Term 4 SWPBS Focus

Kindness

Respect, Responsibility, Resilience.

School Vision:

Our school’s vision is to prepare young people to become active, engaged and responsible citizens of the local and global community. 

• We will provide a safe, calm and welcoming learning environment where every child is treated as an individual.

• We will develop children who have a strong relationship to school and their community. The children will have a sense of self & understand how they learn.

• We will build and support an open, healthy and welcoming community that is visible in its practical support for the learning and wellbeing of each child. Children will be encouraged to embrace and celebrate difference and they will experience positive interactions with adults.

• We aim to foster a love of and for our natural environment and nurture a strong sense of stewardship within our students.  Eppalock PS prioritises environmental sustainability.

Thanks again for the understanding, flexibility and patience shown in such an unusual period of weather recently.  Hoping that it begins to settle down in the coming weeks and school doesn’t have to consider these types of major weather factors when planning events.  If your family has been impacted after the floods and weather and the school can provide some assistance in some way please let us know.  There are numerous ways to donate to the communities that have been impacted, but we may have some of our own community quietly battling away so please let us know.  I am aware that some of these communities are looking for donations of toiletry items, toothpaste, soap, shampoo etc.  If you would like to donate something like this, please send it along to school from home and we will put a box together to pass on. Please don’t feel any obligation to send anything in.  We will put a box at the front office area and send it off next Friday the 28^th.

We had our final day of review on Wednesday the 19^th October.  Overall it was a positive learning experience which has identified some Key Improvement Strategies for our teaching and learning programs for the next 4 years.  The school review has a classroom and student learning focus after gathering up a range of information and observations from interviews, classroom observations, student input and data from surveys.  A huge thanks to everyone involved in the process in whatever capacity.  I have included the two overarching goals set by the review panel and the Key improvement strategies that will guide the work done in the next Strategic plan.  While these are quite broad statements, underneath these will sit our Annual Implementation plan documents which have a more specific focus each year.

Goal 1

To improve learning growth and achievement for all students in Literacy and Numeracy.

Key Improvement Strategies

• Build data literacy skills to inform collaborative planning for point of need teaching and learning.
• Enhance teacher practice through the strengthening of PLC, moderation and feedback processes.

Goal 2.

Empower students to be engaged and self-regulated learners.

Key Improvement Strategies

• Define, develop, document and implement whole school practices and processes to embed student voice, agency and leadership.
• Build the capabilities of students to co-design and monitor their goals.

Staff are currently planning a replacement Sports Day for the students.  We will communicate what this might look like once some confirmed plans are in place. 

Breakfast club will take place on Thursday of this week the 27^th October.  It will run from 8:15am-8:45am. 

Covid Updates

Please remember to check out the updated Covid announcement on Educateus recently. Household contacts are able to attend school if they have tested negative and are wearing a mask.  Please remember to get the negative test result before sending any household contacts to school, this helps to keep the whole school well.

Reminders

• Please ensure longer hair is tied back each day when coming to school – this has been going well thank you!
• Any changes to regular pick up routines are best communicated via phone and speaking directly to a staff member so that it can be recorded in the after school pick up folder. We cannot always guarantee an email will be seen in time during the day.
• Staff duty of care begins at 8:45am in the morning.
• Broad-brimmed hats are required for term 4.

New Australia-wide Fire Danger Ratings

I have left this information in the newsletter again this week in case it was missed last week.

• On 1 September 2022 Fire Danger Ratings changed across Australia. 
• Fire Danger Ratings provide information so people in affected areas can take action to protect themselves and others. The higher the fire danger, the more dangerous the conditions and the greater the impact will be if a fire starts.
• The new system uses better technology and research to determine fire danger ratings and was developed using feedback from one of Australia’s largest surveys of communities. The new ratings are designed to be easier to understand and provides clear advice about actions to take.
• There are now four fire danger rating levels. When no Fire Danger Rating is issued, the arrow will point to a white ‘no rating’ level.
• From August, old fire danger signs will be covered with a sticker letting communities know that fire danger ratings are changing. Old signs will be replaced with new ones from September. The signs will be replaced according to the communities whose fire season will arrive first. As the summer approaches be sure to monitor conditions and check the VicEmergency websiteor app whilst at home and before travelling.

What do the new ratings mean for Eppalock PS?

Eppalock PS is on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR).  Schools and children’s services listed on the DET Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) will be closed when a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is determined in their Bureau of Meteorology district.  

Where possible, we will provide parents with up to four days notice of a potential Catastrophic day closure by letter, phone tree and/or school Facebook page.  A Catastrophic day will be determined by the Emergency Management Commissioner no later than 1.00 pm the day before the potential closure.  Once we are advised of the confirmation of the Catastrophic day we will provide you with advice before the end of the school day.

Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast.  This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child.  It is also important to note that:

• No staff will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic day.
• School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic danger rating day is determined for the Bureau of Meteorology district in which the camp is located.
• As a bus co-ordinating school all bus routes will be cancelled.

On these Catastrophic days families are encouraged to enact their Bushfire Survival Plan – on such days children should never be left at home or in the care of older children.  For those of us living in a bushfire prone area, the CFA advise that when Catastrophic days are forecast, the safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning.  As part of preparing our school for potential hazards such as fire, we update and complete our Emergency Management Plan.

What can parents do?

• Make sure your family’s bushfire survival plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements in the event that our school is closed.  
• Ensure we have your current contact details, including your mobile phone numbers.  Keep in touch with us by reading our newsletters and checking our Facebook page.
• Most importantly at this time of year, if you’re planning a holiday or short stay in the bush or in a coastal area, you should check warnings in advance of travel and remain vigilant during your stay.
• If your child is old enough, talk to them about bushfires and your family’s bushfire survival plan.
• You can access more information about children’s services closures on the Department of Education and Training website – see http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/pages/closures.aspx

This information will be included regularly in our Term 4 and Term 1 newsletters.

School Items for removal

We have some awnings at the back of the school which can be claimed at any stage.

Classroom sizes for 2023

At School Council last Thursday we discussed the sizes of our current classroom structures if they were to continue the same in 2023.  A F/1, 2/3 and 4/5/6 would have our class sizes at – 15, 18 and 28.  Some different ideas and strategies were thrown around by school council and have also been considered by staff.  At this stage, no definite decision has been confirmed, however school staff will consider all options and make a decision on what is considered best for students.  The outcome may be different to our current structure or it may remain the same with some supporting strategies.  Most likely the outcome won’t suit everyone to begin with, however we just ask that anything new is given some time to develop good routines and practices.  I will keep you updated on what 2023 classrooms will look like in the coming weeks. 

Let’s have an active fun summer of cricket…   

Strathfieldsaye Jets Cricket Club welcomes new and existing players to register for the 2022/23 season.  Registrations are now open for Junior Blaster (ages 5 to 7), Master Blaster (ages 8 to 10), U11, U12, U14, U16, and Junior Girls teams via the link below:

https://play.cricket.com.au/club/strathfieldsaye-cricket-club/1a3bd37b-87d8-eb11-a7ad-2818780da0cc

We look forward to a fun filled summer of cricketing action for all ages. 

If requiring further information, or any queries in general please feel free to contact us via email strathfieldsayejets@gmail.com or the phone numbers below.

“Live local, Play local”

Brent Yates | Junior President | 0434 730 711

Marc Sherwell | Junior Secretary | 0418 365 461 

Strathfieldsaye Jets CC