Dear Macgregor Community,

Thank you for your contributions to a very smooth start to the year. Students have spent the last few weeks learning their new class routines and engaging in exciting lessons. There is a positive vibe and lots of smiles across the school from both students and teachers. Thank you to the parents who attended the P&C AGM last night. It was a fantastic turnout and great opportunity for parents to get together to connect with and contribute to our school community. We also discussed many of the topics that feature below in this newsletter, so please read on to find out more about the happenings in and around the school.

Welcome BBQ - A Wonderful Start to the Year

Last Tuesday afternoon we invited families to our annual Welcome BBQ, and it was fantastic to see such a strong turnout from across the school community. The Senior COLA was buzzing with conversation, laughter, and plenty of sausages on bread.

Families had the opportunity to meet their child’s teacher in a relaxed setting, with staff easily identifiable in their hi‑vis vests. Many parents and carers commented on how helpful it was to put faces to names, and teachers appreciated the chance to begin building those important early connections.

Thank you to the many families who completed the “Get to Know You” survey. The information you shared was passed on to classroom teachers and helps us better understand how to support each child as the year begins.

A special thank you goes to our P&C and volunteers who assisted with the BBQ. Their time, energy, and organisation helped make the event run smoothly, and we are grateful for their ongoing support of our school community.

It was wonderful to see families connecting with one another, children proudly introducing their teachers, and our community coming together to celebrate the start of the school year. We look forward to many more opportunities throughout 2026 to strengthen these partnerships.

Launched PBL for 2026

The start of the school year has been a busy and exciting time at Macgregor Primary School, with teachers and PBL Student Leaders working together to establish the expectations, routines, and positive culture that help our students thrive. Over the first three weeks, staff have been explicitly teaching our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) systems to ensure every child begins the year with consistency and a strong sense of belonging.

Teachers have been using our PBL Website and Checklist to guide their start‑of‑year setup. This includes developing classroom expectation posters that align with our Everywhere Expectations. Across all classrooms, teachers have been teaching, practising, and reinforcing routines. Making expectations explicit and revisiting them regularly helps students feel confident and secure, especially at the start of the year. This work is supported by our On Track system, which teachers use during explicit instruction and whole‑class learning to help students stay focused and engaged.

Our W@M token system is already in full swing. Teachers are giving specific, meaningful feedback and awarding tokens to recognise positive behaviour. Students collect tokens in their classrooms, record them on their W@M cards, and work toward milestone levels where they can redeem prizes at the PBL Shop. This system helps reinforce the behaviours that make our school a safe, respectful, and productive place to learn.

Our PBL Student Leaders have stepped into their roles with enthusiasm. They have been handing out raffle tickets to students demonstrating positive playground behaviour, with weekly Gold, Silver, and Bronze certificates awarded at assemblies to celebrate those modelling our expectations.

The PBL Student Leaders have also been working closely with our School Captains to ensure classes are “In Line, On Time” and ready for learning after each break. Their leadership is helping set a positive tone across the school.

Earlier this week, our PBL Student Leaders took a special trip to Belconnen Mall to restock the PBL Shop for 2026. Their purchasing decisions were guided by survey data they collected from students in Kindergarten to Year 6, ensuring the prizes reflect what students are most excited about this year. It has been a wonderful opportunity for them to develop leadership, responsibility, and decision‑making skills.

We are proud of the way our teachers and student leaders have worked together to set up a calm, consistent, and supportive start to 2026. Their efforts ensure that every student knows what is expected, feels supported, and has the opportunity to be recognised for positive choices.

We look forward to building on this strong foundation throughout the year.

Dogs on School Grounds - Important Reminder

We would like to remind families that, under ACT Government regulations, dogs are not permitted on public school grounds at any time unless they are approved assistance animals. This includes drop‑off and pick‑up periods.

While many families are already aware of this requirement, some may not realise that it is a government regulation rather than a school‑based rule. The restriction is in place to support student safety, allergies, wellbeing, and our duty of care.

To help keep our school environment safe for all students, we ask that families please ensure dogs remain outside the school boundary. Parents and carers can be fined for bringing dogs into prohibited areas.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all members of our community.

Traffic Safety & P&C Ride and Walk 2 School Initiative

With the opening of the new Strathnairn School this year, we have seen a slight easing of enrolment pressure in our junior school. While parking along Clode Crescent (particularly in the afternoons) has improved compared to last year, it remains a busy area. Ensuring the safety of our students continues to be a shared responsibility, and we ask all members of our community to drive and park with this in mind.

One of the most effective ways to reduce congestion and improve safety around the school is to encourage students to walk or ride to school, with adult or sibling support for children under 10. Even small changes, such as reducing the number of days families drive or varying drop‑off and pick‑up locations, can make a significant difference to traffic flow and student safety.

To support this, we are continuing our Ride and Walk to School initiative, promoting active travel as a healthy and sustainable option for our students.

As part of this initiative, the P&C will be running a one‑off icy pole event on Friday 6 March 3-3:30pm. Students who walk or ride home are invited to swing past the collection point (circled in red on the map below) for an icy pole. Families who park in the carpark adjacent to the school and walk back together are also welcome to join in. Senior students who are walking or riding home can stop by on their way through to collect an icy pole as well.

NAPLAN testing will occur in our school between 11 and 23 March 2026 for students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Online NAPLAN tests provide more precise results and are engaging for students. The tests are tailored (or adaptive), which means that each test presents questions that may be more or less difficult depending on a student’s responses. This helps students remain engaged with the assessment.

Tailored testing allows a wider range of student abilities to be assessed and measures student achievement more precisely. A student’s overall NAPLAN result is based on both the number and complexity of questions they answer correctly. Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway.

All Year 3 students will complete the writing assessment on paper.

NAPLAN provides valuable information to schools and parents about literacy and numeracy achievement. It supports school improvement processes by enabling teachers to monitor student progress over time and to identify areas of strength and development.

All eligible students are encouraged and supported to participate in NAPLAN testing. Visit www.nap.edu.au to see interactive versions of the test and for more information.