Dear parents, carers and friends of EEPS,

Last Friday was Principals’ Day as well as the Preps 100 days at school! Judging by some of the drawings from the students I could fit right in the thick of things, in the ‘older’ category! However, on a serious note, it was truly delightful to receive so many lovely and creative cards, poems and posters from the students, and many messages of gratitude from parents and staff.

Preps 100 Days

Every year level has its challenges as well as special opportunities and moments. Teaching Prep has its own level of joy and excitement and Friday was another one of the special moments with the students celebrating 100 days of school by either dressing up or wearing a collection of ‘100 things’!

Thank you to the Prep teachers and all our parents for making it an exciting day.

Good News

I wrote earlier this term about the problems in the EEPS Kitchen Garden, we were experiencing some damage and disrespect. I am very pleased to report, that working together, we have been able to make inroads, re-open the garden and actively involve our students in creating guidelines for this space.

Grounds

Whilst we are on the subject of our EEPS grounds, I wanted to provide an update with the state of play. We have a large, tricky site that has challenges with rain runoff and landscaping. There have been great improvements over the last few years and these will continue especially once our ramp project is finished. It is very easy sometimes, to look around and find fault with different areas, be they eroded, messy or seeming not in first class condition. Please be assured that the grounds redevelopment is a continuing area that the School Council and Leadership team of the school, remain strongly committed towards.

Correction and Thank You

Last week I wrote about our ongoing commitment to inclusion and the fact that it may surprise some parents to learn that, in our large student population we have a wide diversity of students. I referred to ‘neurodiverse’ children. I am grateful to a parent who made contact to, respectfully inform me, that the correct term is ‘neurodivergent’.

(Amaze have a great online education course for those who are interested to learn more). This is part of the training:

The term neurodivergent is used to describe a group of people whose brain is ‘wired’ differently to the majority. The term is used to reflect the fact that there are multiple types of ‘normal’ that are equally valid. This term is generally inclusive of autism, ADHD, epilepsy and more. The opposite of neurodivergent is ‘neurotypical’.

I am constantly reminded of the true relevance of our motto, ‘Learning and Growing Together’, because, as educators, we are always learning and welcome the opportunity. Whilst I write this column, it is read by several staff before we publish it, so it goes to show that we all have things to learn. There is a saying, ‘when you know better, you do better’. We certainly want to continue to appreciate and celebrate all our students, regardless of who they are or how they interact with the world around them.

Safety Message

We received this email from the Council’s Community Safety Team with some important reminders:

With the return of Term 3, Nillumbik Shire Council would like to take the opportunity to share information with you and your school community regarding our School Crossing Supervisors, patrols, traffic safety and management.

Please acknowledge this message as a friendly reminder to all staff, parents and carers to ensure they are parking safely, legally and abiding by all road rules, including being mindful of speed limits within school zones and surrounding areas.

The role our School Crossing Supervisors play to maintain traffic safety around our school zones is paramount to ensure the safety of everyone in our community. Nillumbik Shire Council and Victoria Police are actively patrolling school zone areas to ensure they are safe for all pedestrian and vehicle users.

As there will be an increased presence of patrols in school zones across Nillumbik Shire Council, we ask that the school community respect officers that may be observed inspecting vehicles and if required issuing infringements.

We would also like to advise Council has completed an audit of all school crossings within Nillumbik, as a result of the audit you may notice some works being conducted to rectify issues identified, such as line markings, painting and replacing signage.

Keeping everyone safe around schools is a shared responsibility. Be sure to observe all school speed zones and parking restrictions. Patrols around school zones, which are done in conjunction with Victoria Police help keep our children and community safe.

Student Attitude

It is always fantastic to hear really positive feedback from teachers about our students when they are out and about. Recently, Mrs Gale, one of our Year 6 teachers, sent me an email highlighting some really positive attitudes:

I wanted to highlight how great the cricket team was on Friday. All students played with a great sporting spirit, encouraging each other and telling each other it did not matter if they bowled or batted with errors.

This is excellent to hear.

Concert

Concert rehearsals are progressing nicely. Please look at the Newsfeed about the concert tickets that will be available from Thursday 8th August.

Finally, I wish all the EEPS Choir students the best of luck on Thursday when they perform at the Boite School Choir event at the Melbourne Town Hall.

Have a great and thank you for your ongoing support.

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