During the week we held our final School Council meeting for 2023.  At each meeting of the School Council we discuss all things ‘Wangala’ from the finances to the grounds.  The amazing group of councillors who represent all parents and carers are incredible contributors to the school and I take this opportunity to thank them for their support throughout the year to achieve so much at our wonderful school.  This was also, sadly, the final School Council meeting for our School Council President and long-serving council member, Tamara Lake.  Tam has been an incredible member of the school council over many years, and reflected on her time, especially as President, as a genuinely interesting experience.  She was heavily involved in the last school review in 2022 contributing to the current goals of the school, and also had the experience of being on the Principal selection panel earlier this year; another unique insight into the school.  I personally thank Tam for her support as School Council President.  I have threatened to hold her daughter, Lily, back for another year so she can stay on as well!  At Tuesday’s meeting we presented Tam with a beautiful bunch of flowers on behalf of the school community to thank her for the time she has given to our school. 

While I am thanking people, I would like to again, thank the staff members who attended the recent school camp, for giving up their personal time to provide such a great experience.  I was lucky enough to visit the camp on Tuesday after the students arrived back from surfing.  Their enthusiasm and excitement at the camp, and the stories they told me when back at school is reason why we provide these experiences for our students.  For those who read last fortnight’s newsletter and were concerned, Mrs Sobczynski did buy me a box of chocolate aniseed rings from the ‘Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie’!  I’ve been rationing them out!

Over the coming weeks we will have some ground works completed which may limit access to parts of the school grounds.  Last year we applied for a grant for the ‘Wangala Walking Track’, a track which will skirt around our oval with sensory equipment and points of interest.  The landscapers will begin to prepare the groundwork for the path in the coming weeks, which will see some temporary fence and bunting sectioning off parts of the oval.  We will also see the installation of our shade sail over the decking outside the classroom kitchen.  This will provide shade for students who forget their hat, a nice spot for our ‘Stay and Play’ each day, as well as a beautiful outdoor classroom space for our classes to use during the day.  This space is also utilised for our Kitchen Garden dining each week.

Our ‘Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden’ program returned this week, with a delicious red-lentil dahl, carrot and coriander dip and Indian flat bread on the menu and our gardeners were also busy up in ‘Porrgil’s Patch’.  We’re excited to have Chef Teacher Cat Clarke join us in a few weeks to share her knowledge of using First Nations produce and culture in the kitchen.  This will be an amazing opportunity for our students, with the 3/4s having their first experience in the kitchen first thing in the morning. 

Finally, there’s so many things happening in the final weeks of the year.  Please make sure you have the dates in your calendar.

Have a lovely weekend.

Regards,

Steven King
Principal