By Kris Mrska, School Council Member & Buildings & Grounds Sub-Committee
School Security
At the last School Council meeting, members considered the matter of gate locking and school security. Although the importance of keeping the school grounds secure was acknowledged, it was also noted that this must be balanced against the need to comply with emergency evacuation requirements. Both the Department of Education and the relevant emergency services recommend against keeping all gates locked during school hours.
The ideal is to minimise the number of gates left open during the day, so Council resolved to adopt a policy of gate locking based on this approach, and to distribute a map of the grounds to the wider school community, detailing which gates will be open. The map is provided at the start of this report.
21st Century Learning Presentation
School Council also enjoyed a fascinating presentation by Year 4 teacher, Anna-Marie Low, a member of the NMPS leadership team, concerning 21st Century Learning, and the New Pedagogies for Deeper Learning ideals that are being adopted as the new school curriculum is evolved and implemented.
This included an in-depth look at the ways in which the school is striving to teach the skills that will be needed by our children in the technologically transformed society of the near future, grounded in the latest evidence based pedagogies. Interested parents can read further at:
http://npdl.global
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/Pages/deeplearning.aspx
http://www.hewlett.org/programs/education/deeper-learning
School Council Meeting on Enrolment Pressures
In the wake of recent media attention concerning the school’s enrolment pressures, Council also convened an extraordinary meeting, and the recommendations of that meeting were brought to the wider Council. The Council acknowledged that, while the imminent provision of new portable classrooms would alleviate immediate pressures, longer-term solutions are still required. To that extent, Council finalised a letter to the Minister, highlighting our situation and inviting him to visit the school to discuss our situation.
The best result for NMPS would be a new school in the inner North, and Council urges parents to continue to advocate for this, by writing to the minister and voicing your concerns. Contact details for James Merlino are:
Postal Address
MINISTERIAL OFFICE:
Level 3, 1 Treasury Place,
East Melbourne Vic 3002
GPO Box 4367,
Melbourne Vic 3001
Ministerial Address
Ministerial Office, GPO Box 4367, Melbourne Vic 3001
Ministerial Email: james.merlino@parliament.vic.gov.au