Principal's Message

Happy Thursday Folks,

A big thank you for reading our school newsletter!  I encourage all parents to put ten minutes aside each fortnight to read the School newsletter, stay informed and get involved in events and learning programs whenever possible. Check out the Upcoming Dates section and as always keep checking Compass for any further changes. There is always a lot for the children to participate in and engage in at our school. Our staff look forward to a productive and rewarding term for our students.

Mother’s Day Event

Just a reminder that we have our annual Mothers’ Day event coming up this coming Monday afternoon.  If you haven’t already, RSVP with Audrey today. We would love to see you there! 

 Poisonous Mushrooms

Just a reminder that this is the time of year where we might see mushrooms around the place. The Victorian Department of Health Chief Health Officer wishes to warn families of the dangers associated with consuming potentially poisonous mushrooms, particularly death cap mushrooms and yellow staining mushrooms. These mushrooms commonly grow in both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. You can view images of the 2 poisonous mushrooms on the Better Health Channel's Mushroom poisoning webpage.

The toxin in death cap mushrooms remains even after cooking, peeling or drying. If ingested, poisoning can cause nausea, stomach cramps and/or long-term liver damage resulting in death. 

Yellow staining mushrooms look similar to field mushrooms commonly found in supermarkets but can be harmful if consumed. Symptoms experienced after consumption include nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The severity of symptoms varies with the amount eaten.

Whilst we regularly check our school grounds for mushrooms to ensure student safety, we are aware that Jadodade Park is home to many species of mushrooms.  If your children walk to school, especially through the park area please talk with them about the dangers of mushrooms.

Mobile Phone and Wearable Devices Policy

We encourage students to wear watches during the day to help them tell the time and develop independence.  However, with new technology comes new challenges and with many smart watches, communication with others outside school can become an issue during the day. Phones and smart watches are great for safety and communication with parents and family before and after school, however, the use of such devices during the day, whilst students are at school, is unnecessary. If parents need to contact their child during the day, you are always welcome to contact our office who will then pass on a message.  Watches with a SIM card for messaging or calling are mobile devices and hence must be turned off and left at our office with Audrey during school hours.  More information can be found in our Mobile Phones Policy on our website.

Student Attitudes to School Survey

Students in Year 4, 5 and 6 will be participating in the 2024 Student Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS) this year. We value student voice as a means to improving student engagement, wellbeing and quality instruction and are conducting a survey to find out what your child thinks of their school. The AtoSS is an annual student survey offered by the Department of Education to assist schools to gain an understanding of students' perceptions and experience of school. Students will be asked about their thoughts and feelings in relation to their school, their learning, peer relationships, resilience, bullying, health and wellbeing, physical activity, and life in general. This year, the AtoSS will be conducted at Launching Place Primary School during Term 2. What are the benefits? Young people enjoy having a say! This survey has been running for nearly 20 years and is invaluable in helping schools understand student views to plan programs and activities to improve your child's schooling experience. The survey responses also help the Department of Education understand how student’s learning experiences can be improved. Candice Nyman and I plan to conduct the survey with children so that we have consistency in how it is delivered across our school. Please contact the school if you have any questions about this survey.

 Professional Practice Day - Tuesday 7th May

As part of the agreement brokered between the State Government and representative bodies, Professional Practice days have been reduced to one each year. This year, schools are required to provide one day for teacher professional development. Tuesday 7th May is the day we have been able to secure our second ‘Talk for Writing’ professional learning session.  This is also a Pupil Free Day. Please mark it in your calendar.

Prep Enrolments for 2025 are now OPEN online 

We have been pleased to see the number of families who have already been online and indicated their intention to enrol their child at Launch PS in 2025. 

Enrolments can now be entered on the VicStudents portal: https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s

Here is a run down of the Prep Enrolment timeline for your information: 

Term 2 message from The Hon. Ben Carroll MP on Vimeo

Virtual Tour

See you around our place,

Laura Caddy

Principal