There is a perception among some people that teachers work from 8.45 am to 3.30 pm Monday to Friday and get long holidays and yes, there are a few teachers out there that do work less than the average teacher.

My actual position is principal however as Dhurringile is a very small school, part of my role is also as a classroom teacher. Unfortunately, 'teaching principal' is not a category of the principal group. You are either a principal or a teacher. One of the biggest disadvantages of a small school is the few staff to share the roles and responsibilities with. In a larger school, each staff member may take on one or two responsibilities. In a small school, each staff member is required to take on a number of roles or responsibilities with the principal required to take the majority.

So, this was my week for Monday 5th September to Friday 9th September 2022.

Monday

• 7:15 am arrive, unlock school, reset wi-fi and sign in.
• Turn on heaters, air purifiers, computers, lights, fairy lights, etc.
• Write note to cleaners.
• collected and checked off paperwork for the swimming program starting today
• read through emails to school and my accounts. Replied to emails as required while finishing my own breakfast.
• check calendar and diary for meetings and appointments this week
• update visual timetables for students and staff
• email specialist staff to remind them of swimming this week and timetable changes
• complete DET staff opinion survey and email staff to remind them of the survey
• text courier service to organise delivery time for when we are at school this week
• update school calendar on the website of upcoming events
• Review and update school evacuation diagrams for each room. Save diagrams as individual picture files. Arrange for diagrams to be updated in school EMP and in each school room.
• answer phone and mobile as required throughout the day
• before school yard duty. Saying hello to each student.
• organising breaky club food for students wanting breakfast
• certify staff pays
• print off student worksheets for the day
• teaching word work and reading
• explaining to the students how the week will work due to swimming
• 10:30 am leave for swimming lessons. Drive students to Shepparton. Liaise with Aquamoves staff on behalf of 6 small schools. Organise school staff and students from schools into groupings. Supervise students while at Aquamoves.
• 1.00 pm return from swimming lessons. Eat lunch with the students then lunchtime duty.
• teaching maths and writing
• after school duty until all students leave. Water plants and weed front garden bed while students are being collected.
• approve staff leave requests
• check emails and phone messages. Reply to emails as needed.
• Accept 2023 camp applications. Download invoices, email other schools involved, and arranged for invoices to be paid.
• Create whiteboard signs
• turn off all lights, heaters, computers, fairy lights, etc.
• sign out at 5.30 pm, turn on the security system, and lock the door.
• at home; check emails and reply to small school principals.

Tuesday

• 7:22 am arrive, unlock school, reset wi-fi and sign in.
• Turn on heaters, air purifiers, computers, lights, fairy lights, etc. throughout the school
• check the cleaner's reply to my note from yesterday
• unpack my bags ready for today
• check the calendar for today
• collect and sort robots borrowed from another school. Clean the charging station and count all equipment.
• Put together a Bee-Bot folder of activity sheets.
• Start organising incursion and professional development for another school
• Discussion with Business Manager about required tasks for day and events in next fortnight
• check emails before school and reply to required ones
• answer phone and mobile as required throughout the day
• before school yard duty. Saying hello to each student.
• organising breaky club food for students wanting breakfast
• approved CRT and reimbursement payments
• discussion with IT person around issues using YouTube on iPads
• scan and send student groupings for Aquamoves to schools
• teaching word study and writing
• mark attendance
• 10:30 am leave for swimming lessons. Drive students to Shepparton. Liaise with Aquamoves staff on behalf of 6 small schools. Organise school staff and students from schools into today’s groupings. Supervise students while at Aquamoves.
• 1:00 pm return from swimming lessons. Eat lunch with the students then lunchtime duty.
• teaching maths
• after school duty until all students leave.
• Turn off heaters, lights, computers, etc
• meeting: Small schools Mental health Menu
• check emails after school and reply as required.
• approve payments and sign financial paperwork
• complete compulsory DET principal survey for term 3
• complete compulsory DET program area modules for term 3
• 5:45 pm, lock up, sign out, etc, and leave for the day.

Wednesday

• 7:38 am arrive, unlock school, reset wi-fi, sign in, turn on the heater, air purifiers, computers, lights, etc
• check calendar for day plan and events
• check emails, and reply as required. Sort emails that need deleting or archiving
• change dates for the upcoming excursion. Sent emails notifying schools of change. Set up email archive folder for the event.
• Writing Active Schools Grant application
• answer phone and mobile as required throughout the day
• organising visit to another small school.
• blow vac all concrete and paths throughout school after it was mowed
• before school yard duty. Saying hello to each student.
• organising breaky club food for students wanting breakfast
• teaching bike education and writing
• mark attendance
• 10:30 am leave for swimming lessons. Drive students to Shepparton. Liaise with Aquamoves staff on behalf of 6 small schools. Organise school staff and students from schools into today’s groupings. Supervise students while at Aquamoves.
• 1:00 pm return from swimming lessons. Eat lunch with the students then lunchtime duty.
• check emails for school
• teaching maths and publishing student work
• after school duty until all students leave.
• collect links and email to teachers who asked for some assistance
• follow up on conversations with other teachers/principals regarding robotic lessons and excursions
• start notice about wanting to hire a handyperson for school
• continue with writing Active Schools Grant application
• phone call alerting school to COVID-19 case
• start tracking COVID-19 positive case in school. Phone each school involved with the swimming program. Access current school operational guidelines to follow correct procedures. Text all people who have been in school this week then email them with DET information letter. Post on social media of COVID-19 case in school. Log school case into DET portal.
• organise an alternative method to travel to swimming lessons for the rest of the week
• turn off heaters, lights, lock toilets, etc
• 5:59 pm, sign out, lock up and leave for the day.
• at home, answer texts from parents regarding COVID and requests for face masks, hand sanitiser, and RAT kits.

Thursday

• 7:05 am arrive, unlock school, turn alarm off, reset wi-fi, sign in, etc
• turn on all heaters, lights, fairy lights, electronic slide show, air purifiers, and computers
• check emails – delete, archive or reply as required.
• unlock external gates ready for tree works over next couple of days
• create robotics excursion booking form for other schools
• create a post on Facebook for handyperson needed
• email specialist teachers regarding MACC/MARC for the next visits
• answer phone and mobile as required throughout the day
• check calendar and diary for meetings and appointments this week
• update visual timetables for students and staff
• before school yard duty. Saying hello to each student.
• organising breaky club food for students wanting breakfast
• teaching bike education and writing
• mark attendance
• 10:30 am leave for swimming lessons. Liaise with Aquamoves staff on behalf of 6 small schools. Organise school staff and students from schools into today’s groupings. Supervise students while at Aquamoves.
• 1:15 pm return from swimming lessons. Eat lunch with the students then lunchtime duty.
• ring IT person for assistance to fix my computer with a blank screen
• check emails for the school
• teaching technology
• after school duty until all students leave
• organise meeting and shared drive for principal discussion around mental health menu
• reply to all emails regarding handyperson Facebook post
• liaison with tree loppers and show where school areas are
• check emails, delete, archive or reply as required.
• organise individual robotics days for small schools that have requested assistance
• lock front gates and toilets after tree loppers left for the day
• turn off heaters, lights, computers, slideshow,
• 4:28 pm sign out, turn alarm on, and lock school

Friday

• 6:52 am arrive, unlock school, turn alarm off, reset wi-fi, sign in, etc
• unlock front gates ready for tree loppers to arrive
• check emails, delete, archive or reply as required
• organise Italian lessons for next week with the Italian teacher
• organise robotics day with a school for next term
• fix the app that wasn’t working to allow attendance to be uploaded.
• design templates for quoting handyperson jobs
• discussion with tree loppers about work for the day and mulch
• check calendar and diary for meetings and appointments today and next week
• update visual timetables for students and staff
• answer phone and mobile as required throughout the day
• before school yard duty. Greeting each student as they arrive
• organising breaky club food for students wanting breakfast
• teaching physical education and literacy
• mark attendance
• 10:30 am leave for swimming lessons. Liaise with Aquamoves staff on behalf of 6 small schools. Organise school staff and students from schools into today’s groupings. Supervise students while at Aquamoves.
• 1:15 pm return from swimming lessons. Eat lunch with the students then lunchtime duty.
• greet specialist art teacher and check anything she needs for today’s lesson
• liaison with the business manager as to jobs that need completing
• quick ‘touch base’ with the school council president
• continue writing Active Schools Grant application
• lock front gates and toilets after tree loppers left for the day
• turn off heaters, lights, computers, slideshow,
• water indoor plants
• 4:43 pm sign out, turn alarm on, and lock school

Protecting the safety and well-being of children through the reporting and monitoring of absenteeism is the responsibility of both parents/carers and schools.  

Our school will text you as soon as practicable on the day if a student is not at school and you haven’t notified the school as to why.

If you are notified by the school that your child is away without a reason, please contact us as soon as possible by texting / calling 0418 383 064 or calling 5826 6222 to let us know where your child is. If we cannot reach you because we don’t have your correct contact details (i.e.: message notification fail, disconnected number), then we will make contact with any emergency contact/s nominated on your child’s file held by the school, where possible, on the same day of the unexplained absence.

Please remember it is your responsibility to contact us to provide an explanation for your child's absence from school, and where possible, please inform us in advance of upcoming absences.

For further information on the processes and procedures our school uses to record, monitor and follow-up student attendance and absence please read our Attendance Policy https://www.dhurringileps.vic.edu.au/source/BUILD/attendance_policy.pdf