Principal's Report 

It has been a positive and calm start to our term with students settling into their new grades, making new friends and starting to engage with their learning. We have had a number of wonderful activities take place across the school, including District Swimming, 5/6 Hockey Clinics, Level 4 Lacrosse Clinics, Parent / Teacher Get to Know You Interviews, a School Council meeting and our first Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships Lead School meeting. Our Principal Team attended the Inner East Principal Forum and members of the Leadership Team attended the first of a three day series of Numeracy Teaching Professional Learnings offered by the network. 

Inner East Principal Forum

Liam and I attended the Inner East Principal Forum on Wednesday 15th February. The theme was Opportunities, Challenges and Priorities and we joined over 400 Principals across the region to hear from Karen Money - the NEV Regional Director, Tim Binks - Workforce Policy and Strategy, Jane Crew-Reid and Isobel McLennan - School Operations, and Robyn Burke - Regional Operations. The sessions incorporated challenges facing the education sector, including staffing shortages, recruitment and Principal wellbeing. We also covered three Department reforms - The Mental Health Menu, Inclusive Education and Senior Secondary reform. 

We took the time to celebrate some of Victoria's NAPLAN results. Which despite extended periods of remote and flexible learning, are very strong. 

Rangeview School Council 

We have recently run our School Council election and I am pleased to declare the poll and announce to the Community the members of Rangeview School Council 2023. 

Parent Members

Simon Davies

Sartaj Singh

Christine Robinson

Fiona Hall 

Paul Wong 

Chris Stolke

Cassandra Morris 

Lauren Harbeck

Michelle Cooke

Ambrin Ali

Rangeview School Employee Members

Marika Ferguson

Joanna Davidson 

Kate McLeod

Liam Sommers

Mitchell Clark 

I would like to thank all of the members for their support and willingness to contribute to the school in this way. I extend a special thanks to Sherol Singh who has acted as our School Council President for the last two years. Sherol has taken the school through a year of school review and a change of Principal. Her positive and enthusiastic support has been much appreciated. I look forward to working with our new School Council group over the coming terms and I encourage the community to approach your School Council members with any feedback or queries you may have. 

The school we have, is the one we build together. 

Camps

Rangeview will be holding a Level 3, 4, 5, and 6 camp this year and a Level 2 sleepover. This rich camping program is a valuable part of our student’s learning and engagement and has been thoroughly embedded in the school’s culture. Our students learn independence, resilience, grit, flexibility and coping skills through our camping program and the relationships they form with each other and with the staff, are greatly strengthened by the experience. 

The new VGSA requires that all staff who attend camp – teachers and ES – are accruing TIL for the hours that they work beyond the 38 hour week. As schools are not funded to cover the TIL for camps we will need to make some adjustments in 2023 in order to accommodate the continuation of our camping program and also pay staff for TIL. 

• We will be taking parent/carer volunteers to all of our camps and sleepovers in a ratio of less than or equal to 50% of staffing
• We will be running a whole school fundraiser for each camp – usually a free dress and ice pole day
• We will be increasing the cost of the camp to families by a small amount

With these measures in place we can continue to offer this excellent program for our students and families. 

Pupil Free Days

We commenced the term with our first Pupil Free Day on Friday 27th January. 

We have a second Pupil Free Day planned for Term 1 on Friday 31st March. The staff will be working on this day with specialists from the DET Regional Office around building a context specific Phonics Model for Rangeview which we can utilise from Levels 2 – 6. Our Level 1 team will be participating in the Little Learners Love Literacy (LLLL) training on this day which will bring them up to the same training level as our Foundation team who were trained at the end of 2022. We will have 2 more Curriculum Pupil Free Days over Terms 2 – 4 and one Professional Practice Day (PPD) which is Pupil Free. These dates are yet to be determined. 

Our OSH Club will be operating on Friday 31st March for any families who require care on this day. 

Term 1 Working Bee

Our first Working Bee for the year is set for Sunday 19th March from 9am – 12pm. We will be focusing on spreading soft fall under all of our four playgrounds, weeding and pruning, and general grounds clean up and repair. As usual we have a BBQ planned for our family helpers. 

Harmony Day 3rd April

Once each term we have a whole school celebration day. This term we will be celebrating Harmony Day on Monday 3rd April. There will be a focus on cultural diversity and students will be working in buddy grades on activities and lessons that educate and celebrate our community’s cultural diversity. We will encourage our students to come to school in a costume that represents their cultural heritage and we will have a whole school assembly to begin the day. We encourage parents to attend this assembly. 

Parking

We ask that our community please be aware of our local residents during pick up and drop off each day. Please abide by the parking rules and don't park across driveways or in No Standing zones. We are aware that reports have been made to the Council and we expect that parking inspectors will be visiting the school in the coming weeks. 

Parents & Friends

We had a group of wonderful parents volunteer to assist our German Team to make 90 Schultuten for our new Foundation students. This  lovely German tradition sees the Level 5/6 buddies decorate then present a colourful Schultuten filled with stationary gifts to thier Foundation buddy to start the year. 

Thank you to the parents who came to help out! 

Facilities Update

Rangeview received three grants in 2021 for the purpose of Grounds and Facilities upgrades. Any project with a total cost of over $200 000 must be project managed and overseen by the Department of Education. 

Grant 1

Rangeview received a $400 000 grant from the Department of Education for the purpose of an amenities upgrade – senior block. This project was completed in Term 4, 2022. The new toilets are in full use and are appreciated by students from Level 2 – 6. 

Grant 2

Rangeview received a $200 000 grant from the Department of Education for the construction of an Inclusive Playground constructed on the banks of the oval.  The Snakes and Ladders playground is currently under construction and is due for completion before the end of Term 1. 

Grant 3

Rangeview received a $25 000 grant from the Department of Education to construct a new shade sail over the Library deck. The plan for this space is the creation of an outdoor classroom which can be used across the school in varied weather. Franklin Gem has been contracted to design, supply and install this shade sail. There have been delays to this project and we are assured it will be delivered this semester. 

Marika Ferguson

Principal