Principal's Report

Attendance Recording

As part of the school's obligation to accurately record attendance, it is essential that all absences are identified and explained. Similarly, parents and carers are responsible for ensuring that every full or partial absence is explained.

Victorian schools are legally required to monitor and record student attendance to ensure that students are participating in their education. Accurate attendance records are crucial for the safety and wellbeing of students and to fulfill legal obligations.

When using Compass or the Compass tablet in the office, you must now provide a comment explaining the reason for any late arrival, early departure, partial, or full absence.

If you leave a message on the phone system, please be sure to include the reason for the absence. If an absence is unexplained or if the reason provided is unclear, we will contact you to clarify the reason.

It is important to accurately record the reasons for student absences, whether they are due to medical appointments, family holidays, illness, or other circumstances. By providing clear explanations for these absences, you help us maintain precise records and ensure that we support our students and community the best way we possibly can. 

Call for Help at the Working Bee This Weekend

We are calling on all parents, carers, and community members to lend a hand at our Working Bee this weekend! The event will take place on Saturday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and any amount of time you can contribute will be greatly appreciated—whether you can stay for the whole morning or just an hour.

We have several tasks planned, including moving soil into garden beds, general weeding, clearing of some garden beds for some new flag poles, some painting, clearing debris left by the recent high winds, and a few other odd jobs. Your help is very much appreciated in keeping our school grounds safe, tidy, and enjoyable for our students.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Gaga Pit

Our Gaga Pit was opened to all of our students this week, and it was a HUGE hit!

We would like to thank the community for all of your efforts during the Eastland Shop for Your School Competition. The money we won from this event, along with the significant contributions from the fundraising efforts of the Parents’ and Friends’ Association, made this possible.

This is a great success for our Junior School Council, who surveyed the school and advocated for using the funds for this project. We had some very happy students playing new games together. Thank you to everyone involved!

Sunsmart Policy

The time has come to dust off the hats and start thinking about other sun protection for our students. As the weather begins to warm up, it’s important to ensure that our students are protected from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Our SunSmart Policy requires students to wear hats whenever the UV index reaches 3 or above. This is because UV levels can be harmful even on cooler or overcast days, and protecting skin from an early age reduces the risk of skin damage and long-term health issues.

I strongly encourage all of our students to start wearing hats this week to develop the habit. Hats are an essential part of our uniform during the warmer months, and wearing them regularly will help students stay safe while they enjoy outdoor activities. Please ensure that your child brings a hat to school every day.

Starting next week, wearing hats will be a mandatory expectation. If a student does not have a hat, they will be required to play in a shaded area or indoors to minimise exposure to the sun.

Community Breakfast 

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Community Breakfast on Wednesday, the 18th of September. This event is a wonderful opportunity for families, students, and staff to come together and strengthen our school community.

From 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM, we’ll be serving a variety of breakfast options, including toast, cereal, and delicious pancakes. Whether you’re dropping off your child before work or have some time to spare, we encourage you to join us for a relaxed and friendly start to the day.

We’re looking forward to sharing a meal and some great conversations with you.

Warmly,

Tim Mulhall

Principal