Principal's Post

Principal's Message

Before I touch on the subject of the AEU Strike, I wanted to acknowledge our Year 3 and Year 5 students in their efforts towards completing their NAPLAN assessments over the last fortnight. After a rocky start on Wednesday 11th, due to platform issues nationwide, our students forged ahead and completed the remainder of their assessments without a hitch. We had impressive attendance throughout the test period, with students offered catch up opportunities where tests were originally missed. Thank you to Renee Johnson and Kristen Kosowski, who led the organisation and implementation of the assessments, alongside our Year 5 and Year 3 teachers and Educational Support Staff. Results are due to be made available to schools, and families from the start of Term 3 onwards - we will update families as this date approaches. 

The main topic on everyone's mind will likely be the planned industrial action on Tuesday 24th March. Thank you to all our families who have been understanding of the situation, including the difficulty we face in making arrangements for student care and supervision on the day. Whilst schools are directed not to engage in specific political dialogue about the strike, or be specific about the numbers of staff who are intending to participate, I do want to acknowledge our School Council who have stepped into this space in order to facilitate further information sharing.  

Broadly, schools have been advised that they must remain open, with specific reference to ensuring that supervision and care can be provided to the children of emergency workers, children who are at risk, and for those whose families cannot make other arrangements. However, today I will report the number of staff we will have on-site to our regional director; it will then be our regional staff who will ultimately determine whether Wembley itself will remain open. At this stage I do want to confirm that our staffing numbers are significantly reduced, meaning that we will need to deliver an alternative program that will rely heavily on combining multiple classes. Their Care will be operating as per usual before and after school, but they will not be offering additional care during the day. The canteen has now also confirmed that they will be closed. 

On Monday 23rd March, I will send out comprehensive communication that will outline our exact approach, processes and procedures for the day - this will be based on the information that we have received from parents up to that point. 

 We understand the significant disruption this industrial action will cause for families and want to thank you all for your flexibility. In particular, we wish to thank those who have reached out to the school with messages of support and encouragement - sharing the value they place on our teachers, educational support staff and leaders.  

On a slightly different topic, I wanted to provide some reassurance about an accidental lock down alarm that was triggered last week and confirm that it was not triggered by anything of concern. Students and teachers were immediately notified of this, with the announcement only being allowed to sound once. On occasion we do get accidental alarms – ie: during system testing etc, but we of course work hard to avoid this, understanding that it can cause concern. Teachers provided reassurance in the moment and clarity to students immediately after, however we have heard from one or two parents since, inquiring about the situation and thought it best to provide reassurance. Should anyone have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

Finally, since Monday classes have been exploring the themes that sit behind Harmony Week culminating in our students being invited to wear a touch of orange today, or cultural dress. It's been a pleasure to see some of the engaging work going on in classrooms in our students' quest to celebrate Australia's cultural diversity and unpack what it means to belong. The Year 6s have published some exceptional work, which will be going on display in the Admin Building, near First Aid. 

We hope all families have a wonderful weekend and wish some of you a joyful Eid, as you come together to celebrate.

Katie McClue - Acting Principal

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