Dear parents and carers,

I would like to extend a welcome and introduce myself to many of our new parents this year. My name is Susan Williamson, and I am one of the three assistant principals at Clifton Hill Primary School.

The role of an assistant principal is multi-faceted; however, I primarily work within the student welfare, engagement, and additional needs domains. It’s a role I enjoy as although I don’t get to spend as much time as I would like in the classroom anymore, I still am able to spend a great deal of my day with students.

Meeting and Greeting students and their families at the gate each morning has been a highlight in my day as we transition back to school from our summer holidays. Hearing the stories of weekend events, seeing the gaps in smiles as I hear tooth fairy stories and being greeted warmly by name (even though I do often get called Megan!) are some of the best parts of my day. I have also enjoyed meeting our new students and seeing how they view our school through a new lens. I asked one student how they found making new friends? He replied, "It’s easy at CHPS, kids are kind to me, I have friends in my new class and even friends from the other classes." Another new student was surprised that we didn’t have a compulsory uniform and commented how great it was to have the freedom to choose what she could wear each day. As a school leader these comments make me proud to see many of our school values including kindness, empathy, gratitude, and inclusiveness so visible to the newest members of our school community.

So please introduce yourself if I haven’t met you before. I look forward to getting to know our new families this year.

Our school community has demonstrated incredible solidarity and resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Being back in our classrooms with extra health and safety measures is another big transition, but it’s the very best one for our children's education. As we navigate these changes to onsite learning, including required mask wearing for some students, it’s more important than ever that adults in our school community treat each other with respect and kindness.

The Department of Education and Training has released a new policy that describes the positive behaviour expected from parents, carers, and other adults in Victorian school communities. The policy sets clear standards of behaviour to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment for students, staff and adults.

There are also other resources to support safe and respectful relationships in our school community, including information about getting involved in the school, advice on how to raise a concern or complaint, and parenting support resources. You can find the new policy and these resources here.

You may also see a new poster up around our school, promoting positive behaviour.

For more information on how to engage positively with our school, please contact megan.smith@education.vic.gov.au

Take care,

Susan Williamson

Assistant Principal

Clifton Hill Primary School acknowledges the Wurundjeri people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we come together to learn, and we pay our respects to Elders of the Kulin Nation past and present.

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