Principal's Report 

Welcome  

As we settle into first term our learning programs are in full swing and the students are continuing to form positive relationships with their peers in their class and section. Thank you to all members of the school community for your adaptation last week to Remote Learning 3.0 which thankfully lasted only three days. We were mindful of the stress that compulsory home schooling can place on families, particularly as it was announced at such short notice. Optional activities were provided and parents were encouraged to contact teachers if they required support with wellbeing or the work provided. Fingers crossed that remote learning will not be required again!

Curriculum Days

Government schools in Victoria are required to have four Curriculum Days (Pupil Free Days) each year. Concord School, as we do each year, had two of these days at the beginning of the year. I can advise that the two remaining Curriculum Days for the year will be on Tuesday, 4th May and Monday, 1st November (Day before Melbourne Cup Day). Please make a note of this in your calendars.

Concord School Council 2021

During the recent process to establish the Concord School Council for 2021, the number of nominations equalled the number of positions available so an election was not required. Please find below the membership of the 2021 School Council.

Upcoming School Event: Meet the Teacher Evening

The Meet the Teacher Evening will be held next Tuesday evening with parents given the choice of an on-site or Webex meeting. Parents have been given the opportunity to have a 15 minute 1:1 interview with their child’s teacher. A ‘Getting to Know My Child’ sheet will be used to guide a conversation through which the teacher will gain an understanding of your child as a learner. Teachers will also discuss homework expectations and ‘Communication at Concord School’ with each family. Please make your appointment booking on Compass.

Please note that, for parents attending on-site, the teachers of Specialist subjects will be available to meet with parents on a ‘drop-in’ basis.

School Communication and the Use of Compass

Concord School has communicated with the school community for several years through the Compass online portal which can be accessed via either a web browser or phone app.

Daily communication between the teacher/school and parent/carer will now occur only through email within Compass. Communication Books will not be used. Please be aware that the information previously shared through Communication Books can still be shared through Compass email. Compass has a number of benefits as it is a one stop shop for school communication and it is responsive whilst being time efficient.

Compass email is simple to use. When you open your portal, click on ‘Send email to (my child’s name) teachers’. Other staff are then listed and can also be added.

Compass is used to:

-communicate information between the teacher/school (academic and extra-curricular)      and parent/carers

-give permission and make payments for incursions, excursions and camps

-indicate and explain absences

-receive school newsletters

-book Parent-Teacher interviews

-access student reports

-order school photos

It is important that you use Compass and check your emails regularly. Further information and training will be provided over the coming weeks. If you have any questions regarding Compass including assistance with logging on, please contact Karen Jordan on   Karen.Jordan@education.vic.gov.au  or 9467 3972.

Privacy Policies

The Department of Education and Training (the Department) and Concord School as an extension of this are committed to protecting the personal and health information that we collect, hold, manage, use, disclose and transfer. Please read below to understand our processes around privacy.

During the ordinary course of your child’s attendance at our school, school staff will collect your child’s personal and health information when necessary to educate your child, or to support your child’s social and emotional wellbeing or health. Such information will also be collected when required to fulfil a legal obligation, including duty of care, anti-discrimination law and occupational

health and safety law. If that information is not collected, the school may be unable to provide optimal education or support to your child, or fulfil those legal obligations.

For example, health information may be collected through the school nurse, primary welfare officer or wellbeing staff member. If your child is referred to a specific health service at school, such as a Student Support Service officer, or school-engaged psychologist, the required consent will be obtained.

Our school may use online tools, such as Compass and other software, to effectively collect and manage information about your child for teaching and learning purposes, parent communication and engagement; student administration; and school management purposes. When our school uses these online tools, we take steps to ensure that your child’s information is secure. If you have any concerns about the use of these online tools, please contact us.

School staff will only share your child’s personal or health information with other staff who need to know to enable the school to educate or support your child, or fulfil a legal obligation.

When our students transfer to another Victorian government school, personal and health information about that student will be transferred to that next school. Transferring this information is in the best interests of our students and assists that next school to provide optimal education and support to students.

In some limited circumstances, information may be disclosed outside of the school (and outside of the Department of Education and Training). The school will seek your consent for such disclosures unless the disclosure allowed or mandated by law.

Our school values the privacy of every person. When collecting and managing personal and health information, all school staff must comply with Victorian privacy law. For more information about privacy including about how to access personal and health information held by the school about you or your child, see our school’s privacy policy: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Pages/schoolsprivacypolicy.aspx

Throughout this notice, ‘staff’ includes principals, teachers, Student Support Service officers, youth workers, social workers, nurses and any other allied health practitioners and all other staff at our school. This includes employees, agents and service providers (contractors) of the Department, whether paid or unpaid.

School Council President Report-Mark Lancaster

Please find below President Report from School Council meeting.

School Council meeting was held on Monday 15 February 2021 in which the following matters were discussed:

School Council Elections  

Concord School Council composition consists of 7 parents, 3 community members, 5 staff members and 2 students (exempt). There was one new nomination from outside the current School Council group. This  nomination was from Peter Joint and will fill Tammy Johnston's parent role in which Tammy has elected not to re- nominate. Flora Nixon was co-opted to fill Sam Birrell’s Casual Vacancy. Community Members are invited on by School Council. At completion of the meeting in the absence of Mark Lancaster and Jo Huybers, School Council recommended and agreed that Mark Lancaster and Jo Huybers will remain and be co-opted members in 2021. 

Student Enrolment 

Current enrolment of the school is 436 Students.

Variation to School Day for SSG’s  

Discussion was held regarding a variance to the school day for April 27th. Further discussion will take place at Leadership and at the next meeting.

Building Works 

Architect firms together with the VSBA and Leadership will attend both the Watsonia and Bundoora Campus to walk through and discuss the tender and proposal process for future works. A review and interview process will take place with the appointment of a suitable architect. Further information will be shared at the next meeting.

2021 Curriculum Days

Previous Curriculum Day dates tentatively approved were 26th April and 7th June. Leadership requested in which School Council have approved to amend dates to 4th May and 1st November 2021.

Student Representative Council/Indigenous Emblem School Hats

SRC members are currently being selected. SRC meetings will be on the Tuesday prior to School Council meetings at 2:15pm. A student in Year 12 has created an indigenous emblem which the Koori students would like to see put onto a school hat and made available for all students at Concord School to purchase. The idea for the emblem was developed by the Indigenous students on the Bundoora campus. The emblem has been drawn in traditional indigenous style, by one of our year 12 students. The inner circle of the emblem shows a group of people meeting, while the designs in the outer ring depict people from different mobs and country. This represents the members of the Concord School Koorie Kids Club. School Council are very impressed with this idea and moved a motion for the Emblem be added to the school hat and be an optional purchase as part of the school uniform. School Council would like to thank the Year 12 student and the Koorie team for their dedication and design, well done!

Home School Communication Plan

Jason presented a draft of the proposed Home-School Communication Plan. Discussion was held, feedback provided and will be actioned and taken back to Leadership and presented at the next meeting.

Permission to finish early on the last day of each term

Motion passed for School to finish at 2.30pm on the last day of terms 1, 2 and 3 and at 1.30pm on the last day of Term 4.

Next School Council Meeting: 

Monday 15th March 7pm (2020 AGM @ 6.30pm)

Principal Award - Emma Wiid

Emma has transitioned easily into UPG, she has a lovely personality, she is a wonderful friend and is always kind to others.

Emma enjoys the stories, activities and the students in Upper Primary. On Wednesday afternoon during the swimming elective, Emma tries her hardest to perform all the swimming instructions to the best of her ability. She is very organised and helpful in the classroom.

 Well done Emma on your Principal award.

"Students striving to be the best they can be"

Jason Coningsby

Principal