Newsletter | Term 1 Week 5
Principal Message
Explicit Teaching
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria
As we continually strive to improve and enhance our teaching practices at Floraville Public School, we would like to take a moment to discuss an important approach known as explicit teaching. This method is focused on clearly defined learning goals and organised instructional strategies that support student understanding and engagement.
What is Explicit Teaching?
Explicit teaching is a direct and systematic approach to instruction. It involves clear communication of learning intentions and success criteria (amongst other strategies) allowing students to understand what they are expected to learn and how they can achieve their learning goals. This method contrasts with more traditional, less structured teaching approaches, as it emphasises clarity and purpose in every lesson.
Learning Intentions
At the heart of explicit teaching are learning intentions. These are clear statements that outline what students are expected to learn by the end of a lesson. By communicating these intentions at the beginning of each lesson, teachers provide students with a roadmap for their learning journey. For example, a learning intention might be, “we will learn how to identify and describe the main characters in a story.” This learning intention is clear and focused on a specific skill that students can understand and aim to achieve by the end of the lesson.
Success Criteria
Alongside learning intentions, success criteria are established to define what success looks like for each learning goal. These criteria serve as benchmarks that help students understand how they can demonstrate their understanding. For instance, success criteria for identifying and describing the main characters in a story at the various stages of learning might include:
Years K-2:
- I can name one main character from the story.
- I can say one thing about what the character looks like.
Years 3-4:
- I can name two main characters from the story.
- I can describe two traits of each character (e.g., kind, brave).
- I can explain how one character feels in a specific part of the story.
Years 5-6:
- I can identify all main characters in the story.
- I can provide a detailed description of each character’s traits, motivations, and relationships with other characters.
- I can discuss how the main characters change throughout the story and give examples to support my ideas.
By providing these criteria, students gain insight into their progress and can self-assess their understanding throughout the lesson.
The Benefits of Explicit Teaching
The explicit teaching approach is beneficial for all students, as it promotes active engagement and accountability in learning. Students are more likely to take ownership of their educational journey when they know what is expected of them. Additionally, with clear learning intentions and success criteria, teachers can provide targeted feedback, which is essential for student growth.
We encourage you to engage with your child about their learning intentions and success criteria. This will not only reinforce their understanding but also potentially spark some interesting conversations at home!
Check out below what Learning Intentions and Success Criteria look like in our classrooms:
Homework
Thank you for your participation in our recent homework survey! Your feedback has been invaluable, and we are excited to share the results with you.
We had an overwhelming response to our survey, with just over 85% of our families participating.
And the survey results were very clear: only 30% of our students have parents who want to be engaged in regular homework. This insight helps us better understand the preferences of our community regarding homework practices. As we move forward, we want to ensure that our approach aligns with what works best for our students and families.
We recognise that while homework may not be a priority for some, it is essential to support all students and families in their learning journey. To this end, we will continue to provide resources and learning opportunities through our newsletter. These resources will offer engaging and enriching activities that families can choose to use at home, whether it’s through reading materials, educational games, or creative projects.
Our goal is to foster a love for learning that extends beyond the classroom, and we believe that providing resources will enable families to engage with their children's education in ways that suit their individual needs and preferences.
Thank you once again for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community. We are committed to working together to create an enriching educational environment for all our students.
What can you do for homework this week?
Perhaps you might like to approach the Premier's Reading Challenge as a Family Reading Challenge! This activity might encourage students to explore the joy of reading while spending quality time with family.
Here’s how it could work:
Choose a Book Together: Pick a book that interests your child—whether it's a picture book, a chapter book, or even a magazine article.
Set a Reading Goal: Decide on a reading goal for the week. This could be reading for 15 minutes each day or finishing a certain number of pages or chapters.
Share Your Thoughts: After reading, take a few minutes to discuss the story. Ask questions like: "What was your favourite part?" or "What do you think will happen next?"
Complete a Reading Log: Keep up to date with the Premier's Reading Challenge log, where your child can log books read. Our older students may wish to go online and complete their reading log through their Department of Education portal.
Celebrate Your Success: At the end of the week, celebrate your reading achievements! And perhaps set a goal for the next week!
Moving into Year 7 in 2026
Applying to move from primary school to high school is a 2-step process:
Step
The first step is to complete a Moving to high school expression of interest. When completing this form, you will be able to indicate which school(s) you would like your child to attend in Year 7. The online expression of interest forms open on Monday 3 March at Moving to high school.
Step
The second step is to submit an enrolment application, which will be issued to you by the high school after they have assessed your expression of interest.
If you are intending to apply for specialist programs in high school, our school is here to help with this process for you. We collect any application forms directly from parents or students, our school will complete them collectively, and send them directly to the high school for processing. This approach helps ensure that all applications are submitted efficiently. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our school office.
I would like to inform families that I will be on leave for four weeks, beginning Monday, March 10, as I embark on a family road trip.
During my time away, Mr Nick Garner will step in as Principal, and I look forward to returning and reconnecting with our school community on Monday, April 7.
Ms Yeo
Principal
Awabakal Word of the Week
Celebrating Success
This week, let's celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students, highlighting the dedication and effort they put into their learning.
In 4/5D, we are excited to spotlight Willow and Oscar for their exemplary use of success criteria in writing. Success criteria are specific details that outline what successful work looks like. By utilising these guidelines, Willow and Oscar have not only challenged themselves but have also pushed the boundaries of their creativity and expression. Using success criteria encourages students to reflect on their work critically, identifying individual strengths and areas for improvement. As a result, they are not just completing tasks; they are engaging in a process of self-evaluation that fosters growth and deeper understanding in their writing.
We also want to shine a light on Billie and Hudson from 3A, who have demonstrated outstanding skills in quality writing through their summarisation of an orientation. Summarising is a crucial skill, as it prepares our students for future academic challenges and helps them develop their reading and comprehension skills.
As we continue to foster a culture of success in our classrooms, we encourage all students to embrace the challenges that come with learning. Congratulations to Willow, Oscar, Billie, and Hudson for their outstanding contributions!
High Potential and Gifted Education
Teachers at Floraville Public School actively support the unique strengths and talents of each student by adhering to the Department of Education's High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy. This policy emphasises equity, excellence, and high expectations for all students, providing a framework for evidence-based talent development. The goal is to help high potential and gifted students achieve personal excellence across various domains, including social-emotional, creative, physical, and intellectual skills. The policy also promotes the use of assessment and data to inform learning and teaching, ensuring that high potential and gifted students receive tailored support to meet their diverse needs and aspirations.
High potential students are those whose potential exceeds that of students of the same age. They may benefit from an enriched or extended curriculum and learning opportunities beyond the typical level of their peers.
Gifted students are those whose potential significantly exceeds that of students of the same age. They typically develop talent and achieve mastery notably faster than their age peers.
Highly gifted students are those whose potential vastly exceeds that of their age peers. Highly gifted students may require specific and significant curriculum adjustments to meet their learning and wellbeing needs.
Year 3 & Year 5 Reading and Mathematics HPGE Groups
This term, Miss Gee has been collaborating with small groups of Year 3 and Year 5 students, concentrating on either reading or mathematics. These flexible, strength-based groups provide targeted support that advances learning in both areas. By customising her instruction to address each student's unique needs, Miss Gee is helping them develop their skills and confidence in preparation for NAPLAN. This approach not only deepens their understanding of essential concepts but also nurtures a passion for learning as students engage with challenging materials and activities designed to enhance their abilities in reading and mathematics.
STEM and ICT HPGE Group
This term, Mr Tassell has started to work with twelve students across Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 to use Minecraft Education to explore and interpret a story from The Dreaming, as part of the Australian Esports League (AEL) 2025 Schools Minecraft Competition. Students are tasked with using advanced Minecraft building techniques to develop an authentic representation of their chosen story’s characters, setting, and significance. Each team must also present their learning process as part of the project, demonstrating cultural respect and a clear understanding of the story’s themes and importance.
Sport News
Swimming Carnival
What a fantastic day we had at Speers Point Swimming Pool last Friday! We want to extend a massive thank you to all the parents and former students for their excellent timekeeping and support, which helped the day run smoothly. A special shout-out goes to our amazing students, whose outstanding participation made it a wonderful day. Your enthusiasm and engagement shone through in every race and novelty event, and it was superb to see everyone working together and having fun. We are so proud of our school community!
We wish Archer S, Mason K, Rylan H, Kyle U, Zahra B, Maya F, Georgie W, Mila S, Luke Z-W, Zayden B, Eric H, Ryder F, Sophie S, Ivy C, Alexis N, Caitlin W, Leonardo I. C, Blake W, Jessie B, Indi V, Jace F, Alby W, Aurora P, Madison (Madi) H, Willow C and Billie S, who all qualified for the Eastlake PSSA Swimming Carnival, all the very best!
The Primary Swimming Carnival Presentation Assembly will be held in the school hall on Monday, 17 March, at 2:00pm. At the assembly, we'll announce Age Champions, the winning house, and present ribbons to the top three overall swimmers in each stroke and age group.
PSSA Basketball
We are thrilled to share that two of our talented students, Aubrey L and Leonardo C, represented our school at the East Lake Macquarie PSSA Basketball Trials on Friday, February 21. The event showcased tough competition and an impressive display of talent from all participants.
We are especially excited to announce that Aubrey L has successfully progressed to the next stage of trials for the Hunter region. This is a fantastic achievement, and we look forward to supporting Aubrey as she continues her basketball journey.
Congratulations to both Aubrey and Leonardo for their hard work and dedication! We are proud of you!
School News
Buddy Program Wrap Up!
This term, our Year 6 students had the wonderful opportunity to engage with the newest members of our school community, through the Kinder Buddy Program.
The program started with preschool visits last year and included working together during orientation visits. This program creates meaningful connections and helps ease the transition for our youngest learners. We celebrated the conclusion of the program with a fun twist—silly sock day! It has been heartwarming to see our Year 6 students embrace their roles as buddies, and we are incredibly proud of the friendships and support they have fostered. A big thank you to all our students for making this program a success.
Clean Up Australia Day 2025
Floraville Public School students will take part in the annual Clean Up Australia within our school grounds on Monday, 3 March 2025.
Students are asked to bring a pair of reusable gloves to assist with the clean up. Let’s beautify our school environment and reduce the risk of waste making its way into our environment.
Lowes
School Photographs - Tuesday 4 & Wednesday 5 March
Please go to the link below to order your photos.
Order link - Newcastle School Portraits
School Opal Card and School Bus Services
Please see the link below for information about the school bus services available for Floraville Public School, which is provided by Newcastle Transport.
From The Office
Beat the Bite - Fundraiser
As part of this initiative, our school has been provided with RID Tropical Antiseptic Bite Protection 100ml pump spray bottles that are available for families to purchase at a discounted cost of $5 (RRP $9.50). These can be purchased from the office with cash or EFTPOS, or you can log into your School Bytes parent portal, go to the ‘Payments’ tab, select the ‘Add other item’ tab, and from there you can complete your purchase.
For all online purchases, office staff will send these home with students, or email the school if you would prefer to collect your order from the office.
All monies from this fundraiser goes towards resources for the school.
P&C News
P&C Annual General Meeting
Are you looking for a meaningful way to contribute to Floraville Public School? The P&C is your chance to make a real difference! We play an essential role in connecting families and creating unforgettable experiences for our children. From running the canteen to coordinating fun events and managing the second-hand uniform shop, our P&C helps enrich the school community.
Why Join Us?
- Be a Part of the Fun: Help organise exciting events that your kids will love!
- Support Our School: Your involvement directly benefits student education and resources.
- Meet Other Parents: Connect with other families and make new friends in our community.
We’re calling on all parents to step up and support our P&C! Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Tuesday, 11 March, and we need fresh faces to join our team. All P&C positions will be open for nominations, including:
- President
- Vice Presidents (Fundraising and Canteen Coordinators)
- Secretary
- Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer
- OOSH Parent Representative
- Band Parent Representative
- Fundraising Sub-Committee (5 positions)
- Canteen Sub-Committee (5 positions)
- Uniform Coordinator
No Experience? No Problem! You don’t need to attend the meeting to nominate for a position, and we welcome all levels of experience. If you’re unsure about what the roles involve, reach out! We’re here to help you find the right fit.
Together, we can continue to make Floraville Public School a vibrant and supportive community for our kids. To nominate for a position, log in to your School Bytes account, select “Forms,” and find the “P&C Nomination Form.”
Let’s work together to create amazing memories for our children—join us in making a difference!
Harmony Day
P&C Communication
Stay up to date with the latest P&C information and events.
📨Email us: fpspresident@gmail.com
🌍Visit our website: https://floravillepublicschoolpc.square.site/
📘 Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/p.c.floraville
Amanda Bailey
P&C President on behalf of the P&C Committee
Community Newsletter
Please see Community Newsletter - Term 1 for community events and news.