Welcome to 2026!

HOT WEATHER

After the exceptionally hot start to the school year on Tuesday, we are very glad to have some cooler weather today. We are encouraging children to look after themselves on hot days by:

Ø  always coming to school with a full water bottle

Ø  wearing a hat outside (our new reversible bucket hats are very popular!)

Ø  applying sunscreen

 Some children have been bringing small battery-operated misting fans to school. We have no objection to these, as long as they follow a few guidelines:

Ø  the fans can be used in classrooms, but the misting needs to be used only outside (misting in the classroom can create damp paper, which can’t be written on)

Ø  they are for personal use only, ie: spray yourself only, spray others only if they have said it is ok first

LITERACY

This year, all our teachers will be implementing the department’s phonics, spelling and morphology scope-and-sequence.

The scope-and-sequence is designed to:

Ø  explicitly teach phoneme-grapheme (sound-letter) correspondence

Ø  cumulatively teach the alphabetic code

Ø  explicitly and systematically teach spelling and morphology (how different parts of words combine or stand alone to change the word's meaning)

Ø  appropriately manage students’ cognitive load

Ø  support the inclusion of all students.

We are fortunate to be supported during our implementation by Stef, our literacy coach from the department. Stef is also working with our SSOs to ensure that our intervention fits with classroom practices.

Readers for students will also look different. We will no longer be using levelled readers. Students will be using decodable readers, using the sounds and words that they are focussing on during their learning.

WELLBEING

We will be continuing our focus on wellbeing for learning. All classes will be using Morning Circles to begin the day. These focus on developing a positive mindset to begin the day and getting ready to learn. Students will be ending the day with a What Went Well reflection, where they will be able to share their successes or highlights for the day.

ACQUAINTANCE NIGHT

Next Tuesday (3/2) will be Acquaintance Night: you will be able to meet your child’s 2026 teacher and hear about their plans for this year, and enjoy a free sausage sizzle. Details are explained within this newsletter.

We look forward to seeing you all next Tuesday and to enjoying a successful year together.

Gail Holland

Principal

• GREENOCK PRIMARY SCHOOL PERMISSION/CONSENT FORM 2026

(Complete a form for each child enrolled at this school)

• CONSENT FORM FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE APPROVED EARLY DISMISSALS

(New enrolments only)

• GREENOCK PRIMARY SCHOOL COMPUTER AGREEMENT - 2026  

(New enrolments only)

Please contact the Front Office if you need assistance in completing and submitting these forms.

Please complete the 'Change of Details' form on the Audiri App to update any of the following changes to your circumstances:

*  home address (residential and/or postal)

*  contact phone number

* employment &/or place of employment

* email address

* emergency contacts

* student's medical condition

* *shared living arrangements

** custody information

**Contact the Front Office by phone, email or in person to provide further details

Please update your child's healthcare plan & medication at the beginning of the school year so that your child is covered throughout the year for all activities, excursions and bi-annual camp.

Doing this can make it more convenient for parents, will ensure that your child is supported appropriately for their medical condition and will reduce administration time for staff.

It is recommended that healthcare plans and medication agreement forms be reviewed every 12 months.

Dear Parents and Students,

Our school library currently has a large number of overdue and missing books. We are asking for your urgent support to help us locate and return these books as soon as possible.

Parents, please assist your children by checking carefully for library books at home, in school bags, classrooms, and reading corners. Many books are simply misplaced, and your help makes a big difference.

Library staff spend a significant amount of time trying to locate books that have been returned but placed directly back on shelves without being scanned. To avoid this, students must always place returned books in the library return basket, where they will be scanned by the librarian before being shelved.

Please note:

·         Books marked as lost will incur a replacement fee

·         Students will not be able to borrow until overdue items are returned or the replacement fee has been paid

We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep our library running smoothly and ensuring all students have access to our wonderful collection of books.

Thank you for your prompt attention and continued support.

Regards

Tam A.