Queen of Peace Parish Primary School Newsletter

From the Principal

Welcome to the first newsletter of the 2022 school year!

 

A new year brings with it new opportunities, new friendships, new colleagues, new beginnings, enhanced with the warmth of welcome and hospitality.  Each of us is called to be open in both mind and spirit to the endless possibilities ahead. I wish everyone all the best for the new school year and invite you to look for ways to support your children and our school team. Thank you to the staff and families of Queen of Peace for your preparation, ensuring that the start of the year has been such a smooth and a welcoming experience for the families and students.

Welcome New Preps and New Families

We welcomed our 75 new Prep students for their first day of school!

We also had 10 new children and families join us in other year levels within the school. Our total number of students is 494.

We wish you many happy times ahead for your children at Queen of Peace and we look forward to working in partnership with you in educating your children.  It is our strong desire to help your children thrive, not just academically but also socially, emotionally and spiritually.

New Staff 2022

Tina Krstevski (5A) - From  Yarraville West Primary School

Jackson Menadue (3C) - Graduate  from Victoria University

Laura Shannon ( 1C) - From Our Lady Help of Christians School, Brunswick East

Charlotte Turner (4A) - Graduate  from Victoria University

Nicole Woodward (5B) - From St Paul's Rutherford , NSW

Hannah Luja (5C) - 2 days shared classroom 

Joe Johnson (LSO) Learning Support Officer

Georgie Brearley (LSO) Learning Support Officer

Also, returning from maternity leave is Beth Farmer (6B) 1 day shared classroom.

 A full list of staff and contact details can be found on our Website here.

Four Year School Review Cycle

Every four years, Catholic schools take part in a Review facilitated by an external reviewer. Preparations for our review commenced last year and include reflections on what we do here at Queen of Peace  in the five spheres of; Religious Dimension, Learning and Teaching, Leadership and Management, Community and Student Well being.  We then plot ourselves against various indicators and look for areas of strength and areas for improvement.

We make good use of evidence of effectiveness from surveys (parent, student, staff), NAPLAN data and other Assessment data we have on student growth.

Our external reviewer also meets with staff, students and a group of parents to gain feedback about Queen of Peace.

There are numerous compliance elements that are also required to be met such as: up to date policies, OHS procedures, child safety, staff contracts, etc

Following a very thorough examination of all we do at Queen of Peace, our reviewer will provide us with a report outlining strengths and areas for improvement. These will assist us in forming our next School Improvement Plan, which will be shared with the community.

 

School Communication

At Queen of Peace, we strive to build partnerships with our parents.  Partnerships are built on open and clear communication.  Effective communication is essential for a successful school.  Although this sounds simple and obvious, it requires a commitment from both the school and home to keep informed and communicate frequently.

As we continue to live in a new COVID world, there is even a greater need to stay informed and connected.

 

Some of the systems that we have established to keep you informed are:

Parent & Friends

A big thank you to the parents who have taken on important roles on the 2022 executive committee as well as those parents who attended the first meeting on Monday evening.  I am looking forward to a productive year with the P & F.

The Parents and Friends Association (P&F) provides a network for parents to participate in activities and decision making processes at Queen of Peace Parish Primary School. It works to benefit our children, the school and our community. Some of its many functions include:

  • supporting the school with social activities to help build community spirit
  • helping the school financially by raising funds for specific/general purposes
  • other roles and duties as the needs arise

COVID Safe Update 

Next  week we are excited to welcome ALL families back into the yard both before and after school. There will be no staggered finishes for the Preps from the week beginning 28 February.

Parents will still not be permitted inside the school building unless they make an appointment. Schools are still required to use a QR code and visitors to show vaccination certificates.

Can I please ask that for now, Year 1 and 2 parents do not gather on the deck areas outside their children's classroom as these areas are used for learning.

Rapid antigen surveillance testing will continue until the end of Term 1. We are expecting the delivery of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for weeks five and six in the coming days, these tests will be sent home with your child/ren. Staff and students will be encouraged to test twice a week. RATs have proved an important COVID safe tool to help reduce the number of COVID 19 cases and ensure our school is as safe as possible. Their use will remain voluntary for staff and students, but is strongly recommended. You are no longer required to check in via our QR code if you enter the office. We will continue to notify parents of any positive cases of staff or students at school. There have been no reported cases since late last week. 

 

2022 School Closure Days

Listed below are our school closure days for 2022. These are student free days.  Staff use these days to further develop their learning and keep informed of current practice and procedures.

  • Tuesday March 15 ( Term 1) -School  review preparation
  • Tuesday June 14 (Term 2) - School Improvement Plan facilitated by external review 
  • Monday 15th  August (Term 3)- Catholic Identity
  • Monday 31 October  (Term 4)- Report Writing Day
  • Friday 25th  November (Term 4 )- Planning for 2023

NOTE: These dates are subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.

School Captains' Breakfast with the Principal

On Tuesday 22 February, the School Captains, Allegra, Charlotte, Lawson, and Curtis met with Mr Gibbons and Mr Ozbun for the annual  beginning of the year 'Captains' Breakfast'. It was a great opportunity for the captains to share more about themselves and talk about some of their ideas for the year.

 

Warm regards

Darren Gibbons

Principal