Principal's Desk 

Corinne Pupillo 

Dear parents, carers and friends of the school community,

Welcome back everyone! As the Easter celebrations are well behind us now,  we have been preparing for a busy term ahead. Schools are generally very busy places, and this term is no exception!! Our school community is buzzing with activity. I would like to acknowledge and thank all of those who are diligently working behind the scenes to provide the rich education experience our students deserve. Some of those additional items this term include Education Week; weekly swimming lessons; Eid ul Fitr Celebration - 14th May, World Oceans Day - 8th June; House Colour Day - 18th June; and the fundraising events that create opportunities for student and family engagement.   I would also like to make a special mention of the teaching teams who have been completing formative and summative assessments which inform your child's Personalised Learning Support Plan which was sent home to parents and carers at the end of last term. 

Important curriculum day changes to note 

As you know from the previous newsletter where Stephanie Di Salvo announced that Jacana School for Autism was successful in receiving the Safe and Well funding grant. A $50,000 grant has been provided  for staff to participate in a Mental Health First Aid course.  

From Term 2 this year, staff will be undertaking a series of Professional Learning opportunities to consolidate practical skills to manage mental health in the workplace. This training, with all 130 staff, will gain knowledge, confidence, de-stigmatising and increased support around mental health in the workplace. 

The Tier 1 Mental Health First Aid training is designed for all staff and the time allocation is as follows:

·         Component 1 – Self-directed online e-Learning 5-7 hours 

·         Component 2 – Face to Face  4 hours

School Council has endorsed the following curriculum days which will support the Mental Health First Aid training. 

• An additional Curriculum Day on 2nd June 2021 
• Move the scheduled 16th August, 2021 Curriculum Day to 15 June 2021.

Please notes these changes on your calendar / diary and we will also send a reminder SMS prior to these two dates.

Term 2 Student Support Group Meetings 

The Student Support Group (SSG) brings together the people responsible for the wellbeing and education of the student. SSG meetings will be conducted after school again this term. The aims of the Student Support Group are to: ensure that those with the most knowledge of, and responsibility for the student, work together to establish shared goals for the student's educational future; plan reasonable adjustments for the student to access the curriculum; provide educational planning that is ongoing throughout the student's life; and monitor the progress of the student. Parents/carers will be given the opportunity to meet from 3.30pm - 4.30pm in weeks 4, 5 and 6 (Monday 10th May – Thursday 27th May). Staff are also looking forward to continuing to build positive relationships with families in order to best meet the needs of your child/ren.   

Casual (parent) Vacancy on School Council 

There is one parent representative vacancy that exists and if you would like to learn more about the school and be part of our team that shares the governance role, please get in contact with Corinne either by email corinne.pupillo@education.vic.gov.au or calling the office.

Aerial View - Jacana School for Autism

To complement our Schools Virtual School Tour, Karen Glare has engaged a photographer that has captured our school from above.  

Please take a look and see how wonderful the facilities look from above.  

School Council Meeting 

The next meeting of School Council will occur Thursday May 13th at 5.30pm, via webex.

School Council Sub Committee Representatives

Finance Sub Committee Representative - Sharon Borg

Building and Grounds Sub Committee Representative – Alisha Minns

Fundraising Sub Committee Representative – Lisa Sette

School Council Representative on Student Representative Council (SRC) –Alisha Minns

Reminder: Our newsletter is published each fortnight and will provide you with important information about the school and events that may be of interest to you. I encourage you to read the newsletter that will be sent home via your home email, on the school's Facebook Page or on the school's website. 

JSA also has a Facebook Page administered by the leadership team.  Please like and follow our page.

https://www.facebook.com/JacanaSchoolforAutism