Footscray West PS Newsletter

Principal's Report

Principal: Brendan Millar

Reminders

  • Mother’s (Special Person’s) Day stall will be held tomorrow - please remember to ensure that your child brings along (up to) $5 cash so they (and their mum) doesn’t miss out.
  • This coming Monday, 15th May is a Pupil Free Day and school will not be operating as teachers work from home on assessment and student reporting to parents tasks.  Their Care will be providing an all day care program on that day.  Please priortise your booking to assist the TC team with staffing.

In this Week's Newsletter

  • Appreciations and News…
    • Zoo Snooze
    • Nudel Kart
    • Kids’ Share
    • School review
  • Coming up 
    • Mother’s Day and Special Person’s Stall (Friday)
    • Education Week
    • Zoo Snooze (final camps)
    • Prep 2024 Information Session and Tour (morning and late afternoon sessions)
  • Repeated (and updated) messages

Appreciations and News

  • Well done to our students and staff from 4MS, the last of the grade 4 classes and our initial two grades 3 classes (3MK and 3TM), who attended the Zoo Snooze camps this week. There are some great pics posted on the FWPS FaceBook page at: https://www.facebook.com/footscraywestprimary
  • Congratulations to 6 MP class member, Nico Munro for being an extraordinary ambassador for our new Nudel Kart during our weekly Lunch Club times on Mondays and Tuesdays.  This deconstructable creative play kit is extremely motivating for participants and watching Nico assist (especially) the younger kids with working with the materials and the all important pack up, is joyful.
  • To our community for attending our first Kids’ Share afternoon visits to classrooms yesterday.  Along with the children, there were a great number of parents and carers milling within the grade 1 to 6 rooms. While simple in format, it clearly provided a need that we have had limited opportunity managing over the last few years.  Due to our camp program Tess’ class (3TM) provided their open classroom on Tuesday and Medha’s class (3MK) will provide the opportunity today, immediately after school.
  • School Review - We were pleased to have a successful start to our four day School Review program, with our Validation Day on Monday.  School reviewer, David Mann, School Council President, Andrew Newman, Senior Education Improvement Leader, Natalie Bakai and Challenge Partners, local principals, Jen Briggs (Footscray PS) and David Moss (Newport Lakes PS) and Christina Topea (Department of Education) were joined by members of the FWPS Principal Team, Liz, Carolyn and me.  During the day we reviewed the goals and targets of our previous review and divided into two groups in order to visit some classes.  They were 4DW, 5TH, PKT and 4JD.  The review team, less members of the principal team, then met with small groups of student and teaching staff representatives.  From all these aspects a few themes were considered for further investigation.  Questions were mulled over and the final iterations will form the approach that will be taken at two subsequent Field Days on Wednesday, 31st May and Thursday, 1st June.  The Validation Day was well organised, focused and purposeful.  Our reviewer complimented our school for the quality of the Pre School Review Self Assessment, as that allowed the external members of the review team the opportunity to have a very thorough grounding prior to stepping through the door.  During the Field Days, armed with the foci developed on Monday, there will be additional visits to classrooms, focus groups with staff, teachers and educational support staff and parents and carers.  We will provide ample opportunity for members of our community to have input to this thorough and valuable review process.

Coming Up

  • Mother’s Day and Special Persons Stall will be held tomorrow -  We are delighted that this annual stall will be held tomorrow.  Members of our Parent’s Association have done such amazing work preparing for what is a really wonderful day at FWPS.  Please remember to make sure your child brings along some cash (a maximum of $5) to buy something wonderful.  Classes have been scheduled to avoid any specialist programs and sport. Classes will visit throughout the first 5 lessons of the day concluding at afternoon recess time.
  • Next week is Education Week and with the theme being 'Active Learners'. At FWPS the Junior School Representatives will take part in running some fitness & active challenges for students to participate in during lunch time on Tuesday the 16th of May. More information will be provided at tomorrow’s end of week Assembly (2.40 pm green shaded playground area).
  • Zoo Snooze (final camps) - The ‘Zoo Snooze’ grade 3 and 4 camps continued from Monday to Wednesday this week and will conclude next Tuesday.  For the remaining grades, all relevant details can be sourced in the following accompanying video: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/821197212/3c1f54169a
    Camps 7 and 8 will be held next week as follows:
    • Camp 7 (3MP) Monday 15th May, 2023: Michael Padgett and Carolyn Lockie - please note that while Monday is a Pupil Free Day, the camp will proceed with all students expected to be at school at 5 pm packed and raring to go!
    • Camp 8 (3CG) Tuesday 16th May, 2023: Caity Gray and Towela Sinkonde 
  • Prep Information Sessions and Tours
    The remaining sessions are:
    • #2 Tuesday 16th May 2023, 9:30 am - Tue 16th May 2023, 10:45 am
    • #3 Tuesday 16th May 2023, 6:00 pm - Tue 16th May 2023, 7:00 pm
      Please note that next Tuesday is the only evening session that will be provided.
    • #4 Tuesday 30th May 2023, 9:30 am - Tue 30th May 2023, 10:45 am
      To attend one of the above listed sessions, please register via the following link: https://compasstix.com/e/yzkmg5dfrq
      Please note that we are unable to provide individual or additional sessions - so if relevant for your family, please reserve a place now.

 

Cheers,

Brendan

Repeated (and updated) messages …

Hearing your voice - In every newsletter we will add a feedback link.  If you have a concern, suggestion or appreciation, or wish to specifically provide comment on school policies, rather than looking for the school email, you can just go to the link.  This will not be the preferred option for detailed emails - the usual practice of using the school email: footscray.west.ps@education.vic.gov.au will still be the avenue, but for the concerns, suggestions or appreciations go to:  https://forms.gle/dPnAN75bFVeM1i16A

Parent/Carer Volunteer Induction -This information has been ‘pinned’ on Compass so it remains easily accessible.  You will currently find it as the second pinned item on your News Feed.  For all new families or parents and carers who didn’t complete the online process last year, if you wish to assist in classrooms, excursions or camps, or volunteer for really any other purpose at FWPS, we need you to complete the modules online.  For parents/carers who did this last year, all you need to do is sign the relevant form at the office.

Change of email - We are no longer using the school gmail addresses for communication to staff.  Parents will be asked to communicate directly with staff using the email facility within Compass, or email the school email address at: footscray.west.ps@education.vic.gov.au ‘Attention staff member’s name’.  Emails sent from the Compass app will be sent directly to the relevant staff members’ education email account.  Please understand that staff are busy and will respond in a timely manner.  If a matter is urgent, you are advised to call the school during office hours, or leave a message outside those hours.

Car park use - A reminder that the car park is open prior to 8 am and after 4 pm daily for parent access for the Their Care OSHC program.  At other times, please appreciate that the car park is for staff use.  Should you need to walk through to the Their Care location at Emu Corner, for safety’s sake we ask that you use the pedestrian gate next to the boom gate and make your way between Koala and the Wallaby buildings past Gecko via the basketball court through to Emu Corner. Please check out the brief explanatory video at: https://vimeo.com/777907951

Photo Permission - When parents and carers first sign the enrolment form for school entry, they may be understandably reluctant to sign the photo permission section.  We frequently use pictures and videos to share learning highlights and to maintain and foster school/home links.  As we frequently include photos and videos of the students learning and playing we are regularly confronted by wonderful picture opportunities we cannot share in our newsletter and videos.  

We would love you to review your decision so your child can be fully involved in the life of our school.  Feel free to contact your child’s teacher or the office so they can make those adjustments on your behalf.

COVID information - As you will all understand, COVID continues to be transmitted within the community and remains a highly infectious illness.  Consequently, it continues to be vital for families to remain careful when exposed to COVID or when demonstrating symptoms.  While schools will no longer be providing Rapid Antigen Tests - We do have dozens of leftover packs that have at least 6 months left before their use by date.  Drop in to the office, or send  us a message and we will send some home with your child.  

Many of you will have heard that this year RATs, while continuing to be supplied by the state government, will be distributed by local councils from venues such as our library locations.

Rapid Antigen Tests are also available for all Victorians from Council sites.  People can get 2 free packs (10 tests) for themselves and 2 free packs (10 tests) for each of their household members.

People with disability and their carers can get up to 4 free packs (20 tests) in line with existing RAT distribution for people with disability.

Further information can be obtained at Council Rapid Antigen Test Program.

Rapid antigen testing

It is recommended that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are used by students and staff:

·         If you have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, no matter how mild

·         If you are a household or close contact of someone who has COVID-19

·         If you are a social contact of someone who has COVID-19.

The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians should report their positive RAT result to the Department of Health online, or by calling 1800 675 398.

Students (or their parents) should also report a positive result to their school, either through the COVID Test portal or by phone or written notification.