From the Principal, Diana Ellis
Child Safe Standards
This week we were audited against the Child Safe Standards. Whilst we still need a few policies to be endorsed by School Council to be fully compliant, the auditor congratulated us on our comprehensive documentation, processes and programs to ensure we keep our students safe from sexual abuse. As a community it is important that we all play our part in protecting children in our care. Further information can be found in our front office, on our website or through myself or Victoria Graham as we are the Child Safety Officers. If a child ever makes a disclosure to you about being abused, we highly encourage you to report to us or the police so that we can record and anonymously report the disclosure.
Grandparents Day 0ctober 25th
On October 25th we are inviting Grandparents or special older friends to visit our classrooms between 9.00 and 11.00 to engage in learning with our students. For many of our grandparents their school experience was very different to the school experience that children engage in now.
Many parents now worry about class numbers, composite classes, learning styles etc. When I was teaching Prep at Craigieburn p-12 for 3 years, I consistently had 34 prep students in my class. It was quite common for classes to be composites or multi ageing with Prep – Year 2 in classes. Many grandparents tell me of their experiences of over 50 students in their class, every child got the same work regardless of the different abilities and of course teachers were allowed to strap students.
Can you imagine???
The theme of Grandparents Day this year is “ask Gran not google”. This symbolic catch phrase is to remind us of the wealth of knowledge that our elderly people have as a result of their extensive life experiences. We look forward to welcoming grandparents in all areas of the school.
https://www.feroscare.com.au/ask-gran-not-google
Day for Daniel October 25th
On October 25th, yes the same day as Grandparents Day, we are also raising awareness around protective behaviours for children and helping children to be safe when they are not under the direct supervision of parents, teachers etc.
We will be complementing the work of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and asking every one to wear red. This is not a fundraising event, just an opportunity to educate and raise awareness.
https://danielmorcombefoundation.com.au/day-for-daniel/
Parking
Yet again, I have to stress to parents that the expectation is that parents park in the street parking spaces provided and not in the Staff Car park during the hours of 8.00 am - 5.00 pm
We understand that some parents access Bug- a-lugs but quite often they use the staff car park and this is a safety risk with young children walking behind cars with staff cars arriving or departing and spaces not available for our staff.
School events
This week our Year 2 students are off at camp for 2 days and while they are away our Year 1 students spent a fun day out at Carlsruhe. On Friday our Foundation students are having an excursion to the library and then enjoying a picnic lunch at the Children’s Park.
Tree planting
This week our Year 5/6 students enjoyed time in our Children’s Garden planting indigenous plants with Nicole Middleton and Landcare.
I would like to take this opportunity to remember and acknowledge the huge amount of work Barb Lonsdale did in originally developing the garden. We are lucky now to have a students, staff, parents and community groups that are working towards re developing and re-generating the garden.
