Our goal as teaching professionals at Mitcham Primary is to improve practice in all areas of the curriculum. In Maths this year we are working towards improving student achievement in Numeracy with a particular focus on solving multi-step complex problems. Staff meetings, team planning sessions, and pupil-free days are dedicated to professional learning around this goal.

This week teachers were released into year-level teams to plan units of work together. Teams are developing a common instructional model for teaching Maths that will build consistency in practice across the year level and ultimately across the school. Our professional planning includes research, conversations and planning for consistency in pedagogy, vocabulary, resources, and strategies. Teachers discussed building meaning in Maths, demonstrating solution strategies, aligning their approaches, and of course, applying the appropriate content from the Australian Curriculum. Teachers shared their ideas and resources working together to ensure all children access the curriculum in a consistent way.

Helping children with problem-solving homework:

We know families understand the importance of mathematics for their child’s future. Participating in your child’s learning by doing things such as supporting homework is important. Even if you may have had unpleasant experiences or difficulties with mathematics in your own schooling, research has found that positive parent emotions lead to positive student emotions, and positive student emotions are connected to better performance. Here are some strategies to help your child when they are problem-solving at home.

Some activities to promote Maths at home:

Maths is everywhere and involving your child helps their understanding of maths in the real world. Here are some simple examples:

Please see below for upcoming important dates and school events.

The white cupboards with all lost property have been relocated to the Tutt building. Access to these cupboards is available through the sliding door, near the mural located in the courtyard.

A reminder to all families to check that all of your child’s property is clearly labelled, including jumpers, hats and drink bottles. We encourage you to check these cupboards regularly for your child’s misplaced belongings. 

For the first time in their history, the Oliphant Science Awards were on display at the Science Alive! event at the Adelaide Showgrounds last weekend.

Mitcham Primary School had 9 entries this year, including 3 Models, 1 Photography, 1 Programming and Robotics, 1 Board Game, 2 Science Writing, and 1 Crystal. Congratulations to all entrants for their hard work over the last few weeks and months. Special congratulations to Chloe Horowitz for her “Highly Commended” result in the Crystal Growing category!

The Mitcham Primary School Quiz Night is back in Term 4! Funds raised on the night will go towards purchasing additions to the new gymnasium.

 See attached flyer for ways you can be involved.

Term 3 is very busy in the library: with Book Week, the Big Read and The Great Book Swap happening in week 5. On Friday 26 August we will be celebrating with a Book Week parade. It would be wonderful to see students come to school dressed as their favourite book characters or dress to the theme Dreaming With Eyes Open.

Hopefully, we have lovely weather so that we can welcome families to attend the parade at 9am on the basketball courts. Unfortunately, if the weather is not favourable we will need to hold the parade inside and families will not be able to join us due to COVID-19 safe event distancing requirements.

We will be hosting a Great Book Swap during Book Week, week 5 of this term, with all funds raised going to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. We ask that you send your child with a book/s to donate to the Great Book Swap. Books are being collected in the library now. During Book Week (week 5) children will have the opportunity to choose a book to take home in return for a $2 donation.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge closes on 9 September. Please encourage your child to complete the Challenge. Forms are available in the library and more information can be found online http://www.premiersreadingchallenge.sa.edu.au/PRC/  Our display is filling up but there’s still room for every student who completes the challenge to add a shape with their name to the wall.

We are selling Showdown Donuts for the upcoming AFL Showdown between Port Adelaide and the Crows. They are now available to order on Qkr! at $4.00 each, with orders closing at 12 noon on Wednesday 17th August.

Orders will be delivered to the classrooms on Friday 19th August in time for recess. 

If your child has been provided with an emergency lunch order we would appreciate it if you could please pay as soon as possible. Thank you as always to the canteen volunteers, we really appreciate your help. 

Anita Viskic - Canteen Manager

The Australian Girl's Choir will be visiting Mitcham Primary School at 11.30am on Wednesday September 21, week 9, for a 30 minute workshop in the Kurraka building. It is open to all girls from reception to year 6. Flyer attached

I wish you all a relaxing, fun-filled and well-deserved holiday. Our students have worked extremely hard this term and certainly deserve some quality with their friends and families. I will miss being here to welcome the students back to school next term however, I am sure they will all be delighted to have Sue Blight as their principal for the term. I will think of you all as I walk the Alps in Switzerland and sample the local delicacies of Estonia, Norway and Ireland.

As I mentioned in a previous email, I was in the middle of finalising the last leadership position for term 3.  I am delighted to announce that Ms Sue O'Shaughnessy has been successful in her application for the short-term vacancy of Acting Coordinator for the term. This is a promotion for Sue and I wish her well in her new role. Sue will continue to work in N6 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week however, she will be based in our front office each Thursday and Friday. I am also delighted to inform you that Ms Kiera Mitchell is returning from maternity leave and will be working with the students of N6 on Thursday and Friday of each week whilst Sue is in the office.

We are still expecting the new gym to be completed and handed over during mid to late August. The builders have done an amazing job in building a gym that our community will be very proud of. We are currently finalising the landscaping which will include extra paving surrounding our current Junior Primary music room and an extension to our running track to ensure we continue to have the 500-metre length of track. 

We are experiencing strong interest from pre-schooler and Year 1 - 6 families looking at enrolling at our school for 2023. The leadership team have conducted many personal tours over the last few months to enable prospective families an insight into the wonderful teaching and learning that we offer here at Mitcham. Many families have been ‘shopping around’ the local schools however, on viewing our facilities have made the decision to enrol here. One parent commented that she’d heard that the school community vibe along with the programmes Mitcham Primary offered was amazing so wanted to see it for herself. Needless to say, she left us very impressed.

If you have a pre-school student who will commence school in 2023, please contact Lucinda at the front office on 8271 2227 for enrolment forms as soon as possible as we will be commencing our 2023 placement process soon.

Once again, I wish you a happy holiday and look forward to seeing you all again in Term 4.

Warm regards, Scott