Principal's News

Welcome Back!

Whilst writing this with gritted teeth, congratulations to our Magpie supporters that enjoyed a fantastic Grand Final victory over the school holiday break (that was hard to write), now that is out of the way and due credit is acknowledged I welcome everyone back to Term 4, a busy term with plenty of events to look forward to, highlighted by our School Fete which is just over a month away! 

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful school holiday break and had some time together, we were so lucky to enjoy some beautiful weather, but in a reminder that Melbourne weather is so fickle, we have unfortunately had some wet days to return to school this week, regardless of the weather, we look to remind our students and families that hats are compulsory during each day in Term 4, please ensure your child has a hat and is wearing this over the course of the term. 

Class Placements 2024

Later this term we will start the complex process of placing students into classes for 2024. We spend many hours undertaking this important work, which considers variables such as:

• Academic ability and performance
• Work habits e.g. ability to work independently
• Classroom behaviour
• Social network /friendships
• Social maturity
• Special needs e.g. twins, siblings
• Special factors such as ‘anxiety’

During this process, changes and adjustments to the proposed class groups are made over several weeks. Draft class lists are then submitted to the Leadership team for final ratification and then finally teachers are assigned to class groups. For the record teachers do not ever pick students to be in their class, all classes are assigned by the Principal Class team once the groups are decided. 

Requesting Special Consideration for Student Placement in 2023

If any families have any requests for placement of children on educational grounds, please send this to me via the office no later than Friday 3rd November. It is our important goal that we place children in a happy and secure learning environment. Whilst we do keep all previous requests from past years, they do become dated in terms of relevance, so we will only consider information from the past two years. If a previous request on educational grounds still exists, please take the time to bring this to our attention once again so that we are aware of any long-term considerations that might still be relevant.

OSHC 2024

Over the last several months, a school council sub-committee comprising 2 parents alongside Morioka sensei and I have undertaken an Expression Of Interest process for a 3-year contract to deliver an OSHC Program (Before School, After School, Holiday Care) at our school. This process involved initial site visits, comprehensive written submissions, shortlisting and presentations to our school council.  

We are excited to have reached the decision to partner with Team Kids over the next 3 years beginning in 2024. Team Kids are 100% Australian owned and established by a teacher. They currently deliver 152 services to schools throughout Victoria. We are looking forward to building a strong partnership with them moving forward. I thank Miharu and our sub-committee for the considerable time that they invested to read and assess these applications and promote the best outcomes for our students. I also acknowledge and appreciate Camp Australia and the partnership they have promoted over many years at our school. 

Please refer to the schoolstream that was shared yesterday (Thursday) to follow some links with more information and webinar registration to support the launch of our partnership with Team Kids. 

Important dates to note: 

• Attendance at our 2024 Prep Information Evening - 6pm, 10th October
• Family Information Webinar - 6pm, Wednesday 1st November
• Holiday Program Begins – 4th January 2024

In addition to this, our CPS Team Kids Website is live, providing the opportunity for families to register via - https://www.teamkids.com.au/venues/caulfield-primary-oshc/

Grand Final Performers

There was a distinct Black and White theme to this years AFL Grand Final, with Collingwood enjoying great support in the lead up to the day and at the game. Complementing this was the pre-game entertainment with rockers, KISS performing some of their hits and joined on the ground by over 300 supporting dancers and performers. 

Our school was well represented with Alice H (3/4), Kalina (1/2), Charlize W (3/4) and Gabriel W (1/2) all performing a big part in a huge pre-game performance. What a wonderful experience to reflect back on, well done to each of our very talented performers! 

Referendum 2023

A reminder that Caulfield Primary School will be an Australian Electoral Commission polling place for the upcoming referendum, please come down and show your support for our school and our Parents and Friends Club by enjoying a democracy sausage or purchasing a cake or something sweeter. Our BBQ will run all day with all fundraising going towards our Parents and Friends Club to support our school and students. 

Congratulations

The holiday break provided some exciting news for our staff to return back to. We extend our congratulations to Miss Parkes on her recent engagement to partner Simon and to Sakamoto sensei who travelled to Japan over the break to complete her formal Japanese marriage registration with partner Henry. 

Active October

A reminder that over the course of October, we are taking part in the Glen Eira Council Active October challenge, there are some great prizes which will be drawn at our whole school assembly (20 November) the winner will receive their prize (1st: Fitbit Ace (1 student), 2nd: Frisbee with squishy ball (2 students), 3rd: colour pencil pack with squishy ball (3 students), 4th: Squishy ball (3 students). The more active we are, the better our school’s chance at becoming Glen Eira City Council’s Active Schools Champion for 2023. Be active and help us win!

Learning Focus in Term 4

There is a lot to look forward to across Term 4. Our core learning programs in English and Mathematics continue to be a high priority, but in keeping with our focus on the ‘whole child’ we balance this out with other learning opportunities. In Term 4 we look forward to sharing these with you and celebrating the work of our students and staff. 

We have two student free days this term occurring on: 

• Monday 6th November (First Aid Training) 
• Monday 11th December (2024 Team Planning) 

On top of this, our staff are completing a significant amount of professional learning over coming weeks, including further work on Mathematics and rich assessment, instructional coaching, English as an Additional Language in Literacy, Assessment and Data Triangulation workshops, Naplan Data masterclass, and communities of practice alongside neighbouring school, Caulfield South PS and Caulfield Junior College. We have working parties addressing Bilingual learning, we host a Principal network meeting of Bilingual Principals’ and we continue to work with our Senior Education Improvement Leader and Education Improvement Leader. In short, all our staff are working incredibly hard to ensure we finish the year on a high. 

Despite the miserable weather to begin the week, it was terrific to touch base with many of you and see our students return to school, we look forward to working with you over the coming term, please reach out or make contact with me if we can be of any assistance.

Enjoy a great weekend, 

Edward Strain

Principal