The View

Principal's Report 

Flexible. Resilient. Positive. 2024

We have had another wonderful fortnight at Rangeview with a range of activities and special events. Our Principals attended, the Inner East Principal Forum, our Foundation Families and new to the school families attended a Twilight Picnic, our whole staff participated in a curriculum day with the Berry Street Education Model, Level 4 have started T-Ball Clinics, and the Level 6 students went to Coonawarra Farm Resort for a 5 Day Camp! 

Inner East Principal Forum

On Wednesday 28th February, Liam Sommers, Kate McLeod and I attended the Inner East Principal Forum in Doncaster. Together with Principals and Assistant Principals from schools across the whole of the inner east, we were given a statewide update for government schools, we had a session on the importance of family partnerships and cultivating trust, we looked at engaging students through positive learning environments, and we had updates on new English and Mathematics Curriculum 2.0 which is set to launch in 2025. 

 

Our Acting Executive Director - Eva McMaster presented some state-wide data around NAPLAN, Student Attendance, Engagement, Digital Literacy, Year 12 Attainment, and PISA, of which we can all be very proud. 

Our Government Secondary Schools are achieving outstanding median VCE study scores which equal or exceed the results of the most prestigious independent schools in the state.  

Our focus moving forward is to continue to be a high performing system that produces outstanding outcomes. 

Whole Staff Professional Learning Day - Berry Street Education Model

On Friday 1st March our whole staff participated in a PL day with Lisa Hoang from Berry Street. We worked through the first domain of the 4 part model called - Body. 

 

Staff learnt about the morning circle, de-escalation techniques, positive primers, brain breaks, ready to learn plans, escalation / de-escalation maps, being present/centred/grounded, mindfulness and co-regulation. 

 

There was a huge variety of strategies and tools that the staff will be taking back into their classrooms to assist our students to be focused, calm and centred learners. 

School Council 2024

We have completed the election process for our School Council 2024. I am pleased to declare the poll and announce the members of Rangeview School Council for 2024. 

 

Parent Members

Simon Davies

Sartaj Singh

Lauren Harbeck

Michelle Cook

Cass Morris

Paul Wong

Ambrin Ali

Jess McKay

Maxi Bennett

Leigh Newton 

 

Rangeview School Employee Members

Marika Ferguson

Jo Davidson

Kate McLeod

Liam Sommers

Mitchell Clark

 

I would like to thank all of the members for their support and willingness to contribute to the school in this way. I look forward to working with this group over the coming terms and I encourage the community to approach your School Council members with any feedback or queries you may have. The school we have is the one we build together. 

Class Ambassadors

Our wonderful Class Ambassadors are now in place for 2024 and every grade has an ambassador or several ambassadors to represent them. The main roles of a Class Ambassador is to encourage parent involvement in the school community, promote Parent and Friends activities, be a contact for families and distribute the contact details that have been collated by the school.

 

During the year Class Ambassadors are encouraged to organise catch-ups (either dinners or coffees).  These opportunities to meet and get to know other parents are beneficial to everyone.  They are particularly important for new families in Foundation, new families joining the school community throughout the year, as well as parents who work during the day.

 

Having a Class Ambassador also enables communication and organisation between the teachers and families in relation to classroom helpers and other activities, including excursions etc. The Class Ambassador will decide the best way to get communication to the parents in their Class. It could be by email, text message or setting up a “what’s App” group. Please ensure any group chats are supportive, inclusive and appropriate. 

 

If you are not sure who your child's class ambassador(s) are, please speak to your classroom teacher. 

Fishing Kits

Our Level 6 students were gifted this term with fishing kits as joint Victorian Government / Victorian Fishing Authority initiative. 

 

Little Anglers Hub

The VFA has created the kid-friendly Little Anglers Hub website (www.vfa.vic.gov.au/littleanglerkit), written specifically for children with useful information, instructional videos about how to safely set up and use the kits, being safe around the water, as well as advice on where to go fishing in Victoria. There is an electronic copy of the Kids Guide to fishing that was included in the kits available on this site, both in English and five other languages. 

 

Key Safety Messages 

Going fishing is awesome and so much fun! When it comes to fishing, it’s important to stay safe, especially around water! Students can keep their fishing safe by: 

  • going with a friend;
  • being careful with hooks and lures;
  • looking behind before casting;
  • handling fish carefully; 
  • being conscious of the dangers associated with water; 
  • protecting yourself against the elements (sunscreen, drinking water); 
  • letting someone know before you go; and
  • washing your hands after handling lead sinkers, especially before eating or drinking.

The link below is to a short safety video that is posted on the Little Anglers hub website, reinforcing the above safety messages to students. 

 

https://youtu.be/drPLpKXpC3w

 

Please note that fishing equipment is not for human consumption. If swallowed, hooks can cause serious harm and lead sinkers can be toxic. Young children and those with some disabilities including pica disorder are especially vulnerable and should be supervised whilst fishing. If a child does swallow a hook or lead sinker, seek medical assistance immediately - don’t wait for it to pass. If you would like any additional information about this exciting commitment, please visit the Victorian Fishing Authority’s Little Angler Kits FAQs for parents, located on the VFA’s website (www.vfa.vic.gov.au).

 

 

Marika Ferguson

Principal