Mr Irwin's Message
Hello families and welcome to this week’s newsletter!
School review from the perspective of our School Council President - Rob McHenry
On August 18 and 19, I had the privilege of spending two days as the parent representative on Teesdale Primary School’s review panel, alongside our school's leaders, other school principals, and education department representatives. The review takes place every four years and provides an opportunity to look closely at how the school is performing, what is working well, and where our priorities should lie over the next four years.
Going into the process, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. It has been close to 30 years since I experienced a primary school classroom myself, and one of the real joys of the two days was simply having the opportunity to see our school in action, and look “behind the curtain” at what happens after we drop our kids at the gate each morning.
What struck me most was just how much the classroom has changed since I was a child, and how much thought, skill and effort goes into teaching today.
Across the school, I saw teachers and Education Support staff working together to create classrooms that were calm, engaging and remarkably well organised. Even while parts of the school are operating from temporary spaces due to the current building works. The routines and expectations were clear, but so too was the level of trust and independence given to students. Watching teachers seamlessly move a room full of children between activities, maintain their attention and create space for genuine discussion gave me a renewed appreciation for teaching as a professional craft.
Most impressive, though, were the kids themselves. I saw students across all age levels enthusiastically discussing language and literacy, tackling mathematical problems in context, reading together, explaining their thinking and producing work they could be proud of. There was plenty of personality and the occasional bit of cheek (as there should be) but overwhelmingly I saw children who were engaged in their learning and comfortable in their classrooms.
It was also wonderful to see that supporting students doesn’t simply mean helping those who are struggling. Teachers and Education Support staff were constantly adapting what they were doing: providing additional support where it was needed, while also finding opportunities to challenge and extend students who were ready to go further. There was a real sense that the goal was to help each child continue to grow, while remaining part of their classroom community.
Experiences like this are also a reminder of why being involved in our school community matters. As parents, much of what we know about school naturally comes through our own children. Having the opportunity to spend two days observing classrooms, talking with students and staff, and participating in the review process gave me a much richer appreciation of what happens every day.
It was also rewarding to be able to contribute a parent perspective to the review panel. To help connect the classroom observations, school data and discussions with the experiences and outcomes we see as families, and to contribute to the recommendations that will help guide our school over the next four years.
I would strongly encourage other parents to look for opportunities to become involved with the school and School Council. When the next review comes around in four years, I hope another parent gets the opportunity to participate and makes the most of it. It really is a unique chance to see our school from a completely different perspective.
Finally, a sincere thank you to Sam for inviting me to participate, and to my fellow School Council members for giving me the opportunity to serve as Council President. There are plenty of responsibilities that come with volunteering for a role like this, but experiences such as these are the unexpected rewards. This has certainly been one of the highlights.
With thanks,
Rob McHenry
Emergency Management and Bushfire Season
As we transition into Spring and nearer to bushfire season we have been reviewing our emergency management procedures. Our school plans for a range of hazards, such as bushfire, severe weather, medical emergencies and building fires. We develop specific response procedures to address these risks.
We also conduct drills regularly, ensuring that our core procedures of on-site and off-site evacuation, sheltering-in-place, and lockdown/lockouts are well-rehearsed and understood by staff and students.
If we enact our emergency management plan, we will notify you through Sentral with updates on our actions. If there is anything we need you to do, we will let you know.
During emergencies, we will work with emergency services and the Department of Education for safety advice and support. Please know that keeping our students and staff safe is our top priority.
The following attachment provides more specific information regarding how our school is managed during the fire danger season. It’s a timely reminder not only for how our school prepares, but also how families prepare themselves and their properties ahead of the upcoming summer too.
Parent Opinion and Caregiver Survey
Finally a reminder to families that last week the Parent and Caregiver Opinion Survey was emailed out, and we would encourage families to take the opportunity to provide feedback on their perspective as a parent at Teesdale Primary School. This survey is still open and we’d encourage as many families as possible to participate!