This fortnight at the Springs...

Every fortnight, I look back and wonder how we managed to fit so much in! This fortnight has been no exception - we have been flat out with our teaching and learning programs as well as fitting in all of those extra special little experiences that add so much value to the education and development of our students.

Last weekend our Aerobics teams travelled to Adelaide to compete in the National School Aerobics Competition. It was a great achievement to qualify for Nationals, and although we didn't bring home any medals, both teams improved on their judge scores from their last performance. They represented our school beautifully and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. A massive thank you to Lauren Cameron, Emily Sach and Tracey Fraser for the time and effort they put into making sure our teams were ready to do their very best.

Our school disco was back this year, bigger and better than ever! It was lovely to see so many students all dressed up and having fun dancing away with their friends. Another massive thank you to the staff that attended, the parent helpers we had, and also to Jay Allen for volunteering his time, expertise and equipment to be a fabulous DJ.

Last Thursday, all school staff participated in some professional learning from Glen Pearsall. The day was focused on creating positive, engaging, safe and orderly classrooms and all staff came away with multiple new strategies in their teaching toolkit. While we understand that Curriculum Days can be an inconvenience for families, we thank you for your support in helping us continue to build our expertise to make our school even more wonderful.

2024 Planning

It's that time of year again when we need to finalise our student numbers for 2024. Please let us know as soon as possible if you have a child starting at the school in 2024 - Step into Prep plans are underway and information is already beginning to go out to families.

If you have a student leaving the school at the end of this year (apart from our Year 6 students), please let us know as soon as possible. Accurate student numbers allow us to budget and employ the correct number of staff. We have already commenced our recruitment activities this year due to the state-wide teacher shortage to ensure we lock in the best staff for our students.

On a similar note, if there are specific issues that need to be considered when placing your child in a class for 2024, these must be put in writing and emailed to the principal by the end of Term 3. The email address is renee.cotterell@education.vic.gov.au. Please note that requests directly to teachers may not be considered when we are finalising our overall class structures, groupings and placements for 2024.

Uniform Review

A full review of our current school uniform policy is now being undertaken. Input has been sought from School Council and I would like to now open this up to any parents/carers for your feedback. If you do wish to contribute any ideas or feedback, please email your thoughts to renee.cotterell@education.vic.gov.au. Once this is complete, a copy will be distributed to all families and it will be expected that all students follow the uniform policy.

Hats - Term 4

It's time to look in the back of those cupboards and begin finding hats! These are required from Day 1 of Term 4 - students will need to remain in a hard-covered area if they do not have a Sunsmart hat at school. Not only does this affect their play times, it also has an impact on their ability to participate fully in PE and Year Level Sports activities. A cap or hood is not sun smart and is not acceptable at Pakenham Springs.

Staffing

This year we (along with other schools in our network) have been hit hard by illnesses for both staff and students. This, combined with the severe teacher shortage within Victoria, has meant that on many occasions we are struggling to put teachers in front of classes. We do try our best to book quality replacement teachers as much as we possibly can, however frequently we are not getting the number of replacement teachers we require. This then results in a class split. Please understand that a class split is our last option. We understand that students may feel apprehensive, nervous, anxious, or just plain sad at the thought of not having their regular teacher and their friends in their class that day, or sometimes for a number of days in a row.

Our Year Level teams work collaboratively to ensure that our classroom programs provide consistent levels of learning for all students in the cohort. While 'activities' may look different, the key learning goals are very similar. Our teams also look at student achievement data together and have a good understanding of the variety of needs within the group. This helps ensure students are not having a 'wasted' day when their regular classroom teacher is absent.

Again, we do apologise for any inconvenience or anxiety this causes our students. Please assure them that the regular supports within the school, including the School Chaplain, LSA staff, office staff and Leadership members can all help support them if they are feeling a little lost.

Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey 2023

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional but we encourage all families to participate. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. All families are invited to participate in the survey.

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey is open from Monday 7 August to Friday 8 September 2023. Further details and the survey link were sent to all families on Monday 7th August.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the survey period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Please speak to a member of the Leadership Team if you would like more information.

Respectful Relationships Education

This term, we are covering Topic 5: Stress Management and Topic 6: Help Seeking. While this is a mandated curriculum, these learning goals also support the mission of our school to “educate, motivate and inspire all students to ensure they acquire the essential skills and knowledge to become respectful and informed members of the local and global community.” Fact sheets have been distributed via Compass to all families so that you are aware of the content covered in this curriculum area. If you do have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your classroom teacher or our Respectful Relationships Leader, Corrin Warn.

Supervision before school

Students are not to arrive at school until 8:30 am on school mornings. Staff do not begin their workday until this time, and there is insufficient supervision available in the mornings. Any student arriving before 8:30 am will be asked to sit at the office and wait. We ask for your support in this matter. Likewise, under no circumstances are students allowed to leave the school grounds in the morning and go across to the shops. Not only is this incredibly unsafe, with them crossing the busy Heritage BLVD road unsupervised, but a small number of students are also coming back having purchased items inappropriate for the school day. Please contact OSHClub if you need to organise care and supervision for your child/ren outside of 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Enjoy the fortnight ahead!

The PSPS Leadership Team

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