Concord Connect

Principal's Report 

Term 3

As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, we have some exciting school events that have resumed. Please check out the photos below from our Secondary 9/10 days at Lake Mountain. 

 

On another note, Karlie has communicated with you regarding our Variation to School Day (Pupil Free) next Tuesday. Please take advantage of this opportunity for you, your child (as appropriate) and other relevant professionals to spend up to 30 minutes discussing your child’s progress and subsequent goals for the remainder of the school year.

 

Building Works and Car Parking

Our building works have finally commenced at our Bundoora Campus.

 

I know that I continuously write about this but there are cars parked on nature strips, double parked and attempting to turn around within the back car park which has created an unsafe environment. The Council are likely to issue a fine to those who are parked illegally.

Please take advantage of our drop off and pick up options in the front car park before and after school.

 

To alleviate the car parking issues, we have introduced a morning drop off on the front driveway between 8.30-8.40am. The cut-off at 8.40am is strict as the buses will enter from that time. We encourage you to drive to the main gate at the front of the school and drop your child off. There will be staff waiting to assist your child and provide supervision.

 

An afternoon pick-up process is available after the buses have departed between 3.10-3.20pm. If you would like your child to use this process, please advise your child’s teacher as your child will need to be escorted to the front gate and supervised until you drive into the driveway and pick them up. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of these options. 

Consultation on Child Safe Standards

From the 1st July, all schools must comply with the Victorian Government’s new Child Safe Standards. The new Child Safe Standards consist of 11 standards. All school policies relating to the new Child Safe standards have been reviewed, updated and discussed at the School Council meeting held on the 25th July.  The following updated policies are available in the 'Policies' section of our school website or on Compass, and we welcome any feedback from our community prior to Monday 29th August:

  • Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
  • Child Safety Code of Conduct
  • Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures
  • Complaints Policy
  • Digital Learning Policy
  • Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy
  • Visitors Policy
  • Volunteers Policy
  • Yard Duty and Supervision Policy – Bundoora 
  • Yard Duty and Supervision Policy – Watsonia

Uniform

A reminder that Concord School has a strict uniform policy and it is expected that all students wear the correct uniform each day. At this time of the year the main issue is regarding the wearing of non-uniform hoodies and jackets. Please contact the office if your child requires a school jumper, windcheater or rugby top.

 

Principal Award - Hasan Olad

 

Hasan Olad has displayed great customer service skills in the Café and perseveres through busy work periods to help his team get the job done. He also has displayed exceptional leadership skills during our presentation ball dance lessons by demonstrating how to perform the dance moves correctly to other students. In class Hasan is always a happy student, trying his hardest to complete all tasks on time to the best of his ability. 

 

 

Jason Coningsby

Principal

 

 

School Council Meeting

 

School Council Meeting was held at 7:00pm on Monday 25 July 2022 via Webex in which the following matters were discussed:

 

COVID Safety Update:

  • There has been a slight increase of confirmed Covid cases for both staff and students. 
  • Updates continue to be communicated on Compass. 
  • It is strongly recommended that children over the age of 8 and staff wear masks while indoors.

Variation to School Day and Professional Practice Day:

  • SSG meetings will occur on Tuesday 9th of August with a variation to school day. 
  • Meetings will be 30 minutes and can be face to face, or via Webex whereby parents, students and external therapists can meet to share student progress from their Semester 1 reports and to discuss their Semester 2 Individual Education Plan (IEP) learning goals. 
  • Appointments will go live on Compass Tuesday 2nd August

A Professional Practice Day for staff will occur on Monday 29th of August (this is an additional DET student free day over and above the current 4 allowed each year). This will be a student free day to allow staff to plan.

 

Concord School Building Works:

  • Building works commenced last week with site sheds being erected. 
  • Student access around that area will change to accommodate accessing utilities and the demolition process. 
  • Adaptations and communication will occur as required

Parking during Building Works:

  • The drop off zone has been working well with parents able to utilise dropping their children off between 8:30am- 8:40am before the Dyson buses arrive.
  • Students are supervised in the Gym until 8:45am when staff are on yard duty. 
  • This drop off and pick-up area is also available in the afternoons. 
  • Further communication will occur to remind parents of this availability.

Break Time for Students at Bundoora Campus

Discussion was held regarding the plan to trial in Term 4 at the Bundoora Campus, 2 30-minute break times instead of the current 15 and 45-minute breaks.

The benefits to this have been identified as:

  1. Students being more productive in sessions 3 and 4 which are ‘peak learning times’
  2. Students at recess having adequate time to move to and from the play space which does not occur with the current 15-minute break
  3. Less risk of dysregulation and misbehaviour at lunch as can occur with the current 45-minute break
  4. No staff ‘handovers’ being required for the 30 minute break.
  5. Less duty allocations (not less time) for teaching staff

SRC

SRC meeting to be held Tuesday 26/07/2022 to consult students on the new updated Child Safe standards

 

Concord School Policies

Policies presented and ratified by school council:

  • Administration of Medication
  • Anaphylaxis
  • The following updated policies have been consulted by the school board and will be accepted after community and students’ consultation has been completed:
  • Bullying Prevention
  • Child Safety Code of Conduct
  • Complaints
  • Child Safety and Wellbeing
  • Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations
  • Digital Learning
  • Student Wellbeing and Engagement
  • Visitors
  • Volunteers
  • Yard Duty Watsonia
  • Yard Duty Bundoora

Next School Council Meeting: Monday 29 August 2022 @ 7.00pm (via Webex)

 

Mark Lancaster

School Council President