Grandparents’ Day
Grandparents’ Day 2015 was such an enjoyable event. What a joy it is for us as staff to see the level of commitment our GCC grandparents have to their grandchildren.
The feedback at the end of the day was so encouraging and we were thrilled that our visitors enjoyed the morning tea, concert and class visits so much.
Grandparents’ Day is such a special day for our staff also. The partnership between home and school is strengthened even more when grandparents are also part of the equation. Please pass our sincere thanks to the family members who attended and let them know that we look forward to seeing them again next year.
We are very grateful to Mrs Peters and the Hospitality students who provided such a lovely morning tea..
UNIFORM – ADDITION OF A PRIMARY VEST
We are so pleased to announce that the primary vests have arrived and are available for purchase. Over the years we have found that some children need additional warmth in winter to protect them from colds and flu. To address this issue, a vest has been added to the primary college uniform.
This will now provide the additional warmth that many students need, and also allow the jacket to be removed during the day when two layers (vest and jacket) are no longer necessary.
This is a wonderful addition to the primary uniform as it now overcomes the difficulty of the bottle green pullover which could only be worn under the jacket – not on its own.
Reminder – Shoes must be SOLID BLACK (no white on the edge of the sole or grey strips etc.) and must be vinyl or leather – NOT CANVAS. This has always been the uniform policy.
Congratulations and farewell to Mrs McWilliam
Many of you may already be aware that Mrs McWilliam has resigned from her position of teaching assistant to pursue her new career as a fully qualified teacher. Mrs McWilliam has been at the College for approximately eight years and has assisted staff and students wonderfully throughout those years.
You may still see Mrs McWilliam around the College where she is now working from time to time as a relief teacher.
I am sure that you will want to congratulate her on following her dream when you see her next.
Time to shine
The auditions have been completed over the past couple of weeks and staff have kindly been giving up their free lunch times to act as judges. Students have been practising their items and we have really enjoyed watching them perform. The scope of talent and the different types of items have been interesting for all the judges.
The students who will be in the finals will be notified so that they have time to polish their item for Thursday 13 August (Prep – Year 2) and Friday 14 August (Years 3 – 6). Parents of the finalists may wish to attend at 11.00 a.m. in the theatre on these days. Finalists are encouraged to wear a costume or special clothing for their performance.
Late arrivals
LESSONS EACH DAY BEGIN AT 8:30AM SHARP
The first part of every day establishes the tone for the remainder of that day. Teachers discuss any information students need to know to have a successful day and College notices are shared with the classes. Notices involve all the activities which are happening on any specific day and sometimes reminders for upcoming activities. Equipment is checked so students are ready for the day.
We are noticing that many students are arriving late in the mornings.
I personally teach a Maths group every day at 8:30am and initially many students were arriving later than first bell. This caused incredible problems as I wanted children to experience success but when they came late, they were disadvantaged because I couldn’t go back and re-teach what they had missed. I am very happy to say that notifying specific parents has totally solved this problem and all students are arriving at my room now at 8:30am. I can’t begin to tell you what a difference this makes to providing successful lessons – not only for the teacher but for the students as well. This gave me some insight into the number of students arriving late every day and the impact this is having on classes.
Each month we receive a print out of absences and late arrivals/early departures from the office. We will highlight those students we are concerned about and will be contacting parents where necessary.
Please give your children the opportunity to achieve to their potential by ensuring that they are at school every day (unless sick) and on time.
Cheryl Bryers, Head of Primary