Principal's Report

School Closure

I was neither expecting nor hoping to be writing this week’s newsletter piece during a school closure. There was a collective sigh of disappointment as we heard the news on Friday afternoon.

Taking into account the planned length of the school closure, the school reissued a series of learning activities for students of all ages. If the school closure extends beyond Thursday, there are plans in place for teachers to provide more tailored learning experiences to their students.

Welcome Assembly

Last Monday we were able to hold our first whole-school assembly in a year. It was lovely to have students, staff and families together as we welcomed our Foundation students. Hopefully, it’s the first of many this year.

Wingrove St Campus

We were fortunate to be able to hold the Opening Ceremony for WSC last Friday, ahead of the midnight lockdown. Amongst the visitors who attended were Kat Theophanous MP, Ged Kearney MP, Cr Emily Dimitriadis and Stacey Gabriel (Department of Education, Area Executive Director North East Melbourne). 

Keep an eye out for a special Wingrove St communication, where you will see photographs from the event as well as a virtual tour of the campus. 

Petition for Crossing Supervisor

At the time of writing, nearly 350 community members have signed the petition to have a crossing supervisor placed at the Wingrove St/Fairfield Rd crossing. This petition will stay open until Thursday at 4.30pm, before being presented at the next meeting of City of Darebin. 

Upgrades to the Original FPS Building

Whilst WSC and the demolition of the old Foundation building have caught people’s eyes, next time you are walking past the school, look up at the recently painted façade of our beautiful heritage building. We have had a significant amount of painting included in our building project, and the outcome is stunning. We said farewell to the rotting window frames and cracked paint, and said hello to our beautifully restored red brick building, including our ‘Fairfield No 2711’ sign.

Welcome Picnic

At last night’s School Council meeting, the decision was made to postpone Friday’s Welcome Picnic. School Council decided that with the picnic scheduled in just four days’ time, and with the uncertainty over restrictions, it would be better to have the picnic later in the term. Keep an eye out in Compass for details.

Principal Morning Tea

The termly Principal Morning Tea is scheduled for next Thursday 4 March, at 9am. During these sessions, I meet with parents to provide an update on what is happening around the school, and answer any questions that you may have. 

We will monitor COVID restrictions when deciding whether this event will be held in person or virtually – keep any eye out in Compass.

Second Hand Uniform

You may have noticed that the second hand items available for purchase have been moved around the school during the building works of recent months. It is now permanently stored at the top of the corridor (next to the library) and parents are welcome to browse and purchase items – just pay your $2 per item at the school office. 

Thank you to parent Jenny Walter for her organisation of this. 

Where is Lost Property?

The school is ordering new storage to house lost property items. This storage will be located in the administration wing, around the corner from the office. In the meantime, if your child has lost items, direct this to the class teacher and then the office.

Enjoy the rest of the week, and looking forward to hopefully seeing everyone back on Thursday.

~ Paul Wallace, Principal