Principal Report
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are at the start of week 5. It goes so quick. That means 10% of the school year has passed already. Over the past 4 weeks, we have:
- welcomed to school all new students and our 2025 preps
- hosted a Parents and Friends welcome morning for prep parents
- completed all prep student's initial assessments
- completed the grade 1 phonics check (a newly requested assessment that aligns with the new DET phonics approach)
- hosted parent information nights
2025 Initiatives (and beyond)
Several excellent initiatives have been started and will be introduced this year and over the following 2-3 years.
- Mental Health in Primary Schools - funding for training a person within the school has been provided. Our chosen Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader will be Emily Murcott.
- Victorian Teaching & Learning Model 2.0 - DET has revised its approach to learning. This will be a planning year looking at what needs to evolve or change to meet the needs of learners.
- DET reading approach - a new curriculum for 'English' will be released that will provide guidance on DET's preferred reading approach. The approach is underpinned by the Big 6 (Konza).
- P-2 Phonics - DET has mandated the teaching of a structured systematic approach to phonics. This will expand the phonics work we currently undertake to ensure that we meet the requirements for 25 minutes per day.
- Career Start - An initiative to support graduate teachers to thrive in their first year and beyond.
- Tutoring - we have an increase in funding for tutoring this year. We will be focusing this on students in P-2 who we have identified would benefit from being tutored in place of LOTE for the early years of school. Communication will happen with parents and carers once we have identified the students.
Policies
It is the start of the year and I would like to make you aware of our key policies that help support the day-to-day processes within the school.
With a student hat on I would like to share:
- Student dress code
- Sun protection
- Mobile phones
- Homework
- Attendance
And with a broader community lens:
- Statement of values
- Child safety and wellbeing
- Photographing and Filming
- Supervision - Yard Duty
- Respect for school staff
- Complaints
- Dogs at school
- Medication - Medication: Policy | education.vic.gov.au
Many community-focused policies can be found on our school website.
Policies | Rolling Hills Primary School
Artificial Intelligence
Schools can choose to explore the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/generative-artificial-intelligence/policy
We are not a school that has chosen to explore the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Schools must:
- Obtain opt-in consent from parents and carers before using any generative AI tool that requires personal information beyond the provision of a student’s school email address and the creation of a password for registration.
- Protect student data and privacy by restricting the uploading of personally identifiable information into generative AI tools or software that integrates generative AI tools.
- Comply with any terms set out by the provider of the tool.
- Schools must direct staff and students to not use generative AI tools to:
- Upload or generate media depictions of students, staff, or parents.
- Generate artifacts that mimic a cultural tradition in a way that is disrespectful or offensive.
- Schools must also direct staff to:
- Do not use generative AI tools to communicate with students and parents in ways that undermine authentic learning relationships or replace the unique voice and professional judgment of teachers and school leaders.
Staff have been directed on what is safe and what is not safe.
On 1 December 2023, Education ministers released the Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools (the National Framework). The aim of the National Framework is to provide guidance on understanding, using, and responding to generative AI. It includes 6 principles and 25 guiding statements that define what safe, ethical, and responsible use of generative AI should look like in Australian schools. This policy, guidance, and resources are designed to complement the National Framework.
The future
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming more popular and part of societal use. If in the future we chose to explore the use of AI the school leadership team would discuss this with the school council, in sub-committees, and we would share this with the community through an 'Opt In' process. At this stage, there would still be clear guidance on its use.
For those schools that 'Opt-In' Appropriate use of generative AI tools
Where a school chooses to use generative AI tools, staff and students must be directed to:
- Not upload media including depictions of students, staff, or parents (for example, photos, audio, video), or generate images or other media in the likeness of these persons.
- Not generate artifacts that mimic a cultural tradition in a way that is disrespectful or offensive (for example, images mimicking Koorie artwork).
Staff must also be directed to not use generative AI tools to communicate with students and parents in ways that undermine authentic learning relationships or replace the unique voice and professional judgment of teachers and school leaders. This includes not using generative AI tools to directly:
- communicate with parents or students
- make judgements about student learning achievement or progress
- write student reports for parents or carers.
During the implementation of any generative AI tool, schools should:
- Ensure the use of generative AI tools is disclosed when tools have an impact on others – disclosure can be given to teachers, staff, students, parents, and carers.
- Ensure monitoring of benefits and risks.
- Consider de-implementing any tool if benefits are not realised or risks are not being adequately managed.
In short, we will not be replacing our much-loved humans with robots.
Thanks,
Craig