PRINCIPALS REPORT

Hello Swan Reach,

Welcome to the 2024 preschool and school year.
A special welcome to our preschool children and their families. We are excited to begin with 8 children this year and their energy and dynamics are already wonderful. New students to SRAS are Harleigh, Charlotte, Axle and Annie who join our primary classes, and Star, Chloe and Michael who join our secondary cohort. A big welcome too, to our receptions and new families - wishing you the very best of learning and partnership with SRAS.

We also welcome new staff members, Mrs Laura Giles, who is teaching the 5/6 class, and to SSOs, Ms Demmy Orr, Mrs Lisa Donald & Mrs Elouise Stalenberg.

With the release of the new DfE Strategy last year, SRAS has begun to unpack it in order to better understand and progress the 4 impact areas of:

• Equity and Excellence
• Wellbeing
• Learner Agency
• Effective Learners

These impact areas are highly interconnected, however to achieve authentic equity and excellence for all learners, the other 3 areas are a prerequisite. SRAS is already addressing and on the way to providing the necessary supports in these areas, however we believe that a sharper focus on learner agency to enhance wellbeing will be key for our ongoing improvement journey.

Mr John Robertson

Principal

PLAYGROUND & SCHOOL PICS

Our rather expensive, new and compliant playground surface was finished just before the start of school. Thankfully, students are noticing it’s softer and spongier feel, and overall better safety.

The pictures provide a snapshot of students during week 1.

Last week SRAS sent home details about our actions to improve school-home communication. The notice is repeated below :

To improve school-home communication SRAS will be using ICT platforms of Daymap, Ed Smart and SeeSaw.

1. DayMap (Reception - 12), will be used for formal communication with families and to inform families about learning including:

• term overviews
• units of work
• daily lessons (secondary)
• Literacy and Numeracy weekly PPTs (primary)
• assessment tasks
• reporting (including behaviour & overtime)
• class and school notes and updates / newsflash
• student absences

Please note parents are now able to message school and staff through the DayMap portal. DayMap link: Swanrchas.daymap.net 

ALL teachers will be using Daymap, so it is IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE

DAYMAP APP ASAP. If you do not yet have access to our Daymap system, or need to re-access it, thanks for:

1. calling the front office
2. request a password reset via your email or SMS
3. follow the link
4. EdSmart (Preschool - 12), will be used for camps & excursions communication:

• families do not need this application but to know that any emails from EdSmart are from SRAS
• this platform allows for parents and carers to digitally sign consent forms and return to SRAS

3. SeeSaw (Preschool and primary), will be used to share non-formal communication such as:

• learning snap shots
• classroom learning snippets
• this app is set up by classroom teachers, who'll send you an invitation to join via SMS or hardcopy

SRAS needs your email and mobile number to ensure you can access and use these communication platforms. If you haven’t done so, thank you for providing these ASAP and also especially if they’ve changed recently.

THE RESILIENCE PROJECT (TRP)

SRAS will continue to implement and embed TRP to assist raising wellbeing outcomes for children and youth. Over the year, classes will engage with TRP lessons in homegroup and classes will contribute some of their learning in newsletters throughout the year. We are also investing in staff wellbeing, with staff to engage with TRP learning about taking care of self and others. SRAS believes parents and carers wellbeing is vital too, so we have invested and invite you to access upcoming live webinars delivered by the TRP team in 2024. The dates and topics are detailed below. Links and invites for these webinars will be posted closer to the date.

• Digital Wellbeing for Families(Webinar)
  Wednesday, 15 May 2024 06:30PM
• Connected Parenting(Webinar)
  Monday, 22 July 2024 06:30PM

Snapshot 1: The Resilience Project

The Resilience Project is committed to teaching positive mental health strategies to prevent mental ill-health and build young people’s capacity to deal with adversity.

Teachers and students will engage in weekly lessons and activities around the key principles of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness (GEM), and Emotional Literacy to build resilience.

Check out their website for more information: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/

And check out TRP@HOME; a place filled with inspiration and activities for the whole family, to help improve your wellbeing and build resilience. https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/

SCHOOL CAPTAINS, SRC & HOUSE CAPTAINS

Congratulations to Jazzy and Jacob on their appointment as School Captains for 2024. They’ll be well-supported by our proxy captains, Naite and Ella. We look forward to their leadership over the year and input into improving SRAS.

Jazzy and Jacob will be co-presidents of the elected SRC team who are:

• 2-4 reps - Zara & Halle
• 5/6 reps - Charlee & Wes
• 7/8 reps - Star & Lily
• 9/10 reps - Tehya, Maliyah, Jade & Tyron
• 11/12 reps - Jazzy & Jacob

House captains for 2024 are:

• Kangaroos – Jacob and Jazzy
• Eagles –Naite & Tehya​

Student leader induction will be held at our assembly on Friday, 9th Feb, 9:15am, in the gymnasium before the swimming carnival.

PARENT VISITORS ON SITE

We believe it is important for parents to feel comfortable when an on-site need arises. When this occurs, it is important that all are aware of the restrictions of free movement around the school. This does not relate to parents who are simply dropping off or picking up their children at the beginning or end of the school day. Parents who wish/need to visit their child(ren) during the learning day or meet with staff without prior organisation must check in at the front office first. DfE site safety policy mandates that we know who is on site, at all times during the day, in case of an emergency and to keep ALL children safe.

COMPUTER ALLOCATIONS

SRAS is fortunate to be able to provide 1:1 computer use for each student to use responsibly. As part of this scheme, they will sign a computer use agreement. While computers are a necessity for 21^st Century learning, they are a privilege and not a right. A reminder for all parents and students to keep in mind Cyber Safety and the key message to adhere to when using Internet and computers is to be respectful and responsible users.

This year, students will need to seek permission to access Youtube, as this was problematic in previous years.

GOVERNING COUNCIL (GC) AGM

You are cordially invited to our GC AGM on Mon 20th Feb at SRAS, in the library, at 6:00pm. There are positions needing to be filled or re-filled. Being on GC is an important and great way to support your child and our school. Nomination forms for SRAS GC membership are available with this newsletter or from the front office. There are 2 options to nominate:

• self-nominate to be a GC member
• nominate a peer to be a GC member

The following tenures need to be filled:

• 4 x 1-year tenures
• 2 x 2-year tenures
• 2 x 1-year community member tenures

All office bearer positions – Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary – are open to nomination and voting processes at the first meeting conducted immediately after the AGM.

BUSHFIRE PROCEDURES ON CATASTROPHIC DAYS

On days where a Catastrophic Fire Danger rating is forecasted:

• All school bus routes travelling through any affected Fire Ban District(s) will be cancelled
• School will still be open and lessons will run as normal
• If the Fire Ban rating changes to ‘Catastrophic’ during the day, school buses will operate as normal, unless advised otherwise by authorised Emergency Services personnel

If a bushfire is reported in the area during the day:

• Affected bus runs will not to leave the school until the roads are declared safe by emergency services authorities
• Parents will be notified and students will be supervised at school, until buses can run, or until parents are able to collect their children

NAPLAN

NAPLAN in 2023 will occur in term 1, instead of term 2. The NAPLAN privacy notice is included with this newsletter for your information