Student Voice 

Student Voice :                         Springvale  Campus

Welcome to Term 4, Week 2! We have a very exciting term ahead, with graduation, leadership preparation and so much more! We are also looking forward to the annual Springvale Rise Cup. Let’s finish the year strong together!

This week’s SWPBS focus is on Respect. Respect means showing kindness to others, listening carefully when someone is speaking, and consistently using polite words like “please” and “thank you.” It’s also about taking care of our school, our belongings, and the people around us. When we show respect, we make our school a place where everyone feels safe, included, and valued. Even small actions like help picking up rubbish in the yard can make a big difference. Let’s all try to show respect in everything we do!

In Maths, the SLC students have been learning to solve multiplication problems using efficient strategies. The Year 5 target is to be able to multiply 2 by 2 digit numbers, while the Year 6's are taking one step further by multiplying 2 by 3 digit numbers. In order to make sure we reach our targets, we have been practising our multiplication facts both during fluency, and as part of home learning as well. There are some students who are working on their related division facts and some that are working on division with remainders. Keep up the great work SLC students!

This term, we have been exploring Space, merging our learning in Reading, Writing, and Projects as part of preparation for our excursion to the Victorian Space Science Education Centre. In Reading, we have been reading informative texts about Space and taking notes on the most important facts. For Writing, we used those notes to create detailed information reports about a planet of our choice, learning how to organize their ideas clearly and explain them in their own words. In Projects, they’ve taken their learning further by making space-themed posters and presentations, sharing interesting facts and discoveries in creative ways. The SLC students will be presenting their learning to the MLC next week, and we can't wait to see the amazing work they produce!

Speaking of the Victorian Space Science Education Centre excursion, it was absolutely out of this world! We had the opportunity to learn about how scientists program the Mars Rovers to navigate Mars' rocky surface. The instructors taught us that it takes around 12-20 minutes for a single signal from Mars to reach Earth, which is why they must pre-program the rovers. We had the opportunity to demonstrate our understanding by coding little robots called Spheros to go through tunnels and paths. We definitely learned the importance of giving clear and explicit instructions, and many of us felt inspired to become engineers in the future!

Another activity we did was the Mars Explorers and Mission Control simulation. We were divided into two groups: Earth Mission Control and The Mars Explorers. The Mars Explorers were "launched" to Mars and had to conduct experiments, while the Mission Control back on Earth were in charge of collecting data based on the information that was provided by the Mars Explorers. Overall, it was a very hands on, engaging and enjoyable excursion, and we are very grateful that we had the chance to learn more about space. 

Last week some of our SLC and MLC students went to Division Athletics, which is such an amazing achievement. Everyone demonstrated excellence by trying their best, and resilience by pushing through and never giving up. They also showed great sportsmanship by supporting each other and cheering for each other while they were waiting for their own events. We have some students from both campuses who have made it through to Regionals. Congratulations to the following people for their outstanding performances:

Jamil- 100M Sprint

Thomas - 800M Run

Kadance - 800M Run

Ruby- Long jump

Last Friday, we had our final interschool sports round against the Heights campus. It was a very challenging match, and we had a lot of fun competing against our friends from the other campus. We had some wins and some losses, but the most important thing is that we all tried our very best and showed excellent sportsmanship. Congratulations to the Softball and Volleystar B team, who are going to be heading to the Grand Finals this Friday! 

It's also nearly time to get ready for the 2025 Springvale Rise Cup! This year, we’re excited to be hosting the event on the Springvale Campus, where we will be defending our title! SLC students will have the chance to compete in lots of fun sports like Volleystars, Soccer, and more. It’s a great opportunity to show team spirit, enjoy some friendly competition, and have a fantastic time with friends. We can’t wait to see everyone getting involved and cheering each other on!

With graduation approaching, the Year 6 students have recently had their graduation photo taken to celebrate finishing their final year of primary school. While the Year 6 students prepare to move on to high school, the Year 5 students are beginning to step into the spotlight as our future leaders. They are going to be following in the Year 6’s footsteps as they prepare to step up into leadership roles next year. We know they are feeling nervous but also exhilarated as they think about what kind of leaders they want to be. It’s an exciting time for both year levels as one chapter closes and another begins!

And finally . . . . . Did you know that if batteries are thrown in the trash, they can leak harmful chemicals into the ground and water, hurt animals, and even cause fires? You don’t want that to happen, do you? It's better to dispose of them in the right place to keep everyone safe. Don’t know where to recycle your batteries? Bring them to school! We have a battery disposal bin in the office, so you can dispose of your old batteries safely. Let's work together to make the world a safer place!

                         School Leaders