Improving student outcomes and parent engagement is an important part of our 2023-2027 School Improvement Plan. Throughout the year, and in each newsletter we will be sharing information to our parents/carers about the teaching and learning that happens at Kaleen Primary School. Our goal is to have a deeper connection and stronger link between our home and school environments, which we know will also have a greater impact on student outcomes. Our first addition is on Reading.

Reading at Kaleen Primary School

Last week, during the P&C meeting, we had a terrific discussion about reading and how children learn to read.  You certainly can’t miss the media hype at the moment with almost daily reports in the Canberra Times about how we should teach our children to read in schools and there is a lot of speculation and emphasis on teaching phonics.  But teaching reading is a complex process and there is no single perfect way to teach it!  At Kaleen Primary we have a balanced approach to teaching reading where we draw upon evidenced based research and knowledge of “best practice” to explicitly teach our students not only to read with understanding, but hopefully develop a lifelong passion and love for reading. Our teachers tailor their teaching and programs to the different needs of the students they are currently teaching. 

What is explicit teaching?

This is a term that the media is currently implying schools don’t do, and that if we did teach children explicitly, all children would learn to read.  We believe this comes from the days where the approach to children learning to read was called “Whole Language.”  The media depicts this as a time where children were immersed in print covered classrooms and were just expected to read by looking around them and osmosis!  We can tell you that this was not the approach we took to reading when we first started teaching - nor was it what we saw in the classrooms around us.  We explicitly taught reading to our students.

Explicit teaching of reading means directly teaching children the specific skills they need to become proficient readers. There are 6 critical elements of teaching reading effectively and these include: Oral language, phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. We often refer to these as the ‘Big 6’ or as you may have heard ‘The Science of Reading’, As you can see, an explicit phonics program is critical when teaching reading but it is only one part of a quality teaching program when developing highly skilled readers. Some of the ways we teach reading involves breaking down reading into smaller steps, like learning letters and their sounds (phonics), understanding how those sounds blend together to form words (phonemic awareness), recognising common patterns in words, and practising reading fluently with comprehension whilst expanding students’ knowledge of words (vocabulary).  It includes clear explanations, demonstrations, and guided practice to help children grasp each skill.  Think of it like giving children the tools and knowledge they need to know to unlock the magic of reading. 

What are decodable readers?

At the end of last year Kaleen Primary purchased a large amount of decodable readers.  These readers align with the requirements of the new Australian Curriculum (v9). According to the Australian Curriculum the term ‘decodable texts’ refers to texts that can be read using decoding skills a student has acquired. Decodable text is usually associated with beginning readers or phonic books.

The Decodable readers will be used alongside our PM readers and quality texts which you may already be familiar with and are already used during our class reading program or sent home as home readers.  PM readers don’t just rely on a child’s phonic knowledge to decode words.  They also rely on repetitive, predictable text, high frequency words (words which cannot be sounded out) and multi-cueing reading strategies including making meaning and connections from pictures.

Our decodable readers are also used as part of our Response To Need (RTN) program for children who have been identified as requiring additional support or intensive intervention. They may have a specific learning diagnosis like dyslexia or identified as not making the expected learning progress.  Teachers also incorporate decodable readers into their guided reading sessions as required.

How parents/carers can support reading at home?

Read! Read! Read! and read some more. Please read with your children EVERYDAY! We know that this looks very different in every home environment and whilst some children love to read and are happy to sit and engage in reading with you, we know that for some parents this is not the case and home reading can be a challenging and stressful time. As Mem Fox (famous children’s book author) once said, “The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks between a child, a book, and the person reading. It isn't achieved by the book alone, nor by the child alone, nor by the adult who's reading aloud – it's the relationship winding between all three, bringing them together in easy harmony.” You can never underestimate the value in a shared reading experience. Ensuring that these experiences are always fun and enjoyable.  The research also states that we should not stop reading with our children just because they have learned to read independently.  The benefits of shared reading include exposure to rich language, the development of listening skills, spelling, reading comprehension and vocabulary which are all vital to the formation of foundational literacy skills. Be patient, celebrating your child’s reading success at each stage. It is a journey and everyone develops skills at their own pace. We extensively track and monitor all student’s reading development and we will always reach out if we believe your child would benefit from additional support. 

Here is a video link showing you how you can support your child and read at home with your child using a quality picture book.

We are planning on running some parent engagement sessions beginning this term with reading.  So keep an eye out for our ‘Cuppa and Yarn’  which will be commencing soon and will be a regular part of the KPS Family Connect initiative.

Wellbeing at Kaleen (W@K)

Our Social and Emotional Learning Program ‘Everyone Everyday’ continues with the focus differing for year groups for the rest of the term. In Kindergarten, the focus is on making it easy for everyone to ‘join in’; in Years 1/2 the message is that ‘Everyone counts’; in Years 3/4 it’s about becoming informed, noticing and challenging, while in Years 5-6 the message is about taking on and navigating responsibility. Our Positive Behaviours for Learning (PBL) focus and messaging to the students until the end of term is being safe at school, on our playgrounds and in and around the carpark.

We will continue to practise mindfulness as one of the strategies for developing self-awareness and improving wellbeing. At staff meetings we are pausing to take a deep breath or to do a short body scan. This simply involves taking 3 deep breaths and then moving our attention gradually from our toes, up through our body until we reach the top of our heads, easing tension where we find it. Staff are practising these mindfulness techniques in their classrooms as a strategy to help students find renewed calm and clarity and stay ‘on track’ with learning. The practice of mindfulness, such as the body scan, can also increase our awareness of what we are doing with our bodies so we might make safe, smart and respectful choices with them. We encourage you to talk to your child/ren about the new techniques they are learning. Here are some resources below that you could utilise to support our home/school connection.

Fiona Manton and Danielle O'Connor 

Check out our amazing student leaders for 2024. We would like to congratulate them and are very excited about their new positions. We know they will be great role models. The student parliament meet each week with Mrs Northey to discuss ways we can improve our school. We can't wait to see what this year's leaders will achieve at Kaleen Primary School.

NAPLAN testing will occur in our school between 13 and 25 March 2024 for students in years 3 and 5.

Online NAPLAN tests provide more precise results and are engaging for students. The tests are tailored (or adaptive), which means that each test presents questions that may be more or less difficult depending on a student’s responses. This helps students remain engaged with the assessment.

Tailored testing allows a wider range of student abilities to be assessed and measures student achievement more precisely. A student’s overall NAPLAN result is based on both the number and complexity of questions they answer correctly. Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway.

All Year 3 students will continue to complete the writing assessment on paper.

NAPLAN provides valuable information to schools and parents about literacy and numeracy achievement. It supports school improvement processes by enabling teachers to monitor student progress over time and to identify areas of strength and development.

All eligible students are encouraged and supported to participate in NAPLAN testing. Visit www.nap.edu.au to see interactive versions of the test and for more information.

If your child/ren are absent for any reason from school, you must notify the school before 9:00am on the day of the absence. We have three ways you could let us know. 

• Email the school at KaleenPS.Absences@ed.act.edu.au 

• Telephone the school on 6142 1750, or 

• Parent Portal

Please include the date, student's name and class. It is a legal requirement that all absences are recorded with an explanation. If we have not been informed, the absence will be marked as unexplained and you will be sent a notification via SMS.  We kindly ask that you do not send student absences to your child's teacher via Seesaw.

Late Arrivals and Early Leavers

All students entering or leaving school during school time must be signed in/out by their parent/carer. All parents wishing to collect or drop off students outside of normal hours must enter the school via the front office. Parents/carers are not permitted to go directly to their child’s classrooms without KPS front office staff support. Under no circumstances are students to leave the school without being signed out from the front office.

All educational resources have been purchased by the school. Payments will need to be finalised by the end of Term 1. Notes will be sent out next week. 

‘Book Pack’ pricing includes:

• Stationery items

• Digital Technology and Subscriptions

• Educational Resources (art and craft supplies, photocopy paper, year level specific recourses)

The cost for each ‘Book Pack’ is $95.00. There is a reduced rate for families with more than one child attending Kaleen Primary School (including the preschool). Payment is required by Thursday April 6th. The prices are listed below.

If you have…

1 child the cost is $95.00

2 children the total cost is $180.00

3 or more children the total cost is $250.00 per family

Payments can be made by cash, EFTPOS, Parent Portal or via our website using Quickweb. If you have any questions or would like to discuss a payment plan, please contact the front office. 

Upcoming P&C AGM

Greetings to our wonderful community, I hope you've all settled into the new school year. Just a reminder that our AGM is fast approaching and in preparation I'd like to share some info about how you can get involved no matter how much time you have. If you have any questions or would like to express an interest please email kaleenpandc@gmail.com.

Cheers,

Simon

President - Kaleen P&C

Executive Committee Members

President – represents the P&C and is responsible for its operation, and oversight of all P&C activities and communication. This includes chairing P&C meetings, regularly engaging with the school Principal and key people, and sharing information with members on P&C operations.

Treasurer – is responsible for managing the finances of the P&C and financial transparency. This includes involvement in all financial transactions of the P&C, regular financial reporting at P&C meetings, and preparation of the P&C’s annual audit.

Secretary – is responsible for managing the communications and records of the P&C. This includes correspondence in and out, maintaining distribution channels, producing agendas and minutes for meetings, record keeping, and overseeing the P&C’s web presence.

Vice President – supports the President in executing their functions, including presiding as chair and representing the P&C as required. They are also responsible for the P&C’s calendar of events and engaging with the school’s events coordinator.

Assistant Treasurer – supports the Treasurer in executing their functions, including financial reporting at P&C meetings as required. They are also responsible for authorising P&C transactions and developing the annual budget for the P&C.

Public Officer – supports the Secretary in executing their functions, including minute taking of P&C meetings as required. They are also responsible for submitting information about the P&C to various bodies and undertaking other functions.

Additional committee functions

Event manager (multiple) – managing a particular event the P&C has planned to undertake, which includes Disco’s, activity days, grown-up trivia, etc.

Social media – managing the P&C’s socials and infrequent posting of information about meetings, activities, and useful information.

Grant support – investigating opportunities for external grants or funding for school developments and supporting the drafting of applications.

Inclusion representative – works with the school on student inclusion activities and reports to the P&C committee informally.

Student Parliament liaison – infrequently attends Student Parliament meetings and reports to the P&C committee informally.

Cohort representatives (P, K, 1-6) – engages with other parents/caregivers in their cohort and reports to the P&C committee informally.

SCHOOL BOARD VACANCIES 2024 

School Board nominations are sought for one P&C Association member commencing in 2024. The School Board is tasked with providing strategic leadership and more information about the functions of a School Board can be found here. Terms for Board membership are generally two years and the Board normally meets four times per year. Nominations have been reopened from Tuesday 20 February 2024 until Tuesday 5 March 2024.

For more information or to nominate, please contact the front office on 6142 1750.

If you would like to have your child's achievement acknowledged here, please email a short blurb to KaleenPSAdmin@ed.act.edu.au 

Future of Education Student Equity Fund 2024 opens in January

The Future of Education Equity Fund 2024 to open on 17 January 2024.

From 17 January 2024 families can apply for the Future of Education Equity Fund for the 2024 school year. Eligible low-income ACT families can receive one-off payments for financial assistance to help cover the costs of their children’s educational expenses such as sport equipment and activities, music lessons, school uniforms and excursions. The following payments are available to those who meet the eligibility criteria:

• $400 for preschool students

• $500 for primary school students

• $750 for high-school and college students.

The Fund is open to eligible students enrolled in preschools (attached to a school) through to Year 12 in the ACT. Remember the 2024 application form will be available from 17 January 2024 and for further information visit Financial and resource assistance for families.