Principal's News

Dear Clayton North Primary School Community

We are past the halfway mark of Term 2, and on the door step of winter! 

I want to begin my message by thanking all parents and families for supporting us with the student-free day last Wednesday. I understand the inconvenience of finding suitable care for young children, so we do appreciate your support. These days are important as they allow school staff to engage in professional learning, curriculum development, school planning and administration, all of which have an impact on student learning and well-being.

Last week's professional learning was facilitated by the department Education Improvement Leader - Disability Inclusion, who supported staff in understanding policies and legislations that we have to work within, such as, the Equal Opportunity Act, the Disability Discrimination Act and the Principles of Inclusive Education. We were also introduced to the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), whereby educators anticipate and remove barriers in advance so that all students, regardless of their abilities and learning needs, have full access to classroom learning from the beginning, instead of adapting materials later​.

As a result of our improved knowledge and understanding of barriers to student learning, we have made two noticeable changes in classrooms: 1. Classrooms are much more tidy - calm, orderly environments remove distractions to foster spaces for learning and taking risks. 2. All rooms have a visual timetable on the whiteboard - seeing the same visual cues and images in every classroom can help to reduce anxiety, promote independence, and provide stronger support for diverse learners.  We will continue to develop our expertise in UDL to support all our students.

Semester reports are underway and will be available to parents in the last week of term, on the 24th of June. Please note that as a result of the industrial action, there will be no written comments in this semester's reports. The following will be included in reports: your child's progression against the Victorian Curriculum standards and their level of effort and behaviour. 

World Education Support Staff Day

The 16th of May was World Education Support Staff Day. We acknowledged and celebrated our ES staff last Tuesday over a lavish morning tea that teaching staff provided. Kym, Gaya and Linda, our office staff, do an outstanding job in all aspects of office administration, customer service, first aid, HR and finance matters. Emma, Pramodha, Herlina, Kathie and Jiarong provide excellent support to teachers, parents, and students with additional needs, and are patient and caring. We extend our sincere thanks to our incredible ES staff for the outstanding care, dedication and support they provide to our students, staff and school community each day! 

Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

Thank you to families for your support in the smooth transition to the CNPS OSHC. This week sees the completion of one month in operation  since the transfer of service. Please let us know of any issues you have experienced so far. We will soon be operating via a digital platform, where parents can manage bookings and payments online. The Child Care Subsidy is also in process.

Staffing update

It is with regret that I inform the Clayton North community that, due to personal reasons, Hourig is no longer a staff member at the school. Her students in 1/2A were devastated last Friday when she came in to tell them that she was leaving. 

I take this opportunity to publicly thank Hourig for her contribution to the school and for her commitment to students she taught over the last six years, and wish her well for the future.

Sue Simadri