Coffee and Cake Catch-Up!

Having parents with children in all year levels join us today to connect and discuss our school was terrific. We had a fantastic discussion; as you can see below, many valuable ideas were shared.

During our catch-up, Kim and I spoke to parents about how we use Learning Circles in our classrooms, the theory behind them and ways teachers use them to engage and connect students with each other and with their learning.

We also heard what parents appreciate about our school. A few key themes stood out:

The incredible support from our teachers
The wide range of support services available to all students
The proactive approach in offering support to families
The strong sense of community among parents and families before and after school
The positive impact of our Buddies program, leadership opportunities, and fundraising initiatives

Kim and I also discussed some of the ideas and questions raised on the sticky notes. Over the coming weeks and months, we hope to explore suggestions around increasing parent involvement and the meaningful ways parents can contribute to school life.

Communication clarity and purpose remain an ongoing focus, and today’s discussion helped identify both opportunities and challenges in this space. Additionally, there were questions about how parents can better understand learning in the classroom and home learning expectations, which we will continue to address.

A wonder we heard today, and at other times from our community, is about the frequency of split classes. This is a challenge faced by schools across Ballarat and Australia, primarily due to a shortage of teachers. We engage a Casual Relief Teacher (CRT) whenever possible to cover an absent classroom or specialist teacher. However, at short notice—particularly in cases of illness or emergencies—it can be difficult to secure a CRT, as many work across multiple schools. We understand this can be a concern and appreciate your patience and understanding. We have plans in place to ensure students experience as much consistency as possible in the event of a split class.

It was also brought to our attention that the communication of changes to break times may have been overlooked at the start of the year. The bell times were adjusted to align staff lunch breaks with workplace agreements. While the distribution of break times has changed, students still receive the same amount of time outside.

Updated Bell Times:

8:50 AM – Students prepare for the day
9:00 AM – First instruction session
11:00 AM – First recess (20 minutes outside)
11:20 AM – Third instruction session
12:20 PM – Lunch eating time
12:30 PM – Lunch recess (30 minutes outside)
1:00 PM – Fourth instruction session
2:00 PM – Second recess (30 minutes outside)
2:30 PM – Fifth instruction session
3:30 PM – End of the school day

We appreciate the feedback from parents who attended our first coffee and cake conversation. There was a clear response that this was a great opportunity and that parents would like this to continue. I encourage those unable to attend to share their two highlights and a wondering either by writing them down and dropping them into the office or emailing them to the school email address.

It was suggested that for a future coffee and cake catch-up, we could start the session with some sharing about one of the wonderings raised and then collectively explore possible alternatives and new strategies. To provide more opportunities for participation, we will schedule the next session on a different day.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us today —your input and engagement make a real difference, and we look forward to continuing these valuable conversations!