Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

We warmly welcome you back to Term 2. We trust that you and your family had a restful break and are ready for what looks to be a productive term. To the new families joining us, welcome to the Merri-bek Primary School community. We hope that you and your child feel welcomed and in our school community.

TRIP TO CANADA: Exploring Education and Leadership

Recently, I had the privilege of attending the ULead 'Visionary Leadership for Today's Learner' Conference in Canada hosted by the Alberta Teacher's Association. This conference was attended by over 1,100 school leaders from across the world. There were a range of high quality presenters and the focus internationally continues to be very similar to that of the Victorian and Australian context.

Wellbeing of school leaders and educators, leading school communities in challenging times, engagement and inclusion for all students, along with shortages of teachers are all issues that were discussed with colleagues from Canada, New Zealand, Iceland and the United States. It provided me with an invaluable opportunity to delve into the realms of education and leadership within an international context.

While at this conference some of the sessions I attended included the following keynote speakers and breakout sessions:

Navigating the Leadership Drift: Leading from the middle in today's school. - Cale Birk
Redefining Education and System Leadership: Towards a dynamic and collaborative culture - District Scolane francophone Sud in New Brunswick, Canada,
Is my school a better school because I lead it? – Principal Baruti Kafele, New Jersey Urban Educator
Discover the Thrill of Leading and Embracing Change (Improvement) – Sacha Epp
Understanding the need for 4DX (4 Disciplines of Execution) – Molly Garcia
Lead in the Water: Five practical strategies for leading in the midst of crisis – Brian Miller, MS Principal. Great Falls District
The Lasso Way: Through a leadership lens. – Andrea Farrell and Bradon Isert
Thriving, Not Surviving: Building sustainable habits for personal and professional wellness. – Stephen Langer
Ten Feet Tall: Becoming your greatest hero. – Brandon Farbstein

While there were many takeaways from this conference, Principal Baruti Kefele, as a passionate leader and advocate for young people shared his most potent leaders tool, a mirror! He posed a number of powerful questions, starting with; "How often do you break down your leadership film?" using the following to guide you.

Self-Reflection – intense and intentional assessment of your leadership.
Self-Assessment – I can’t be the same person today, going into tomorrow to be effective.
Self-Adjustment – the power of attitude.
Self-improvement – let's talk about the attitude gap and the will to succeed (students, staff and leaders) if we can close this gap, then we can close the achievement gap.
Self-Preservation / Self-care – critical to be able to lead with impact.

He shared the 6 questions that drive 100% of his work. These being:

What is my value to the teachers that I lead, INSTRUCTIONALLY? (When and how do I coach them, when do I collaborate with them and how do I set the culture, so I can be the leaders I need to be?)
Does classroom INSTRUCTION thrive under my leadership?
Does my leadership benefit my school INSTRUCTIONALLY?
Is there a correlation between my leadership and student academic (& wellbeing) outcomes?
What is the overall experience of being a student / a teacher in my school?
Is my school a better school BECAUSE I lead it?

For those of you who are Ted Lasso fans, there was a session titled 'The Lasso Way: Through a leadership lens' that I attended.

The popularity of this series has created a huge following, not just for the enjoyment, comedy and humanity of this series, but for the leadership lessons that are intertwined throughout each episode. Research connections have been made by Brene Brown, Steve Munby, Simon Sinek and Tom Hierck. There are podcasts, Facebook groups and a book written, 'Lead it like Lasso' School leaders have developed a series of professional learning sessions for their leadership teams. If you are a Ted Lasso fan, do some research and have some fun along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to network with other principals and professionals, fostering meaningful connections and collaborations.

Insights and Learnings:

Inclusive Education: Canada's commitment to inclusive education was evident, emphasising the importance of accommodating diverse learning needs and fostering a supportive learning environment for all students.
Leadership Excellence: The ULead Conference showcased exemplary leadership models, emphasising empathy, collaboration, and adaptability as key drivers of success in educational leadership roles.
Global Perspectives: Engaging with educators and leaders from around the world provided a broader understanding of global educational challenges and innovative solutions.

My trip to Canada and participation in the ULead Conference offered valuable insights into education and leadership practices. The diverse perspectives, immersive learning opportunities, and networking experiences will undoubtedly shape future endeavours in the field of education, inspiring a continued commitment to excellence and inclusivity.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY AND SPECIAL PERSON’S DAY:

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish our mother's, mother figures, grandparent, aunt or special person a Happy Mother's Day on Sunday 14th May.It is a time to recognize the important role that mother's and/or our special people play in our lives. It is a day to celebrate their love, sacrifice, and hard work in raising children and creating families. It is also a time to remember those mothers who are no longer with us and to honour their memory.

Whether it's a simple gesture or a grand celebration, Mother's Day is a special occasion to let our mothers and mother figures know how much they mean to us and how much we appreciate everything they have done for us.

CHILD SAFE STANDARDS:

Ministerial Order 1359 - Implementing the Child Safe Standards – Managing the risk of child abuse in schools and school boarding premises provides guidance on how the Standards apply to a school setting. It came into effect on 1st July 2022.

To implement the minimum Standards in accordance with the Order school governing authorities must: take account of the diversity of all children, including (but not limited to) the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities, and children who are vulnerable; and make reasonable efforts to accommodate such diversity.

Standards policies are available to view on our school website.

EVERY DAY COUNTS:

Missing school can have a major impact on a child’s future – a student missing one day a fortnight will miss four full weeks by the end of the year. By Year 10 they’ll have missed more than a year of school. There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes. Every day counts and coming to school every day is vital. The types of absence that require Principal approval are:

Bereavement
School refusal
Family holiday
Cultural observance- example Eid, Ramadan
Leisure or social activities
Special event
Participation in elite sporting event/training

2023 ANNUAL REPORT

The Annual Report provides an opportunity for the school community to celebrate 2023’s achievements, reflect on the school’s performance, and understand where and how improvement efforts have enhanced student achievement, engagement and wellbeing.

Following our School Council meeting (6pm on the 20 May,we will be holding our Annual Public Report Meeting. This is an opportunity for school council to report on the Annual Report and proceedings of the council since the date of the previous public meeting.

Victorian public schools do not hold AGMs but rather an Annual Public Report meeting. The purpose of this meeting is for information to be reported only. If you are interested in coming along to the listen to our Annual Report findings, please let us know by contacting the office. Our Annual Report can also be viewed on our website.

2024 FOUNDATION ENROLMENTS

Enrolments for 2023 are now open. If you have a child that will be starting in 2023, please contact the office to organise a personalised tour. Prep 2023 enrolment forms are available from the office and on our website.

Maria Giordano

Principal

Grade 5/6 Camp