Principals' Update

How Is Everyone Going?

Over the past two years we have seen our Carlton North Primary School community strengthen to what now is an amazingly supportive community where there is trust between CNPS families and staff and where there is a huge support unit for any families in need or that are struggling during this difficult time. There are many acts of kindness going on behind the scenes - from students dropping off care packages to their teacher’s doorstep to families cooking meals for other families in need of additional support. I (Rachel) even got a much needed care package from School Council when I was unable to travel to Broome. This school community has grown into a phenomenal support network for our families and staff.

This lockdown has shown to be harder than any of the others to date. Please remember that we are all here for each other. Everyone is doing it rough; a number of our staff are trying to work (at home and/or at school) and have children they are trying to support with online learning. We can see the challenges parents are facing trying to support their children with engaging in remote learning. Some of us have loosened the reins and prioritised the mental wellbeing of the family over the output of remote learning which is understandable. Our children will be OK. They are showing such resilience and we are really proud of the work they are achieving online.

If you need support in any way please do not hesitate to contact us at the school (we’re here every day) or any one of our amazing members of School Council. Over the past two years we have seen what our school community can do to support each other and no challenge is too big.

Family Wellbeing Check-In Activity

Recently we attended a session with the CEO of Headspace, Kirsten Douglas. Her presentation was fantastic and she provided us with a number of resources to support the wellbeing of members of our school community. Each week we will provide a new resource for families to try at home. This week we would like you to ask each member of your family/household where they are on the battery continuum below and what is one thing, no matter how small, that they could do to recharge their battery.

Susan McLean Cybersafety Session for Parent and Carers Foundation to Year 6

Next Tuesday 17 August Cyber Safety Expert - Susan McLean will be conducting a Parent/Carer Information Session on Cybersafety for our children.

Susan McLean is Australia’s foremost expert in the area of cyber safety and was a member of the Victoria Police for 27 years. Widely known as the ‘cyber cop’ she was the first Victoria Police Officer appointed to a position involving cyber safety and young people. Susan has conducted cyber safety sessions with CNPS students, staff and parents/carers for a number of years and each presentation is extremely informative and relevant to the online activities of our children at the time.

This session will commence at 6:00 pm on the following Zoom link:

Rachel Corben (She/Her) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2816585328?pwd=ck9xZTdvVmk0WGRTMXhGeUxaWm41Zz09

Meeting ID: 281 658 5328

Passcode: 1252

2022 Foundation Enrolments

A reminder to all our CNPS families that we have sent out the first round of enrolment letters of offer for Foundation in 2022. If you have not yet completed an expression of interest form for your child to commence Foundation next year, please do so as soon as possible.

2021 Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents/caregivers/guardians think of our school. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of randomly selected parents/caregivers/guardians (previously known as the Parent Opinion Survey). It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, student engagement and experiences of remote and flexible learning. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.

Approximately 30 percent of parents have been invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the survey are anonymous. This year, the Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 19th July to Friday 3rd September.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within that period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.

Please speak to your child’s teacher if you would like more information.

VGSA 2021: It's about time!

The Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA), which outlines pay and conditions for public school staff, expired on 30 April. The AEU is now in negotiations with the Department of Education and Training (DET) for a new agreement.

There are two major priority items for the new agreement - excessive teacher workload and proper remuneration of our education support staff for the vital work they do in supporting our students. On average, Victorian teachers are doing 15 hours of unpaid overtime a week. Our teachers go above and beyond working outside of the paid 38 hour week. And many support staff do not earn a salary that reflects their contribution, in spite of the central role they play. Teachers, Principals, and ES need workload relief now and ES staff urgently need a fair wage that recognises their value and professionalism.

We value any support our school community may provide in this campaign.

Staff Professional Learning

SIT days (teachers will not be available online):

Friday 13 - Brendan

Monday 16 - Kara

Tuesday 17 - Isabella

Thursday 19 - Millie

The Principal Team

Rachel Corben, Erin Brown & Jane Bilby

Week 5 at Carlton North PS

Upcoming Dates

Term 3 Planner

Week 5 at
Carlton North PS