Principal's Report

Hello BRPS Community, 

It is hard to believe that there are only three weeks and two days until the end of the school year.

Community Christmas Event - shifted to Monday 12th December

We have changed the date of of our community Christmas event to Monday 12th December, 4pm-6pm. The event provides an opportunity for families to get together and socialise before the end of the year.

Some long term BRPS families may be wondering about the start time being moved from 5pm to 4pm.

The Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA) brings into focus a 38 hour working week for staff. Attendance beyond these hours brings a cost for time in lieu for additional hours and therefore a significant cost to the school. Families may have noticed over recent months there has been frequent mention in the media of the changes the Agreement has brought to the way schools will operate going forward. With this in mind, our staff are keen to continue the traditions of the school but within their working week. The 4pm start will enable them to share the Christmas cheer with the families they have come to know so well throughout the year and then head home to their own families for the evening. 

Congratulations

We are sending huge congratulations and best wishes to teachers Marie Nicoll and Steve Muller who recently welomed their first child, Archie David, into the world. Marie and Steve are thrilled and everyone is doing well (minus a few hours of sleep here and there!). 

COVID Update

Over the past couple of weeks we have seen a rise in the number of COVID cases amongst staff and students, resulting in increase absence for this reason. The following is a reminder of the current requirements for managing positive COVID cases for school students:

It is recommended that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are used by students and staff when symptomatic. 

The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians should report their RAT result to the Department of Health online, or by calling 1800 675 398.

Students (or their parents) should also report a positive result to their school, either through the COVID Test portal or by phone or written notification.

Students who report a positive result are recommended to isolate for a minimum of 5 days and not attend school until their symptoms have resolved. 

Casual Replacement Teachers (CRTs)

Our school has faced significant staffing pressures throughout this year, frequently due to the COVID Health and Safety requirements in place at various times throughout this year. We have had over 400 teacher absence events this year, however we have been able to place a teacher in front of the class on most days. This has come at significant expense to the school with no additional funding provided by DET for this purpose. 

To reduce further impact on our budget, we may implement alternative strategies to cover classes in the event of teacher absence for the remainder of this year, when it is safe and necessary to do so. This may mean 'class splitting' or combining classes as appropriate for a given day. These strategies will be implemented for a first day absence only, for multiple days in sequence a CRT will be employed where available.  

Election Day BBQ and Cake Stall

Black Rock PS will operate as a polling booth for the State election tomorrow, 26th November. We will be operating a BBQ and Cake Stall on the day. 

Huge thank you to Jayne Timms, Karen Young and the army of volunteers supporting the day. Also for the mountain of baked goods created and donated by so many families - I'm sure it will be a huge fundraising success!

2023 Start and Term One Dates

Parents are reminded that whole-school and year-level specific dates are constantly updated on the Compass Calendar. 

To assist with your planning for the 2023 school year please take note of the following dates:

Fri 27 Jan        Teachers Return (Statewide Curriculum Day - Student Free)

Mon 30 Jan    Curriculum Day (Student Free)

Tue 31 Jan      Students F-6 First Day of School

Fri 3 Feb          Round 1 - Year 5/6 Interschool Sports

Wed 15 Feb    Year 4/5/6 House Swimming Trials

Wed 22 Feb    Year 4/5/6 House Swimming Sports

Absences, Late Arrival and Early Departure

Absences MUST be reported via Compass on the day of absence (early in the morning or ahead of time where possible). Students arriving to school after 9.05am or leaving during school hours MUST be signed in/out by the school office so it can be updated on Compass. Parents/Carers can pick up students early from the office. Office staff will ask the student to come to the office to be collected by parents/carers. Please use Compass to let us know if your child will be arriving late. If you do not enter an approval note advising us that your child will be late and your child arrives at school after 10:00am, you will receive an SMS Notification: "Student Unaccounted For".

2023 Class Structure and Teacher Placements

We are close to finalising our 2023 class structure and teacher placements. We expect to have a slight decrease in student enrolments, with a total enrolment of around 500 students across 23 single level classes (average class size approximately 22 across the entire school).

The final structure and class placements will be published in the next newsletter on Friday 9th December. Students will receive their 'Meet the Teacher' letter on this day, as well as a transition day with their 2023 class and teacher on Tuesday 13th December. 

Have a wonderful fortnight.

Sam Tyndall

PRINCIPAL