principal's message

class formation

As per our class formation policy, today I am publishing our forecasted numbers for 2020 and asking for any fresh and new ideas of potential class structures. Through school council there has been discussion about the increased numbers in our 2020-Grade 2 cohort and I am keen to hear any ideas of how we might create more balance in those classrooms. We obviously have a budget we must fit within, but also like to keep our classes as small as we can. In addition to this, our teaching teams collaborate in all of their planning and therefore like to have distinct teams formed wherever possible. If you have any ideas that you wish to share, please email them to the school or bring them to the front office before Friday 1st November.

Forecast enrolments for 2019: 459 students...

An example of class structure: please note, this is not necessarily going to be the 2020 model!

sunsmart

Last week I jumped in on the newsletter to provide safety information around driving at or near school and the quick release functions on hats. With the sweltering heat we (briefly) experienced this week, it has been a good reminder for me to discuss another safety measure - our sunsmart policy!

Once the temperature reaches over 32 degrees, we take on a hot-weather policy that has students remain inside. However, it can still get mighty hot (and sunny) below 32, so we ask and advise the following actions to help your child remain safe from the heat and damaging UV rays.

From September to April each year, it is mandatory that all students and staff wear broad-brim or Legionnaire’s hat during recess, lunch and any outdoor activities and that their shoulders are covered whenever they are outside (no straps). We also advise that families should look into providing their child with a water bottle, as this allows for regular hydration without leaving class regularly. Layers of clothing (that are named!) allow for students to self-regulate their temperature throughout the day, but please remember that we need to cover shoulders when we are outside. Many families choose to provide their children with a small bottle of sunscreen, however we do have sunscreen available for students if they do not have a personal supply. As teachers, we encourage the students to engage in quiet activities on hot days, but it is a great idea for parents and carers to discuss quieter options on predicted hot weather days, as this can ensure our students are prepared for a change in activities.

We also want to remind all community members of how much our children watch our behaviours; we encourage all grown ups within the school to be good role-models when it comes to being sunsmart, even though this is not a behaviour many of us learned when we were younger! Huts, sunscreen, sunglasses and covering skin where possible all have a huge impact on how our students feel about protecting themselves from the sun.

student recognition

I love hearing about the individual endeavours and achievements of our students, whether this occurs during school hours or outside of our grounds. Recently we have heard numerous stories of students reaching fantastic heights in their sporting achievements, with a pattern forming around the persistence and dedication of time and energy to training in their particular area of sporting passion. Yet it is not only the sporting achievements that we want to celebrate!

Last week I was absolutely thrilled to receive communication from the head of Victorian Scouts, celebrating the achievements of Jensen in Unit NF! Jensen has been awarded the “Joy Scout Promise Challenge”, reflecting initiative in tackling the challenge, sustained effort over many months and years, self-discipline, teamwork and leadership - sounds familiar, doesn’t it? I want to say a big congratulations to Jensen for his efforts and outcome, I hope you are feeling very proud of what you have done to earn this award!

Sometimes the achievements of our students are as much about others than ourselves, which is a special kind of achievement indeed. Today Indianna from Unit FK has gathered a troupe of friends and is surveying grown ups within our community to see if we are interested in joining her in her annual donation to a charity. Indianna donates a portion of her birthday money each year to a charity and has been using some of her lunchtime to try and raise further funds. What I love so much about this action is that Indianna was able to recognise the great feeling we get when we help others and is now wanting to spread that good feeling, by encouraging others to join her. How wonderful our world would be if everyone spent more time encouraging others to give and care!

after-hours activities

We love families and local community members using our grounds outside of school hours! Our school is a beautiful space (especially when we live in the inner city) and the ongoing presence of neighbours and families on the weekends and evenings also provides additional security for our grounds! I also love to see and hear about the different ways our families enjoy connecting, learning and growing on our grounds and always appreciate the stories that are shared with me.

Recently one family shared a wonderful picture of this little visitor in our school, which delights me endlessly! Please, everyone, continue to use and play in our school grounds to your heart’s content; if you see something of interest, please let me know and we appreciate everyone cleaning up after they’ve been here, so creatures like this can continue to enjoy our space just as much as we do!