Principal's Report

School Savings Bonus

You may have seen the recent announcement of the School Savings Bonus as part of the Victorian Budget 2024/25.

This one-off support will include $400 for each eligible student to help families cover the costs of school uniforms and activities in 2025. It will be available to parents and carers of every child enrolled in a Victorian government school in 2025.

Cash will not be paid directly to individuals or families. Instead, families will receive the bonus as credits on their school accounts that will help meet the costs of your children’s activities and uniforms.

Existing supports

The School Savings Bonus support will be in addition to existing and continuing means-tested supports for camps, sports and excursions. The application-based Affordable School Uniform program, through State Schools’ Relief, will continue to be available to families experiencing financial hardship or other forms of vulnerability and short-term crisis. This program allows schools to make multiple applications for support on parents' behalf throughout the year if needed.

There will be more information and guidance about the School Savings Bonus in Term 3, 2024, ahead of its implementation in 2025.

Student Behaviour

I would like to ask for your support in having a meaningful conversation with your child about the importance of respecting their teachers. As we strive to create a positive and productive learning environment, it's crucial that our students understand the value of showing respect, listening attentively, and following instructions. These behaviours not only contribute to their own success but also foster a respectful and harmonious classroom atmosphere for everyone. Your reinforcement at home plays a vital role in helping your child understand and practise these values. I appreciate your cooperation and partnership in your child's education.

Build Update

We have had a number of progressions in relation to the building works going on across the school over the past few weeks. The ramp down to the oval, the toilets outside the Art Room, and the Designated Disability Access toilet at the back of the 3/4 building have been completed and handed over to the school. Many of our doors around the school have also been converted to automatic openers. If you see a green button located on the wall both inside and outside of the building, I encourage you to use them wherever possible. The doors can still be opened manually, but they are now heavier with the new door hardware.

Staffing Update

Over the past few weeks, we have successfully employed Katherine Ponton in the role of Science teacher. Katherine will be with us one day a week on a Wednesday and will teach most students across the school, Science. We are excited for Katherine to start with us later this term.

This will also help us to release Jenelle Seregin for the equivalent of a day a week to take on the role of Assistant Principal. This has been made possible by a successful application to a Department of Education initiative designed to support school leadership profiles. We are grateful for the opportunity that this will provide to further our work as a school and provide the best learning and wellbeing opportunities for our students.

Reports

Our teachers are working tirelessly at the moment to ensure that classrooms are high-quality teaching and learning environments. They are also busy and deep into report writing season. They spend many, many hours collating and writing these assessments of student achievement. I look forward to releasing these to the community in the last week of term.

It is worth noting that you may notice some minor changes to the report structures from previous years. This is to ensure that we align more closely with the Department of Education Reporting Student Achievement Policy.  

Annual Report

The Annual Report is a reflection on the school’s performance from the past year and trends over time. It offers an opportunity for schools to outline and celebrate the achievements of the past year. Our Annual Report can be found on our website here.

Warmly,

Tim Mulhall

Principal