Principal's News

Our School Vision

“Cheltenham East students are empowered learners who are flexible thinkers with the skills and knowledge to respond critically and creatively to their world.”

Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we are gathered, the Bunurong People and pay our respects to the elders past, present and emerging of the Kulin nation and extend that respect to other indigenous Australians present.

Reminder - Pupil Free Day Monday May 30th

For Term 2, 2022, the Department of Education and Training has provided schools with the option to hold each teacher’s allocated Professional Practice Day on the same day for all staff. This is to enable the most effective and efficient use of this day.

As a result, we have scheduled our school’s Professional Practice Day for this 

Monday May 30th.  Students will therefore not be required to attend school on this day. 

This is in addition to June 22nd which is an advertised Curriculum Day, when students do not attend school, but will attend 10min Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences. 

Sign-up times will become available later in the term.

Junior School Cross Country

Thankyou to parents and teachers for helping out with the Junior School Cross Country in very wet conditions on Thursday. (I am in the process of changing my weather App!)  While far from ideal conditions, the children tried their best and seemed to have a good time running the course set out by Mrs Robinson.  The Year 6 children were fantastic with their help and support for their little buddies and the Year 1 and 2 children.  

Well done to everyone for making the best of a difficult situation.

Upcoming Events

Representatives of the Parents Committee came and spoke to School Council about some exciting upcoming events they would like to hold. A proposed colour run in particular sounded very exciting and will certainly give the children an opportunity to have a lot of fun and raise money at the same time.  There will also be a Classroom helpers social event timetabled so parents can reconnect with the school and network at the same time. Stay tuned for some big announcements regarding fundraising events in the future.

School Captains 

Our fantastic School Captains Liam F, Aarav V, Maddie H and Maddy D attended School Council on Wednesday night to ask School Council for some funding on behalf of the Junior School Council.  

The Junior School Council met and came up with a wish list of items they would like to see in the school including more seats around the school, more techno Lego for lunch time clubs, new library books by popular authors, more sporting equipment, more 4 square courts around the school and new permanent soccer goals on the school oval.  

The School Captains spoke about their journey through school and did a terrific job of putting forward their proposals to School Council.  They are now in the process of working with me to select the best quote and complete the proposals.  The soccer goals remain the priority.

School Works

We have been informed that a company has been successful in tendering for the toilet upgrade and the Victorian School Building Authority and the architects will be meeting with myself and leadership next week to discuss when the refurbishment works will begin and discuss designs and other particulars regarding the project. 

Additional Air Purifiers

We have had another delivery of 11 air purifiers which we have been dispersed around the school in areas which involve the children and staff working together. The Literacy Intervention rooms, After Care Building, Staff Room, First Aid Room and the Library now have air purifiers working in them to adhere to the health and safety directives from the Department of Education.

Mr Jon

Jon our handyman continues to complete much needed jobs around the school including cleaning out clogged gutters on the BER building, repairing the cricket net fence, repairing the wooden fence near the container, digging out tree roots in the Indigenous area and repairing the temporary soccer goals.  Mr Jon continues to ensure the school is looking as good as it possibly can.

Election BBQ

Thank you to the parents who volunteered some time on Election Day to man the BBQ. This was a great opportunity to raise some much needed funds.  At the time of writing it looks like we have made at least $1700 clear on the day.  A special thank you to Tracey and her amazing committee for their organisational work to make it all happen - it is very much appreciated by our community.

District Cross Country

Congratulations to all of our Years 3-6 students who participated in the District Cross Country on Tuesday.  Your efforts were extremely pleasing to see and it was great to see so many tough it out and finish.  At the time of writing we don’t know who got through to the top ten and will go on to represent Cheltenham East PS at the Zone Cross Country. Thank you to Mrs Robinson for organising and training the team.  

Good luck to the following students who made it through to the Zone Cross Country. 

9/10YO - Henry G

11YO - Cameron B

12/30YO  - Flynn W.C, Freddie M, Maddy D, Maddy H

Kingston Junior Mayor Elections

Today, four of our grade 6 students attended the Kingston Junior Mayor Elections.  Our head speaker Lola delivered a fantastic speech about how we can achieve a greener future in our community.  She was supported by her teammates Emma, Sophie and Lily, and they all proudly represented our school at the Kingston City Hall.  Well done girls!

Lost Property

We have gathered quite a collection of lost property varying from:

• Hair bows/scrunchies
• Swim goggles
• Garmin watches
• Glasses
• Pencils
• Keys
• And lots more

If any of these items look familiar they are at the office, ready for collection.

Enrolments for 2023

We would like to thank all of the Parents/Carers who have attended our Group Tours over the last 3 months.  It is now time to submit your enrolments, this can be via email, post or handed in at the office.

If you know of family, friends or neighbours with Foundation 2023 students who may wish to enrol, or organise a tour, please let them know.  Our final group tour details are below.

GROUP TOURS

Thursday 2nd June - 9.30am

Enrolment places are filling fast so spread the word! Enrolments are open and we ask that siblings coming to Cheltenham East Primary in 2023 please enrol now. 

How to Reduce the Spread of Flu

Many of the steps put in place to prevent the risk of COVID-19 will also prevent the risk of flu.

It is most important that students with any symptoms of the flu stay home until symptoms pass and take a COVID-19 test on the days that symptoms are apparent.

If a student develops symptoms at school such as a fever, arrangement will be made for the student’s family to collect them.

Remind students and encourage them to:

• wash and sanitise their hands regularly
• avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• cover their nose and mouth when they cough or sneeze
• get tested for COVID-19 if they feel unwell
• get vaccinated for flu and COVID-19.

Face masks are available in all schools and can be worn by any staff or students who wish to do so, including those who are medically at risk.

Flu vaccinations

Flu vaccinations can be booked through GPs and pharmacies, many of which can also provide COVID-19 vaccinations.

Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and over.  Some people are more at risk of complications from flu and are eligible for free vaccination as part of the National Immunisation Program.  

Students Attitude to School Survey 

Each year, the DET issues an Attitude to School Survey to all Years 4, 5 & 6 students. These surveys are designed to identify the positive aspects of school life for students, as well as identifying if there are areas to be considered for improvement. Student Engagement and Well-being are at the forefront of our students’ success at school so the feedback provided will lead to positive outcomes for the children. Students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 will complete these surveys next week and we look forward to receiving the results later in the year.

National Reconciliation Week, 2022.

Be Brave- Make Change  May 27th-June 3rd 

The theme challenges us all to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation for the benefit of all Australians.  Reconciliation Week is marked by two important events in Australia's history.  It starts on the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum and ends on the anniversary of the 1992 High Court decision on the Mabo case.  One day acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait people were in Australia prior to European settlement, the other tells us that Aboriginal and Torres Strait people are still here. The time between those days are an opportunity to think about what these two things mean to us as Australians. 

Our staff have been teaching the students about reconciliation and what it means for all of us.  In 2022 Reconciliation Australia marks twenty years of shaping Australia’s journey towards a more just, equitable and reconciled nation.

Much has happened since the early days of the people’s movement for reconciliation, including greater acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights to land and sea; understanding of the impact of government policies and frontier conflicts; and an embracing of stories of Indigenous success and contribution.

.Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

On this journey, Australians are all In This Together; every one of us has a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories and cultures.

School Parking Warning

A reminder to all Parents who are dropping off and picking up at the 2 minute zones in Coolac St and Silver St. There will be Council parking officers around who will give you an infringement notice if you stay longer than the time indicated on the sign.  The 2 minute zones are designed to be a kiss and go spot, not a permanent parking area. If you are parking for longer than 2 minutes, please find an alternative park to avoid a costly fine. 

Please also make sure you are not parked over someone’s driveway or too close to corners as it obstructs views and can be dangerous.

COVID Update

COVID cases continue to be a part of our daily life. The Rapid Antigen program will continue until the end of this term. Children are not required to wear masks at school. If your child contracts the Covid virus please continue to send in an email detailing when they contracted the virus and include symptoms if any.  Children displaying COVID symptoms or signs of illness at school must be collected and returned to school after 24 hours (if testing negative to a RAT test).

School Values

The children will continue working closely together through the coming winter months. This is a great time to reinforce our school values of RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, COURTESY and CO-OPERATION with all children. Filling someone’s bucket of kindness should be a priority for all children and adults. Helping others is to be encouraged by everyone and can be done in a variety of ways. It is great to see our Year 6 children looking after the younger children out in the yard.

Thought For the Week

Principal

Wayne Bach