Leadership Report
Thursday 11 May 2023
Dear Parents, Students and Friends,
Mother’s Day
This Friday morning, we look forward to welcoming families back for our Mother’s Day Breakfast. It has been a while since we’ve been able to run this! It takes a lot of time and effort to organise such events and I would like to acknowledge the work of Sue McKinnon and the Highvale Primary Community Group (HPCG) in holding this important social event. To all the mothers and special persons in our school community, I hope you have a wonderful weekend and thank you for all you do for your children. I have included a Happy Families Insight Mother's Day article in the Engagement & Wellbeing section in this newsletter that is worth having a look at.
District Cross Country
Good luck to those students representing Highvale Primary School at District Cross Country this Friday. It looks like it will be a chilly day but hopefully the weather will hold out! Thanks to Mrs. Scott for organising this event.
PBL Acknowledgements
As you would be aware, students who demonstrate our school behaviours are given an acknowledgement egg. This is a Tier 1 support that proactively encourages all students to show our School Values. At the end of the week, the teacher will draw one acknowledgement egg out of the class jar. In the past, this student received a small toy but will now receive a School Value wristband (see image below). Students who receive this wristband can wear it proudly and aim to collect the whole set of their house colour!
Education Week
Education Week is an annual celebration of education in Victoria.
This year Victoria will celebrate Education Week from Sunday 14 May to Saturday 20 May. The theme is ‘Active Learners: Move, Make, Motivate’, which celebrates physical activity, hands-on learning and student voice in education.
Prep
Prep students will celebrate Education Week through their study of feelings and emotions.
MOVE: The Australian Ballet - Classroom Warm Up Activities
Follow along with our dance educators in a fun warm up for Early Childhood / Lower Primary.
Classroom Warm-Up Activities | The Australian Ballet
MAKE: NGV - Faces and Feelings
Have you ever drawn a friend or family member? This is called a portrait! From smiles to frowns, the facial expression, shapes and colours within a portrait can tell us a lot about the person, like how they are feeling or what they are thinking.
https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/KIDS_FACES_FEELINGS.pdf
Year 1&2
The Year 1 and 2 students will celebrate Education Week through our Concept Curriculum unit, by focusing on the ‘make’ aspect of active learning and harnessing student voice.
Parks Victoria - Nature’s Mascot
The Nature’s Mascots program tells Parks Victoria’s conservation stories in an age-friendly way by using cute and cuddly or weird and wonderful heroes to represent our key ecosystems.
Their mascot literacy resources help young learners to love where they live, develop connections between people and places, and understand how to care for both habitats and species.
Year 3&4
Year 3 and 4 students will celebrate Education Week through the study of Mathematics and the environment, incorporating movement and kinaesthetic-based activities.
Through the study of Measurement and Geometry – Transformation, students will participate in a series of lessons to identify symmetry in the environment, create symmetrical patterns, pictures and shapes: create a shape (like a snow-angel) on the ground etcetera, and describe translations, reflections and rotations of their ‘snow angels’.
Year 5&6
The Year 5 and 6 students will celebrate Education Week through the Concept Curriculum focus on the environment, cooperative learning and student leadership.
Make- students will explore the sanctuary and collect items such as fallen and dead leaves, sticks, twigs and other natural ground surface materials. Students will discuss what makes these items precious as part of the environment and how to care and celebrate it. Students will construct a crafty display as the 'make' aspect of Education week.
Move/Motivate- Year 5 and 6 students will design physical activities in groups to teach the Year 3&4 students during Student Empowerment. Students will participate in discussions about; being organised (preparing equipment and anything else needed), working collaboratively (listening to everyone’s ideas, being patient). Students will then implement and teach their activity to small groups of students.
Mobile Phone Policy
Each newsletter, we ask for feedback from our school community regarding school policies. The Mobile Phone policy has also been updated as per DET policy. The main update involves students bringing / wearing ‘other cellular communication devices’ to school such as smart watches. In summary, the mobile phone component has not changed. A number of students wear smart watches etc. We have had some issues but prefer to focus on the education aspect where possible. Students will continue to be permitted to wear them but the cellular component must be switched off when wearing at school.
This policy can be found in the School Policy Consultation and Updates section of this newsletter.
School Policy Consultation and Updates
Highvale Primary School regularly reviews and updates our policies and procedures to ensure they meet Department standards. These are available to view in our newsletter (see Policies section) and on our school website.
We are committed to continuous improvement in all of our approaches and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on policies, procedures and practices.
Policies currently under consultation and/or review can found in the School Policy Consultation and Update section of the newsletter.
If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please contact our school office on 9877 8000 to be directed to the appropriate staff member.
School Tours and 2024 Enrolments
School Tours for Prep 2024 and new Year 1-6 students are provided on Wednesday mornings between 9.30-10.45am. Due to demand, tours must be booked through the school office (9887 8000). If you have friends, family or neighbours with school age children, especially those commencing Prep in 2023 please encourage them to book a tour to find out more about our wonderful school and community.
The virtual tour is available at https://highvaleps.vic.edu.au/
Joshua Crozier
Assistant Principal