Principal's Report

Wear It Yellow Day

Yellow was the theme of the day last Thursday, as students took up the opportunity to wear hints, splashes and outfits of yellow as part of National Reconciliation Week. Now More Than Ever, was this year’s theme.

As well as wearing yellow, our school community were very generous in their donations to Children’s Ground – a First Nations organisation, with a First Nations approach to creating change for future generations. The target of $1000 has been well and truly surpassed, as demonstrated by this graphic.

Our school remains committed to supporting the work of acknowledgement and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. At our mid-term assembly, Tom (one of our Foundation teachers) spoke about the work that we are doing, including the development of the school’s Reconciliation Action Plan. If you would like to be a part of this important work, please let us know.

You can read more about what the students did across National Reconciliation Week, further in this week’s newsletter.

House Athletics Carnival

The Year 4 – 6 House Athletics Carnival was held a couple of weeks ago, and was a huge success. Our students enjoyed the opportunity to take to the track and field and give it their best shot. The sporting ability on display is to be celebrated, alongside the wonderful support that students gave to their peers. The cheering, shouting, encouraging – that’s what makes the day so memorable.

Thank you to the many parents who assisted on the day – it wouldn’t have happened without your help. Thank you to the staff for their support, with a special mention to Geoff for his coordination.

We wish the very best of luck to students who will be representing the school at the District Athletics Carnival on Monday 12 August.

Farewell Emilia (For Now)

Emilia McDonald, Year 4 teacher, will be going on maternity leave from next week. Her last day at FPS is Friday 7 June. 

We wish Emilia well at this exciting time. 

Holly Lomas will replace Emilia for the last three weeks of this term. We are still in the process of appointing a teacher for terms three and four. 

Update: Schoolyard Redevelopment

It is over 12 months since we started consulting on the yard redevelopment. This process involved seeking feedback from students, parents and staff about how to best design this space. We all hoped that there would be some works in action by now, however patience has been the name of the game as we follow the advice of the Victorian School Buildings Authority (VSBA).

For the school to proceed with this work, we require VSBA approval at different levels. Most recently, VSBA informed us that our estimated cost for the project needed adjustment. This new cost was then approved by School Council in our May meeting. We are now waiting on VSBA approval which will enable us to start seeing some action on the ground. Once we have the green light, we will share the design for this exciting yard redevelopment, which will benefit everyone.

The cost for this project is estimated at $445,000 and is being paid for through fundraising from many previous years. School Council acknowledges that this is a significant expense, however, we would much rather see the funds put to good use rather than sitting in the bank. This project spends the vast majority of our fundraising balance whilst making best use of the funds raised from our wonderful events.

Other uses of accumulated fundraising money includes the employment of our Sustainability Project Officer – Amelia Trompf, and the development of our Reconciliation Action Plan. 

Mini Working Bee

Thank you to the band of parents and students who hung around on the Friday afternoon for our mini working bee. The grounds looked clear and tidy, including the area behind the Year 1 classrooms with veggie beds and surrounding areas mulched.

Lunchtime Clubs

A special mention for the lunchtime clubs which are in full swing at the moment. These alternatives to the yard are becoming increasingly popular, with Calm Club in the Performing Arts Room proving to be a particular hit.

Keep an eye out in Compass for details about Chess Club starting next term.

Principal’s Morning Tea

Each term, I host a Morning Tea so that parents/carers can pop by for a chat, hot drink, ask questions and find out more about school happenings. The next morning tea is scheduled for Friday 14 June, at 9am in the staffroom. 

Trivia Night – Silent Auction Support

It’s going to be another great night out for the FPS community. Our trivia nights are known for their fun themes, costumes, music and, of course, the trivia. This year, the trivia night is scheduled for Saturday 10 August, from 6pm. 

As in previous years, we are planning on having a silent auction in conjunction with the event.  We need volunteers to solicit donations for the auction. If this is a role you’d like to take on, please let us know!

Thank you for ongoing support of the school. Enjoy the rest of your week.

~ Paul Wallace, Principal