Principal's Report

At this time of the year, our work, family and social calendars feel full to the brim. We don’t always feel like we have time to stop, breathe and be present. I want to share a couple of stories with you that will hopefully warm your heart, as well as look forward to an important upcoming community event. 

This coming Sunday, I am touring a group of ex-Caulfield South Primary School students, who graduated in the 1970s, through our school. The leader of this group, a gentleman named Kon, contacted the school earlier this year, asking whether he could drop in and visit. I always privilege these requests and have enjoyed getting to know Kon and hearing his stories. He reflected on the changes to the school site, recited memories of favourite teachers, and was particularly taken by some commemorative items in my office! I am really looking forward to meeting the broader group this weekend and showing them around our wonderful school. 

Earlier this term, I was contacted by another ex-student with a very sweet request; to take some wedding photos at our school. This seemed a little unusual at first, until I read further and found out that the couple to be married met all the way back in primary school! Again, I could not be happier to open our school to former students on this special occasion. 

With the centenary celebrations of our school only a couple of short years away, I am conscious of beginning to engage the broader community in celebrating the history of our school. I am interested in starting an alumni group for the school and encourage anyone with an interest in this to reach out to me directly.

Next weekend, we have a significant group of staff, students, families and community members competing in the ‘2XU Wellness Run’. With the course winding through the beautiful streets of bayside, I would like to wish all competitors the very best for this event. We formed our first team for this event in 2023 to raise funds and awareness around mental health, with our school becoming a top 5 fundraising group that year. All funds raised for this event go towards Beyond Blue, a service that provides support programs to address issues related to depression, anxiety disorders and other related mental illnesses.   

Related to this, our staff celebrated International Men’s Day with a morning tea earlier this week. As this day was followed by the worldwide celebrations for International Children's Day, we spent time reflecting on the positive influence male staff members have in Primary Schools. We are fortunate to have a balanced, skilful and empathetic group of staff at our school and I am proud of the outstanding learning and wellbeing guidance the whole team provides for our students. 

As we do work through this busy period, ensure you take the time to stop, reflect and appreciate the special people and events that occur in this wonderful community.

Thanks for your ongoing support and keep doing your best.

Rohan Cooper

Principal