School News Update

Principal's Perspective

Dear parents and carers,

NAPLAN

Firstly, a big congratulations to our year three students for completing their first NAPLAN assessments. There are a couple more to complete next week, however they have done a magnificent job in participating, being positive and doing their best so far.  I am sure that this will continue while they complete their remaining assessments.

The traits of our year three students were certainly reflected and demonstrated by our year five students this week also.  They were challenged by the assessment and unfortunately, also the platform that delivered the assessment.  There were slow and interrupted connections, with periods of delay that were frustrating for many.  As you will have seen in the media many schools, not just ASPS, were impacted by these technical issues.  Thankfully, their second assessment went much more smoothly and enabled everyone to engage fully and focus on the assessment. 

Congratulations to our year three and year five NAPLAN students on their efforts so far.

Farewell

I received an email from Mr Michael Wainwright (Assistant Principal) earlier this week with exciting news for him.  He has been given the opportunity to embark on a new career direction from the start of next term.

Michael has been on leave for a number of months and this is an exciting new step in his leadership career.  I am sure that you, like the staff and myself, are wishing Michael the very best and much success as he embarks on this new challenge. 

I thank Michael for his service at Auburn South Primary School.  He has been a part of our community for many years and has dedicated many hours of commitment and engagement to the school.  Over the years he has worked with hundreds of students, parents and staff to promote and encourage learning and growth, and make Auburn South PS the school it is today.  

We thank Michael for his passion and care towards everyone he worked with. Michael has written a farewell message to our community which I am including in this newsletter.  Please take the time to have a read of his heartfelt message.

Potential AEU Members Stopwork Strike Action

The Australian Education Union (AEU) is advising schools that a potential stopwork action is scheduled for 24 March.  The stopwork protected industrial action is currently being voted on by AEU members and is in response to negotiations with the Victorian Government over pay and conditions. Please note that only AEU members will be able to participate in the stopwork industrial action if it proceeds. Further information about teachers who will be participating in the stopwork industrial action will be provided closer to the date. 

School Council

The Annual Reporting Meeting will be held prior to our next school council meeting on Monday 23rd March at 6 pm.  Parents and carers are welcome to attend for the sharing of the Auburn South Primary School 2025 Annual Report. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing school council member and current treasurer, Christian Lawless.  Christian has been a big contributor to school council over the last six years and we thank him for taking on the additional duties while being treasurer. We appreciate the years of service and for going above and beyond in committing to making our school a great place for our students and our community.

Grandparents and Special Friends Morning

Thank you to all our grandparents and special friends who attended our welcome to school morning on Tuesday. The classrooms were filled with many eager special friends and grandparents who learned about school and the work that happens at ASPS.  They were also introduced to new friends and met the teachers.  It was a wonderful way to share how school happens at ASPS.  The morning tea was a big success, and we thank everyone who could participate and assist in contributing to catering and organisation. 

Tooronga Road Playground and Gates

After school the Tooronga Road Playground and front gates will be locked when one of the last staff members leave.  This is to ensure that the schoolgrounds are locked up overnight.  Currently this time varies, depending on the time that the last staff member finishes.  We will notify parents and students who may still be in the yard and let them know that we are locking up.  If your child is still playing in the yard, please be respectful and follow the staff members’ request to leave the grounds promptly. 

Student Toilets

Thank you to the adults in the community, parents/carers/grandparents, who are using the parent and carer toilets.  Many adults are using the toilet under the verandah. I have been made aware that the latch on the toilet door is loose, please note that we are in the process of getting this fixed (it currently still works but seems dodgy). If this toilet is out of order, the other two parent/carer toilets are located in the hallway next to the canteen. Please use these as required. 

A reminder to all parents and carers that the student toilets are not to be used by adults. Please let any adult who collects your child/ren know of this requirement.

Bikes and Scooters

Students are not permitted to ride their bikes or scooters in the school grounds.  This is a safety issue, and we ask parents to supervise any child with a scooter or bike to walk it once inside the school yard.

If your child is riding a scooter or bike to school, it is a requirement that they must wear a helmet. If they do not have a helmet they are not to ride to school.  Students found without a helmet will not be able to ride their bike or scooter home.

Pride and Care of our School Grounds/Facility and Property

We spend a large amount of money to maintain and repair the school facilities including our buildings and grounds.  Vandalism and graffiti do not enhance our school appeal and only distract and cost money when items are needing to be repaired or replaced.

Our shared resources are for the benefit of all students, and unfortunately, we have seen many items being destroyed/damaged earlier than their usual life expectancy.

There is naturally wear and tear on all consumable and shared items when they are being used in a school, however we have many devices (such as laptops and iPads) that can no longer be used due to deliberate damage. 

Please note that parents will be required to pay for any deliberate damage or destruction of school property, including school laptops, iPads or other devices.  Students will also be dealt disciplinary consequences accordingly at the principal’s discretion.

Grounds and Maintenance

Many of you will have noticed the skip (or skips) that have been at the basketball court these past few weeks.  We ended up filling four skips of collected items from underneath the prep and year one building.  Items had been stored there for many years and this required immediate attention due to lack of airflow and potential moisture buildup under the building.  The removal of these items will ensure that the space can be used appropriately.  The PE equipment has now been rearranged, creating a more workable storage space to the delight of our PE teacher, Mr Ravi Parhar.

Regards,

Travis 

Boorondara Council: Stay Safe Around Schools