Message from the Principal Team
Principals' Update
Curriculum Day
Today our staff participated in the Community Understanding and Safety Training (CUST) facilitated by Koorie Education Support Officers, Tyson Austin, Jasmin Wright and Sonya Hunt.
CUST is a key commitment in the Marrung: Aboriginal Education Plan, which is a ten-year plan to support improved outcomes for Koorie learners across all education settings.
The training assisted our staff to further develop our understanding of Aboriginal culture, the importance of equity and inclusion in educational practice and what schools can do to provide a culturally safe learning environment for Koorie students.
Topics that were covered in training included:
• Welcome to Country/Acknowledgement of Country
• History – Pre colonisation and post colonisation
• Local Community today
• Inclusion and reflective practice
• Aboriginal Perspectives in the Victorian Curriculum
• Local context.
Excellent NAPLAN Results
This week we received the 2021 NAPLAN results for our Year 3 and 5 students. NAPLAN was conducted in Term 2 when we were fortunate enough to be learning onsite. We are very excited with the results and in most areas our students have equivalent to or better than results in previous years.
Our students’ results have exceeded the average results for schools in our Yarra Darebin Network in the areas of Year 3 Reading, Spelling, Numeracy, Grammar and Punctuation and Year 5 Grammar and Punctuation. Our Year 5 students have achieved results well above the average results of other schools in our Network in Reading, Writing and Spelling. In the areas of Year 3 Writing and Year 5 Numeracy our results are just below the network average.
Our School Improvement Team (SIT) have already had a look at our NAPLAN results and will be further analysing these when we meet next week to determine common misconceptions and areas for opportunity within the results to improve future learning.
We will be posting out each student’s individual report early next week. These exceptional results are a clear indication that our students are persevering through remote and flexible learning and that our teachers, Primary Maths Specialists, Tutors and CNPS families have been able to successfully support those students where their learning may have been impacted during lock down periods.
It’s OK To Be Me - Wear It Purple Day
Thank you to all of the students and staff who participated in It’s OK To Be Me Day and Disco last Friday!
RUOK Day Thursday 9 September
Our school will be participating in RUOK Day next Thursday 9 September.
The message for this year is:
Are they really OK? Ask them today.
Do you know how the people in your world are really going?
Life's ups and downs happen to all of us. So chances are someone you know might be struggling. Your genuine support can make a difference whatever they are facing, big or small.
So, don’t wait until someone’s visibly distressed or in crisis. Make a moment meaningful and ask them how they’re really going.
Are they really OK? Ask them today. Your conversation could change a life.
This is a timely opportunity to remind all of our CNPS Families that we have a number of support networks within the school and community to be able to assist any individuals or families that may need wellbeing support during these very difficult times. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at school or contact School Councillors Conrad Dudley- Bateman on 0418 557 646 or Alice Knowles on 0414 749 482 if you require support.
Cybersafety @ CNPS
In response to our recent staff professional learning with Cybersafety Consultant Susan McLean, we have reviewed our Photographing, Filming and Recording Student Policy and consent form. In addition we have also conducted Privacy Information Assessments for all of our online learning platforms and platforms used for assessment, reporting and administration. The Photographing, Filming and Recording Student Policy clearly states that when school staff use their own personal devices to capture images of students for reasonable and legitimate educational purposes staff are expected to upload the images to the school database and delete the images from their device within a week of the images being captured.
We are currently reviewing the Digital Learning Policy and will be discussing this policy at the next Education Subcommittee meeting. This policy will be then shared with the community as part of the consultation process.
Safe Online Practices at CNPS - Staff will be recording all Zoom session with students
During our Staff Professional Learning meeting this week we reviewed best practice for our teachers when working with students online during remote and flexible learning periods. As of next Monday 6 October all CNPS staff will be recording their Zoom sessions when working with students. The reason for recording each online session with students is to ensure that we are implementing the best possible Child Safe Practices to ensure the online safety of all our students. These recordings will be uploaded weekly to the school’s database and then deleted at the end of the year.
Remote Learning Update
We know it is difficult to have your children at home and to make things easier we recommend that as families you focus on 3 key considerations for your children: Routine; Predictability and a Sense of Security. While all these things are really important, we would also like you to reflect on how the adults in the family are feeling. If the routine of online learning is becoming tiresome or stressful, take a break and relax. Do not let stress about schoolwork override your relationship with your children. Learning is important but when necessary, let it go and get back to it later. Most children should be able to do their schoolwork independently so please encourage and praise your children to do this.
Below is a schedule for the remote digital programs that Zoos Victoria are offering for schools and families during lockdown. The Digital Programs offer rich learning experiences that give students direct access to our wildlife expert Zoo Teachers. Each program includes a 30-minute online workshop with a Zoo Teacher and a teaching guide filled with activities. While not a tour of the zoo, you will have direct access to a Zoo Teacher and unique zoo content.
Extended Restrictions for Victoria
Due to the ongoing level of community transmission of COVID-19, the Victorian Government has announced the current restrictions in place across Victoria will be extended until 23 September. Any update or change to this will be communicated through the return to onsite learning plan that will be released next week.
This means remote and flexible learning will continue in all Victorian schools until the end of Term 3. There are no changes to the current operational settings in schools or the categories of students who can attend on-site.
Limited Access to Onsite Learning
Current arrangements will continue. An authorised worker permit will be required for authorised workers to attend a workplace, and parents and carers can only request on-site supervision at school for their child/ren in the below categories.
Category A
Children where both parents and or carers are considered authorised workers who cannot work from home, work for an authorised provider and where no other supervision arrangements can be made.
Where there are two parents/carers, both must be authorised workers, working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision at school.
For single parents/carers, the authorised worker must be working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision at school.
Parents and carers who are authorised workers will need an authorised worker permit from their employers to access on-site supervision for their child/ren in Category A.
For those requesting on-site learning under Category A, a copy of your authorised worker permit or permits must be submitted to our school as soon as practicable after it is issued.
Category B
Children experiencing vulnerability, including:
- in out-of-home care
- deemed vulnerable by a government agency, funded family or family violence service, and assessed as requiring education and care outside the family home
- identified by a school or early childhood service as vulnerable, (including via referral from a government agency, or funded family or family violence service, homeless or youth justice service or mental health or other health service)
- where a parent/carer indicates that a student with a disability is vulnerable because they cannot learn from home, and/or informs the school the student is vulnerable due to family stress, the school must provide on-site supervision for that student. This may apply to students enrolled in specialist schools and students with a disability enrolled in mainstream schools.
An authorised worker permit is not required for accessing on-site supervision under Category B.
If you are eligible to access onsite supervision please complete the Googleform and provide a copy of your authorised worker permit to the school.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdb3alOg1sGAAoxPukEcSdYpYUr5SMQXph2zKIa_-Nh051KrQ/viewform
COVID-19 and Vaccination – Your questions answered webinar
The Victorian Department of Health is hosting a live webinar for final year high school students, their families and educators to provide information on COVID-19 vaccination. You can join the free webinar on Friday 3 September, 4.00-5.00pm via this link (no need to register).
Topics covered include:
• Vaccines, development and safety
• Accessing and consenting to a vaccination
• How to book an appointment
• Q+A with the panel.
This event will be held via Microsoft Teams Live. For access information, visit Attend a live event in Teams.
Class Placement for 2022
Early next term, our teachers will start creating the classes for 2022. Within class, teachers will ask students to list 5 friends that they work well with in the classroom. Between now and next term we are asking you to please have a chat with your child at home to start identifying these friends.
If you have a request for your child’s class placement due to wellbeing concerns, please ensure that you make this request no later than Friday 8 October, so that your request is considered when organising classes for 2022. Creating classes is a very complex process and it is very difficult to make changes to the classes once they are formed. One change can have a flow on effect and impact strategic decisions and other class placement requests. We will not consider class placement requests made after Friday 8 October.
At Carlton North Primary School we recognise the importance of fostering and maintaining friendship groups. We also understand that it is equally important for students to mix and learn with peers who have different interests. We ask that requests for class placements are made in writing and are addressed to Rachel, Erin or Jane. We will not always be able to accommodate class placement requests but will endeavour to take your wishes into consideration where possible.
All teachers at CNPS are caring and committed educators and CNPS strives to ensure that all students are provided with a high quality education. Whilst we appreciate that you may believe that your child would benefit from being placed in a class with a particular teacher, we are generally unable to accommodate these requests. The Class Placement Policy can be found on the school’s website. http://www.carltonnthps.vic.edu.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/6.1-Class-Placement-Policy.pdf
Petition for Further Funding for our Buildings and Grounds
Ellen Sandell, the Greens State MP for Melbourne, has begun advocating on behalf of our school to secure significant infrastructure funding for our beautiful school buildings and grounds.
As part of this campaign, Ellen has arranged a petition calling on the Government to fund important upgrades, which include fire alarms for each building, playground equipment, fixing of trip hazards due to tree roots, air conditioning in the main building, sewage pipe replacement and new fencing.
This petition has gone live and you can find it here.
We strongly encourage our parent community, along with friends, family members and supporters to sign this petition. The more signatures we get, the greater the impact.
In addition, the school recently applied, under two separate grant streams for funding, to upgrade the junior toilets and apply acoustic treatment to walls and ceilings throughout the school. These closed on 6 August and we should know by the end of the year if our submissions have been successful.
Have a great week and sending positive vibes from the Principal Team
Rachel Corben, Erin Brown & Jane Bilby