Principal’s Message
Music Learning Hub
The Music Learning Hub will be ready for action at the start of Term 2 2024. Our Music teachers are very excited to start teaching in this amazing space. Some of our music teachers recently had the opportunity to walk through the Hub and below is some of their feedback:
- I’ve been lucky enough to work at two schools with new music departments in my career and this is by far the standout.
- It blew me away. The space, the attention to detail and the well thought out layout, it’s certainly going to be exciting times ahead
- It’s everything we asked for and wanted!
It’s great to see that the new Music Learning Hub has the seal of approval from our passionate music staff. I am looking forward to seeing the students inspired by our incredible music learning hub.
Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)
The AIP supports the school to achieve its strategic plan’s targets. Below are the key activities the school will undertake to support all students in 2024 and beyond.
Annual Privacy Reminder for our School Community
Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.
Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy ES10-Photographing-Filming-and-Recording-Students-Policy.pdf (fairhillshs.vic.edu.au), describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages: Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Gujarati, Mandarin, Somali, Sudanese, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese.
Respectful Behaviours in Schools
One of our school’s primary missions is to nurture a safe, caring, and orderly learning environment that supports all students. In keeping with that goal, we would like to remind everyone of the importance of fostering and maintaining healthy, respectful relationships in the school community.
Our aim is to foster a culture of respect and acceptance, which means that everyone in our community should feel heard and valued. We urge parents/carers to talk to their children about treating others with kindness (respect in action), understanding and empathy. If we explicitly model our values and expected behaviours it will help our students recognise the importance of positive actions (being an Upstander) that promote cooperation and mutual support.
A web page has been created for parents/carers, linking Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy and with additional information and resources to support parents to engage positively with school staff, including the appropriate pathways for raising concerns or complaints with schools and other useful resources for parents.
The laws introduced by the Labor Government in 2022 strengthen protections for school staff against parent and carer aggression by empowering authorised persons, such as principals, to issue School Community Safety Orders in response to harmful, threatening, abusive or disruptive behaviour at work. The School Community Safety Order scheme was introduced to all schools in mid-2022.
Violent and aggressive behaviour has no place in today’s society, particularly in an educational setting such as Fairhills High School. Staff should not feel that being subjected to violence and aggression is part of the job and are encouraged to report any risks or incidents of violence and aggression to a member of the Principal class.
The vast majority of our school community Shows Respect (school value) on a day-to-day basis to the amazing staff at Fairhills High School. We are pleased that the Department has taken a strong stance on unacceptable behaviours.
Ian Van Schie
Principal