Principal's News
I have really enjoyed seeing our families in and around our school grounds this week, making the most of some more mild weather and engaging in our open classrooms on Tuesday afternoon for our Year 3- 6 students. I do enjoy the chance to catch up with you around the school and hear how your child is settling in to the new school year as we quickly work towards a close to Term 1. I write this with a Friday morning spring in my step. I am very happy to call the AFL season to a halt with Carlton sitting on top of the ladder and undefeated, long may it continue! As we enter the final two weeks of term, please acquaint yourself with some highlights and dates to be noted over the coming weeks.
Assembly
Due to Naplan testing continuing next week, we will run our Monday assembly on the 18th March at 2:45pm, this is to ensure that Naplan testing can go ahead without interruption. We will also present JSC, Taiko Club and Choir Badges at this assembly. In the final week of term, we will run an Assembly on Thursday 28th March at 2:00pm. This is also a friendly reminder that the school term finishes at 2:30pm on Thursday 28th March. Team Kids will run a program beginning at 2:30pm on that final day.
School Council Meeting
Our school council will meet on Tuesday evening for our first meeting together as a 2024 team, this meeting will sit alongside our Annual General Meeting where office bearers will be elected for the year ahead. All school council meetings are open to attendance from any members of our school community. Please email me if you would like to attend.
Year 3/4 Camp
Memories and moments are what underpin any successful school camp and I am confident that our Year 3/4 students returned back to school last Wednesday with their buckets well and truly filled. When I came up to join them on Tuesday evening, there was plenty of energy, smiles and reflections with plenty of stories to share. I really enjoy seeing students taken out of their comfort zone and challenged, camp experiences offer this in such a wonderful way. Our students were incredibly well behaved and respectful of one another, they left having ticked off a few activities that they may have previously not done before. It was great to see them enjoy themselves, challenge themselves and have a go at all their activities. My sincere thanks to our teachers and staff who joined our students and provided them with such an exciting three days.
PFC AGM
On behalf of our wonderful Parents and Friends Club (PFC), we invite you along to our PFC AGM to be held next Wednesday 20th March at 3pm. This will be held in our Common Room, next to the office. This is such a great opportunity to celebrate the wonderful achievements in 2023 from our whole school community in fundraising and providing a great assortment of activities and events that contributed so positively to our school. It is also an opportunity to delegate some roles and appoint some formal positions for the year ahead. As an incentive, we will run a door prize raffle for anyone that is in attendance. We look forward to seeing you there!
Principal Network Meetings
Over the last two weeks, Morioka sensei and I have engaged in both a Bayside Peninsula and SaGE Principal Network meetings, these are great opportunities to align our school work towards state directives and be provided with an updated with focus priorities that the Victorian Government have put forward for the year ahead. We had considerable emphasis placed on the ongoing state wide ban on mobile phones in all Victorian Government schools and the benefits of a system wide approach and consistency of this policy. We also addressed the implementation of the Mental Health funding that was provided to all schools to support evidence based approaches to cater for mental health challenges in primary and secondary schools.
A really simple prompt was shared yesterday when we discussed the notion of ‘what is learning’. A simple question but one that directly impacts what we do as teachers and school leaders. The argument put forward was that without a shared understanding of what learning is, across our system and within our own schools, we are always challenged by consistency of pedagogical approaches and consistently having impact. In a room full of school leaders, it was interesting to note that we each have very different definitions and frameworks for what learning is.
NAPLAN
The school is in the middle of the NAPLAN testing window. NAPLAN assesses skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time, through the school curriculum. NAPLAN is not a pass or fail type test, but rather shows how students are progressing in numeracy and literacy skills against national standards for all Australian children. It provides valuable information that allows schools to better target effort and support to help all students achieve their potential and acquire the basic skills to help them build successful and happy lives. I am really proud of the manner in which our Year 3 and 5 students have approached these tests and thank our teaching staff for the support they have provided our students both academically and emotionally to support them during this period.
Staffing
Over the coming weeks we have some Japanese teaching staff supporting our Year 1/2 Team whilst Kurata sensei enjoys a period of Long Service Leave. We look forward to welcoming Kurata sensei back in Term 2. We are also really excited for Ms Parkes and her fiancé Simon as they draw closer to welcoming their second little addition to the family. Ms Parkes will continue working with us until the first week of Term 2 before enjoying a period of maternity leave. We are currently working through a recruitment process for a STEM teacher to replace Ms Parkes.
Ramadan – March 11th to April 9th
Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. It is a time for spiritual purification and gratitude. Ramadan concludes with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which culminates in a celebratory feast as families gather to mark the end of fasting. I wish all members of our school community that observe Ramadan, ‘Ramadan Mubarak’.
National Close the Gap Day
National Close the Gap Day is an annual event that raises awareness and seeks to close the gap with respect to life expectancy, child mortality, educational and employment outcomes between Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and non-Indigenous Australians. More information can be found via their website.
Board of Inquiry
On the 6th March, the Victorian Government tabled the final report of the Board of Inquiry into historical sexual abuse in Beaumaris Primary School and certain other government schools. It is now publicly available online. Caulfield Primary School has no historical implications in this report but it had made for very challenging reading, in particular recognising the significant impact on survivors and victims that have shared their stories. If nothing else, the report and 9 supporting recommendations from the Board of Inquiry ensure that we are continuing to frame our work around child safety and advocate at all levels for the safety of children in all Victorian Government schools.
International Women's Day
World-renowned feminist, journalist and activist, Gloria Steinem, reportedly once explained: "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.". International Women’s Day was celebrated last Friday 8th March, it is a significant day and one that indeed provides the opportunity to reflect and acknowledge the amazing influence that women have in the lives of each of us. Importantly in our Victorian Government school system, 76% of the Victorian government teaching workforce are women and 56% of principals are women. I greatly appreciate the guidance, leadership and influence that women in my life have provided me, and I acknowledge the impact that all women in our school have to support our students and community.
Enjoy a great weekend, I look forward to seeing you around the school.
Edward Strain
Principal