Newsletters

This is the last newsletter for 2020.

Last Day of the School Year

Friday 18th December is the last day of the 2020 school year. Students will be dismissed at 1.30pm.

First Day of the 2021 School Year

Students in Years 1 to 6 start school on Friday 29th January.

Students in Year Prep start on Tuesday 2nd February.

Transition

Year 1 to 6 2021 Transition Sessions: will be held Monday 2pm, Tuesday 2pm and Wednesday 2pm in the last week of school.

Remaining 2021 Prep Transition Activities: 14th December.

Meet My Teacher (2021 Years 1 to 6): Friday 18th December 9.50am.

Reports

Student reports will be available for parents to access on COMPASS on Wednesday 16th December at 4pm.

Assemblies in the Last Week of School

We will have two assemblies in the last week of school:

Monday 14th Dec: 9.30am - Presentation Assembly (invitation only)

Friday 20th Dec: 12.30pm - Year 6 Graduation Assembly (Year 6 parents only)

Lost Property

This is a reminder that any item in the Lost Property that is unclaimed by the end of the school year will be sent either to the Second Hand Uniform Shop or the local Op Shop. Students are encouraged to come and check the Lost Property for any item that may be theirs.

Term Dates 2021

Term One: Wednesday 27th January to Thursday 1st April

Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th January - Curriculum Days

Monday 8th March - Labour Day

Tuesday 9th March - Curriculum Day

Friday 2nd to Monday 5th April - Easter

Term Two: Monday 19th April to Friday 25th June

Friday 11th June - Curriculum Day

Monday 14th June - Queen's Birthday

Term Three: Monday 12th July to Friday 17th September

Term Four: Monday 4th October to Friday 17th December

Tuesday 2nd November - Melbourne Cup Day

Hello and Thank you

The staff at Malvern Primary School would like to thank you for the wonderful support and guidance you gave your children during remote learning. We are all enjoying our time back at school, the sounds of laughter in the playgrounds is lovely to hear.

Each of our grade levels have out together some information about what we have been doing to support your children now that they are back at school. A great deal of planning has been done through the school and each grade level to make sure activities and programs implemented have your children’s well being and mental health supported.

We hope you have all seen the beautiful butterflies on our front fence and tennis court fence. These butterflies were made by the children across the school and they look amazing fluttering in the breeze.

Each grade level has written about their programmes that were initiated at the start of Term 4.

Prep – our children were learning about Road Safety and so we all used the area in the Junior Hall to make a community floor map. The children used masking tape to make roads and cut out pictures of houses, gardens, bridges and boats to add to our map. We started each day with developmental play allowing children to renew friendships as they used Lego or played with dinosaurs and many other toys and games. We read lots of stories, some based on remote learning eg, “Stuck at home” by Melissa Fleming.

Grade 1

The children have been participating in daily caring circle discussions and a weekly activity focussing on social skills, the school values and fostering student connectedness. During Grade One Sport, games have been introduced to foster connections so the children can play these games at recess and lunch. Smiling minds meditation weekly sessions were used to encourage mindfulness within the classroom.

Grade 2

The main focus for the grade 2 children’s health and mental well being has been talking with the children. The children have been sharing their positives from remote learning such as breakfast and lunches as a family, fridge raids whenever they want and no uniform. The teachers have been using work submitted during remote learning to show that the time spent learning from home has been valuable. In addition , the children have been engaged in team building and collaborative activities daily in the sessions after lunch. Activities include art/ craft, designing, planning. Some children are choosing to read and share their reading, others are refining their skills by drawing. Lots of outdoor activities including the practising of circus skills – plate spinning, scarf juggling, twirling poi, tricks with devil sticks and hoop tricks has also been an effective way to have students engage in peer support and mentoring with these skills.

Grade 3

The grade 3 teachers have implemented a range of getting to know you activities. They have been listening to some, “short and curly” podcasts, mindful colouring and class discussions.

Grade 4

Grade 4 have implemented lots of small activities as well as whole class Mindfulness lessons each week, such as the butterflies on the fence, Christmas card design and a “This is me activity”.

Year 5s

Students have been participating in the “4R’s program and having small group discussions as needed. They have been involved in whole class discussions about their feelings, coping strategies and positive traits.

Grade 6

The students are continuing the SEL program based on the 4R’s (Department’s) lessons. These include a lot of group work and drama, acting out scenarios and talking about character traits and strategies for problem solving. Trying to reduce computer/screen time, increase outdoor learning, increase group activities, regular routines and lots of discussions.

Congratulations to your children and you , the work we have all done together has been incredible.

OSHP