Full calendar and term dates are here.

Draft 2024-25 calendar is here.

Dear all,

Last week our staff had a very productive staff development day. Our occupational therapist delivered a session on engagement and sensory health at the ESF Early Years Conference, while most of our staff took part in a workshop on engagement delivered by our staff.

We developed our skills and knowledge in supporting cognitive, emotional and behavioural engagement. During the session, we have not only learnt how best to support students' engagement through various strategies but also written Engagement Plans for students who have significant barriers to learning in this area. Engagement Plans will replace the Positive Behaviour Support Plans and will be shared with parents during Parent Teacher Therapist Conferences. We hope that this new approach will help us in our efforts to better support our students and focus on overcoming barriers to learning and engagement.

Another exciting event that took place recently was the parents' visit to Pearl class, which is home to the youngest students at our school. During the visit, parents had the opportunity to watch the students participate in sensory circuits and also join a session with our occupational therapist to learn more about sensory health. It was a wonderful opportunity for parents to see firsthand the progress their children have made in this area. We would like to extend a special thanks to Liezel, the class teacher, and her team for making this visit happen and for their ongoing dedication to the students in Pearl class.

During the "What Next After JCSRS?" event, parents were able to learn about the options available for our graduating students. The event was well-attended by our parents as well as parents of students from other ESF schools. I would like to extend a special thanks to Belinda and Jackie for organising this event and for their efforts in ensuring our parents are well-informed about their options after leaving JCSRS.

Unfortunately, our secondary hike to the Peak was cancelled due to a cold weather warning. However, this allowed all students to warmly welcome to school our CEO, Belinda Greer, who came for a short visit. Students were very excited and proud to share what they were learning. Belinda was very impressed with how well they are engaged in learning and how well our staff personalise and differentiate learning and teaching strategies. I know firsthand that the learning we saw in classes on Friday is what our students experience every day at school. It is thanks to our staff they can have the best education possible.

I want to take a moment to thank all staff. Amongst many great things I see them doing each day, I want to highlight the work of our team on improving our approach to student engagement. The positive changes we have made in this area would not have been possible without their leadership and commitment to all students to do well and to remove barriers to happiness, engagement and learning.

Kind regards, 

Anna

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all those who attended our recent Parent Language Strategies Workshop. We hope it was an enriching and insightful event, and we appreciate your participation in making it a success.

Workshop key points:

• Highlighting different language development styles that we see here at JCSRS.

• Providing simple strategies that can be used at home and school to support language.

• Sharing video examples.

The workshop provided a wonderful opportunity for attendees to connect and exchange ideas.

Please find the video recording here:

Please find the handouts here:

To find out more information about Total Communication and access any previous workshops, follow this link.

On 8th February, JCSRS immersed ourselves in rich traditions and vibrant festivities to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

Each class experienced a story about Chinese New Year traditions before visiting a craft station to make instruments and decorations. This was followed by a visit to the wishing tree to share hopes for the year ahead. The final activity was a treasure hunt to find red packets around the school.

Through our inclusive celebrations, we aimed to foster cultural understanding, respect, and appreciation among our students. Chinese New Year provided a valuable opportunity for everyone to learn about and embrace the customs and traditions of our local culture.

A big thank you to the visiting parents who contributed to the success of our celebrations. May the Year of the Dragon bring you good health, happiness, and prosperity!

Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead!

Best regards,

The JCSRS Therapy Team

The Student Support Services team at ESF are announcing an upcoming webinar on sleep:

Lights Out, Sweet Dreams: a Practical Webinar on Sleep for Parents and Caregivers

Date and Time: Thursday, 14 March, from 6 to 7 pm

Registration Link

The webinar will be delivered by ESF Educational Psychologists Dr Rachael Edwards and Dr Steff Ho.

This information has been shared with ESF parents via the ESF App. We would also welcome your support in sharing this with your school community and colleagues.

In this webinar, we will explore the fascinating world of sleep science and provide valuable insights into understanding sleep needs across different ages. ESF Educational Psychologists Dr Rachael Edwards and Dr Steff Ho will share practical strategies to promote healthier and more restful sleep for children, young people and families. Better sleep leads to better physical and mental health, increased focus, and improved academic outcomes. We want to highlight the importance of sleep in supporting your child to be the best that they can be.

Coffee Morning - 11 March

Social Evening - 21 March

The world is rich with diversity, which is reflected in the observances celebrated by its various cultures and populations. We hope that knowledge of the holidays and celebrations for diversity in this calendar can enhance our school's diversity and inclusion efforts.