EHPS Contact

Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

Several in our school community are affected by the devastating events in the Middle East. We are all disturbed by the awful events depicted in media footage and images.

 

This time is particularly distressing for staff, students, families and carers who have family and friends in Israel and Gaza. We are also aware that students of diverse backgrounds, including Jewish and Muslim students, may be significantly affected by public events, mainstream media coverage and social media at this time.

 

Please be assured that our staff are aware of the extreme emotional toll on many in our community at this time. But please also feel free to get in contact with any of the staff at our school if you would like to ensure we are aware of what your child is going through at this time. Our staff will continue to support all our students.

 

I also want to inform you that the Department of Education is monitoring the situation from a school security perspective and have advised there is no further action we need to take at this stage.

 

It is possible that extremely distressing scenes from the conflict may be posted online in coming days. Please ensure your children are aware of where they can find support in the event they come across such images. At our school, this includes talking with their class teacher, a member of the Principal team or any staff member they feel comfortable to talk with about their concerns.

 

You may find some aspects of this resource helpful: 

Support is also available through external services including:

My door is always open, so please feel free to contact me if you would like to talk about this situation. I am sure that our Essex Heights community will look to support one another in this difficult time.

Respectful Relationship Education in Schools (RREiS)

As part of the Victorian Curriculum, Essex Heights is introducing Respectful Relationships Education to complement ArtSEL and The Resilience Project curriculum already being taught across the school. This will begin in Term 4 and continue as part of core curriculum every year.

What is Respectful Relationships Education and why are we teaching this program at Essex Heights Primary School?

The Royal Commission into Family Violence identified the critical role that schools, and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect to change the story of family violence for future generations.

In 2016, Respectful Relationships education became a core component of the Victorian Curriculum from Foundation to Year 12 and is being taught in all government and Catholic schools and many independent schools.

Everyone in our community deserves to be respected, valued, and treated equally. We know that changes in attitudes and behaviours can be achieved when positive attitudes, behaviours and equality are embedded in our education settings.

Respectful Relationships Education is about embedding a culture of respect and equality across our entire community, from our classrooms to staffrooms, sporting fields and social events as just some examples. This approach leads to positive impacts on student’s academic outcomes, their mental health, classroom behaviour, and relationships between teachers and students. As a community we can lead the way in saying yes to respect and equality, and creating genuine and lasting change so that every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential. 

Respectful Relationships Education in Schools (RREiS) was trialled across 19 schools, reaching 1,700 teachers and 4,000 students. The trial found that the initiative had a positive effect on students’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills, as well as school policies, culture and ethos. The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships teaching and learning materials were developed by leading education experts, who tailored the materials to each year level from Foundation to Year 12 and made sure all information is age-appropriate and grounded in evidence. 

Respectful Relationships Education must not be confused with the ‘Safe Schools’ initiative that was promoted heavily by the Federal Government a few years ago. Respectful Relationships is part of the Victorian Curriculum, and it promotes respect and gender equality. Through this program students learn how to build healthy relationships.

 

What support is available for the school?

The Victorian Government is supporting schools to model respectful relationships across the whole school community as part of its commitment to Respectful Relationships education. The state government, through the Department of Education, provides schools with a range of supports and resources including Respectful Relationships teaching and learning materials. In addition, all staff have attended a Professional Learning session to develop their understanding of the program and how it can best be delivered. Our staff have also audited our existing wellbeing programs and identified the key areas that are not covered by ArtSEL and The Resilience Project, and those key areas will be the ones taught. 

 

What will the children learn?

In the classroom, children will learn problem-solving skills, how to develop empathy, how to support their own wellbeing and build healthy relationships with others. The initiative will also provide resources to best support children and staff who are affected by family violence. These age-appropriate and evidence-based materials are designed to enable teachers to develop student’s social and emotional capabilities to promote positive, healthy and respectful relationships. They provide teachers with handouts and activities for students that guide classroom discussion.

Teachers use their experience and knowledge to deliver this material in the most suitable way for their students. Materials were developed by nationally and internationally recognised experts from the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education based on evidence from reputable research bodies and leading authorities including:

  • UNICEF
  • VicHealth
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing
  • UNESCO

When children build positive relationships with their teachers and peers they feel safer and happier at school, are more resilient and have positive social attitudes. Positive relationships also increase a child’s sense of social connectedness and belonging which can result in better health and academic outcomes. 

 

Further information about Respectful Relationships is available on the Department of Education and Training website: https://www.vic.gov.au/respectful-relationships

Planning for 2024

In Term 4 much of the planning for the following year occurs. At this stage we expect to have 24 classes, including four Prep classes. There continues to be significant enrolment interest in our school, as many families in the Mount Waverley area look for outstanding educational opportunities for their children coupled with exceptional facilities and resources. We expect to have over 600 students at the school next year and only in zone families will be able to enrol at the school.

 

At this time of year, children are often thinking about next year and their transition into the next year level. The staff are focussed on their students, their health and wellbeing as well as the many important factors necessary for the children to have a successful transition into 2024. Creating new class groups for next year will enable children to grow their friendship group across the year level as well as to be challenged with different thinking educationally.

 

The process of class creation is a very complex task, as there are many factors to consider before deciding the best student combinations. The educational needs of each child must be the most important criteria so that each has the best prospect of learning to their full potential. When developing class lists, teachers ensure that each class has an equitable spread of boys and girls with a range of academic abilities. Student compatibility and behaviour is also considered, and students are placed with children with whom they work well. This process is about placing children together who cooperate and get along in their learning. Children’s feedback will be sought by their classroom teacher. The allocation of classes takes many hours of consideration and planning by staff and it is taken very seriously to ensure that the children’s learning potential is maximised.

 

As always, in the formation of new classes, the children’s educational needs and the maintenance of positive working groups will be important criteria used to guide placement. If you have matters that are of interest to the educational needs of your child, please put them in writing and return to me by Friday 3 November. This, of course, is an opportunity for me to gain an insight into the matters that you see as important for the educational wellbeing of your child. Our staff will consider requests carefully when allocating students to classes and I can assure you that all information will always be handled confidentially.

 

Please note however that I cannot guarantee that requests will be met due to the many competing and complex priorities throughout this process. I would like to emphasise that all staff at EHPS are highly competent professionals who work for the best of all children. Any genuine issue will be considered seriously, however special requests for particular teachers will NOT be contemplated. Students will be placed in classes that best suits their educational needs and the overall requirements of the school.

 

As parents you play an important role in modelling resilience to your children. Thought should be given now, as to how you will respond in coming months if your child has an issue with their class grouping. It is appropriate to discuss the matter with your child so that you can understand their concern and you may undertake to raise a query with a staff member. It is most important though to model responsible and proactive behaviour that encourages a child to understand that there are many opportunities outside of class time to be with friends, and this class arrangement will be an opportunity to make new friends and new working relationships.

 

Also essential to our consideration in our planning and preparation is knowing if children are leaving EHPS. As has been requested in recent issues of Contact and on Compass, if your child is leaving EHPS either this term or not returning in 2024, it is essential that you advise me in writing as soon as possible to the school email address with the following details: 

  • Child's name and 2023 class
  • Date of last day at EHPS (the last day of the 2023 school year is Wednesday 20 December)
  • Name of the school your child is enrolled at 
  • Commencement date at new school (Term 1 2024 commences on Monday 29 January)
  • The reason for leaving EHPS  
  • New contact details, e.g. address, phone number, email

Showcase

As you are all aware, Showcase is only a few weeks away. The children are busily rehearsing and we are really looking forward to a spectacular night of musical entertainment. The performance is almost sold out, so it you require a ticket, please purchase them as soon as possible.

Hats

In accordance with our SunSmart Policy, I would like to remind all families that the children are required to wear hats throughout Term 4. These should be in the school uniform dark green, legionnaire, bucket or wide brimmed style for maximum sun protection; please make sure your child's name is on their hat. I would ask parents to ensure that children are bringing the appropriate headwear to school each day. On hot days we also suggest that students seek shade and drink plenty of water.

Referendum

Our School Hall is a polling location for the Referendum vote tomorrow, Saturday 14 October, from 8am to 6pm.

Our Year 6 Graduation Committee are running a fundraising BBQ from 11am to 4pm (or until sold out) for the graduation celebrations at the end of this term. Come along and vote, and support our fundraising by having a "democracy sausage".

Farewell

We farewell the following student and their family from the EHPS community:

  • Priyansh C (PDB)

 

I look forward to seeing you all at Showcase on 27 October.

Kindest regards,

George Perini

Principal