Principal Report

Welcome to a new school year 

A new school year, new opportunities to make friends and new learning experiences to participate in. 

We were so excited to welcome our students back to school. Classes are already focusing and learning, with our Start Up program establishing the classroom learning environment across the school. 

Be sure to have a read of the Curriculum News page of this newsletter to find our about our new Mathematics Extension program and the team pages will give you a window into the start of school. 

We look forward to a wonderful year of learning. 

School Council Elections

The School Council has an important role in all government schools. 

This attachment explains the functions, powers and objectives of School Council. 

Each year half of the members of Council are up for election. We have four parent positions and two Department of Education positions up for re-election in this cycle. 

What does being on School Council involve?  

The commitment is 8-10 meetings throughout the year, usually held on the third Wednesday of each month from 7-9pm. Meetings are being held in person and online (dependant of the season). 

School Council members also belong to one sub committee:

• Finance
• Community Engagement
• Education
• Buildings and Grounds
• Marketing and communications (team who report to School Council)

Our School Council should represent who we are as a school, presenting the diverse thoughts and ideas of our community. Their role is essential to the running of the school with oversight over many areas. 

Reach out to ask questions if you want to find out more about School Council or are interested in nominating.  Call the office on 98575157 to speak to me or email our School Council President Joe Cook on joseph.cook@education.vic.gov.au for more information. 

PIVOT Survey - Student wellbeing for learning 

This year we are thrilled to be able to offer our students and staff access to the Pivot survey platform.

One of the tools that will be utilised in our classrooms is the Student Wellbeing for learning survey. This platform will allow us to measure, track and support wellbeing so that our students are best equipped to learn.

Research has shown a correlation between wellbeing, mental health, social and emotional skills and academic learning for students. Pivot Professional Learning has collaborated with wellbeing, education and mental health experts to identify the key components of wellbeing and the impact these have on a student’s ability to learn at school.

This quick and easy weekly check in is based upon leading research in the field of supporting student wellbeing in schools. Students undertake a baseline wellbeing check and then follow a weekly check in process where they respond to prompts across five components:

• General Wellbeing
• Resilience
• Belonging
• Safety
• Protective behaviours

This tool is a fantastic resource to help our students both understand how they can positively influence their own wellbeing and also gives them a clear, yet confidential, platform to communicate concerns to their classroom teacher.

Please see the below infographic which provides greater clarity and depth about the resources being used and the rationale behind this school improvement aim.

Should you have any further inquiries please feel free to contact Nick King - 

Learning Specialist - Student Voice, Agency and Wellbeing

Nicholas.king2@education.vic.gov.au

Privacy Notice for school community

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.

Please take time to read our school’s collection notice, found on our website and is attached for your information. 

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use [Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education] safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. 

If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. 

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. 

OSHC

Our Out of School Hours Care program has commenced with some exciting plans for this term, including an AFL activity on Wednesdays starting in Week 5. 

We were really pleased to note an increase in enrolments for both before school and after school care. 

See their page for more details. 

Attendance 

We are excited to welcome our students back to school. 

• Being at school is critical for your child’s learning and their mental, physical, and social wellbeing. Every day of attending school counts
• You and your child are important to our school’s community, and we have been looking forward to welcoming your child back to school at the start of Term 1
• Students and families will receive the support required to maximise attendance at school

We want to support your child to have a positive start to the year. We will do this by:

• helping your child to re-establish positive school attendance routines 
• working with you with respect to your child’s wellbeing and learning needs
• ensuring we understand where your child is up to with their learning and social-emotional development, where required providing targeted support to help them progress
• considering whether the school’s wellbeing staff and programs can help to support your child’s needs

We can provide a wide range of support for students. We understand that the reasons for not attending school can be complex. Schools have access to a range of specialist staff and programs that can provide additional support for your child, depending on their needs. This includes:

• Tutors – we will have tutors at the school to work with small groups of students to help them catch up on their learning
• Staff with expertise in mental health who can provide direct support to students or refer them to relevant external services for additional support
• Your child may need an Individual Education Plan which can help everyone involved to understand and implement the goals and strategies to help them with their learning
• Where intensive support is needed to improve your child’s attendance, we can put in place a Student Support Group to assist with understanding their needs and developing a comprehensive support plan.
• We can connect with the department’s Student Support Services who can respond to a range of student health and wellbeing needs
• We can also help connect you to a range of services outside of school that can assist you and your child. 

COMPASS 

We are all still getting to know COMPASS, thank you for your paitence and effort to learn the new system. 

A reminder absences can be added via the app or through a browser. 

The Parent Guide will inform you of a number of things you can do through COMPASS, it was sent out to all in the community but is included again for your information. 

Maintenance

Asphalting of Balwyn Road pathway and drive section at the back of the hall will commence in the week of February 27th. This will mean the bottom oval area is closed off as well as the Balwyn Road entrance to the school for the week. This is part of our ongoing work to try to improve the bottom oval. 

Class Directory reminder

All families have been sent an email via COMPASS regarding the Class Directory for 2023. If you would like your details included please complete by Friday February 17th.

Foundation Class Directory

Year 1 Directory

Year 2 Class Directory 

Year 3 & 4 Class Directory 

Year 5 Class Directory 

 Year 6 Class Directory 

BPPS Facebook and Instagram 

Don't forget to follow our social media accounts and see what is happening at school each day. Boroondara Park Primary School Facebook

Search @BoroondaraPark on Instagram to follow the school. 

Susanne Lowe

Principal