I will tell everyone who will listen how proud I am of our school. As you know, Mrs Chalmers, Mr Garvey and I are currently running many school tours and it does not matter which grade we walk into, our teachers are teaching, and students are learning. Visitors to our school comment on the ‘culture’ of our school and that each classroom resonates with the high expectations we have for student learning.

Over the next month we are going to have a strong school focus on extending these high-expectations in the yard and playgrounds. Through our class meetings and in our Positive Education sessions, classes will be focussing on our school values and expectations of each other in the yard and playgrounds. We want to get to the space in which we see and hear student’s everyday use our school values and respect our expectations that we are a ‘hands off’ school in every pocket of our school yard during play times. This may be a challenge for some of our footy players at times, but in the end we all know that we are a much safer school if we abide by this approach.

It's the season for the Flu and another round of COVID

Who would have thought that the greatest current threat to normality is COVID's return coupled with the annual flu. We have seen class sizes impacted dramatically as well as some of our programs here at Park Ridge Primary School. As you may be aware, when a staff member is absent we reach out and employ Casual Relief Teachers (CRTs) to step in and continue with the planned learning. With the impacts of COVID and now the flu, we are seeing a dramatic shortage of CRTs available as the need rises across the state. Whilst our first point of call has been, and always will be hiring CRTs, there are times when this is not a possible option. When these times occur and CRTs are not available, our first option is to utilise staff available to us, this may include using our intervention staff, having Carrie, Brendan or I step in, or at a last resort, splitting grades across the school - just earlier this week I had the absolute pleasure of stepping into 1-03's class to help out. Whilst all of these options are not ideal, we continually do our best to ensure our students receive a continuity of learning. And I know from my own perspective of being the father to primary school-aged children, having a split grade is a better option than learning from home which most of us are still trying desperately to forget.

Volunteer signing in

Everyday we see volunteers coming into the school grounds for a range of different reasons. We have in place a strong process in which we ensure to maintain a high level of student and staff safety. If you need to be on the school grounds during the school day, you must report to the school office first, sign in and wear a visitors lanyard. We have instructed staff to approach all adults on school grounds who are not wearing a lanyard to report to the office. All volunteers will need to provide a copy of their Working With Children's Check.

Public Holiday

On Monday, 10 June it is the King's Birthday public holiday. Therefore, like all public holidays, there will be no school on this day.

I hope you have a wonderful long weekend. Please feel free to pop in for a chat with either Carrie, Brendan or I, should you wish to discuss anything.

Our doors are always open!

Take care,

Mr. Dale Blythman

Team Kids News