From Our Principal

Newsletter  ~ Term 4, Week 1, 2024

Principal's Message:

Dear Parents, Carers, Families and Friends of St Mel’s Primary School,

'Magnify Sandhurst' 

Every Student - Every Teacher - Every School - Every Day!

This week members of our Staff Team have continued participation in online diocesan-wide professional learning in preparation for implementing the Magnify learning and teaching reforms. Groups of staff will train across the term according to our school needs and the roll out of the training modules. The current focus in on Multilit Literacy approach (Foundation to Year 2) and Low Variance Curriculum - Literacy & Mathematics (Years 3-6).

I am grateful for the enthusiasm and interest of our Staff Team to engage in the training schedule, the flexibility of staff in rescheduling Specialist Program days and other timetabling needs and to members of our Executive Leadership Team for releasing teachers to access the training.

Thank you also to parents and carers for supporting the need to reschedule Specialist Program days (and support children to wear correct sports uniform when required) as we plan for staff participation in the required professional learning program.

3/4 and 5/6 Camps & Year 1/2 Sleep Over:

As many parents and carers will know from last year, in mid-2023 the new Catholic Education Enterprise Agreement was passed and introduced into our school system. Along with many changes to employment conditions for school staff this agreement included the introduction of Time In Lieu for teachers and support staff and a reduction in the allowable formal meeting hours.

This has had a significant impact on 'out of school hours' participation of staff, especially in relation to school camps and overnight stays (ie Sleep Overs).

Subsequently, the day/s following these activities now involve staff receiving their 'Time in Lieu' (ie not attending school for the overtime incurred on camp!)

As in 2023, Acquitting the 'Time in Lieu' involves running an alternate program on the day, or days, following each activity with minimal staff supporting the children who come to school on the day following a camp or sleepover. Again, as in 2023, families electing to keep children home after these activities supports our arrangements. This option will again be offered in support of the Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 camp and the Year 1/2 Sleepover this term.

Given challenges in accessing classroom relief teachers (CRTs) and our Leadership staff already taking on additional teaching roles this term, your support of post-activity day arrangements is greatly appreciated.

Planning for 2025:

Planning for the approaching new school year is well underway, as we continue to focus on the current year. With enrolments in Foundation and higher grades being finalised and families departing our school community informing us of their intentions, we are seeking to finalise our arrangements for 2025 prior to Transition Day in December, including placement of students in Learning Areas. The composition of learning groups and allocation of teachers (and Learning Support Staff) is a complex process based on many variables including: needs of individual and groups of students, communication with parents and carers across the year, Parent/Carer/Student/Teacher Learning Conversations, student behaviour and social needs, enrolment numbers, teacher availability and expertise, etc... We look forward to continuing to finalise arrangements for the approaching school year along with our implementation of Magnify Sandhurst.

Leaving at End of Year? OR... Know of Families Yet to Enrol?

Thank you to the families who have indicated they will be leaving the St Mel's Community at year's end. This information is very helpful as we continue to make plans for the approaching new school year. 

Also, if you know of families yet to approach us for enrolment, please encourage them to do so NOW! We have received interest in the holidays and last week and approaching capacity in some areas.

'Kiss & Go' Reminder:

A reminder the 'Kiss and Go' area along Hamilton Street is designed for a safe, efficient and smooth departure of students at the end of the school day. Parents and carers are reminded to remain in cars when collecting students at the end of the day. Moving cars South along Hamilton Street to support the safe, free flow of vehicles supports the process. Reminder - Do not park your car and leave your vehicle to enter the school yard to collect children or meet with teachers during this time. (This year staff have been asked to park in the street or parish car park and not in the tennis area car park to free room for parents and carers across the day, including after school.) Thank you in the interest of student safety.

Duty of Care & Ambulance Support:

A reminder in the event of emergency an ambulance may be called when attending to injured students as part of First Aid response. The costs associated with ambulance responses is borne by patient or in the case of children and young people, the family. Ambulance call outs can be costly so it is advised families maintain current ambulance coverage. Some health funds include this within their cover. Currently ambulance coverage in Victoria is around $100 per family.

Parents and carers are urged to check their ambulance coverage to avoid potentially large fees in the event an ambulance is called in response to an emergency situation involving your child/ren. For more information contact https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/membership/

or your relevant Health Fund provider.

Working Bee:

Thank you to the parents and carers able to attend the Working Bee held on the last Sunday of the school holidays.

Our band of wonderful volunteers assisted in addressing a general tidy of the playground area to the Eastern side of the school (along Archer Street) which included removal of debris, large river stones, sticks and trimming of shrubs.

The efforts of our volunteers has greatly enhanced the safety, appearance and functionality of this important play area of the school. Thank you volunteers!

The Working Bee, along with Dean Simpson's ongoing cleaning, grounds and maintenance role has our school looking really appealing and ready for the term ahead. With Spring rains and better weather here, maintaining our outdoor environment is challenging, greatly assisted by the efforts of our learners and staff to Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and using our rubbish management system.

(Putting our waste in the available bins is an important part of our system!)

We have some garden areas, including our Environmental Garden Area, needing some maintenance across this term and welcome interest from parents / carers able to offer some volunteering support to attend to these smaller projects.

Please contact Steve Hicks to discuss where you might be able to support us 'get on top of a few project areas.' Support during school time will require volunteer documentation to be up to date (which we can support you with!)

Volunteering at St Mel's PS and/or St Mel's Parish:

We are grateful for the support of our parent, carer and parishioner volunteers.

A reminder to parents, carers and parishioners interested in being 'volunteer ready' to download the Volunteer Application information from the school website or contact the school office to commence the registration process. Volunteers also need to apply for a Working With Children Check as part of the process.

Parents / carers with current Working With Children Checks are prompted to visit the online portal and LINK their Working With Children's Check to St. Mel's PS, St. Mel's Parish and any other location you volunteer at or may volunteer at in the future. The portal then contacts the school, parish or entity with your WWCC information automatically.

This in turn supports our management of volunteer documentation.

Visit the Service Victoria site to register your volunteering OR apply for a digital WWCC:

https://www.service.vic.gov.au/find-services/work-and-volunteering/working-with-children-check

Recent District Athletics - Our children at their very best!

Our students from Years 3 to 6 participated in the recent primary school's District Athletics Carnival last week. I am pleased to share students from all year levels have been congratulated on their outstanding behaviour and enthusiastic participation across the four days. Our children were noted to participate positively in the events, mix well with other schools and displayed positive behaviour at all times. So wonderful to hear such glowing reports of our children's engagement in activities outside the school environment. A fine example of our children... Doing their Best, Helping Others Succeed and Respecting Our School!

Staff Leave:

Wendy Baldwin will take Long Service Leave from Thursday 24th October to Thursday 31st October. Wendy's Foundation class will be taught by Classroom Relief Teachers who have supported the children across the year.

Student Free Days 2024 [REPEAT]:

Please find following a list of our remaining allowable Student Free Days for 2024 to support your planning for child minding:

Term Four:

             Monday 4 November       -    Report Writing 

             Monday 18 November     -    Planning Day for 2025

             Thursday 19 December   -    First Aid Professional Learning for 2025 

             Friday 20 December         -    Last Day for Staff Team

Notes:   Based on the availability of facilitators, the September dates create a long weekend for 

               families. (A reminder - there were no Student Free days held in Term Two!)

              The last day for students for the 2024 school year is Wednesday 18 December.

Thank you for contributing to the smooth start to your child/ren's last term for learning for 2024.

Stephen 'Steve' Hicks

Principal

Did you know? ~