Sensational Result!

Our recent Move-a-thon event has raised the massive amount of $13,064. A huge thank you to Rachel and Jarrod for initiating and planning this amazing event for the school. Thank you to all our parents, grandparents, friends, work colleagues who generously sponsored the students which resulted in this remarkable total. The research and compiling of the sports equipment shopping list by Rachel, Jarrod and the students has already begun with purchasing to be finished by the end of the year. The class that raised the highest amount of money and who will be enjoying a Subway lunch next week is 3B. 3B also raised the most amount of money per stude. The student who raised the highest amount of money was Costa from 3B.  Congratulations to all on a job well done!!

Spoil the Staff Day

Yesterday, the school community organised by our Parent’s Association showed their appreciation of all the staff, by supplying morning tea and lunch.  It was a ‘foodie delight’ and such a fabulous gesture that was greatly appreciated by all the staff. 

In addition to the delicious spread of food the Parent’s Association surprised us with a fabulous donation of popular fiction titles for the library, ending in a double celebration.

A huge thank to all who made this day such an enormous success. Special mention to Julie Jago for her coordination of the event. 

Class Structure at SSPS

Towards the end of every school year, we organise learning environments and class structures for the following school year. The configuration of these is governed by:

• Department funding, which is based on student enrolments and therefore determines the number of classes allowed, 
• The number of students in each class based on The Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2021.

For 2024 the following structure will be in place:

• Foundation - 2 classes
• Year 1 - 2 classes
• Year 2 - 3 classes
• Year 3 – 2 classes
• Year 4 – 2 classes
• Year 5 - 2 classes
• Year 6 - 2 classes

Class Planning for 2024

It is rapidly approaching the time of year when teachers start the formal process of student placement for the following year. However, student placement decisions are shaped during the entire year as teachers observe and listen to students and parents/carers in relation to their wellbeing and learning needs.

Student placement decisions are not made lightly, as we recognise the importance of creating an optimum learning environment for all our students.  It is an extremely complex process to ensure that we have a balance and appropriate spread of ability, gender, and social dynamics to promote learning and support all our students. 

Classroom teachers and specialist teachers are very well-aware of friendship groups and the dynamics within the classes which either enhance or impede the classroom climate. Teachers will use their extensive knowledge of how students interact and relate to each other when placing students.

We want to reassure all families that the teachers will be ensuring each student is placed in a class with other students with whom they are familiar (but perhaps not best friends with) and are able to build positive relationships to assist with their continued learning. All students next week will be given the opportunity to nominate five friends that they would be happy to be with next year (the nominations are not viewed in any order). You might like to discuss this with your child over the weekend. This process reinforces our values of building relationships and resilience in our students and promoting students’ voice.

We will be retaining our practice of accepting written information from parents regarding any specific learning needs which need to be taken into consideration when placing their child. However, we are not able to take requests for children to be placed together based on friendships or requests for teachers. Please note that teacher allocation has not been finalised for 2024 and this will not happen until later in the year. We do not always refer back to requests from previous years as the relationships between children change over time so I do ask that you re submit previous requests made if they are still applicable.

Some issues for parents to consider when thinking about making a request include:

• Younger children have fluctuating friendship groups. This is a perfectly normal developmental stage so a request for a particular ‘friend’ may become less important over time—especially over the Christmas holidays.
• How will a request support our shared work on building resilience in our students?

Teachers are sensitive to students with friendship concerns, and we ask that you trust your child’s teacher along with past teachers and specialists to make the correct decision on their behalf.

Should you wish to alert us to other learning related concerns, please put this in an email to myself helen.freeman@education.vic.gov.au by Friday 17th November 2023. Emails received after this date cannot be accepted due to the commencement of our process. Please remember and accept that, whilst parent concerns are noted, there is no guarantee that these concerns can be accommodated through the class placement process.

The SSPS staff would like to thank you in advance for your trust in our professionalism and our ability to create the best learning environment for your child and all our students. 

What is considered historical fiction?

Recently the Year 5 and 6 students have been studying historical fiction as part of their writing program. You may be wondering what historical fiction is, well it is set in a real place, during a culturally recognizable time. The details and the action in the story can be a mix of actual events and ones from the author's imagination as they fill in the gaps. Characters can be pure fiction or based on real people (often, it is both). I would like to share with you an exceptional example of historical fiction written by Rithik in Year 6.

Pemulwuy

A breeze flew by, dry and light. As if death itself rode on it. It ran past the trees, sending shivers through their roots. The birds scattered like marbles, and the sun hid behind the clouds in terror, and did not dare take a peek. Then, they saw it. Ships the size of mountains, and new people, pale as snow. Confusion clouded everyone’s brains, especially the white ones. They came out onto the crispy sand and stuck a flag deep into the earth. Slowly, reluctantly, they walked towards each other, Pemulwuy and the chief leading at the front. One of the men that wore red picked up a gun. He pulled the trigger. It spewed lightning and thunder into the sky and shot smoke and fire at people. Screams and shouts ensued, and Pemulwuy and the Aboriginals ran back into the bush as John McIntyre let a smirk come leaking out of his smug face.

 

That night Pemulwuy was engulfed with anger. He started plans for a raid on the white men, to burn their huts and steal their food. Then, the next night, he did just that. But the white men were resilient, coming back from anything they threw at them. All Pemulwuy was doing was enraging them more and more. Anger boiled between them, and eventually, their leader, the one they called Captain Arthur Phillip, ordered that any native could be shot on sight.

 

The white men had guns and a big attitude, but Pemulwuy knew the land. The odds were even. One day, Pemulwuy was fed up. “Enough with the raids. We should go to them, and kill every one of them, once and for all!” The tribe agreed with his remark, and all the men picked up their spears and headed for the settlements where the white men lived.

 

They charged in, screaming war cries and shouts, running with their spears in hand. The white men turned their heads and picked up their guns instinctively, aimed at the mass of angry natives and shot. Some men died, some men survived, but all men were hurt somewhat. Pemulwuy was about to kill their captain, when he felt it. A sting in his head. The pain was agonizing, worse than anything he had felt before. And then just as soon, bliss, a peace he had never felt before, when everything was quiet and still, and nothing in his life mattered anymore. This was death, a peace after war, a reward for his efforts, a relief for his pain. He sighed, and let out a delicate, fragile last breath. A breeze flew by dry, and light as if death itself rode on it.

Wild Card Entry

Congratulations to Daniel, Samika and Vanshi who have received a wild card entry for their model solar car in the upcoming National Solar Challenge to be held in Hobart on the 15th and 26th November. We wish them all the very best for this special opportunity.

Remembrance Day

On the 11th November each year we acknowledge Remembrance Day, also referred to as Poppy Day. The red poppy symbolises remembrance, commemorating those who have made the supreme sacrifice in time of war.

To help us acknowledge this day, the school captains will visit each room from tomorrow up until Friday the 10th November to sell a variety of merchandise. This will include poppies, pens and bracelets. Items range in price from $2 to $10. For more than 100 years, the annual Poppy Appeal has supported Australian veterans and their families. Your donation can help the RSL continue to deliver life-changing support to our veterans when they need it the most.

Finally, I am looking forward to the Foundation to Year 2 Athletics Carnival from 2.15 pm tomorrow. It will be fun to watch all our budding athletes take centre stage and compete in their house colours. 

Have a great fortnight!

Helen