Back to school and off to camp

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect when the government announced that school camps could go ahead, especially since we had a tentative booking in place for the following week. Camelia did an outstanding job of pulling it together at such short notice and we were delighted to see most of our children boarding the bus on Monday.

On day one staff and students arrived, settled in quickly and were straight into it. When the photos came through showing damper making, ropes courses and that infamous dress up disco night, it was heart warming to see everyone having a such a great time. Camp was the best reward for all of the hard work and hardship that we’ve all endured throughout the year.

On Wednesday afternoon it was the first time all year that I have seen our community gather to cheer as students walked off the bus. Staff were absolutely buzzing, albeit exhausted, with stories of admiration for our students who were fantastic and an absolute commitment to camp in 2022.

A huge thank you to Camelia for organising the camp, for all staff who made sure that everyone had the time of their lives and of course, our students who continue to demonstrate adaptability, flexibility and resilience.

Staffing update and Principal leave

From Thursday 18th November I will be taking four weeks leave until the end of the term. Our Acting Assistant Principal, Andrea Hennessey will step into the Acting Principal role on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Nick Smith will cover Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I wish to thank them both for their willingness to take the lead and see the school through until the end of the year. If you haven’t met Andrea yet, you will find her in the yard before and after school.

2022 planning

We are in the process of working through class structures, grade lists, teacher allocations and classroom placements for 2022. Students and families will be notified of their 2022 classroom teacher and classroom location towards the end of the term. Two transition sessions are scheduled in the last week of term on Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th December where children will spend the morning with their 2022 classmates and teacher.

Shade sails grant

Recently, we successfully applied for a grant to install a shade sail on Napier St to create an additional outdoor learning space, as well as increase shaded areas in Napier St for outdoor play and after school care. This will be installed in the coming weeks.

Prep transition

I am pleased to report that we now have 38 Foundation students confirmed for 2022. This is very exciting news for our enrolment numbers which have continued to grow over the last three years. In the coming weeks we welcome new families through our Foundation transition program which will be held both onsite and online.

Napier St building update

We are currently waiting for the structural engineers to approve the reopening of the Napier St building. When the approval comes through, the temporary fencing will come down and 3/4VA, 3/4J and 5/6C can return to their classrooms. Three rooms will be closed off and external works will take place to fix the roof. Before and after school care will also transition back to Napier Hall. Further updates will follow through Compass in the coming week.

School starts at 9am

Now that students have transitioned back to school we are noticing an increasing number of students who are arriving late. We understand that for some families, getting back into morning routines can be a huge challenge however it is important that students are in their classroom and ready to learn at 9am. If you are having difficulty with morning routines, please speak to your classroom teacher as we are here to support you and your child. Classrooms are open at 8:50am so that students can unpack their belongings and prepare for the day. Breakfast club starts at 8:30am and yard duty supervision is from 8:45 – 9am.

Fitzroy Lions are back!

For the remainder of the term, our favourite coaches from the Fitzroy Lions will be running lunchtime clinics on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. We are fortunate to now have two soccer pitches so that the F-2s and 3-6s can have a full session each and it’s great to see our students being healthy and active.

Angela Richmond

Principal

Fitzroy Primary School

Community