From the Principal

  It is GOING - a CHAPTER closes!

Thursday 1st December was our last day in the portable. We gathered to give our old and faithful girl a little farewell. She has certainly played her part in the history of our school. We could not miss seeing her as we drove into the car park, as she stood proudly serving our community as our Music and Performing Arts classroom. However to Kristy she was so much more. It was her home. The only music room she has ever known. The place for music fun, choir  and concert practices. Kristy started her teaching career with us and this was her special place. So there was a tinge of sadness seeing her being stripped bare. 

A big thanks to Ken Petersen, Rob Miles and Martin White who gave up their time on Tuesday afternoon to move the heavier items. We are really grateful for your help. She is now empty and a chapter has closed as we locked the door for a final time. On Friday 2nd December she will be decommissioned in preparation for removal. 

Our portable will have a new life at St Jude's Langwarrin, where it will be used as classrooms. The move will occur on Monday 12 December 2022. So thank you old girl we shared some great times. Best wishes as you pick up stumps and set off to a new home.

ALERT

The carpark will be closed on Monday the 12 December for drop off in the morning. No cars will be permitted into the carpark from 6:30am to 12pm. Parents are asked to park and walk into the school on this day. We expect the move will be completed by lunch time and the drive through will operate after school as normal.

Moving ON!!

Kristy, Maddison and Matilda had a visit to the new music room and multi-purpose hall on Thursday 1st December. They were really impressed. They are looking forward to the first of many concerts on our very own new stage. 

SPOTLIGHT on Mathematics !!

On Wednesday 30 November our Intensive partnership with a spotlight on Mathematics officially came to an end. We are very appreciative of having the opportunity to work with Jan Walker and Mark Mudge from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS). Our data shows what a great success this intensive professional development has been. Our student mathematically engagement and learning outcomes have improved greatly. We have had an intensive spotlight on mathematics for the past two years and we have enhanced many aspects of our teaching & Learning in mathematics. While we will not have Jan and Mark visit our school as they have done twice each term, we will continue with our mathematics goal to further ensure powerful teaching is embedded at our school. On Wednesday, Jo, Ange and I worked with Jan and Mark on our 2023 strategic improvement plan for mathematics. I'd like to also take this opportunity to thank Joanna for all her leadership, co-ordination, professionalism and commitment to our school. Joanna is such a dedicated teacher and generously gives of herself to support our school. We are truly fortunate to have Jo as our Learning & teaching Coordinator.

Thank you message from Joanna to Jan and Mark

Dear Jan and Mark,

Thank you so very much for working with us these last two years. The Intensive Mathematics Partnership has been one of the best PDs we have undertaken at SFS and the journey we have been on with you has been so rewarding for our staff and students. The structure and flexibility of the PD has allowed us to really target our specific needs in Maths at SFS, which as a Maths leader has been wonderful as it has allowed us to really achieve the goals in Maths we set for ourselves as a staff and school two years ago. But while being part of this partnership has been so rewarding it would not have been the case without the two of you - I hope you both realise just how wonderful you are as presenters and Educators of Teachers - your passion, humour, willingness to listen, support, feedback, and knowledge has been truly appreciated. We have learnt so much but we have had so much FUN along the way too!

 We hope you will return to SFS one day to visit. :-)

Thanks again

Jo x 

Message from Jan to Joanna

"It has been an absolute privilege to work in partnership with you and the teachers over the past 2 years. We hope you are proud of all you have achieved, as you should be! There have been significant gains in the teaching and learning of mathematics from where the journey began at the start of 2021 and you have been instrumental in it all."

RE Survey from MACS:

I am writing to seek your input into a review currently being undertaken on the Religious Education (RE) Curriculum in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Review is being led by Ms Netina Giacco, Professor John Haldane and Professor Gerard O’Shea.

A crucial part of this review is learning from the perspectives of school parents. To gather that input, I warmly encourage you to complete a survey on RE in Catholic schools.

The survey can be accessed and completed via this link: https://onlinesurvey.cecv.catholic.edu.au/surveys/2022-RE-Curriculum-Review-Survey

The survey questions are broad and open-ended, in order to allow you to provide as much or as little input as you feel appropriate. You can complete it with any, and varying, level of detail - as you see fit. Contribution to the survey will be anonymous, although the survey does request some demographic information about you, in order to contextualise results.

In acknowledging the challenges and pressures on everyone at this time of year, the deadline for responses has been set to 20 December 2022.

I am grateful for your assistance and support in this important work.

Kiss and Go Zone

Our Drive through is a Kiss & Go zone. The Kiss & Go Zone is a short term stopping area which will enable your child to walk between your car and the school, using the safety of the footpath. 

You are allowed to stop and park your vehicle for no longer than two minutes while students exit or enter the vehicle from the kerbside doors. The zone is a designated No Parking area where you are not able to go in to the school. You need to see your child off, within the two minute time frame. 

If you need to walk your child in or spend more time at school you must park in one of the surrounding streets. The times of operation for the two minute parking zone are 8:30 am-9am and 3:20 pm-3:40 pm on school days. 

Thank you for helping to keep our children and streets safe

New Teaching Award

The Victorian Teachers Union, ANMF( Vic Branch) and AEU has negotiated a new enterprise agreement Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022 (VGSA), with the Department of Education for all State schools in Victoria, aimed at reducing excessive teacher workloads.  A key factor in the changes to allocated times is to give teachers more time to prepare lessons and to allow teachers to focus on lesson planning and other key parts of their job.

The new agreement, which was endorsed in Term 1, 2022,  has already been implemented this year, in all State schools in Victoria. This has resulted in changes to  teachers' face-to-face teaching hours, attendance, planning, collaboration and meeting times. 

Recently similar agreement Victorian Catholic Agreement - Sale was reached on the 18 August byDiocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited Schools (DOSEL) for all schools in Sale diocese for Catholic  schools from Cranbourne to Lakes Entrance. 

Currently Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic School (MACS) is in negotiation with the union IEU - Independent Education Union. Similar changes are anticipated for all MACS schools in 2023.

Currently our Leadership team and Consultative teams are investigating the implications of this new award that will likely require us to make similar changes.  We are investigating the various timetabling options so that we are prepared and able to comply with this likely change for the 2023 school year. 

 Children Arriving Before 8:30am is NOT Permitted 

This is a safety issue.

The staff of St Francis de Sales Primary School, Lynbrook are NOT RESPONSIBLE for your child's safety prior to the start of the school supervision time. 

Supervision is currently from 8:30am -3:40pm

We are alarmed at the children being dropped off prior to 8:30. We even had two children this week who headed to Banjo Paterson Reserve to play at 8 am as they had arrived to school too early!! 

Parents who currently drop children to the school prior to 8:30 am are in breach of school policy.

The current teaching day commences at 8:30 am. Teachers who arrive to school early are there of their own volition to plan for their day. They are NOT on duty to supervise children.

From Monday 5 December 2022 ALL school gates will open from 8:30am ( Including car park)

 We will need to meet with any families who are putting their child at risk by leaving them unsupervised outside the gate, on the street!! 

If your child walks to school, please consider when they leave from home.

We ask parents who need to go to work  and need to drop their child early to organise for the use of Before Care - Kharisma Kids or make alternative care arrangements. 

In addition the supervision after school finishes currently at 3:40 pm. If your working hours makes picking up your child difficult, you should be using Kharisma Kids or make alternative care arrangements. Children who are not picked up by 3:40 are sent to the Principal's office and I will need to meet with parents who are not respectful of the hours of work of our staff.

In preparation for 2023 changes, we will be strictly adhering to these times and ensuring all families are complying with school policy.

World Cup Qatar 2022 Australia v Denmark: Socceroos claim 1-0 victory to move through to final 16

We have made history and are in the round of 16 for the second time ever!! What a great achievement. The next game is against Argentina on Sunday 4 December at 6am. 

Go Socceroos!

Have a great weekend.  

Regards

Christine White

Principal