From Christian's desk....

Principals in the classroom

Yesterday it was great fun visiting the Prep classrooms as they celebrated 100 days of school. Each class completed a number of learning engagements with the central theme of 100. A highlight for mine was seeing the children transformed into 100 year old versions of themselves!

This week’s Learning Walk involved our Literacy Learning Specialist, Bree Jennings, Assistant Principal Dale McInerney and I hearing about how Senior School students track their reading learning goals using Google Classroom. Google Classroom is a free web service developed by Google that simplifies the distribution, collaboration and sharing of learning. In this instance students shared how they use their iPads to enhance the teacher-student learning partnership in Literacy Circles. Using this online platform, students co-create their learning goals with the teacher and record their learning and thinking relative to their text and learning goal. The level of comprehension and articulation of each individual’s thinking was a wonderful reflection of their learning.

Principal Day Celebrations

Last Friday Carol, Dale and I were overwhelmed by the appreciation and gratitude showed to us as the school acknowledged Victorian Principal’s Day. The staff treated us with morning tea but the students took the cake! Dale’s student appreciations were covered with black and white, our world travelling Assistant Principal received a book ‘Where in the World is Carol Wyatt?’ and my personal highlight was reading that Poppy from JCF believes that I fall asleep dreaming about cupcakes, rainbows and unicorns!

Friday Celebration Assembly

Tomorrow our 2:40pm Celebration Assembly will be jam packed! We are:

Welcoming our visiting delegation from Yeosu, South Korea.
Acknowledging the school’s Out of School Hours Care as a lead up to the official 30th Anniversary next Wednesday.
Having performances from the Rock Band, Choir and a sneak peak of the Middle School Production.

There’s also a whisper that our school’s previous Principal, Mr Graeme Caudry, will be in attendance! We welcome all community members as guests.

Congratulations Danny Gamble!

Last Thursday Carol Wyatt and I were guests alongside Education Minister James Merino at a ceremony to present The Professional Certificate in Positive Education to educators of schools in the Maroondah Network. Congratulations Danny Gamble on your participation in the course and attainment of this certificate; with a High Distinction average!

This fully government subsidised course delivered by Melbourne University provided participants with in-depth knowledge of how to foster optimal learning and support all students to flourish through Positive Education. The participants learnt about different theories of wellbeing, examined core positive education constructs, and explored positive interventions.

Danny has worked alongside Felicity Puckey and Carol Wyatt in leading the school’s commitment to Positive Education and the fostering of an environment that harnesses individual strengths and enhances well-being. Examples of this at CHPS include our focus on Restorative Practices, Circle Time and the application of the Character Strengths.

Bunnings Garden Enhancement Project

Over the course of the term our school has been partnering with Bunnings Croydon in an effort to continue to evolve and enhance our learning environment. This will culminate on Wednesday September 25th (first Wednesday in the school holidays) when community members will be welcome to join me and a team of Bunnings helpers as we:

Draw upon the Junior School Design ideas to revamp the gardens between the Library and Performing Arts Centre. The area, that has begun to be cleared, will become an additional ‘Learning through Play’ space for children to explore, create, discover and get lost in their own imagination!
Develop an Indigenous Food Garden in the Croydon Hills Farm next to the chicken coup. This will help connect us to ‘country’ and double as an area that we can acknowledge the traditional land owners.
Replant our vegetable garden.

‘Switch off and be present day’ - Remembering Jack

Community members are encouraged to spread the word and extend our school’s ‘Switch Off and Be Present Day’ on Friday September 13th beyond our school. We are encouraging community members to be ‘present and connect’ with those around them.

A (very modest) National Champion

Congratulations to Josh H from SDG, who last week travelled to Tasmania to compete in his Under 12 age group in the National Samurai Karate Championships. Josh placed 3rd in Kumite, earning a Bronze Medal as one of the top three in Australia. Josh trains five nights a week - a wonderful example of how commitment to the things that we love can lead to great rewards. Keep a lookout for Josh in years to come - there may well be something Olympic in his future!

We have our own AFL Mini Legend

This week, if you looked hard enough, you may have seen Koby from PDR in the media. Koby was published sitting alongside Port Adelaide star Justin Westhoff as the AFL unveiled their 2019 Mini-Legends! I can’t wait for the TV commercial to come out Koby!

Christian Holdsworth - Principal

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