Principal's Update
Angelika Ireland

What our Foundation Students are Saying about School

What do you like about coming to school?

Comments from 0RC……………..

Adam	“ I like drawing pictures.”
Ariel	“ I like writing my name.”
Avi	“ I like playing outside.”
Ayda	“ I like playing outside.”
Caelan	“ I like playing with Lenny.”
Devran	“ I like running in P.E.”
Ela	“ I like learning songs.”
Elisha	“ I like going outside.”
Kayra	“ I like drawing pictures.”
Kyarna	“ I like writing my name.”
Lenny	“ I like playing cricket.”
McKenzie	“ I like playing with my friends.”
Param	“ I like playing in the courtyard.”
Shaheer	“ I like playing with my friends.”
Tahani	“ I like playing outside.”
Talia	“ I like playing outside.”
Tegarpan	“ I like going to music.”
Yunus	“ I like writing my name.”

Excursions

Various exciting excursions/incursions are organised over the course of the year by the teachers to support the learning that occurs in the classrooms for your child’s particular year level. These excursions/incursions are an integral part of your child’s learning and teaches him/her many other skills outside of the classroom.

Organisation of these excursions is quite complex – buses, notes, booking of the venue, permission forms and payments, agenda for the day, duty of care requirements met….just to name a few.

The excursion note will have an end return date for your child’s permission note and money to be returned or completed online. This is about 3 working days before the excursion to enable arrangements to be finalised eg. bus lists, medical information, confirmation of bus seating etc.

All permission notes and monies must be returned by that date. No late returns will be accepted.

1:1 Digital Technologies Program

Recently, we had some very excited Year 4 students when it was time for them to receive their new laptops. Our school has a well established 1:1 Digital Technologies program for all students in Year 4 to Year 6 with an average uptake of over 95%. This program has made a significant impact on the learning/teaching in these year levels and also impacted positively on student engagement. Our Foundation to Year 3 students are not forgotten. Foundation students have access to banks of iPads, Year 1- 2 students have 8 laptops per class and the Year 3 students have a laptop ratio of 1 to 2.

Each classroom has an Interactive Whiteboard or TV screen. The use of ICT has been greatly enhanced through student and teacher use of collaborative programs such as Office 365 programs such as, OneNote and Microsoft Teams where we educate our students in how to collaborate online and use social media in a socially acceptable way.

This year we will be introducing the online program SeeSaw as a Digital Portfolio for students in the Years 4, 5 and 6 and look forward to allowing parents a new window into their child’s learning.

All our work using Digital technology is underpinned with a strong Cybersafety message based on programs developed by the eSafety Commissioner on 'How to keep yourself safe online'.

Collection of Data

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 in the school context. 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 Services officer, the required consent will be obtained. Our school also collects information provided by parents and carers through the School Entrance Health Questionnaire (SEHQ) and the Early Childhood Intervention Service (ECIS) Transition Form.

Our school may use online tools, such as apps 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 is 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 Department of Education and Training schools’ privacy policy at the following link: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Pages/schoolsprivacypolicy.aspx

Parent Learning Helpers and Community Links Member - Parents in Partnership

It would be great to see parents who are willing to volunteer to take on either or both of the above roles. We really value the partnership between home and school and encourage parents to be part of their child’s education and be involved in our school community.

Please let your child’s classroom teacher know if you are able to be a Parent Learning Helper. Parent Learning Helpers will be contacted by their child’s class teacher when volunteers are required in the class.

Please notify the office if you are interested in being on the Community Links Committee. Parents who have volunteered for Community Links and whole school special events will be contacted by the convenors of the Community Links Committee.

The role of the Community Links Member is to…….

be part of the Community Links Committee.
assist with the organisation of whole school fundraising/special events.
communicate with parents about any upcoming school events.
liaise with parents to enlist help for school events.
assist with the Uniform Shop if able to.

The role of the Learning Helper is to…….

help out in the classroom eg. literacy or maths sessions, hearing reading, putting up displays, assist and help organise classroom activities under the direction of the teacher.
help with excursions and incursions, special class events if required.

Food for Thought:

"Don’t feel bad that your child doesn't like you today

because you said no. Your job isn’t to be liked. Your

job is to raise a decent, kind, responsible human."

Regards