Forest Primary School eNewsletter

As I walk around the school, I notice students engaged in all learning areas. My staff are all hard working and plan meaningful learning experiences that meet ALL of our students needs. Our support staff are exceptional at providing timely feedback to ensure that we are creating adjustments that reflect recommendations. So, a big shoutout to our Forest Family Team.

NAPLAN

Our school has commenced NAPLAN testing for Year 3s and Year 5s. Students have shown resilience and persistence as they have used their skills and knowledge to answer the questions to the best of their abilities. They have been reminded that this is a one off assessment that is part of a bank of assessments that teachers use to inform their planning.

Our students are especially enjoying the fruit and baked goodies to fuel their bodies!

Why NAPLAN is conducted online

NAPLAN online provides a better assessment and more precise results.

One of the main benefits of NAPLAN online is that it uses tailored (or adaptive) testing. This means that students receive questions better suited to their abilities, so they can show what they know and can do.

Online testing also allows us to provide a wide range of accessibility options to support students with disability to access NAPLAN.

Feedback from students is that they find the online test more engaging. Please note that students in Year 3 complete the Writing Test on paper.

NAPLAN information brochure for parents and carers

The link will take you to the official National Assessment Program (NAP) website.

Please contact the school if you have any further queries.

CONGRATULATIONS – TWILIGHT CHSSSA REPRESENTATIVES

Congratulations to Ari Korpershoek and Ruby Medwin who have been selected to represent CHSSSA at the twilight carnival this evening in Penguin. We wish you all of the very best for your events this evening.

LEADERSHIP

A special shout out to all our student leaders at Forest Primary! Now that we are over halfway through Term 1, we can see that many of our programs are running very smoothly thanks to these leaders.

Daily PE runs like a well-oiled machine every morning, SRC have many exciting events planned into Term 2 and the canteen operates at lunchtime and flag monitors are ensuring that our flags are being raised and looked after.

House Captains have been elected and are looking forward to leading our next sporting event (Cross Country) at the end of this term.

SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

School Association AGM will be held on Monday 24^th at 3:15pm. It would be good to see as many people as possible coming along to support our school. Please feel free to come and speak with myself or call the office on 64583141.

PARENTS & FRIENDS ASSOCIATION

Parents and Friends have had a positive start to the year as they are already planning for several exciting fundraising activities. Our Parents and Friends Annual General Meeting will be held on the 19^th of March at 7pm. It would be great to see you all there.

COMMUNICATING WITH FAMILIES

Parent Teacher communication has been happening this term. It has been lovely to see so many of you come into our school and engage in conversations regarding your child’s learning journey at school. Teaching staff have been and will be continuing to make phone calls to discuss how your child has settled into the new school year. This is a good opportunity to discuss any questions, concerns or positive feedback you may have to share with us. We are also in the process of updating students learning plans and asking for feedback.

BUS TRAVEL

Could you please speak to your children about ‘doing the right thing’ when travelling on the school buses. Wells Wagons have a behavioural expectation agreement that ALL students need to adhere to. We need to ensure that ALL of our students are safe on the bus and to ensure that the driver can be attentive to driving without distractions. If you have any bus concerns, can I please encourage you to come and speak with myself or Kimbra Wells at Wells Wagons.

SWIMMING

A reminder that our Swimming Program is coming up on Monday 24^th March 2025. Please remember to have bathers, towel and a plastic bag, swimming caps are provided.

Thank you,

Megan Hills.

There are lots of things you can do to set your child up for success:
Make sure your child goes to school, every day.
Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow, and connect with their mates and teachers. It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most.
Get them excited for school
If you show a positive attitude and excitement towards school, your child will pick up on that. The most common thing we hear from students, of all ages, is that school is where they can:
» spend time with their friends and teachers
» create new and fun experiences
» find their interests
» learn new things
» open up their options – for whatever future they want (whether that’s their dream job or to travel around the world).
Share these positives with your child. Talk to your child about school. Open up a conversation with your child about what’s happening at school. It will help you to better support their interests and confidence in learning. If you show an interest in school, they’ll know that getting an education is important and valued.
Celebrate the milestones
Big and small! Celebrate milestones such as making it through the first day or week of school. And remember: all milestones look different. If it’s a big achievement for your child, it’s important to recognise it.
Set up a time to talk to your child’s teacher or principal if you’re struggling to get your child to school, help is available. Please talk to us at school about your situation. We’ll support you, in whatever way we can.
Know when to seek help
There is no weakness in admitting you need help. If your child has completely disengaged with school, and not attending at all, there is support to help you. In the first instance, talk to us at school. For more helpful tips, please check out the Anything can happen website.

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Exciting Literacy Block Additions in 2025!

This year, we've introduced some fantastic new elements to our literacy block, ensuring every class from Prep to Year 6 starts their day with 30 minutes dedicated to word recognition. But what exactly is word recognition? Simply put, it's the ability to use groups of letters to recognize and understand words. While it may sound straightforward, there are many techniques to help us become more efficient readers as we grow.

In our Kinder class, students are developing their phonemic awareness—the ability to hear and play with parts of words and individual sounds. Our Prep to Year 2 classes are using resources from the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) to enhance their understanding of phonics, focusing on how letters and combinations of letters represent the 44 sounds of the English language.

For our Year 3-6 students, the journey into the fascinating world of Morphology (the meaning in smaller parts of a word) and Etymology (words origin) has begun. They are learning about the meanings of morphemes such as ‘tract’, ‘ject’, and ‘port’, and discovering the origins of words. Each week, they add more to their knowledge base as they investigate new words.

We look forward to witnessing the growth in all our students as they continue to build their skills in word recognition.

Melissa Cox

Instructional Specialist

Our Kindergarten students have been settling into school life beautifully! Over the past few weeks, they have been learning daily routines, developing friendships, and discovering what it means to be part of our school community. Through play and shared experiences, they are learning the importance of kindness, cooperation, and respect for one another.

Outdoor exploration has been a highlight, with children engaging in imaginative and creative play in the sandpit and water creek. As they experiment with loose parts, they are using problem-solving skills, testing their ideas, and working collaboratively to bring their inventions to life. These open-ended materials encourage curiosity and innovation as children plan, construct, and adapt their creations based on their observations and discussions with peers.

The new play equipment has also been a great success, providing opportunities for children to challenge their physical abilities, take risks in a safe environment, and support one another as they climb, balance, and explore together. These social interactions help children develop an awareness of others, strengthening their ability to communicate, share, and support friends in play. We are incredibly grateful to the school for making this exciting addition possible!

Through these rich experiences, our kindergarten students are building a strong foundation for lifelong learning—developing their sense of self, strengthening their connections with others, and becoming confident, capable learners who are eager to explore the world around them.

YEAR 3/4 OLLINGTON NEWS BLAST!

HEADLINE ACT: SCIENCE

This term in Science, our 3/4 scientists have been diving into the fascinating world of lifecycles! We've been exploring how living things grow, change, and transform —just like caterpillars turning into butterflies and tadpoles becoming frogs. Here is a photo of some of our amazing frog lifecycle art pieces!

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Quick interviews with students on the question of the day

"If you could turn your teacher into any animal, what would it be and why?"

Eleanor: A tiger - Because she would be so lazy we wouldn’t do so much learning.

Tillie: A rabbit - Because then she would always be on the floor, super quiet.

Arlyn: A koala – Because she would sleep so we could have a class party every day.

Xavier: A lion – Lions are great teachers, and super cool, like you.

Evie: A bumblebee – Bumblebees are so sweet, just like you Miss Ollington.

Nate: A frog – so we could learn about lifecycle stuff from looking at you, and because you're scared of them.

Jaylan: A monkey – So we would be outside playing heaps.

Remi: A panda – Because you are so loving and kind and beautiful.

Thomas: A meercat – It would give you super stare vision.

Rylan: A snail - so she would be super slow and we could party.

Montie: A mouse – So I could trap you in a mouse trap.

William: A cat- so we could go on excursions.

Bodhi: A lion – so you could protect the classroom even more

Jensen: A penguin - because I love you and I love penguins, they are adorable.

Mily-Jane: A tiger - so you were an even stronger protector, and I could ride your back and win cross country and races.

Leah: A dog - I love dogs, and you're so happy and amazing like a dog.

Kendall: A cute rabbit – So you could dig holes and protect us

Nelly: A sloth - So our class could sleep all day with you.

Cooper: A mouse – I could trap you, and we could have computers and lollies.

Celeste: An octopus – So you’d have extra arms to do more things, but we could also put you into a tank and party when we wanted and work was hard.

Jack: A jellyfish – I would send you to the ocean and never do work.

Lilah: A mouse – you'd be so tiny and wouldn’t be able to check if we are doing work.

Benji: A monkey – To pick out fleas all day and it would be funny.

Learning Recap!

English – Creative Writing

Our budding authors have been working on creative writing, focusing on using descriptive language and character descriptions, their imaginations have been running wild!

HASS – Land Before & After 1788

We've been exploring Australia’s history by comparing the land and life before and after 1788. Students have learned about the deep connection First Nations Peoples have with Country and how European arrival changed landscapes, communities, and traditions.

Science – Life Cycles

From egg to butterfly, tadpole to frog, and seed to tree – we’ve been investigating the amazing life cycles of different living things! Through observations, discussions, and hands-on activities students have discovered how creatures grow, adapt, and change over time.

Maths – Number Lines

We’ve been mastering number lines, using them to estimate, round, compare and order numbers. Students have been challenged to plot decimals, and large numbers on number lines to deepen their understanding of place value and number patterns.

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What is the School Association Committee?

The School Association Committee (the Committee) is an elected group of School Association members that work together for the benefit of the school. Meetings are held once per term. The Committee manages and conducts the affairs of the School Association and performs administrative and decision-making as a group that represents the School Association.

Being a Committee Member is a commitment that is highly valued and recognised by the school. Being on the Committee is a rewarding role, where parents and community members’ skills and knowledge support the school. This contributes to helping learners succeed. Being part of the Committee also provides an opportunity to be actively involved and engaged in the school. The Committee is also a place of learning, contributing to developing experience and skills for all members. Anyone from the School Association can nominate to be on the Committee.

Why have a School Association?

Research shows that children do better at school when their parents are involved and engaged in their education. Parent and community engagement in school is important, as it:
• creates a collaborative culture within the school
• uses existing community strengths to benefit all learners
• creates collaborative teamwork between staff, parents and the community
• role models good citizenship to learners
• inspires and helps learners to succeed
• helps create better understanding between the local community and school
• fosters a good understanding of the value and benefits of education
• provides adult learning opportunities
• supports opportunities for creative thinking
• creates community support.

Being part of a School Association is one way of being engaged and involved in the school. We welcome you all to come along and join our AGM meeting at 3:15pm on Monday 24^th March 2025 at Forest Primary School.