High Expectations and High Achievements at Chatham!

Increasingly across our school we are seeing enormous evidence of students seeking to be ‘tested’ on their Mathematics tables by the Principal, along with other areas of Mathematics. Whilst this might seem somewhat insignificant to some, it drives high expectations and self-discipline not only in that area, but all areas of student endeavour. Again, it builds our values of responsibility, positive attitudes to learning and resilience. Recently, I met with the ten students in Years 5 & 6 involved in the Kew Public Speaking competition. The skills these students are developing are truly amazing, as they learn to use pitch, pace, projection and pausing, and craft significant written dialogue with emphasis, and manage all manner of body language, in the delivery of their speech. The State Member for Kew, who will be at Chatham on the 24th June, will have the inenviable task of judging from these students to go to the next level of competition.

Chatham Music Week 3rd – 10th June 2024

This was a marvellous experience for our students and it was uplifting to see the active involvement of parents and families who visited our students to watch performances before and after school. Thank you again to Mr James Rampant and the staff and parents who supported James and our students to get this happening. It was also great to see the newly purchased instruments by James being put to prompt and effective use.

Homework Expectations

Recently I wrote to all parents of students in Years 3-6 regarding our expectations of student homework from the perspective of the student, staff and parents. I would ask you to assist both your child and us with what we are endeavouring to do in this space. The provision of homework is something we value as we endeavour to lift the level of responsibility, resilience, respect and positive attitudes to learning across the school. I am truly delighted with the serious efforts of our students, particularly at Years 5 & 6, to attend to such requirements.

Japanese Teaching Assistant

This week Ms Tomomi Konuma has started at our school. Tomomi is our Japanese Assistant from Yokohama, Japan and will be assisting Mr Rampant with both his Japanese classes and Performing Arts classes. Tomomi has already had a great start to her time at Chatham working with Years 5 & 6 as well as Years 1 & 2 in recent days. Our school has had a few Japanese teaching assistants since Japanese first started at the school in 1993. Mr Rampant notes that his experience with programs like this in the past have often demonstrated how important it is for students to interact culturally with assistant language teachers in Japanese classes. This enables students to have the opportunity to use the Japanese they have learnt in a more authentic context, as well as make students feel connected to the wider world as global citizens. Tomomi will be with us until mid-Term 3 and will be residing with current and former families from the school community. Please join us in making her feel welcome and part of our community.

New iPad and New Laptops at Chatham

I am delighted that the new twenty Lenovo 500 Laptops have arrived and have been re-imaged for us to use in our Year 3-6 area. This takes our total provision in this area to over 110 units. This latest addition, courtesy of our Chatham Fundraising efforts, is crucial to our provision in this area. These new units can be conveniently transformed from a laptop to a tablet. Similarly, our new thirty iPad for the Foundation to Year 2 area are ready to commence use. Again, it is the Fundraising efforts of our parents and students who have really made this possible and ensured that Chatham remains a school where a student does not need to bring their own device and has access to up to date and purposeful technology. What a bonus for parents at this time!

At the time of writing, we are also looking forward to the traditional Chatham Movie Night to be held on Saturday 15th June 2024. Again, another positive community experience that raises funds for our school.

Cyber Vigilance and Safety at our School

This area is of increasing interest in schools in Victoria and elsewhere. Research from a number of places reports that parents’ anxieties at this time is largely caused by two prevailing conditions: the cost of living and the scourge of social media. The developments and troubling events experienced by students in a number of Independent Schools over recent times is of enormous concern to us all. For many it creates a sense of dread about what could be ahead as a parent or grandparent if we do not take prompt responsibility in this regard.

We expect that given developments in South Australia and changes anticipated at the Federal level, there will be something providing direction in this space to schools and communities. As an eSmart School, we are in ongoing communication with our students about the use of the internet and social media platforms.

Students who choose to not use devices appropriately are promptly denied access to them until some clearer thinking and trust is demonstrated.

Regardless, no student under 13 years should be involved on any social media platform. This of course being challenged with a growing movement to increase this to 16 years of age. I urge you to reinforce this expectation in order to maintain the mental health and safety of your child.

Recently, I spoke to our Year 5 & 6 students to clarify and reinforce expectations about social media and access to websites whilst using the school laptops, iPads, or other devices. As a Principal I regularly engage with our students about expectations, choices to be made, and commensurate consequences of rare aberrations.

I am pleased to advise that our students comply overwhelmingly, most of the time. Our expectations regarding mobile phones have long been observed. All students are also fully aware of the appropriate use of smart watches and the unwavering consequences of inappropriate use. Video games that do not have a clear educational functionality have no place in our school.

On very rare occasions these boundaries have been tested and actions have been taken to realign students with more acceptable choices. I am confident that all students and their parents have got the message regarding our expectations and our unwavering responses in view of poor choices.

Nevertheless, we will be instituting a number of further safeguards to ensure that only those websites of an appropriate content will be accessed by any student.

Again, I am delighted with the level of vigilance and care taken by my staff in ensuring this reality for our students. I would encourage you to support us in our endeavours here so that we can support the mental health of our students.

Student Enrolments at Years 5 & 6

At this time, we are getting requests from parents to enrol their children at Years 5 & 6. Interestingly these students are currently enrolled in independent schools. Given what we are achieving in this area of the school this is of no surprise to me or my staff. The curriculum provision provided at Years 5 & 6 is well established over many years and is highly effective in developing students across all domains: academic, physical, social and emotional. The feedback we get from Government, Catholic and Independent Schools is so positive in this regard as they move with confidence into Year 7. This realisation has not been lost on parents of independent schools who also happen to live in the area. Nevertheless, I have made it clear that we will only take such students if indeed we have the space in our classes to do so.

At the other end of the spectrum, we continue to provide tours for parents of Foundation students enrolling for 2025. We continue to make it clear that since the completion of the building works, we will be taking students at this level, beyond our existing designated enrolment zone.

Student Reports – Semester 1

Please be advised that Student Reports for Semester 1 will be distributed on Thursday 27th June 2024. On this occasion Parent-Teacher Discussions will be held on Wednesday 24th July 2024, in Term 3. This will be a Student-Free Day and Parent-Teacher Discussions will be scheduled between 8:30am and 4:30pm on this day. Again, this will be an opportunity for parents to meet with their child’s class teacher(s) in person. Towards the end of the term, we will place this schedule on Compass in order for parents to book a time.

The exception will be Year 1/2L and Year 3/4N who will have their Parent-Teacher Discussions from the period 17th June to 28th June 2024. Parents of these classes have been informed on Tuesday 11th June of the arrangements.

Wet Day Timetables

As we move into the colder months, we will experience more days where students will need to be kept inside at recess and/or lunchtimes. On such occasions students are supervised in combined classes to enable staff to rotate to experience their lunch break uninterrupted and manage arrangements. This time is available for students to read, draw, play quiet games, complete unfinished tasks and view an appropriate video of a (G) or (PG) rating. Students can select from a range of tasks, and this is not instructional time. Nevertheless, students are encouraged to engage in a range of pursuits during such times. Again, I thank my staff for their thoughtful approach to such times.

Again, I would urge you to review our calendar on the school website. We make every effort to ensure that it is kept up to date.

Christopher Cotching

Principal

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