Wales Street Primary Newsletter

Principals Report

 Last week we enjoyed another great start to the term with lots of smiles and holiday tales. Term 3 will be another busy one with many things to look forward to including the Olympic Day  which is only two weeks away. 

Other extracurricular activities organised for the term include:

  • Pyjama day (an idea from the JSC)
  • Olympic Day
  • Student-led conferences
  • Book week with the fabulous book parade
  • School Friendship Day
  • Athletics Day
  • Footy Day (from JSC)
  • Grade 6 Exhibition

Please refer to the calendar on the school website and the dates listed at the beginning of each newsletter.

 

The Department of Education Parents and Carers Opinion Survey

The 2024 Parent, Caregiver and Guardian Opinion Survey will be available to complete online from Monday 29 July to Friday 30 August 2024.

 

The survey seeks feedback on school climate, community engagement in learning and teaching practices for student engagement and outcomes. 

A COMPASS newsfeed will be posted on Monday 29th July to provide families with a one-time use PIN and the website to access the survey. 

 

We encourage ALL families to participate in this survey (which will take around 20 minutes). Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. The Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 26 July to Friday 30 August.

 

GETTING TO SCHOOL ON TIME!

This is a reminder that we need our students at school by 8.53am each day. 

 

As our Principal Team walk around our school each morning, we continue to notice the very settled and structured processes we have implemented to ensure our students are “set up for success” each day. This includes our 8.53am music time which is designed to provide students the opportunity to enter their classroom, say hello to their teachers and get organised for the day of learning which starts at 9am sharp.

 

However, we also still see some students arriving after 8.53am. You would be amazed at the effect even a few minutes late each day can have over a longer time frame. So, with this in mind we are encouraging everyone to be at school by 8.53am ready to go! 

 

We have also been seeing an alarming number of students coming as early as 8:15am. Teachers are not on duty until 8:45am, so there is no supervision in the yard so it is unsafe for any student to be in the yard. If children need to be at school early due to your committments, please organise your child/children to go to before school care.

 

Building Works Update

Ramps: We were a bit surprised to see all the ramps, except the one outside Renee's room, Grade 1A demolished and in various stages of completion when we returned from holidays. This was not communicated with the school. There have been some hold ups due to the weather and rotting sleepers along the Clyde Street ramp that are now being replaced with concrete sleepers, a wider door being ordered for the performing arts door to make it wheelchair friendly and steel components being made for the Speight Street ramp. There has been no work completed this week, but they will recommence next week. We are also meeting with the builders onsite early next week. 

 

Our painting works will continue next week. They will finish the outside windows of the Speight Street building on the second level and paint the St David building.

 

School Saving Bonus 2025

 

You may have seen the recent announcement of the School Saving Bonus, as part of the Victorian Budget 2024/25. We are sharing more information about how families will be able to access and use this support. This one-off support will include $400 for each eligible student to help families cover the costs of school uniforms and activities in 2025. It will be available to parents and carers of every child enrolled in a Victorian government school in 2025. Cash will not be paid directly to individuals or families. Instead, families will receive the bonus as credits on their school accounts that will help meet the costs of your children’s activities and uniforms. The School Saving Bonus support will be in addition to existing and continuing means-tested supports for camps, sports, excursions and uniforms. The application-based Affordable School Uniform program, through State Schools’ Relief, will continue to be available to families experiencing financial hardship or other forms of vulnerability and short-term crisis. There will be more information and guidance about the School Saving Bonus later in Term 3, 2024, ahead of its implementation in 2025.

 

Dress Code Policy

All staff have chatted to their students about our new Dress Code Policy. As of next week, if students are out of uniform, families will receive a compass notification similiar to a sunsmart hat notification. I thank parents and carers in advance for supporting the school in this.