Assistant Principal's Report
Dear Families,
Recently, Michael and I had the opportunity to hear from and meet Dr Jared Cooney Horvath (pictured).
Jared is the author of The Digital Delusion, a book that all EPS staff have been reading as part of our ongoing professional learning and conversations about technology, devices and their role in education.
It was a fantastic opportunity to hear directly from Jared, challenge some of our thinking and continue reflecting on how we can make purposeful, evidence-informed decisions about the use of technology at EPS.
Book Week Parade – Child Safety Standards Review
Our recent Book Week Parade was a wonderful community event, and it was fantastic to see so many parents/carers join us.
As part of our usual post-event review process, we reflected on what worked well and whether there were any small changes we could make to strengthen our arrangements for future events.
The parade was a very positive and successful event. One area we identified for improvement was making the boundaries between student areas and parent/carer viewing areas even clearer. With large numbers of visitors onsite, clearly designated spaces will help staff maintain effective supervision and meet their duty of care responsibilities, while also making the event easier to manage for everyone.
For future large community events, we will look to:
- provide clearly marked parent/carer viewing areas
- use visual markers such as cones or barriers where appropriate
- communicate viewing arrangements before the event
continue reviewing large events through a child safety standards and risk-management lens.
We are very proud of the way the Book Week Parade was enjoyed by students, staff and families, and we look forward to continuing to welcome our community into the school in a way that is safe, clear and enjoyable for everyone.
R U OK Day?
While R U OK? Day provided an important opportunity for our classrooms to focus on student health and wellbeing, we also wanted to take some time to recognise and support the wellbeing of our incredibly hardworking staff.
One of our recent staff meetings was dedicated to connection, reflection and a little bit of fun. Staff worked through a range of Respectful Relationships activities focused on recognising strengths, building connections and appreciating the qualities each person brings to our school community.
And, because everyone enjoys a little friendly competition, we finished with a LEGO Masters challenge. Staff teamed up with colleagues they may not usually work closely with, created something together and then pitched the story behind their creation.
It was a lovely opportunity to connect, laugh and step away from the usual meeting agenda for an afternoon. Most importantly, it was our way of saying a very big thank you to our staff for the care, energy and commitment they bring to EPS every day.
Homework Policy Review
Homework Policy Review
Please refer to Michael’s recent Compass News Item, which provides an update on our new Homework Policy and the changes we will be implementing moving forward. A key inclusion is that homework will not require the use of a device.
As we come to the end of Term 3, I would like to take a moment to thank our students, staff and families for another incredibly busy and rewarding term at EPS.
Leanne Williams