Principals Message

Staffing Updates

To the school community, thank you for what has been an exciting and fruitful start to the school year.  Term 1 is always a whirlwind of activity. This term has been no exception.

Congratulations to Tamara Ellis who was the successful applicant of the recent Education Support role. Tamara will continue her recent position in a full time capacity and we warmly invite her to the Education Support team and Trafalgar Primary School community.

Commencing this Saturday, 9th March, I will be working as Acting Senior Education Improvement Leader (SEIL) for West Gippsland-Latrobe Valley until the end of Term.  I will be filling the positions of Tamina Taylor and Kevin Mealing as they take some well-deserved leave.

During my time of absence, Naomi Landmeter will serve as Acting Principal and we warmly invite Rick White as Acting Assistant Principal for this short term period until the end of Term 1. 

At the beginning of Term 2, Naomi and I are taking some planned leave at altering times. During this period Megan Waters and Meaghan Bartrop will support a combined role as Acting Assistant Principals and Naomi will continue in the Acting Principal role.

It is humbling to be able to take this opportunity to support the network whilst giving inspiring leaders an opportunity to support the day to day operations of the school.

I warmly invite these leaders into these short term roles and thank them in advance for there work and dedication to Trafalgar Primary School. 

Sincerely,

Cameron Nicholls

NAPLAN Starts 13th March

With NAPLAN testing coming up next week, we would like to share some tips on how you can support your child to perform their best at home. Firstly, ensure that your child gets plenty of rest and eats a nutritious breakfast on the day of the test. Encourage them to approach the test with a positive attitude and remind them to take their time and read the instructions carefully.

It is also essential to support your child's learning throughout the year, not just in the lead up to NAPLAN testing. Take an interest in their schoolwork, read with them at home, and provide them with a quiet and comfortable space to study.

Finally, remember that NAPLAN is just one part of your child's education journey. As a school community, we will continue to work together to support every student to reach their full potential.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and I wish our students all the best for the upcoming NAPLAN tests.

School Council Elections

School Council is responsible for determining the policy framework for our school and provides an excellent opportunity for parents to participate in planning for the future of our young people. There are eight elected parents on our Council each member holding the position for a two-year term. This year, the two-year term expires for; Paul Zelenewicz, Shane Dove, Sarah Nash and Amanda Askwith. On behalf of the school community, I wish to thank these councillors for their service and contribution to our school throughout their last term. We also acknowledge the important role both Paul and Shane played as our School Council President and Vice President. The commitment and support they have shown for all our students is very much appreciated.

Our school is now seeking the nominations of six (6) parent representatives to fill vacated positions.  Those persons whose two-year terms have expired are welcome to renominate. Later in this newsletter, I have included details of the elections for Parent and Department of Education employee members of the School Council.  In addition, we are seeking the nominations of 2 staff representatives to fill vacated positions.  

Please note that nominations open Friday 8th March 2023 close Friday 15th March, 4pm.

Nomination forms are available at the School Administration Office or via email trafalgar.ps@education.vic.gov.au Please call the Principal on 5633 1566 if you are interested as we would be pleased to discuss your possible participation on the Council in more detail.

Information for Parents

What is a school council and what does it do?

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally formed bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within centrally provided guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

Who is on the school council?

There are three possible categories of membership:

A mandated elected Parent category. More than one third of the total members must be from this category. Department of Education and Training (DET) employees can be Parent members at their child’s school as long as they are not employed at the school.

A mandated elected DET employee category. Members of this category may make up no more than one third of the total membership of school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.

An optional Community member category. Its members are appointed by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experiences. DET employees are not eligible to be Community members. 

The term of office for all members is two years. Half the members must retire each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.

Why is Parent membership so important?

Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school. Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying in itself and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

How can you become involved?

The most obvious way is to vote in the elections, which are held in Term 1 each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant. In view of this, you might seriously consider:

standing for election as a member of the school council

encouraging another person to stand for election.

Do I need special experience to be on school council?

No. What you do need is an interest in your child’s school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future.

What do you need to do to stand for election?

The principal will issue a notice and call for nominations following the commencement of Term 1 each year.  All school council elections must be completed by the end of March.

If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for someone to nominate you as a candidate or you can nominate yourself in the Parent category.

DET employees whose child is enrolled in a school in which they are not employed are eligible to nominate as parents for the school council where their child is enrolled. Once the nomination form is completed, return it to the principal within the time stated on the notice of election. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt in the mail following the receipt of your completed nomination.  If there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted during the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.

Remember

• Please ask at the school for help if you would like to stand for election and are not sure what to do.
• Consider standing for election to council this year.
• Be sure to vote in the elections.
• Contact the principal for further information.
• Nomination forms must be lodged by Friday 15th March, 4pm
• The ballot will close on Friday 22nd March, 4pm