From the Principal 

Message from the Principal

Reconciliation Week

Last Monday we held our special assembly to begin National Reconciliation Week.

Reconciliation is about continuing to build strong relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non indigenous peoples, to benefit all of us. It’s about building respect and understanding of our histories and of the rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, through education and by exploring together, how each one of us at Gilgai Plains Primary, can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia and for our students, as future leaders, to make our country a better place for everyone.

We invited Coree Thorpe, a proud Yorta Yorta, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Wurundjeri man and artist, to open our assembly with a Smoking Ceremony. It was so wonderful for our students and community to embrace and experience this important event. Coree and his dance group, the Will Shake Spears company performed traditional Koorie dances and spoke to the students about the meaning behind the dances and stories that share rich Koorie culture. Coree also spoke to the students about our new mural that he is painting and the symbolism behind that artwork. It was a day that our students are still talking about

Traffic around our school

Along with many staff and community members, I am very concerned about some driver conduct around our school. We know that there is not enough parking around the school, and we know that this is frustrating. However, for now, it is what it is and we must do our best to work and drive with these limitations. There are other options for drivers, but they do take a little more effort. 

• We have opened our gate at the back of the sports field and there is plenty of parking there. Children can walk across the field and meet you at your car
• There is parking at the Woolworths car park. You can park and walk up to the crossing to meet your children

I know that this is not ideal but the safety of our children must be our number one priority. Staff are dismayed when they see unsafe parking and children walking through cars to cross the road to get to their car that is double parked or illegally parked. 

We have notified Council again and they have assured us that they will be out and issuing fines to drivers not doing the right thing. 

We obviously don’t want our families to incur fines so please do the right thing on our roads.

New Bus Service and Bridge

On a positive note, a new pedestrian and bike bridge on Toyon Road across Merri Creek at Kalkallo will be built. It is planned to be opened later this year.

There will be a new internal bus service - Kalkallo to Olivine via Donnybrook Station – Route 524 - which will commence service once the Cloverton Blvd bridge is opened after September this year. This will be great news for many of our families who live closer to the station and in Kinbrook Estate.

Kind regards,

Anthea Jamieson