PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

ear Parents/Carers,

On Friday 12th August at 7.30pm, the St Agnes’ Parents & Friends Committee presents a fundraising and social event for the parents and friends of our school. All parents of our school and friends from outside of our school are invited and encouraged to attend. We have long been starved of these types of social events and it promises to be a fun, light-hearted night. Like the Fete earlier this year, these events really do strengthen the culture of a school. It connects parents and families together through shared experience, further developing relationships that can only enhance the educational journey of your child. Get a babysitter organised, don your flanny and come along. Book now by clicking on the button below! 

Family Maths Night

On Tuesday 9th August at 6.30pm, we have the St Agnes’ Family Maths Night. This session will commence with a presentation from classroom teachers, followed by engagement in learning experiences, as they would happen in the classroom. Mathematics often doesn’t get the ‘air time’ of Reading and Writing, so this experience is an excellent opportunity to engage with your children about a key, fundamental aspect of the curriculum at St Agnes’. The evening will be spent in classrooms with your children. As it is a whole school event, it is expected that all children are in attendance with at least one parent. 

Peer Observation

As a staff, we are committed to ongoing improvement of our practice. As part of our School Improvement Plan, we have commenced a cycle of ‘Peer Observation’ in Mathematics, with a focus on fractions and multiplicative thinking. The staff work in teams, and collaboratively plan lessons to challenge and engage our students. One teacher is the ‘lead teacher’ in each lesson, while the other teachers observe, support with small groups and provide feedback to our lead teacher. We then collaboratively plan the next lesson, with another teacher taking the lead and the cycle continues. Both Louisa Di Pietro and I are participating in this with the staff and it has been amazing to see what our children can do, but also where there are some gaps in their knowledge or strategies. This is a process we will engage in regularly, in various areas of the curriculum in the coming terms and years.

Changes to the Child Safe Standards

In July 2021, the Victorian Government announced new Child Safe Standards (CSS) to further strengthen child-safe environments and protect children from abuse. From 1 July 2022, 11 new Victorian Child Safe Standards have replaced the seven previous Child Safe Standards (and principles) which had been in place since 2016.

The revised Victorian CSS support greater national consistency, reflecting the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, developed following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The CSS include new requirements, including:

• the involvement of families and students in child safety efforts
• focus on the safety of Aboriginal children and young people
• management of the risk of child abuse in online environments
• governance, systems and processes to keep students safe.

The CSS are underpinned by Ministerial Order No. 1359 (MO 1359), which was released by the Victorian Government on 10 February 2022. MO 1359 defines the actions schools and school boarding premises must take to meet the requirements associated with the new CSS. MO 1359 replaces the previous Ministerial Order No. 870.

What does this mean for schools?

As Catholic educators, we have a moral, mission-driven and legal responsibility to uphold and actively promote the wellbeing and safety of every student entrusted to our care.

At St Agnes’ we are committed to the protection of students in a nurturing, respectful and safe community where the uniqueness and dignity of every young person are celebrated and they are able to flourish in their learning and development. We have updated our current child safety policies to ensure we meet the requirements of the new standards. These policies can be found on our school website. We look forward to continuing this partnership with our families and community.

Catholic schools are well-placed to respond to the changes because the extensive strategies and policies already in place for the wellbeing and safety of every child will help them be compliant with the new CSS. Further to compliance, being a child safe organisation is an ongoing process of continual review and refinement which is significantly dependent upon strong leadership and culture, policies and procedures, staff education and training, and the active participation of children, young people and their families.

New Child Safe Standards:

1. Culturally safe environments – 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.
2. Leadership, governance and culture – Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
3. Child and student empowerment – Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
4. Family engagement – Families and communities are informed, and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
5. Diversity and equity – Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
6. Suitable staff and volunteers – People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
7. Complaints processes – Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.
8. Child safety knowledge, skills and awareness – Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
9. Child safety in physical and online environments – Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
10. Review of child safety practices – Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
11. Implementation of child safety practices – Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

On the afternoon of Wednesday 12th July, all staff gathered to review the new Child Safe Standards. This was an opportunity to review each standard and affirm what current

practices we have implemented and embedded at our school.

P&F Committee Meeting

A gentle reminder that the P&F are meeting for the first time this term on Tuesday 2nd August at 7.30pm. All parents are welcome to attend and we ask Class Representatives to make a special effort to be present please.

RSL donation

We wish to extend our gratitude to the Highett RSL for a generous donation to our school. Roger Hyde, Wellbeing Advocate from the Committee, visited our school to present a cheque of $1000 to our Social Justice Captains. Thank you to Roger and all at the RSL for your commitment to supporting those in need. It is a community partnership that is truly valued by our school.

Extend - Before School and Vacation Care

As announced earlier this term, we are pleased to confirm that Extend will offer Vacation Care onsite at St Agnes’ in the September School Holidays. The service will run four days per week, during both weeks of the holidays; Monday to Thursday. To allow this to happen, for the duration of Term Three, Before School Care will operate on Monday and Wednesday mornings only. I encourage all families who require either or both of these services to make your bookings early and often. The more these services are utilised, the better chance we have of maintaining and growing these.

Assembly

Assemblies will continue to operate as normal this term, in the Hall on Wednesday afternoons at 2.40pm. Parents are welcome to attend. At assembly, there will be presentations from classes, student awards, birthday acknowledgements and special announcements.

Wed 27th July - Year 6

Wed 3rd Aug - Prep

Wed 10th Aug - Year 5

Wed 17th Aug - Year 3

Wed 24th Aug - Choir

Wed 31st Aug - Year 1

Wed 7th Sept - Year 4

Wed 14th Sept - No class presentation

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Kind regards,

Lachie.