Macquarie Memo Issue 2 2023

News from the Deputy Principal

We have had another settled week and are all back in the swing of school. Teachers and students have spent time getting to know each other and creating optimal learning environments in their classrooms, including creating classroom expectations and wellbeing processes, and PBL acknowledgement grids. Ask your child about the things they have set up in the classroom so you can support them to achieve success at school.

As teachers get to know students, we become able to identify their academic strengths and needs. Teachers are constantly differentiating classroom work on a daily basis to target the current learning needs of each student. In addition to this, we have an embedded intervention program to support students who have additional specific leaning needs. Here at Macquarie we are very privileged to have received a sizable Emerging Priorities Grant to support our intervention program in 2023, which will be accessed by students in year 1 to 6 this year. Targeted intervention sessions occur in addition to regular classroom instruction and provide students with ‘more’ instead of ‘rather than’. Students requiring intervention to grasp particular concepts are identified by the teacher and discussed at a team level. Targeted intervention programs are delivered to small groups of students for a specific purpose for a set period of time, with the program being delivered by one of the teachers in the year level. Intervention groups are flexible and responsive to current student needs. One of the programs we offer as an intervention is SPELD. SPELD is an intensive literacy program focusing on teaching phonics, grammar and punctuation skills. At Macquarie the SPELD program is delivered to student by a trained learning support assistant. If you would like any information around our intervention program please reach out at any time.

Next week and the following week all students in kindergarten will participate in BASE testing. BASE is an online test administered at the start and end of the kindergarten year to assess literacy and numeracy growth across the year. Teachers will complete the test with each student in a quiet, one on one setting. Parents and carers will be given a detailed report about their child’s start of year BASE testing towards the end of this term.

Our year 5 band selection process has commenced for the year. At Macquarie we have a brass band. Being part of the school band is a wonderful opportunity for students who show interest and strength in the area of music. The band program is delivered by a specialist music teacher from the Instrumental Music Program (IMP) who comes to Macquarie for band lessons weekly, and with our Arts teacher Cynan. Students in the band participate in 3 lessons a week, with 2 lessons of roughly 45-60 minutes during class time and one during a break. This does mean students miss up to 2 hours of class learning each week to participate. Being part of the band is a 2 year commitment so if your child is offered a place in the year 5 band, he or she will remain in it until the end of year 6. Every year, students in year 5 all participate in a listening test at the start of the year. This test, combined with information from last years teachers about students’ individual work habits and motivation inform the identification of 22 students who are offered a place in the band. Students who are offered a place have a time frame in which to accept or decline the offer. Once the band members are finalised, Cynan and the IMP teacher commence the allocation of instruments. We are aiming for year 5 band offers to be sent home with students by the end of week 3.

Don’t forget we have Getting to Know You Interviews next week. Please make sure you have booked a time with your child’s teacher as this is an important time to share information about your child and gives us additional information to cater for his or her learning in the classroom.

Have a great weekend when it arrives. It is going to be a warm one.

Stacey

Staying COVID Smart in 2023

Students, staff and visitors are reminded to:

• Stay home if unwell and get tested for COVID-19
• Stay up to date with your vaccinations
• Practise good hand and respiratory hygiene
• Physically distance from others when in public places

Individual schools may implement additional measures to manage COVID-19 if deemed necessary in a particular setting. Any changes will be communicated to parents and carers.

If your child has COVID-19, you must let the school know. We recommend keeping your child home for at least five days.

RATs are again available from the school for students in term 1 from the front office.

You can read more about how we are being COVID Smart in ACT public schools at https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/covid-school-arrangements

NAPLAN 2023

NAPLAN (National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy) is coming up for children in years 3 and 5.  

• On Monday 27 February the children in years 3 and 5 will participate in a coordinated practice test (CPT) to give them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the testing platform and processes.
• From Wednesday 15 March to Monday 27 March, the children will complete four NAPLAN assessments.

Parents are invited to attend a NAPLAN online information session on Monday 6 March from 4:30 - 5:00.  Please RSVP to Eddie (edward.mccallum@ed.act.edu.au) if you will be attending this session, so we can send you the link.  

Some students may feel anxious about doing NAPLAN; it is different to everyday school and normal testing situations.  If you feel your child would benefit from some additional practice please access example papers for years 3 and 5 through the following links

• https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site.  
• https://www.acara.edu.au/assessment/naplan/naplan-2012-2016-test-papers 

At Macquarie Primary School, we encourage all our students to participate in NAPLAN, however if you wish to withdraw your child, please speak with your child’s classroom teacher before Friday 17 February. 

Eddie McCallum and Jenelle Martin

edward.mccallum@ed.act.edu.au jenelle.martin@ed.act.edu.au 

NAPLAN Coordinators

News from the P&C

Thanks to everyone for coming to the Welcome BBQ this week – it was a fantastic event! Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped out on the day – we can’t run these events without you!

A list of P&C positions and successful members will be published next week. There is still time to join the P&C! Please send an email to macquariepandc@gmail.com if you would like to help in any capacity.

Class Parent Representatives: Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who have become class parent representatives for their child's class! We still have classes in need of a parent rep, so please email classparentrepsmps@gmail.com to express your interest.

Uniform Shop: The P&C Uniform Shop is located in the Tidbinbilla Building. It is run by volunteers and sells new uniforms as close to cost price as possible and second-hand items for $2 and $5. Opening times are: Mondays 8:45 - 9:15am, Wednesdays 3:00 - 3:30pm, and Fridays 8:45 - 9:15am.

Cash and card payments are accepted. Orders can also be placed online via the flexischools app - see www.flexischools.com.au. Online orders will be sent home with students.

Donations of pre-loved uniform items are gratefully accepted during open times, or may be left at the front office.

Volunteers needed! Can you spare half an hour once a fortnight? The Uniform shop is looking for volunteers to fill shifts once a fortnight on Monday morning and once a fortnight on Wednesday afternoon. Get in touch with Liz uniforms.mps@gmail.com if you can help.

Breakfast Club: Don’t forget that Breakfast Club is on every Friday at the back of the café from 8.30am. Everyone is welcome!

News from the School board

Three members of our school board will reach the end of their appointment in March 2023 creating vacancies for two parent members and one staff member. Our school board provides valuable input into strategic planning and monitoring across many aspects of our school. If you are interested in nominating for a position, or would like to know a little more about what is involved with being on the board, please contact our Business Manager, Ann Walker or talk to one of our current board members. Further information can also be found on the Education Directorate - see link below.

Nominations open on Monday 6 February and will close on Monday 20 February.  If you would like to nominate please complete the attached nomination form.  

Library news

Welcome back! It has been so lovely seeing all the children coming to the library to select library books again. Library days are as follows:

Monday – Birdwing and Orchard Butterflies, Flame Robins, Red Goshawks and Kookaburras

Tuesday – Koalas, Rosellas (from week 6), Lyrebirds, Eagles and Flying Foxes

Wednesday – Ibises

Thursday – Mist and Waterfall Frogs

Friday – Cockatoos, Kingfishers, Gliders (from week 6), Possums and Wallabies

If there are any timetable changes you will be notified through Class Dojo.

We would love to see all preschool to year 2 children bringing library bags on those days please. The library is also open at lunchtimes again, so children will be able to borrow then as well.

If you would like to borrow more books for your family please consider joining our library – forms are available in the Garden Side Café or the library.

Book Club

We run 8 issues of Scholastic Book Club per year. The first new look newspaper style edition was sent home last week. If you would like to order anything from Book Club please do so at www.scholastic.com.au/loop . If you have not done this before, you will need to register your child – it is a straightforward process but please email me if you have any questions or problems at pamela.gaukroger@ed.act.edu.au  There is also a gift option at the end of the ordering process, so if you want your order to be a surprise, it will come straight to me and I’ll notify you to collect it. Every order also earns reward points for our school which are used to buy new library books for our students, so thank you in advance for your support!

I look forward to meeting you through the year, and am always happy to talk about books and/or your child’s reading.

Pamela Gaukroger

Librarian

Notes / Reminders

All notes are available on our school website.

Community Notices

Contact Details