessons if they are able to do so, as completing one week of lessons won’t make them strong swimmers.
Absences
We have one of the highest levels of absenteeism in Victoria at our school. In 2024, 47% of our students had 20 or more days off school. That is 4 weeks on top of the holidays that are already given to students over the school year. If the pattern of 20 days per year follows a student through their schooling, they will accumulate up to 48 extra weeks of days off which is over a whole year.
Term Two
Please note the first week back at school in Term Two is a short week. Term Two starts on Tuesday the 22nd of April as the Monday is part of the Easter Public Holidays. Friday the 25th of April is the ANZAC Day Public Holiday. No staff will be at school on these dates.
I hope you all enjoy the two-week break and remain safe if you are travelling.
Scott Bartlett