How fantastic it was to see the smiling faces of students and staff on their return to school – all full of stories of their holiday activities and in excitement for what 2023 may bring. With all the preparations for school – sorting uniforms, books, school bags and lunch boxes, as well as re-establishing school day routines, it is not surprising that many parents take a deep breath and maybe even a sigh of relief once the kids are finally in the doors of the school. Thank you to all our parents and carers for helping us in making such a smooth and truly fabulous start to 2023 and for entrusting us with the care and education of your child or children again, or for our Kinder children – the very first time.

The Department for Education, Children and Young People have four values: Aspiration, Respect, Growth and Courage. Teachers have been unpacking, with students, these values along with Havenview Primary School’s Expectations of:

• We always do our best
• We are positive learners
• We are respectful and caring
• We act safely and responsibly

We encourage our parents and carers to discuss these with their children also. Perhaps you could ask them how they showed respect at school today or what they do at school to be a positive learner.

On Monday the 6 February our staff worked with the inspirational Amanda Bartram, from South Australia, on encouraging children to develop a love of writing through implementing and embedding the Book Making approach (Early Years) and Writer’s Notebook & Writer’s Workshop in our school – which are internationally recognised approaches to teaching literacy.

This approach to teaching writing is ‘concerned with helping children to think like writers, act like writers and see themselves as writers … not just to be able to reproduce a certain text type.’

We also strive to develop a love of reading – as such, next Wednesday all our students will be bringing home their Home Reading Logs. Just remember, 10 minutes each night is all your child needs for you to sign them off in their Reading Log. And parents of young children – repetition is key. Be prepared to read the same book, over and over again; not just because your child may love the book, but because it takes at least 27 exposures to a word before it is learned (maybe that is why I forget all those big words I come across – I don’t use them 27 times!)

Regards

Duncan Murfet                                                                                        Principal