PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
P & F UPDATE
The Parents and Friends Association meets once per term and aims to provide the opportunity for collaboration to improve our College. It is an opportunity for parents to share insights and discuss issues that are affecting their children, and hear about how the school addresses these issues. A significant role of the P & F is to make decisions on how to use the P & F levy to improve College amenities for your children.
The P & F have recently undertaken a significant spending program to use money accumulated through COVID and ensure that levies collected are used in the time your chidlren are here. We will aim to share some of the many ways these finds are used in future newsletters.
Outdoor learning space and Senior area - the P & F have made a significant contribution to the creation of an outdoor learning space and senior area that backs onto our prayer space and Aboriginal Garden. This is coming along nicely with shade sail to be installed in week 4 of this term. A grant from the Government has also been put towards this space.
P&F KLA grants - were provided to each KLA for specialist equipment and resources that were outside their regular budget means. HSIE have used some of this funding to have maps of the world put on blinds in their classrooms to liven up their spaces.
Wellbeing dog sponsorship - The P & F have also sponsored the purchase and Dogs Connect program for Clover, our wellbeing dog. See the update later in the newsletter.
Discussion items - Uniform
The P & F have requested that we investigate bringing back the long sleeve winter shirt to make the jumper more comfortable to wear. We are also reviewing the composition of the jumper, and considering a move to a poly cotton jumper instead of a wool blend jumper. This is a move being made in many schools to provide a more comfortable option, particularly for students with allergies and sensory issues, more common with the feel of the woollen jumpers.
We are also looking at a redesign of our Tracksuit top to transition in future years. We will review the make and style of the jumper, looking for a slightly warmer option with more contemporary styling.
The process for uniform changes will always be to provide samples for review and feedback from students and parents, before a decision is made in consultation with our P & F. Changes will be phased in to avoid any unnecessary cost to families who may have recently purchased uniform items.
Bushfire Management Plan
John Therry completes a bushfire management plan each year as we are considered to be in an area at risk. With recent housing development around the school this risk is quite minimal, though we do have a small nature corridor that runs along the back of the school and OLHC that presents a small risk. Our plan is similar to our emergency evacuation procedures with our College Hall being our shelter in place location. With a long hot summer predicted it is important to consider this, even though our risk is very small.
Palestine and Israel - being mindful of social media
As always, the wellbeing of students and staff in our Catholic school communities is paramount. Recent events in Israel and Palestine are widely publicised across all media platforms, including Tik Tok and Instagram, and may cause distress and concern for our young people. There are concerns that distressing images may be livestreamed and so it can be an opportunity to talk with our children about the dangers of watching this footage and protecting themselves.
It is normal to have feelings of distress in response to these events and awareness of the impact of this information and images on our young people is important. If at any time, you are concerned about the explicit nature of any information your child, or the young people in your care are exposed to on social media platforms, please contact the e-safety commissioner website to report this. (Information regarding what constitutes inappropriate content, and ways to report this are available on the e-safety commissioner’s website.)
We pray for all the innocent victims caught in this conflict and pray for peace and resolution in this very complex situation.
School Improvements
John Therry successfully secured funding from the Australian Government Schools Upgrade Fund – Open Round for the 2023 school year. The Schools Upgrade Fund provides funding to improve and upgrade school facilities, to help keep students safe and get their education back on track after the COVID-19 disruptions of the last couple of years.This investment demonstrates the government's commitment to providing our students with the best possible learning environment.
With this funding the school is installing a shade sail and outdoor tables near our Aboriginal Gardens as an outdoor learning space for staff and students. This space sits alongside a teaching and learning block of classrooms, and will allow learning to take place in an outdoor setting, connected to the natural environment. This will also be used as our new senior student area with an outdoor kitchenette with microwaves available for student use.
We acknowledge the Australian Government’s contribution and thank all those involved in making this funding possible.Through this partnership, we can continue to shape a brighter future for our students.