Please keep NAPLAN in perspective:
For some students, NAPLAN is exciting, as it offers a way to show their teachers and parents just how well they can do. For other students, it’s just another day. The best advice parents can give their children is to keep NAPLAN in perspective. Whether your child is preparing for a swimming carnival, cross-country or NAPLAN, it is important to encourage them to just do their best on the day.
NAPLAN testing is a measure of how well a student does in a particular subject area on a particular day. What it does not measure is what is happening in that child’s life at that point in time. It doesn’t know about how much sleep they had, what is going on in their home life or the health of their favourite pet. It does not measure how each child contributes to their family or how they support and care for their friends. The result in NAPLAN testing also does not define what the future holds for any student.
Having said that, we will endeavour to help the children prepare and create a calm testing environment that will enable their knowledge and skills in the tested areas to shine through.
Keeping Australia Beautiful
Last week, Junior School students participated in Clean Up Australia Day. Each year level had a particular zone that they cleaned up. Classes had discussions on the importance of keeping our country and special places clean as well as the need to reduce, reuse and recycle. Students participated really well in the event.
Would you like to get involved?
Now that the year is up and running, we are looking for multiple ways to enhance the sense of community that we want Investigator to be known for.
We all know that schools exist for the students who attend them, but it is also important that parents and families feel a connection with their school of choice. In order to support all families and to keep them connected, we are calling for one or more parents from each Junior School class who would like to be the ‘Parent Rep’ for that class.
The role of Class Reps is one that I see as being very important. I see you as being the key link between the school and the parents of each class.
One activity that immediately springs to mind when we talk of Class Reps is to coordinate the occasional social gathering. These typically can take the form of coffee mornings, meals at a restaurant, or breakfasts. It usually involves some form of eating and is generally aimed at the parents rather than the children. There are no hard and fast rules about these gatherings; it is entirely up to the individuals. We also may, from time to time, gather the opinion of Class Reps as a sounding board for ideas or projects that we may be contemplating.
Another important function of the Class Rep from my perspective is to welcome new families that may arrive in your respective classes. Most of us at some stage have moved schools and it can be a difficult period, particularly for families that are relocating from interstate or overseas. If Class Reps could take it upon themselves to touch base with new families, make them feel welcome and offer your expertise when the inevitable questions arise it would be greatly appreciated. If you would be happy to be the Parent Class Rep for a class in the Junior School, please let the class teacher know so that we can ensure you receive all relevant information.
Parents and Friends
Another way that you can get involved with the College is by supporting our ‘Parents and Friends’.
I recently attended a Parents and Friends (P&F) meeting and was heartened to see a very vibrant and committed group coming together to learn about plans that the College has as well as outlining ways in which they can support the school community. The P&F are always looking for additional hands to both join the committee and/or help at events. If you would be interested in joining, please follow this link: https://www.investigator.sa.edu.au/parents-and-friends/
Off to the Fringe!
What a fantastic Fringe performance of Little Red Riding Hood titled Little Red In The Hood we attended at Goolwa!
The Year 1 and 2 students were well and truly captivated by the stage props, the actors and the way they got the students involved.
They had the audience up and dancing, chanting “It’s The Wolf” and learning all about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
The students, parents and teachers all had a wonderful time.
Here are some of their positive comments:
Grace- I loved how they included the children.
Coby-I thought it was amazing!
Adelyn- It was super great!
Spencer-I loved all the dancing!
Sid-I loved how the wolf tried to sneak in!
Addy-I thought the characters were funny!
