Oakleigh PS Newsletter

From the Principal

Building Update

Although not visually apparent the school holidays proved to be a very productive time for progression of our Building Works. I was very surprised, having visited the school a few times over the holidays, to see how tidy the front of the school looked. On the last day I had come there were trucks and trenches and mounds of dirt and building debris everywhere. Rectification and building works undertaken included:

  • Replacement of the fascia of the Heritage Building ready for new guttering and downpipes.
  • Underground installation of new sewage, rainwater drains and cables.   
  • Replacement of terracotta tiles on the Warrigal Road side of the building. This will be completed gradually over the next few weeks.
  • Repairing the communication system so that it works effectively both inside and outside.
  • Demolition of the rebound wall and surrounding area. There will be a concrete pour taking place this Friday. Following the curing of the concrete, synthetic turf will be laid over the concrete providing more places to play down ball and tennis. The sand pit is also going to be replaced and additional eating areas will also be positioned around the area. 
  • New walls and internal windows installed. 

Parent Teacher Meetings

Parent Teacher Meetings are taking place next week, with the extended evening being on Tuesday night. Specialist Teachers will also be available to speak to if required. These meetings provide an excellent opportunity for you to discuss your child’s growth and achievement, as well as highlighting areas of focus for the rest of the year. These meetings are also an opportunity to strengthen the home/school partnership. Please book via the COMPASS portal. 

Organisation for 2023

We have been busy in recent weeks conducting tours for prospective parents of students enrolling in 2023. The school’s enrolment boundary can be found on the Find My School website. I encourage existing parents who have a child commencing in Foundation in 2023 to collect the Enrolment Forms from the office or download them from the web and submit these with the required documentation as soon as possible. This will assist with our planning and preparation for 2023.

Student Voice

In education, the concept of student voice is twofold. It refers to the expression of values, opinions, beliefs, and perspectives of individuals and groups of students in a school and to instructional approaches and techniques that are based on student choices, interests, passions and ambitions.

Including student voice in decision making at schools can:

  • allow students and teachers to design solutions together
  • increase student engagement
  • build connections and belonging
  • create a positive environment and culture
  • develop personal and social capabilities 

In Semester 1, as outlined in a newsletter article, we had a focus on the setting of SMART Goals where the students worked collaboratively with the teacher to set personal learning goals and evaluated their progress against these goals. This will be a continued focus this semester. 

We are focusing on increasing opportunities to activate student voice to ensure that every student feels that their opinion is valued.  We gather student’s feedback and maximise student voice using a variety of approaches including: 

  • regular circle time discussions in every classroom 
  • having a variety of forums for discussion e.g. partner work, small group discussions
  • after a major event like the school production or camp seeking feedback on highlights and areas for improvement 
  • the Junior School Council who meet regularly to discuss ways we can improve the school or our local and global community e.g. fundraising
  • incidental discussions one to one with a teacher or an education support staff person 
  • opportunities to address assemblies on matters of interest to them e.g. book recommendations
  • our Year 5 and 6 Buddies and Year 6 Leaders are used to support learning and in doing so a connection is made between the younger and older student, again, facilitating communication and building relationships 
  • celebrating student achievement through the school newsletter in the Student Voice section
  • The Oakleigh Matters Student forum where student opinion is sought on a range of topics e.g. grounds improvement, the Reports, our teaching practices e.g. how effectively we teach mathematics 

Supporting Student Voice and Leadership

In the classroom, teachers encourage students to:

  • develop and share their own opinions about current issues and to engage in debate, discussion and critique of those issues
  • be involved in identifying and defining behavioural expectations, classroom norms
  • engage in conversations and decisions about teaching, learning and assessment
  • set personal goals and evaluate their achievement in learning tasks 
  • have a say in the directions taken in Inquiry Units, follow their passions or areas of interest linked to the unit or how what they have learnt will be demonstrated
  • presentations at Assemblies from different year levels about issues that are important to them e.g. recycling 

In the school, we engage students in opportunities to:

  • be involved in decision-making bodies of the school such as the Junior School Council
  • participate as school ambassadors or representatives beyond the school
  • participate in peer support, buddying, mentoring or coaching programs
  • take on leadership roles within the school such as the Year 6 Leadership Program, JSC, classroom monitors, student led assemblies
  • develop and implement projects to change and improve practices, school operations, culture or climate
  • Year 6 led lunchtime clubs for students
  • student initiated enrichment programs e.g. The Student Newspaper
  • through the House Program student led participation in House Competitions e.g. the House Dance Competition in Term 2. 
  • students being able to participate in extra curricula activities which they are passionate about e.g. The Science Fair, Tournament of Minds

Michele Nolan

Principal

michele.nolan@education.vic.gov.au