The Board met on Tuesday 17 May. It was a busy meeting with lots to cover, so apologies for the longer-than-usual update.
We focused on the Learning Environment pillar, with Deputy Principal Erika Holst-Marsh taking us through the operational plan. In particular, we explored positive behaviour management.
The school uses a restorative justice model and is working with the Department of Education’s Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) framework. You can learn more about the PBS here. To quote Erika:
“It is restorative and educative. It is not punitive. Our aim is to support students and shape positive behaviours by focusing on the development of values, relationships, and skill building.
“Our four-step process for unproductive behaviour is: Reminder, redirection, relocation, and reflection.
“Reflection is done using the reflection/think sheet. This is an educational process where the student reflects on their behaviour:
- What happened?
- Why did it happen?
- Who did it affect? and
- What will I do differently next time?
“This process can occur in classrooms or with a member of the Admin team and it usually involves parents.”
We also heard about the work Kate Bockman is leading to develop the school’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), including an Artist in Residence this term. Kate is working closely with the Town of East Fremantle on this project, so keep an eye out for more information coming soon.
Since becoming an independent school in 2019, Richmond requires a three-year ‘business’ plan (think of it as a strategic plan as we’re obviously not a business.) The current plan ends this year, so work is underway to develop the 2023-2025 plan. We are delighted that past Board Chairs Tammy Tansley and Kylie Telfer have agreed to help facilitate its development.
The school is eager to get input from the broader school community for the plan development. To that end, Jodi Eastman will be helping coordinate a parent survey in the next fortnight. We very much hope you will complete the survey when it’s ready as your contribution will help shape the priorities and direction of the school in the next few years.
Now that parents can return to classrooms, Sian Rosser is helping reinvigorate the Parent Speaker program, and she would love a few more speaker volunteers please! This can be parents, grandparents, friends etc. We’ve already got some great volunteers for the STEM areas – we’re always happy to have more! – and are now seeking people with experience in English (Story Telling, Writing, Journalism, Interesting Life Stories) and HASS (History, Geography, Civics, Citizenship, Government).
The children absolutely love the experience of having speakers in and would be thrilled to ask questions at the end of a short presentation. If you feel this is something you would be interested in, or know someone who is, please complete the Parent Speaker form online.
The Board regretfully accepted the resignation of Katie Wadsworth, who is pursuing a Masters degree. We are grateful for Katie’s contribution over the last year, especially for her diligence as Secretary in 2021, and wish her all the best in her studies. The Board has agreed we will not try to fill the position Katie has vacated this year.
It was wonderful to see so many Kindy and new school families at the meet-up on Wednesday 18 May. Board member Peter Jones joined Mr Mack and team to explain the role of the Board at the school.
For those who couldn’t make it: all seven parent spots on the Board are declared vacant in Term 1 of each year. Any school parent can nominate for one of those Board positions. I encourage anyone interested to refer to the website and talk to one of the current Board members – Jodi Eastman, Matthew Rose, Niamh Leonard, Peter Jones, Sian Rosser and me (Lacey Filipich) – to learn more about the role. We’re lucky to have an engaged parent cohort and really appreciate the willingness to volunteer time to roles such as this.
Finally, we hope to see as many of the school mums as possible at the P&C’s night out on Friday 17 June. (Dads get their turn soon, don’t worry!) It’s been fabulous to finally get together again socially, and we look forward to many more funevents this year – thank you to the wonderful P&C and DoRKs for organising them.
Lacey Filipich (Chair)
on behalf of the school Board