CHPS Newsletter

Principal's Report

From Christian's desk....

Welcome back!

Welcome back and a special welcome to our Prep students and new families. Despite a challenging series of events relating to the fire in the Middle School the year has begun wonderfully well. 

The first two days of the school year for our staff saw an incredible amount of work go into classroom set-up, curriculum planning and professional learning. Thank you to our staff for their energetic approach to our 2021 school year.  Further thanks to Groundskeeper Kim and his work on facilities maintenance and improvement over the break. 

I would like to congratulate the students, particularly the Prep and Year One students for how well they’ve settled into the school environment.  It has been pleasing to see and hear busy classrooms (and kids having fun)!

Thank-you!

Thank-you for your tremendous support over the last three weeks. It goes without saying that the fire in the Middle School caused considerable disruption, loss and a range of emotions. I would like to thank and acknowledge the community for the most overwhelming amount of support we have received from you all. The gifts and donations of books, games, vouchers and furniture has been unbelievable! What’s more, it has been invaluable and gone a long way to recovering the thousands of things in a classroom!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our staff who have added to their families over the summer!

Congratulations: 

  • Natalie Ridley, Damien and big sister Audrey, who welcomed baby Flynn on January 8th.
  • Jordan Tate, Emma and big sister Nellie, who welcomed baby Alfie on January 8th.
  • David Bouris, Bronand big sister Maddison, who welcomed baby Holly in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

No doubt they’re all enjoying lots of cuddles and perhaps not enjoying the limited sleep!

Volunteers: Working With Children Check

As shared last week, it is with great excitement and anticipation that we will be welcoming back volunteers following an interrupted COVID-19 2020.  Our school values the many volunteers that assist in our classrooms, at sporting events, on camps and excursions, and at other events and programs. To ensure that we are meeting our legal obligations under the Working With Children Act 2005 (Vic) and the Child Safe Standards, Croydon Hills Primary School is required to undertake suitability checks. Specifically, volunteers are required to have a Working With Children Check or equivalent. Volunteers are asked to produce their valid card to the Office for verification on their first visit to the school in the following circumstances:

  • Volunteers who are not parent/family members of any student at the school are required to have a WWC Check if they are engaged in child-related work, regardless of whether they are being supervised.
  • Parent/family volunteers who assist in school activities, regardless of whether their own child is participating or not
  • Parent/family volunteers who assist with excursions (including swimming), camps and similar events, regardless of whether their own child is participating or not.
  • ​Parent/community School Council members sitting on School Council, Croydon Hills Parents’ Association (CHAPS) and Men Of The Hills (MOTHS).

To ensure you can fully involve yourself in the life of the school I encourage all parents and carers to ensure they have a valid Working With Children Check - they're free for volunteers!

School Council Nominations

Each year Victorian Government schools are required to formally call for nominations for members of the School Council. I will be doing this in the coming weeks. 

Being a member of School Council is a great way to be involved in the school, draw upon your skills to contribute to school improvement and drive initiatives that you are passionate about.

Croydon Hills Primary School’s School Council consists of eight elected parents, four staff positions, the Department Nominee (the Principal) and the option of 2 Co-opted Positions. Elected members stand for two-year terms with the option of then nominating for further terms. The two co-opted members will be determined by the School Council at its AGM on Wednesday 17th March. These positions are typically filled by a representative from the parent community, Croydon Hills Parents Association (CHAPS) or Men of the Hills (MOTHS).

When I call for nominations I will provide information on the nomination process. In the meantime, if you are interested or would like to know more, please visit DET’s School Council Overview website or contact me directly.

DET Annual Privacy Reminder

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 remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website. 

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in nine community languages:

  • Amharic
  • Arabic
  • Dari
  • Mandarin
  • Somali
  • Sudanese
  • Turkish
  • Urdu
  • Vietnamese

Christian Holdsworth  -  Principal