Principal's Message

Wawa, Wominjika. 

Here at Old Orchard Primary School, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we visit each day, the Wurrunguri and Woiwurrung people of the Kulin nation.We acknowledge and respect the elders and leaders past and present and the elders and leaders of all of the cultures and nationalities that are part of the Old Orchard Primary School community.We express our gratitude towards the orchards that were kept in place by the peoples on this land before us.We thank the traditional owners for sharing this beautiful land that we all love, and for keeping the land, sky, waterways and animals all in great condition for thousands of years, not only for themselves but for all the generations to come.

Welcome

A warm welcome to our Old Orchard school community as we step into Term 4. This term is always extremely busy as we continue our strong focus on student learning and wellbeing, alongside numerous special events and activities that add richness to school life for our students, staff and families. 

I encourage you to use your SENTRAL parent portal and to check school emails on a regular basis to ensure that key events aren’t missed.

2024 School Fete

One of our most exciting school events is our biennial community fete and we are looking forward with great anticipation to this year’s fete on November 16th. Please support the various activities leading up to the fete and commit to helping out on the day, even if only for an hour or so - it is a wonderful event to be part of.

Dogs in the school grounds

Many of our families enjoy walking the family dog to and from school in the morning or afternoon, particularly as we begin to experience warmer weather. For those who do walk their dog to school, please note the following:

• dogs must be leashed at all times and in the control of a responsible adult (not a child)
   
• dogs must not be tied up to the fence or gates or left unaccompanied
   
• dogs may not enter through the main front gates of the school (please use the gate near the gaga pit; this egress point is far less crowded) 
          
• the area directly outside / between the Prep steps and the portables is a dog free zone. Adults with a dog are asked to meet their children on the entry side of the library (court area) or at a pre-arranged area that is less busy
  
   
• If your dog becomes agitated or aggressive around people or other dogs, you will be asked not to bring your dog to school in the future.

Our primary concern is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and members of our school community at any time.

Traffic safety - your children’s lives may be at risk

Traffic safety around schools is an ongoing challenge, whether it is educating our students about safe pedestrian and/or cycling practices, seeking police support in enforcing 40kmh speed zones or seeking the support of our parent/carer community in following safe driving practices, particularly in relation to drop-off and pick-up. 

The absolute priority in this space is the safety of our students, along with other pedestrians! Convenience for our parents/carers in relation to drop-off and pick-up is not a priority!

Frustratingly, we continue to hear of and observe what can only be described as horrendous driving behaviours that compromise the safety of those that are most precious to us. These behaviours include:

• Double parking: this sometimes leads to children exiting / entering vehicles in very dangerous locations; when the double parking occurs at Kiss and Drop zones, other vehicles often cross onto the wrong side of the road to overtake, leading to increased traffic chaos.
   
• Queuing at the Kiss & Drop Zone: this is a significant issue in Koonung Rd. Every day we see a line of vehicles waiting to enter the Kiss & Drop zone; this line often extends back to the school crossing which is extremely dangerous. Additionally, through traffic is required to overtake on the wrong side of the road to continue down Koonung Road - again, this creates traffic congestion and chaos, particularly with other traffic turning from Wilton St. In relation to the Kiss & Drop zones, please note the following:

- Please don't exceed the 2 minute time limits in the drop off / pick up zone (it is intended to be a quick drop off or pick up point)

-Do not leave your vehicle unattended in the drop off / pick up zone

- When safe to do so, move your vehicle forward as spaces become available (as taxis do at taxi ranks)

- Never allow passengers to enter / exit when your vehicle is only partly in the Kiss & Drop zone

- If there is no vacant spot in the Kiss & Drop zone, please do not endeavour to queue and park there. It will be much quicker and safer to continue further down Koonung Rd to a less crowded location.

-U-turns & driveways: we frequently see and hear of drivers doing u-turns of turning into and reversing out of driveways. While these are not necessarily illegal in all instances, they are definitely problematic in and around the school at either end of the school day. 

-Patience: please commit to being patient and understand that you could only be seconds away from a tragic event.

I urge you to take this matter extremely seriously - our children’s safety, wellbeing and potentially their lives are not to be compromised. There are numerous places in close proximity to the school where you can drop your children off and that also allow you the opportunity to share a 5 minute walk with them if you feel the need.

Nintendo Switch

On Tuesday of this week, a Nintendo Switch (picture below) valued at nearly $600, went missing from the Year 4 classroom area. The device was accessed remotely by the parent whose child it belonged to, and they were able to see that it was used for a period on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. The device has now been set to ‘zero minutes’, effectively disabling it.

I would greatly appreciate you chatting with your child to see if they know or have heard anything about the location of the missing device and letting me know if you have any relevant information. Our primary motivation at this stage is the return of the device.

Thanks, in anticipation.