Filter Content
Hello Swan Reach,
As we begin term 3, it is highly pleasing to see the early impacts of The Resilience Project (TRP) GEM practices being demonstrated by students and children at SRAS. Their practice is being noticed by visitors who are giving feedback about how polite and respectful they are. Visitors are noticing them holding doors open, saying hello to them and their friendly manners. This is wonderful news and highly encouraging as we continue to implement this wellbeing initiative.
What are you noticing at home about TRP? There are a lot of inspiring videos and resources for parents and carers to access and share the exciting resilience growth in our youth and children. If you haven’t had the opportunity to connect with TRP parent /carer hub, the following link is a great place to begin to learn about The Resilience Project - https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2023-parent-carer-hub-inspire-hugh/
ENROLMENTS & WELCOME
SRAS continues to receive enrolments, which is wonderful and reversing trends of previous years. Of note is the number of children in our preschool – 14 and possibly 15 soon. SRAS projects that 8 or 9 of these children will remain at SRAS as Receptions in 2024.
SRAS warmly welcomes Sadie and Sebastian into the preschool. We also welcome Zac and Lilly, who join the R-2 class, along with Iris, who’ll be with us for several weeks. Joining our 7-10 HG are Renee and Logan. SRAS extends this welcome to the families too and we are pleased to have you join our schooling community.
PRINCIPAL
Mr John Robertson
2023 NAPLAN STUDENT RESULTS/REPORTS
This week you will be receiving your child’s NAPLAN results. We wanted to share some important information with you before reading your child’s NAPLAN report.
NAPLAN (the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) is a national test undertaken by all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students, designed to provide information about student’s literacy and numeracy achievements and areas for improvement. NAPLAN tests are one aspect of our school’s assessment and reporting processes, they do not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about your child’s achievement. Your child’s teacher will have the best insight into your child’s educational progress. NAPLAN results provide additional information, which can be used along with our other assessment and testing.
As a school we analyse NAPLAN data at a whole school, cohort (year level), and individual student level. This enables us to identify trends and to evaluate individual students’ skills in key areas of literacy and numeracy, providing valuable information about their strengths and areas for improvement. Teachers then plan their teaching and learning programs accordingly to support each individual student’s learning through quality teaching practice.
This year there have been changes to the NAPLAN reports to include new Proficiency Standards which commence from this year. Your child’s NAPLAN report will show how your child is tracking against four achievement levels known as proficiency levels.
The proficiency levels are:
- Exceeding: the student’s result exceeds expectations at the time of testing.
- Strong: the student’s result meets challenging but reasonable expectations at the time of testing.
- Developing: the student’s result indicates that they are working towards expectations at the time of testing.
- Needs additional support: the student’s result indicates that they are not achieving the learning outcomes expected at the time of testing. They are likely to need additional support to progress satisfactorily.
Therefore, “If your child is in the Strong or Exceeding category, it means they have demonstrated proficiency and that their literacy or numeracy skills are where they should be at this stage of their schooling. If your child has not yet achieved proficiency, then they will either be in the Developing category or the Needs additional support category.” (ACARA CEO, David de Carvalho)
When you read your child’s report, please take the time to celebrate the success that you see and/or identify areas for improvement. If your child is concerned with their results, remind them that NAPLAN isn’t a pass or fail test and there are no rewards or penalties for the result your child achieves. Rather, their report is a point in time snapshot of their achievements in the important areas of literacy and numeracy and their results will help their teacher to provide additional support in their learning.
Below are some of the ways that our teachers provide additional support through quality teaching practice to meet learner’s diverse needs:
- intentional teaching – building on strengths, interests, ideas and needs
- explicit teaching
- gradual release of responsibility
- modelling: I do it
- guided instruction: we do it
- collaborative learning: you do it together
- independent learning: you do it alone
- graduated tasks: easy tasks to hard tasks
- inquiry based learning
- cooperative learning – working with others
- thinking routines – strategies that can be used repeatedly to promote and support thinking
- scaffolding
- providing materials that reflect a variety of cultures, environments and settings such as those experienced by students from non-English-speaking environments.
- stocking the classroom with a range of quality resources to engage learners of different abilities
- providing alternative representations of resources
- visual and technological supports.
If you have any further questions or concerns regarding your child’s NAPLAN report, thanks for contacting your child’s teacher.
DfE PARENT/CARER ENGAGEMENT SURVEY
– YOUR VOICE MATTERS TO SRAS
The Department for Education coordinates an annual survey to better understand the things we’re doing well, where we can improve, and what’s important to you as a parent/carer.
The information we collect from this survey is driving change for the department and SRAS.
During the week beginning Monday 31 July you will receive an email or SMS from the Parent Survey Team with a unique link to participate in the survey.
SRAS highly encourages you to complete the survey, which takes less than 10 minutes.
Your feedback will be used locally in our school improvement planning and more broadly to inform other key initiatives to improve education in South Australia.
Your answers will not identify you or your child. Only collated feedback will be provided to our school.
If you did not receive an email or SMS with your unique survey link, contact education.ParentSurvey@sa.gov.au and include our school’s name in your email.
For more information visit the Department for Education website.
SATAC 2024
On Monday, 7th August 2023: Applications open for 2024 undergraduate courses. SATAC's primary responsibility is to process and assess applications for entry into tertiary courses within South Australia and the Northern Territory. Their collaboration with participating institutions helps create a harmonious and seamless admissions process. They work diligently to ensure that all eligible applicants are given an equal opportunity to pursue their desired courses.
SATAC collaborates with a range of esteemed educational institutions, including:
- Charles Darwin University
- International College of Hotel Management (ICHM)
- Flinders University
- SAIBT
- Tabor
- TAFE SA
- The University of Adelaide
- Torrens University Australia
- University of South Australia
Follow the links below for more information on the application process:
https://satac.edu.au/satac-publications
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AYUTxcWwo0
Mr Troy Cowland
Deputy Principal
ELC Cooking
Last term, the Early Learning Centre was lucky to once again have some guest ‘chefs,’ to teach them about cooking from other cultures. In week 7 we had student Tyler (yr 10) and SSO MaryAnn make French Toast with us. Tyler encouraged the pre-schoolers to have a go with egg cracking and beating them with old fashioned hand beaters as well as forks. The French Toast was delicious for morning tea.
In week 9, Karl (yr 11) and Kate (SSO) brought over all the ingredients they had shopped for to make Mexican Taco’s. Karl explained to the children every step along the way, helping them when they needed it. Children cut up veggies, watched as Karl cooked the meat, and then were able to assemble and eat their own taco.
Thankyou so much to Tyler, MaryAnn, Karl and Kate for taking the time to join in with our ‘Cooking from our world and other worlds,’ investigations. We were really lucky to finish off with a presentation and chat with Mr Robertson about Vietnam and an excursion to a Vietnamese restaurant in Murray Bridge! We are very grateful to Mid Murray Our Town for giving us a grant to purchase our ingredients over the last 8 months, and for our lunch at Parklane Restaurant. We have all certainly learnt a lot about many cultures and the foods they like to eat.
Mrs Trish Horstmann
Last term on Thursday week 10, Y78 students went to the Japanese garden/ restaurant excursion. Students got to experience the automatic toilets that are located in the parks in the city, Himeji Japanese Garden and Japanese food at Sushi Era. It was great to see that all of the students courageously tried a lot of new experiences in this excursion. Here are their articles about the experience.
Japanese Teacher
Mrs Yuka Endersby
Himeji Garden Excursion; Adelaide
In Week 10 on Thursday, the 7/8 class went to Himeji Garden in Adelaide. When we got there Mrs E took us to some weird toilets that creepily played elevator music and gave you ten minutes to do your business. We went back and I noticed the pretty front gate and a large memorial rock. Inside, there was a stone statue that had different animals carved into it. My favourite thing in the garden was the Zen pond. A small waterfall was trickling into it, we all sat down on a large flat rock and did some mindfulness breathing. It was calming. I also like the trees that were intricately trimmed to look like large Bonsai trees. The walls were made out of bamboo. Even though we were only there for around 30 minutes, it was a peaceful experience and I would definitely go there again.
After, we drove back to Gawler and arrived at a Japanese restaurant. It was a very nice place. We all had different meals, I got the signature Wagyu beef and it was… amazing! I really liked the beef and the salad, especially the dressing. The rice was also very nice. I didn’t really like the miso soup, pickled vegetables and spicy cabbage, I just don’t like foods that are spicy. I bought a can of Solo and Jade and I split a chicken sushi. On our way back to the Commuter Bus, Penny found a 5 cent coin that I picked up and gave it to her.
Over all I had a fantastic day and I would do it all over again if I could!
Maliyah
Himeji Garden
In term two week ten, we went to Adelaide for our Japanese excursion. First we went to the Himeji garden there was a lot of plants in the entrance. Which had red berry’s on one of the plants and I ate one of the berry’s it made me fill sick. We followed the path to the pond that had a waterfall. Around the pond there were rock features with a Japanese theme.
Then we went to Sushi Era. I got teriyaki chicken as my main dish I also had some green, yellow and pink stuff which I liked.
A cup of soup I also liked I ended up drinking someone else’s soup.
I would be glad to go back.
Tyler VZ
Himeji Garden
Week 10 we went on a Japanese excursion to Japanese garden in Adelaide there where rock’s.
There was a pond and a waterfall. There were some trees, flowers and fish, then we all tock a photo and then we went to go on the bus we went to the Japanese restaurant. I thought the garden was okay.
At the Japanese restaurant the class picked their own main meal. I had honey chicken. It was very, very nice. The rice was okay. I tried the spicy cabbage but I didn’t like it. I also tried the soup but it was sweet but I didn’t like it. I like some Japanese food but not all of it. The best part of the day was eating the honey chicken. The worst part of the day was trying the soup.
Naomi
Japanese Garden
I was soooo exited too see the Japanese garden, but then, instead, Mrs E took us to the really creepy toilets that talk to us and play elevator music before your 10 minutes are up. Anyway, it was so cool when we got back. I ran around and saw everything.
I was really excited to eat food, that was the highlight of my year. I had honey chicken and spicy cabbage, soup, pickled vegetables, rice, salad and ginger. It was sooooo yummy. I remembered how to use chopsticks even though I never really used them before but it was easy to use.
Jade
Himeji Garden
On the Thursday of week 10, we went to the Himeji Garden in Adelaide. At the entrance there was a gatehouse that looked really pretty. All throughout the garden were Japanese pine trees and water features. In the centre of the garden was a pond that had a waterfall leading into it, with a bridge made of rocks. There was also a Japanese rock garden (Karesansui).
After we went to the garden, we went to a Japanese restaurant called Sushi Era in Gawler. We all tried different foods. I had Katsu chicken and it was really nice. I didn’t like the pickled vegetables, but the salad was tasty because of the dressing. We were given chopsticks to eat with, and I managed to eat all of my food with the chopsticks.
Overall, I enjoyed the trip to the garden and the restaurant.
Penny
Week 10 Excursion
In term 2 week 10 we went to the Himeji garden in Adelaide. In the garden there was a pond and a waterfall, the trees had Japanese features and rocks that had a nice Japanese theme, and a statue that showed how far away it is away from Tokyo.
At the Japanese restaurant our class all tried different main meals I ate the spicy beef and I loved it there was also spicy cabbage which I ate all of It but the vegetables were bad because they were pickled the was very good and the salad was very good as well.
Tommy
Hi there and welcome to term 3. I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and a break in everyday routines for a couple of weeks.
I have some new resources to use in my wellbeing work here at school. They are from the Big Life Journal and they strongly echo what the students are learning in the Resilience Project at school. The Resources are not just for schools but also for parents and carers. More information can be found at www.biglifejournal.com. I would highly recommend that you take a look.
I would like to share with you one of their articles on parenting, titled -
“The Surprising Truth About Positive Parenting”
It’s NOT about managing your child’s behaviour ……… it’s about your own self-regulation and managing yourself. Because how you respond sets the tone for how they behave.
Parenting gets easier when you can do these 3 hard things:
Regulate your own emotions –
* Pause and take a few deep breaths
* Step outside and focus on your 5 senses
* Go for a walk or move your body in some way
Stay connected with your child
* Validate their feelings
* Apologise for your mistakes
* Offer a hug or communicate you are there for them
Coach instead of control
* Model the calm behaviour you want to see in your child
* Offer feelings words to build your child’s emotional intelligence
* Show alternative behaviours that are more appropriate
Most of the time, we are not parenting our kids ……….. we are parenting ourselves.
This parenting thing isn’t always easy, is it? In fact, sometimes it’s just plain hard work and “modelling the calm behaviour we want to see in our children” seems almost impossible. I encourage you to hang in there, keep loving your children, take on board some of the hints and tips you are offered along the way, and in no time your children will become young adults that you can be proud of.
Mrs Julie Maxwell, PCW
SCHOOL OPENING HOURS
The library has a mobile phone for communication. Please let me know if you would like to be included on the message list to receive notifications, holiday and opening hours etc.
The number is: 0460 366 067
LIBRARY MOBILE APP
| 5th August | Pedal Prix |
| 7th August | Governing Council Meeting |
| 8th August | PS District Athletics |
| 21st - 25th August | Book Week |
| 25th August | Mid Term Assembly |
| 1st September | Student Free Day |
| 4th September | School Closure |
| 11th September | Governing Council Meeting |
| 14th September | Year 6 Graduation |
| 15th September | Pedal Prix |
| 26th September | Tag Rugby |
| 29th September | Early Dismissal 2.10pm - Last Day of Term |
Due date for articles in the next Newsletter is 10:00am, Wednesday 2nd August 2023. The newsletter is distributed via the SZApp and school website.
Articles can be emailed to dl.0423.info@schools.sa.edu.au clearly marked in the subject box as Newsletter, faxed to 8570 2325 or delivered to the front office. Due to the way the Newsletter is now being set up, not all photos are included in the print copy, however there are several photo galleries included online and via the SZApp. Apple devices: open the App store and search and download SZapp, on Android devices open the Play store and search and download SZappa; select the Asia Pacific region and search for Swan Reach Area School. Follow the prompts to register using an email address and create a password to access the online newsletter. Contact the school should you require any assistance.