Scoresby PS Whole-school Newsletter

From Our School Leaders

It’s Great To Be Back

Thank you to the many students and parents who have welcomed me back from my break - and it’s great to be back! I had a marvellous time visiting family in London, friends in Scotland, and my daughter and son-in-law in Germany; we even popped over to France for a week! I also went to Sydney with my best friend, stayed with my mum in Bright, and did a few projects around my house. I very much appreciated the opportunity to step out of the busy life of school and take a bit of time to unwind and travel. I am really pleased to be back, and have missed the kids, school community and staff. It was a bit of a challenge getting organised day 1, but I’ve been doing this long enough now to fall back into my groove. I’m looking forward to a terrific Term 3.

Thank You Nicole And Kellie

Thanks to Nic and Kellie for stepping up into their acting roles for Term 2. They did a fantastic job dealing with all office matters, and both of them have reported to me that they loved the opportunity and new learnings. 

 

It is very comforting to know that things can continue and grow when people step into different roles. I always say this, but we have a fabulous team at Scoresby PS and I would sincerely like to acknowledge and thank Nic and Kellie for all of their work and efforts in Term 2. 

 

Kate Fox also stepped into the classroom role full time, which was seamless for the children of 1/2K, and also made way for Kellie to seize the opportunity and step out of the classroom. Thanks Kate! 

 

SUE HARTLEY

Principal

 

 

New Psychologist 

Psychs in Schools have started with us at SPS this term. Josie Komninos, a provisional psychologist, will be here until the end of the year on placement, 2 days a week - Mondays and Wednesdays. This is one way we can support our students who wish to use this service, as wait lists for many mental health services are long and difficult to access these days.

My name is Josie Komninos (Ms K). I am a provisional psychologist in my fifth year of training at Monash University, where I am studying a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology. I will be working at Scoresby Primary School on Mondays and Wednesdays for the rest of the year. I am practising as part of the Psychs in Schools program, under the supervision of senior psychologist Joseph McKeddie. I love working with students who are experiencing issues like anxiety, depression, grief, friendship difficulties, and low self-esteem. I use a collaborative, non-judgemental and play-based approach to help young people overcome challenges and improve wellbeing. I value feedback, and I track students' wellbeing over time to monitor the success of therapy. I prioritise building a strong therapeutic relationship to help children feel comfortable and engaged. I use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is an evidence-based treatment that is effective for a wide range of problems. Outside of school, I enjoy reading, baking and gardening.

 

If you believe that your child may benefit from working with me, please contact Nicole Rheumer on nicole.rheumer@education.vic.gov.au or Sue Hartley on susan.hartley@education.vic.gov.au for a pre-referral form.

 

Rubbish In Our Yard

This term we are making a conscious effort to cut down on the rubbish in our yard. Our grounds are looking really well kept and tidy these days, but the rubbish many of us pick up each day is getting out of hand. 

 

We have put a new system in place for all students, starting this week. 

  • Any packaging going outside needs to be clearly named. Markers have been provided to each class. 
  • Children eating outside at lunch/recess should go to the eating area.
  • As usual, any rubbish that is taken outside should be placed in the many rubbish bins located around the school.
  • If any named rubbish is found in the yard, the offending student will be required to do 10 minutes of yard clean-up with a yard duty teacher. 

We are already seeing more care for our school environment from our students, which is the main idea. We are intent on helping our students be aware of their surrounding environment and the importance of looking after it. 

 

New Shade Sails Are Coming

We are replacing the shade sails over the eating area as they were deemed a hazard in our OH&S audit conducted in Term 1. They have been on order for a while, and were meant to be installed during the school holidays. Hopefully they will be in place soon. 

 

Foundation 2025 Enrolments Are Now Due

Applications for enrolment for all Knox schools will be processed on Monday 29th July, and first placement offers will be released. Those families who have applied for a 2025 Foundation place, please check your emails during the day. Parents can accept the position offered or, alternatively, wait for another offer from a nearby school. Please be aware that zoning may affect a school’s capacity to accept enrolments out-of-zone.

 

Child Safety And Wellbeing At Scoresby Primary School - Information for families and the school community

Scoresby Primary School is committed to providing an environment where students are safe and feel safe. We have a zero tolerance for child abuse, and are committed to protecting children from harm. 

 

Our comprehensive child safety framework includes policies, codes and procedures that explain how we support and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students and protect them from harm. These documents are available on our website: www.scoresbyps.vic.edu.au 

 

We are committed to continuous improvement of our child safety framework. We are currently reviewing our child safety policies and practices to ensure they are up-to-date and effective. The policies currently being reviewed as part of this process are:

  • Child Safety Policy
  • Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures
  • Child Safe Code of Conduct
  • Digital Learning Policy
  • Student Engagement and Wellbeing policy
  • Bullying Prevention Policy

Our students and families are important partners in this process. We welcome your feedback or ideas on ways we can improve our approach to child safety and wellbeing. 

 

If you have any suggestions or comments, please contact Nicole Rheumer on 9763 7484 or at nicole.rheumer@education.vic.gov.au by 1st August 2024.

 

Thank you to the parents that took the time to complete our Bullying Prevention Survey.  If you are still interested in adding your perspective, you can click here to access the survey.

 

AEU Survey for parents

The AEU is working in partnership with Monash University on a research project to be conducted over 2024/25 on ‘What the Profession Needs Now, For the Future'. One of the papers to be written by Monash will focus on parents/carers and community, with particular reference to effective partnerships between parents/carers/students and schools and school employees, and will, in part, be informed by the information collected in the survey. You can link to the survey here. Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. There are no foreseeable risks associated with this project. However, if you feel uncomfortable answering any questions, you can withdraw from the survey at any point. It is very important for us to learn your opinions. Your survey responses will be strictly confidential and data from this research will be reported only in the aggregate. Your information will be coded and will remain confidential.

 

Coding And Robotics At SPS

 

Teeth On Wheels School Dental Program

 

 

SUE HARTLEY AND NICOLE RHEUMER

Scoresby Primary School Leaders