Principal's Report

Education Support Appreciation Day 

Today, we celebrated the National Education Support Appreciation Day.  This important day is recognised by the Australian Education Union (AEU). This is an annual occasion to acknowledge the essential and amazing contribution of Education Support staff across all schools.  We have a brilliant ES team at Whittlesea Primary School, so we say a huge thank you for all that you all do. Your work is so critical in helping everyone at our school succeed and be the best they can 'bee'.

It highlights the wide range of ES roles that keep schools functioning effectively, including integration aides, education support officers, administration and office staff, library and IT staff, and other specialist support personnel who work closely with students and teachers. Typically marked on 16 May in Victoria (although we have moved it to the day before), the day provides an opportunity for schools to formally recognise the behind-the-scenes work ES staff do to support student learning, engagement, wellbeing, and inclusion. 

It also reinforces the importance of a whole-school team approach, where ES staff are valued as critical members of the school community who contribute significantly to positive student outcomes and the smooth operation of our daily school operations. 

Staffing Update 

Today, we say farewell to Ms Erin Short, who commences her family leave whilst awaiting the birth of her second child.  We wish Ms Short all the best and cannot wait to meet the newest member of her family.

Ms Christie Gilder has decided to resign fr her teaching position at our school. I would like to thank her for all her work in the Year 2 team, and wish her all the best in her future endeavours. 

Finally, we are also farewelling one of our Education Support staff members, Ms Jo Maffei. Ms Jo has been an integral part of the Whitteslea PS ES team for many years. We thank Ms Jo for all her time and effort in supporting the students throughout her time at the school. Ms Jo will continue to support students at Beveridge Primary School.  We wish her all the best in this next phase of her career.

Podcast Club (2 weeks) 

Links below to this week and last week's podcasts 

Conference Reflection 

As mentioned in last week's newsletter,  Ms Rae Gittos and I attended the WSN Conference in Sorrento. This allowed us to engage in a range of professional learning experiences focused on leadership, collaboration and inclusive practice. 

• We heard from Ms Angela Singh and Mr Scott Darlow, who explored the importance of embedding Aboriginal perspectives and truth-telling in the curriculum, encouraging us to consider how small, meaningful changes can strengthen this work in our classrooms.
• Bruce Armstrong challenged the audience to reflect on leadership in times of rapid change, highlighting the importance of emotional awareness, moral purpose and maintaining both support and high expectations for staff. 
• Sami Makelainen introduced the concept of the BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Non-Linear and Incomprehensible) world, prompting discussion about how we can respond to complexity with clarity and adaptability.
• Finally, James Castrission led an engaging collaborative experience that reinforced the importance of teamwork, communication and shared problem-solving.

These sessions gave us valuable insights that will strengthen our leadership, build collective efficacy, and support better outcomes for all students.

AEU / Half Day Stopwork (Strike) Update 

We are yet to receive any communication from the Department of Education, however, the union has indicated that the stopwork on next Tuesday, the 19th of May, is not proceeding. 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Kaylene