Principal's News Flash 

Corinne Pupillo

Dear parents, carers and friends of the school community,

Welcome back, everyone! I hope that our families have enjoyed the school holidays and spending time with family and friends. 

I would like to acknowledge and thank all of those who are diligently working behind the scenes to provide the rich educational experience our students deserve.   I would also like to make a special mention of the teaching teams who have been completing formative and summative assessments which inform your child's Personalised Learning Support Plan which was sent home to parents and carers at the end of the last term.

Hume - Merri-bek  Conference 27 & 28 April 

The Principal Class Team attended the annual Hume - Merri-bek conference held in Creswick.  The Framework for Improving Student Outcomes 2.0, with the inclusion of well being was the focus for all school leaders in the Hume and Merri-bek network.   

Some of our local schools showcased how they are integrating well-being to their schools strategic plan.  JSA is at a pivotal point where we are commencing our new strategic plan and we can utilise the leanings from other schools to inform our Annual Implementation Plan. We are grateful for the opportunity to step away from the school to attend such important opportunities. 

MEES Bus Training Monday 1 and Monday 8 May 

Building a positive relationship with MEES Bus drivers and chaperones is an important factor when creating consistency in practices.   Assistant Principal Eva Primarolo and our Occupational Therapists , Tara Martin and Tiffany Wasnig facilitated 2 x 1 hour sessions that focuses on strategies that support students to travel safely to and from school in the bus.  Five of the seven bus chaperones also work at JSA and we are fortunate to have their skills and knowledge to support students.   Thank you to MEES staff for participating in the sessions. 

Mother's Day 

Wishing all our Mums a very special Mother's Day on Sunday 14 May.  I hope you all manage to celebrate this special day and receive a gift from our Mother's Day stall which will be open on 11 & 12 May!  

A special thank you to Lisa Sette and her team of helpers for all their support with the 2023 Mother's Day stall.  

Term 2 Student Support Group Meetings 

The term Student Support Group (SSG) meetings are a vital way to support students learning and well-being development.  SSG meetings will be conducted after school again this term. The aims of the Student Support Group are to: 

• ensure that those with the most knowledge of, and responsibility for the student, work together to establish shared goals for the student's educational future; 
• plan reasonable adjustments for the student to access the curriculum; 
• provide educational planning that is ongoing throughout the student's life; 
• and monitor the progress of the student. 

Parents/carers will be given the opportunity to meet from 3.30 pm - 4.30 pm in weeks 4, 5 and 6 (Monday 15 May – Thursday 1 June). Staff are also looking forward to continuing to build positive relationships with families in order to best meet the needs of your child/ren.   

Education Support Staff Appreciation Day – 16th May

Every day, education support staff work to keep our schools running, support our students to learn and our teachers to teach.

On 16 May each year, we join unions across the world to celebrate hardworking Education Support Personnel (ESP).

The focus of the international ESP Day is to let Education Support Staff know how much they are appreciated, highlight the value of their work and most importantly seek to improve their working conditions and wages.  I encourage you to reach out to our Education Support Staff to thank them for their contributions and care.

Staffing Update 

Today we said farewell to teacher aide,  Anupama as she is moving out of the area.  We wish Anu all the best and thank her for her contributions to JSA over the past 12 months. 

Next Friday will will also farewell teacher aide, Nicole Sinclair.  Nicole will be studying and doing casual work so you never know, we may see her back in the future.  Thank you Nicole for your contributions to room 16 this year.  

A warm welcome to our new staff,  it's great to have you all on board. 

Classroom Teachers 

Primary [1.0] - Shirley Mendoza (NZ) - Commencing Term 3 

Middle [1.0] – Kathryn Scotford (NSW) - Commencing Term 3 

Middle [1.0] - Michelle Anne Davis (UK) - Commencing Term 3 

Health & Well-being Leader – Nina Cerantonio

Food Tech  – Helen Capuano  

Teacher Aides 

• Melissa Hawkes
• Poojah Pandey   
• Brooke Digney    

School Council 

Our next School Council Meeting will be held on Thursday 18 May at 5.30 pm.  

School Council Sub-Committee Representatives

• Finance Sub Committee Representative - Mark Mansfield 
• Building and Grounds Sub Committee Representative – Denise Clarke
• Fundraising Sub Committee Representative – Lisa Sette
• School Council Representative on Student Representative Council (SRC)  

Reminder: Our newsletter is published each fortnight and will provide you with important information about the school and events that may be of interest to you. I encourage you to read the newsletter that will be sent home via your home email, on the school's Facebook Page or on the school's website. 

JSA also has a Facebook Page administered by the leadership team. Please like and follow our page.

REMINDERS

Unwell Students 

Each morning when students are getting ready for school, I ask that you be mindful of how your child is presenting.  If they/he/she is feeling/looking/acting unusual or is complaining of being unwell please take them to the doctor. Minimising the cross-infection will assist in reducing the risk of spreading bugs and viruses.

All student absences can be made through the dedicated student absence notification number. Text the student's name, room number and reason for absence.

Make sure you have the student absence notification number saved in your contacts: 

Aerial View - Jacana School for Autism

This aerial photography has captured our school from above to complement our school's Virtual School Tour. Please take a look and see how wonderful the facilities look from above. 

Sun Smart 

Dear parents/carers JSA is a SunSmart community. You can help our students to be SunSmart at school by:

1. Dressing them in clothing that covers as much skin as possible.
2. Apply a generous amount of SPF30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen at the start of the day before drop-off.
3. Packing their sun-protective hat each day.