Principal's Report

Welcome to 2023!

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all BRPS families, established and new, as we commence the 2023 school year. 

There is a strong sense of optimism for an amazing year ahead, free from the disruption experienced over the past three years. 

We have started the year with 503 enrolments across 23 classes. The year has started very smoothly and I thank the teachers and school staff for their dedication to come in over the holidays to set up rooms and prepare for the year ahead. 

Welcome Picnic & Running Colour 

We're looking forward to welcoming many members of our school community to our first community event of 2023 - the Welcome Picnic and Running Colour on the school oval. 

The event will take place next Friday 17th February, 3.30pm-5.30pm and is a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and also make new connections. 

Please see Mrs Timms' Assistant Principal report or previous Compass posts for more information. 

New Students and Families

A special welcome is extended to the Foundation students who joined our school community for the first time. The smooth and confident start they have had is a testament to their resilience and the hard work and support provided by our Foundation teaching and support team, as well as each child's parents efforts in preparing their children for school. 

We also  extend a warm welcome to new students and families across all other levels of the school and trust that their time at BRPS will be happy and successful.  

Assembly

Whole-school assemblies held at 9am on Monday mornings have commenced. All parents are welcome to attend on the asphalt (or Stadium in the event of inclement weather). 

• Mon 13th Feb:  Year Six Student Leadership Presentation
• Mon 20th Feb:  Student of the Week Awards commence

Staffing News 

A warm welcome is extended to all staff who returned to Black Rock  Primary School. The staff have been most enthusiastic in preparing classrooms to be a positive and engaging environment for the students' return.

We welcome new teachers Mr Callum Jackson into Year 1, Miss Brittany Lazzarini-Pholi into Year 2 and Mrs Catherine Brand into Year 4. 

We also welcome back teachers Bec Nolan (Foundation)  and Rose Thompson (Year 5) after recently taking time for family leave.  

Congratulations Miss  Sophie Moir

Congratulations to Sophie as she celebrated her marriage to partner, Hamish, over the January holiday break. We wish Sophie and Hamish all the best as they continue to build their life together.  

Congratulations Mr John Fox

Congratulations also to Mr Fox who tied the knot with his partner Bella over the January break. John continues leave this year as he and Bella are spending a year living and teaching in the Tiwi Islands. 

Farewell Mrs Lyn Pedler

Over the January holidays Lyn made the decision to call time on her teaching career, the majority of which was spent at Black Rock Primary School. Lyn started teaching in 1980 before making the move to BRPS in 1990. During that time, as well as supporting her own family, she taught Year 2, Art and Music throughout the 1990's and early 2000's. 

In 2006 Lyn commenced specialised literacy training in teaching to support students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties. Over that time Lyn has supported countless students and their families, as well as staff members, in best practice reading instruction and provided the opportunities for those students to reach their potential.  We wish Lyn all the best in her retirement and thank her for  the significant contribution made to learning at Black Rock Primary School. 

Parent/Teacher Communication

This year we are making some changes to the 

Parent/Teacher Conference schedule.

Next week, parents will receive a Year Level Term Newsletter introducing the team, outlining the Term One curriculum focus areas and also year level homework, routines and expectations. Specialist and extra-curricular timetables will be shared, along with key dates for events and activities throughout the year.  

Each year level will also share a fortnightly year level update via Compass.

On Wednesday 1st March  we will be holding an Open Classroom event at the end of the school day. Keep your eye out for information via Compass. 

Parent Teacher Conferences will take place at the end of Term 2 and Term 4, after the release of the Semester Student Achievement Reports. Conferences will provide an opportunity to discuss  student achievement, progress and future learning goals. 

Every Day Counts!

In the Victorian education system, it is compulsory for all students to attend school each day of the school year. At times an absence may be unavoidable, however, every effort must be made to ensure students attend school on time each day. 

Evidence tells us that students who regularly miss days of school are at risk of missing out on learning the basic building blocks in subjects, and may experience long term difficulties with their learning. School attendance helps children develop social skills, such as friendship building, teamwork, communications skills and develops healthy self-esteem. 

Especially after the disruption of the past three years, please try to ensure that any appointments and holidays are made outside of school hours. To maximise learning opportunities we need all students here all day. If this presents a problem for you and your child please make time to talk to the school. REMINDER When your child is absent, please indicate this on Compass by 9.00am so your child’s teacher is informed. 

Cyber Safety Project 

The Cyber Safety Project engenders a whole-school/whole of community approach to support young people to successfully live, play, learn and work online. We are excited to announce that in 2023 we will again be partnering with the "Cyber Safety Project" team. 

The Cyber Safety Project provides a comprehensive F-6 whole school curriculum and learning program underpinned by the four key values of Responsibility, Integrity, Strength and Empathy.

The whole-school approach is reinforced by staff, student and parent workshops at the commencement of the year. The student and staff workshops will take place on  the 4th and 5th April.

This year the parent workshops are via a webinar series (one per term) and I strongly encourage ALL PARENTS F-6 to book in.

A flyer with further information and the access link will also be sent separately via Compass. 

Parent Payments and Voluntary Contributions

The Compass Portal is live now for families to log in and complete all school payments.

The BRPS School Council, staff and school community have high expectations of all     curriculum programs, resources and facilities that the school provides. Much of the operational costs including the provision of computers (including laptops), high-quality school resources, extra sports equipment, library/ICT support and equipment, quality art and science supplies and maintenance, along with the provision of new curriculum initiatives are supported solely from local fundraising, including parent payments. Parent voluntary contributions are a vital aspect of maintaining these high standards and we thank our parent community for their generous support in this area to benefit all students across the school.

Important Information and Reminders

Please review the "Student and School Administration   Reminders" page of this newsletter for information and updates about the 

Although many of you will be familiar with the policies and procedures outlined on the "Student and School Administration   Reminders" page of this newsletter, it is necessary for us to communicate this important information, as a reminder, at the beginning of each year. We also have many new Foundation families and new families with children commencing in other year levels who will find this information particularly useful. 

COMPASS School Manager

Compass School Manager, through private and secure family portals, is our primary platform for communicating with families. We strongly recommend that parents install the native app on their mobile device (Apple iOs or Android) and set it up to receive notifications. This will allow instant and convenient access to all relevant school communications.

With many optional education events such as excursions, incursions and sporting events across all year levels beginning next week, I encourage all parents to log on to Compass at your earliest convenience and ensure that all details and payments are up-to-date. Parents are also encouraged to check the Compass Calendar and News Feed often. 

The "Student Administration Reminders" page in this newsletter is an essential reference to support parents to navigate and manage important school processes. 

Please take the time to read through the items on the following pages and contact the office should you have any queries. However, I would particularly like to draw your attention to the following points:

• It is very important to check the Compass News Feed and Calendar daily to stay informed of the latest news and upcoming events.
• Absences MUST be reported via Compass on the day of absence (early in the morning or ahead of time where possible).
• Online consent (always) & payment (when required) for incursions and excursions must be received by the due date in order for your child to participate/attend.
• Students must NOT be left alone in the school grounds before 8.45am or after 3.45pm.
• The 'Kiss N Go' zone on Arkaringa Crescent is for dropping/collecting your child within a two-minute time frame.
• Parents and students are NOT permitted to walk through staff car parks OR use them for parking.
• Riding of scooters, bikes, skateboards etc., is NOT permitted in the school grounds at drop-off or pick-up (school and non-school children).
• Please be aware of our dog policy which is outlined on signs at all entrance points to the school.

ARE YOU BEING SUNSMART?? 

As in line with the school's policy, Term 1 is a SunSmart term. This requires all students to have the appropriate wide-brimmed school hat. These SunSmart hats are to be worn during all outside activities. Students without a hat will be asked to sit in designated shaded areas for the duration of all breaks on that day.

PERSONAL PROPERTY AT SCHOOL 

Personal property is often brought to school by students, staff and visitors. This can include mobile phones, calculators, toys, sporting equipment and cars parked on school premises. Please note that the Department of Education and Training does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property. Please note that the Department has a statewide policy on mobile phone use in Victorian schools. Students are required to turn their phones off during school times and store securely in their bag. Phones can also be handed into the office for safekeeping in secure, lockable storage and then collected at the end of the day. 

UNIFORM/BELONGINGS

Please be vigilant in clearly naming all uniform items and personal belongings (lunch boxes, sports equipment etc.) This allows us to return any found items to the rightful owner.

UPDATING CONTACT DETAILS/MEDICAL 

We ask all families to please ensure that you have up to date contact details on Compass. This includes current address, phone numbers, emergency contact details etc. Also, any students who have a medical condition must have a current medical records at the office. Of most importance is to ensure Asthma, Diabetes, and Anaphylaxis management plans are up to date. These need to be signed off by your local doctor and are required to be updated annually.

ASTHMA

As part of our commitment to meeting our legislative requirements and the Schools Policy Advisory Guide, we require you to provide us with an updated Asthma Action Plan for your child. Asthma Action Plans should be reviewed annually. Please follow the link below to the new Asthma Action Plan for Victorians Schools, which has been specifically designed for schools to identify asthma signs and symptoms, and respond accordingly using the asthma medication device your child currently has at school. Once completed please return it to us as soon as possible with the appropriate medication and other device aids i.e. spacer device. Please make sure the medication is in date and any items are labelled with your child’s name. https://www.asthmaaustralia.org.au/vic/about-asthma/resources/victorian-action-plans

If your medical practitioner has informed you that your child has grown out of their asthma, they will need to provide a letter, on the practice letterhead to the school stating such.

Privacy Information for Parents and Carers

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: BRPS Collection Statement 

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents.

Black Rock Primary School Council

Black Rock Primary School is governed by our School Council. The Council is made of volunteers from our parent community and also from our teaching staff, including myself. We will be running nominations and elections for the 2023 School Council over the next few weeks. You may be interested in joining our Council and contributing to our school’s development over the next two years. Further information about the nomination and election process is available at any time. If you are interested or have any questions please contact the school office. Elections for the 2023/2024 School Council will take place during Term 1. Further details about nomination forms will be available with the next newsletter.

Have a wonderful fortnight.

Sam Tyndall

PRINCIPAL