Small Schools Swimming Carnival: What a fantasc day we had at the Tocumwal Swimming Pool on Monday, 22 February 2021 at the Small Schools Swimming Carnival. A huge congratulaons to each and every one of our students for their wonderful display of sportsmanship, excellent manner in which they parcipated in their events and for the support they offered their peers. Savernake Public School performed exceponally well with two of our students receiving age Champion medals. We were thrilled that Savernake Public School also won the overall Small Schools Swimming Champion trophy. Students will receive their 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd place Cerficates this week. Some of our students were then eligible to parcipate in the PSSA Finley Zone Swimming Carnival which was held on Friday, 26 February 2021 at the Finley Swimming Pool. And finally a big thank you to our parents who transported students to the carnival and for their enormous support during the swimming events. It is greatly appreciated by the school community. Finley PSSA Zone Swimming Carnival: We were thrilled that two of our students parcipated in the Finley PSSA Zone Swimming Carnival at Finley on Friday, 26 February 2021. Congratulaons to all of our swimmers who aended the carnival to represent our school and the Small Schools network. All students should be very proud of their achievement. As the manager of the Small Schools team, I was very pleased to share in the excitement of the day and also thrilled at the wonderful display of sportsmanship by all team members when individuals and teams were compeng in events. A big thank you to our parents and grandparents who took our students to Cobram last Friday and supported them so well. We congratulate Tocumwal Public School who were the overall championship winners for the 8 th consecuve year and Mulwala Public School who won the Handicap Trophy for the 2 nd year in a row. Community Consultaon Meeng: Thank you to Savernake community members that were able to aend the follow- up Savernake Public School Community Consultaon Meeng on Wednesday, 24 February 2021 to have further quesons around the placement of the school into recess answered. Aached is a copy of the inial Community Consultaon Meeng Minutes held on Tuesday, 9 February 2021. These were made available to the school on Tuesday, 23 February 2021. Below is informaon from Sue Lowe, Director, Educaonal Leadership, Hume Principals Network that was not included in the Minutes regarding Leasing Department Buildings: “Queson/Answer re Leasing Department Buildings if the School Moves into Recess. Apologies for not having the answer to this queson to include with the rest of the minutes that were sent out last Tuesday 23/2/21. Answer: It would be extremely unlikely that the Department would lease out the buildings or grounds while the school was in recess. Such acon would severely impact on the ability of the Department to move the school back into operaonal mode if the numbers of students living in the area were to increase.” School Learning Support Officer (SLSO): We are pleased to welcome Miss Rachel Head to our team at Savernake Public School. Miss Head will be working in the classroom with our students. Angelique Bruce Principal SAVERNAKE SCHOOL NEWS TERM 1 WEEK 6 Wednesday 3 March, 2021
Transcript
DEC-NSW
Small Schools Swimming Carnival: What a fantastic day we had at the Tocumwal Swimming Pool on Monday, 22
February 2021 at the Small Schools Swimming Carnival. A huge congratulations to each and every one of our students
for their wonderful display of sportsmanship, excellent manner in which they participated in their events and for the
support they offered their peers. Savernake Public School performed exceptionally well with two of our students
receiving age Champion medals. We were thrilled that Savernake Public School also won the overall Small Schools
Swimming Champion trophy. Students will receive their 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Certificates this week. Some of our
students were then eligible to participate in the PSSA Finley Zone Swimming Carnival which was held on Friday,
26 February 2021 at the Finley Swimming Pool. And finally a big thank you to our parents who transported students to
the carnival and for their enormous support during the swimming events. It is greatly appreciated by the school
community.
Finley PSSA Zone Swimming Carnival: We were thrilled that two of our students participated in the Finley PSSA Zone
Swimming Carnival at Finley on Friday, 26 February 2021. Congratulations to all of our swimmers who attended the
carnival to represent our school and the Small Schools network. All students should be very proud of their achievement.
As the manager of the Small Schools team, I was very pleased to share in the excitement of the day and also thrilled at
the wonderful display of sportsmanship by all team members when individuals and teams were competing in events. A
big thank you to our parents and grandparents who took our students to Cobram last Friday and supported them so
well. We congratulate Tocumwal Public School who were the overall championship winners for the 8th consecutive year
and Mulwala Public School who won the Handicap Trophy for the 2nd year in a row.
Community Consultation Meeting: Thank you to Savernake community members that were able to attend the follow-
up Savernake Public School Community Consultation Meeting on Wednesday, 24 February 2021 to have further
questions around the placement of the school into recess answered. Attached is a copy of the initial Community
Consultation Meeting Minutes held on Tuesday, 9 February 2021. These were made available to the school on Tuesday,
23 February 2021. Below is information from Sue Lowe, Director, Educational Leadership, Hume Principals Network
that was not included in the Minutes regarding Leasing Department Buildings:
“Question/Answer re Leasing Department Buildings if the School Moves into Recess. Apologies for not having the answer to this question to include with the rest of the minutes that were sent out
last Tuesday 23/2/21.
Answer:
It would be extremely unlikely that the Department would lease out the buildings or grounds while the school
was in recess. Such action would severely impact on the ability of the Department to move the school back into
operational mode if the numbers of students living in the area were to increase.”
School Learning Support Officer (SLSO): We are pleased to welcome Miss Rachel Head to our team at Savernake Public School. Miss Head will be working in the classroom with our students. Angelique Bruce Principal
Apologies: Dean White, Executive Director School Performance, Local MP Justin Clancy, Jenny Condon, Ned Nagel, Andrea Mitchell, Joseph Gorman, Matthew Gorman
Present: Sue Lowe, Director Educational Leadership, Hume Principals Network
Angelique Bruce, Principal Savernake Public School
Dot Dore, Principal Berrigan Public School, PPA Representative
Gayle Pinn, Principal Mulwala Public School
Adrian Butler, Federation Council
Parents, students and the wider community of Savernake Public School (as attached)
Meeting opened 6:05pm
Sue Lowe spoke to the meeting from a PowerPoint presentation (attached) outlining the process of how did we get here and where to from here.
Questions arising:
Neil Gorman ex-parent: How many students would you envisage you would need to open the school again?
DEL response: There is no set number, the school needs to have projected enrolments. Pooncarie PS was given as an example of a school that reopened.
Andrew Gorman ex-student and ex-parent: Thought it would be better to finish this year.
DEL response: A decision is generally made in relation to the data and it rarely pleases everyone. Some parents prefer to move their children in Yr 6 to get them ready to move into High School, larger friendship base etc
Community member: What happens to the P&C funds?
DEL response: The books will have to be audited and the P&C will be asked what they would like to do with the funds as well as resources purchased by the P&C.
Community member: Can the funds be donated to the local hall?
DEL response: This is a P&C decision as per Federation of P&C.
Chris Gorman: Why wasn’t this looked at last year?
DEL response: The numbers have been monitored for previous 2 years and ongoing discussions have occurred with the principal. The Catholic School in Berrigan was closing and it was hopeful that there may have been prospective enrolments for Savernake PS from this closure. It didn’t become clear until the end of the year that Savernake would not pick up any new enrolments either from the Catholic school or the local area. Three students can be justified if the trend shows future enrolments.
Community member: Doesn’t agree with the trend data, believes that there are families who will have Kindergarten aged children in two years. Where did you get your data from?
DEL response: Data is collected and monitored from community advice, particularly the principal and enquiries to the local Education Office. The principal has been clear that there are no new local students.
Andrew ex-student: What happens to the tennis teams and the tennis courts?
DEL response: The department acknowledges the school facilities are important to the community and the community will still have this access.
Community member: If families call the Education Office and the end of the year can we open the school at the beginning of the next year?
DEL response: Opening a school can happen very quickly, the department provides a start-up grant.
Community member: When you put a school into recess when do you get rid of the resources?
DEL response: Resources will be reallocated once the school goes in to recess.
Grandparent: The students enjoy being at this school.
Margo Gorman ex-teacher: Can the community tennis teams use the building as a clubhouse?
DEL response: Will find out and advise
Community member: Is the electricity left on?
DEL response: The electricity is left on to maintain the facilities and the bore for the water pump.
Grandfather of current students: Doesn’t agree with timing of recess and believes this will be detrimental to the students and it should have happened last year not this year.
Father of current students: This decision has already been made and more questions will not change the decision.
Community member: Are we going into recess?
DEL response: Unless enrolments change the school will possibly go in to recess.
Community member: Has COVID been taken into consideration?
DEL response: There is a huge movement from the cities to country areas and we are monitoring the trend data daily. Both bushfires and drought have impacted many country areas and school enrolment trends. Does not think COVID has effected Savernake School.
Community member: If we knew that there were 3 students starting in 2023 would that stop the school going into recess?
DEL response: No, not unless we had enrolment applications and a clear commitment to continue with the enrolment and this would be closely monitored.
Barry Fitzgerald: What happens to the bus service?
DEL response: The bus company applies to the Department of Transport.
Lu Nagel ex-student: Would the department lease the facilities for example Education
DEL response: Will look in to this matter and advise.
Chaplain: What happens to the School Chaplain?
DEL response: The Chaplaincy program is Federally funded. The Chaplain may pick up a job at another school as most schools have funding. If there are no vacancies the Chaplain will have to go back to their provider.
Community member: Concerns that closing the school will affect the community. Concerns about the high rate of suicides in country communities. Concerned for the wellbeing of the people that are attending the meeting and passionate about their school. Believes that the department is not taking in to consideration the differences between city and country schools and the department is showing no compassion or empathy towards small schools and their communities.
DEL response: Takes on board what you are saying. Community decisions to drive past their local school to enrol at another school sooner or later makes the local school unviable.
Community member: Believes that it is unreasonable to move students to another school.
DEL response: Conversations with Angelique have taken place over a number of years around what can be done to increase enrolments at Savernake Public School. This decision did not happen overnight.
Parent: I want my child to finish Year 6 at Savernake PS.
DEL response: Parents knew at the end of last year. The reality is the downward trend in enrolments.
Community member: Why can’t the school stay open until the end of the year to give parents time to make decisions about their children’s future schooling?
DEL response: The parents knew at the end of last year that the school may possibly go into recess. Director’s role is to give the school community information about this
process and present the facts it doesn’t include making the decision to put the school in to recess.
Community member: You do not have the respect of the community, take responsibility.
DEL response: Doesn’t back away from her responsibilities.
Community member: You don’t understand the difference that this school makes to the students, community - connections matter.
Community member: I moved my child to another school and I did it for him. He now has friends to play with and Im not sorry I did it.
Grandfather: I believe that this will be detrimental to my grandchildren.
Adrian Butler, Federation Council: Have any other schools moved in to recess during the year and is it made on dollars?
DEL response: Yes, but the decision has little to do with funding and money. Its mainly around enrolment trend data. A school’s core business is education and schools need students enrolled in them.
Community member: Accepts that the school will go in to recess, but how hard are you fighting to keep the school open?
DEL response: The Director’s role is to inform the community and present the facts. The Director understands what being part of a small community means as her background in a remote Northern Territory community attests.
Student: spoke about “her school”
DEL: The Director thanked the student for having the courage to speak up and have her say and acknowledged how hard that must have been.
T Patrick: How does NSW Education do their budget? The department has a budget, was Savernake included in this budget?
DEL response: The department works on their budget throughout the year and Savernake is included in a broad sense. Discussions are held around the viability of schools although not any one particular school.
Community member: Will the department survey the community in regards to their mental health?
DEL response: This isn’t something that the Education Department would normally do.
The Director thanked Angelique and thanked the community for coming to the meeting and being part of the process.
The Director’s priority is to complete the background fact sheet and work with Angelique and the community.
When is the decision going to be made? The priority will be to complete the background fact sheet and work with Angelique. We are unable to provide a specific date.
Meeting closed 7:25pm
Actions for DEL:
1. Can the community tennis teams use the tennis courts and school staff room? 2. Can the facilities be leased?
Response
1. The Savernake Tennis teams can use the tennis courts. They would, as do all community groups using educational grounds and buildings need to sign a Community Use contract which is a very straight forward process. The club would not need to make a donation. The use of the staff room would need to be negotiated in the contract.
2. Lease of the buildings and facilities – Information regarding this question is still pending. Once received it will be forwarded through to the community.
