Our new school goals – 2016-2019

IMG_0172This year the school has seen a considerable amount of growth and development. We have just completed our four-year review which has been a year long process consulting with staff, students and parents.  Our review panel day included an independent reviewer, school staff, a school council member, our SRC and three other Department of Education and Training leaders.

The review day went particularly well, with deep discussions about the continued high degree of emphasis on quality teaching and learning. Our teachers have gained increased knowledge to progress student learning, and our students have learnt to be more accountable of their own learning goals and next steps. We will continue with this good work and build these aspects of teaching and learning into our future goals.

Peer Review Report
Our goals for 2016 – 2019 are:

Student Achievement:

To improve the learning growth of every student with a focus on numeracy and writing

Student Engagement:

For all students to be confident, motivated and challenged

Wellbeing:

To foster a cohesive school learning community where every student thrives and feels safe and connected

Productivity:

To manage and align the allocation of the existing resources according to school goals and priorities and identified student needs.

These four goals will help to drive the work and improvement strategies over the nest four years. The School Council met and has agreed to take accept these recommendations from the review panel.

Community Market Day @ SAHPS

Did you make it to our Community Market day?  If you didn’t you missed a great day!

Market

Our maths extension students developed a whole school event as part of their Think Tank program.  Each class participated in the Hour of Power each week and planned their market stall in terms of product, cost, size of the stall, and budget spending.  The outcome was a celebration of real life maths learning with many eager students, staff and families participating in a very successful Community Market Day.

We raised around $1400.00 as a result of the good work of all involved.

Thank you to Ciara Stewart and her team of students, and to the rest of the school community for their active participation.

Helen on Leave

Starting this week, I will be on leave.  This leave was planned last year and my husband and I are looking forward to having a wonderful vacation.

In the meantime, Jenny Harris will be our Acting Principal but whilst she is still on leave herself this week, Victor Pody and Sally Curmi will be sharing the role of Acting Principal and then Acting Assistant Principal when Jenny returns.

Victor and Sally

I wish them all the best whilst I am on leave.

Student Reports

With only three more weeks of this term to go we are almost at the end of semester 1 and preparing for our mid year reports. Students have been working hard to be the best learners that they can be and teachers and support staff have been collecting and collating information to ensure a thorough and informative student achievement report is provided for the family.

School Supplies 3The reports include:

Clear information on what the student has achieved – this section of the report focuses on your child’s progress on the basis of assessment evidence gathered by the teacher over a semester

Suggestions for areas of improvement the student should work on next – this section of the report focuses on future learning to be addressed in the following reporting period.

Information on how the school will help the student to improve – this section of the report makes recommendations for actions to be taken by the school to help your child’s future learning.

Suggestions on how parents can help the student to improve – this section of the report suggests specific ways in which you can support your child, taking account of the areas for improvement or future learning.

There are five rating marks on the report card:

A= Well above the standard expected at this time of the year

B= Above the standard expected at this time of the year.

C= At the standard expected at this time of the year.

D= Below the standard expected at this time of the year.

E= Well below the standard expected at this time of the year.

If your child receives a C, it is a good result and they are achieving their year level standard. If they receive an A, this means they are working at a much higher year level range for that subject.

Reports will be going home in the last week of term and parent-teacher interviews will be at the beginning of term 3.

More information can be found on the DEECD website.

Enjoying Doxa

Last week I went to visit the 3/4 campers at Malmsbury at the Doxa Camp.  As principal, I like to visit the students whilst they are away on camp, and this year it was a surprise for them.  When I arrived I was greeted by the camp organiser and it took a little while for the campers to recognise me in my casual clothes and sunglasses.  However, once they did, they were very happy to greet me!

IMG_9465

The students enjoyed archery, trampolining, hut building, giant swing, night walk (but no drop bears spotted this time), and of course the sausage sizzle.

Thank you to Doxa and the SAHPS teachers and helpers who went along to the camp.

New beginnings at SAHPS

As the new principal of St Albans Heights Primary School, I am excited to announce the beginning of a new blog that will share my journey and the wonderful happenings in the school.

I have been in education since 1985, and yes that makes me old!  I have always worked in the Western Metropolitan Region including Essendon Nth PS (teacher), Parkwwod Green PS (Leading Teacher), Manor Lakes P-12 College (Assistant Principal), Debney Meadows PS (Principal) and as an Ultranet Coach across the region.

I love working in schools and love developing passionate learners, both children and adults alike.

In my first four weeks at SAHPS I have already learnt a lot about the school, staff and students.  By all accounts it is a wonderful school that is highly regarded in the community.  Many of the students have told me that they really enjoy coming to school and that it keeps them happy.

There are many names for me to learn in the school and luckily the students are very kind and don’t mind if I have to ask a few times.

helenotwayprinci

My name is Helen Otway and all students and staff can call me Helen.