Some words from the Principal

Welcome back to the 2024 school year! What a terrific start we have had for both staff and students.  There was certainly a buzz in the air as students and their families came into school.  We hit the ground running and began our specialists programs on Day 2 as everyone was so keen to start Media, Science, Art, Music, Mandarin or PE.  

Exciting News! 

Last year Mitchell H (Year 6 2024) approached me in regards to building and growing a school garden.  He spent some time writing a proposal (see attached letter) and really thought through the idea.  Mitchell involved some other students in his initiative and I met with Mitchell and Sam and discussed their great idea.  I talked through the plan and explained that funds can  be a challenge.  

Members of the KPA shared an idea of a competition at the below website where you were able to win makeovers for your school.  We decided to put the 2 ideas together! 

https://www.castleandcubby.com.au/pages/schools

The boys took some photos  and then used their media skills to enhance them! They also wrote these 50 words with their entry…

We would love to be given the opportunity to transform a dead grassed area into a beautiful garden. This will help GROW our school into a healthy and environmental place. It will teach students/teachers how to look after the environment, learn about sustainability and a quiet calm place for everyone.

The boys and I received a very exciting phone call this week by the company to let us know that we won!! 

Over the next 4-6 months we will work with the company designing the space and making it come to life!  This project will be led my Mitchell and Sam, along with Xibi and Hannah our Science and Environment Captains.  The Year 6 Green Team will also be a huge part of making the project come to life! 

I am so proud of Mitchell and Sam demonstrating how an idea can come to life with some hard work, initiative and tenacity! 

Welcome 2024 Foundation students, our 2030 Graduates! 

Welcome 2024 Foundation students, our 2030 Graduates!  On Wednesday our Foundation students were so excited to start their schooling life as they begin to learn new routines. They have been getting to know their classmates and have enjoyed playing outside with their new friends. They arrived at school bright eyed and full of wonder, ready and excited for a fabulous year of fun and learning! We are excited to have them and their families join our Karoo community.  

Colour Run 2024  

We are excited to let you know that we will be running the 2024 Colour Run and not using an external company (who we then need to give a % of raised funds to).   We are asking for prize donations to use for students who raise money for our next target. 

While the Colour Run promises to be an unforgettable experience, it is, above all, a fundraiser aimed at supporting the upgrading of our facilities. Your generous donations of prizes will go directly for the students, linked with their fundraising efforts. We believe that by coming together for this fun event, we can create a ripple effect of positive change in our community and continue to upgrade our facilities.

Now that the turf has been booked in to commence later this month and we have raised the funds for this, we can turn our heads to the next target! Through student voice, we have identified the next major grounds upgrade to be resurfacing the end basketball court and transforming it into a Futsil (Soccer) pitch!   Our goal is to raise $20,000 to be able to begin to make this come to life!! 

More event and fundraising details to come but please contact me if you have anything that you are able to donate as prizes. Thankyou! 

Getting to know you Interviews - book in now!

Please book in via Compass for the Getting to Know You Interviews with your child’s class teacher.  It is a wonderful opportunity to meet your teacher and give them any insights into your child so that the teacher is able to understand them and provide for their needs. We hope that providing both onsite (Tuesday 20th Feb) and Webex (Wednesday 21st Feb) interviews will cater for all families in our community. 

Communication at Karoo Primary School 

Karoo Primary School is committed to effective communication and treating everyone in accordance with our school values. It is therefore important that everyone in the school community work together to ensure we are cooperative, honest and respect the protocols below. Our commitment should be to conduct ourselves in a respectful, calm and courteous manner.  Teachers will not be able to check or respond to emails during teaching time and will endeavour to reply within 24-48 hours.  Please be mindful of the hours that you contact teachers and avoid where able, late at night when people are home.  It is important for all people to have some family time and an opportunity to wind down from the day.  This enables everyone to recharge and be able to be at their best when they are teaching your children during the day. 

Who should I make contact with? 

Ideally your child’s class teacher is the preferred person to contact, however there may be times that it is more appropriate to speak to a Principal Class staff member or school leader. 

Leadership Team

Principal – Mrs Danielle Heatley 

Assistant Principal (Teaching and Learning) – Mrs Peta Phillips (Term 1) & Ms Ashley Kuusela (Term 2 on)

Assistant Principal (Wellbeing and Inclusion) - Mrs Courtney Hoffmann

Learning Specialist  - Mrs Robyn Harris (Wellbeing)

Learning Specialist  - Mrs Simone Vitas (Mathematics)

Learning Specialist - Mrs Peta Phillips (English)

Leaders 

Foundation – Mrs Amy Ellis

Year 1 – Ms Fiona Marker

Year 2 – Mrs Emma Finnerty

Year 3 – Mrs Tanya Grimes

Year 4 – Ms Sophie Brown

Year 5 – Miss Michelle Davies

Year 6 – Ms Claire Moyle 

Specialists - Miss Jess Cole

What does communication at Karoo look like? 

• School assemblies every fortnight (odd weeks of the school term) on a Friday at 2.50 p.m.  These alternate between whole school and sub-school. 
• School newsletter every fortnight (even weeks of the school term) uploaded on Compass and available on our website 
• Weekly Newsfeed information shared on Compass 
• Phone calls and emails from staff 
• Getting to Know You interviews – an opportunity to meet your child’s class teacher in February (week 4 - bookings open now)
• Mid year and end of year student progress reports 
• Mid year Parent Teacher interviews to discuss student achievements - mid year will be student led interviews
• Noticeboards in the school grounds (PE/ Sport near the Gym, Visual Arts - outside Art room, Community Noticeboard - near the Library and Student Council board - in the courtyard 
• Classroom displays 
• Karoo emails via Compass 
• Seesaw student portfolios

Working Bee Dates 2024

Working Bees are incredibly vital for school improvements and they foster a sense of community involvement, bringing together parents, teachers and students. Through collaborative efforts, working bees enhance the school environment, beautify spaces, and provide necessary maintenance. This collective engagement not only improves physical infrastructure but also fosters a positive and supportive learning atmosphere.  So we are able to plan ahead to maximise participation the proposed dates for 2024 are: 

• Sunday 24th March 10-12pm
• Sunday 28th July 10-12pm
• Sunday 27th Oct 10-12pm

After the Building and Grounds School Council subcommittee meet they will be able to let the community know the planned jobs for each working bee.  We will also finish with a BBQ to enjoy together.

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy https://karoops.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Photographing-Filming-and-Recording-Students-Policy-2023-2027.pdf  describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information.

If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Google Workspace for Education, please contact us. 

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:

• Amharic
• Arabic
• Dari
• Gujarati
• Mandarin
• Somali
• Sudanese
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Vietnamese

Have a wonderful week and I look forward to seeing you around the school, 

Danielle Heatley

Principal