Principal's Report

Pakenham Springs Primary School acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the land on which the School stands.

We are all saddened by the events that occurred in Christchurch last Friday.  Our thoughts are with all families and those affected by this tragedy.  At times like these it can be difficult to know how to support our children.  Here is a link to help families with “talking about scary stuff in the news”.  I hope the tips in this article will be useful to you. 

Safety at School

Over the past fortnight,  we have had a big focus on safety.  We recently had an Occupational Health and Safety Audit. The auditor was very impressed with our high standards of safety and management at Pakenham Springs.  Safety is our first priority and it is reassuring to know we are compliant in all areas thanks to a hardworking and professional team. 

We also held our first emergency evacuation drill this week and I was so proud of our students for the level of respect they showed as they practised and took note of what to do to ensure their safety.  Our preps and the kindergarten children also participated and all learnt what to do.  Throughout the year we will continue to hold different drills and improve our procedures. 

Term 1 Open Afternoon

We are looking forward to our first Open Afternoon next Wednesday (27th March) - students have had a very busy term working towards their learning goals and reaching great results. Open afternoon allows you to see their work and classrooms and have an informal chat with the class teacher.  Of course, you can also enjoy a freshly cooked sausage in bread as well. 

Out of Uniform Day

Thank you to those who supported our Out of Uniform Day this week.  Approximately $900.00 was raised which will go towards the prizes for the Easter raffle.  Our fundraising team work hard to raise funds to provide resources for students.  Already we have been able to provide new maths trolleys to all classrooms to ensure all students have 'hands on' materials to support their learning of different mathematical concepts. 

OshClub

Today I met with one of the friendly managers of OshClub who shared the plans for the holiday program.  If you need Vacation Care please see the details in this newsletter and in the attachment below.  It looks like a great program to keep your children amused in the holiday period. 

Worlds Greatest Shave

One of our staff members, Tanjil-Lea Delport, is taking part in this year’s WORLDS GREATEST SHAVE.  On April 5th she will be braving the razor and shaving her locks. 

If you want to support Tanjil-Lea please visit http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/tanjilleadelport and make a donation. 

Every dollar goes towards fighting Blood Cancer. 

It's hard to believe there are only two weeks of term 1 left!  Please make sure you keep an eye on the 'Upcoming Events' page of the newsletter for all the important dates, including camps and Curriculum Days for 2019.

Kerryn Baillie

Principal