Plans are well underway to ensure all students have a successful transition into 2024. Class lists will be released very shortly (hopefully by the time this newsletter is printed!) and with that will come conversations with your children about the excitement of change, the developing of new classroom relationships and settings. It is important to model positive behaviour to your children as we work through this important change process. Remaining optimistic will help them to do so. All of this will be consolidated on our Up Day on Wednesday 29 November, when all students will experience a day in their new classrooms, with new teacher and new classmates, including many new students to the College who also join us on the day. This is an important part of our OLSCC transition process and we have found that it has enabled a very smooth start for the following year.

Booklists are also being finalised, and I once again urge you to purchase EXACTLY what is on the list, including brands and item numbers, as these have been found to be the most cost effective, long term learning tools for classroom use. Purchasing the correct items initially will also save you any extra expense of having to replace inappropriate items. The advice given to us by our local suppliers is that prices for these regular classroom tools drop significantly once wholesalers begin the ‘Back to School’ rollout. This generally begins 1 December, so it would be wise to wait until after this date to complete your purchase.

Uniform reminder: As I know many of you are looking at updating uniforms in preparation for 2024, please remember the shoe guidelines that were also highlighted in last weeks newsletter:

Formal Uniform Yrs 1-4: Black LEATHER or LEATHER LOOK joggers or LEATHER lace up dress shoes (including ‘Mary-Jane’ style shoes for girls). Currently, some students are wearing black mesh joggers with formal uniform. This does not meet the uniform guidelines. To avoid having to purchase additional sets of shoes next year, please ensure your formal shoe purchases for 2024 are LEATHER or LEATHER LOOK.

Prep uniform and Yrs 1-4 Sport uniform: From 2024, sport uniform shoes will be all black. Please do not purchase shoes with any coloured trim, white or any other colour, as these will need to be replaced.

These are acceptable for formal AND sport uniform.

These are acceptable for SPORT UNIFORM ONLY.

Attendance
As we approach the middle of the term, many classes are taking the opportunity to collect evidence of the learning that has been consolidated this year in order to provide families with the most accurate information possible in the upcoming reporting period. As such, your child is disadvantaged if they are not in attendance as they do not have as many opportunities to show their learning. Whilst it is of course essential for any student who is genuinely unwell to stay home, this is even more reason to ensure every child attends school every day that they are able to. Every day counts. Classroom curriculum is always the first priority for our students, so unsatisfactory attendance is likely to result in poorer social connections, interrupted continuity of learning and may impact on their ability to participate in any of the extra-curricular activities offered at OLSCC. Please – send your child to school every day that you can.

Communication Reminder:
Please ensure that any message you need to get to your child throughout the school day, eg change of pickup procedure, comes via phoning the College office. Dojo should not be relied upon during the school day 8:30am-3:30pm as teachers are not always able to check these messages as they are busy teaching face to face, carrying out lunch and afternoon tea duties, fixing scraped knees, sorting leaking waterbottles, dispensing ice packs and band aids, or facilitating extra activities in lunch and afternoon tea breaks. The lovely office staff will ensure the message reaches the teacher on your behalf.

Mrs Katrina Walton
Assistant Principal Early Years