Principal Team's Report

Welcome back to Term 3!

It seems the same every term, but we sure are in for a busy one at the Springs in Term 3! From camps, excursions, and special events to sports and performing arts extravaganzas, it's all go go go! And that's not to mention the amazing learning programs taking place in each and every one of our classrooms as well. 

Term 3 is where we tend to see great growth in learning - all the concepts begin to click and fit together, and it all just seems to make sense. As a teacher, it is so rewarding to see students beginning to use strategies independently, extend themselves and really encourage others to strive for their personal best. It's why we love our job!

Staffing Update

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to Caitlin Van Uyen who has been appointed the new classroom teacher in M27 following the departure of Miss Jessica Holley. We are excited to have Caitlin join the Springers team and we are sure that the entire Year 4 team will work together to ensure seamless learning for all students in M27. 

We would also like to welcome two new Learning Support Assistants to our team - Mr Jarrod Brodbeck (J09) and Miss Sarah Percy (J03). We are sure they will settle into Pakenham Springs beautifully and we are grateful for their service. 

Learning Conferences

Our Parent-Teacher-Student Learning Conferences will be held in Week 3 of Term 3 - bookings for these can be made through Compass. This is a great opportunity to get a quick snapshot of your child's progress and the next step in their learning. Please note that these conferences are only for 10 minutes - if you have an issue that you feel may need a longer time, please contact your classroom teacher directly to arrange a more suitable time. If you are already taking part in a Student Support Group meeting for your child, you are not required to make a Learning Conference booking.  

NED Assembly - Thursday 25th July

NED's Mindset Mission is a character education program that centres around three important messages that have lifelong relevance: Never give up, Encourage others and Do your best. During the assembly, students will learn about the importance of these three life skills while also enjoying storytelling, magic, humour, and yo-yo tricks. 

We are super lucky to have the NED show coming to Pakenham Springs next week to spread this positive message. All students will attend this fabulous (free!) assembly throughout the day.

Following this assembly, NED Yo-yos will be available at the office for students to purchase if they wish. More information about these will be distributed to families via Compass. We will also have a Yo-yo Zone set up for students to practice their tricks during playtimes!

More information about the NED show can be found at http://www.thenedshows.com

Illness

There seems to be a perfect storm of bugs and germs around at the moment! We've been hit hard by staff illness during Term 2, and we thank the entire school community for being understanding and flexible when things have had to change, sometimes at the last minute. We understand that splitting grades or having casual relief teachers can be a little unsettling for students. Whilst splitting a grade is a last resort, sometimes this cannot be avoided. This is often a last-minute decision as well, so communicating this in advance is near impossible. 

We ask families to keep students at home if they are unwell. Whilst we encourage good hygiene practices within the classroom, germs spread easily between children. If students come to school unwell, they are miserable, and not focused on learning and it is a health and safety risk to other students and our staff. Please advise us on Compass if your child is unwell and staying home on a particular day.

Respect towards all members of the community

We are incredibly lucky to have such a supportive school community, however, occasionally situations arise where a member of the school community is unhappy about a situation or decision and raises this matter in an inappropriate manner. 

Any member of the school community is entitled to raise a concern, or put in a complaint, following our Complaints Policy (published on our website). The majority of issues can be sorted quite quickly by finding out more information, or getting clarity, from the classroom teacher. This is the first point of call for all queries. 

If further clarification or discussion needs to take place, community members are asked to put the complaint or issue to be discussed in an email and send it to the school email address so that it can be passed on to the most appropriate person to respond. Please understand that this may take some time. We deal with a multitude of issues each day and do our best to respond in a timely manner to every issue. We may not be available to take a call, or see you in person, right at that very moment. Like all professional services, making an appointment is the most effective way of ensuring we can give you the time and attention you may need. 

Under no circumstance will abuse towards our staff be tolerated - this includes in person, on the phone or through written communication. We appreciate your support and understanding for our staff who are working hard to provide an outstanding learning environment for your child/ren. 

Uniforms

Parents and Carers are reminded that a condition of enrolling at Pakenham Springs Primary School is adherence to our School Uniform. This includes the wearing of school-approved jumpers and polo shirts, the minimal wearing of jewellery, and also the requirement that hair colour be natural. Please note that our old red polo shirts are no longer acceptable. If you are having trouble securing uniform pieces, please contact our office for some assistance. Uniform breaches will be recorded via Compass, and we ask for parent/carer support in rectifying them as soon as practicable. Possible actions following frequent breaches of our Uniform policy are listed in the document attached. 

Supervision before school

Students are not to arrive at school until 8:30 am on school mornings.  Staff do not begin their workday until this time, and there is insufficient supervision available in the mornings.  Any student arriving before 8:30 am will be asked to sit at the office and wait. We ask for your support in this matter.  Likewise, under no circumstances are students allowed to leave the school grounds in the morning and go across to the shops.  Not only is this incredibly unsafe, with them crossing the busy Heritage BLVD road unsupervised, but a small number of students are also coming back having purchased items inappropriate for the school day.  Please contact OSHClub if you need to organise care and supervision for your child/ren outside of 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Have a wonderful fortnight Springers!

The PSPS Leadership Team