Assistant Principal's Message

Two weeks ago, the minister for Education Ben Carroll announced the ‘updated Victorian Teaching and Learning Model, which will be implemented in all government schools across the state from 2025 with explicit teaching at its core. All students from Prep to Grade 2 will be taught using a systematic synthetic phonics approach as part of their reading programs, with a minimum of 25 minutes daily explicit teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness.’

You may wonder how this change may impact your child/ren at Toorak Primary?  

This change will not impact the teaching practices at TPS, as we are in the third year of implementing evidence-based practices, including explicit instruction and a synthetic phonics approach. Three years ago, Toorak Primary School began its pedagogical transformation to evidence-based instruction. Initially, the leadership team engaged in extensive professional learning and then led the teaching staff and teams through this transformation. The school is committed to ensuring that every student who attends receives high-quality, evidence-based instruction and that every teacher at the school receives the professional learning they need to deliver such instruction. Alongside this sits our effective:

• coaching programs for staff that is led by the learning specialists Sam Pallas and Luke Fletcher, 
• high levels of accountability through regular formative and summative assessments to track student learning and growth 
• highly structured and effective learning enhancement program
• the work of our Allied Health team led by Margaret Whitford
• opportunities for extension of students through the Victorina High-Ability Program (VHAP) program

Some of these opportunities are made possible through the school resourcing package provided by DET, however we are all aware that this is not enough, and we are grateful to the families who contribute to school funds through payment of school fees to enable us to provide all the extras that amount to improved outcomes, academically, socially and emotionally.

What does it mean moving forward?

We are now able to continue embedding and refining best practices. As we ask the students to keep learning and growing, we too, as a school professional learning community, continue to learn and grow through refining our practices, engaging in weekly professional learning, and connecting with outside professionals such as Ollie Lovell and Bron Ryrie Jones, who act as critical friends and supporters on our journey to improve.

We are very fortunate to have a highly dedicated staff team and a school community that works in unison for the best outcomes for all. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing support.

I would also like to inform the school community that I will be on long service leave for the first part of next term, returning on August 12. While I will enjoy my time away, I look forward to returning to the many smiling faces that greet me each day, often checking in with “How is your day going, Mrs. D?” or “I hope you are having a great day,” and to the droves of students who come and share their learning with me each day.

Have a wonderful break term break!