Principals Report

Commencement of Term 4

Welcome back everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful break. 

Term 4 is traditionally a very busy one and this term will be no exception as you can see from the calendar of events listed in the Key dates section of this newsletter.

There are a few big events such as Our Great Fete and the school production at Heidelberg town hall in November that will be occasions worth celebrating with our community.

The term commenced with balmy warm weather that quickly turned to cloudy and wet days. As this is SunSmart season, another friendly reminder to ensure that your child has a named hat for all outdoor activities regardless of the changeable weather conditions.

Fete this Saturday

We are all looking forward to having our great Fete once again. Last year was a wonderful success and a return to this much-loved annual school event. It has been an enormous effort by our Fete committee led by Rebecca Hede as coordinator, planning and meeting regularly  to ensure that we are ready to go this Saturday. 

Volunteers are always needed so its not too late to sign up to help out in any way you can. Please remember to think sustainably and bring along your keep cups and re usable shopping bags  to help keep land fill to a minimum.

I would like to thank the parents who came along last Sunday to  tidy the grounds, clean taps and clear drains to spruce up the environment in preparation for the big day. The recent rains helped with the weeding and there will be some last minute finishing touches to the grounds this week to prepare for the big day.

Hope to see you all at the fete and we are hoping that the weather is kind to us!

Referendum Polling

Our school will be one of the polling booth sites for this weekend’s referendum. The fete will also be held on the same day so many parents will have the opportunity to vote before or during fete hours.

 Voting will be conducted in the Wales building. Entry to the polling booth will be through gate 5 on Speight Street.

MONDAY November 6– Professional Practice Day 

There will be a professional practice day (PP Day) for all teaching staff on Monday 6 November (Cup Eve). This is traditionally a day of low attendance, as many people take advantage of a long weekend for the Melbourne Cup.

In the current Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA2022), all teachers are entitled to two professional practice days for 2023. We had a day of nonattendance in term two for the first PP Day and we have scheduled the second PP Day for teachers this term. 

With the ongoing shortage of casual relief staff, we anticipate that we will require less relief staff to supervise students who attend on that day with less impact on families. Many organisations and workers take advantage of Cup Day to create a four-day weekend. 

As we have done over the past few years on Cup Eve, the school will be open, but we will not conduct regular classes, only supervision. 

SAC will run their normal schedule, before and after school. A Compass/google form survey will be emailed to all families to gauge the number of students attending so that we can ensure we have enough staff to supervise onsite. Please complete this survey when it arrives to support us in organising the day.

Class formation for 2023

Learning to work and interact with others is an important life skill that builds resilience and fosters relationships with a broader range of individuals as children grow and change over their seven years at primary school. Often the friendship choice overrides the process of trying to balance the classes evenly and causes distress for some students. Last year, the teachers formed the classes in a collborative process, taking into account the many factors that provide balance across a year level.  

After considering the results of this year, we have decided to continue the same process as last year and will not be asking the students for friendship requests.

Teachers in each grade level will work together to balance the grades for 2024, based on their knowledge and observations of the students. We will create opportunities for the classes to mix up more throughout this term, so the students interact with all their peers in the cohort. 

As we begin to plan for the 2024 school year, we would like to make you aware of our Class Formation policy that can be found on our website, and on Compass under School Documentation. This policy is used as a reference when forming classes. 

Student placement is something we take very seriously and is initiated according to a process involving time and careful thought, concerning the best interest of every child in each classroom. To create balanced classes of students, the following factors are considered: 

gender, ability levels, student needs, behaviour concerns, and special program needs. 

Student placement letters are neither encouraged nor discouraged but provide parents a means of expressing exceptional circumstances that might need to be considered. Parents have this opportunity to provide information regarding their child that may need to be taken into account as they progress to the next year level.

We ask that you carefully read the policy information. Only letters that have followed the guidelines of the policy will be considered.

We use a software program, Class Creator, to store information that we gather to make decisions about the classes to be formed for 2024 including historical requests and recommendations.  Classes undergo extensive review to produce the best outcomes for all students. 

Please note that the final decision on all student placements rests with the principal. For letters to be considered, please submit via email to: wales.street.ps@education.vic.gov.au

With subject heading: “Parent Request for Student Placement Considerations 2024”.

2024 planning

Could Parents/Guardians who currently have children attending Wales Street but do not plan to return in 2024 please notify the school office by Friday 27 Octobe. It is vital that we have accurate information as it impacts the planning of class numbers and staffing. 

World Teachers Day Friday October 27 

Every day, Victorian teachers are shaping the future and making a profound difference to young lives.

Celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide, World Teachers’ Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1994 to recognise the role of teachers in society. 

In Victoria, World Teachers’ Day will be celebrated on 27 October 2023, providing an opportunity for our community to say, 'thank you' and celebrate the achievements and leadership of teachers.

We have an amazing group of hard working teachers who are committed and dedicated to ensuring that our students have every chance at success. This day is an opportunity to acknowledge their contribution to our school.