26/11/2022
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.
Dear Parents & Students,
On Friday afternoon I put an announcement on Ueducateus in regards to my position as Principal of Eppalock PS. I have included it again today in the newsletter for those who may not have seen it.
I am writing to all school families today to inform you of my provisional appointment to the principal position at Eaglehawk North Primary School for 2023.
I will continue in the principal role at Eppalock Primary School until the end of the school year and over the holiday period.
The Loddon Campaspe Area Office, Department of Education & Training (DET), will have responsibility in coming weeks for recruiting and appointing an acting principal to Eppalock PS for Term 1 2023.
During Term 1 2023, a DET selection process involving Eppalock PS School Council will be in place to appoint a permanent principal, with a successful applicant taking up the role from the beginning of Term 2 2023.
This announcement may come as a bit of shock to some and I do apologise for the timing being so close to the end of the school year. I will be working to ensure Eppalock PS has plans in place to ensure a successful hand over to the new Acting Principal for Term 1 and will be available for any support or discussion required.
I have very much enjoyed my time as Principal of Eppalock PS. It will always hold a special place in my memories. I will always be grateful for the support and encouragement i have received throughout my time, especially through such a challenging period in all of our lives.
Thanks to those families who have reached out since the announcement and passed on well wishes and congratulations, I have really appreciated them. They have further enhanced what I already know, in that, Eppalock PS is a fantastic school community to be a part of. I will miss working at Eppalock PS and do hope that I have been able to leave the place in a more positive standing then when I arrived. I do look forward to watching the school grow and thrive from afar and if anyone does ever need to reach out, you know where I will be.
I am at the school until the end of the school year and hope to be able to catch up with as many of our families as possible. School community night is on Friday 9th, and while I will not be making any long emotional speeches of farewell, I will take that opportunity to thank and say goodbye to everyone as a whole. I will most likely have a quick chat to the students as a group on Monday afternoon to let them know of the announcement.
On to a brighter note.
Grade P-2 stayback and sleepover was on Thursday night. We really enjoyed the connected circus presentation at the start of the night where all students got a chance to practice their circus skills with different equipment. We may even have some future circus stars. Then we all got a chance to make our own mini pizzas with lots of different toppings to choose from. Special thanks to Audrey for making me this fantastic looking pizza. Everyone conducted themselves exceptionally well and had great manners and respect for adults. Huge thanks to Miss B for organising the event and to Shara and Kristy for attending and helping to prepare our tea.
On Friday our School Captains completed their special little project of organising and presenting a radio show with the support and guidance from Phoenix FM. Over a number of weeks Katie and Mieka have been communicating with Katrina Nannestad (local author) and John Pearce (Phoenix FM) in regards to organising a radio interview with Katrina on the air. John and Katrina have been very obliging and giving of their time and supported Katie and Mieka along the way. Hopefully everyone got to tune into the show on Friday. Well done Mieka and Katie on a job well done. It has been great watching you learn and grow in confidence with this task.
2023 Classes & transition sessions
On Tuesday of this week we will start our 2023 transition sessions with our new Foundation students and some of our new students in other grades of the school. Teachers will speak with our 2-6 classes about how the classes will work in 2023 and explain the movement between the two groups so that they are aware they will be a little more fluid with their learning groups. It is important for families to note that whichever group students are in will just be a starting base and a main point of contact. Students will move between teachers based on their point of need learning and spend time with both teachers in those rooms. Opening the sliding door between the rooms will allow for easy, regular and consistent movement. These class groups will also have access to education support staff and an additional staff member during some learning sessions.
Covid Updates & illness
We have had a couple of notifications in the school this week of positive Covid cases. These have been people that have not been on-site, but still something to be aware of. Please continue to monitor any symptoms at home. Any household contacts can attend school if a negative test has been completed, however a mask MUST be worn inside the school building at all times.
Self Care Poster
I have left the self-care poster in our newsletter this week just in case you missed it last week. Please take some time to look through it if you are looking for ideas and strategies to give yourself a boost. If you are struggling in some way, please reach out and we may be able to point you in the right direction to get some further support.
School Wide Positive Behaviours
Our Focus for this week is ‘Being thankful for those around us’. Especially in times when we are a bit down, we can miss or overlook the great people we have in our lives. At school we encourage our students to thank their parents and look after their parents when they can. We hope your children come home from time to time and say thank you for the many things you do for them. We have asked the students to keep a look out this week for the many wonderful people they have around them and be thankful for their support.
Watjarang 724 Yuliwil 648 Bunjil 776 | 1st - P/1 2nd - 4/5/6 3rd - 2/3 | P/1 Nicky.M 2/3 Elvina.D 4/5/6 Harry.G |
The last MARC VAN for the year will be on Wednesday 13th December. Please make sure to bring your books back on or before this date as Sue will be handing out a little gift for anyone that has no outstanding books.