Dear Parents & Carers,
Congratulations to all of our students who received awards at our Presentation Day assembly last week and to our community members who were recognised for their school service. After reading 124 reports recently, I are very proud of all of our students and I can see that each and every one of them have been achieving great things.
As we come to the end of another jammed packed, exciting year, I would like to thank numerous people for the effort they have put into making Vacy School a wonderful place for our students to learn.
To my staff, you continue to impress me with your diligence and dedication. Great changes are happening within the Department of Education and teaching and you have all grabbed the bull by the horns and taken on the challenge. I thank you all for providing our students with the support they have needed in all facets of the school environment. Working closely with you is an absolute privilege and pleasure.
To our wonderful parents and P & C members and executive, thank you for your service to our school. Your outstanding commitment to improving the resources and facilities here has and will continue to mean so much to us all. Working in partnership with our community is of the upmost importance as it builds the strong partnerships needed to prosper positive culture. Our families vital support, in any form that it may come, is a valuable tool that enables us to be the successful school that we always strive to be.
To our outgoing executive members: Penny Evans (President), Phil Clements (Vice President), Vanessa Barwick (Secretary), Chantelle Hudson & Connie Kleinig (Canteen Coordinators) and Kathleen Isles (Treasurer) a massive thank you to you all. Your leadership this year has enabled our students to learn in a well-resourced environment and experience opportunities that they may not have had the chance to do before. Your efforts are appreciated by not only me, but also our staff and most importantly, our students.
Next year there will be some significant changes at Vacy Public School. We are forming 5 classes with our new demountable set to be our library as it has a ramp for accessibility. The total number of students for 2023 at this time is 117.
Classes are as follows: Kindergarten, 1/2, 3/4, 4/5, and a 5/6.
The new K – 2 Curriculum is being implemented next year so for this reason; we have decided to not have a 2/3 class as this will make it very difficult to work across the two syllabus documents. The 1/2 class instead, will have two teachers working together in the areas of literacy and numeracy for 3-4 days a week. They will also have the benefit of four very experienced teachers, Ms Greaves (Assistant Principal), Ms Graham (Learning & Support Coordinator), Mrs Rogers (Assistant Principal Curriculum & Instruction) and Ms Grainger (Classroom Teacher), driving the new syllabus implementation. This class will operate in the current Kindergarten and 1/2 block so space will not be an issue. If we get an influx of either Year 1 or 2 students, we will make a K/1 class.
The 3 - 6 students will be allocated a base class in which they been be placed taking into consideration their social groupings. These classes will also be breaking up into four groups for literacy and later, numeracy. This will allow our students the opportunity to work in classes with other students that are like minded and with staff that are experts in explicit teaching, supporting all to achieve their highest potential. The staff working across these classes are Mrs Babic, Mrs Smith, Ms Grainger and Mr Prior.
Mr Smith will not be on class fultime next year. This is a great loss for Vacy School but one that he has chosen to explore other teaching options including high school. We are fortunate to still have retained his services on a Thursday and Friday for the year, where he will be relieving for Mr Prior for the day (Thursday) and running well being programs across the school (Friday). Both Ms Grainger and Mrs Fonti will be doing the RFF programs and Library. Students will be notified of their new classes day one, 2023.
All of our building work will be completed in the holidays ready for action when the new year begins. Our demountables have been thoroughly refurbished which includes being carpeted and painted with new cabinetry installed. As mentioned above, the library will move into the newest demountable (old 3/4 room) and will have a complete fit-out with new shelving, seating and labeling. Work is also underway to relocate and upgrade our aging septic system to the bottom corner of our playground. With the landscaping work that is going too, our school will be glowing again soon.
Mrs Ruth McCabe, our permanent School Office Assistant is retiring from Vacy School in 2023. On behalf of the staff, students an wider community, I would like to thank her for her many years of service and wish her and her husband every happiness for the future.
To our departing families throughout the school, I wish you and your children nothing but the very best for the future. Your contributions have been many and varied and we will miss you all.
Next year, we will be implementing further changes in the way we communicate with our parents by introducing 'School Bytes' which some of you are already familiar with. Any change will be accompanied by support from our wonderful office staff lead by Mrs Buck.
Finally today, I would like to say that although we are still going through some difficult and challenging times, I am so glad that we have been able to work face to face with our students and community during 2022. Coming back together as a group has re-established those important relationships within our school community that just make us work so well as a school. It has been, and always will be an absolute privilege to be Principal of this beautiful school. On behalf of the staff, I would also like to thank you for the many beautiful gifts that we have been given by our community. It has truly been overwhelming and appreciated by us all.
We all look forward to working with you and your wonderful children next year. Merry Christmas to each and every one of you.
Kind regards
Karen Fonti
Principal
Vacy Public School
