Principal's Report
Jells Park Primary School
Principal: Kevin Oakey (Acting)
Assistant Principal: David O'Kane
Welcome Back
Welcome back to a new school year to all students, parents and teachers, in particular to all our new families. 2017 promises to be action packed again, with lots of learning extra-curricular activities and community events.
Already we have had students attending Somers Camp, swimming trials completed, auditions for State School Spectacular and rehearsals for School aerobics.
All our students have settled in to the school year extremely well and are very happy and enthusiastic. A very confident start by all, including the Foundation students! The parents held up exceptionally well too, no tears again this year!
I would like to make a particular welcome to our returning and newest members of staff - Mrs Carla Wyllie (Level 2), Miss Lauren Antoniou (Level 2), Mrs Jackie Kapoor (office) and Mr James Holden (Handyman).
One major project happening in 2017 will the Administration Building Upgrade which is scheduled to commence in late Term 1. We are yet to finalise the scope of the works, however we a very confident that we will be having a new roof and internal ceilings on the entire administration building and a complete refurbishment of the main student toilets. The project may extend to a restructure of the Administration area and some new carpets throughout. More details will be passed on to the community as we get closer to construction dates.
In the current climate of our world, it is important to reflect on the value of education. Nelson Mandela said:
Remember that education is not just academic (reading, writing, maths, etc) but also cultural, social, emotional, ethical and behavioural. To achieve positive outcomes for all students we need to acknowledge that education is then a partnership between students, teachers, parents , family and community. Where do you fit in and how can you help?
Parent Information Night - Wednesday 22 February
This year’s Parent Information Night will be held in classrooms where class teachers will explain classroom expectations, organisation, communication and procedures. The evening will provide parents with the opportunity to meet their child’s teacher, to view the classrooms and to ask questions about the year ahead. It will also be an opportunity for parents of Year 3-6 students to gain information about this year’s camp. I hope you are able to join us for these very important sessions.
Student Safety
For those students that do have a mobile phone, we would strongly recommend that parents download the ‘Help Me’ app, created by the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. This app has a number of functions that help with children’s safety in emergency situations.
'Getting to Know You' Interviews
‘Getting to Know You’ interviews are being held on Tuesday 14 February from 3.40 – 8.30pm (Tuesday 21 February for students in 4K and 5S) . This is an opportunity for parents to share any information with teachers that will assist them in catering for your child. Many parents will find that email communication will be adequate, however this is an additional opportunity to speak to teachers. Booking information was sent home last week. Any parent wishing to have an interview with a specialist teacher may book this through the school office. Bookings for classroom teachers are open and can be made at www.schoolinterviews.com.au using code j8bqp (or x3deu for 4K and 5S).
Pupil Free Days
Schools may now select days that meet their specific needs. This is advanced notice of the three pupil free days at Jells Park for 2017. They are Friday 10 Feb (TOMORROW), Friday 19 May and Monday 6 November.
Working Bee
Working bees are held occasionally throughout the year and do lots of great work around the school but we realise that most families are very busy and many are unable to attend. With this in mind the School Council has established a tax deductible building fund and parents are asked to contribute $50 per child per year. This supports the work done to maintain the buildings and ground in the best possible condition for your children. We would appreciate your support.
The first working bee will be on Friday 17 February 3.45pm – 6.00pm.
Student Allergies
There are an increasing number of students in our community who suffer allergic reactions to a range of products. Some reactions, although distressing, are able to be managed relatively easily. Unfortunately some students suffer life threatening allergic reactions. The most serious of these is to nuts and nut products. At Jells Park we train all staff in the use of Epipens and have clear processes in place to implement the medication if required, but the consequences of not getting it right or of being too late are fatal. Our School Council requests that no child bring nuts or nut products to school. Council is aware that this will cause problems for some families but feels strongly that we would never want a child to die as a result of inadvertent contact with a nut product. If anyone has a concern about this please contact me.
Slow Down - School's Back
We would like to give a timely reminder of the speed limits around Jells Park Primary. Petronella Avenue has a 40km/hour restriction at all times. Please also be aware of the speed and parking restrictions on Jells Road during school drop-offs.
Parking
Please remember that on both sides of Petronella Ave, before and after the school crossing has No Standing and 2 min Drop Zones between 8:00 - 9:30am and 3.00 – 4.15pm. This means you are not allowed to park and leave your car OR park and sit for more time than it takes for your child(ren) to get in or out. Please be considerate of other drivers when driving around the school as we do not want any accidents or injuries.
Consideration
With the school year starting I would ask all our families to be very considerate of our neighbours. Please do not park across driveways or obstruct small streets and courts and encourage your children to respect the gardens and footpaths around our school by not picking flowers or dropping litter.