Jackson School Newsletter

Principal's Message

Anthony Jackson (Principal)

The Issue Highlights

  • Happy Diwali to our Hindu community!
  • A reminder that Monday 31st October is a pupil-free day to allow teachers time to commence their end-of-year assessments and reporting.
  • Apologies that Sport Day had to cancelled again due to the weather. Many students enjoyed dressing up in their Halloween costumes.
  • Next Friday 5th October is Russ Jackson Day. In 1989, our school was renamed Jackson School to honour the work done by Russ Jackson.
  • Our school building upgrades will begin in November and are due to be completed by Term 4 2022. After two years of planning we excited to get started on building our new school for our students.
  • Brimbank Council has now approved for a new barrel shade over one of our basketball courts. This will provide an undercover learning space for our students.
  • Our new Bus Zone is now fully operational to ensure that our students can get on and off buses safely. Electronic gates have been fitted to our rear car park and bus zone. 
  • Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school, build peer relationships and improve mental health. Good attendance will help your child learn the importance of work in readiness for their future careers after they leave Jackson School.
  • As a school we are no longer required to inform the community of positive COVID-19 cases who have attended onsite. However, parents and carers need to be aware that positive COVID-19 cases are still within our community. Please continue to test. If you need more Rapid Antigen Tests please contact the office. 
  • Today is World Teacher Day. Our school will celebrate World Teachers’ Day and recognise the incredible contributions our teachers make to our school. 
  • Student of the Week from our PBIS rewards system.
  • Showcase of students' learning from across the school in Primary and Secondary.
  • Allied Health and Wellbeing information to support you and your child.
  • Community news including from Jackson OSHC provider TheirCare.
  • School Dates -For the most up-to-date calendar dates, always refer to the Xuno Calendar in your Parent Portal.

Dear Families,

 

Happy Diwali!

 

 

Happy Diwali to our Hindu families and staff. Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Hindu religious festival and one of the most important festivals within Hinduism.

 

I hope that you all have been able to keep dry and safe with the increased rainfall. My thoughts go out to the families and school communities affected by the flood waters. Due to the weather, we apologise that we have had to cancel our Sports Day once again. The oval was far too unsafe for our students to participate in the sporting games planned. We hope to be able to rearrange Sports Day for another day this term. Despite this, many of our students enjoyed dressing up today for Halloween. Thank you to our parents and carers who have been able to support this. 

 

Values Week / Russ Jackson Day

 

Next Friday 5th October is Russ Jackson Day. In 1989, our school was renamed Jackson School to honour the work done by Russ Jackson. Attached above is an extract from the Victorian Government Gazette of when St Albans Special School was renamed Jackson School. Russel was a volunteer at Jackson for over 20 years; he was gardener/handyman, caretaker and School Council President. One of his main initiatives was setting up the gardening program. Because of this, next week we celebrate "Values Week" to highlight what is means to be a Jackson Learner in Russ' name. Our students strive to display our values everyday. Next week our students will take part in volunteering activities around the school in memory of Russ Jackson.

 

Attendance Matters

  • Absences can cause children to fall behind in their learning
  • Missing 10% (or about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read
  • Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks
  • Being late to school may lead to poor attendance
  • Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school, build peer relationships and improve mental health. Good attendance will help your child learn the importance of work in readiness for their future careers after they leave Jackson School.

 

What you can do?

  • Set a regular bedtime and morning routine
  • Lay out clothes and pack school bags the night before
  • Don’t let your child stay home unless they are truly sick (including COVID-19)
  • If your child seems anxious about coming to school you can talk to their teacher, our Wellbeing team, or other parents for advice on how to make them feel comfortable
  • Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up, like missing the school bus. Call on a family member, a neighbour, or another parent where you can
  • Avoid extended holidays during term time
  • Book medical appointments and NDIS therapy sessions after school if possible. We understand this is difficult for families, so students may come in late or leave early from school to attend these appointments

School Building Upgrades

 

 

Contracts with Rendine (Modularity) Constructions Pty Ltd have now been signed for our capital works program. School Council have contributed $1.4 million in addition to the $10 million received by the Victorian Government. After a long time working with the design consultants, Foreground Architecture, demolition works will begin in August 2022. Phase 1 (two Prep classrooms and a new Allied Health centre) will be delivered onsite in the January holidays with a planned handover in Term 2 2023. Rendine Modularity will also start the admin building modernisation during January to reduce disruptions to our students. This will include a new community hub, library and flexible learning space, hospitality kitchen and community cafe. Rendine Modularity will then begin works on building our 10 middle school (Year 5-8) classrooms. This project is due to be completed by Term 4 2023. 

 

Brimbank Council has now approved for a new barrel shade over one of our basketball courts. This will provide an undercover learning space for our students. This will commence in Week 6 after Melbourne Cup Week and be completed in readiness for students returning in 2023.

 

I am extremely happy to share that our new Bus Zone is now fully operational to ensure that our students can get on and off buses safely. Electronic gates have been fitted to our rear car park and bus zone. This overflow car park off Legana St / Pinoak St is for staff and contractors only. 

 

Year 12 Graduation

 

Jackson School is pleased to announce that our Year 12 Graduation will be held on Wednesday 7th of December 2022. The function will run from 6.00pm till 10.00pm and will be held at Club Italia Sporting Club, 128-152 Furlong Road St Albans. 

  

Year 12 students graduating will receive a free ticket. Tickets for Year 12 families can be purchased at the main office from Wednesday the 26th of October. 

 

Families will be able to purchase tickets at $40.00 each for adults and $20.00 for children 12 and under.  This price includes an entrée, main meal, cake, soft drink, tea and coffee and all entertainment including DJ.

 

School Council have decided to continue to professionally live stream the Year 12 Graduation online, so that families and staff from across our community can celebrate in our students' successes and achievements. 

 

Please contact Christine Tidswell if you would like to discuss anything regarding the Year 12 Graduation.

COVID-19 Pandemic Orders

 

As a school we are no longer required to inform the community of positive COVID-19 cases who have attended onsite. However, parents and carers need to be aware that positive COVID-19 cases are still within our community. 

 

As I shared with you in the last issue of the newsletter, the Victorian Government has ended the Pandemic Orders and instead we move to health advice and recommendations for people with COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms.

 

Our school will continue to adhere to the Department of Health’s recommendations to ensure that our school remains a safe environment for our staff and students.

 

The Department of Health strongly recommends that students and school staff:

  • who test positive to COVID-19 stay home and isolate for 5 days and do not attend school after 5 days if they are still symptomatic
  • who are symptomatic but have not tested positive not attend school. This does not include students with pre-existing conditions such as hay fever.

Parents and carers are recommended to continue to report their child having COVID-19 to both the school and the Department of Health. 

 

We ask parents and carers to continue to remain vigilant in preventing COVID-19 transmission. Any student who is unwell should continue to remain at home. This is about keeping students healthy and well in our school and reducing the spread of both COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.

 

Free rapid antigen tests are available at the school for those who need them.

Parents and carers will be contacted if their child shows symptoms while at school.

Students who wish to wear a mask should continue to do so.

 

World Teacher Day - 29th October 2021

 

Today is World Teacher Day. Our school has celebrated World Teachers’ Day and recognise the incredible contributions our teachers make to our school. World Teachers' Day is an opportunity for our community to say 'thank you'. You and your children can get involved by sending a message of thanks to a teacher who is making, or has made, an impact on your child's life by heading to the World Teachers Day website for a range of resources, including ‘Thank You’ card templates or by sending a SeeSaw message.

 

Head to the department’s World Teachers Day webpage for resources to help you celebrate World Teachers’ Day 2022, including ‘Thank You’ card templates. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/events/Pages/world-teachers-day.aspx  

A reminder that Monday 31st October 2022 is a pupil-free day to allow teachers time to commence their end-of-year assessments and reporting. Thank you for your ongoing support. Students will return to school on Wednesday 2nd November 2022 after Melbourne Cup Day. 

 

I hope you have a lovely long weekend!

 

Anthony