Principal's Report

Welcome to 2020!

Welcome back to the 2020 school year. I trust that our Black Rock PS students and families have had a safe and restful holiday, whilst recognising that the recent holiday period has been a particularly challenging one with the impact of the bushfires across our country.

As always, the school was abuzz from the start of day 1, with excited students and teachers demonstrating their resilience in what has been an incredibly hot start to the year. Luckily it looks like relief from the extreme heat is forecast for next week, with milder temperatures expected.

On the topic of temperatures, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to our Foundation students, new students in other grades and their families. I am sure you will find your time at our school to be rewarding in many ways.

New Teachers

I would sincerely like to welcome our new teachers to the school for 2020: Christina De Maio (Foundation), Abi Henderson (Year 1) and Rose Thompson (Grade 5). All have made a wonderful start, quickly developing positive relationships with students and colleagues. 

I would also like to welcome back our much-loved and outstanding teachers Steph Thorpe, Kim Taing and Katrina Hutchins into part-time roles after a period of family leave.

Assembly

Our first whole-school assembly to bring the community together and welcome in the school year will be held in front of the stage at the start of the day on Monday 3rd February.  All students are expected to assemble with their grades for a prompt 9am start. Parents and family members are most welcome to attend.

In line with our SunSmart policy, students should wear their school hat which can be removed during the Acknowledgement of Country and National Anthem. 

Uniform

School Council has developed a Student Dress Code that requires all attending students wear a school uniform during school hours and when engaged in school activities out of school hours. The purpose of the dress code is to create a sense of collective and individual pride in students and their identification with the school. 

Children are to wear the Summer or Winter uniform, not a mix and match of both.

The full uniform policy is available on our website and via this link. 

Preparing For The New School Year

The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time for students and parents alike. We are very proud of the way our students have settled and transitioned into their new year levels and classes.

Thank you staff

I would like to thank our teachers, Education Support, administration and maintenance staff for the many hours they  spent  preparing the school and classrooms prior to the first day to ensure that all students commenced in well-organised, vibrant and inspiring learning spaces. What an amazing way to start the year!

Welcome Picnic & Running Colour

After the huge success and positive atmosphere of last year's combined picnic and running colour event, we are again excited about beginning the year with our “Welcome Picnic & Running Colour” event on Friday 21st February, at what promises to be a wonderful social event for all. I look forward to catching up with all families at community events throughout the course of the year, We hope to see all new and returning families

Please refer to the Compass Calendar and News Feed updates for details of this and future events throughout the year.

COMPASS School Manager

Compass School Manager, through private and secure family portals, is our primary platform for communicating with families. We strongly recommend that parents install the native app on their mobile device (Apple iOs or Android) and set it up to receive notifications. This will allow instant and convenient access to all relevant school communications.

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With many optional education events such as excursions, incursions and sporting events across all year levels beginning this week I encourage all parents to log on to Compass at your earliest convenience and ensure that all details and payments are up-to-date. Parents are also encouraged to check the Compass Calendar and News Feed often. 

Annual Privacy Reminder

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy

Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website: collection statement.

For more information about privacy, see: Schools’ Privacy Policy – information for parents. This information also available in nine community languages.

Parent Payments and Voluntary Contributions

The Compass Portal is live now for families to log in and complete all school payments.

The BRPS School Council, staff and school community have high expectations of all     curriculum programs, resources and facilities that the school provides. Parent voluntary contributions are a vital aspect of maintaining these high standards and we thank our parent community for their generous support in this area to benefit all students across the school.

Absences, Late Arrival & Early Departure

Absences MUST be reported via Compass on the day of absence (early in the morning or ahead of time where possible).

Students arriving to school after 9.00am or leaving during school hours MUST be signed in/out by a parent/guardian via the Compass Kiosk at the Office. 

Students are required to collect a 'Late Pass' upon sign in, then hand directly to their teacher upon arrival at class. 

Early leaver's passes can be collected by parents when signing students out at the office, then handed to the teacher when collecting your child from the teacher prior to 3.30pm.

Please use Compass to let us know if your child will be arriving late (this does NOT replace the requirement to sign your child in via the Kiosk). If you do not enter an approval note advising us that your child will be late and your child arrives at school after 10:00am, you will receive an SMS Notification: "Student Unaccounted For".

Essential Reminders

The "Student Administration Reminders" page in this newsletter is an essential reference to support parents to navigate and manage important school processes. 

Although many of you will be familiar with the policies and procedures outlined on the "Student Administration Reminders" page of this newsletter, it is necessary for us to communicate this important information, as a reminder, at the beginning of each year. We also have many new Foundation families and new families with children commencing in other year levels who will find this information particularly useful. 

Please take the time to read through the items on the following pages and contact the Office should you have any queries. However, I would particularly like to draw your attention to the following points:

• It is very important to check the Compass News Feed and Calendar daily to stay informed of the latest news and upcoming events. 
• Absences MUST be reported via Compass on the day of absence (early in the morning or ahead of time where possible). The Compass APP is the easiest and most convenient way to do this. 
• Online consent/payment for incursions and excursions must be received by the due date in order for your child to participate/attend.
• Students must NOT be left alone in the school grounds before 8.45am or after 3.45pm.
• The 'Kiss N Go' zone on Arkaringa Crescent is for dropping/collecting your child within a two-minute time frame.
• Parents and students are NOT permitted to walk through staff car parks OR use them for parking.
• Riding of scooters, bikes, skateboards etc., is NOT permitted in the school grounds at drop-off or pick-up (school and non-school children).
• Please be aware of our dog policy which is outlined on signs at all entrance points to the school.

2020 Dates

The 2020 Term, Public Holidays & Event Dates page, including curriculum days, camps, fete and swimming programs (where known) have been placed on the following pages. Of course, these dates can also be found on the Compass Calendar which will be updated regularly. 

Our remaining student free curriculum days will be held on the following dates:

• Friday 24th April
• Monday 2nd November (Melbourne Cup Monday)

Grounds & Facilities Improvements Over the School Holidays

School Improvement Projects

The following projects were completed over the holiday break:

• The five Foundation classrooms were repainted. All of the rooms have a fresh, new look and after the hard work of the Foundation teachers over the holiday break are amazing spaces to support the learning and development of our newest students.
• The driveway/entrance area at the corner of Ferguson St and Bayview Cres was concreted and reshaped. Further development and landscaping is still to take place to make the entrance safer and more inviting for students, families and visitors entering the school. It is also necessary infrastructure as we move into the next stage of our Urban Agriculture  project throughout the year.

Ongoing Projects & Oval Development

The School Council and Fundraising Committee will convene early in the year to prioritise projects for 2020, including oval development progress. Major priority areas will be:

• Oval Upgrade
• Urban Agriculture Program

Bushfire Relief

Whilst Black Rock has not been directly affected, this holiday period has been a very challenging one so far, with many Victorians having to contend with the devastating bushfires raging across our state and other parts of Australia, including many areas where BRPS staff and families would typically holiday. We hope that you and your loved ones have been safe throughout this disaster. 

As has been seen all over the state, in times of distress and need strong communities dig in and support each other.  A perfect example was our student, Daniel Blaszczyk, who raised $126 for the bushfire appeal by dancing in the street and selling muffins. Brilliant effort Daniel!

I hope you all have a fantastic start to the year!

Sam Tyndall

PRINCIPAL