Principal Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we approach the middle of the term, it is so pleasing to see lots of learning and, more importantly, ‘doing’ around the school. Reading the fortnightly 'Feed Forwards' that the Learning Communities prepare shares the exciting plans ahead for our children. The 'School News' section of the newsletter allows us to hear about how their learning in class, and beyond, has been a success.

Highlights this cycle include the Prep trip to Melbourne Zoo, the students who represented the school at District Cross Country, AFL Girls Day, and the Cyber Safety incursion.

Curriculum and Assessment

In school, the teachers and intervention team have been learning a new diagnostic assessment tool for literacy called DIBLES. This will replace the system we have used over the last 6 years. The new system is evidence-based and offers a range of diagnostic screeners to support and offer a stronger indication of where a child may need support for their reading. The screeners are 60 seconds long and will be conducted during normal class time. Class teachers will be using these screeners over the last five weeks of term 2, and ongoing through the rest of the year.  

School-Wide Positive Behaviour Strategies (SWPBS)

Many schools have implemented the SWPBS approach to school and classroom behaviour. We chose to make this a priority implementation for 2026. We have well-behaved and responsible students here at Rolling Hills. The change to this approach is driven by our need to be consistent across all areas of the community, rather than any concerns we have for increasing behaviour issues. Students, teachers, support staff, and carers will all be included in the planning so we can create more alignment between everyone regarding the positive behaviours we would like to see across our school. Watch this space for more information.

Future building work

We have been working with the Victorian School Building Authority over the last 12 months to identify areas of the school that may need repairs beyond what we can manage as a school. Information has been shared regarding what those repairs will be. They will focus on the roof of the main building and Boorai, and the treatment of some of the external walls. We do not have many areas in school that include asbestos. The plans show that this will be removed. If the work happens outside of school terms, the planning will be easy; if the work is in school hours, then I will be sharing more information about how we will manage this work safely, with as little impact on students as possible.  

Play equipment

The P&F has identified new play equipment in the area between OSHC and the portable classrooms. Posters have been shared, and fundraising totals from 2025 and 2026 will be combined to make this happen. Thank you to the committee and to you, as carers, for your combined efforts to make this happen for the start of 2027.

National Sorry Day

This year, we will be gathering on Tuesday, 26th May as a school to learn about National Sorry Day, the significance to First Nations people, and how it supports our modern-day Australian society.

PROTECT

In July, our Child Safe policies will be reviewed, and any updates will be implemented. I do not expect many changes to occur across our school as we continually monitor this important area of policy and process. What has changed is the introduction of new posters to inform the community and our staff. The new posters will replace the older ones in class over the coming week.

Thanks,

Craig