Principal Team's Report

Welcome back to Term 2!

We've certainly hit the ground running as we returned from the holiday break!  Term 2 has been go go go!  Our students have settled into the new term well, with the expectations and focus on learning being in place since day 1.  It's lovely to see our Prep students so familiar with the school routine now, and at the other end of the school, our Senior students really taking a step up and being great role models for the younger students.  As we approach the winter months, we encourage all students to be bringing their school-named jumper or jacket each day, as it can be quite chilly outside, particularly before school and at morning recess.  Our beanies are also a great way to keep warm - these can be purchased from the school office at any time at a cost of $18.00.  

Staffing changes for Term 2

Pakenham Springs welcomes Mrs Mistu Sakar Lodh to the teaching team!  Mistu is a familiar face around the Springs and is delivering our LOTE Cultural Studies classes for our Year 4 and 5 students. 

Mrs Bree McKenzie has now increased her teaching load to include all Year 6 Business/Civics & Citizenship classes.

We also welcome Mr Scott Morgan to Pakenham Springs, joining us as our specialist computer technician. 

School Dog Program

We also welcome another exciting addition to the Pakenham Springs team this term - Maggie the Border Collie!  Maggie will be spending time in Mrs Bucknell's class and will help support the learning and social climate within this class. Maggie has been thoroughly temperament tested and receives ongoing training and socialisation. Students in other parts of the school know not to approach Maggie if they see her around the school - she will be on a lead with Mrs Bucknell at all times when not in the classroom.  

Please note that this does not change our school rule of 'no dogs on site'. There is a specific School Dog Policy that relates to Maggie (a copy can be requested from the office if required). 

Supervision before school

Students are not to arrive at school until 8:30 am on school mornings.  Staff do not begin their workday until this time, and there is insufficient supervision available in the mornings.  Any student arriving before 8:30 am will be asked to sit at the office and wait. We ask for your support in this matter.  Likewise, under no circumstances are students allowed to leave the school grounds in the morning and go across to the shops. Not only is this incredibly unsafe, with them crossing the busy Heritage BLVD road unsupervised, but a small number of students are also coming back having purchased items inappropriate for the school day. 

Respectful Relationships Education

In 2017 Respectful Relationships Education (RRE) became a core component of the Victorian curriculum.  The program was born from the Royal Commission after the tragic death of Luke Batty in 2014.  It was a recommendation that all schools teach Respectful Relationships Education through a Whole School Approach, to support students to recognise and regulate emotions, develop empathy for others and establish and build a framework for positive relationships. 

At Pakenham Springs Primary School, we all want our children to have an education that gives them the best start to a happy, healthy, and prosperous life.  This approach leads to positive change in students’ academic outcomes, their well-being, classroom behaviour, and relationships between teachers and students.  We know that changes in attitudes and behaviour can be achieved when positive attitudes, behaviours, and gender equality are lived across the school community.  Together, we can lead the way in creating genuine and lasting change, so every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Our students will be participating in RRE lessons on a weekly basis within their classrooms and the language will be embedded within our school values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience.  You will also begin to notice posters beginning to appear around the school that will highlight our message:  “We are a Respectful Relationships school.”

Throughout Term 1, students have covered Topics 1 and 2, looking at Emotional Literacy and Personal Strengths.  An example of one of these lessons from the Year 3/4 program is exploring the similarities and differences that we each have and celebrating and accepting these as being something that makes us powerful, unique, and worthy.

Please keep an eye out for further communication regarding our Respectful Relationships Education work, including an overview of the topics we will cover.  We invite you to contact your child's classroom teacher if you have any further questions, or our Respectful Relationships Leader - Ms Corrin Warn.

Aerobics

Those high kicks certainly were 'on point' when our two school aerobics teams competed at the Regional Qualifier event at Rowville last weekend!  With a huge support crew in tow, they performed beautifully, with both teams making the cut-off to qualify for the State Final event.  The number of hours these students, and their coaches Miss Cameron and Miss Sach, have put into their training should be commended.  They've worked so hard and it certainly was evident, with one of our teams even being asked to demonstrate some of the key aerobic components due to their high level of mastery!  We wish the Stars and the Sparkles luck as they continue to work towards the State Finals.

High Achievers

This week, in addition to our regular Victorian High Ability Program, we were also fortunate to host two sessions that continued to extend the thinking of some of our students (and staff!). 

Through a guided online session, they explored the concepts of graph theory and negative reciprocals to solve some very challenging problems.  A massive thank you to Mr McKinnon for his work in organising these experiences for our students. 

Swimming 

Another exciting program running at Pakenham Springs this year for our Year 1-4 students is our swimming program.  Our Year 1 and 2 students completed their lessons last week, with lots of success experienced by all.  Water safety skills are so important for all students to practice, so we encourage families to use the local public pool (Cardinia LIFE), or swim school providers so that students can continue to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be safe around water.  We look forward to hearing about our Year 3 & 4 swimming program which runs next week.

Yr 3 camp

Our Year 3 students have been super busy, attending Forest Edge Camp in Neerim East this week.  Their overnight visit included activities such as crate climbing, camp cooking, and rock wall climbing.  From all reports, students had a wonderful time, with the damper cooking being a big hit!  I'm not quite sure if any sleep occurred - I'm sure there were lots of tired children on Tuesday night (and some tired teachers too!).  We send a big THANK YOU to the staff and parent volunteers who gave up their family time to allow our students to have such a worthwhile experience. 

Enrolment 2024 

It's hard to believe that we're already looking ahead to our 2024 enrolment period!  We will be holding our Information Evening for prospective Prep parents on Monday 29th May, with our Preps In Action sessions running on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th June 2023.

Any existing family wishing to enrol a younger sibling for 2024 is now invited to complete and return the 'Enrolment 2024 Expression of Interest' form which has been distributed.  

Year 7 - 2024 Application Forms

Please note that these forms are due back today - Friday 12th May 2023.  Please contact the office if you are having difficulty in completing and returning these application forms.

Enjoy the fortnight ahead Springers!

The PSPS Leadership Team