Messages from Mrs Inglis
Welcome Alice Hermans
We have appointed a new chaplain to Beaconsfield Primary School. Alice will be working at our school on Wednesdays and Fridays. Here is a message from Alice introducing herself.
“My name is Alice and I am really excited to be joining you all at Beaconsfield Primary as your new school Chaplain. I have been working with children in Melbourne for 18 years, firstly as a children’s entertainer and storyteller, then later as an Art Therapist and Chaplain. I am passionate about people’s stories and their ability to be able to tell them in unique and creative ways. Sometimes we need someone to walk alongside us, to help find new ways to express ourselves, build friendship groups, talk to about our anxieties or something that may be troubling us. The Chaplaincy Room is safe space where you can come to make art, play a game, read a book or have a chat. I really look forward to meeting you all and feel privileged to be a part of your wonderful school community.”
If you feel your child will benefit from working with Alice, please speak to your child’s teacher or a member of leadership.
Virtual Information Night
Tonight our teams will begin hosting our virtual information sessions. The session will run for around 45 minutes. There will be a presentation and an opportunity for you to ask questions. We will record the event and send it out to families.
Tuesday 15th February
- 5:00pm Prep team
- 6:00pm Grade 1 team
- 7:00pm Grade 2 team
Wednesday 16th February
- 6:00pm Grade 3/4 team
- 7:00pm Grade 5/6 team
Information on how to join the event was sent out in an email yesterday.
Kids Matter – Every Face Has a Place
I wanted to let you know that we are making a slight change to our ‘Student of the Week’. This year every child will be recognised and celebrated for the great human they are at one point during the year. We believe that every child is special and have wonderful attributes to contribute to our school. The child will be acknowledged at assembly and on the blogs. We want to build up the self-esteem of all our students to know that they are people we value and appreciate, and love having them as part of our Beacy community. I hope your child enjoys receiving their ‘Beacy Spirit’ award.
There may be other ways that your child will be recognised for their behaviours and values that they demonstrate. Each year level offers different positive rewards – gems, value certificates, raffle tickets, etc. that are agreed upon with the students. These rewards and recognitions came from the behaviours that students will demonstrate that week within their classrooms and in the yard.
School Council
On Monday 21st March, we will be running our Annual General Meeting for School Council. We currently have a couple of vacancies on our council. If you are interested in being a part of this group, please contact the office. Nomination forms need to be in by 22nd February. School councillors must have a Working With Children’s Check and have Beaconsfield Primary School listed as an organisation. We are required to collect vaccination status for onsite meetings.
What is a school council and what does it do?
All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the broad direction of a school, in accordance with Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils, and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.
Code of conduct for school councillors
School councils in Victoria are public entities as defined by the Public Administration Act 2004.
School councillors must abide by the Code of Conduct for Directors of Victorian Public Entities issued by the Victorian Public Sector Commission. The Code of Conduct is based on the Victorian public sector values and requires councillors to:
- act with honesty and integrity – be truthful, open and clear about their motives and declare any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest and duty
- act in good faith in the best interests of the school – work cooperatively with other councillors and the school community, be reasonable, and make all decisions with the best interests of students foremost in their minds
- act fairly and impartially – consider all relevant facts of an issue before making a decision, seek to have
a balanced view, never give special treatment to a person or group and never act from self-interest - use information appropriately – respect confidentiality and use information for the purpose for which it was made available
- exercise due care, diligence and skill – accept responsibility for decisions and do what is best for the school
- use the position appropriately – not use the position as a councillor to gain an advantage
- act in a financially responsible manner – observe all the above principles when making financial decisions
- comply with relevant legislation and policies – know what legislation and policies are relevant for which decisions and obey the law
- demonstrate leadership and stewardship – set a good example, encourage a culture of accountability, manage risks effectively, exercise care and responsibility to keep the school strong and sustainable.
Heidi Inglis
Have a great week!
