Dear families & friends, 

It has been a busy, bustling start to Term 2. We have been on several excursions to Dream Big and Aldersgate and we have had our 'good human' forum with visiting guest speakers and we have had two groups of teachers from other schools visiting, and it's only week 4! At Felixstow we know that this experiential and inquiry based learning is supporting every learner to grow in their understanding about how our world works and our place in it. With a focus on 'dispositional' learning we provide a holistic way of learning that every learner can access. 

With our focus this term on 'asking good questions' I have been impressed to hear the feedback from our visitors and outside school community members that have said they have never had a group of primary students asking the deep questions that our students do. This is one of the best indicators for us that the learning we do is developing those dispositions for life that we all need! 

It has also been noticeable that students are taking responsibility for caring for their environment, just because they notice things rather than being asked or told. Zahara and Elora (pictured) noticed an area of the yard that had collected a lot of rubbish so they decided to collect it all and came to speak to me about it. We then went to each class and they talked to the other students about what they had noticed, reminding everyone that it is a collective responsibility as part of the Felixstow 'Crew' to all take responsibility for keeping our environment clean! Well done to Zahara and Elora! 

W.E.C. Wellbeing, Engagement Collection

Students in years 4 -10 across Australia (including our year 4-6 students) will be part of the annual WEC survey in the next couple of weeks. This is important information about how students are feeling engaged and connected in learning and life. Our year 4-6 students will participate in this survey again this week, giving us important information about how we might better support our students in wellbeing at our school. 

Learning Summary Reports

Teachers are currently working on students' mid- year Learning Summary reports which will go home towards the end of this term. These will be followed by an opportunity for 3 way conferences with your child’s teacher to discuss their progress so far this year and their next steps in learning. We will be encouraging families to attend these conferences as they are an important part of working together for each child’s learning journey. 

Raising a concern 

A reminder to all that at our school we welcome the discussion of concerns in a timely, respectful and constructive manner. 

Please consider the following when or if you have a grievance:

• Grievances are to be kept confidential. At times you may want to seek support from others however it is important this is done privately & respectfully.
• Our school values should be demonstrated throughout the process of following up on a concern - respect, responsibility and compassion for self, others and environment.
• It is important to remember that the grievance procedure will not necessarily result in a change to or reversal of a decision or action. Please refer to Parent Concern Policy & Procedures available on our website for further information.

O.S.H.C. 

We are very happy to welcome back Hannah this term as our director as she returns from maternity leave. Hannah will be working two days per week on Thursdays and Fridays supported by our other staff including Georgia. Hannah is contactable via email, however she will only be able to follow up on her working days. 

Attendance

A reminder to please notify the school when your child has a day off via the Audiri app. Also please remember to come to the office if your child is running late to school or needs to be collected early for an appointment or other reason. It is important that attendance is recorded accurately in case of any emergency, we need to ensure we know who is supposed to be onsite or not at any given time. 

Juniors staff

We welcome back Sarah Brockhouse who will continue in the junior role for term 2 while Camille continues to take extended leave. We are now going through a process to find an additional junior teacher for the second half of the year due to an increase in numbers in juniors. This will mean there will be 2 teachers in our Junior program for Term 3 & 4 😊

Biggest 'afternoon' morning tea

On Tuesday June 3rd we are planning a community afternoon tea to support the Cancer Council's 'Biggest Morning Tea' fundraiser. We have several people within our community that have been directly affected by cancer and feel it is another link with our inquiry about being a ‘good human’ in thinking about others and their lives while doing something to support. Look out for further information coming out soon! We hope to see many of you join us. 

Cheers Skye 😊

Join Karissa and other families at Playgroup each Thursday 9.00am - 10.30am. 

Sensory play and fun at Playgroup :)

Please come along to Breakfast Club and enjoy some warm toast or a treat if it is one of our special breakfast theme days, such as Fairy Bread Friday!

Breakfast Club is open from 8.30am to 8.50am, Monday to Friday in the OSHC kitchen. All students and their families are welcome, just drop on by (there is no need to book a place). 

Breakfast may include:

• Toast and various spreads
• Fruit
• Cereal
• Yoghurt
• Milk
• Tea/Coffee (for adults)

It's a great opportunity to have a bite to eat and socialise with other students/families. 

Thank you to Claire (Adelaide's mum) for her help. If anyone is interested in volunteering at Breakfast Club, please let Kelly know.

If you are interested in your child attending piano lessons at school, please contact the tutor Kat Mustanow, her details are;

Email: kmustanow@gmail.com

Ph: 0422754947

We are already well underway with some exciting new units in both Health and P.E this term! In the last few weeks, the primary students had their cross country run, followed by beginning a tennis unit. The junior primary class has been focusing on their dribbling and catching skills with both our hands and feet. In health, the school wide focus has been on creating and maintaining respectful relationships. Each class has been looking at age appropriate strategies to manage challenges in friendships.