Principal's Update

Angelika Ireland

ES Appreciation Day

Our Education Support staff play a pivotal role in enhancing and supporting the school operations and the learning and wellbeing outcomes of all of our students. Their roles are many and varied but all so essential to the functioning of a school.

A big, huge thank you and acknowledgement to the following ES staff:

• Tammy, Briohny, Samantha and Sandra who work in the office and are the 'face' of our school.
• Jo, Kay, Kim Ch., Kim F., Lisa, Margaret, Sheena, Shilo, Karen, Cathy and Rae who support the learning and inclusion of many of our students in classrooms.
• Joe, our maintenance person, who keeps our school grounds and buildings looking great.
• Debbie, our wonderful Library Manager.
• Esin who supports students with their reading.
• Chao, our new ICT technician who has just joined us this term.

Greenvale Primary School is a Child Safe School

Our aim is to ensure that all members of the Greenvale Primary School community (including school employees, contractors and volunteers, parents and families and visitors) have a commitment to keeping all children safe from harm in all physical and online school environments including excursions and camps. 

All organisations regulated or funded by government that provide services for children are required to work towards compliance with the Child Safe Standards. This includes government and non-government schools, education and care services.

Organisations that provide services for children that have limited or no funding or regulatory relationship with government are included also. This includes religious organisations, sport and recreation groups and coaching and tuition services for children.

Recently, our School Council reviewed the Child Safety policy at its meeting. All members of School Council are required to sign our Code of Conduct as do volunteers, tradespeople and visitors into our school when signing in on our iPad at reception. You can read this policy on our school website.

All staff, volunteers, visitors and School Council members of Greenvale Primary School (GPS) are required to observe child safe principles and expectations for appropriate behaviour towards and in the company of children, as noted below.

• adhering to the GPS child safe policy at all times / upholding GPS statement of commitment to child safety at all times.
• taking all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse.
• treating everyone with respect.
• listening and responding to the views and concerns of children, particularly if they are telling you that they or another child has been abused and/or are worried about their safety or the safety of another.
• promoting the diversity cultural safety, participation and empowerment of children 
• promoting the safety, participation and empowerment of children with a disability (for example, during personal care activities).
• ensuring as far as practicable that adults who are with a child are in view of others.
• reporting any allegations of child abuse to any of GPS’s Principal Class Officers and ensure any allegation to be reported to the police or child protection.
• reporting any child safety concerns to any of GPS’s Principal Class Officers.
• ensuring as quickly as possible that the child(ren) are safe if an allegation of child abuse is made.
• encouraging children to ‘have a say’ and participate in all relevant organisational activities where possible, especially on issues that are important to them.

For more information on the Child Safe Standards go to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing site at

https://www.dffh.vic.gov.au/publications/child-safe-standards

World of Maths - so much fun!

As part of World Maths Week, The World of Maths incursion visited Greenvale Primary School this week providing Maths challenges for all of our students from Foundation to Year 6. This incursion provided interactive learning for kids at different Maths hands-on activity stations.

I spent some time in the Gym with Year 3 and 4 classes. The students were really engaged and involved at each Maths Activity Station. The students were able to explore data, numerical patterns, measurement, counting numbers, mazes, space, calculation, probability, graphs, statistics, logical thinking, trial and error, eliminating possibilities and logical deduction.

The Teaching Excellence Program (TEP)

Two of our teachers, John Scollo and Marcel Pulo, were excited to be accepted into the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership (the Academy) 2023 Teaching Excellence Program for highly skilled teachers from government, Catholic and independent schools. The program is designed for highly skilled teachers with a minimum of 3 years' teaching experience. 

The advanced year-long professional learning program represents a significant investment in professional learning, aligned with the department's commitment to providing high-quality education to all students.

As one of the participants in this program, Marcel was interviewed by people at The Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership and his interview was posted online. We are so grateful to have such skilled and caring teachers such as Marcel at our school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKNV4-3DYic

Food for Thought

Angelika Ireland