Welcome to Term 4!

The weeks already seem to be passing by quickly – the end of next week will be the halfway point of the term. Thankfully, we have managed to fit many moments of learning and fun into that time.

Over the last few weeks students in P-6 have been participating in Progress and Achievement Testing (PAT) for reading and maths. These assessments measure what our students know, understand and are able to do across the curriculum, and measure their progress over time. These assessments help teachers to plan for student learning based on individual results and progress. Whilst the idea of testing can sometimes feel daunting to students, a PAT assessment is not considered a test at our school, but a means of gathering really useful information to improve teaching and learning, which is why we actively encourage all students to participate. If any families have questions about PAT assessments, I encourage you to speak with your child’s teacher or make an appointment with me at the office.

Over the Show Weekend, some of Austin Ferry Primary School’s budding young basketballers competed in a southern state primary school tournament, playing across Saturday and Sunday at a variety of venues. I was lucky enough to be able to catch some game time on the Saturday afternoon and I was so impressed with the way our students conducted themselves with sportsmanship, respect and resilience. They played with energy and spirit, they were fair and respectful to their opponents and the referees, and they looked out for each other on the court. We can all be incredibly proud of their efforts. Huge thanks to Katie and the rest of the parent team who took trainings after school and supported the students over the weekend. I dare say we might have some future Jack Jumpers on our hands!

In the coming weeks, information will go home to families about our end of year assemblies and celebrations. The school association have been hard at work planning and organising our Christmas raffle and I thank them for their efforts with fundraising throughout the year. It will be a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together to acknowledge our Year 6 leavers, and to celebrate a year of learning.

Liz Graham

Principal