Principal's Report

Welcome back to everyone. 

Term 2 is well underway and we have a number of exciting opportunities coming over the next few months, but we have also had exciting new items worthy of sharing from the past few weeks. Two of which you can read below. 

Eastland Shop for Your School

Thank you for your efforts in the "Shop for Your School" competition sponsored by Eastland. The mighty Marlborough Primary community has done it again! We finished 2nd in the competition and, as a result, our school has received $7,000.

I have received numerous creative suggestions from students, ranging from swimming pools to personal butlers for every student. The creativity of young people is truly special and it is never tiring to be around.

We will gather further suggestions through our Junior School Council and then make a decision on how to best use the funds to improve our school.

Mobile Phones and Smart Watches 

A reminder that mobile phones and other communication devices, including smart watches, are not allowed in students’ possession during the school day. I have noticed that a few of our students are wearing their smart watches to school. Students who bring these devices to school must hand them in at the office at the start of the day and can pick them up again at the end of the school day. All devices are stored securely throughout the day. 

If you would like any clarification on our mobile phone and connected device policy, you can find it here on our website.

Student Problems at School

As a school, we are diligently working to develop our students' understanding of how to solve friendship problems using a shared language and process from our Friendology program. If you find yourself supporting your child at home with minor friendship issues (Friendship Fires), I encourage you to use our Friendology language and process to help them work through problems with their friends.

At times, problems may escalate beyond what we label as a Friendship Fire. When this happens, please inform the school about any of these issues. It is crucial for us to be aware of what is happening with our students so we can provide the necessary support when dealing with larger problems. It is important that we partner together to help our students develop the skills to establish and maintain healthy and productive relationships.

If your child does experience problems (more than just a friendship fire) at school with another child, the school should be informed so that we can work with all the students and families involved. Our preference is that direct contact between families to address problematic behaviours is avoided, as often there is missing context and information known by the school which may impact the resolution of these problems. 

Successful Funding Application

Recently, I applied for funding to support the development of our school's leadership profile, and I am pleased to announce that we were successful. This has allowed us to create a leadership position at the school for one day per week until the end of the year. I am delighted to announce that Jenelle Seregin is the successful applicant for this position. 

Jenelle will support the school’s Annual Implementation Plan, and importantly, allow us to provide even greater wellbeing support to our students. This is fantastic news for our students, teachers, and community.

Upcoming Curriculum Day

A reminder that we have a student-free day coming up on Monday, May 6th. TheirCare will be open for the day to provide support to any families that need it.

On this day, our staff will be undertaking professional learning from Berry Street Education. This will be the first of four days over the next two years. We see this as an important initiative to continue supporting our students in achieving their best learning and wellbeing outcomes. We look forward to sharing some of our learnings, but in the meantime, you can find out more here: Berry Street Education Model

We have an exciting few weeks ahead. Be sure to check out the Dates to Remember and School News pages. 

Warmly,

Tim Mulhall

Principal