Principal's Report

24th February 2023

Peer Mediators

Our Peer Mediator program will start in the next week. Our peer mediators are a group of Year 5 students who have been trained to solve small issues in the yard between students. Being a peer mediator helps these students to develop conflict and problem solving skills, as well as giving them an opportunity to help out around the school. Thanks to Mr Lee for running this program. 

Student Leadership, SRC, Peer Mediators and Monitor Badges

This assembly has been rescheduled for Friday 10th March on the basketball court. We are looking forward to Tina Samardzija attending, the Mayor of Monash Council who will present our students with their badges. Parents are more than welcome to attend. 

Contact Numbers / Family Details

Have your circumstances changed? Please ensure you let the school office know, as soon as possible, if you have changed address or updated mobile phones with new numbers. This information alleviates stressful situations on students when they are ill, and we cannot contact parents.

Rostella Court Concerns

Parents are reminded to pick their children up promptly from Rostella Court and remind them of appropriate behaviours while they are waiting. We have had reports of students entering private gardens, playing ball games and hoops on the road and drawing with chalk on driveways, sometimes even when their parents have been present. Clearly, these kinds of behaviours are not appropriate. Staff supervise the yard after school, not public areas such as Rostella Court. However a staff member will be in that area for the next week or so to keep an eye on student behaviours. We appreciate your support. 

Oval Works Update

Excavation of the oval has begun this week. There have been some unforeseen delays, but we have been told they won't effect the completion date towards the end of Term 2. As excavations have now begun, we recommend you don't park along the section of Threadbow Drive by the oval when dropping off and picking up your children.

New Parking Signs - Reminder

Please note the reminder below from Monash Council around the new parking restrictions. We have been informed parking inspections will be enforcing these restrictions from now on, after giving parents a few weeks to get used to the changes. 

Dear Parents, 

Safely using the Kiss & Go zone: 

The zone provides you with a safe and convenient area for dropping off and picking up your children. It’s a short-term stopping area for children to be able to walk between the car and the school using the safety of the footpath. 

Kiss & Go rules:

• The zones operate under the same conditions as ‘No Parking’ zones. You may stop in this area for up to 2 minutes to drop off or pick up children. 
• The driver must not leave the vehicle unattended. This means no more than 3 metres away from the vehicle. 
• This zone applies only during the hours of operation as indicated on the sign. 
• Remember Don’t leave your vehicle – to help with traffic flow, you should remain in the car while children get in and out. Be timely – if your child does not get in or out of the vehicle within 2 minutes you must leave and re-enter the Kiss & Go zone. 
• Stay in sequence – drop off or pick up your child close to the top of the zone, as far forward as possible. This allows vehicles following you to enter the zone in an orderly manner. 
• Child safety – please ensure children get in or out of the vehicle on the kerb side. The back seat is the safest seat for children to travel in. 
• Ensure children have their restraints securely fastened before driving off. 
• Driver duty of care – observe traffic when entering or leaving the zone. Use your indicator to advise when moving into or out of the zone. No U-turns – don’t do U-turns in busy school zones. They are dangerous and put children at risk. 

Thanks to all parents, guardians, teachers and students for your cooperation to ensure the safety of children at our school. 

Need to get in touch? Contact Transport Engineer, Wayne Xu on 9518 3228 or Wayne.Xu@monash.vic.gov.au if you have any queries regarding this matter.

School Start Time

School starts at 8:50am.  Our students are required in class by 8:50am so they can prepare for their learning and lessons which start promptly at 9am. 

There are still many families bringing these students in after 8:50am. We understand there may be exceptional circumstances why you may not be at school after 8:50am, but otherwise please get here before this time so your child can settle into class and begin their day of learning on time.

Privacy Policy

The Department of Education and Training (the Department) values your privacy and is committed to protecting information that schools collect.

All staff including contractors, service providers and volunteers of the Department, and all Victorian government schools (schools), must comply with Victorian privacy law and this policy.

In Victorian government schools, the management of ‘personal information’ and ‘health information’ is governed by Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) (collectively, Victorian privacy law). In addition, the Department and Victorian government schools must comply with the Victorian Data Sharing Act 2017.

This policy explains how Victorian government schools collect and manage personal and health information, consistent with Victorian privacy law and other associated legislation.

More information can be found at: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Pages/schoolsprivacypolicy.aspx

Curriculum Days

The school has a number of curriculum / professional practice days planned throughout the year. In addition to the curriculum days, the state government has also approved student free professional practice days (PPD) due to ongoing teacher shortages. These days are student free in 2023. On these days the teachers and staff are involved in a number of tasks such as student report writing and curriculum and lesson planning for the following terms. The dates below are the curriculum / PPD this year :

Term 1

Friday 31st March

Tuesday 4th April (half day from 12:50am for Parent / Teacher Interviews)

Term 2

Friday 9th June

Tuesday 13th June

Term 3

Monday 4th September

Term 4

Friday 24th November

Monday 4th December

The OSHC service will run a program on these days. 

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent / Teacher interviews will be held towards on the end of Term 1 on Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th April. These interviews will be held ONSITE at school. School will finish early on Tuesday 4th April at 12:50pm to allow teachers to run these interviews. 

Michael Ramsey

Principal