6 March Principal & Assistant Principal Report

What a busy fortnight it has been! We’ve had some beautiful weather and lots of events!

Undokai

What a wonderful night Undokai was! It was fabulous bringing the community together- current families, staff and past students. There was lot of fun had by students and families connecting with one another. In a historic outcome it was a tie between the two teams…..this was the first tie in my 10 years at the school. Thank you to our student leaders for hosting the event. A HUGE thank you to Nick Tolliday and Yukiko Shoya who organised the event with support from Wakana Karchnak and the rest of the staff. Thank you also to Watashi Mo and School Council for selling yakitori, sausages and icy poles at the event. Undokai is one of my favourite community events at the school and being able to connect with everyone.

Year 6 Commemorative Uniform

The new Year 6 polo shirt and bomber jacket have arrived. The design and colour was selected by our students. It is a special commemorative piece that students can keep as a memento of their final year of primary school.

Annual Implementation Plan

The Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) is a document which outlines the one-year goals and strategies of the school. It is created using the goals in the 4 Year Strategic Plan. This fortnight I will outline our second goal in our 2024 AIP.

Goal 2- Wellbeing - Effectively mobilise available resources to support students' wellbeing and mental health, especially the most vulnerable.

At Huntingdale we will:

-Monitor student attendance to ensure students are connected to school-Implement a whole school strategy for Mental Health Supports in the school-Enhance and improve student voice and agency in the school through goal setting and student leadership -Develop a whole school strategy to support vulnerable students using Tier 2 Disability and Inclusion Profile (DIP) funding.

Already at the school we have deployed Dan Thomas to implement mental health supports for 2 days a week. His work includes small group work with students and working with teachers to implement strategies to improve mental health.

Respectful Relationships

This term’s Respectful Relationships topic is Topic 2- ‘Personal Strengths.’

Students need a vocabulary to help them recognise and understand strengths and positive qualities in themselves and others. This topic provides learning activities to build this vocabulary and to use it when discussing personal, social and ethical challenges. Research in the field of positive psychology emphasises the importance of identifying and using individual strengths. Social and emotional learning programs which use strength-based approaches promote student wellbeing, positive behaviour and academic achievement.

Parents as Partners Feedback

Thank you to all the families who attended the ‘Parents as Partners’ night on 21 February. The school would like feedback about the night from parents in Years 1-6. Please email the school at huntingdale.ps@education.vic.gov.au with any suggestions or feedback.

Cultural Diversity Week

Cultural Diversity is celebrated from the 18-24 March. It is a special week at Huntingdale to celebrate our cultural diversity in our school community. This year’s theme is:

Our Shared Stories - Celebrating Together

The 2024 Cultural Diversity Week theme invites us to weave a tapestry of vibrant experiences with "Our Shared Stories - Celebrating Together." This powerful theme goes beyond individual narratives, encouraging us to recognise and celebrate the beautiful intersections that enrich our culturally diverse state.

This Cultural Diversity Week, let's raise our voices, open our hearts, and celebrate the tapestry of humanity that binds us together through our shared stories.

We will launch the week with assembly at 9.10am.

Students are invited to wear their cultural dress or wear orange for the day.

During the week parents are invited to visit their child’s classroom to share a story, memento, dance or music from their family’s cultural background. Please discuss this with your child’s teachers.

For more information about Cultural Diversity Week, please visit:

https://www.multiculturalcommission.vic.gov.au/cultural-diversity-week-victorian-multicultural-commission

Student Attendance

We have had a look at the student attendance for the month of February. Please reads a copy of the results which is attached below.

One area we have identified to improve is students arriving to school on time. Routinely each day we have many students late. This means they miss vital learning instructions at the beginning of the day, and this can interrupt the flow of teaching and learning for themselves and the class.

We understand that since the pandemic the traffic has become more hectic on the roads, so we ask families to wake up that bit earlier and allow for some extra travel time. Some other strategies to help make mornings a bit smoother are:

Setting a regular alarm
Preparing lunch the night before
Students packing their bag the night before as much as possible
Complete homework tasks in the evenings rather than mornings when it is busy
Laying out school uniform ready for the morning
Minimising television and device time in the morning

Let’s all work together to improve our punctuality at school!

Staff News

We are very pleased to let you know that teacher Nozomi Koyama gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Emma, recently. We wish Nozomi and her family all the best! She hopes to visit soon when the family is settled.

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day, March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It is also a day to mark action for equality for women.

Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #InspireInclusion.

IWD originated from labour movements in North America and Europe during the early 20th century. The earliest version was a "Women's Day" organized in New York City February 28, 1909.

Today, International Women's Day is commemorated in a variety of ways worldwide; it is a public holiday in several countries and observed socially or locally in others. The United Nations observes the holiday in connection with a particular issue, campaign, or theme in women's rights. In many countries it is a celebration of womanhood, and the difference women make to our lives.

I ask our community to reflect on the achievements of women in the world and also to think about the women in our own lives that help us to support and grow and also inspire us- mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends, teachers, doctors ……the list goes on!

It is not a day to ‘put down’ men or boys. Many men and boys help support women to achieve great things in their lives and I’m sure they can think of the women in their lives and how they make a difference.

Historically, purple was a colour that denoted justice and dignity, and now it is used to represent women. Green is a symbol of hope. Today, purple is the colour of International Women's Day, and combined with green represents the feminist movement.

For more information on International Women’s Day, please see https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Happy St Patrick’s Day

On 17 March it is St Patrick’s Day. St Patrick's Day observes the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green! We wish all families who mark St Patrick’s Day a fabulous day of celebrations.

Ride to School Day

Friday 22 March 2024 is National Ride2School Day.

Riding your bike has many health benefits and most important it is fun! It’s also a great way for families to spend time together.

On Friday 22 March, we encourage students and their families to leave the car at home and give riding, walking, scooting or skating to school a go.

We have a bike rack where students can safely store their bike and it is locked by our Year 6 leaders.

Our school is in the City of Monash. We have a number of bike/walk paths in the municipality and I have attached a map below. They also have information on their website about cycling:

https://www.monash.vic.gov.au/Things-to-Do/Sports-and-Recreation/Cycling

The bicycle network has a fantastic website with information and tips for riding your bike as well. Please visit:

https://bicyclenetwork.com.au/tips-resources/

I hope you had a lovely long weekend!

Have a great fortnight!

Ruth Biddle

Principal

Acknowledgement of Country