Across Oliver's Desk 

WELCOME BACK!

Welcome back to 2024 the year that really rocks! The reason it rocks is because our building project will be finished sometime in the middle of the year. I know I promised you that on day one 2024 we would have new basketball courts, well……. all I can say is sorry. The builders didn’t get a lot done through December and January due to the rain. The timeline for the basketball courts now looks more likely to be end of April. 

Another reason this year rocks is because we will have our hall back around the half-year mark, which means we will be doing Production for 3-6’s, a Junior School Concert and we will finally be able to have our big Christmas Carols night at the end of the year. 

It has been a great start to the school year with everything running smoothly so far. As a community we need to extend a big welcome to our new and returning staff.  We welcome Casey Runco (2A) and our teachers returning from maternity leave Danielle Marnock (2B), Katie Thatcher who will work in (3/4B) one day per week and Kat Clark who will work in (3/4A) two days per week.

Our 60 new Preps have made a fantastic start to life at primary school. They look so crisp, new and cute. They have already impressed their new teachers and have certainly made me laugh with their honest appraisal of everything. One of them told me that we need more play times and more diggers to watch! 

I would like to welcome the following new families to our school:

Chappel (Amberleigh) 

Goodreau (Adeline)

Diston (Ayana)Morse (Ben)

Smiley (Brody)

Lockerbie (Capri-Mae)

Mullan (Carter)

Brockhus (Chloe)

Moody (Connor)

Larsen (Eden)

Morelli (Finian)

Kilderry (Flynn)

Francis (Harley)

Parry (Harlow)

Dobell (Harper)

Williams (Indi)  

Moroney (Jasmine)

Livett (Logan)

Lilburn (Mason)

Mingo (Max)

McGuiness (Scarlett)

Ockwell (Wyatt)

Tan (Elissa) 

We welcome all those wonderful families to the wonderful Woori way!

2024 PRIORITIES 

The focuses for our school in 2024 are the following:

• Reading
• Spelling

Although we received some pretty decent results in Reading and Spelling last year. We feel these are areas that we want to improve across our school. We will publish all the strategies that we plan to do so that everyone can see our improvement plans. We do have a school review this term, which every government school has to do every four years. Once the review is complete I will also publish the findings from the independent reviewer. 

Last year I did also write that winning the Parent Vs Teachers relay race was a focus but that is always a focus and hope to see our staff win the race for the 11th year in a row. I think that has to be a Yarra Valley school’s record. Jacinta Van Eijk does organise the parents every year and I thank her for doing that. Maybe this is the year of the parent Jacinta?? But after 11 years, my money is on the teachers again!

SCHOOL COUNCIL

It’s that time of year when we need to elect our new school council. There are four parents that are up for election this year and one parent that will not return to council because their youngest child is now in high school. Therefore, there are five positions up for election. 

If you would like to nominate for council, you just need to go to the office and fill out a nomination form. You can also nominate someone for school council but you do need the parents permission to be nominated. 

Parents on school council attend 9 school council meetings throughout the year as well as 9 sub-committee meetings. School council sets the direction of the school while checking policies, procedures and school finances, in line with department guidelines. We have had really wonderful, supportive and productive school councils in my time at the school. 

UNIFORM

A real push at the start of the year is to make sure we get our uniform right and that our students wear their uniform with pride.  We have started the year well but I would like to remind parents that our uniform includes predominately black shoes, (see photo) with white or black laces. When everyone is in their uniform, the school always looks and feels so much better. 

GRADE 5/6 CAMP

Excitingly it is not long now until our grade 5/6 students head to their Wilsons Promontory camp experience. Every year we timetable our 5/6 camps to be in first term to give our students the opportunity to bond as a group and to start off the year really positively. 

BUSHFIRE AT RISK REGISTER

We have been identified as a school that closes on days that are deemed to have a fire danger rating of code red. 

Luckily there haven’t been any significant fires in our immediate vicinity this year as we have had a really mild summer. 

See below for more information regarding our school being on the Bushfire-At Risk Register.

School procedures for the bushfire season

The way schools in Victoria respond to bushfires is being constantly revised. 

Fire danger ratings and warnings are used in Victoria to provide clear direction on the safest options for preserving life.

Schools – and children’s services – identified as being at highest bushfire risk have been included on the Bushfire-At Risk Register (BARR) and will be closed on days determined by fire authorities to be Code Red. Our school has been identified as a school at highest bushfire risk and is listed on the BARR. 

Where possible, we will provide parents with up to three days notice of a planned closure following the issue of a Code Red warning by the CFA.  We will contact you directly by email, SMS or letter sent home with your child with advice on planned closures and will confirm the decision to close by 12 noon the day before the planned closure. 

Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child.

• No staff will be on site on days when the school is closed by the risk of fire. 
• Out-of-school care will be cancelled on these days. 
• School camps will be cancelled if the area where the camp is taking place is at risk.  
• There may also be changes to school bus routes. Depending on routes, this may also occur on days when the school is not closed. 

On these Code Red days families are encouraged to enact their Bushfire Survival Plan – on such days, children should never be left at home unattended or in the care of older children.

For those of us living in a bushfire-prone area, the safest option when a Code Red day is declared may be to leave the night before, or early in the morning of the Code Red day.

As part of preparing our school for the threat of fire we have updated our emergency management plan; reprioritised any maintenance works that may assist in preparing for the threat of fire and cleared our school grounds and gutters.

What can parents do?

• Make sure your family’s Bushfire Survival Plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements for your children in the event that our school is closed. 
• Ensure we have your current contact details, including your mobile phone numbers.  Keep in touch with us by reading our newsletters, by checking our website, and by talking to your child’s teacher or any other member of the teaching staff about our emergency plans. 
• Most importantly at this time of year, if you’re planning a holiday or short stay in the bush or in a coastal area, you should check warnings in advance of travel and remain vigilant during your stay.
• If your child is old enough, talk to them about bushfires and your family’s Bushfire Survival Plan. 
• You can access more information about school closures on the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development website:

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/pages/emergencies.aspx

For up-to-date information on this year’s fire season and Bushfire Survival Planning, visit the CFA website at www.cfa.vic.gov.au or call the 24-hour Victorian Bushfires Information Line on 1800 240 667.

WEATHER – HATS

In term 1 and term 4 our school policy is that all staff and students need to wear hats when outside at recess and lunchtime.

On days with extreme heat will ensure all of our students are drinking enough water and that they are in the shade on some days.

SCHOOL LEADERS FOR 2024

School Captains                              

Mila Robertson        Molly Benson

Charlotte Sykes        Tyson Warren

JSC Leaders                                 

Makayla Greenwood / Mila Ferrari

ICT Leader                                    

Cozy Dunlop

Animal Leader                               

Maya Dainter-Bevis

Environment Leader                        

Ella Parish

Science Leader                                

Jax Maloney

Art Leader                                         

Mia Hoxha-Cole

Library Leader                                

Isabella Hasenbos

Peer Support Leaders                  

Brydie Dyer / Delaney Wilkinson 

Sports Captain                              

Mille Wotherspoon

House Captains 

Muyan                                

Ethan Enzinger / Jackson Lacey   

Toolebewong                                  

Liam Brandenburger / Max Darwall

Barraring                                            

Layla Thomson / Lyla Cuffe

Barak                                                  

Noah Sajo / Axel Hare        

SCHOOL SPEED ZONES AND NO RIGHT TURN SIGN

A reminder to everyone now that we are back at school that the speed limit in the school speed zone during specified times from 8.00 - 9.30 am and 2.30 - 4.00 pm is 40 km/h. Also please remember the No Right Turn sign into the middle of the kiss and drop. This means you can only gain access to the kiss and drop zone from the top of the parent carpark. Each year we consistently have marked and unmarked police patrolling the stretch of road outside the school.

Over the holidays I had time to read three books. The Worst Military Leaders in History, The Long Weekend (Judy Nunn), The Drowning (Bryan Brown).  I was proud of myself for varying my reading diet, which is what we ask the students to do. Although I did love my non-fiction book!

See you around the school soon!