Principal's Report

Principal Morning Tea

Every term I host a Principal Morning Tea in the staffroom. This is an informal opportunity for me to share what is currently happening in the school, and also allows parents to ask about things that are of interest to them.

Normally, attendance at these morning teas fits around one table however, this term was a blockbuster! It was great to see so many parents (including class liaisons) make the time to meet and I very much enjoyed listening to and discussing a range of topics.

At this session, I spent some time talking about Disability Inclusion and the appointment of our Wellbeing and Inclusion Leading Teachers. I also discussed our priorities in Literacy and Numeracy and the work of our Learning Specialists.

Some of the topics that were mentioned by parents were:

• TeamKids: Please see below for an update.
• Sporting Events: Please see the Sports Event Calendar in my newsletter section.
• Homework: Our Home Learning Policy is due for renewal at our next Policy Subcommittee Meeting.
• Community Events: Please see some further information in my newsletter section.

At FPS, we have many avenues for discussion and the sharing of ideas, both formally and informally. We have our Student Voice Team, Staff Consultative Committee, School Council, and I regularly talk and welcome listening to people about ideas and suggestions, which otherwise might not be on ‘our radar’.

TeamKids – Feedback & Holiday Program

At next week’s School Council, we will have two representatives from TeamKids presenting to the School Council (Chief Operating Officer Michael Ford and Partnerships Manager Jackie Rawnsley), addressing some of the Council’s concerns and presenting an update on their Six Week Plan which addresses actions on the concerns raised by our community.

I regularly visit TeamKids in the mornings and afternoons and talk to the staff to gain an understanding of how the program is operating. I also receive feedback from our parent community regarding the program. This feedback is communicated directly to TeamKids as a way to manage issues and improve their program. 

The FPS School Council will continue to work on behalf of the school community to ensure that a high quality of before/after school and holiday care program is provided.

Holiday Program

TeamKids will be running their holiday program from Tuesday 2 – Friday 12 April. Click to see the holiday program activities.

2024 School Council

We received two nominations for the two vacancies on School Council. It is my pleasure to welcome Phuong Phan and Patricia Stanton as parent representatives. We also welcome Nicole Rettke as a staff representative, replacing Serena King who is currently on family leave.

Acknowledgement & Thanks

I would like to acknowledge Bel Schenk and Michelle Schwensen whose time on Council has concluded. Bel and Michelle have made significant contributions to the school in the role of councillors, in particular in the areas of social/community events and policy. Bel and Michelle have both expressed that they are keen to remain on their respective School Council subcommittees, where I am sure the school will continue to benefit from their expertise.

At our meeting next week we will determine  the President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary, which will be announced in our next newsletter.

Looking for Event Coordinators

Please keep an eye out in Compass for communication regarding coordinators required for our major community events. The only reason that we are able to hold events such as ART FOR ALL and the FPS Trivia Night, is due to the generosity of time and commitment that coordinators devote to the event.

Hopefully many volunteers will put their hands up for these roles, which will allow us to then plan for the events themselves.

2024 Sports Calendar

At the Principal’s Morning Tea, a suggestion was made to put together a calendar of the FPS sports events which take place outside of the normal PE program. (Please note, calendar is subject to change).

Annual General Meeting – Monday 25 March

All FPS community members are invited to our Annual General Meeting (AGM), Monday 25 March, from 6 – 6:30pm in our newly furnished Science Room. 

At this AGM, I will talk through the Annual Report which will be uploaded onto our website once endorsed.

End of Term Assembly – Thursday 28 March

All families are invited to attend our End of Term Assembly:

• Thursday 28 March at 9am
• Gather at the Fig Tree Courtyard

This assembly will include a performance from our Choir.

End of Term One

This is our final newsletter of the term. I am sure that I will see many of you on the school grounds between now and next Thursday, when we break for the holidays at 2pm. Well done and thank you to everyone for all of your efforts this term – students, staff and parents. 

Wishing everyone an enjoyable two week break.

~ Paul Wallace, Principal