From the
Principal
Dear Parents / Carers,
We have had a fabulous start to term four which is easily the busiest of the school year! This is the term where we finish up the work for the current year and undertake planning for the following year. Our student leaders presented the first edition of the Friday program for this term last week.
The Victorian Government has announced the end of the Pandemic Declaration and associated Pandemic Orders. It is strongly recommended that students
who test positive to COVID-19 stay home and isolate for 5 days and should not attend school after 5 days if they are still symptomatic. Parents are required to
advise the school of a COVID-19 positive test result.
This raises the issues of face masks. The Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when leaving home. Additionally, the Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19, for at least 7 days after a positive test, when they need to leave home.
The end of the Pandemic Declaration is also a signal for us that we need to get back to normality and unless students are a close contact of someone who has COVID, there is no need to wear a mask. We need to ensure that our children are not choosing to continue wearing a mask to remain invisible or anonymous or to hide a facial feature that they perceive to be imperfect.
As I mentioned earlier, we are making plans for the 2023 school year. The formation of home groups and the placement of children into these groups is a considered process. Teachers work collaboratively to create classes of students. Consideration is given to gender, a spread of ability groupings, behaviour, friendship groupings and any pertinent welfare related information. Individual student and staff needs, and a whole school perspective are also considered.
At the end of the day our aim is to ensure:
- Each child is part of a class group that will allow them the best opportunity to learn.
- We make optimum use of the prior knowledge that teachers, parents and others have of each child prior to class placement.
- Class groups are formed that consider the social, emotional, academic, and physical needs of each child.
The placement of children into class groups commences in the third week of November, once all assessments and reports have been completed.
If parents have aspects related to their child’s learning that they would like us to consider when placing their child in a class group, please write to me. Letters can be emailed on the school email address, rowville.ps@education.vic.gov.au or sent to the office addressed to me and marked confidential. Alternatively, I invite parents who would like to have a conversation about any aspect of grade placement for 2023 to have a conversation with their child’s class teacher.
Please ensure that any correspondence relating to student placements reaches me by Monday 14 November 2022. We will be unable to consider any correspondence on this matter after this date.
Anne Babich
Principal