Issue 1 – The Hall Happenings 6 February 2025

Principal’s Messages

Welcome Back to Term 1 at The Hall State Primary School!

Welcome back to another exciting year at our school! I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable break and are ready to embrace the new opportunities and challenges Term 1 has in store for us. It’s wonderful to see our school community back together, with students eager to learn and grow.

As we begin the year, I’d like to share with you our key focus for the term and the overarching goals for our school improvement efforts. Our explicit improvement agenda for 2025 is centred on quality teaching and quality learning. We believe that every student deserves the best educational experience, and this focus will guide everything we do throughout the year.

To support this agenda, we have identified two key priorities:

1. Improvement in English Levels of Achievement: We will continue to support our students in developing strong literacy skills, ensuring they have the tools to communicate effectively, think critically, and engage confidently with all areas of their learning.
2. Access and Engagement in Learning: We are committed to making learning accessible and engaging for all students, ensuring that every child is fully supported in their educational journey and motivated to reach their full potential.

Multi-Lit

To support these priorities, we are excited to commence the implementation of the Multi-Lit suite of materials to support our students in achieving these goals:

Initialit will be implemented from Prep to Year 2 to support early literacy development. This program is designed to help our youngest learners build strong foundations in reading, writing, and spelling.

InitiaLit takes a holistic approach to literacy instruction incorporating instruction in systematic synthetic phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. This integrated approach, which addresses each of the Five Big Ideas of Reading, ensures that children are given all the tools they require to learn to read successfully. InitiaLit follows a structured scope and sequence that aligns with the Australian Curriculum. It provides teachers with an explicit and effective model for teaching reading and related skills and allows for a consistent approach across year groups from Foundation to Year 2.

The first three years of schooling are critical when it comes to learning how to read and write. For this reason, it is highly desirable to implement a quality, evidence-based program that uses consistent language and teaching methodology across all three years. This ensures literacy content is carefully sequenced, integrating new content with opportunities for revision. When all three-years are taught together with fidelity, InitiaLit represents a comprehensive, detailed literacy program that ensures all children have the best possible start. The InitiaLit program also incorporates careful, systematic monitoring of student progress, identifying those who require extra support before the achievement gap widens.

Spellex will be introduced in Years 3 and 4, further enhancing spelling and writing skills, providing a structured and evidence-based approach to mastering these essential components of literacy.

Furthermore, we are excited to continue the integration of Teach Like a Champion techniques across our school. These research-based strategies will help ensure that our teaching practices are consistent, effective, and focused on deep learning and mastery of concepts. Teachers will use these techniques to create engaging, high-impact lessons that challenge students to achieve their personal best.

We look forward to working in partnership with you to make this a year of growth, achievement, and success for all our students. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of our dedicated staff members if you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can work together to support your child’s learning.

Here’s to a fantastic Term 1, filled with opportunities for learning, growth, and achievement!

Kind regards,
Mrs Katie Bull
Principal

From The Deputy

Welcome back to 2025! What a wonderful start to the year we have had. Students are congratulated on the way they have calmly adapted to new routines, new teachers and new learning environments.

As many parents may have observed, there has been a change in our morning routine. Students now congregate in their class lines in the Multipurpose Centre from 8:30am. Please note, no supervision is provided before 8:30, should students arrive prior to 8:30 they are to line up quietly in front of the administration building. If your child/ren requires supervision before 8:30 (and after 3pm) please consider Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) which is facilitated by Camp Australia. Please visit their website, or enquire at the office for further details. https://campaustralia.com.au/

Naplan

From Wednesday 12^th March 2024 (Week 8) all students in Years Three and Five will participate in National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). There are four assessments to be completed in a test window of nine days. A test schedule for The Hall SS students will be communicated in the coming weeks.

The purpose of NAPLAN is to assess the literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school. NAPLAN is about assessing learning progress and is not about passing or failing. It does, however, allow parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national proficiency standards.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with more information about students’ educational progress.

NAPLAN is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake. Information on adjustments available for students with disability who have diverse functional abilities and needs is available, and the school will work with parents/carers and students to identify on a case-by-case basis reasonable adjustments required for individual students.

Parents/carers, please check your emails for additional information regarding NAPLAN.

Should you have any queries, please contact the office.

Kind regards,
Mr Cameron Preston
Deputy Principal

Head of Diverse Learning Team

Regards
Mrs Norelle Kasberger
HOSES
Diverse Learning Team

Head of Curriculum

Welcome back to school!!

It is wonderful to see everyone back at school and a very big welcome to all of our new students who have settle in so well.  What a great start to the school year!

AIP – Annual Improvement Plan

The 2025 Annual Improvement Plan for The Hall State School has two priorities. School Priority 1 and School Priority 2.  School Priority 1 is Improvement in English – C and Above.  You will see a lot of what I share in newsletters relates to School Priority 1.  School Priority 2 is centred around Access and Engagement for our Learners.

School Priorities and What This Means for Us

School Priority 1 - Improvement in English – C and Above. 

What does this mean for our school?  This means that every decision we make at our school with regards to implementing the English curriculum needs to link to our school priority.  We will be gathering baseline data and using existing data to drive our planning, continually unpacking aspects of the curriculum to build staff understanding, having specific targeted foci to improve student outcomes and checking on how this is all progressing throughout each term.

What does this mean for our students?  For our students, this means participating in rigorous implementation of the English curriculum.  With staff analysing and targeting gaps, students should see growth in confidence, greater access to the English curriculum, gaps in their learning decrease and being able to confidently demonstrate their knowledge and skills in English.

What does this mean for parents and carers? Throughout the year, please stay tuned to newsletters and alerts as we will endeavour to share information about your child/children’s learning, read letters from your child/children’s teachers and ask questions if you need information regarding curriculum and your child/children’s education and/or progress clarified.

Vocabulary Focus

In 2024 we embedded our vocabulary processes.  This focus continues into 2025.  Teachers are selecting critical vocabulary that students are required to know and understand in order to participate and succeed in English assessments, gathering baseline data, explicitly teaching vocabular, displaying relevant vocabulary on the English Learning Wall and demonstrating this vocabulary knowledge in assessment tasks.  This focus will be from Prep - Year 6 with different expectations of implementation across our school. 

How does this link to the AIP School Priority 1 - Improvement in English – C and Above?

Selection of critical vocabulary will take place during our Before Moderation planning and be evident in Level 3 Planning.  While vocabulary is important in all Learning Areas and Subjects we are specifically focusing on English of the Australian Curriculum V9.  Working with teachers provides line of sight from the School Priority through the curriculum to the implementation of the English Curriculum and assessment of aspects of the curriculum with vocabulary specifically mentioned in Marking Guides. (Marking Guides are the table of standards and descriptions that teachers use to mark assessments.)

English Learning Walls

English Learning Walls remain a focus for staff at The Hall State School in 2025.  Teachers will have an English Learning Wall that will be updated throughout the term as they co-construct charts and examples with the class.  Each Learning Wall will be taken down and started again for the next unit so that work is relevant to each English unit.

Wednesday morning this week, members of the Leadership Team completed Learning Walks and Talks looking at all Learning Walls. 

With the focus remaining on English Learning Walls, we are able to once again, like vocabulary, have a line of sight from the School Priority 1 (Improvement in English – C and Above) through the intended English curriculum to the implementation of the English Curriculum and assessment.

Focus on literacy skills

This year at The Hall SS, we will be continuing our strong focus on English, literacy and our morning routines.  To ensure a low variance, tight process for literacy we are implementing various MultiLit programs in the lower and middle years. 

‘MultiLit was coined as an acronym for ‘Making Up Lost Time in Literacy’ in 1995 to refer to the ongoing program of research and development into more effective instruction for low-progress readers conducted by Professor Kevin Wheldall and his colleagues at Macquarie University Special Education Centre.’

The MultiLit programs are effective because they are all grounded in scientific evidence-based best practice.

The MultiLit programs we are running are:

Prep – InitiaLit F
Year 1 – InitiaLit 1
Year 2 – InitiaLit 2
Year 3 – SpellEx and InitiaLit
Year 4 – SpellEx and InitiaLit

We will also be including two of the MultiLit intervention programs:

Year 2 – MiniLit Sage
Year 3 – MiniLit Sage
Year 4 – MacqLit

Parents of students in these year levels will receive emails outlining the programs particular to your students.

School Priorities and What This Means for Us

School Priority 2 – Access and Engagement. 

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

Positive Behaviour for Learning remains a focus for staff, students and families at The Hall SS in 2025.  While we have a PBL Executive Team, PBL is everyone’s business.  Staff and students will be consulted throughout the year to get feedback and ideas.

PBL Executive Team Roles and Members

• Coach – April Cochrane
• Team Leader – Tracey Vine
• Secretary – Tracey Vine
• Data Manager – Nicole Douglas
• Recognition Resource Manager – Donna West
• Additional Members:
• Katie Bull
• Jacob Howie
• Tiffany Hunter
• Cameron Preston

The PBL Executive Team meet fortnightly with additional meetings as required.

BL Recognition Posters

Once again, we will have our buzz tickets, tokens and class dojo points to hand out when students are following our school expectations and weekly focus.  Buzz tickets have a place for parents to sign.  Our students can be pretty excited to receive a Buzz ticket and equally excited to share with you as parents/carers.  If your child brings home a ticket, please share in their joy, sign the buzz ticket and your child can then bring it back to school and place it in the barrel to go into the weekly draw for a voucher and then into the second chance draw at the end of the term.

Each week there will be a focus for an explicit PBL lesson and for the Buzz tickets.

Weekly Focus

Week 1 – All 4 expectations – Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner.
Week 2 – Reinforce All 4 expectations – Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be a Learner.
Week 3 - Be Responsible - Follow directions, first time, every time.

Whole School Routines

2025 will see the tightening of our whole school routines.  This aligns to both School Priority 1 - Improvement in English – C and Above and School Priority 2 - Access and Engagement for our Learners.

The focus for Week 1 and 2 has been Safety Lines and Line-Up Processes.  The Safety Line and Line-Up Processes have been explicitly taught and we are now quality assuring these processes.

Kind regards,
Ms Tracey Vine
HODC 

Student of the Week

Congratulations to the following students who received Student of the Week awards.

Choir News

Welcome to another great year of choir at The Hall State School. There will be performances on parade, the Rockhampton Eisteddfod, Choral Fanfare, Choral Festival just to name a few.

Choir rehearsals start this week:

             Senior Choir (Years 4-6) on Tuesday 2:30pm-3pm
             Junior Choir (Years 1-3) on Friday 12:45pm-1:15pm
             Boys Choir (Years 2-6) on Friday 8:15am-8:45am

I’m looking forward to singing together again and sharing the joy of singing.

Today’s giggle:

Yesterday I went to Coles to buy cabbage – I was told there is a new law that if you buy cabbage from Coles, you’re legally required to purchase carrots and mayonnaise as well.

Apparently it’s Coles Law.

Mrs Hiron
Music Specialist

Auskick at The Hall