Review of Australian Education – Gonski 2.0

The recommendations of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian schools, led by David Gonski, came out recently. https://www.education.gov.au/review-achieve-educational-excellence-australian-schools

It contains 5 key findings and 23 recommendations. To a school educator, yet another change to the curriculum school’s must teach to (and this one comes before the current Australian Curriculum has been fully implemented) is a bit tiresome, to say the least. The Western Australian Curriculum, the WA version of the AC, began implementation in 2015.

That said, comparing the approach that OLG teachers have been practicing for quite some years to a close reading of Gonski’s 23 recommendations, would suggest that we at OLG have been on the correct path (or, at least, in line with Gonski’s thinking) for some time. Hence, adapting to those recommendations should not be an issue for us.

That is not to say that we will not have to make some changes should the recommendations be endorsed by government, but they will not require to large an adjustment.

Primary Education – a Business or a School.

For the first twenty years of my teaching career I worked in the Government system, much of that as a Principal. There were no fees, staffing numbers were set, provided by and paid for by “Head Office”.

All I had to do was teach and lead the school. In my first principalship I had an annual budget of $15,000 for the 35 children from PP to Year 7. I taught Years 4-7 for four and half days a week with half a day and every night for the ‘leading’ part. It was probably the best and most enjoyable time of my career.

It was a school and in no way, a business.

When I moved to a single stream school in the Catholic system, the budget grew to close to a million dollars, I had to find and employ all the staff as well as teach, lead and come to grips with the business side of running a school.

Those early years in the Government system made me realise that it is the quality of your staff members that make the difference if your focus is on the children. Then, I had no control over who was appointed to the school, but the Catholic system gave me that power – probably the most important and influential power that a principal can have – the ability to choose the staff members of the school.

While some will aim to appoint the ‘cheapest’ candidate, I believe children deserve the best classroom staff that are available. They deserve and need high quality staff and programs that will give them every chance to succeed as learners and people. Balancing the budget is secondary.

Yes, a Catholic school is a business and must balance the budget, but it is foremost a school – a place that cares about, nurtures and educates children.

For a long time now OLG has achieved a balanced budget year in and year out. It comes at a cost to parents though. I do not recall a single year, in my last 26 or so in the Catholic system, when fees have not increased. The cost of utilities, wages, insurance, maintenance and all those other typical business expenses rise inexorably. I wish it weren’t so, both for my household accounts and the school’s, but that is life.

We currently have somewhere in the region of $750,000 in school fees and charges outstanding. Parents are asked to adopt one of the following options when it comes to paying their fees:

·         Pay the full year’s fees in February

·         Pay a third of the fees in the first week or so of each of Terms One, Two and Three.

·         Enter into a Direct Debit arrangement whereby a set amount is regularly moved from your bank account to the school’s, such that the annual fee is paid across the 52 weeks of the year.

·         Come in and speak to me about other alternatives. Such chats are totally confidential and I try to make them as easy as possible. I think it is better for the school to come to an arrangement with a family rather than bombard them with reminder notices.

N.B. No child’s place at OLG, nor their full involvement in the school, will ever be compromised by a family’s inability to pay the full school fee. (My Government School attitude coming through!)

Our Sisters, Maureen, Joseph and Amelia, will join with all the other nuns serving in the Australian province of the Order for a meeting with their Superior General, Mother Jana Zawieja, CSFN (who visited OLG a year or so ago) and quite possibly Sister Helen Tereba, Assistant General (and former Principal of OLG).

I believe the meeting is held in Sydney and so our Sisters will be away for the rest of this week and a few days of next.

NAPLAN

Our Year Three and Five students will be involved in the national assessment program. The schedule is shown below. The assessment sessions will generally begin at 9.00am.

The AEDC is a national progress measure 

The AEDC provides a national measurement to monitor Australian children’s development. 

The AEDC provides evidence to support policy, planning and action for health, education and community support. The AEDC can assist governments to develop flexible approaches to policy and planning that address the evolving needs of children and families in the future.

With three sets of AEDC national data collected in 2009, 2012 and 2015, we now have an indication of the national progress towards improving the development of Australian children. With each successive wave of data collected, the AEDC will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the state and progress of early childhood development in Australia.

As the environments of children improve, it is anticipated the AEDC data will demonstrate a higher proportion of children who are ‘developmentally on track’ and fewer children who are classified as ‘developmentally at risk’ or ‘developmentally vulnerable’.

In a couple of weeks our Pre Primary teachers will complete surveys on each of their students as part of this program.

Stage 8b

·         Entry via the eastern staircase will probably be cut off this week.

·         Today the administrative functions of the school moved into the former Pre Kindy room. In here you will find reception, Finance Officer, both Assistant Principals and myself, as well as the sick bay.

·         Demolition works to the east end of the MPA and the south end of the Admin building will be well underway by the end of next week.

·         A 3-metre-long balustrade has been requested for the final part of the ramp leading up to the SW entrance gate. As this will be included into the 8b program it will take a while but it will happen.

·         The upgrade to the school’s wifi system has been ordered and will cover the upgrade of the whole school.

·         The installation of a CCTV system is now underway.

 Community Relations Coordinator

Reporting to the Principal, the successful applicant will work across the School and is responsible for identifying and utilising marketing, communications, media and public relations opportunities to raise our profile and promote Our Lady of Grace School to identified stakeholders. Consistency of our key messaging and promotion of our brand will be paramount, as will be growing our digital platforms. The successful applicant will need to plan, create, repurpose and distribute content in external and internal communications, both hard copy and online, as well as maintain our social media platforms and website.

This position is offered at 8 hours per week which are flexible and will be negotiated with the successful applicant. This position would suit someone with a media or journalism background and/or qualifications. The position involves working with children and the applicant must hold a current Working with Children Card.

Applications should be addressed to the Principal, PO Box 383 North Beach 6920 or sent to admin@olg.wa.edu.au

Applicants must submit a curriculum vitae, addressed to the Principal, including the names and contact numbers of three referees, one of whom must be the current employer. Applicants must be fully supportive of the objectives and ethos of Catholic education.

Applications close 25 May, 2018.

The Catholic Education Commission of Western Australia (CECWA) has a strategic purpose to ensure that Catholic education is delivered and managed through the system of Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) in a responsible and effective manner, working within the Catholic Mission, appropriate standards and regulations.

The CECWA has commenced the process of developing the strategic direction for Catholic education in Western Australia from 2019 to 2021. This fundamental work will enable the CECWA to consolidate and communicate our key objectives for coming years.

The first phase of this consultation involves gathering feedback from our Catholic education community that will inform the draft Strategic Directions 2019 - 2021.

We would like to invite you to complete a survey to provide your valued input. Visit  https://connect.cewa.edu.au to complete the survey, open for participation until Friday, 11 May. There are hard copies available at reception should you wish to complete one.

The CECWA is eager to listen to our community through this important process and I thank you in anticipation for your participation in helping to shape the future direction of Catholic education throughout Western Australia. 

Chris Kenworthy

Principal

Please contact Peta Taylor on 0419 260832 if you can help out with volunteering.

To access our online order system please visit www.ouronlinecanteen.com.au. Instructions for signing up are on the website or you can contact the Support line on 1300 116 637 for assistance.

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Please read

There are an increasing number of online orders that are not being captured due to parents not confirming their orders. Once you have placed an order please check your confirmation email or your "active orders" section to ensure your order has been placed, as we are getting numerous children at canteen quite upset that they haven't received their lunches.

Canteen News

** New Muffins **

Banana/Choc Chip      $2.00

Mixed Berry                    $2.00

Available Monday, Wednesday and Friday recess

** Soup on Mondays ** - from 14th May for Year 5 & 6

$4.00 cup

$4.50 with a roll

Congratulations to the students who received Merit Awards at last week's assembly.

Library Roster

Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop will open from 8.45am to 9.15am on Friday 11th May only. Friday 18th May normal trade 8.15 - 9.00am.

Scholastic book club order forms were sent home this week and all orders must be returned to the Library (not the office) before 8.30am on Friday 10th May whether you're paying by cash or paying online. Please note, no later orders will be accepted! Please use the book club LOOP (Linked Online Ordering & Payment) system if paying by credit card at www.scholastic.com.au/LOOP.

Scribblers Festival, 9-13 May

A brand new festival celebrating storytelling, taking place at The Goods Shed and in venues around Claremont.  Lots of free activities.  Featured authors and illustrators include AJ Betts, Kelly Canby, James Foley, Nikki Greenberg, Leigh Hobbs, Prof. Barry Marshall, Meg McKinlay, Chris Riddell and many more.  "Opening a book means opening your mind.  It means opening up new worlds and fresh understanding, not just once upon a time, but time and again. Help us encourage literate, inquisitive, knowledge-hungry young minds with the 2019 Scribblers Festival".  Find out more at:

scribblersfestival.com.au

Italian:  Years 2-6 Italian Assessments will be carried out in Term 2, Week 4. Could you please ensure that your child/children revises the work that they have been learning this term in preparation for their assessments.

Grazie Mille Signorina Algeri

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop is open Tuesday from 2.15pm - 3.00pm and Friday from 8.15am - 9.00am.

Our sincere condolences to Kai Pitt (KW) and family on the sad passing of his great grandfather.

P & F Acknowledgements - P & F Meeting 2nd May

Thank you to everyone who came along to our first P & F Meeting for Term 2 last week. We appreciate it’s not easy to find the time, and all parent support and input at our meetings is invaluable in ensuring the success of our social and fund-raising events and initiatives throughout the year.  There will soon be a revised calendar of P & F meeting dates which will be available soon.

Upcoming Important P & F Dates and Events - Term 2

Friday 11th May - Mothers Day Stall

The Mother's Day Stall will be held this Friday 11th May. The children will be taken to the stall with their classes and they will get to choose an item for their mum or significant female carer. The cost will be $5 per child and this can still be given to the class teacher if you haven’t already done so. Try to resist peeking in the kids school bags at the end of the week!!

If your child is not at school on Friday, there will be a full selection of gifts sent to the Kindy teachers on Thursday. In addition, we will also have a selection of gifts for sale after school on Friday, should any parents wish to purchase something for their mums', grandmothers, significant females. All items will be $5 and we will be set up near the canteen in the School Banking spot from 2.30pm.

• Friday 11th May - Mother Day ‘Garden Tea Party’

Thank you to Amanda Doherty and Carly Thomson for organising this special event being held in the Discovery Kids Centre after morning school drop off. They look forward to welcoming all the mums' and carers to a beautiful morning tea with lucky door prizes! Younger siblings are also welcome.

• Friday 25th May - Junior & Senior Disco

Save the date, with more details to follow soon from Carla Christou and Emma Clementi for our annual school disco night!

• Friday 8th June - Rock Star Musical Bingo

Tickets and tables are selling fast so don’t miss out on this fun night! Go to the try booking link www.trybooking.com/376251 to get your tickets.
 

Great to see all our OLG families settling into Term 2 and we look forward to sharing more news and events with you at our upcoming P & F meetings.

Tony Papotto

Help us raise funds for our School by buying an Entertainment Membership from us. You'll receive hundreds of valuable offers for everything you love to do, and help our fundraising at the same time. Hurry, Entertainment Memberships sell out quickly.

BUY YOURS TODAY.

OLG Basketball Club Raffle

Our Year 6 basketballers will be selling raffle tickets for a club fundraiser this Thursday and Friday morning before school. We'll be located near the canteen, so please bring some cash and come along to support the club.

Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5. We have some awesome prizes!!

1st prize  is a signed Perth Wildcats singlet

2nd prize is 2 nights in a Studio Ocean View room at Quality Resort, Sorrento

3rd prize is a Golden State Warriors basketball

WALKATHON

Three classes are very close to winning the prize and a couple of others not far behind.  Keep bringing your cards and money into your classrooms/office to have a chance at winning  Any queries please contact Linda D’Vaz on 0411125787 or Carolyn Halleen on 0413591810

“OLG Run for Fun” is a free running club where kids of all ages and fitness levels can come together before school to run and exercise in a positive and supportive environment. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to run with the kids and have fun.

We all know running is a great way to get fit, but it offers so much more. Kids who exercise in the morning are generally more engaged and focused during lesson time. Running clubs enable kids to build friendships and have fun. Running builds healthy hearts and minds and brings joy to children.

OLG Run for Fun is run by volunteer parents each Tuesday and Thursday morning during school terms and has now commenced. The more parents, the more fun! OLG Run for Fun will include some warm up activities and games and there will be a couple of running courses, of different lengths, around Charles Riley Reserve to suit different ages and fitness levels. There will be no free breakfast or awards - it’s just for fun.

As the club is run by volunteer parents, students in Year 3 or below must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to ensure adequate supervision. A permission slip for all students must be completed before your child can participate. Permission slips will be available for signing at the first session your child chooses to attend.

Days: Every Tuesday and Thursday morning 
Start time: 7.40am to 8.15am (volunteer parents will then walk kids to school)
Where: Meet at the south east corner of the football clubrooms at Charles Riley Reserve 
What to bring: Drink bottle, sneakers and the right attitude 
Cost: Nil
Commitment: None – simply come for a run if you want to have fun
Parents: Please run with your kids, they (and you) will love having you involved
Remember: Eat breakfast at home first or bring something to eat after the run.
Volunteers: More parent volunteers are always required, please click on the link 
below to let us know if your available to help out during the sessions.
More Info: Contact Dave Nelson or Ann Howard on 0412 771 741 or
email oannhoward82@gmail.com

RUN FOR FUN ROSTER 2018 - Click here                                                                                         Don’t forget to add the Run for Fun Club group in Flexi Buzz                                             

The body achieves what the mind believes.         

Student Authorisation form - click here 

Entertainment Books

Now is the perfect time to order a NEW 2018 | 2019 Entertainment Membership because, for a limited time, you’ll receive over $180 of valuable Early Bird Offers you can use over the school holidays!

Your purchase of an Entertainment Membership contributes towards our School. The more Memberships we sell, the more we raise, so please tell your family and friends.

SUPPORT US NOW.

Here are some valuable Early Bird Offers you can use over the school holidays!
 

Our Lady of Grace North Beach
Kylie Donaldson
0437260066
entbooks@olgpf.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

CONFIRMATION

Confirmation Cards are now due.  Cards can be handed into the school or parish office by this Friday, 12th May.  

EUCHARIST

ENROLMENT - 12TH/13TH MAY  Enrolment will take place in the Parish Centre on Saturday between 1 - 4 pm and then again on Sunday after the 9.30 am mass.

PARENT/CHILD WORKSHOP - 17TH MAY

COMMITMENT - 19TH/20TH MAY

SACRAMENT OF FIRST EUCHARIST - 9TH/10TH JUNE, 16TH/17TH JUNE

THANKSGIVING - 24TH JUNE AT 5.30 PM

Sacramental Timetable - click here

WEEKEND MASS TIMES
Saturday Vigil: 6.00pm
Sunday: 7.30am, 9.30am & 5.30pm
Children’s Liturgy: Sunday 9.30am (During school terms)

DAILY MASS TIMES
Monday 6.45 a.m.
8.30am Communion Liturgy (Deacon Paul)
Tuesday 6.45am & 9.00am
Wednesday 6.45am & 9.00am
Thursday 6.45am
10.00am Trinity Village All Welcome
Friday 6.45a.m & 9.00am
Saturday 8.00am Please note, this is NOT a weekend Mass

Centre for Faith Enrichment - Are you searching for ways to enrich your understanding of the Catholic faith and tradition? Would you like to find out more about a particular sacrament which your child may be receiving? Then the Centre for Faith Enrichment is for you! We offer a wide range of face-to-face and online courses and events on topics ranging from spirituality, Church history, theology, scripture, Christian living and much more. No exams or assignments, just a relaxed and friendly learning atmosphere. To know more visit our website www.cfe.org.au where you will find our courses and events page and explore our new sacraments website.