I hope that all our families and wider community had a restful break! Students returned last week with enthusiasm ready to get straight back into learning. We had a short assembly and reminded students of exciting events planned for Term 3 and our expectations to continue our improvement journey.

Our teachers and staff spent Monday preparing the learning and engaged with Gavin Grift, a consultant we have worked with in 2022. Gavin’s work is based around professional learning communities and collaborative teams that work. We are very lucky to continue our relationship with Gavin as his work is highlighted across Australia and the world stage.

Year 6 Leavers Tops

On Friday last week we were excited to present our Year 6 students with their leaver’s tops. These tops were designed by our Student Voice Team and voted on by the Year 6 students. The design has come up really well and students will stand out as leaders of our school in the bright red design. The students were very proud to put the tops on and have the traditional photo!

COVID Update

The health and safety of students and staff has, and always will be, our top priority.  Our Term 3 approach to manage COVID-19 is outlined in our COVID-safe schools operational plan. The Plan builds on everything we’ve learnt since the start of the pandemic.

The Department of Education (DoE) has worked closely with Public Health to ensure schools continue to be safe places for learners. Many COVID-safe measures that you are familiar with continue to be in place to limit the impact of COVID-19 in our schools. More information regarding our approach and support at AFPS is outlined later in our newsletter this week.

Events in Term 3

There are many exciting events planned this term so please keep up to date with our socials which include; Facebook, Class DoJo, School Newsletter and paper notices sent home. Some of these events will be Book Week (author visits, book parade, mystery readers and more) Swim and Water Safety for Year 3-5 and selected Year 6 students, Cricket Tas visit, DRILL Dance Event, Brave Hearts, Disco and more!

The school day ends at 2:50pm.  If you are regularly unable to collect your family at this time, please consider booking some time with Karen at our on-site care program, Playtime Sports.

The schools duty of care ends at 2:50pm and while we want to support families if they are late on the odd occasion our office staff are not able to supervise and support on a regular basis.

Playtime Sports offer both after school care and school holiday care programs and operates out of our school gym.

After school care is open every weekday from 2:45pm to 6:00pm.  School holiday programs operating hours are 7:30am to 6:00pm.

All enquiries to Karen Morgan at Playtime Sports on 0407 199 160.

Getting kids to school isn’t always easy. But being at school is the best place for our kids.

If your child is unwell, they need to stay home. But if your child is well enough to attend school, they should be at school. Every day, Monday to Friday.

Reality of missing school

Data shows us that regular school attendance is one of the best things a child can do to set them up for success. But if they don’t attend, things get harder for them.

Let’s do the maths:

• If your child misses even just one day a fortnight, that adds up to 20 days of the school year. That’s the same as missing four whole weeks of school!
• If they miss one day a week, that doubles to eight weeks of school they’ll never get back.
• Over the course of their childhood, that equals two and a half years of vital education they’ll never receive…

We mean it, every school day counts. It all adds up.

Bright futures begin at school

The data also tells us something else: the better a child’s attendance rate, the better off they’ll be. Their future will be filled with more opportunities.

School is where they learn and grow alongside their friends, and where they benefit the most. Going to school not only promotes academic success, but also helps build important social skills, relationships and confidence.

Good attendance habits in primary school lead to good attendance habits in high school. This will help expand your child’s options even further as they grow older.

Watch this video to see the benefits of going to school.

It’s ok if you need help

If you’re struggling to get your child to school, help is available. Please talk to us at school about your situation. We’ll support you, in whatever way we can.

If you need support translating or interpreting this information, contact the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450.

In 5/6 West this term we have been investigating noun forming suffixes, focusing in on the suffix 'ion' and how the addition of this changes the meaning of a base word.

Students did this through having a focus word and exploring the different patterns that occur in the word and then collating the results of our investigation into a class chart.

In 3/4 Sackley we have continued inquiry processes through all areas of our learning. We have asked lots of questions and made connections between what we are learning and what we already know. Sometimes these have been different or challenged what we thought we knew, which have led to new questions and wonderings.

This term our inquiry question is “In what ways can one change impact parts of a system?” This is a common inquiry question across the Kuka pod. This inquiry question will lead into looking at how systems are interconnected with a focus on being sustainable. We will also be looking at the different ways to be sustainable for our future.

In 1/2 Smith we have had a very busy end to Term 1 and start to Term 2! We were very tired at the end of last term, however, we had lots of fun and enjoyed our excursion to the Bridgewater Park and Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary! We had loads of questions for the guide that took us on a tour of the animals and we especially loved feeding and patting the kangaroos.

In Term 2 we are looking forward to learning about persuasive writing, subtraction and sustainability. We have a very exciting excursion planned towards the end of Term that links with sustainability and we cannot wait!

Brand new AFPS Polar Fleece Vests are available for purchase. Size 10 and size adult-small. $2 each. 

A tub will be placed outside the school office Monday-Friday this fortnight from 2:30-3:30PM.