24-Mar-2023
Dear Families
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” -Charles Darwin
Flexibility and Adaptability was the name of the game for many of our students this week. Severe weather on Thursday meant that our Year 1s postponed their planned excursion to the museum and also caused a few technical difficulties for our Year 3 and 5 students undertaking their NAPLAN testing. Our staff were delighted with the manner in which our students managed these changes and the way they demonstrated our value of DETERMINED.
Maths teaching at Edithvale
Curriculum Review
The review part of each lesson focuses on revising the work from previous lessons. Daily, weekly and monthly reviews promote continuity and help students to attain a more comprehensive view of the mathematical topics covered. It helps them summarize main ideas, develop generalizations, and get an overall view of what they have been learning. We remember things best immediately after we’ve read, heard or watched them. But, as time passes, our memories begin to fade. That’s why reviewing information regularly is so important. It allows us to transfer new
knowledge and skills from short-term to long-term memory, and then keep it there.
Fluency
Mathematical fluency skills help students think faster and more clearly, giving them the energy, attention and focus to tackle complex problem-solving and reasoning questions. Fluency can be quick, timed addition, multiplication or
subtraction facts, subitising, flash cards or a review of what was learnt.
From the VCAA Mathematics Curriculum. Fluency describes students developing skills in choosing appropriate procedures, carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently and appropriately, and recalling factual knowledge and
concepts readily. Students are fluent when they:
- make reasonable estimates
- calculate answers efficiently
- recognise robust ways of answering questions
- choose appropriate methods and approximations
- recall definitions and regularly use facts,
- can manipulate expressions and equations to find solutions.
Easter Market
Preparations are in full swing for this Community event in a fortnight. Donations continue to roll in (THANKYOU) and these will be gratefully accepted right up until Market day.
Information sent separately from Ms Grindley refers to some important key changes that we will have in place on the day of the Market to help ensure a fun and successful day is had by all. These include:
- Free dress for all students
- Timetable alterations with recess at 10:40 -11:25 am and Lunch 1:05 – 1:50 pm
- Students heading up to Edithvale reserve for their designated lunch break
There will be a few alterations to our regular schedule to accommodate the set up of our Market on the day. Information, including students wearing free dress and a change in break times, will be socialised shortly.
Our wonderful team of organisers have been busy securing an array of stalls – both shopping and food related.
Locked in and ready for a great afternoon are:
- 9 Food Vendors
- 23 Shopping stallholders
- Robs Amusements
- Back in Motion ($10 massages) – all proceeds on the day donated back to our school
- Face Painting (3:30 – 5:30 pm)
Unfortunately, we will not be having the Pony Rides or Petting Zoo this year as they are unavailable.
If you would like to volunteer to help out on a school run stall, we still have some spots left and we have created the below link to the sign-up sheet so you can choose a time or volunteer role that suits you best.
Refreshments will be provided throughout the day and at the conclusion of the event, for those able to volunteer with
set-up and pack-up shifts.
https://volunteersignup.org/88T98
The school run stalls will be:
- BBQ
- Win a wine*
- Choc-a-block*
- Lucky jars*
- Cake stall*
- Uniform / books*
Please note that the stalls marked as * will be CASH only stalls. Thank you.
Attendance
Information from our Regional school team during the week shows that, our student absence rate is well below those of other schools across the Region. 42 of our students(8%), for various reasons have missed 5 or more days of Term 1 and we thank our families for helping us to stay on top of these absences by informing us in a timely manner.
Student attendance rates will be included in this term’s progress reports that will be live on COMPASS from April 3.
June 2 Trivia Night- Save the Date
After the success of last year’s Edi Trivia Night, we are keen to once more run this event in 2023. Again, we will hold this at the Mordialloc Bowling Club and it will be run by the same team as last year. Tickets will be available in the last week of term and with a capacity of 160 seats, these will sell out quickly. Further information will be available
later in the term and if you’re keen to connect with other families, please save the date- June 2.
LOCK DOWN DRILL
Last Thursday we held the first of three Emergency Management Drills for this year. Students and Staff simulated a whole school LOCKDOWN to ensure that we are well prepared if this eventuality occurs. All went smoothly and our students took the short disruption in their stride.
Our next Emergency DRILL will be an on-site evacuation and we’ll run this in the last week of term 1.
Term 2 Calendar
A Term 2 calendar of events is now on the website. Please note that the first day of Term 2 for our students is Wednesday April 26.
Key dates in Term 1
- March 15 -27 NAPLAN (Years 3 and 5)
- Friday 31 March Easter Market 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
- Thursday 6 April – Final assembly at 2:00pm with an early dismissal at 2:30 pm
Key dates in Term 2
- Wednesday 26 April – Students’ first day of Term 2
- Monday – Wednesday 22 to 24 May – Year 6 Camp
- Friday 2 June- Trivia Night
- Friday 9 June – Student Leaders’ MND ‘Big Freeze’
- Friday 16 June – Semester 1 reports become available
- Wednesday and Thursday 21 & 22 June- Parent Partnership meetings
- Friday 23 June- Final assembly at 2:00pm with an early dismissal at 2:30 pm
Student Free days
- Monday April 24
- Friday August 25
- Monday November 6
- Wednesday December 20
James Whitla
I wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which this is being read – for most of us – the
Bunurong- members of the eastern Kulin Nations – and pay my respects to elders past present and emerging. I
wish to acknowledge our First Nations people and pay respects to them. I note further that these lands were
never ceded and are, and always will be, Aboriginal Lands.