Principal's Report

As we progress our school, we are delighted with the progress we are making with high quality teaching and learning, and the readiness of my staff for the implementation of the new and revised Victorian Curriculum in 2025.

Recently my visits and involvement with Education Ministers and senior Department of Education personnel in South Australia and Western Australia have reflected greatly the changing mood across the nation to ensure that not only are our students achieving at a high level, but that they are enthused, supported and connected to ensure positive mental health and wellbeing.

At Chatham I believe we very much have a culture and value system that embodies these two significant objectives.

At the achievement level, our school reflects classrooms and specialist areas that are calm, ordered, engaging, predicable and safe for students to feel confident and be exploratory and deeper thinkers. This of course is scaffolded by our enduring school motto of 'Being Safe, Being Fair and Being Kind’. Increasingly over the course of the school week my Assistant Principal and myself are involved in direct teaching in all classes and a high level of immersion with students as they progress learning goals and intentions. Over the coming months I see a major shift in schools across all sectors as we address a range of educational and societal concerns that are impacting schools going forward. Some of these are the following:

Behavioural Curriculum 

This current term refers to a myriad of social expectations and mores that many of us take for granted. The manner in which students move in and around the school and other places; the way in which they address other adults known or unknown; the manner in which they present in conducting themselves in a range of social circumstances; the extent to which they can adapt to social arrangements and self-regulate, and more specifically, the way in which they not only know the school values but demonstrate them in a range of circumstances, are all dimensions to this complexity. Highly skilled and experienced educators manage such nuances in every interaction throughout the course of the school day. Again, I believe paradoxically that in the coming times of less formality, there is an increased desire to still ensure such behaviours are known, acknowledged and developed.

Social Media

The impact of this on students both at primary and secondary level is becoming profound and many schools particularly at the secondary level, are endeavouring to manage the significant fallout in this regard. The clash with assumed and expected social mores is constantly challenged and diminished in some places. This is not only a problem at many independent schools where access to the latest iPhones and related technological expressions may not be of the same financial restraints experienced by other families. My colleagues advise me this causes no end of problems with a sense of self-worth in students, bullying and other interchanges, that impacts them invariably in every aspect of their lives.  Whilst the impact on girls above ten is well researched and discussed, it is also a problem for boys. I would strongly encourage parents to think carefully about what they do in this space and how the modelling provided to their children impacts their sense of self, wellbeing and priorities. I expect that we will have a lot more to do in this space in the near future.

In the meantime, we have made our expectations clear in relation to the use of smart watches. This is well understood and I would ask parents to assist us in this regard by ensuring that watches, if worn, are on ‘school mode’ or other similar settings.

Parent-Teacher Partnerships

The connectivity with teaching staff in their busy and demanding tasks is challenging. I am always delighted and know we are still in this together when I hear of parents openly using our school motto, 'Be Safe, Be Fair and Be Kind’ in their parenting at home. More basically, even the issue of homework provision; what is provided and the support and connection of parents to these tasks with their children is crucial in building these connections and assisting students in their self-discipline and choice. Recently I communicated to parents of Years 5 and 6 students about this matter. The open quality of regard you have for your child’s teacher and how your expectations are communicated, has a profound bearing on your child’s level of engagement and success for the longer term. Again, if there are matters of concern, please refer these discreetly to your child’s class teacher.

High Expectations, Teaching and Learning, and Privileging Time

Increasingly we have high levels of collaboration between our teaching staff as we ensure the student assessment data provided from our Chatham Schedule of Assessment assists in the effective differentiation of learning tasks, particularly in English and Mathematics. Increasingly our staff are immersed in Professional Learning Communities, which not only ensures consistency and continuity of the curriculum scope and sequence but also more comprehensively analyses the individual student achievement data in each cohort. Where we believe students require additional support to meet expectations, teachers will develop an Individual Education Plan for those students with the parents. Of significance also, are the differentiated approaches and tasks created for those students who are clearly performing above expectations. Increasingly our teachers are focussed on such matters and we have engaged two valuable Department of Education personnel to work with our staff in this regard over the coming two terms. Ultimately this will also have a positive impact on the depth of reporting evident in the final Year Level Reports in December 2024 for all students.

Instructional Models

Currently we have well-established instructional models for the teaching of numeracy, reading and writing. We are currently reviewing these with staff based upon current and informed research, and refining these for the future. This involves considerable professional learning by staff and high levels of reflective thinking and actions. Whilst we are very focussed upon High Impact Teaching Strategies, we are now also informed by the provision of High Impact Wellbeing Strategies that focus quite specifically on the behaviours, orientation and interventions by the teacher. In time I look forward to sharing these details more fully so that parents can also draw these into their parenting orientations. Ultimately the immersion of these two considerations reflects a teacher of exceptional but expected capacities at our school. Currently, our Professional Learning Communities are led by Ms Kirstie Briggs at Years Foundation to Year 2, Mr Sam Norris at Years 3 & 4 and Mr Zac Barry at Years 5 & 6.

Chatham Music Week

Perhaps on a lighter note we are enthused about the provision of Music Week from Monday 3rd June – Friday 7th June 2024, which Mr James Rampant our teacher of Performing Arts and Music has established. This will commence on Monday morning at our School Assembly and also involve performances by students before and after school with instruments on the asphalt area outside School Hall and outside the Hall foyer looking towards Banool Road. Students will perform on the piano, violin, guitar, drums and other instruments, and will be involved in dance and other expressions. Again, we encourage our parents to come along and enjoy the experience. A timetable is provided below and on the 'Calendar Dates' page of this newsletter.

Working Bee – Sunday 26th May 2024

Thank you again to Mr Ashley Davies, the Buildings and Grounds committee members and many parents who assisted on Sunday between 2:00pm and 5:00pm. This involved moving mulch to garden beds around the kitchen garden and other areas, clearing garden beds and erecting gates and fencing. Again, I advise that the mulch for the play areas will be arriving in the vacation. Please contact Mr Ashley Davies at ashleygdavies@gmail.com

Grandparents Day - Thursday 23rd May

With over two hundred grandparents in attendance last Thursday 23rd May, our school was humming with excitement and awe as these keen participants moved throughout the school. Many were able to visit classrooms and specialists’ areas keen to share and talk about their own school life. Others intrigued us all with pieces of technology from a bygone era that had been well enhanced and/or updated by this time. Following these classroom and specialist visits, it was quite embracing for these people to visit our hall, to enjoy a magnificent morning tea provided by our parents and hear the school song being performed by our Year 5 & 6 students with Ukuleles. Thank you again to Mr James Rampant for preparing our students, and Ms Jo Haddock and our helpers in providing an appetising morning tea.

Again, we have so much to report to you at this time.

Christopher Cotching

Principal