Dear Co-op and Community members,
The Board of Directors of the Casuarina School Cooperative would like to wish
all parents, staff and students a very happy Christmas and New Year.
It has been a big year with the appointment of our first ever Principal, changes
to the school administration, and changes in government regulatory and funding
environments.
Two years ago, the Board decided to restructure the management of our school and
made a commitment to establish a Principal role. This was a decision towards a
more structured leadership model for a school that has had a different
tradition.
2009 is the first year Casuarina has worked with the Principal model. We have
been fortunate to have Mark Todorovic to lead us into this new era.
Mark has brought many invaluable insights and qualities to the school and has
carried the school through this first year of change with tireless effort and
dedication. He has established systems and procedures that will allow our school
to move forward professionally and grow with confidence. It has also been due to
Mark’s insight and strategic leadership skills that we now end the 2009 calendar
year with a surplus budget. Our financial position at the end of this year puts
the school on a sound footing to deal with the increased regulatory, reporting
and financial viability requirements being imposed by state and federal
governments.
Unfortunately, Mark is not continuing with us in 2010 and will be leaving
Casuarina at the end of this year.
The Board is very grateful for the work Mark has done for our school during this
year and wishes Mark every success for his future.
The global financial crisis has been a notable event during 2009 resulting in a
significant federal government stimulus spending program. The federal government
stimulus package has delivered us grant funding to maintain the school. Some of
this work is completed with the installation of new toilets at the end of
classroom 4. We have also been successful in receiving grant funding to build
two new classrooms with two undercover general learning areas. These will become
class rooms for classes 5 and 6 continuing along beyond class room 4 in the
direction of Orlando Road. The planning and design of the new buildings is
underway and we look forward to work starting in the first quarter of the New
Year.
Federal Parliament passed the Schools Assistance Bill in 2009. The bill provides
for a continuation of the existing funding arrangements for non-government
schools from 2009-2012. The Bill also contains clauses relating to the
implementation of the national curriculum. In response to the move to implement
a national curriculum, the Rudolf Steiner Schools Australia (RSSA) association
is working hard to write a National Steiner Curriculum with the view to achieve
national recognition. Casuarina supports this initiative and recognises the
magnitude of achieving this task within the period available.
With all these big picture issues going on the Board also recognises the
commitment and effort made by all staff to make Casuarina School the special
place it is. Special thanks go to our wonderfully dedicated and capable teachers
and teacher assistants for providing a unique learning environment for our
children.
The board would also like to thank parents for their commitment and involvement
in the school. Whether it is in the P&F, as class carers, cooking for breezeway,
assisting in excursions and class camps, assisting with working bees or just
meeting after school. Your involvement and enthusiasm goes a long way to
creating a strong community and feeling of belonging that nurtures our school.
We look forward to seeing everyone fresh and ready for another exciting year in
2010.
Adam Newman
Chair
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