Principal's Message

Dear parents, students and staff,

Covid-19

We were all very happy to hear the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. Wearing masks has been a necessary but uncomfortable practice the school and Victorian community have had to bare. I would like to thank all members of the school community for the role they played in reducing the risks. The future looks a lot more positive and this is due in large part to the way all Victorians banded together to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Uniform

As discussed previously it is important that all students are wearing our school uniform correctly and with pride. There has been a positive shift in the wearing the school uniform. This does not happen by osmosis but through the hard work and commitment of the school community.

Members of the leadership team will be checking uniform in classrooms. If the entire class is in the correct uniform (if a student provides a suitable parent note they are deemed in uniform) the class will be put into a draw for a pizza lunch at the end of the term.

Stage 1 of our Capital Works

On 4 March we had three architecture firms visit to tour the school. The aim for the architects was to get a better understanding of what learning spaces our community requires into the future. Although our current grant is $8.1 million (a great start) my aim is to ensure Fairhills receives at least 2 or 3 more stages which will enable us to have amazing 21st century learning spaces across the school. Stay tuned as there will be plenty more to come!

The importance of collective efficacy

The teaching staff have been focusing on ‘collective efficacy’ as it is an essential element for enhancing student outcomes. Collective efficacy simply put means we believe that our unified actions will have a positive impact on student learning.

Research shows that collective efficacy has approximately three times greater impact than:

Prior achievement
Socioeconomic status
Home environment
Motivation
Concentration/persistence and engagement

To build collective efficacy at Fairhills:

We will provide more collaboration time for staff
- Tuesday afterschool is now collaboration time (no formalised meetings). Teachers work closely to improve student outcomes by building their teaching and learning collective capacity.
Increase relational trust amongst teachers
- Teachers working together across disciplines
We will enhance our professional learning environment that is built on trust, mutual respect and open conversations
Implement Professional Learning Communities (PLC) environment that fosters an inquiry learning cycle (continuous improvement)
- Currently there are six leaders (including me) who a completing eight days of extensive PLC training. We plan to implement PLC from Term 2.
Staff will create a common collective efficacy language.
- Developed in Thursday afterschool Professional learning sessions

What can parents/carers do to support their child's learning?

Actively contribute and engage with the school. Children are more likely to see the importance of education if their parents are involved with the school.

Activities may include:

Becoming a member of School Council
Volunteering
Working bees
School forums/workshops
Parent/Teacher interviews
Regularly checking Compass

Ensure the fundamentals are done well and include:

Having a clear routines and structure at home
Making sure your child sleeps 8-9 hours every night
Removing all electronics from their bedroom 30 minutes before sleep. This can be extremely hard if you haven’t done it before but will benefit your child immensely in the long-term.
Ensuring your child has a nutritious breakfast & lunch e.g. Low sugar/high fibre cereal.
Making sure they have all the relevant materials and equipment for their learning
Having regular conversations with your child about their learning
Speaking positively about learning

Volunteering

Due to new requirements the school requires two adults to attend any excursion/activity outside of the school grounds. One needs to be a teacher and the other can be any adult who holds a working with children’s check. As we want to offer as many opportunities as possible we are asking for parents/carers to chip in and support the school. A couple of weeks ago we sent out a volunteering interest form and were delighted with the positive response. If you have not had the opportunity to submit your interest please feel free to do so via the below form.

https://forms.gle/14T9CVKCSe4adC16A

Regards

Ian Van Schie

Principal