Principal's Report

This morning, we held the first of what I hope becomes a long-standing tradition at our school, an ANZAC Day-eve assembly, featuring our CSPS Drum Corps.

I would like to begin by thanking our Year 6 teaching team, Kylie McGregor, Gabbi Menche and Jesse O’Grady, for proposing an assembly in this format. Whilst we had always commemorated the day with The Ode of Remembrance, The Last Post and a minute’s silence, we hadn’t recently met as a whole school, nor incorporated the CSPS Drum Corps into the event. 

The CSPS Drum Corps is one of only three Primary School groups in Australia. The Corps, led by Mr. Sandy Hood, has been running as a program in the school since 1997. Mr. Hood was recognised and awarded for his work in the community by our local Member of Parliament, Mr. David Southwick, in 2023.

Students in Years 5 and 6 are invited to join the CSPS Drum Corps and I am pleased to see such a large group of students involved this year. The dedication of the students is critical to the success of the program. They are led in practice by Mr. Hood each Friday morning from 7:30am in preparation for the variety of events they participate in across the year, highlighted by their annual performance at the Shrine of Remembrance on ANZAC Day.

Our student leaders were exemplary in leading the assembly, including The Ode, The Last Post and incorporating a minute’s silence to remember those who served for us. I would like to also acknowledge the beautiful poems that were read by many of our Year 6 students. Their words highlighted their maturity and understanding of the significance of this day. 

Thank you to our students, who participated with great respect throughout the ceremony. Thanks to our staff, who I know were touched by the event, as well as the significant representation from our families. 

We came together earlier in the week for a smoking ceremony that had to be re-scheduled from the beginning of the year. Led by Jaeden Williams, a proud Yalukit Willam man of the Boonwurrung. Jaeden’s Ancestral lands extend from the Werribee River, inland Melbourne, along the Mornington Peninsula to Wilson’s Promontory. Jaeden is the Founder and Director of Bunjil’s Biik, a cultural organisation focused on embedding Boonwurrung culture into modern society. 

Jaeden was incredibly engaging, teaching us about the history of this land and its local wildlife. He performed a traditional Boonwurrung smoking ceremony, a tradition used to welcome and to connect spirit. 

A sincere thank you to Craig Higgins, Nicole Silpert, Prue Reynolds and our student-led Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) team for leading this project. 

Thanks for your ongoing support and keep doing your best.

Rohan.

Principal 

Note: Please always be respectful of traffic rules and conditions in the streets surrounding our school, as well as towards our neighbours. I was notified by a member of our local community earlier this week of some behaviour that does not align with our values. This included a car being parked illegally and, when addressed, aggressive behaviour being shown towards that person. Let’s all make sure we model our PRIDE values, wherever we are. 

Rohan Cooper

Principal