Camelot Rise Primary School Newsletter

From the Principal 

Education Week and Open Night - Spotlight on STEM!

Education Week is an annual celebration of education in Victoria.

 

In 2024, Victoria will celebrate Education Week from Monday 13th May to Friday 17th May.

The theme will be Spotlight on STEM, a chance for schools to celebrate and share how they bring science, technology, engineering, and maths to life in the classroom.

 

Our Open Day / Night will be held on Tuesday, 14th May during the following times:

  • Open Morning: Tuesday 14th May (9:00am to 10:30am)
  • Open Night: Tuesday 14th May (5:00pm to 6:30pm)

We have planned a very special Open Night / Learning Expo where we will celebrate 

hands on active learning in the curriculum area of STEM with a particular focus on Maths. We focussed on STEM last year (yes, we were ahead of the Department!) and Maths is a key component of the STEM Curriculum.

 

Families are invited to visit classrooms between 9 – 10:30am. Please note that students will be participating in their usual timetabled lessons during this time. 

 

Families can participate in the STEM - Maths activities during the Open Night session between 5.00pm – 6.30pm. 

 

The night will commence at 5.00pm in the School Hall with a performance by our School Choir who will sing two songs. Thanks to Ms Hong and the Choir for displaying their talents. The classrooms will be opened after the Choir has performed their songs, so we ask all people to meet in the hall at 5.00pm.

 

During our Open Day/Night times parents/grandparents/friends/community members will be encouraged to visit their child’s classroom (and all specialist classrooms) and talk to their child/children about their learning and look at the work they have been completing at school.

 

Parents and students will have the opportunity to visit all classrooms, including specialist classrooms (Performing Arts and Visual Arts), our STEM Room and Green Screen Room and gym during our Learning Expo. Please go around and visit all the learning spaces at our school.

 

On the night there will also be a coffee van for community members to purchase hot drinks.

 

We look forward to seeing as many people as possible on Tuesday, 14th May.

 

Thanks to the staff who are attending and preparing for this significant community event.

Our freshly painted playground!

We were thrilled to receive a wonderful letter from Mayra 2G

Thank you, Mayra!

 

Gratitude books - Foundation to Year 6

Last week all children at Camelot Rise Primary School received their own ‘Gratitude books’ to foster a habit of recognising and expressing gratitude for the special moments 

and people that enrich their lives. By documenting what we are thankful for, we train ourselves to focus on the positive aspects of our experiences, even during challenging times. This practice can promote emotional well-being, resilience, and a greater sense of fulfillment in our daily lives.

 

As part of our school’s Wellbeing Program, we have a Class and Playground Token System’.

 

This is a program whereby children can earn tokens throughout the year and then place their tokens in containers of their choice. Once a container is full all students are able to participate in the reward. Possible options include – Free dress Day, Teddy Bears Picnic, or a Movie Afternoon

 

The purpose of this is-

  1. Positive Reinforcement: Rewards reinforce positive behaviours and achievements. They motivate students to continue their efforts and strive for excellence, as they see the benefits of their hard work, good behaviour, and achievements. When students receive recognition for their hard work or good behaviour, they are more likely to repeat those actions in the future.
  2. Motivation: Rewards can motivate students to set goals, work towards them, and take pride in their accomplishments. Knowing that there is a potential reward for their efforts can boost students' motivation and engagement in learning activities.
  3. Building Self-Esteem: Acknowledging and celebrating students' achievements, whether big or small, develops their self-esteem and confidence. Feeling valued and appreciated for their efforts helps students develop a positive self-image and belief in their abilities.
  4. Creating a Positive Learning Environment: Rewarding students for their positive behaviour and achievements creates a supportive learning environment. Students feel encouraged to participate, take risks, and engage with their learning when they know their efforts will be recognised and celebrated.
  5. Fostering a Sense of Community: Rewards can reinforce positive behaviour and promote community within the classroom. When students see their peers being rewarded for their efforts, it can inspire a collaborative and supportive atmosphere where everyone strives for success together.
  6. Encouraging Goal Setting: Rewards can be tied to specific goals or targets, encouraging students to set and work towards achieving goals for themselves. This helps students develop essential skills such as perseverance, self-discipline, and resilience to reach their objectives.

Thanks to Mrs Michelle Cohen-Beavis and Mrs Aggie Kurzak-Reeves who are leading this wonderful initiative.

Mother's Day High Tea

Our Mother’s Day High Tea will be held on Thursday, 9th May at 4.00pm – 5.30pm. We look forward to seeing as many mums, aunties, grandparents, special people attend this 

event. The Junior School Council members have been planning this event and we are sure that this will be a fantastic occasion.

Please refer to the Compass feeds for information about this event. 

 

Attitudes to school survey for all Year 4-6 students

We value student voice to improve student engagement, wellbeing and quality instruction and are conducting a survey to find out what your child thinks of our school. The Attitudes to School Survey 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. Our school will use the survey results to plan programs and activities to improve your child's schooling experience.

 

This Thursday all students from Years 4 -6 will participate in the annual Attitudes to Schooling Survey. Your child will complete the survey online during school hours using a 

purpose built secure online survey tool.  It is important to note that we are not in any way “testing” your child. All responses to the survey are kept anonymous. Personal identification data will not be recorded in the survey response file. This ensures that the confidentiality of your child’s responses is always protected. If you do not want your child to participate in this survey, you can choose for your child to ‘opt out’. Please refer to the Compass feed with information about how to do this.

 

To maintain consistency across the school, Ben Heys and I will administer this questionnaire to the children and results will be presented to the school community once they have been analysed and returned by the Department of Education.

 

If you would like more information, please speak to Ben or myself.

 

Monash Mannigham Principal's Conference

From Wednesday, 15th May to Friday, 17th May Ben and I will be attending the annual Monash Mannigham Principal's Conference. At this conference we will be listening to Tom Bennett, Lisa McInnes-Smith and Dr Judi Newman. We are looking forward to this wonderful professional learning opportunity.

Foundation Enrolment 2025

Applications for enrolment at Camelot Rise Primary School are now open so if you have a chid starting school in 2025 now is the time to put in your application. The process has changed from previous years and now all famlies must apply online, even if you are an existing member of our school community. It’s a easy process and the office can provide further information for anyone who needs it. Please go to the ‘Vic Students’ portal to get started:

 

http://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/

 

Year 6 - 7 Transition 2024-2025

An important reminder to our Year 6 families, that the ‘Application for Year 7 Placement 2025’ form, which all students, including those attending an independent school in 2025, 

must complete, is due back next Friday 10th May. Please ensure you have returned this form by the due date so your child’s form may be sent off to the relevant secondary school in a timely manner.

 

Department of Health Alert

A health alert has been issued by the Victorian Department of Health about the danger of 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.

 

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/fungi-poisoning

 

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 like field mushrooms commonly found in supermarkets but can be harmful if consumed. Symptoms experienced after consumption include nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea. Please remind your children, as will we at school, to not pick or eat wild mushrooms. Please let them know about the dangers of these mushrooms and reinforce to them not to touch any mushrooms they find. 

 

Matthew Coney & Ben Heys