Principal's Report
Book Fair
Book Fair is here! Make sure you pop into the library and pick up a bargain. It is a great way to get some Christmas shopping done while supporting the school. Opening hours below.
Air conditioning
Thanks to great fundraising and great budgeting throughout the year, we have been able to install air conditioners into rooms 1-18, which is all our permanent buildings and means every classroom is now air-conditioned!!
This is a project that has been a long time coming and been something the teachers and students so desperately wanted. It will improve learning conditions throughout the summer months.
Breakfast Club 2020
We are very excited to announce that Pakenham Springs has been accepted into the Department of Education Breakfast Program. The program is funded until 2023 and we will be provided with:
- breakfasts (preservable foods)
- lunches targeted to students in need
- holiday food supplies targeted to students in need
- resources and support materials to successfully run the program.
Foodbank Victoria will provide and deliver food as ordered for our school community, as well as the resources and tools to implement a successful program.
We will need your help! If you are interested in volunteering please let the office know. Many hands make light work. We envisage starting the program in week 5 of term 1. For the program to operate 5 days a week we will need committed helpers each morning.
New Playground Update
Our long-awaited new Inclusive Playground is about to begin stage 2. Next week we will welcome more builders to commence revamping the area under the shade sail then the final step is to lay synthetic grass over the entire space with some additional activities on the grass area.
Thank you for your patience, especially the classes affected at drop off and pick up time...it will be worth the wait!
Year 6 Camp
What a fabulous week our staff and year 6 students have had in our nation's Capital. It is a great week with Remembrance Day to visit Canberra and the fabulous attractions such as the War Memorial, Parliament House and the Australian Institute of Sport. More information is available in our Year 6 Assistant Principal's Report. A huge thank you goes to the staff and parents who gave up their time to make this great event possible!
Run Club
Run Club is up and 'running' thanks to our PE staff going above and beyond their duties to provide this extra opportunity to our students, families and staff. All are welcome to run or walk each Tuesday morning at 8:20am starting at the stage outside the school gym.
I hope we see you there soon.
2020 Update
Last week we welcomed all our 2020 prep students to a session with our specialist classes. We are pleased to see that our numbers are remaining strong and on current numbers, we will have six 2020 prep classes.
Over the last few weeks, the leadership team have been recruiting teachers and we are confident that we have a fabulous team to take the school forward. Each year we have a growing number of applicants as people want to be part of the Springs team. It is great to see the interest in our school and the high quality of teachers applying for positions.
2020 Essential Educational Items
This week our School Council discussed the Essential Education Items that will be required by all students next year. The amounts will be different for each year level due to the different materials required at each year level. Each year we do our best to source affordable and bulk pricing to obtain great quality resources, whilst maintaining an affordable education for our families.
You will soon see these on Compass - if you require a payment plan we are happy to make one with you, please contact our Business Manager, Sue Northover, via the school email or phone if this is something that would assist you.
Hats
Term 4 is a hat term and most students have done well to remember them. If your child is needing a new one they are available through Beleza. Please note that caps and hoods are not considered to be 'Sun Smart' alternatives under our Sun Protection Policy and are therefore not appropriate for outdoor activities at Pakenham Springs.
From the 25th November - 6th of December I will be taking two weeks of Long Service Leave. While I cruise the South Pacific and New Zealand, Mrs Renee Cotterell will be Acting Principal. I know Renee will have your full support and she will do a wonderful job leading the school.
Kerryn Baillie
Principal