Principal's Report

Newsletter Friday 16th August 2024

As the days get somewhat brighter and longer, we are starting to enjoy a different sense of energy in our school. The Buildings and Grounds really look magnificent and in time we hope to make further improvements in our front garden area. We will replace the plants that were somewhat damaged by the capital works over a couple of years.

Unfortunately, we have experienced a great deal of student illness over the last few weeks with many parents advising us that their children have endured COVID or influenza. In some classes this has resulted in over one third of students being away. This has resulted in us having to cancel or postpone some events in recent times. With the return of our students, we have been able to re-schedule the Year 5 Day of the Notables to next Tuesday 20th August. Again, we look forward to this very special Chatham event for our Year 5 students and our parents and school community.

Student Voice and Leadership

The sense of agency our students communicate and reflect is truly inspiring. Our Year 6 Student Leaders together with an increasing number Year 5 students are coming forward and doing so much for the life and fabric of our school. On Saturday Ms Leda Semercioglu, our Kitchen Garden Support Officer, together with our Environment Captains Reesy Chan and Elizabeth Martinelli and their parents, made a significant batch of lemon cordial. This has been beautifully bottled and the proceeds from the sales will go towards purchasing more chickens and fox proofing our chicken coop for the future. Already yesterday these students conducted a stall after school which was highly effective, with all of the available bottles sold.

Additionally, on Monday 12th August at our School Assembly, our students were visited by the Liberal Candidate for the Federal seat of Kooyong, Ms Amelia Hamer. The purpose of the visit was to share her thoughts and answer related questions about Leadership to our Year 5 & 6 cohort. Ms Hamer presented our student awards at our School Assembly and later spoke to our students. It was also an opportunity to share in the contributions made by her grandfather the Hon. Sir Rupert Hamer, Premier of Victoria from 1972 – 1981. In the interests of complete non-partisanship, other candidates will also be given the opportunity to share their leadership journey with our students in time.

State Schools’ Spectacular

Currently 16 of our students from Year 6 are involved in this extraordinary spectacle. This has involved an enormous commitment from our Assistant Principal, Ms Georgina Kirwan and our students. These students have been required to learn seven complex dance routines along with organising and managing costumes for each of the dances involved. Last Friday 9th August these students had another area rehearsal at the Maroondah Nets Sports Complex in Heathmont and continue to prepare for the major event on Saturday 14th September at John Cain arena.

Library Developments

On Monday 12th August all students from Years 3-6 were given a detailed survey to complete that was developed by four students in Year 5. This was a wonderful initiative by these students with thoughtful questions about the fiction they enjoy; their favourite non-fiction; games that could be made available; what improvements could be made to the Library, and other attractions that could be included. Our School Library continues to be visited by our students for one structured hour per week and at lunchtimes for five days per week. In the coming weeks we expect to place our new IT equipment in this upgraded facility. 

Year 5/6 Rotary Speaking Competition

On Tuesday I was delighted to experience the fabulous work of our Year 5/6 students who competed to enter the Mont Albert and Surrey Hills Rotary Speech Competition. All students in Years 5 & 6 had presented a three-minute speech to one of the three Year 5 & 6 classes. Each class then voted to select four students to enter the Chatham Speech Final. Together with Ms Kirwan and other staff we had the challenging task of judging our twelve Year 5 & 6 students who provided a three-minute speech on the designated topics. All students spoke with poise, confidence, appropriate gestures and nonverbal cues, and had crafted well-constructed narratives. We congratulate all the students involved and wish all the best to Elizabeth Martinelli and James Newberry who were selected to enter the final of Mont Albert and Surrey Hills Rotary Speech competition to be held at 7:00pm on Tuesday 20th August 2024.

Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee

The focus upon spelling in our school is of great priority. The implementation of the Little Learners Love Literacy Program at Years Foundation – Year 2 assists significantly in this regard, as does the implementation of our Sound Waves Spelling Program at Years 3-6. Over the coming twelve months and beyond, we will be increasing our opportunities for students to engage in a range of extra-curricular experiences that highlight the value of spelling and assist in spelling capabilities at all levels.

Importantly, we are delighted that our students in Years 3-6 have the opportunity to participate in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee. Information about the spelling bee can be found at: https://www.spelling-bee.com.au Students will compete online at school and there is no cost involved. There will be state finals in early September and the national finals later in the month. In the next few days, you will receive an email from the relevant class teacher with instructions on how to provide consent if you would like your child to participate. If you have any questions about the event, please contact your child’s class teacher.

Student Safety and Traffic

Yesterday I wrote to parents to impress upon them about the safety of students crossing roads. Miraculously and most fortunately one of our students missed being seriously injured early on Thursday morning whilst crossing Whitehorse Road at a pedestrian crossing.

There is no crossing supervisor on this crossing.

Additionally, we are aware of students using the pedestrian crossing in Whitehorse Road with headphones on. We would ask that you encourage your children not to wear headphones whilst crossing the road, even if the lights at the crossing encourage pedestrians to cross.

Sadly, it has been reported to us that some cars completely ignore the red light. This of course is a matter for the Victoria Police. We would encourage any parents to report offending vehicles.

On another matter please be advised that we do have a Kiss and Go zone in Banool Road for students to be dropped off at the beginning of the school day, and also for students to be collected at the end of the day. I would ask that parents please use this space.

The practice of stopping cars in the middle of the road for students to be collected or dropped off is extremely dangerous, with often, tragic consequences. In such instances other drivers become somewhat frustrated and pass the offending car just at the moment the child is moving from the car to cross the road.

Again, the safety of our students is paramount, and I would urge you to assist us in this regard.

Christopher Cotching

Principal

Library News

'Reading is Magic!' is the theme for Book Week this year. Children’s Book Week runs from 17 to 23 August and is the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s highlight national event. The Book of the Year Awards winners will be announced at 12:00pm today and we will include the results in the next newsletter. 

In the Library we will have all of the CBCA’s 2024 shortlisted books on display for children and teachers to browse and share. Once everyone has had an opportunity to browse them, these books will be available for children to borrow.

As well as our annual dress up day and parade on Wednesday 21st August, our Book Week celebrations at lunchtimes in the Library will include activities such as magical colouring in pages, making magical bookmarks, a magical collaborative colouring project and, as always, the magic of reading and sharing books!

Over the past few weeks our lunchtime Library visitors have enjoyed browsing this month’s new books in our 'I’m new!' books display as well as reading, drawing, colouring and playing team chess.

Happy reading!

Andrea McLeod