Principal's Report
From the Principal...
Staffing Update
Just to announce that Margot Hudson who had taken leave from our school to work on an educational residential program in Mallacoota, has requested additional leave for the remainder of 2020. Amelia Delaney has currently been working as our performing arts teacher but she is heading overseas from Term 2 and therefore we have advertised a position for the rest of this year. The recruitment process will take a few weeks but we look forward to announcing our new performing arts teacher before the end of Term One. Staff have also conducted their parent / teacher interviews which allowed families to share information about their child and to ask questions relating to the current school year. Both teachers and parents found these meetings incredibly valuable.
Capital Works Update
Lorrie and I met with the building group again on Monday. We were given an update on the capital works and how they are progressing. The school provided useful feedback to both the builders and the Victorian School Building Authority around areas of concern. The group also participated in a walk-through of the site, identifying any areas requiring fix-ups. It was an incredibly productive meeting. The next stage of the works will commence late April after the completion of the former Foundation wing and STEAM block.
Coronavirus
The school continues to receive constant updates and recommendations which the school is following carefully. The staff have been briefed on what they are required to do and additional emphasis has been placed on hygiene, washing hands carefully and what to be aware of in terms of symptoms of this virus. Families have been vigilant in abiding by self-isolation processes, especially if they travelled to China over the break.
Family Welcome Picnic
The feedback from the family picnic last week has been incredibly positive. Thanks goes to all the parents who organized the event and helped out on the night. The turn-out was impressive and both students and parents alike enjoyed the atmosphere, the ice-cream van and the DJ. Thank you to the staff who attended and they certainly enjoyed chatting and mingling with the school community. It was lovely to see a large amount of past students returning to join in the fun. A highlight for me was seeing so many families chatting and connecting over their picnic dinners.
Principal Conference
Lorrie Dell and I are attending the Inner South Principal Conference this week at San Remo. Each year all principals from South-East Region gather together to listen and learn from high quality presenters from all over the world. This year is no exception with two extremely well known and highly regarded conference facilitators. The main presenter for Day 1 is Richard Gerver, from the UK. Richard has been described as one of the most inspirational leaders of his generation. He is an award-winning speaker, bestselling author and world-renowned thinker.
The three core principles underpinning Richard's philosophy are communication, empowerment and impact. He argues that great leadership is first and foremost about serving the needs of the people who work for you. His mantra: systems and structures change nothing; people do. Richard is always humbled to be able to share his lifelong commitment to living, learning and laughing. Richard will focus on Creative Leadership and Leadership Change. Last year he addressed a summit in Madrid in 2018 where he focused on preparing the next generation to lead the future economy. He also took part in a debate with Barack Obama, on the future of leadership. In September this year, Richard led a similar session with Prince Charles.
On Day 2, Principals will build on Richard's work with the second presenter - Sabina Read. Sabina is a psychologist and her workshop will focus on working in partnership with parents and families, as well as managing unrealistic expectations as the role of school principal continues to change. She is passionate about normalising the universality of the human experience, believing that we all have more in common than we often realise. Lorrie and I are looking forward to sharing our professional learning from this conference with our leadership team and the entire staff.
School Council - Notice of Election and call for Nominees
A reminder that an election is to be conducted for member of the School Council of Ormond Primary School.
Nomination Forms may be obtained below, on Compass or in person from the Front office and must be lodged by 4:00pm on Thursday 27th February.
Should a ballot be required, it will close at 4:00pm on Thursday 12th March. A ballot only occurs if there are too many people nominated for the number of positions vacant.
The terms of office, membership categories and number of positions in each membership category open for election are as follows:
Parent Member Term of Office
From the day after the date of the declaration of the poll in 2020 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the poll in 2022 there are 4 positions.
If the number of nominations is less than the number of vacancies, a notice to that effect and calling for further nominations will be posted in a prominent position at the school.
We are inviting anyone with an interest in being on the council to nominate themselves or others by the close of lodging date above.
The AGM will be held on Wednesday 18th March with the office bearing positions are decided and then the new council commences its’ first official meeting.
An Evening with Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
McKinnon Secondary College, together with Ormond, McKinnon and Valkstone primary school’s, invite you to attend our parent information evening with Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg as he addresses “The Five Great Challenges Parents Face in 2020”.
Dr Carr-Gregg is one of Australia's most high-profile psychologists, specialising in corporate mental health, families, parenting, children, adolescents and the use of technology for mental health. He is the author of 14 books and is a regular guest on national television and radio.
Research indicates that many parents lack confidence in their parenting and this talk acknowledges that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. Dr Carr-Gregg’s presentation gives attendees evidence-based and practical skills, knowledge and strategies to manage 5 of the most common challenges faced including managing technology, communication and building resilience.
- When: Wednesday 4th March, 7pm
- Where: McKinnon Secondary College, Hall
If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP through the link provided as soon as possible, as spaces are limited.
https://www.trybooking.com/BILQZ
We look forward to seeing you.
Kind Regards,
Pitsa Binnion, Principal, McKinnon Secondary College
Marilyn Koolstra, Principal - Valkstone Primary School
Simone Eirth, Principal - McKinnon Primary School
Kerri McLeod, Principal, Ormond Primary School
Kerri McLeod
Principal
Out of School Hours Care
Cancellations
If your child won’t be attending a Before & After School Care booking, permanent or casual you must inform the program by phoning the service & leaving a message on the message bank. Alternately if you know in advance your child will not be attending a booked session. You can record your cancellation in the program diary located on the parent desk located in the hall next to the coordinators office. If you child is absent from school and your child is booked to attend the program on that day you must contact us and the school office. Please note cancellation fees do apply for late cancelations or failure to inform us of your child not attending a booked session.
Child Care Subsidy
If you provided your family & child's Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) on your OSHC enrolment form, you are now required to update your child’s enrolment at the service on the myGov app or website. Failure to update or updating within 14 days of your child’s commencement at the service could result in Centrelink not back-dating your Child Care Subsidy.
If you have any question regarding the updating process please don’t hesitate to contact me.
After School Care Activities
Wednesday 26th Climbing Gecko
Thursday 27th Construction Castle
Friday 28th Mystery Box Activities
Monday 2nd Japanese Fans
Tuesday 3rd Origami Koskeshi Doll
Wednesday 4th Book Marks
April Kopitz
OSCH Coordinator.