Welcome back to all our families, and a warm welcome to the many new families and students who have joined our Arbor Grove community.
We have had a busy holiday period with improvements to the front office which will make it much easier to enter and exit for parents with a pram, plus the construction of the Arbor Grove Child and Parent Centre has commenced.
We welcome a number of new staff for this year:
- Mr Lewis Williams Junior PE
- Mrs Jessica Ellen Year 5
- Mr Tom Bish Year 6
- Miss Sophie Kozak Year 2
- Miss Rachel Purdy Pre Primary
- Miss Caitlin Proudmore Pre Primary
- Mrs Taryn Starling Kindy
- Mrs Alison Seymour Junior Performing Art
I would like to thank the two parents that have nominated for the School Board. It is pleasing to have so many willing to actively contribute to the school and support the Principal and leadership team achieve our goal of improving student outcomes. Congratulations to Jason Maloney on his success at the recent vote to fill the Parent Board positions. I will confirm the full Board membership to all parents in the next newsletter.
Teachers will, if they haven’t already, have parent meetings soon where they will explain their class expectations and answer any questions. I would encourage all families to attend. If you can not make it you can always contact your child’s class teacher via Connect, email or alternatively contact the office and we will have the teacher return your call.
Again this term the staff are preparing to offer a range of clubs and other activities. I would urge all students and parents to keep an eye out for the flyers. I am sure, like me, all parents are so appreciative of the staff for giving up their own time to organise and run these activities.
I am very excited that Clan Midland and the school will be working in partnership once again this year to offer the Families & Schools Together program (FAST). I would also like to acknowledge and thank the staff that are willing to give up their own time to support this program, volunteer to serve the meals and wash up dishes, and supervise and entertain siblings. As I have mentioned before, the FAST program is internationally acclaimed and helps children thrive by building strong relationships at home.
There is always a lot of good things happening at Arbor Grove Primary School and I remind parents that it is important to keep an eye on the newsletter, Connect and the school web page to ensure you are up to date with all the many exciting activities and going ons.
I look forward to working with the P&C again this year. The P&C contribute in a range of ways to the school, the community and to the provision of services to the students. I would encourage all families (new and existing) to consider getting involved in the P&C. Last year the P&C contributed over $15,000 to the school from fundraising activities with the Rainbow Run a particular highlight.
We understand that from time to time parents will have questions or concerns and I would remind all families that your first point of contact should be the classroom teacher. The Deputies and I are always available to meet parents where the concern has not been resolved, or where parents believe the matter is sensitive.
Mobile Phone’s in Public Schools
As previously advised, the Education Department has announced a ban on students from using mobile phones from the time they enter school grounds to the conclusion of the school day. This ban includes smart watches and listening accessories, such as headphones and earbuds.
The Departments new policy supports staff and students to:
- reduce the potential for learning distraction
- protect the privacy of staff and students
- improve health and wellbeing
- reduce the chance of students bringing external issues to school through technology
- reduce opportunities for cyberbullying.
The School will be finalising its Policy and Procedures shortly and following approval by the School Board will publish these. Teachers will discuss the new procedures with students. We are hopeful of having the new procedures in place before the end of Term 1.
Cyberbullying and Social Media
Sadly, each year the instances of cyberbullying in the wider community appears to increase. Those at Arbor Grove Primary (staff, parent or student) unfortunately are not immune from this behaviour. In the last few years we have offered support to a number of our students in the upper years who have experienced episodes of cyber bullying.
Cyberbullying is described as bullying that is carried out through internet or via mobile device technologies.
Examples of cyberbullying can include:
- repeated hang up calls
- sending insulting or threatening text messages
- publishing someone's personal or embarrassing information online
- creating hate sites or starting social exclusion campaigns on social networking sites.
Cyberbullying has the potential to result in the target of bullying developing social, psychological and educational issues.
While online bullying is similar to real life bullying it also differs in the following ways:
- it can occur 24/7 and a person can be targeted while at home
- it can involve harmful material being widely and rapidly disseminated to a large audience
- it can provide the bully with a sense of relative anonymity and distance from the victim, so there is a lack of immediate feedback or consequences.
We encourage parents to be vigilant in monitoring their child’s online activity and to ensure that their child adheres to the age criteria before creating accounts at sites such as Facebook, Twitter etc.
Parents can also play an important role by modelling the appropriate use of the internet for their child.
Some suggestions for those who are being cyberbullied are to:
- avoid retaliating or responding
- collect the evidence – keep mobile phone messages and print emails or social networking conversations
- block the mobile number and change their privacy settings
- report the abuse to the social media service
- talk to someone they trust such as a parent, teacher or friend.
If they have a friend or know someone at school who is being cyberbullied, advise them:
- not to join in, i.e. don’t comment on posts, images or videos that will hurt others
- not to forward or share posts, images or videos that will hurt others
- to make sure they leave negative groups and conversations
- to report bullying to a trusted adult such as a parent or teacher
- if they feel confident enough, ask the bully to stop
- to support friends who are bullied.
More information and resources to support families is available on the eSafety Commissioner web site www.esafety.gov.au
Early Close on Wednesday
The introduction of the Wednesday early close (2.30pm) has gone smoothly and I thank parents for supporting the school by being prompt to collect students. The earlier close allows the staff the opportunity to engage in professional learning opportunities and various meetings.
School Development Day
Parents are reminded that the school will be closed on Friday 28 February for a school development day. On this day the teachers will be busy with a full day of professional learning.
Before School
I would like to remind all parents and students that the Nature Play and the Megatoy are out of bounds before school. Students arriving before 8.30am are to sit outside the library or with their parents outside their classroom.
If students are with their parents, then we ask that parents actively supervise their children during this time ensuring that their children are following our ARBOR values.
Chasing games are not appropriate before school even if you are with your parents.
We encourage parents to stay until 3.30pm and supervise their children playing on the Megatoy however the Nature Play area is out of bounds after school.
Complaint Resolution
We understand that from time to time parents will have questions or concerns and I would remind all families that the Deputies and I are always available to meet parents to discuss concerns.
As we often remind the children issues are best resolved face to face.
Glen Purdy