Principal's Report

Parent Professional Learning

If you're looking for another helpful parenting resource, I'd encourage you to explore the Raising Healthy Minds app (Apple Download / Google Download), developed by the Raising Children Network.

The app provides practical, evidence-based strategies to support children's mental health and wellbeing, with tailored information based on your child's age and stage of development. It offers simple, achievable ideas to help build resilience, strengthen relationships and support positive emotional development. It's well worth exploring if, like me, you're looking for some practical parenting ideas and any help you can get to manage what can be a tricky job at times!

Responding to Student Incidents

Supporting students to develop positive behaviour is an important part of school life. While every situation is unique, it is equally important that students, staff and families have confidence that responses are consistent, fair and focused on learning.

Attached to this newsletter is an overview of our approach to responding to student incidents (page 1 is classrooms, page 2 in the yard). The framework provides consistency in how incidents are managed whilst recognising that every child and circumstance is different. Importantly, our approach remains firmly grounded in restorative and educative practices, supporting students to understand the impact of their actions, repair relationships where appropriate and develop the skills needed to make better choices in the future.

Whilst actions do have consequences (as you can see from the framework), these consequences are best placed when educative and connected to the incident itself. I encourage you to take a few moments to familiarise themselves with the framework.

NAIDOC Week

This week in Art we celebrated NAIDOC week and discovered that the Aboriginal people were Australia's first scientists, tracking the stars in the sky to tell them about the seasons and what was happening on the land. Year 1 and 2 students completed their own "Emu inthe Sky". Tyson, Henry J, Henry W, Kara and Amelia from 1D are showing their detailed art pieces in the banner photo of this edition. 

Parking Challenges

Thank you to the many families who have provided constructive suggestions regarding parking around the school whilst construction is underway.

Recently, Kate Blackwell (parent) and I met with representatives from Bayside City Council to discuss possible improvements. While there are unfortunately no immediate solutions, Council has been receptive to exploring a number of ideas raised by our community. Some suggestions, such as line marking sections of Ludstone Street to better define parking spaces, require further investigation. Interestingly, while this may appear to create additional parking, minimum parking space requirements may actually result in fewer available parks. Council will continue to investigate what options may improve traffic flow without creating unintended consequences.

A sincere thank you to Kate for her advocacy and support in progressing these conversations with Council on behalf of our community.

Building Works Update

There is not a lot of work happening at present due to further soil testing and sub-ground works that need to take place before the gymnasium proper can start to come out of the ground. 

The area by the junior playground, which has the Ludstone St gate inaccessible should be completed by next week, once the path is reinstated post some services work currently underway. 

Basketball court rings should be installed shortly to support the reinstatement of the functionality where the old courts were (with this area being a full size court again post works being completed). 

We are keeping a very close eye on student play, with some reduced spaces currently available in the school, to ensure there are no adverse effects of the works. Currently we have not seen any increase in incidents, which we track weekly. We're also ensuring there are many lunchtime clubs to access, that the library is open 4 days and that in busier spaces, such as the oval, that the games are spread out and safe.

I will continue to keep you updated as works progress. 

Welcome, Jess Norder

I'd like to warmly welcome Jess Norder to Hampton Primary School.

Jess joins us as our new Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) Leader, replacing Maddy Paslis as she begins family leave. Jess joins us from Lloyd Street Primary School, where she held the MHiPS Leader role alongside a range of other leadership responsibilities. She brings extensive experience and expertise in student wellbeing and mental health and will also be teaching 5B one day each week.

Jess has already begun settling into the Hampton Primary School community after transitioning across last week, and we're delighted to have someone with her knowledge and experience joining our team.

I also take the opportunity to thank Maddy for the considerable contribution she has made to our school as our inaugural MHiPS leader. This work has focused on establishing systems, pathways for referrals, professional learning for teachers, and parent liaison, with a focus on supporting the mental health of your children as effectively as possible. We wish Maddy and her partner Ryan all the very best as they begin their family together.

Premier's Reading Challenge

We're excited to be participating in the Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge this year for the first time. This challenge encourages students to discover the joy of reading while exploring a wide variety of books and authors.

If you would like your child to take part they have all the necessary information to join (as well as posters around the school with further information) and start logging the books they read throughout the challenge.

A huge thank you to Madi and Jen for their work in supporting this to get started at HPS.

Circus Programs

Our Grade 5/6 Circus and Dance Production is taking place later this term and, as always, we'll be producing printed programs for families to enjoy on the night.

If you, a family member or someone you know works in the printing industry and may be able to assist with printing the programs at low or no cost, we'd love to hear from you. Please contact either myself or Traci if you are able to help. Any support would be greatly appreciated.

Beaut Blokes Time Change

Due to a clash with the Father’s Day Lunch, our Beaut Blokes afternoon which was planned on the 4th September, will now take place from 9:00am - 9:45am on the same day. Whilst we understand this may be more challenging for some families, we did not want those already committed to both to miss out on either. Because of this, there won’t be a beforehand ‘catch-up’ in the Quadrangle; Dads and carers will simply join classes in their rooms (or participating in whatever class they are in) from 9:00 - 9:45am.  

Zambrero Special Lunch Day

A reminder to families that orders for next Tuesday's Zambrero Special Lunch Day are closing soon.

If your child would like to participate, please ensure your order is submitted before the closing date. Thank you to everyone involved in organising another great fundraising opportunity for our school.