REGIONAL REPORT FEBRUARY, 2008
REPORT: THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD WITH SOME OF THE WORST
DAYS IMAGINABLE
This statement is something all principals can relate to. It was one of the responses
from a school principal and has now become the title of the principal associations’
report on principal health and welfare.
The report has generated some interest in the press and was attached to your most
recent eBulletin. The aim of the report was to identify the impact of the role of school
leadership on members’ psychological and physical health. In commissioning the
survey we were keen to determine the main stressors impacting on the daily life of
school leaders and to identify factors which motivate people to continue working in
education.
The results paint a very positive picture about the degree of commitment principals
feel towards their role. The vast majority identified strongly with the statements that:
 the job was a way of life
 they either ‘loved’ or ‘liked’ the role
 they do the job to make a difference in students’ lives
 they viewed their performance positively
 they were perfectionists
However there were areas of concern in the findings, including:
 a lack of life balance
 the impact of the job on families
 feelings of guilt about what they do not achieve in their work
 feeling overwhelmed by the workload
 how they were coping
It was interesting to note that principals sought help and advice from a partner, a
friend or a colleague, but the department/employer was ranked last.
Some interesting comments which might be of assistance include:
 “I have learnt to prioritise and not to indulge in guilt.”
 “I have just gone out of my office at the end of the day to see students
off. It helps to remind me of why I am here.”
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“I am fortunate to have effective colleagues at executive level who
assist me in making the workload and associated demands
manageable.”
“Keeping regular exercise and using holidays to relax and restore
energy levels maintains my health overall.”
“I find talking out loud helps me get things into perspective.”
“The kids who let you know you’ve made a difference in their life are
the best mental health practitioners I know.”
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Conclusions:
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The commitment, dedication and passion felt for the role of principal
is extremely heartening.
However that commitment and sense of vocation can be partially
responsible for the negative effects relating to physical and
psychological health.
Staff and student turnover is an issue which challenges school
leaders.
Principals in rural and isolated locations experience specific issues of
stress and difficulty.
Principals often struggle to manage what is expected of them in their
professional lives whilst also maintaining healthy and fulfilling
personal lives.
Thanks to those of you who responded to the survey. VASSP will use this data when
advocating for the working conditions and rights of principals.
TRUENERGY AND CHANGES TO ELECTRICITY COSTS
You may notice that there is a change to your electricity costs this year. Whilst there
has been a 2.5% increase in your SRP, we are told this may not be enough to cover
Whole of Government (WOG) increases. Apparently there have been some changes
to regulations and DEECD is as yet unsure how much this will affect the costs for
individual schools. There will be no change to the practice of calculating costs on an
historical basis.
In a related matter we want to remind members that the WOG agreement is with
TruEnergy and if you have not changed to that provider (about 200 schools haven't)
you may be paying 10-15% more. So it is definitely worth checking with your
Business Manager to ensure that your school is actually taking advantage of the
savings.
STATEWIDE GENERAL MEETING
We need your attendance at the SGM on Friday March 7. The program is the best
ever and is attached for your consideration. Please send the reply slip and payment to
the VASSP office as soon as possible. Make sure your school is represented.
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UBS YOUNG WOMENS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Remember applications close on February 27th for this fantastic program for girls in
year 11.
DUTY OF CARE IN RELATION TO SCHOOL BUS SUPERVISION ISSUES
Legal liability in relation to school bus supervision issues is often a grey area. The
document attached to this report may answer some of your questions and help with
your decision making in terms of the supervision of students using school buses.
As a result of a High Court of Appeal decision in February 1997, it
extended the duty of care not only to an injury occurring outside school
hours but also to one well outside school grounds (as it occurred some
350 metres from the school).
The court found the following:
(a)
The duty of care owed by a school depends on:
 The relationship of proximity which derives from the fact that a student is
a student;
 Whether the risk of injury is foreseeable to a reasonable person in the
position of a school authority;
 Whether there was a failure to do what a reasonable person in the position
of a school authority would do by way of a response to the risk.
(b)
The relationship of teacher and pupil does not begin each day when the pupil
enters the school grounds and terminate when the pupil leaves the school
ground. The extent and nature of a teacher’s duty of care is dictated by the
particular circumstances. This includes such factors as whether the school is
located on a busy highway or whether particular dangers are present in the
immediate vicinity of the school.
CHANGES TO VASSP EMAIL ADDRESSES
During 2007 we notified you of changes to all the VASSP email addresses. However
some members are still using the old addresses in distribution lists. As these will not
work after January 2008, you may have experienced some emails bouncing back.
Please note these new addresses:
President, Brian Burgess,
Executive Officer and Field Officer, Marion Heale,
Field Officer, Morris Sleep,
Project Officer, Ian Wallis,
Journal Manager, Arthur Toussaint,
Receptionist, Sarah Stevens,
Administration Officer, Liz Wielgosz,
bburgess@vassp.org.au
mheale@vassp.org.au
msleep@vassp.org.ai
iwallis@vassp.org.au
atoussaint@vassp.org.au
sstevens@apf.net.au
lwielgosz@vassp.org.au
We have also recently advised you of the new VASSP phone number which is
93207100. The fax number has remained the same on 93268147.
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CHANGES TO VASSP MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS
By now each VASSP member should have received a letter in the mail outlining the
new arrangements for paying VASSP subscriptions. If you did not receive this letter
please contact our office on 93207100.
Please note that as VASSP and the APF are now separating their collection processes,
your VASSP subscription has reduced to $540.80 annually or $20.80 per fortnight.
You need to notify DEECD payroll or SmartSalary about this change as outlined in
the letter you received.
If there are other principals or assistant principals at your school interested in joining
VASSP, you can find application forms on our website at www.vassp.org.au under
“Membership” or I have attached a form to this email.
USEFUL RESOURCES – 2008 NATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM,
LITERACY AND NUMERACY
2008 National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy
NAPLAN
May 13, 14, 15, 2008
Useful resources for your schools.
Detailed answers and Web Links for all the 2008 NAPLAN sample questions for
years 3, 5, 7 and 9 for Language Conventions, Writing, Reading, Numeracy
More detail and free sample at
http://www.chemas.com
Download order form at
http://www.chemas.com/NUMERACY_MAY15_2008/NAPLAN_answers.doc
PE TEACHER NEEDED
Springvale Secondary College is desperately seeking a CRT in PE for the rest of term
1. If you can help please ring Dianne Zagodinos on 95468755.
iNET STUDENT ONLINE CONFERENCE
Students at your school are invited to take part in the 2008 series of iNet student online
conferences, ‘Whose world is it anyway?’
These four online events for primary and secondary students are a chance to discuss big
global issues with young people from around the world. Students can also share creative
work exploring the issues. This year’s themes are:
New technologies: a threat or a promise?
Online message boards active 25 - 29 February
*no new contributions can be accepted for this first conference.
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Climate change: whose problem is it?
Online message boards active 10 -14 March
Extended deadline for sending in creative work: 25 February
Do you live in a 'global village'?
Online message boards active 28 April - 2 May
Deadline for sending in creative work: 17 March
If you could change the world to create a better future, what would you do?
Online message boards active 16 - 20 June
Deadline for sending in creative work: 12 May
For more information, visit www.ssat-inet.net/haveyoursay
Register to take part
To make sure you are kept updated, register to participate at
www.cybertext.net.au/studentreg3.htm
Students may register online individually. Teachers can also register themselves and then
pass information on to all their students.
THE EARTH FROM SPACE
We have attached some wonderful photos of the earth from space, taken by astronaut
Sunita Williams.
PRINCIPAL CLASS APPOINTMENTS
The following appointments have been recently notified. VASSP members are asked
to make contact with newly appointed principal class officers and encourage them to
come along to regional meetings and join the Association.
Name
Philip Squire
Kerrie Croft
Eva Kesidis
Lynette Stary
Toni Meath
Nathan Chisholm
Susan Coffey
Bernard Healy
Greg Sampson
Position
PR5
PR4
AP2
AP2
AP2
AP1
AP1
AP1
AP1
School
Shepparton High School
Ashwood Secondary College
Westall Secondary College
Pascoe Vale Girls’ Secondary College
Mordialloc College
Altona College
Sale College
Maryborough Education Centre
Nhill College
VASSP Contacts:
Marion Heale, Field Officer
Ph: 0408 401 755
Morris Sleep, Field Officer
Ph: 0409 007 153
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Ian Wallis, Project Officer
Ph: 0412 805 895
Brian Burgess, President
Ph: 0407 845 036
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