Principal's Report

Dear Families,

Welcome to the 2022 school year! Hopefully everyone has had an enjoyable summer holiday.  It has been great to catch up with the children. They all seem very happy to be back with their friends and teachers. 

This is a particularly exciting time for the children who are beginning school in Foundation. We welcome new families to our school community and I trust that through our strong partnerships you will feel connected with your children’s development as they begin their learning journey at Toolamba PS. 

WELCOME FOUNDATION STUDENTS

This week, 22 Foundation students commenced their year of schooling; they all have had a very exciting time. Our Foundation class for 2021 are Axel Boer, Alexis Brisbane, Jack Clowes, Brooklyn Coad, Emer Cowan, Rex Crawford, Scarlett Cumming, Willow Delaney, Joshua & Riley Gadd, Riley Hadzic, Austin Ladgrove, Samuel Lang, Ashlyn McCormick, Jye McKimmie, Declan Monk, Elias Monks, Fletcher Pearson, Fenton Pena, Beau Sproule, Lincoln Whitford and Louis Woodman.

QUILTING AT TOOLAMBA

During art lessons last year, the Grade 5 & 6 students reflected on what our school values meant to them, and they designed a square to depict their thoughts. Rhonda White, our very talented local quilt maker then incorporated their artwork into a quilt which now proudly hangs in the Central Learning Street. 

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to the Kinnane family who have a very welcome addition to their family. Aubrey Ruth Kinnane was born on 24/12/2021 at 4:21pm, weighing 6lb 7oz (3.04kg) She certainly is very cute, I was lucky enough to have a hold this week. I’m sure Monica will have lots of willing helpers. 

Tiarna Thompson played in a team that came first in a ten pin bowling competition in Bendigo last weekend. Well done Tiarna.

SCHOOL FEES

Several families have been inquiring about school fees. Unlike previous years you will not be sent an invoice. Please complete the form below and return to the office indicating method of payment. Schools provide students with free instruction to fulfil the standard Victorian Curriculum and we want to assure you that all contributions are voluntary. Nevertheless, the ongoing support of our families paying these contributions ensures that our school can offer the best possible education and support for our students. Within our school this support has allowed us to offer a wide of subjects and special curriculum experiences for your child. 

Please refer to the Parent Payments Policy tab for further information.

ASSEMBLIES

Assemblies will be held on a Monday afternoon at 2.45pm. At this stage, they will be held in the Amphitheatre. Teachers will continue to present their ‘Striving for Excellence’ Awards and Student Leaders will also present their respective awards. Our assemblies are student lead and commence with an Acknowledgment to Country and our National Anthem.

At next weeks’ assembly we will be presenting badges to our school leaders for 2022. Parents can attend if they wear a mask.

COVIDSafe Practices

We are very appreciative of how supportive the school community has been with the implementation of the COVIDSafe,  wearing of masks and completing the Rapid Antigen Testing twice per week. 

In the pamphlet enclosed in the RAT Kit there is a helpful instructional link/QR code on how to administer the test. www.2san.com/tga-ifu

FACE MASKS 

Staff have revisited this information with the students from Grade 3-6. We would appreciate it if you could please reinforce the same message at home. 

• wash or sanitise your hands before putting it on or taking it off
• make sure it covers your nose and mouth and fits snugly under your chin

• avoid touching the front of your mask while wearing or removing it
• keep it in place – don't hang it around your neck or under your nose
• use a new single use mask each time
• wash and dry reusable masks after use and store in a clean dry place.

BOOK CLUB

Book Club brochures were sent out on Tuesday. All orders are online. Instructions are below. 

KEEPING IN TOUCH – Our communication with you

Throughout the year, there will be times when you need to contact your child’s teacher to discuss a concern. This is best dealt with sooner rather than later. If there is something, you are concerned about, unsure of or puzzled by regarding your child, we would encourage you to touch base with us. Please phone or email to the school. This will then be directed to the class teacher. 

We strongly encourage all families to read our weekly newsletter, which is emailed every Thursday. Newsletters are our main method of communication. 

At times, you will also receive SMS messages; these provide a timely method of communication.

Our Facebook page is a handy quick reference if you want to check details about upcoming events as these are always promoted on this platform.

SCHOOL COUNCIL

Our first meeting for the year is Monday 21st of February at 6.30pm. The Finance Meeting will be 6.00pm

School Council elections are upon us again. This year we have 5 parents and 1 staff member who have completed their term of office and are up for re-election. They are Emily Crawford, Michael Evans, Kevin Moran, Mark Turner and Meaghan South. Below is a timeline for School Council Elections for Toolamba Primary School, 2022. Parents are encouraged to consider standing for election.

TIMELINE FOR SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTIONS 2021

Thurs 10th Feb                   Call for nominations                              

Thurs 3rd Mar                     Closing Date for Nominations

Thurs 10th  Mar                  Ballot Papers Distributed (If necessary)

Tue 18th   Mar                     Close of Ballot for School Council

Mon 21nd  Mar                   New Council is able to meet

The first meeting of the new Council will be held on Monday 28th March to elect the office bearers. This meeting is chaired by the Principal. Thereafter, the fully constituted new School Council will meet, chaired by the duly elected president.

What is a School Council and what does it do?

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

Who is on the School Council?

There are three possible categories of membership:

• A mandated elected Parent category. More than one third of the total members must be from this category. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DET) employees can be Parent members at their child’s school as long as they are not employed at the school.
• A mandated elected DET employee category. Members of this category may make up no more than one third of the total membership of school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.
• An optional Community member category. Its members are appointed by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experiences. DET employees are not eligible to be Community members.

The term of office for all members is two years. Half the members must retire each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.

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.

How can you become involved?

The most obvious way is to vote in the elections, which are held in Term 1 each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant.

In view of this, you might seriously consider standing for election as a member of the school council

• encouraging another person to stand for election.

Do I need special experience to be on School Council?

No. What you do need is an interest in your child’s school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future.

What do you need to do to stand for election?

The principal will issue a Notice of Election and Call for Nominations following the commencement of Term 1 each year. All school council elections must be completed by the end of March unless the usual time line has been varied by the Minister.

If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for someone to nominate you as a candidate or you can nominate yourself in the Parent category.

DET employees whose child is enrolled in a school in which they are not engaged in work are eligible to nominate for parent membership of the school council at that school.

Once the nomination form is completed, return it to the principal within the time stated on the Notice of Election. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt in the mail following the receipt of your completed nomination.

Generally, if there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted during the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.

What is the workload?

School council must meet at least twice each term

Meetings should be restricted to approximately 2.5 – 3 hours duration at most

All school councilors are expected to sit on at least one sub-committee. Sub-committees also meet at least twice each term

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SCHOOL COUNCIL

• Establish the broad direction and vision of the school within the school's community
• Develop and monitor the school strategic plan
• Develop, review and update school policies
• Develop, review and monitor the Student Code of Conduct and the School Dress Code
• Raise funds for school related purposes
• Approve the annual budget and monitor expenditure
• Maintain the school’s grounds and facilities
• Enter into contracts (e.g. cleaning, construction work)
• Report annually to the school community and to DET.
• Stimulate interest in the school generally

THE COUNCIL DOES NOT:

• Manage the school
• Employ teaching staff 
• Represent sectional interests
• Renew the principal's contract or hire and fire the school principal
• Determine class allocations
• Discuss individual issues between teachers and students and/or parents
• Purchase land, buildings or motor vehicles
• Enter into hire purchase agreements or obtain credit or loan facilities, unless authorized by the Minister

Remember

• Ask at the school for help if you would like to stand for election and are not sure what to do
• Consider standing for election to council this year   Contact the school for further information.

TUTOR LEARNING INITIATIVE

The Tutor Learning Initiative will continue this year. The Tutor Learning Initiative is designed to support students whose learning has been disrupted as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Schools must only use their funding to engage tutors to provide targeted teaching to students identified as needing support. Tutors are to be qualified teachers. This commences in Term 1. 

Schools are able to determine the most appropriate model of tutoring for their school and students, with support from regional staff and guided by the evidence, resources and professional learning developed by the Department. We will be providing this support to students in the form of small group work.  Current research suggests that small-group learning offered through focused, regular sessions with a trained teacher is a clear evidence-based approach for improving student-learning outcomes in a timely manner (Grattan Institute, 2020).

Our school has used our data sets to identify students who we feel will benefit from participation in this initiative. The sessions will take the place 3 times per week. These will take the form on small group work both in and outside the classroom. Tutors will work closely with classroom teachers with the aim of supporting students with their learning. We are very fortunate to have Ms Uhlendorf, Mrs Lipshut, Mr Thompson and Mrs Kimmorley supporting the initiative. Over the next three weeks, parents of the students who are participating in this initiative will be contacted. 

My apologies for information overload.

Have a great weekend, enjoy the cooler weather!

Regards Heather