Welcome back to Term Four, and the run into the Christmas break. We hope that you have all had a restful break, and are ready to cap off what’s been a great year of school.

KINECT2DANCE

This term our students are participating in the Kinect2Dance program which runs all term and culminates with a whole school performance. The dance performance will replace the school concert, which will now take on a different format, and be held every second year. Details of the dance production and the venue will be communicated to families closer to the event.

CAR LINE DROP OFF AND PICK UP

Could I please remind all parents of our carline pick up and drop off processes. Families with surnames starting A-K should be using the Admin entry for drop off and pick up, and families with surnames starting L-Z should be using the Drouin Rec Reserve entry for drop off and pick up. Please keep your speed limit under 10kmh for the safety of all our students. We also ask that families be mindful of and adhere to the parking signs located out the front of the school on Victoria St. Please be aware that teachers may find it difficult to pass a message to your child late in the day if they have not checked classDojo, so please ensure you outline clear instructions to your child before dropping them off.

2024 CLASS STRUCTURES

Each year when we begin the process of setting class lists for the following year we invite parents to let us know if there are any particular educational needs their child has which might impact class placement. Over the past few years the majority of requests we have received relate to the child's social group or a parent preference for a particular teacher.

School is the formative place for young people to begin to explore a world beyond the home. They begin to discover the differences between being friends and being friendly, how to work with people that might have different views and skills, how to develop positive, respectful relationships with a broader range of people and how to deal with change.

The hope for all parents and educators is that we can best equip our young people for a world where they can be effective and affective, can work to bring change in the world and demonstrate a respect and care for all. They will move into a variety of working lives and research shows that each is likely to have a much larger number of jobs and job types than their parents.

For a child changing classes the end of the year brings uncertainty, a little reluctance, a little excitement, a little nervousness and a little anxiety. It also brings opportunity to practice the skills they will need to enter a new workplace and form effective working relationships with co-workers.

As adults we are aware that a change of workplace means leaving those friendships we have developed in our work life. Some friendships are strong and continue outside of our work life and are nurtured and maintained in our social life. Others are replaced by new working friendships which support and engage us in our new workplace but may or may not last beyond that placement.

This is exactly what children have an opportunity to learn as they change class. Being kept with only the same group, or the same teacher robs them of the learning about how to experience change, to grow relationships, to become more quickly comfortable in new situations and to take control of what is possible in their environment.

We hope that our parents trust that we know our students well; both individually and collectively. We plan classes with great care and discussion balancing the wellbeing, learning and social aspects of each child and class. We consider teacher skills and styles, support requirements and opportunities as well as the requests of the children as to their preferences for peers in their new class.

When the conversations in your house turn to next year please look at the opportunity given to you to discuss how changing workplaces is a reality and how we grow as people each time we form new working relationships with peers and bosses. Talk to them about your experiences, about the things that worked well and please avoid tales of woe!

 2024 CLASS REQUESTS

Class requests for the 2024 can be completed on the GOOGLE FORM. Please do not make assumptions that previous years requests will be honoured. It is best to put everything in writing again. Please understand that these requests are not guaranteed.

Andrew Osler