Assistant Principal Update

Dear Families and Friends,

Last Friday, our Prep students celebrated an exciting milestone: 100 Days of Learning. 

The students looked fantastic in their costumes and spoke brilliantly in the gym, confidently using microphones to share their reflections with Grade 6 buddies, families and friends. They spoke about what they have learned, the things they can now do, and the many ways they have become smarter and brighter during their first 100 days at APS. A special thank you must go to our Prep team, Chiara, Candice and Emily, for their incredible organisation of this event. They created a very memorable experience for our students and their families.

Listening to our youngest learners reflect on their growth reminded me of one of our APS Learner Dispositions: 'Reflection'. 

At APS, reflection is more than simply looking back on what we have done. It involves setting goals, monitoring progress, seeking and acting on feedback, celebrating successes, and identifying the next steps in our learning journey.

The Prep students' celebration was a wonderful example of reflection in action. While 100 days may seem like a long time to a Prep student, it's really just the beginning of their learning journey. Taking time to stop and recognise growth helps students understand not only how far they have come, but also what is possible in the future.

This focus on reflection connects strongly to another important event taking place this week: our 3 -Way Conferences. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity for students, families and teachers to come together and discuss learning progress, celebrate achievements, reflect on growth and set goals for the remainder of the year. We encourage all families to make the most of this opportunity, as student growth is strengthened when reflection and goal setting are shared between school and home.

Reflection was evident again this week when our Monday Chess Club students travelled to Alphington Grammar School to compete in the Northern Star Chess Interschool Tournament. The 16 students represented APS exceptionally well and enjoyed a very successful day, with the School Champion Trophy now sitting proudly on my desk as I write this article. Beyond the impressive result, events like these provide students with opportunities to challenge themselves, learn from experience and reflect on their performance. In many ways, chess is reflection in action. Players are constantly reviewing their decisions, considering alternative strategies, learning from mistakes and using those insights to improve their next move, both on and off the board.

I'd like to thank Leigh for the time and energy he invests in our Chess Club throughout the year. Opportunities such as these tournaments are only possible because of the dedication of staff who support students beyond the classroom. I understand Leigh will do a tournament report later in the newsletter, so be sure to look out for that.

As always, there is plenty happening across the school. Looking ahead to next week, our Grade 5 students will visit the Melbourne Museum on Monday. Our Junior Athletics Carnival will take place on Tuesday at Alphington Park for Prep to Grade 2 students, Grade 2 students will head off on their Yarra River Cruise on Wednesday, and our Prep students will finish the week with their Toys Over Time incursion on Friday.

Whether reflecting on 100 days of learning, sharing progress through 3 -Way Conferences, celebrating success in events such as chess, or looking ahead to new opportunities and challenges, taking time to recognise growth is an important part of learning. Reflection helps us understand where we have come from, appreciate what we have achieved, and identify where we want to go next. 

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their week!

Luke Kleinig

Assistant Principal

Alphington Primary School

Important AEU News

Members of the Australian Education Union (AEU) are continuing protected action as part of negotiations for a new Victorian Government Schools Agreement.

One of the current measures is a ban on participating AEU members performing work outside their ordinary hours. At our school, this generally means that participating teaching staff will undertake their duties between 8:45 am and 3:45 pm Monday, Thursday and Friday and 8:45 am and 4:45 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

This action is intended to demonstrate the amount of additional work that school staff routinely perform outside their ordinary working hours.

As a result, families and students may notice the following:

• Parent/carer meetings will need to be scheduled within ordinary working hours. This may affect SSGs and IEP meetings if industrial action is still in place throughout this term.
• Emails and telephone messages will generally be responded to during these hours, which may mean delays in responding to parents.
• Assessment, correction and planning will be completed during ordinary working hours. 

• Some administrative tasks, meetings, and activities normally completed outside these hours may be postponed, reduced, or rescheduled.

   

The following will remain our priority and are not expected to be affected:

• High-quality teaching, learning and classroom instruction during the school day.
• Student safety, wellbeing, and appropriate supervision.
• Support for students with additional learning or wellbeing needs.

• Urgent communications relating to student safety or wellbeing.

   

These arrangements apply only to AEU members who choose to participate in the protected industrial action. We respect the rights of individual staff members and will continue to manage school operations as consistently as possible.

We understand that these measures may occasionally cause inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience and understanding. We will keep families informed if there are any further changes that directly affect.

I have been advised by the AEU and the Department of Education that a Stop Work has been proposed for Wednesday 19 August. At this stage I expect the same conditions to be in place at Alphington as were necessary for the previous Stop Work actions. Further details will be provided should the action proceed.

Kind Regards

Shane Wilkie 

Principal