Emu Chronicle – 14 August (Week 5, Term 3)

Principal’s Report

SHANE DUPUY

Many hours, often outside regular working hours, are spent coordinating transport, communicating with families, organising logistics, training students, liaising with external providers and ensuring that every detail is considered. This work is often unseen, but it is essential to providing our students with the breadth of experiences that we value so highly at PBC.

A special thank you must also go to our wonderful administration team, Kate, Karissa, Leah and Shae, along with our Transport Manager, Craig. Their work behind the scenes ensures that the many moving parts of college life come together smoothly.

With four camps taking place this term, in addition to the many other events and activities on offer, it is important that we continue to work together as a community to ensure these opportunities remain available to our students.

Supporting participation

We recognise that some experiences can challenge our children and push them outside their comfort zones. In fact, this is often where some of the most valuable learning and personal growth takes place.

With this in mind, I would ask all parents and carers to support the College’s expectations around student participation and to comply with the commitments outlined in enrolment agreements. Students are expected to participate in all College offerings.

For example, staying home from a camp simply because a student does not want to attend, or because a friend is not attending, is not an acceptable reason for absence. Similarly, choosing one sporting event over representing the College in another athletic pursuit is not consistent with our expectations.

Our students are part of a community, and participation is an important part of that membership. We want every student to embrace the opportunities available to them, even when doing so may initially feel uncomfortable or challenging.

If families require further information or have concerns about a particular activity, please contact your child’s teacher or relevant member of the Leadership Team. We are always happy to discuss individual circumstances and provide clarification.

Canteen is booming!

One of the most pleasing developments of Term 3 has been welcoming our new Canteen Coordinator, Bruno, to PBC.

Bruno brings with him a wealth of experience in preparing healthy, appealing menu selections for children, and he has already made a significant impact on our canteen. Since the beginning of term, we have seen a substantial increase in patronage and sales, with Bruno’s new menu, culinary skills, organisation, management and wonderful demeanour proving to be a real hit with both students and staff.

It has been fantastic to see the canteen once again become such a vibrant part of college life.

I would also like to extend a very special thank you to the wonderful parents who stepped in to support the canteen during our transition period while we worked to secure Bruno’s services. Your willingness to help ensured that the canteen continued operating for our students, and we are very grateful for your support.

“You don’t know what you don’t know.”

This simple saying is particularly relevant to communication between the College, our students and our families.

Our staff work closely with students and families to support a positive and successful educational journey. While this journey will not always be perfect, students will inevitably experience challenges, make poor choices, encounter conflict and sometimes struggle to get along with others. What matters is how we respond to these situations.

We encourage families to share any questions, concerns or feedback directly with the College so that we can listen, understand the situation and work towards the best possible outcome. While informal conversations can be a natural part of our school community, raising concerns directly with the College helps ensure that information is accurate and that matters can be addressed thoughtfully and respectfully. We also encourage parents and carers to advocate for their own child and to allow other families the opportunity to raise matters relating to their own children. This helps us maintain open, respectful and constructive communication across our College community.

All staff have been asked to communicate with students and families as soon as possible when concerns arise. We also provide a range of supports, including Grow Your Mind (GYM), The Resilience Project (TRP) and our Wellbeing Team, to promote students’ wellbeing, resilience and social development.

Our Parent Code of Conduct reinforces the importance of regular communication with teachers and participation in Parent/Teacher meetings. These opportunities enable us to share information about academic progress, social development, achievements and concerns. Click here to view the policy.

I ask all families to contact their child’s teacher in the first instance when a concern arises. If something is happening at school, or you become aware of an issue that may be affecting your child, please let us know. We cannot address what we do not know about. Early communication gives us the best opportunity to investigate concerns, provide support and work collaboratively with families before an issue escalates. Our Coordinators and College Principal will also support and step in if the matter cannot be resolved at the teacher level.

We are committed to working in partnership with families. We may not always get everything right, and challenges are inevitable, but open, respectful and timely communication gives us the best opportunity to achieve positive outcomes for every student.

There is much happening at PBC, and that is something to celebrate. Our students are learning, participating, challenging themselves, building relationships and developing the skills they need for life beyond the classroom. Thank you to our staff, students and families for the many ways you contribute to making these opportunities possible.

Primary School Coordinator Report

NICOLA KERIN

For some students, however, they may have been just one or two subjects away from receiving an Excellent Effort Award. Rather than seeing this as something they missed out on, I encourage these students to see it as an opportunity. What is the one subject, or perhaps two, where you could lift your effort this semester? Setting a small, achievable goal and consciously making a greater effort in those areas could make a significant difference by the end of the year.

Effort is important because it is something every student has control over. We cannot all be the fastest runner, the strongest mathematician, the most confident speaker or the most talented artist. However, we can all choose to give our best. Effort is about having a go, persevering when something is difficult, asking for help, practising, learning from mistakes and refusing to give up when things don’t come easily.

My time with our Year 3 students at camp last week was another wonderful reminder of just how important connection and positive relationships are in helping children experience success. Camp provides opportunities for students to step outside their usual routines, try new things, face challenges and sometimes do things that feel a little uncomfortable or unfamiliar. Watching students support one another, encourage their friends, seek help from adults and celebrate each other’s successes reinforced for me that strong relationships provide a foundation from which children feel safe and confident enough to have a go.

When children know that they are supported, valued and connected to the people around them, they are more willing to take risks in their learning, attempt something new and persevere when things become challenging. These are the same qualities we want to see in the classroom every day. Whether it is tackling a tricky maths problem, presenting in front of the class, joining a new game, making a new friendship or trying something for the first time, connection and encouragement can give children the confidence to take that next step.

And effort isn’t just about what happens in the classroom. We want our students to bring their best selves to everything they do — in their learning, in sport, in their friendships, in the playground and in the way they contribute to our College community.

This connects beautifully with our Grow Your Mind learning and in particular on being a BOB — Being of Benefit. Being a BOB means thinking about how our actions affect others and looking for ways to make a positive difference. A student who gives their best effort, encourages a teammate, helps a friend, includes someone who may be feeling left out or perseveres through a challenge is being a BOB.

As we continue through the semester, I encourage every student to ask themselves:

Am I giving my best effort?
Where could I improve?
Who can I encourage or support?
How can I be a BOB and be of benefit to those around me?

Our goal is not perfection. Our goal is progress, persistence, connection and giving our best. When students develop the habit of putting in their best effort and surround themselves with positive relationships, they build the confidence and resilience to face new situations and different challenges.

Let’s make Term 3 a term of excellent effort, strong connections, personal growth and being a BOB!