Principal’s Report

2024 Parent & Carer Survey

WE WANT OUR PARENTS / CAREGIVERS / GUARDIANS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!

Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies.

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 5^th August to Friday 30 August 2024.

All families are invited to participate in the survey.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages. Resources are also available in additional languages to assist parents / caregivers / guardians who speak a language other than English at home. Please reach out to your child’s teacher, or the school directly for survey guides in your language.

The survey results will be communicated to parents / caregivers / guardians through annual reporting and via the school website.

Welcome to EPS and Congratulations!

I am pleased to welcome officially and congratulate Mrs. Fiona Hogben as our new EPS Business Manager! Fiona has worked for many years as part of our Office Administration Team and it is great to have her step up into this new role.

Also, welcome and thank you to the following staff who have also joined us this term:

Stephanie Etherington – Office Admin
Clinton Marsh – ES Aide
Honey Dowell – ES Aide filling in for Term 3.

New EPS Facebook Page!

We are gradually moving to our new school Facebook page. It is a closed group so that we can improve on safety and privacy. If you do a search for “Emerald Primary School”, it is the first one that comes up.

The older page called “Emerald Primary School – Parents Group” will be phased out this year – so jump on board as soon as you can!

Father’s Day Celebration – Friday 30th August

We are looking forward to celebrating with all of our Dads and special guests this Friday 30^th August. We are kicking off with a BBQ at 2.30pm outside the Music Room, then everyone is welcome to visit classrooms and we will then hold a whole school assembly at 3.10pm.

Please note – there will be no morning assembly on this Friday.

Please RSVP via the following link and indicate of you are able to assist with cooking sausages via this link too:

https://forms.gle/Jtahf3VZuNL6mQYK6

EPS Parent/Staff Battle of the Bands – “The Tall Ones”

What a performance! Thank you to our beloved “The Tall Ones” local EPS Band who stepped out to perform on the stage at the Sooki Lounge last Thursday night in the School Parents/Staff Battle of the Bands! The group seems to keep expanding in number and it seems their talents are endless! Thanks to the band members both young and “experienced”! A big thanks to all who went along to support and enjoy. Much appreciation to Dan MacEoin for his enthusiasm and organisation for our part in this event.

Public Health Notification – Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis Exclusion Guidelines (legislated for primary schools, recommended for secondary schools but not legislated):

Cases: Exclude the child for 21 days after the onset of cough or until they have completed 5 days of a course of antibiotic treatment (return on day 6). Exclusion can only be enacted for ‘Confirmed’ cases of pertussis.

Contacts: Contacts aged less than 7 years in the same room as the case who have not received three effective doses of pertussis vaccine should be excluded for 14 days after the last exposure to the infectious case, or until they have taken 5 days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment. This also applies to a case’s siblings (if in the same household) if under 7.

From healthdirect.gov.au

Symptoms: Cold-like symptoms including runny nose, sneezing, mild dry cough, fever. The cough may also worsen as time goes on.

It is a contagious illness.

Can cause serious health problems in babies.

Vaccination is the best protection against whooping cough. Pregnant women and adults who have contact with babies should get a booster vaccine.

Please send a message to the school email, emerald.ps@education.vic.gov.au , if you have any queries.

Free Dress days this term

Friday 20^th September – favourite sport, athlete or sporting team.

Upcoming exciting Events for EPS students!

Thursday 29th August @ 7pm – School Council Meeting
Friday 30th August @ 2.30pm – Fathers Day Sausage Sizzle
Friday 30th August @ 3.10pm – Whole school assembly
Saturday 31st August @ 1- 3pm – Working Bee
Wednesday 4th September @ 1pm – Matinee Grade 6 Production ‘Whats the Crime Mr Wolf?’
Thursday 5th September @ 6.30pm – Grade 6 Production ‘Whats the Crime Mr Wolf?’
Friday 6th September @ 6.30pm – Grade 6 Production ‘Whats the Crime Mr Wolf?’
Monday 9th September – EDEC Girls Football (Gembrook)
Friday 20th September – Favourite sport, athlete or sporting team dress up day
Friday 20th September @2.30pm – Finish Term 3

Emma Clark

Principal

This week …

A Message from the Office

Parents, please log in to your Compass Account and update any Unexplained Absences with the reason. Letters will be coming home to families at the end of Term for any outstanding Unexplained Absences.