YSS Newsletter 2026 Term 3 Week 5

~Quarterly Update from the YSS Board~

Sand Extraction Proposal

The Board endorsed a submission to the City of Busselton opposing the proposal for a sand mining operation off Wyadup Road. Our opposition to the proposal was largely based on the number of traffic movements that would occur as a result, being up to 100 truck movements per day. Given the issues identified in the recent Main Roads traffic survey of the intersection of Caves and Wildwood Roads an additional 100 truck movements per day would significantly increase the likelihood of a serious incident at that intersection. Additionally, the Board was of the view that increasing the number of heavy vehicles on the State’s most iconic tourist road makes no sense. We understand the need for sand but surely there are more suitable options for that site. We are happy to provide a copy of our submission to anyone who is interested. The application has since been referred to the EPA for consideration after the City of Busselton received over 2000 submissions on the proposal.

New Classroom and Car Parking

We have reached a key point in the provision of the new classroom with a preferred contractor being decided. It is expected the contract will be signed in the coming weeks after the final sign off from the Board. We hope to commence construction in or around the next term break. The building application is expected to be lodged immediately after the contract is signed. As part of the approval for the new classroom some additional car parking needs to be provided on site. The detailed design work has been completed and we are awaiting approval from the City of Busselton re the design and specifications. Once those are approved our engineering consultants will go to tender for the work with the objective of undertaking the car park works in the Christmas break. The classroom and car parking designs are available to view on the school’s website.

AGM

Our AGM was held in late June with the election of the following Board positions:

• Secretary- Jennie Olzewski
• Treasurer -Graeme Davies

Darren Uren whose children previously attended the school has also joined the Board. Welcome Darren and we look forward to you being part of the YSS Board and providing your valuable insights as a past parent of the school.

We currently have a vacancy on the Board for a chair, and we are currently filling that role on a temporary basis, as we have for the last 12 months largely on a rotation basis. If you are interested in joining the Board, please put up your hand for a discussion to see what is involved.

The 2026 AGM Board report is available on the school’s website if you want to have a quick read on what was achieved over the last 12 months.

Reregistration

The school is required to apply for renewal of registration as a non-government school. The registration process is one of the main processes by which the State Government ensures compliance with the School Education Act. The school submitted the renewal of registration in late June and will now await any further requests for information.

The Board would like to acknowledge the efforts of the staff in putting the reregistration application together and particularly Jacqui Morris who has worked tirelessly on this project for close to 12 months. Thanks Jacqui.

Parent Survey

Firstly, can we say thank you to all the parents who participated in the survey and provided feedback. A quick snapshot of the results:

• Over 50 parents participated in the survey.
• In an overall sense the results are very positive and indicative of a satisfied parent group.
• Using the rating scale of 1-3, all of the 34 categories were above the midpoint of 2 with categories ranging from a stunning high of 2.86 to 2.16.
• The classroom experience is highly rated by parents.
• The information has been provided to the Executive and College of Teachers, and they will consider the feedback and identify a couple of elements they can improve.

The Board has identified three areas to work on:

1. The need to continue to improve our communication with both parents and the College. As a first step we have been providing quarterly Board updates to parents like this one and Board members are attending a College meeting after each board meeting.

2. We need to explain how the republican model works in practice and are clear where the responsibilities lie. A couple of changes have been made with the Educational Facilitator and Business Manager now reporting direct to the Board. The Board is also developing an accountability matrix to identify who is responsible for what and once finalised will be shared with parents.

3. There was some general feedback on ensuring parents have a greater understanding of Steiner education philosophy and practices, and we have chartered the Executive and College of Teachers to work on this.

Once again thanks for providing the feedback. It has been invaluable and shows what a great job the teachers and all staff do at Yallingup Steiner School.