It is hard to believe that we are a third of the way through the final term of the school year. It has been an extremely busy start to the term, with one of the real highlights being all of our students showcasing their fantastic dancing skills over three wonderful performances, beginning with our junior students last Friday, followed by our more senior students last night.

It was terrific to have so many family and friends able to attend and support the students.

A very big thank you to the specialist dance teachers, Jess and Kelly, who did an outstanding job of teaching and preparing our students for their final performances. I’d also like to acknowledge all the hard work of our school staff, who made both events a huge success.

Staffing Update

Congratulations to Mike Shaw, who has won an Assistant Principal role at Plympton International School starting in 2023. Well done, Mike! We’ll farewell and wish Mike all the best later in the term.

An internal application process is currently underway to find a replacement for next year, with a new position externally advertised in Term 2 2023. 

Congratulations also to reception teacher, Alicia Melbourne, who has recently gained status as a permanent teacher at CVPS within the Department for Education. This has been a well-deserved appointment for Alicia, who has been a central part of the early years reception team for many years.

Class Placement 2023

One of the processes we engage in for term 4 is the construction of classes for the following year.  We will select our 2023 classes based on information provided by students and staff. Teachers consider a wide range of information in developing class structures, including special needs, academic achievement, behaviour, and friendships. We aim to develop balanced classes that consider all of these factors.

Teachers have an excellent overview of both student achievement and needs. Students will be asked to indicate friends they would like to be in a class with, supporting the class decision-making process.

Parent requests are not required for this process; however, any major concerns and considerations can be addressed to me (rob.warncken732@schools.sa.edu.au) or shared with your child's classroom teacher.

Please make sure these are communicated in writing before Friday 11th November. These are recorded and discussed during the class placement process. The final decision for class structures will be decided by the school leadership team.

Class Structures 2023

It is highly probable that we will have a number of composite classes in 2023. This is primarily due to the Department for Education’s staffing formula and the number of expected students in Early Years (R-2) and Primary (3-6) classrooms.

Composite or multi-age, classes occur in schools for many reasons. Composite classes provide schools with more flexibility and options to ensure even class sizes and a balance of student social and academic needs within and across year levels.

All classes, whether a single-year level or composite class group, have children with diverse learning needs and abilities. When planning for student learning, teachers take into consideration the strengths, prior knowledge and needs of every student. They use this as a starting point to design the learning and work from where each child is currently at. In any class, there will be teaching and learning that occurs as a whole class, in small groups and at an individual level.

Research tells us that high-quality teaching and learning is the key to a successful learning environment in any classroom, not the structure or makeup of the class. There is no evidence that student learning may be hindered in a composite class.

Bushfire Procedure and Catastrophic Days

It is extremely important as we move into the fire danger season that all school community members are aware of Coromandel Valley Primary School’s Bushfire procedures. Information about this is available on the school website. Please remember that our school and OSHC are closed on days that are classified as catastrophic in the Mt Lofty Ranges fire district.

Last week we undertook our term 4 bushfire evacuation drill in preparation for the upcoming fire season. Staff and students rehearsed what we would do in the case of a bushfire endangering the school.

Student Free Day – Monday 7^th November

A reminder that next Monday, 7^th November is our final Student Free Day. Staff are very much looking forward to working with Bill Hansberry, focusing on ‘Evidence Based Teaching of Reading and Spelling’. This work aligns with our site improvement planning and will further enhance our teaching practice in these important areas over the next few years.