From the Acting Assistant Principal


bronwyn.steele@education.vic.gov.au


98763289 

 

Team Hopkins is on a road trip!

 

 

We are kind. We are resilient. We are respectful.

 

It has been my pleasure to spend some time supporting Mr. McClare as he has led the school these past four weeks and I can tell you I have learned a lot about Kalinda!

 

I have worked at Kalinda for a really long time but these last few weeks I have had some little insights that you might not be as aware of and I thought I should share some with you!

 

Spotlight on Kalinda Superstars

 

Let’s start with Mr. McClare – we are so lucky to have him leading our school. Not only does he make hugely important decisions every day which means we are always providing the best education to the children in our school, but he is also readily available to chat, encourage, listen, and ‘pitch in’ at a moment’s notice. Mr. McClare has told me that some of his favourite parts of his job are saying “Good Morning” to everyone on his morning walk and when kids come and share work or a story with him. He is so passionate about our school being a great place for people to be. Mr. McClare works really long hours, thinking through all things to do with Kalinda, he comes to all the events and just loves all things, Kalinda!

 

Next comes Mrs. Hopkins – she has such a huge heart for each and every one of us in the Kalinda community. She is so thoughtful and always thinks about how to make every day a great day for the teachers and students. Mrs. Hopkins has a massive list of tasks that she needs to do every day but like Mr. McClare she willingly drops everything to help out or listen whenever it is needed. Mrs. Hopkins works super long hours making sure each student is well looked after and each teacher has what they need to do their job. She loves nothing more than connecting with people. We are so lucky to have someone who is so generous and thoughtful, looking out for us every single day.

 

Every day is a smooth day because of the incredible people who work in our office. I can’t even tell you all the different jobs that they do or questions they get asked across their day because there are literally hundreds of things! I’m blown away by how kind, patient and efficient they are! From “I’ve lost my tooth” to “I’m covered in mud” to “Where would I find…” to “I don’t know how to…” (and these are only 4 examples!!) – they are truly the most amazingly patient people and keep the school organized and running smoothly.

 

Did you know that we have Martina in the Library making it a beautiful, organised space? She has been busy organising the shelves, purchasing HEAPS of new books, training students to be Library Monitors, and inspiring us to be involved in lots of different literary events. Her manner with the staff and students is lovely and her excitement for books is contagious. We are so lucky to have her inspiring our students to be enthusiastic about their reading.

 

Now I know you know that Justine runs our Canteen – but did you know how hard she works making healthy, homemade food for our children to enjoy for their lunches? I know I’m grateful, as a mum, that I can order something that has been lovingly made for my kid’s lunches. You might not realise but there are many other things that she does… here are a couple; she also regularly goes through the lost property and returns anything that is named to the students and she organises food for those who are in need. Justine’s generosity and kindness is a huge part of what makes our community great.

 

Our school wouldn’t be the same without our beloved Ted. From mowing lawns, fixing numerous things, retrieving balls, coming to every school event and helping out (including camps) to making sure every door is locked at night and turning on every heater in the morning – Ted does it all. He is a true example of someone who goes above and beyond for each and every one of us. Ted is lovely in his manner to the students and we are so grateful for all he does for our school.

 

Kalinda is an amazing community to be a part of because of the people who care about it and are always working to make sure we have what we need. We talk a lot about our values and because we believe in them and make sure we are trying to show them every day, Kalinda really is a school filled with people who are kind, respectful and resilient.

 

 

 

 

Take care

 

Bron Steele