Principal's Message

Celebrating Book Week – A Parade of Creativity:

What an amazing Book Week Parade we had! It was incredible to see the creativity and enthusiasm in all the wonderful costumes.

From beloved book characters to imaginative new creations, our students brought their favourite stories to life. A big thank you to everyone who participated, including the parents and staff who helped make it all possible. These celebrations highlight the joy of reading and the power of imagination. Let’s continue to foster a love for books and storytelling in our school community!

Parent, Caregiver and Guardian Opinion Survey – Now Open:
The 2024 Parent, Caregiver and Guardian Opinion Survey is available to complete online from Monday 29^th July to Friday 30^th August. The survey seeks feedback on school climate, community engagement in learning and teaching practices for student engagement and outcomes. Randomly selected families have received a letter/email with a code to log in and the occasional group reminder. The more responses we get, the better we can make the school. Please trust that the responses are confidential and that we always use the information for growth.

Rolling Facilities Evaluation (Every 5 years):
Earlier this week, our school participated in the Department of Education’s Rolling Facilities Evaluation (RFE). This program ensures that all schools maintain safe, functional, and well-maintained environments. The evaluation assessed our buildings and infrastructure to identify areas needing attention. The insights gained will guide future improvements and ensure our school continues to provide a high-quality learning environment. This evaluation will also help guide the Buildings & Grounds Committee of priority works.

Exciting Opportunity: School for Student Leadership 2025 – we have been accepted!
Camperdown College has been allocated a spot at the School for Student Leadership in 2025. We will send three boys and three girls to the Snowy River Campus in East Gippsland for Term 4 2025. Year 8 students are invited to submit expressions of interest and review the Student Leadership Policy on our website. Applicants will discuss their motivations, expectations, and project ideas during an interview with staff. This is a fantastic opportunity, and we encourage all Year 8 students to consider applying. Current SSL graduates recently planned and organised the hot dog day for Year 7 – 12 students to raise funds to restore the cricket nets at the Senior Campus.

Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy Update:
Last year, the college spent time reviewing and updating the Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy where we aligned with the opt-out model requiring notification each year. The Department of Education have recently released a new version of the policy that includes a new consent form that schools need to send to parents and carers only once during their enrolment at the school. It replaces the consent form schools send to parents and carers each year. Look out for this form early in the Term 4.

Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) transitioning to Disability Inclusion (DI) from 2025:
The PDSMS (Program for Students with Disabilities Management System) was a system used to allocate resources for students with disabilities in schools. It focused on assessing students’ needs through set categories and allocating support accordingly. Generally, only funding for Intellectual Disability and Extreme Behaviours through levelled funding model. Our region is transferring to DI next year.

The new Disability Inclusion process is broader and more inclusive. It shifts from categorisation to a strengths-based approach, considering the whole student and their environment. It emphasises early intervention, tailored supports, and ongoing assessments to better meet students’ individual needs. This process aims to create more equitable and accessible learning environments, fostering inclusion across all school activities. It also is not a levelled funding model, being based on the actual needs of the student (and school).

Katie Taylor, Jacinta Tolland, Vicki Angus and I spent the day in Dunkeld at a Regional Briefing a few weeks ago and earlier this week in Geelong visiting schools that are already working under the DI Program so we get a head start and can hit the ground running next year.

Xavier Davis, Principal
Friday 23rd August 2024