From the 

Principal

Dear Parents / Carers,

So, if we ask a child, “How was school today’’, the likely response is “good” or” bad”. This is often based on what happened during the recess and lunch breaks. These breaks are the emotional core of a child’s school day. Whether a child comes home light or heavy-hearted depends on what happened during play time. This is common. Researchers tell us that one of the best predictors of whether kids feel happy in school is whether they feel comfortable and included during recess.

Philosophers and child development experts have been talking about the importance of play for centuries. Piaget said that children discover the world through play. Friedrich Froebel, who opened the first kindergarten in 1837, called play “deeply significant.” And Plato believed that children had to grow up in an atmosphere of play to become virtuous citizens.

Play requires the acquisition of a complex set of skills. It’s not just about exercising. It is about how to enter a game. It’s about making agreements with others as equals, stepping into an imagined structure, and accepting that structure even when things don’t go your way. This may be why Plato considered play the ideal preparation for citizenship.

The sense of belonging in a school is often determined by what happens during break times. When I was at school the recess breaks were not enjoyable for me. Girls were excluded from many playground games. Awkward and unpopular kids were chosen last. The structure of games like dodgeball was far from ideal (having a rubber ball fired into your face by a kid twice your size was not fun). For physically awkward children, recess was pure torture. Girls were encouraged to stay away from the boys.

Given the importance of recess breaks we have a range of adults present in the playground during every break to support students to enter games or to remain in games. The garden club operates on a Monday, Wednesday and Thursday lunchtime and promotes friendship, wellbeing, and environmental learning. We have teachers and learning mentors who operate as play leaders. We also have the peer support student parliamentary group whose role is to promote friendship in the playground. We have Buddy Benches where students who are unable to find a friend can go to for support.

The final meeting of the current School Council was held last night at the Mulgrave Country Club. We thanked our outgoing school council members at the conclusion of this meeting. This was followed by the Annual General Meeting where the Annual Report was presented. 

We also farewelled and acknowledged some members from the current School Council for their service to our school:

Reiha was a member of the Rowville Primary School community for fourteen years and served on School Council from 2013-2022 inclusive. Through her role on School Council, Reiha contributed significantly to setting the direction and vision for our school. Over the years she has helped with the supervision of a range of sporting events and excursions including school camps. She has been an active participant of in a range of fundraising activities that have contributed to the enhancement of our school.

Reiha was School Council President from 2018-2022 and in this role, chaired School Council meetings where informed decisions were made through discussions that enabled all voices to be heard. Reiha participated in the School Review process that resulted in the development of a strategic plan. She was a member of the Finance Committee which oversaw the financial operations of the school. Reiha also led a working party where she researched and was instrumental in various uniform changes that included the introduction of a sports top and an update of our bomber jacket and school bag.

In 2022, Reiha’s voluntary service to both Rowville Primary School and the local community was recognised through her nomination and receipt of a Victoria Day Award.

Reiha was a valued member of our school community who was respected by the leadership, staff, and parents of Rowville Primary School. Her wise counsel around a range of issues was valued and her service to the Rowville Primary School Community is her legacy. 

We celebrate the wonderful contribution Vanessa has made as a Member of Rowville Primary School Council from 2021-2022 inclusive. 

Vanessa was a positive and enthusiastic contributor to School Council and our school. Vanessa volunteered in the canteen. Through her membership on the Health and Wellbeing working party, participated in events that led to greater health and wellbeing of our students. This included an active role in the cooking collective. 

We acknowledge Vanessa for her two years of service as a member of Rowville Primary School Council.

The new School Council voted in its office bearers and welcomed the new members of our School Council. I am pleased to announce that Lionel Beer has been elected as the new School Council President and Kate Kirk has been elected as the new Vice-President.

I look forward to working with Lionel, Kate and our new School Council. The members are as follows:

President: Lionel Beer

Vice President: Kate Kirk

Secretary: Tiffany Bamford 

Members: Matt Amy, Michaela Cassidy, Meaghan Hickcox, Stevie Hjorth, Marinko Markovic, Adrian Pearce, Sian Sillett, Tammie Western, Madeleine Collins, Travis Tyszkiewicz and Shae White

Executive Officer: Anne Babich

Kind regards,

Anne Babich

Principal