Deputy Principal's Report

Deputy Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

On  the 1st July this year the new Child Safe Standards came into effect. There are now eleven standards that all organisations working with children are legally obliged to abide by.  Over the next 11 weeks I will focus on a different Standard demonstrating how St Finbar's is meeting each one.

Child Safe Standard 1 – Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued 

Some of 

the things that we do at St Finbar's to recognise, celebrate and educate our 

students about Aboriginal culture include:

• appointing Mrs Lisa Poulter as our Indigenous Perspectives Leader (along with Sustainability/Community)
• dedicated time during Planning Day each term for teachers to discuss how they will incorporate an Indigenous perspective into their program (with resources suggested by Mrs Poulter)
• school subscription to Wingaru Kids (Indigenous education program)
• staff meeting led by a representative from Wingaru Kids in order to familiarise teachers with the program
• Acknowledgement of Country at the beginning of each assembly
• whole school focus on NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week each year (with activities/resources provided by Mrs Poulter)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags are displayed on the playground, at assembly and within classroom indigenous spaces 
• Our school library has a large collection of books by Indigenous authors that celebrate Aboriginal and Indigenous culture, which are regularly updated by Narelle Connell 
• Australian Indigenous resources available for classroom teachers to use with their students
• Indigenous garden area in the John Ashe and Thomas Shery Playground
• Melissa from OHSC also runs an amazing Indigenous program

Life Ed at St Finbar's

Life Ed is Australia's largest preventive health organisation empowering children to make safer and healthier choices so they can live happier lives.  Life Ed will be visiting St Finbar's over the next fortnight, and of course Healthy Harold will be coming along as well. Since Covid, Life Ed no longer conducts their sessions in a van but will be using a classroom. 

This year's sessions will be:

Prep                  My Body Matters

Year 1               Harold's Friend Ship

Year 2               Safety Rules

Year 3               Be CyberWise

Year 4               Mind Your Medicine

Years 5 & 6     Decisions 

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)

In August of each year we are required to collect data on students with who require adjustments in their learning due to a disability. Please click on either link below to find out more about this process. 

Learning in Prep H

Michelle Hill & Steele Anderson

Deputy Principals