Principal Team's Report

Welcome Back!

We trust that all community members enjoyed the holiday break, and it is wonderful to see our students begin term 3 all rested, recharged and ready for a fabulous term of learning! Our staff have worked hard to plan and prepare learning that engages, motivates and inspires our young people to challenge themselves and build their skills and knowledge so that they can continue to shine each and every day. 

Coming Up

We have an action-packed Term 3 ahead, with lots of exciting events and opportunities for our students to get involved, stay active, and have fun! Our Year 3/4 students participated in Hoop Time this week, showcasing their skills and positive attitudes against other schools. Our State School Spectacular participants are practising hard, ready for their performances in September. We have special visits by two bestselling authors coming up - Morris Gleitzman (Year 5/6 only) and Adrian Beck (P-6). Our Year 5 students are travelling to IMAX and the museum shortly, and our Year 1 students will be exploring the Zoo.  We have our School Disco on Friday, 22nd August and our Year 4 students heading to Phillip Island Adventure Resort for their 3-day camp later in the month. This is just a tiny snippet of what's coming up - make sure you check Compass regularly for any updates concerning your child/ren's class. 

Prep 100 Days

A massive CONGRATULATIONS to our Prep students and staff on surviving 100 days of Prep! Beginning school is a big milestone, and we are super proud of the way our students have settled into the routines and expectations of Pakenham Springs Primary School. We celebrated 100 days of school with a parade and guard of honour around the school,  popping 100 balloons and completing lots of fun activities in our classrooms during the day. It was lovely to see the creative T-shirts our students and staff were wearing and the huge smiles on their faces as they paraded around the school!

Curriculum Day

A reminder that Friday, 8th August, is a Curriculum Day at Pakenham Springs, with no students on site on this day.

Our staff will be completing the second day of our Berry Street Education Model (BSEM). This training is helping our school implement evidence-informed strategies that equip teachers with practical tools to create classrooms where every student feels safe, engaged, and ready to learn. 

Communication with staff

Please remember that our staff are doing their best to provide a positive, safe and supportive educational environment for all members of the community. We understand that sometimes a parent or carer may require further information about an incident that has happened at school. This clarification must be done in a respectful manner. Our staff have the right to be safe at work and any abuse or explicit language towards staff will not be tolerated. Please see the Department's Respectful Behaviours Within the School Community Policy for more information.

Racism in Schools

At Pakenham Springs Primary School, we value the diversity of culture, ethnicity, and faith of all our students. We are proud of our diversity, and everyone is welcome at our school.

Any racially motivated adverse behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at our school.

Celebrating the diversity of our community makes us stronger, kinder and innovative. We are committed to ensuring that students from all backgrounds feel accepted, supported and are empowered to learn.

Pakenham Springs Primary School has taken steps to ensure the school is a place free of racism and where everyone feels welcome, respected and supported. 

To achieve our values and aims, everyone at our school plays an important role, and we are writing to ask for your support.

Pakenham Springs Primary School asks that you support your child/ren to:

• understand that we celebrate diversity and multicultural inclusion

• understand the importance of everyone at school being treated with respect

• understand that Pakenham Springs takes racism very seriously

• understand that the school will support students if they experience or see their classmates witness this racism

• discuss with your children the impact of using racist slurs and the harm it may cause other students, and the importance of using respectful language at school and in the broader community.

Your partnership in reinforcing these values at home will significantly help create a more respectful and inclusive environment at school. For more information, please see Racism: talking with children and teens, Raising Children Network.

If you or your child/ren have experienced racism or other unfair treatment, Pakenham Springs is here to help. Talk to our school office staff who can help you understand the school policies, access support and make a complaint. 

If you don’t feel comfortable reporting the incident to the school, you can call or email the Report Racism hotline. The Department of Education runs the Report Racism hotline. It is available 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) on 1800 722 476 or via email at report.racism@education.vic.gov.au.

Uniform Reminders

Please remember that the Pakenham Springs Uniform guidelines are very clear about what is/is not permitted at our school. This policy was developed by School Council and has been recently reviewed and approved. We are very clear on our expectations around jewellery, hair colour, nails and other uniform items. Please ensure you are familiar with the expectations and seek clarification if required. If a student is non-compliant with the Uniform guidelines, a Compass note will be sent to the parent for immediate attention. While we understand that sometimes a uniform item may get lost or be unwearable for a short amount of time, upholding our standards, ensuring safety for all students and showing pride in our school is a priority for our staff.

Parking and Road Safety

Cardinia Council has received a concerning increase in the reports regarding illegal parking, dangerous driving and pedestrian safety around schools across the Shire. Together with Cardinia Shire Council, we wish to remind all drivers of the importance of safety and adhering to road rules when parking around the school, at pick-up and drop-off times.

To ensure the safety of all pedestrians, students and members of our school community, we ask that you:

• Park only in designated areas: parking is not permitted on nature strips, no-stopping zones, no parking zones, bus zones or areas reserved for staff (internal carpark areas). Please adhere to all signage and the road rules.
• Follow drop-off and pick-up procedures: use the designated drop-off and pick-up zones to ensure a smooth and safe flow of traffic.
• Be mindful of pedestrians: Follow directions from School Crossing Supervisors and take extra caution during peak times when children are arriving or leaving school.
• Be respectful: Council Parking Officers are required to conduct regular patrols around the school to ensure safety. Please be respectful and courteous.

Supervision before school

Students are not to arrive at school until 8:30 am on school mornings.  Staff do not begin their workday until this time, and there is insufficient supervision available in the mornings.  Any student arriving before 8:30 am will be asked to sit at the office and wait. We ask for your support in this matter.  Likewise, under no circumstances are students allowed to leave the school grounds in the morning and go across to the shops.  Not only is this incredibly unsafe, with them crossing the busy Heritage BLVD road unsupervised, but a small number of students are also coming back having purchased items inappropriate for the school day.  

Please contact OSHClub if you need to organise care and supervision for your child/ren outside of 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Have a wonderful fortnight,

The PSPS Leadership Team