Principal's Message 

Last fortnight happenings

It has been another massive fortnight at Ceres with Education Week last week being a great success, as well as further 2025 Foundation tours, SSGs, First Aid training for staff, Walk to School Day, and a Parent Anxiety Workshop session being held. Never a dull moment around here! Always something amazing happening.

Yard updates

There has been plenty happening in our yard of late. 

We not only have excitedly opened our new playground but also added a much needed second bin in our yard, and created some new steps out to the oval where the old septic tank used to be, to make access easier and less slippery (see the before and after photos below). We have also secured an arborist to give the hedge a haircut over the holidays which will be fantastic. 

Our tank hatches our now secured and the poly tank, which has been on site for a number of years, is also now connected. Quotes have been sought for some much needed signage for our school also, to provide it with some identity from the street and some directional assistance for visitors to find the office. 

The carpark is always a hot topic of conversation in our community and, to keep you informed, I have engaged the City of Greater Geelong once more in the hope they can find something in their new financial year budget to upgrade the existing, outdated carpark. I have lodged a petition (see below)on CoGG's 'Have Your Say' forum which is intended to inform budgeting conversations. 

Please feel free to visit the page (link here) and comment and help support our push for an upgrade. People power CAN, and hopefully WILL make a difference. 

Staffing Update

As mentioned in a Compass post last week, Jess Goward, our Learning Specialist, was recently successful in an Acting Assistant Principal position at Roslyn Primary School. Jess will be Acting AP at Roslyn PS from Week 7 this term through to Week 10. This is an exciting opportunity for Jess and we know that she will be a great success before returning to Ceres PS at the beginning of Term 3. 

Jess currently performs many significant roles at our school which will now be delegated to other staff, in particular, our tutoring program. Anne Thompson, a very experienced teacher who has performed casual relief roles with us this year, has been employed to perform tutoring duties twice a week to ensure this program is unaffected.

In more staffing news, I have been extended for Term 3 this year. I excitedly received a call from the Executive Director last week to confirm that I will be remaining at Ceres PS for Term 3 which will help see out our review process to be held in early Term 3. No news for Term 4 as yet.

Education Support Day (16/5)

Last Thursday we celebrated Education Support Personnel Day. It is always a special time to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work of our dedicated Education Support Staff. They are the glue that holds us all together and we couldn't operate as a successful school community without them.

To our amazing ES team, thank you for your tireless efforts in creating an environment where we can all succeed. Students, their families, allied health teams, teachers, and the leadership team all benefit from, and appreciate your energy, enthusiasm, and efforts! 

At Ceres, we truly have an incredible crew of ES staff.

National Reconciliation Week 2024

National Reconciliation Week – 27 May to 3 June – is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements. Today more than ever, the opportunities to increase cultural understanding and inclusion are incredibly important. 

This week, each of our classrooms will participate in reconciliation activities and engage in conversations about the importance of the week.  

We are also thrilled to extend a warm invitation to you all for a special event on Wadawurrung Land, marking this year’s Reconciliation Week. On Tuesday, 28th May at 2.15pm, we will be hosting a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, and your presence would greatly enrich this meaningful occasion. 

This event is an opportunity for us to acknowledge and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Australia's First Nations and Torres Strait Islander Peoples including, our local Wadawurrung People, as well as providing an opportunity to come together as a community in the spirit of reconciliation and understanding. 

Details: Date: Tuesday, 28th May 

Time: 2.15pm 

Location: Ceres Primary School

150th Anniversary Preparations

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of Ceres Primary School's opening. July 5th is the date to be exact. To ensure we do the celebration and significant milestone justice I have begun some initial planning with our School Council President, Emily Hansford, and parent and long time Ceres resident, Rachael Moon. I have also engaged the Ceres Historical Society and the Ceres Community Group to support our planning and both groups are excited and willing to support our event which is brilliant and incredibly appreciated.

 As our plans and preparations progress, we will put the call out for more community members for support, so if you are at all interested feel free to let me know prior. 

School Review - Term 3

The Department of Education (DET) conducts reviews of schools every 4 years. This rigorous process is conducted by the Victorian Registration & Qualifications Authority (VRQA) and the evaluation is completed with support from a DET appointed external reviewer, as well as, external challenge partners. The school review supports each school to differentiate its improvement journey by building on current strengths and assisting it in responding to challenges. It emphasises continuous improvement and affirms that every student, no matter their background or circumstance, has a right to learn in a school committed to improvement. It maintains that every school can continue to improve.  

Ceres Primary School and the review:

• welcomes school community participation
• embraces the input of experts from both within and beyond the school through staff, student and parent forums
• Include classroom visits
• Breakdown of school based data in relation to teaching and learning, engagement and wellbeing, financial and policy, and community engagement
• forges links between evidence, school review, and strategic and annual planning
• seeks multiple perspectives, engages with the whole school community, and being open to challenges for improvement
• celebrates strengths and achievements

The result of this is the development of the School Strategic Plan (SSP).

Following our Strategic Plan our website and documents will be updated to include :

• Reports related to the school’s academic achievement
• Reports detailing the results of surveys of key stake holders including students, parents, and teachers
• School policy documents are also looked at as part of the Review.

As a school, we look forward to this process to set our future goals and continue to be the best school we can be. 

If you have any questions about this process please feel free to contact the school.

Prep Enrolments and Tours

Expressions of interest and tours for 2025 Foundation students have continued to be extremely popular.

If you have a sibling of a current student needing enrolment next year we ask that this be submitted as soon as possible to give us a clear indication of potential numbers for 2025. 

If you know anyone looking to enroll at Ceres, please ask them to book a tour or pick up an expression of interest pack.

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Our newsletter is private to our school community and is not shared on our website or on social media.  However, you may want to have a grandparent or other family member be able to receive our newsletter.  If you do, you can subscribe to our newsletter with the link below and then when the newsletter is published it will go to them.  You can also subscribe if you would like to receive the newsletter directly into your email instead of via Compass.

Subscribe here

Reminder: Our student led Assembly is on today at 2:30 pm.

Our assembly is an important part of our school. It is an opportunity to proactively reinforce our school culture and expectations through the acknowledgement and celebration of our students and school. 

Have a great fortnight.

Tim Callaghan

Acting Principal