FROM THE PRINCIPAL

A Message from the Principal

Greetings from Yogyakarta!

Bu Rumble working closely with a group of teachers.

Ru Rumble holds court with some students.

Bakso! (Meatball soup) kept us very happy on hot, rainy days.

In Indonesia, children greet adults by 'kissing' their hand with a cheek or forehead.

This delightful Year 2 class in a GSM school shared an awesome dance with us.

Hot workshops, no airconditioning: it takes some getting used to.

Some of the staff we worked with learning furiously.

The beautiful Prambanan temple at night.

A GSM school practising circle time where students share their feelings.

We can be very grateful for the play facilities we have at RNPS. This is one of the few schools with a playground.

Bu Rumble holding court with some students.

Our teachers might not appreciate having this as their only work surface.

We were privileged to see the Ramayana Ballet last night.

A few thoughts

Bu Rumble and I wish to extend a massive hello to everyone back at school. We've had a huge week together in Yogyakarta, Indonesia working with 2 teachers from Clayton North Primary School and the GSM school network.

We have been visiting a range of schools who are all trying to improve their school environments to create the conditions for 'Engaging and Joyful Learning'. It is an organisation I have been working closely with for almost 5 years, and the change we have noticed in schools since my first visit is extraordinary. Bu Rumble has been amazed by some of the schools we have visited and the efforts the schools are making with relatively meagre resources compared to schools in Victoria.

We have seen schools who are just starting on this journey, where conditions of significant bullying, chronic absence and student disengagement are the standard. In contrast, we have seen some schools who after only 1 or 2 years have drastically improved student happiness, attendance and safety. It is so thrilling to see government schools who teach some of the poorest communities make such great improvements.

It is my hope that in addition to our strong relationship with SD Tunas Unggul in Bandung, we can create strong and enduring relationships with some of these schools in unique locations around Yogyakarta.

Trips such as this are so valuable for understanding how we might improve international relationships and provide experiences for students to develop increased cultural awareness and global citizenship. Bu Rumble is eager to introduce some of the new ideas and resources she has picked up on our trip and we are furiously trying to plan how the first RNPS student trip to Indonesia might happen.

However, at the end of the day, I think the most valuable thing for me is that there are more teachers in our region who are focused on the right thing: trying to make schools better for students. We have seen some great things, worked closely with passionate, talented teachers and learnt a lot, but we are excited to get back home and see all the kids on Monday.

Also, a massive thank you to Mr Burley, Mrs Mann and Mrs O'kane for managing everything with their usual panache while we've been away.

Sampai Jumpa!