Principal's Report

A Fair to Remember

What a special couple of days we have experienced at FPS. Last Friday, we were fortunate to have Aunty Joy perform a smoking ceremony, followed by all the fun of the fair the following day.

We have to go back to 2019 for the last time that we hosted a school fair, meaning that this was the first fair since many of our students started at FPS. The day was everything we hoped it would be. Whilst the weather might have tested our nerves on a couple of occasions, nothing could detract from the fun that was blossoming around every corner.

On the oval we were treated to a cascade of talent with many local performers taking to the stage. A special mention to our very own FPS Choir and Concert Band who performed with distinction, and thank you also to the Thornbury High School orchestra for joining us. You might have seen our first ‘Auction for an Auction’ taking place, raising $20,000 in the process!

The Fig Tree Courtyard had a little bit of everything; from face painting to hot chips, Paint-a-Pot to fairy floss, crazy hair to a sausage sizzle. Families were making great use of the tickets they purchased.

If you walked around the old netball court you would have been greeted with mini-golf, ‘The Eliminator’, and various other action-packed rides and entertaining activities.

There was plenty of sport on offer throughout the day. Soccer, AFL, netball, basketball and martial arts clinics were available for anyone with a sporting interest.

Our Old Hall was bustling as people purchased books, bikes and scooters, or took part in the Chocolate Toss or Lucky Dip.

Dotted around the grounds was a range of other offerings; wine lucky dip, preserves, coffee, food trucks, Wash-Against Waste, snow cones, ice cream, drinks for children, drinks for adults. 

Everyone that I have spoken to so far has talked glowingly about the Fair. Whilst there is always an incentive and interest in raising money when we have such events, the most important thing is providing opportunities to bring people together and celebrate community.

Fair Thank Yous!

How do you begin to thank people for an event when there are so many components and a multitude of people who have volunteered their time and skills? A simple thanks goes to everyone who attended – a fair without a crowd would be no fun at all!

Throughout the build-up to this event, I have been struck by the range of tasks and responsibilities that people have assumed. I am very grateful for such generous levels of volunteerism which enabled the fair to take place. Off the top of my head we needed people to support with marketing, finance, entertainment, risk management, sponsorship, sustainability, catering, logistics, technical assistance – this is probably only scratching the surface! To those people attending weekly Wednesday meetings since the start of the year, thank you.

And of course to all of you who contributed your time and skills with donations and volunteering on stalls. It was so nice to have such lovely conversations with everyone who was helping out. And when I turned up for school yesterday morning I was sure that there would need to be items moved, rooms fixed up, or a tidy-up required… not at all; the place looked as good as ever.

In this edition of the newsletter you will see a piece from the fair committee, including acknowledgements. For fear of missing someone out, I would just like to acknowledge one person in my newsletter piece. Natalie Henderson volunteered herself for the role of fair coordinator late last year, and has given so much time, effort and love to this event. Thank you Natalie for being brave in taking on this role and doing it so successfully. 

Thanks everyone – you made it happen!

2023 School Council

Last month we held the first School Council meeting with our 2023–24 members. It was a time of mixed emotions – we said farewell to significant contributors to the Council over the years and unreservedly welcomed our new  members on board.

2023 Parent Members

• Daniel Freer (Treasurer)
• Hayden Gyles
• Frans Jungerth
• Natalie King (Secretary)
• Reagan Richards (President)
• Emma McDonald
• Bel Schenk
• Michelle Schwensen (Vice President)

2023 Department of Education Members

• Michele Fraser
• Serena Maynard
• Anneliese Staubli
• Paul Wallace (Executive Officer)

The end of the School Council term meant that we farewelled a number of departing councillors. Being on Council can be easily overlooked as a form of volunteering, and we thank them all for their time and contributions. Please see the School Council section for my acknowledgement of the departing councillors.

Annual Report

Last month’s School Council meeting was preceded by the Annual General Meeting where I presented the Annual Report. You are now able to view the following documents on our website:

• FPS Annual Implementation Plan 2023
• FPS Annual Report to the School Community 2022
• FPS Review Report to the School Community (Derived from the 2018–22 Strategic Plan)
• FPS Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026

Farewell to our OSHClub Coordinators

At the end of the upcoming school holidays we will be saying farewell to our OSHClub coordinators, Rosie and Zoe. They will be missed by our community. 

Rosie and Zoe run a fantastic program which is reflected in the increasing numbers of students that attend. We thank them for their care and support of our students.

Upcoming Community Events

Save the following dates in your calendar. More information on these events will be communicated next term.

Mother’s Day & Special Person Breakfast: Friday 12 May, 7:30 – 8:45am. 

We invite mums and special people to share a breakfast together before school.

FPS Trivia Night: Saturday 12 August, 6 – 11:30pm. 

A fabulous night of music and trivia at the Thornbury Theatre. Please note the date change.

That’s (Almost) a Wrap!

In the blink of an eye, term one is almost done. Well done to our Foundation students for completing their first term of school – you have been fantastic. Well done to all of the students for their efforts, thank you to parents for your support, and an acknowledgement to staff for all that you do.

We have our end of term assembly on Thursday at 1.30pm before a 2pm dismissal.

Wishing everyone a great break.

~ Paul Wallace, Principal