Principal News
Dear Parents,
CONGRATULATIONS MR AND MRS HANNANT
Congratulations Mr and Mrs Hannant on the birth of your beautiful little boy, William Isaac Hannant. Mr Hannant tells me that he is settling into being a dad nicely! He is spending time with his new son and will be back with us soon. We are all looking forward to him sharing his special 'show and tell' in the near future with the school community.
RESTRUCTURE OF CLASSES FOR 2020 and REFURBISHMENT OF PREP BUILDING
In 2020, we will continue to restructure some classes to smaller class sizes due to an increase in enrolments. These extra classes will be in Prep and Year 5 (depending on final enrolment numbers for 2020 for the Year 5 level). Over the past months and in consultation with Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office (TCSO), members of the School Board and the leadership team, refurbishment of the Prep building has been approved. This has come about due to an increased enrolment demand and to provide smaller class groupings. The school will be funding a third Prep classroom in readiness for the 2020 school year. Building is expected to take place in the last two weeks of the school year. Our 2019 Preps will be relocated to the Music/Japanese room and the Parent Engagement/Uniform room for the last two weeks of Term 4. Our hope is that this will be least disruptive for all involved. This is a very exciting time for the school, and I look forward to working with staff and families as we begin the planning stages for the future.
Enrolments 2020
It is vital that you notify us if you know that your child will not be returning in 2020. Another child may be waiting for a place at St Saviour’s Primary School. Thank you to the families who have already let us know about any changes.
Class Placements for 2020
When we return in Term 4, teachers will begin planning carefully for class groupings in 2020. I would like to provide the following information for the parent community to assist you in understanding how important we regard the task of class groupings and the many aspects that the staff take into consideration when working on these for the year ahead.
Staff consult with each other extensively on this undertaking. When doing class allocations, we reflect on the following points:
- What are the best learning combinations (What we know about the students this year/ last year/ previous years) for each class?
- How to ensure there is a balance of the learning needs in a class? Consideration is given to students with disabilities, a student with learning difficulties, difficulties with a Learning Area and students who are achieving above the expected level in a Learning Area
- The balance of learning styles, including those who are fast, independent learners and those that require additional time to grasp concepts
- Boy and girl ratios
- Friendships between students that impact both positively and negatively on their ability to achieve the best possible learning outcomes
- Social/emotional considerations
- Family considerations such as keeping twins together or in separate classes, as well as the number of children who have siblings already at the school (particularly relevant in Prep class groupings).
The process of class allocation takes many weeks. Parental input has and is always welcomed and considered seriously by the staff. However, it should be obvious that friendships cannot always be catered for, especially if staff know that some friendships may inhibit classroom learning. As well, class requests for specific teachers cannot always be guaranteed, as teachers may not be teaching in the same year level the following year.
Therefore, if there are specific requests for a particular placement, it needs to be considered in light of the above-mentioned points and should be forwarded in writing to me in the first week of Term 4. Please forward your requests to the following email Madonna.sleba@twb.catholic.edu.au
Class lists are always a challenging task, as together we endeavour to provide the best possible learning environment for your child/ren.
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Thanks to the teachers for their preparation and time in meeting with Parents about your child’s learning progress this Semester. It was wonderful to see so many parents take up this opportunity in meeting with their child’s teacher to help support them in their educational journey. I particularly love hearing from the teachers relaying their experiences of how great it is to talk with parents about their child's learning. The joy on your child's teacher's face is incredible to witness when they realise we are all in this together.
School Drop off and Pick Up Zones
The school drop off and pick up zones are a very dangerous place for your children. Please ensure that you keep it as safe as possible by driving at 40kph & looking out for our children. If you choose to use the drop off & pick up areas in Lawrence or Perth Street, please do so as promptly as possible.
Thank you for modelling to our children how to –Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible.
Looking forward to catching up with mums, dads and friends at the P & F DANCE FEVER SHOWCASE tomorrow night from 5p.m. onwards.
Thanks for reading.
Madonna Sleba