With only twenty-seven days until the end of the school year it is a time of immeasurable intensity. Whilst a great part of the next few weeks is about bringing the school year to an effective close, it is also about ensuring we are comprehensively ready for Term 1, 2025. It is also a time when we are involved in a plethora of traditional events that are very much part of our Chatham School Community life and add a richness in cultural growth, curriculum and related learning opportunities.

School Production 2024

We have just enjoyed a magnificent School Production: ‘Chatham in Wonderland'. This has been the culmination of months of planning and commitment from many staff and most particularly our Performing Arts Teacher, Mr James Rampant. Together with key drivers including Ms Georgina Kirwan, Ms Jessica Wilson, Ms Hisae Yoshino, Mr Yanai Morris and an emerging tribe of volunteers and staff, we were able to achieve this life changing experience for every student. The example and discipline provided by our older students greatly impacted a sense that we all were going to do our best. This has been the first of such School Productions since 2018 and it was truly an ambitious undertaking. Significantly, such events do so much for a school community and everyone has a role to perform and contribute. The efforts by every parent to assist students with their costumes and the many who practiced their lines with their children, all added to the wealth of the experience.

School Staffing and Organisation for 2025

This is an extraordinary period as we concurrently peruse a number of very related tasks for 2024 and 2025. In the coming weeks we will firm up our staffing complement for 2025 and also establish class and specialist structures for 2025. To a large extent this will be informed based upon budget realities and the opportunities and constraints established by following the provisions of the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022. I would expect that in early December 2024 we will establish the number of classes provided for 2025. Shortly after that period we will establish the staff members against major class, specialist and support roles. This will be done prior to the end of the school year. This is somewhat complicated by the reality that teachers can continue to apply for positions elsewhere at the end of 2024, and if they choose, in January 2025. In considering the staffing complement the Principal needs to consider existing staff; staff that might be returning from extended leave and family leave personnel who may choose to return. Currently this cohort of personnel includes Ms Madeline Barry, Ms Siobhan Moore, Ms Michelle Owens, Ms Ciara Columbo, Ms Corinne Robinson and Ms Sarah Medland. Generally, if these people return, they are seeking part time employment. Given the general shortage of teachers in many places and the changing nature of work with differentiated generational priorities the reality of part time employment is here to stay into the foreseeable future – as it is in all workplaces. Whilst this can create some challenges it can also create significant opportunities for students where expectations and highly effective collaboration is evident.

Students to Classes in 2025

Typically, at this time of the year teachers start to reflect on arrangements for student cohorts for the following year. Considerable collaboration and reflection is involved in the process of forming classes for the following year. If you have thoughts in relation to such matters that you believe impact the educational wellbeing of your child and would like to convey these thoughts please email the Principal directly at christopher.cotching@education.vic.gov.au by Friday 6th December 2024. Please understand that this is not tantamount to parents choosing teachers or classes. Rather, I will consider the information provided and make a professional judgement to establish, on balance, what is in the interests of all students.

Curriculum Programs and developments

The teaching staff are progressively involved in planning for the new curriculum for 2025 with the new programs in Mathematics and English to be implemented in 2025. This in time will also have a bearing upon changes to our school reports in this area. At present we are well ahead of arrangements in this area and are also very focussed upon the new Victorian Teaching and Learning models for all Victorian Schools. We will have more to report on this matter in 2025.

In the meantime, we continue to enjoy our usual curriculum enhancements at each level with events such as Chesterfield Farm, Fantastic Racers, Music Concerts, our Christmas Concert, Decade Disco Day, Japanese Day, Foundation Transition sessions, Netball competitions and amongst other matters, our Parliamentary incursions for Year 5 & 6. On 2nd December we also look forward to conducting a Foundation to Year 2 Junior Athletics afternoon led by our Physical Education and Sport Teacher Mr Walter Boulton.

The Educate State – Excellence in Every Classroom

This was released recently by the Minister for Education and Deputy Premier, the Hon. Ben Carroll to mark ten years of the Education State. Whilst School Councillors can read it if they choose, I note the four priorities they have marked out for the next two years to be the following:

Continue attracting more people to our school education workforce.
Recognise and reward our school workforce.
Continue prioritising the wellbeing safety of our school workforce.
Support teachers and school leaders to deepen their expertise.

I truly look forward to identifying how the Minister will be seeking to address these priorities into the future. I expect that the negotiations for a new Enterprise Bargain Agreement in 2025 will create some interest against these stated priorities. Additionally, we will also be very interested in the additional resources that will need to be made to schools to make access to the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership possible in 2025.

General Facilities Matters

These continue to be of ongoing focus across the school with so much that is routinely addressed. This includes:

Maintenance Matters

Mr Peter Manning continues to work here for 10-12 hours per week on most Tuesdays and Fridays. He continues to be paid as a contractor and is involved in a plethora of tasks. This often includes tidying the yard and managing leaf litter, but also maintaining the care of plants and equipment; assisting to move all manner of equipment for teachers; assisting with the Kitchen Garden and a host of minor maintenance tasks. Peter also mows the front of the yard between the contract garden maintenance undertaken every three weeks or so by Andrew Wickes. During the vacation Peter will oversee the school on a regular basis. Periodically, we also engage Mr Lindasy Elliot who does substantial maintenance work at Canterbury Girls Secondary College, and we have used him to repair cupboards in the Japanese room, relocate pinboards, and attend to matters of repair in the toilet area.

Water Tank and Irrigation System

This continues to be maintained which includes the monitoring and effectiveness of the pump attached to the 130,000 litre tank and the line system and sprinkler system. We are currently needing to clear the filter box and replace components on the pump. We plan to have this operating effectively in the vacation period and beyond, and in doing so keeping up the attractiveness and functionality of this space.

Guttering and Downpipe Clearance

This was attended to on Friday 15th November with all school gutters and downpipes cleared around the school. This included the Foundation to Year 2 areas, which were long overdue for this exercise. In future, we will seek to get this happening at the end of winter prior to the growth season. Again, your parent contributions enable such matters to be attended to in a timely manner.

New Playground at the Front of the School

Playground Plus have confirmed that the new equipment will be installed in the second week of February 2024. Our students are very aware that the funds raised from Colour Runs have been committed to this initiative in the past and therefore it will be positive to get this done as soon as possible.

New Cleaning Contractors Appointed by the Department of Education

In recent times the cleaning contractor has changed at the decision of the Victorian School Building Authority. From 26th December 2024, Spotless Pty Ltd will be replaced by Tradeflex as our contractor. We expect that the current employees of Spotless will continue to work at our school as this is a practical solution given the knowledge these people already have in our school. Regardless, we do have high expectations about school security, departing buildings, ensuring lights and heaters/coolers are off, quite apart from the standard of cleaning. Our Business Manager takes a highly ‘hands on' approach in our relationships here and we look forward to increasing the standard of cleaning provided everywhere. With this current contractor, all carpet areas will be steam cleaned twice per year.

Japanese Mural

The notion of creating a mural for the Japanese Room is of great interest. Given the demands of a school production and usual demands at this time there has not been the resources and time to consider this matter further. Again, we would like to pursue this into 2025 and Mr Rampant is keen to bring this to fruition.

Kitchen Garden

This area under the leadership, enthusiasm and drive of Ms Leda Semercioglu is going from strength to strength and becoming very established as part of our curricular provision across the school. Recently Ms Semercioglu together with our Environment Leaders sold fifteen boxes of vegetables from this area. These were quickly purchased and we hope to have more into the future.

Year 3 & 4 School Camp – Lyrebird Park, Yellingbo

Mr Tim Clarke and Ms Georgina Kirwan have undertaken considerable research and organisation regarding this event for 11th – 13th December 2024. As we have over eighty students attending, we do require nine adult personnel. To manage the employee entitlements with such an experience, Ms Shaina Webb, Ms Leda Semercioglu, Ms Heather Ritter and Mr Peter Manning will join Ms Hannah Scantleton, Ms Viv Twigg, Ms Georgina Kirwan, Mr Tim Clarke and myself. The particulars of this experience were provided on Wednesday night, along with some date and details concerning a Beach Surf Camp for our 2025 Years 5 & 6 students.

Library and Displays of Books

Our School Library is in the midst of a reformation and it is so exciting for us all. The magnificent work that Ms Andrea McLeod has put together here for our Christmas theme is so engaging and inspiring for us all. We continue to promote new books and authors with our students and the level of interest has become infectious. We have great plans for this area in 2025 and your support with our Library Tax Deductible Fund contributions will bring it to fruition.

Christopher Cotching

Principal

Gingerbread