Highvale Happenings

Leadership Report

Thursday 27th April 2023

 

Dear Parents, Students and Friends,

Welcome Back

On Monday we enjoyed another very positive start to a new school term and are looking forward to the exciting events, activities and learning opportunities that will occur throughout Term 2.

ANZAC Day

On Monday we commenced our learning with a special ANZAC Day Service.  The commemoration was planned and led by our Year 6 student leaders with support and guidance from Mr. Crozier. 

 

Thank you to our Year 6 Leaders who did a wonderful job of researching and presenting the following ANZAC information to our school community at Assembly.   

  • What is ANZAC Day? By Tarun and Aiden.
  • What does the word ANZAC mean? By Kiran and Liam.
  • Facts about ANZAC Day. By Bhuvi and Miranda.
  • Why do we still remember ANZAC Day? By Daniel and Smith.
  • When was the first ANZAC Day? By Lucas and Anirudh.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Australian Army. By Alexandra and Saanvi.
  • The Dawn Service. By Adam and Steve.
  • Simpson and his Donkey. By Sonny and Alex.
  • The Somme Offensive. By Kieren.
  • The Poppy and the Ode of Remembrance. By Stella.
  • The Last Post. By Bhuvi.

HPS Movie Night

Thank you to our marvellous Student Representative Council (SRC) and Mrs Sinclair for organising the HPS Movie night.  The evening was extremely well attended with many positive reviews of The Super Mario Bros movie. 

 

 

Term 2 Staff Update

This term we are excited to welcome back a number of teachers and new staff and farewell some others (for now).

 

We welcome back Mrs Brooke Scott from Family Leave.  Brooke will work part time and will teach Physical Education (PE) and Sport with Mrs Yencken.  Mrs Duke will teach in Prep on Tuesday and Wednesday together with Miss Kelaart and Ms Cheong. 

 

We also welcome back Mr Steve Smith from Family Leave.  Steve recommences on Monday as Year 3S class teacher and HPS Learning Specialist.  I would like to thank Mrs Sharon Ebinger for teaching 3S during Steve’s absence.  Sharon has done an outstanding job and we look forward to her continued involvement at our school. I would also like to thank Mr Nick Dempsey for his leadership of the Year 3&4 Professional Learning Team during Steve’s absence.  Great job Mr Dempsey.

 

Mrs Tamara Scully (5&6S) requires Personal Leave during the first half of Term 2.  We wish Mrs. Scully all the very best.  During this time, Mr Adrian Creswell will re-join the Year 5&6 Professional Learning Team and teach Year 5&6S.  Welcome back Mr Creswell. 

 

Ms Wood commences Family Leave at the end of Week 3.  We wish Teagan and her family all the very best at this exciting time.  The recruitment process for Teagan’s replacement will be completed early next week.  This will provide time for a thorough hand over process.  Parents and students will be informed of the new Year 1W teacher as soon as possible. 

 

Finally, a very warm welcome to Ms Natalie Deacon who will work two days a week in the newly created position of Student Wellbeing Officer (SWO).   The SWO is a member of our Response To Individual needs (RTI) team.  Natalie’s focus will be social emotional learning.  Working directly with students and staff to support positive behaviours as part of our whole school Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) framework.

Good news - Grantley Drive Crossing

After years of advocating by the HPS School Council to Monash Council, I was extremely pleased to learn of the appointment of a School Crossing Supervisor at the Grantley Drive crossing. 

 

The new supervisor commenced on the first day of Term 2 and is in attendance immediately before and after school.  Parents and students will notice the flags, hat, vest and Stop sign used by the supervisor to aid safe crossing.  Parents and students are required to follow supervisor instruction please.

 

To assist with safety around the Grantley drive entrance, parents are reminded to adhere to the parking signs in that area.  Please do not drop off or pick up near the crossing.  This area is increasingly patrolled by parking officers.

Child Safety and Cyber Safety Week 

This week at Highvale Primary School, it is Cyber Safety Week.  Students are participating in a range of lessons that explore how they can use the technology safely.  Whilst our school plays an important role in teaching students about Cyber Safety, families play a pivotal role at home where the technology is most accessible. However, it is sometimes hard to know where to start…

 

Earlier today, Mr Crozier shared a School Stream communication with information for parents to support families with Online Safety Basics.  Please see School Stream for further details.

 

As well, to further support our community, we are currently in the process of organising a Parent Information event through ThinkUKnow.  Details will be provided to families as soon as possible.

School Supervision

As mentioned in previous newsletters and communications home, there is no teacher supervision before 8.45am. Please ensure you remain with your child if they are on school grounds or alternatively, please use our before school care program, Academy for Kids.

 

Students should also be picked up before 3.45pm as there is no teacher supervision after this time. Thank you for your cooperation.

School Community Input

During the next couple of weeks, members of our community will be asked for their feedback regarding our Preschool to Prep Transition (2023 prep parents) program and Outside Hours School Care (Academy for Kids) program (AFK clientele and partners including parents, students, HPS staff). The parent feedback will be collected through survey format.  Information collected will be used to inform our decision making and forward planning.

 

School Council – Casual Vacancy – Parent Member

School Council is pleased to accept expressions of interest from Highvale Primary School parents and carers (Non Department of Education employees) to fill a School Council casual vacancy for the 2023/24 period (or a shorter period by arrangement if required).

 

What is a school council and what does it do?

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within state-wide guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

 

Why is parent membership so important?

Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school.  Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying in itself and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

 

Meetings

School Council meets twice each term on Tuesday evening to discuss and make decisions regarding many issues relevant to school life.  These include finances, education, partnerships and promotion of our school, facilities and environment and policies. Each councillor is a member of one of our three subcommittees: Finance, Education, Facilities & Environment.

 

Remaining 2023 School Council Meetings are scheduled as follows:

 

Term 2   Tuesday 16th May @ 6.30pm Webex & Tuesday 13th June @ 6.30pm Webex

Term 3   Tuesday 25th July @ 6.30pm Webex & Tuesday 15th August @ 6.30pm Webex

Term 4   Tuesday 17th October @ 6.30pm Webex & Tuesday 5th December @ 6.30pm onsite @ HPS

 

Expression of Interest by 4.00pm Friday 5th May

If you would like to be considered for the School Council Casual Vacancy, please send an expression of directly to the principal at steven.richardson@education.vic.gov.au .  Please include a simple summary of the reasons for your interest. Alternatively, please call our school on 9887 8000 to discuss with the principal.

 

All expressions of interest will be considered with the utmost confidentiality.

Mother’s Day – Sunday 14th May

Mother’s Day is just around the corner.  To celebrate, our Highvale Primary Community Group (HPCG) will hold a Mother’s & Special Person’s Day Breakfast on Friday 12th May from 7:30am to 9am, in the Performing Arts and Staff Room.

 

Come and enjoy some breakfast items and drinks, including a coffee van.  The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children. Please see the school stream notice for full details.

School Policy Consultation and Updates

Highvale Primary School regularly reviews and updates our policies and procedures to ensure they meet Department standards. These are available to view in our newsletter (see Policies section) and on our school website.

 

We are committed to continuous improvement in all of our approaches and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on policies, procedures and practices. 

 

Policies currently under consultation and/or review can found in the School Policy Consultation and Update section of the newsletter.

 

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please contact our school office on 9877 8000 to be directed to the appropriate staff member.

School Tours and 2024 Enrolments

School Tours for Prep 2024 and new Year 1-6 students are provided on Wednesday mornings between 9.30-10.45am. Due to demand, tours must be booked through the school office (9887 8000).  If you have friends, family or neighbours with school age children, especially those commencing Prep in 2023 please encourage them to book a tour to find out more about our wonderful school and community.

 

The virtual tour is available at https://highvaleps.vic.edu.au/

 

I look forward to seeing you around our school.

 

Steve Richardson

Principal