APA News
Dear Families
The Stop, Drop and Go has been a big change for everyone this year. We have had multiple iterations of how it operates in terms of what area children are collected from and how parents access the line. As I stood in the rain this week texting names to my colleagues down the line, I reflected upon how difficult creating a new routine can be, but also how comforting it is when the routine is embedded. On a day when there were pretty tough conditions, knowing that everyone knew their job and the routine would carry us through helped us to get through the afternoon smoothly with no dramas. The benefits of routines in children’s lives cannot be understated. Routines can reduce moments of overwhelm, create a sense of structure and predictability, and provide opportunities to feel successful, even when there are many things out of their control. Over the next few weeks of school, when the end of year busyness ramps up and days become less predictable, I would encourage you to continue to follow consistent routines at home to set students up for positive days at school.
Thank you to all the parents who have patiently worked with us and adjusted along the way to cement the processes of Stop Drop and Go. As someone who is there every day (and probably can now recognise most SSPS family’s vehicles around town!) the process is becoming very smooth and automatic. Students are moving faster, parents are timing their arrivals and following the expectations for use, teachers are directing effectively. As any school will attest to, we will always have random days that don’t go well for whatever reason, and there will always be congestion in the school area from 2.50- 3.15, but generally by 3.20 things have slowed and by 3.30 you would not even know that over 300 families had collected their children.
Just a reminder around before and after school care arrangements. Teachers are officially on duty from 8.10 in the morning for supervision and until 3.30 in the afternoon. If students are at school outside of these hours, you can take advantage of the St Saviour’s Outside School Care service to ensure their care and safety.
There are several events to look forward to over the next couple of weeks. Next week we are excited to be celebrating our annual Christmas concert on Thursday the 28th in the Mercy Centre. Students have been working hard to prepare and are looking forward to performing. The Concert will be split into two with the Prep-Year 2 students performing from 5 – 5.45 and Year 3- Year 6 students performing from 6-7. There will be Food Vans on site as well as a Disco in the shed for the group of students not performing. You are invited to bring along a picnic rug, share a meal and have a dance with your children when students are not performing. Can you please RSVP to the form to let us know how many people are coming from your family. The RSVP link is - https://forms.office.com/r/pB0kciEkrV?origin=lprLink
Over the course of Week 10 we will be prioritising transitions for next year, with the new Prep students for 2025 having their last transition morning, as well as all current students spending time in their new classroom with their new teacher for 2025. You will find out which class your child will be in when report cards are released on Tuesday the 3rd of December. We are also very much looking forward to all of the end of year SSPS traditions with the Prep Nativity play on Wed the 4th of Dec, end of term awards Assembly on Thursday the 5th of Dec and Year 6 Graduation on Friday the 6th. School will finish at 1pm on Friday the 6th.
I am looking forward to finishing the year well and celebrating with you all at various events over the next couple of weeks.
Mrs Katie Hauser
