9 Hobart Avenue, FORREST ACT 2603

ForrestPrimary School

Phone 02 62055644 Fax 02 62055615

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Forrest Primary P&C Meeting

Term 4Week5 2016 09.11.16

Leadership Team Report

Meeting FOOSCH’s Needs During Renovations

The school has provided office space, a wi-fi account and storage space while the renovation is progressing. (This is our Christmas present to Afters)

Library

The library is almost complete. Two sets of stairs will be built and the bitumen will be cleaned up. In the long term, the bike racks will be erased and new bike racks purchased and installed in different locations.

Exhibition

Tomorrow the year 6s willpresent Exhibition- the culmination of their learning in a PYP world school. We are incredibly proud of our students, and have enjoyed learning about a variety of real world issues through their eyes. Students generated their own central ideas before developing big questions into which they could inquire. They then contacted experts from universities and government agencies, they consulted books and websites and asked their parents, peers and teachers for information and opinions on their topic. They then collated this information and shared their research and conclusions through essays, poems, posters, art works and an expressive dance. During the exhibition process the students have participated in a collaborative and transdisciplinary inquiry process that involves them applying all the skills they have learnt through their years at a PYP school.

We thank the year 6 teachers for their inspirational guidance. We know that the independence and self-efficacy the students have developed through the exhibition process will stand them in good stead for high school.

The PYP Exhibition has a number of purposes:

To engage in an in-depth, collaborative inquiry
To demonstrate independence and responsibility for learning
To provide students with an opportunity to explore multiple perspectives
To synthesise and apply learning of previous years, and to reflect on the journey through PYP
To provide an authentic process of assessing student understanding
To demonstrate how students can take action as a result of their learning
To unite the students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in a collaborative experience that incorporates the essential elements of the PYP
To celebrate the transition of learners from primary school to secondary education.

PYP Authorisation Report

Forrest Primary School was authorised as an IB World School in September of this year. The school was overwhelmingly successful with 6 commendations around collaboration, strong and effective leadership, distributive leadership and a commitment to mother-tongue and family culture programmes.

We embraced the recommendations of ways to improve which were focussed on transdisciplinary learning, inquiry maths and assessment.

It was an affirming experience for the teachers who had inspiring conversations around a PYP style of learning.

Preschool / Kindergarten Orientations and Information Nights

The Kindy InformationSession will be held on Tuesday 15 November 6-7pm .The programme will include an outline of how orientation visits will run and what to expect in the first week of school in 2017.

The Preschool Information Session is on Thursday 17 November 6-7pm. The night includes general and specific information about the preschool as well as giving an outline of how the orientation sessions will run.

Orientation visits for both preschool and kindy will be held on 24 November 9-11amand Tuesday 29 November 9-11am. All children are invited, whether they be from Deakin preschool or other places. Parents are responsible to transport their own children.The childrenparticipate in a normal play based programme and rotations. The children play on the playground, eat lunch together and make something to take home. Children and parents meet the teachers.

System Surveys

Student and staff results were extremely positive with significant improvements from 2015.

Examples of student and staff targets:

(AAP Priority 1) 88% of students agree they are getting a good education at Forrest from 86% in 2015. Actual – 94%

(AAP Priority 3) 88% of teachers agree that the learning needs of students are being met from 86% in 2015 Actual- 90%

We received 135 parent surveys and the results were less favourable.

A question from our AAP Priority 1 had as its target: 86% of parents agree that they are satisfied with their child’s education at Forrest primary School form 83% in 2015. Actual was 82%

Staffing Update

As the end of the year draws near, staffing changes occur. Some years the staff turnover is greater than others and people make various decisions about their futures. It is with joy and sorrow that we will farewell our PYP coordinator, Kylie Dorsett, this year. Kylie and her family will move to her hometown of Albury to be reunited with her extended family. Kylie will work as the PYP coordinator in Scott’s College in Albury. Jemma O’Brien will train in January in Adelaide to become our Forrest PYP coordinator!

2 of our 5 mums have returned from maternity leave this term. The other 3 will return in 2017. Some will work part-and some full time.

There will be 3 classes with tandem arrangements in 2017.

Wacky Thursday

Tomorrow the K-5 part of the school will dress up in wacky clothes to raise money for the Royal Society for the Blind. Students and staff members will express their creativity by wearing crazy clothes and wild hairstyles. Thank you to Mr Brompton and the SRC students for organising this great fundraiser.

Soiree 22 November 5.30- 7.00pm

Children have auditioned and will delight you with instrumental and vocal performancesat this musical evening. Contact officer is Jemma O’Brien.

Shivoo

Save the date! At a busy time of year, we are reminding parents that Shivoo- our annual dance concert- will be held on Thursday 1st December at 6:00. A sausage sizzle will be available for purchase from the DPPA. A running sheet will be released soon.

Lost Property

The new lost property system seemed so good but alas! it has reverted to a huge unmanageable, amorphous mess and we need help of one or two people who will give the lost property consistent love and organisation.

Chris Pilgrim

09.11.2016