Principal Team's Report

REMINDER - CURRICULUM DAY THURSDAY 10TH AUGUST - NO STUDENTS AT SCHOOL. 

Farewell and Welcome!

This week we say a sad farewell to Miss Amy Jewell.  Amy has been a member of staff for the past 6 years and has held positions in the school as a classroom teacher, Team Leader, Learning Specialist, and Acting Assistant Principal.  Amy has been successful in gaining an Assistant Principal position at Courtenay Gardens Primary School and we wish her well in her next adventure!

This week we have also welcomed a new member of staff, Mr Kyle Oppelaar.  Kyle has joined our Physical Education team 4 days per week and will also be seen working in classrooms each Tuesday.  We hope you will all join us in extending a warm welcome, a smile, and a wave when you see Kyle around the Springs. 

School Review Update

Over the previous two weeks, we have been undergoing our School Review.  This is a rigorous process which examines the performance of the school against a number of key targets over the past 4 years.  The process involves an independent reviewer, a regional member of the Department of Education as well as two members of leadership from other schools visiting us, going through our achievement data, observing classroom practice, conducting student focus groups as well as speaking with members of staff and the wider school community. 

There were many favourable observations throughout the beginning of this process - the review panel reported calm and orderly classrooms, students who were engaged in their learning and a really lovely positive 'community' feel to the school.

We're looking forward to having the final report presented next week which then helps inform the formulation of our next School Strategic Plan and our goals for the next four years. 

Staffing

This year we (along with other schools in our network) have been hit hard by illnesses for both staff and students. This, combined with the severe teacher shortage within Victoria, has meant that on many occasions we are struggling to put teachers in front of classes. We do try our best to book quality replacement teachers as much as we possibly can, however frequently we are not getting the number of replacement teachers we require. This then results in a class split.  Please understand that a class split is our last option.  We understand that students may feel apprehensive, nervous, anxious, or just plain sad at the thought of not having their regular teacher and their friends in their class that day, or sometimes for a number of days in a row. 

Our Year Level teams work collaboratively to ensure that our classroom programs provide consistent levels of learning for all students in the cohort.  While 'activities' may look different, the key learning goals are very similar. Our teams also look at student achievement data together and have a good understanding of the variety of needs within the group.  This helps ensure students are not having a 'wasted' day when their regular classroom teacher is absent. 

Again, we do apologise for any inconvenience or anxiety this causes our students.  Please assure them that the regular supports within the school, including the School Chaplain, LSA staff, office staff and Leadership members can all help support them if they are feeling a little lost.

Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey 2023

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement.  The survey is optional but we encourage all families to participate. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.  All families are invited to participate in the survey.

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open from Monday 7 August to Friday 8 September 2023. Further details and the survey link will be sent to all families on Monday 7th August.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the survey period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese.  Please speak to a member of the Leadership Team if you would like more information.

Respectful Relationships Education

This term, we are covering Topic 5: Stress Management and Topic 6: Help Seeking.  While this is a mandated curriculum, these learning goals also support the mission of our school to “educate, motivate and inspire all students to ensure they acquire the essential skills and knowledge to become respectful and informed members of the local and global community.”  Fact sheets have been distributed via Compass to all families so that you are aware of the content covered in this curriculum area.  If you do have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your classroom teacher or our Respectful Relationships Leader, Corrin Warn.

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.  Please contact OSHClub if you need to organise care and supervision for your child/ren outside of 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Enjoy the fortnight ahead!

The PSPS Leadership Team