Thank you so much to everyone for the wonderful questions that have come through since the last newsletter. I have answered them all for you below, however, always feel free to reach out to any of our staff if you ever need anything.

I'd like more information on how SoundsWrite is being taught to the 1/2s this year, which I believe is different to the ability-based groupings used for 1/2 last year. What will differentiation look like this year for stronger year 2 students?

This year we are teaching phonics through Sounds-Write using a whole-class approach rather than ability-based groups. Research shows that mixed-ability classrooms with explicit, high-quality instruction lead to strong outcomes for all students and avoid the negative effects that can come from streaming by ability. All Year 1/2 students participate in the same carefully sequenced lessons to ensure consistency and strong foundations. Differentiation happens within the classroom through targeted support and extension. Stronger Year 2 students are challenged through more complex spellings, longer and more sophisticated texts, deeper discussions about spelling patterns and extended reading and writing tasks that require greater independence and application of their knowledge.

Will there be reading & writing programs to help kids who might be struggling?

Definitely! We off the MultiLit program (Making Up for Lost Time in Literacy) – in particular the MacqLit version to students who may need extra support in this area. Leila Sheehan leads this program and works with teachers to identify students who may benefit from this support, teach the sessions and monitor progress.

My child has come home sunburnt from school twice. Are the teachers staying on top of the kids putting sunscreen on every 2 hours?

Unfortunately, teachers are not permitted to apply sunscreen on students, however sunscreen is available in every classroom as well as a permanent station outside the library. Students are often encouraged to apply and are reminded where they can access sunscreen.

It would be great to know what specialist subjects the kids do on each day and a general timetable of their learning activities throughout the week.

This is very difficult to publish as it changes so often! Just when we think we have a stable timetable – a spanner is thrown in the works! Things change when teachers are away, if we have an event on, if there is a specific meeting that a staff member needs to attend… The reason why we do put the effort into a flexible timetable is so that students don’t miss specialist subjects.

It would also be good to know how many assessments are typically conducted each year, for instance 4 writing assessments, 1 specialist assessment per subject, etc

So many! We are constantly assessing the students to ensure they are learning what we are teaching. We generally will conduct an assessment at the beginning of a new unit of work, during the unit of study so we can track progress and then again after the unit. Whist this form of assessment is ongoing; we also do administer ‘benchmark’ assessments that are done usually once per year. These allow us to track if we have achieved 1 year of growth for 1 year of instruction.

And I also loved the little open sessions run with the kids every so often. It would be great to have one after each unit of inquiry or each term to learn about what the kids did in that period, or to showcase a special learning item.

We aim to run 1 Share and Connect session each term – or each Unit of Inquiry. Keep your eye on COMPASS for upcoming events in each year level.

A rundown of the current specialist classes and their teachers would be really useful. Who is teaching PE?

Gabe is now going to be sending our a Termly Specialist Snap Shot to keep you up to date with what is being covered in these areas.

This year we have the wonderful Max Williams teaching all of our PE sessions.

Also, do the kids do six months of wellbeing and six months of performing arts with a specialist - and then do they do these with the classroom teacher the other six months of the year?

Sure do – this is the beauty of working within an IB school – we are always looking for transdisciplinary links across all curriculum areas. You will find aspect of all disciplines across a school day – not just when a student is in a specialist subject.

Could we please have more details about what is being taught in wellbeing.

We will cover this in our termly Specialist Snap Shot. However the Respectful Relationships curriculum is also taught in this time. You can find all of the lessons by doing a quick google search.

Also would like more communication with school wellbeing team for those kids getting extra psychology support. Feel disconnected as a parent and unsure what is being worked on with the kids. Could parents meet psychologist thank you.

Parents can absolutely meet with the Psychologist. Please contact Carla Rossi to make a booking.

SCHOOL COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS

We have now concluded the call for nominations for our 2026 School Council. I am delighted to welcome the following members to our council:

Chris Kennett

Jill Hale

Brooke Marcano

Kate Taylor

Michael Edgley

Muhammad Iqbal

Matthew Wealands

Gabrielle Mullins and

Stuart Koolmees

I would also like to take the opportunities to sincerely thank the below outgoing members. Your contribution to our school over the course of your term has been so very much appreciated. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you all and the impact you have had has been immeasurable.

Thank you, Andrew Wu, Angus Friend, Bryce Geyer, David Hickey and Emma Wasson.

After almost 40 years in the Victorian teaching service, with 20+ of those years spent at Kingsville Primary School, I have made the decision to resign from teaching. My final day being the 24^th of April. This is not a decision made lightly. Changes in life circumstances and priorities in the last 12 months have led me to consider the timing is right to step away earlier than I had once imagined.

My time in education has been exciting, challenging and deeply engaging. It has been a profession that has continually stretched me, inspired me and given me more than I could ever fully articulate. Teaching has never just been a job; it has been a way of being, learning and contributing.

My years at Kingsville have been a truly wonderful experience. The journey alongside students, leadership, staff and families has been a constant source of stimulation, growth and connection, and it has tied me deeply to this community. There is sadness in leaving a school that I care for so strongly.

Kingsville is a school with a proud history and a strong foundation, the result of the collective efforts of it 107 years of committed communities. When I first arrived, I became part of this history under the leadership of Kath Ginnane, one of many principals that have given me purpose and reminded me why this work matters. As the school moves forward into an exciting new chapter with Emma, while feeling a genuine sense of regret that I won’t be part of what promises to be a remarkable next stage in Kingsville’s journey, I know this next phase for this school will continue to see it be a highly regarded school in the system, developing caring students who go into the world to make it a better place.

Thank you for the trust, the shared work and the many meaningful milestones and moments along the way. I have had a wonderful career and I’m looking forward to retirement, with more time for the road trips, camping, golf, hiking, sailing and overseas travel I’ve always enjoyed but haven’t always been able to prioritise.

Thanks,

Jeff

Students at Kingsville Primary School recently took part in an Australia-first classroom trial of LEGO Education’s upcoming Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence learning kit.

LEGO Education Australia's Lead Trainer, Rachel Parker, visited the school to run the session, giving students the opportunity to explore and test the technology ahead of its official launch later this year. As students worked through challenges and activities, they shared their ideas and reactions, providing valuable feedback and classroom insights.

The visit allowed LEGO Education to see how the program performs with real learners, while students experienced cutting-edge STEM learning firsthand. Their feedback will help refine teaching resources as the kits become available in April.

Assembly Items

Fri 6th Mar - Class SAO
Fri 20th Mar - Class EAM
Fri 27th Mar - Class ECJ

We are thrilled to welcome the Footscray High School Principal Team to our school as they share valuable insights about their vibrant, inclusive, and progressive learning community.

Parents of students across all grade levels are warmly invited to attend.

Following their short presentation, the Principal Team will be happy to answer any questions and connect with families.

The session will run on Tuesday 17th March, commencing at 5.30pm in the school Hall.