Loch Primary School

Principal's Prattle

Busy days of learning for everyone

The second half of Term 2 has been very busy indeed at Loch Primary School.  We have enjoyed success with our sports; Lightning Premiership and Cross Country, Reconciliation Week, an entertaining Book Week, excursions into Melbourne and to Coal Creek,  Magic 123 Parenting Program, a well attended Movie Night, a visit from the Regional Director Stephen Gniel, the Loch Food & Wine Festival, an introductory workshop for teachers for Respectful Relationships, Writing Moderation session for teachers, Maths Professional Development and a visit to Perth!  Teachers have been busy writing reports and we finished the term with our major fundraiser Hypnotist event and a special 'Peace & Harmony' day to conclude units of study on multiculturism.  

Visit to Perth

Rachael Geerts, Benita Spence and myself visited Perth and participated in a principals' conference for the Kimberly Schools Project.  We were hosted by an inspiring group of passionate and dedicated principals who have been working with Dr Lorraine Hammond and delivering high quality evidence based literacy to students.  As a result of our trip Dr Lorraine Hammond has agreed to work with Loch Primary School in Term 4 and into 2019 as we further implement our explicit model of instruction and refine our literacy programs.

Respectful Relationships

Andrea Penrose presented an introductory workshop to teachers at the end of term and covered a range of topics to build our awareness of gender equity, family violence, teaching respectful relationships and the urgency of the work which needs to occur in this space. 

Family Violence is one of the most significant and complex issues facing Victorian communities with a devastating impact on the health and well being of many Victorians. Intimate partner  violence is the largest contributor to the ill health of Australian women aged 18 to 44 years. it is more prevalent than better known risk factors such as tabacco use, high cholesterol overuse of illicit drugs. 

Ending Family Violence; Victoria's Plan for Change, recognises that family violence is preventable and that schools play a critical role.  This supports the range of evidence that was presented to the Royal Commission into Family Violence by expert Australian and International organisations on the factors that cause violence against women. This body of research indicates that:

  • Violence against women and their children is deeply rooted in power imbalances that are reinforced by gender norms and stereotypes
  • Attitudes gender stereotypes and social norms are learned through social and cultural expectations
  • Schools can be effective in changing these attitudes and subsequently in reducing the incidence of family violence.

The Royal Commission recommended that the Victorian Government mandate the introduction of respectful relationships education into every government school in Victoria from Prep to Year 12 and that this introduction should be staged and delivered through a whole of school approach.  Loch Primary School is a Respectful Relationships partner school in the first stage of implementation. We have received grant money to assist us to implement the Respectful Relationships curriculum with a whole school approach.  All others schools will be required to implement this curriculum by 2020.

 

A whole school approach to Respectful Relationships draws on a significant body of research including the Victorian pilot of Respectful Relationships Education in Schools, which demonstrated that changes in attitudes and behaviours can be achieved when:

  • Positive attitudes, behaviours and gender equality are promoted across the school community
  • Classroom learning is reinforced by what is modelled within the school community

A whole school approach to respectful relationships recognises that schools are more than spaces for young people to learn. Schools are also:

  • An important hub in the community with the opportunity to influence and contribute to health community culture
  • A workplace where all staff deserve to feel respected, safe and valued and to be treated equally regardless of their gender.

This means that our work with Respectful Relationships is designed to reach students, school staff, families and other people who come into or work with our school community.

 

The statistics around family violence are horrifying and a call to action for communities. Our school is committed to making a difference to improve the current situation for many children and their families.  

Major Fundraiser

Our major fundraiser for the year was our Hypnotist  Comedy event and was a huge success!  So much laughing! Huge thanks to those who came along and supported our school and helped make the night great! We were treated to some special dancing, Elmo and Big Bird appearances and 'adult only' jokes.

Our P&F team led by Louise did an outstanding job with the organisation, entertainment, food and prizes. Sincere thanks to everyone who worked on pulling the night together. It was a massive task and the commitment and efforts by our P&F is very much appreciated. The fundraising for this event directly supports the learning of students and will go towards new student furniture and our literacy programs.

It was a great community event and I thank everyone who attended for their support! Well done team Loch! 

(see our face book page for funny video!)

Semester Reports

Students reports will be available in COMPASS from Thursday 28th June. Reports contain an overall general statement about your child's learning and achievement, progression points and learning tasks.  Parents are welcome at any time to contact teachers regarding student progress and are encouraged to not wait until reporting time if there are any concerns. Parent Teacher Interviews are scheduled for Tuesday 24th July.  Bookings via COMPASS will open at the beginning of Term Three.

Happy Holidays

Many thanks to our staff team at Loch Primary School who have again worked tirelessly providing engaging learning experiences for all of our students. Gratitude and thanks to our parents and families for their involvement in our school community and for the open communication and support they have shared with us. The end of the semester is an opportunity to reflect and to be appreciative of everything positive. I wish everyone  a safe and relaxing holiday break. The school office will be open on Monday 9th and Thursday 12th July in the afternoons.

Ms Tracey King

Principal