Principal Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we continue to take PRIDE in what we do at school we would like to thank the P&F group and supporting families who recently filled the gymnasium on a cold evening to participate in a trivia night. They raised a huge amount on the night and from the small window I attended they were set for a fun night. More details on how much they raised can be found if you click on the P&F page. We will continue to use the funds raised to improve the school facilities and grounds. 

Toilet renovations will take place in September. The main building toilets for boys and girls will be closed for the last week of term 3 and the first week of term 4. As you can see from the images the new toilets will be a big improvement for our students. 

In the holidays we will also be removing some trees that have been deemed to be unsafe. We have been successful with a grant to help us with this. We also plan to replant two trees for every tree we have taken out. 

NAPLAN 

Please find some overall school graphs for NAPLAN for 2023 that show how we are comparing to other similar schools at the state level. The grade 3 and 5 students are all above by some measure. Well done again.

Staffing updates 

We have a few changes in the office area with Melissa Schilte sharing that this will be her last term in the office. I speak for all of us when I say Melissa is one of the kindest people I have worked with, and she will be sadly missed by us all. I wish her all the best with her future. Wendy and Susy will be adding a little extra time until the end of the year.

Term 3  

Monday and Wednesday - Melissa

Tuesday to Friday - Wendy  

Thursday and Friday - Susy

Term 4  

Monday to Thursday - Wendy

Thursday and Friday - Susy

Maintenance

We have also had Leigh Marriott volunteering at school to help with some of our handy person work. Leigh will be with us more consistently moving forward. 

Wellbeing

Rolling Hills Primary School has developed a range of strategies to promote engagement, positive behaviour, and respectful relationships for all students in our school. We acknowledge that some students may need extra social, emotional, or educational support at school, and that the needs of students will change over time as they grow and learn.

Life as a student can have some bumps in the road. A reminder that we have the following strategies in place across the school to help support wellbeing proactively:

• Friendology 
• Zones of Regulation 
• Respectful Relationships
• Alice our school Chaplain (who is now here an extra day, Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday)
• Alfred and Sooty - Therapy dogs 
• Coco - attends as a wellness dog
• Lunch activities every day 

We are always looking to improve wellbeing. In terms 3 and 4 we will be engaging with Edwina Ricci to support wellbeing data collection, focus groups, and the addition of evidence-based student approaches to help improve wellbeing across our community. 

Grade 2 into 3-6 Laptop Program

As the grade 2's move towards grade 3, we offer those families the chance to purchase a laptop to be used at school. More information will be shared this week directly with grade 2 families. We will also be sharing a short survey with families who participated this year....to see what has gone well and what we may need to improve.

Parent Survey

While we are talking about survey you have ALL been invited through Compass to share your thoughts with us through the Parent Opinion Survey. We value the feedback and we use your views to improve the school. 

Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy 

We address student behavior through our student wellbeing and engagement policy. This can be found on our school website. Here is a copy for you to read.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all students and members of our school community understand:

(a) our commitment to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for students

(b) expectations for positive student behaviour

(c) support available to students and families

(d) our school’s policies and procedures for responding to inappropriate student behaviour.

Rolling Hills Primary School is committed to providing a safe, secure, and stimulating learning environment for all students. We understand that students reach their full potential only when they are happy, healthy and safe, and that a positive school culture helps to engage students and support them in their learning. Our school acknowledges that student wellbeing and student learning outcomes are closely linked. The objective of this policy is to support our school to create and maintain a safe, supportive, and inclusive school environment consistent with our school’s values.

Student behaviour and expectations

Behavioural expectations of students, staff and families are grounded in our school’s core values. Students found being ‘Mean on Purpose’ will be responded to consistently with Rolling Hills Primary School’s Bullying policy. When a student acts in breach of the behaviour standards of our school community, Rolling Hills Primary School will institute a staged response, consistent with the Department’s policies on behaviour, discipline, and student wellbeing and engagement. Where appropriate, parents will be informed about the inappropriate behaviour and the disciplinary action taken by teachers and other school staff. Our school considers, explores, and implement positive and non-punitive interventions to support student behaviour before considering disciplinary measures such as withdrawal of privileges or withdrawal from class. Disciplinary measures may be used as part of a staged response to inappropriate behaviour in combination with other engagement and support strategies to ensure that factors that may have contributed to the student’s behaviour are identified and addressed. Disciplinary measures at our school will be applied fairly and consistently. Students will always be provided with an opportunity to be heard. 

Disciplinary measures that may be applied include:

• warning a student that their behaviour is inappropriate

• teacher controlled consequences such as moving a student in a classroom or other reasonable and proportionate responses to misbehaviour

• withdrawal of privileges

• play times with conditions

• referral to the Learning Communities Leader

• restorative practices

• behaviour support and intervention meetings

• suspension

• expulsion

Suspension, expulsion and restrictive interventions are measures of last resort and may only be used in situations consistent with Department policy, available at:

•https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/suspensions/policy

•https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/expulsions/policy

•https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/restraint-seclusion/policy

In line with Ministerial Order 1125, no student aged 8 or younger will be expelled without the approval of the Secretary of the Department of Education and Training.

The Principal of Rolling Hills Primary School is responsible for ensuring all suspensions and expulsions are recorded on CASES21. Corporal punishment is prohibited in our school and will not be used in any circumstance.

Have a great week.

Kind Regards, 

Craig Bradley