Welcome back everyone: I hope you have had a relaxed and enjoyable holiday. October has arrived and we begin an eleven and a half week final term.  Teachers will be sending you class information highlighting the special events prepared for children during the term via compass and school web site.

Staffing update: Here is some information relating to 2024staffing.  We continue to edge downward in student enrolments in the vicinity of 515 for the start of next year.

The‘student mix and needs’ of some levels are complex and with financial pressures we should drop to 23 classes in total.  Financially compared to 2023 we are in a less favourable position because of the following factors:

^Year 6’s exiting = 83 and new preps = 67 means a drop in numbers and loss of associated funding

^The School’s Statewide Agreement requires more employment of specialists to meet time release requirement of 5.5 hours duration if full time teacher class and portion of this amount for part timers

^a consideration to reducing another class from 23 to 22 is viable because of the additional teacher costs we are facing.

Asa solution, there will need to be cutbacks in programs and allocation of support to year levels. I will need to move staff into different teams and adjust part-timers time fractions. That decision can be a positive for many people, even though they initially might find the change not to their liking.  

More on the positive side, class teachers / teams will most likely receive reduced student numbers compared to 2023.  But the result, will be less support and teacher aide support in rooms as a cost saving measure.  Changes will occur in admin as well.  

We will see how this week starts off and then discuss and initiate our workforce pathway as soon as possible.

Planning for 2024:  Effective planning is based on accurate information and the first piece of the jigsaw is to sort out student enrolment numbers. Enrolments influence class structures, class sizes, staffing allocations and resource budgeting.  If you know you will be leaving the Eltham North community at the end of 2023, please contact the office as soon as possible with a phone call or letter.  Your support in this matter will assist with further planning.  Teachers will shortly start forming the new 2024 classes and teams.

Placement of students for 2024 and instructions to parents regarding parent request letters.
 
If you have any special requests for the placement of your child based on educational grounds, then you are welcome to write or email to the school and/or David Foley directly. (eltham.north.ps@education.vic.gov.au).
 
This year I am asking that a written parental request must be received by late October on Friday 27 October. A timeline of the process we are using this year is included below. Once we lock the groups in, we will not be making changes as a result of receiving a ‘late parent request form’.
 
For 2024 we will establish class groupings using a specific criteria and your parent request letter will need to follow this structure.  On this point, parents are reminded that requests for specific teachers will not be met or considered.
 
Here is the criteria we will be utilising to determine our class groupings.
 
• each child's individual learning capabilities in Literacy, Numeracy and other curriculum areas
• balancing the number of males and females in each classroom where possible
• the individual friendship groupings – your child will be placed with one friend
• creating classes which have similar educational and behavioural profiles,making allowance for possible growth in class numbers
• written parental requests based on educational grounds.
 
Each team coordinator takes many things into account when they create the class lists for the following year. The final decision about class placement is vested with the Principal. In planning the class groups, we set out to arrange small class sizes in the early year levels with average junior class numbers of16 - 21. In the upper year levels, we consequently have larger class sizes in the 26 - 30 range. For 2024, we will operate 22 or 23 classes. Eltham North Primary School runs single year classrooms in line with the new Victorian Curriculum.
 
Once all teacher and students are allocated late October, we shift to starting transition sessions during November and December so that children build familiarity with the 2024 social group and new level. 
 
Timeline:
Friday 3^rd Nov                ~ Student friendship list completed in classes

                                    ~Parent placement request letter to Principal
Monday 20 Nov            ~Teacher teams finalise student placements for the new 2024 class groups
Late November            ~ Teachers informed of their new teaching role and class.
Early December            ~ Students start transition sessions with their future class
 
Thank you in anticipation for working with our timeline and note that information from parents is considered alongside teachers’ views and social requests and the needs of particular groups of students so that there are positive class placements for every student.

Before School Supervision:  With the weather improving some children have been arriving at school very early and for their own safety they should arrive later when there is supervision in the schoolyard.  Any child found in the school before 8.30 am will be sent to Before School Care.  

Parking along Lower Road:  A reminder that it is illegal to park ‘across our neighbours driveways’.  There is a pattern occurring at school pickup time and neighbours are unable to leave their houses.  The local parking officer will fine drivers who disobey this road law.  

Student Accident Insurance: re Ambulance cover: Parents/guardians of students, who do not have student accident insurance, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and any other transport costs; and parents/guardians can purchase insurance policies from commercial insurers.

School Uniform: A reminder about the ‘compulsory component of our school uniform’.

It is compulsory for students to wear school colours (bottle green and gold) and families are strongly encouraged to purchase school uniform with the Eltham North Logo through the uniform shop.The uniform should consist of a combination of items with the predominant colours being bottle green and gold. Any modifications to school uniform other than adjustment for proper fit are unacceptable.

The ENPS  broad-brimmed Sun Smart hat is a compulsory uniform item whenever students are outside during term 1 &4. Expressed another way … children cannot wear ‘other coloured hats, caps or styles of hats’. Students without a school hat will be directed to, and must remain in the Atrium and Rest a While shaded area. 

The policy on School Uniform can be found on the school website under the section “Our School’ see policies and reports along with all other school policies. The uniform shop is open every Wednesday morning before school i.e. 8.30 – 9.30 am.

School Lunches from Home: With warmer weather months arriving we thought we’d suggest some reminders for parents about safe food handling practices for the school lunchbox:  

·      Put a frozen container, such as a frozen drink, int he lunchbox with food that is normally refrigerated, such as ham and yoghurt. Alternatively use an insulated lunchbox or cooler.

·      Avoid including food in lunches that would normally be kept in the refrigerator, especially during the summer months.

·      When preparing school lunches avoid perishable foods which have just been cooked or warmed, such a hamburgers or boiled eggs.Such foods should be cooled in the refrigerator before being used in lunches.

·      Discard any leftovers and do not reuse.

Asthma News: Many children suffer from asthma and I have had requests to insert some information from the Asthma Foundation.

Asthma: 10 things to tell your doctor

Symptoms

1. If you wake up coughing,wheezing or breathless

2. If you struggle to keep up with normal activity

Triggers

3. Anything that seems to trigger/make your asthma worse

4. What you do about your triggers and whether this helps

Medication

5. How often you take your blue reliever puffer

6. How often you take your preventer medication

7. How you use your device

8. If you are using any other medications or complementary therapies

Asthma plan

9. I would like an asthma action plan

10. I would like a regular asthma review

Could it be asthma?

Do you ever:

• Get short of breath when you are not exercising or at unexpected times?

Find that your shortness of breath is seasonal, or that during some months or times of year your breathing is worse?

• Have cough or coughing spells even when you do not have a cold?

• Notice times when there is wheezing or whistling in your chest?

• Feel tightness in your chest when you are short of breath?

• Wake up at night with shortness of breath or wheeze?

• Notice wheeze, cough, or chest tightness in certain environments, such as hot/cold air, dusty places, or in certain

homes?

• Wheeze when you exercise?

If you experience any of the above ask your pharmacist or doctor about a lung health check.

If you would like more information please call The Asthma Foundation of Victoria on 1800 645130 or visit

www.asthma.org.au

Week 3 Wednesday 18 October: 2^nd Prep Transition visit 9.15 am – 12.30 pm

Week 5 Thursday 2 November: 3rd Prep Transition visit 9.15 am – 12.30 pm

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