Spring is here! It is time to celebrate and enjoy the final lead up to the Art4All weekend and last two weeks of term.

 

What a wonderful way to celebrate Father’s Day and the last day of winter. It was very special seeing many fathers and children enjoying breakfast and being in the playground together. The Community Committee hosted this event for the first time, not sure whether it would be a success or not. From the accounts of the children, they loved it and we hope all of the Dads enjoyed it too. A big thank you to Jodie Palmer and Richard Lewis for organising the breakfast. There were many other parents who supported Jodie and Richard, and we thank them also.

 

Please enjoy the photos from the morning.

Staff Professional Development

Over the last two weeks, the staff have been enjoying some elements of the Australian Ballet program that our students recently experienced. All staff were part of a two-hour workshop where we explored movement, rhythm and some of the motifs of dance. This was a great experience for us to learn some of the methods and sequences that our students learnt in the recent Australian Ballet workshops. It is always important for us as teachers to understand and experience the learning that we provide for the children. As well, it was a reminder of how challenging some of the program was.

 

Here are some of the beautiful photos that were taken of the children during the workshops for your interest.

 

Alternative Sports at FPS

We have also commenced our table tennis program for the grade five students, and some staff are very keen to refine their skills and establish personal challenges. The table tennis program has been an addition to the grade five sport program this year. Every year we like to offer the students a different sporting option that they may not necessarily be accustomed to. Table tennis is a very intense activity requiring high level hand-eye coordination. It develops mental acuity, improves reflexes and requires agility. We are very pleased to offer the program to the students and we thank Geoff McShane for pursuing a local grant to procure a number of table tennis tables for the school.

 

Literacy/Book Day Celebrations

Our grade six students planned and implemented an outstanding Literacy/Book Day celebration across the school. The Book Parade was once again, well attended with many insightful characters enjoying the moment. The activities that followed were thoughtfully planned by the Grade 6 students who led each Foundation – 5 group through the program. The grade six students remarked how rewarding and challenging the experience was for both themselves as leaders and for the students, who experienced working with different age groups on the day. Well done and a big thank you to our grade six students who truly demonstrated great leadership on the day.

 

Well Wishes

I wish every Father a wonderful family day on Sunday and a great Art4All to come!

 

Welcoming Sandi Young

We have been pleased to welcome Sandi Young to the school for a period of four weeks, whilst she completes some leadership mentor training with myself. Sandi is the Assistant Principal at Morang South Primary School and will be stepping up to a Principal position in a primary school in the near future. As part of Sandi’s involvement in a preparation program, she will be at Fairfield Primary School working alongside the staff and sharing some of her expertise. Please read her introduction below.

 

SYSandi Young—Assistant Principal at Morang South Primary School

My name is Sandi Young and I am the Assistant Principal at Morang South Primary School. I am currently completing a BASTOW leadership course, ‘Unlocking Potential.’ An element of this course is a four week internship with another school, working alongside a highly effective school principal to develop my capabilities for a future principal role. I have spent one week at Fairfield and have already learnt a great deal from Allana, Paul and the teachers at Fairfield Primary School.

 

Last week, I was able to join many of the teacher planning meetings. The teachers at Fairfield utilise assessment data to identify the students next stage of learning. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of their discussions as they planned challenging learning experiences that catered for the individual needs of the students.

 

As I visited classrooms during the week, I observed:

  • Students who were happy, inquisitive, focused and engaged with their learning.
  • Professional, caring and dedicated staff who are committed to continuous improvement, Curiosity and Powerful Learning.
  • Parents who value education and are passionate about the school/home partnership.

 

During a grade five planning meeting, we explored strategies to explicitly teach and support social and emotional learning competencies. I also had the opportunity to participate in a Socratic Circle in 5A. I was most impressed with the students who clearly articulated their thoughts as they reflected on how the Generation Gap affects them. It’s interesting to consider, that at Morang South, teachers and students are having similar conversations.

 

I look forward to returning to Fairfield PS in week nine of this term and weeks one and two of fourth term, further developing my relationships with the school community.

 

Kind regards,

Sandi Young

 

Assistant Principal, Morang South Primary School