We Have Hit Halfway

I hope everyone had a nice Cup Weekend and were able to sneak away for a long weekend, spend time with family or make the most of the nice weather. It is a scary thought but we have now officially reached the halfway point of Term 4 and with a busy 5 weeks ahead of us I have a feeling it is going to go very quickly. Here is a quick snapshot of what we have been doing here at ACPS in the past couple of weeks, before I communicate some important changes to our bushfire rating and pre-emptive action plan.

We took a moment as a school on Monday 11th November to come together and acknowledge Remembrance Day with a service led by our School Captains. Through some readings, The Ode, Reveille, The Last Post, our National Anthem and some student artwork, we honoured those who have served and sacrificed, observing a minute of silence and reflecting on the significance of this day. It always makes me so proud to see the innate understanding of importance, significance and respect that our students show on these days. They continue to uphold the same value that we would all remember placing on these days growing up. Thank you to Miss Black for supporting our Captains in preparing and facilitating our service.

We also launched our first Bake a Wish afternoon on Monday with the Grade 5 and 6 students bringing in home baked treats to sell and raise money for the Make A Wish foundation. We are wanting to instil the importance of giving to others at this special time of year and it was so lovely to see so many students (with supportive families) contributing to this special cause. Thank you to everyone who baked a treat and also to all of our families that sent their children to school with gold coins to purchase the goods and donate to this cause. Next week the culinary skills of our Grade 3 and 4 students will be on display. Please drop these off at the front office on Monday morning so we can store them appropriately until the end of the day when we open the Bake A wish stall at the Learning Shack at 3:20pm. Families are welcome to attend.

BushFire At Risk Update

Our school has recently been reclassified as a Category 1 Bushfire At Risk (BARR) School. This is an increase in our At Risk rating compared to previous years. This classification has been determined by the Department of Education in conjunction with the CSIRO.

Please note the key aspects to our updated bushfire preparedness and preemptive actions for the bushfire season.

Extreme Fire Rating

Andersons Creek Primary School will RELOCATE to TEMPLESTOWE HEIGHTS PRIMARY SCHOOL when a day of EXTREME fire rating is forecasted for our Bureau of Meteorology district.
The department will advise our school of the potential for a Extreme fire danger rating as information becomes available, however the pre-emptive relocation will be confirmed the day prior to Extreme fire danger day.
Please note this may not be confirmed until after school hours on the day prior. The school will send a Compass message that can indicate to us when it is read by each family. We are then required to call any families that have not opened the Compass message to confirm acknowledgement the day prior to the extreme fire rating day.
Parents will be required to drop off/ pick up students directly from Templestowe Heights Primary School. ACPS staff will be at the school and supervising ACPS students for the day.
Out-of-school-hours care will also be cancelled on this day.

Catastrophic Fire Rating

Andersons Creek Primary School will CLOSE when a day of CATASTROPHIC fire rating is forecasted for our Bureau of Meteorology district.
The department will advise our school of the potential for a Catastrophic fire danger rating as information becomes available, however the pre-emptive closure will be confirmed by 1pm the day prior to Catastrophic fire danger day.
Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child.
The school will send a Compass message that can indicate to us when it is read by each family. We are then required to call any families that have not responded to the Compass message to confirm acknowledgement the day prior to the extreme fire rating day.

The above information is a summary of the main actions in our pre-emptive action plan. I will also send out more detailed communication via Compass. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I also encourage all families to use this as an opportunity to review and be familiar with their own bushfire plan.

Important Term 4 Dates

Swimming Programs commence:
18th November - Grade 5/6
25th November - Grade 3/4
2nd November - Prep - 2
ACPS Carols - Thursday 5th December
End of Year Presentation/Awards Assembly - Monday 16th December 2:30 - 3:30pm
- Musical Items
- Special Awards
- Announcement of School Captains
Grade 6 Graduation - Tuesday 17th December
Last Day 20th December, 1:30pm finish

BAKE A WISH FUNDRAISER!!

Reminder: Bake A Wish Fundraiser Continues Monday, 18th November!

We’re excited to announce that our Bake-A-Wish fundraiser is off to a wonderful start! Thanks to the incredible support from families, the Year 5/6 bake sale on November 11th exceeded our goal, raising an impressive $710! Every dollar raised brings us closer to granting wishes for children facing serious illnesses, and your contributions truly make a difference.

It’s now the 3/4s' turn! On Monday, November 18th, the Year 3/4 students will be hosting their Bake-A-Wish stall. Parents and students are invited to donate in exchange for delicious, homemade treats. Treats will be available for sale from $1.

All proceeds go directly to Make-A-Wish Australia, helping make wishes come true for needy children.

Important Details:

Event Dates: Every Monday in November
Time: After assembly, approximately 3:20 pm
Location: Learning Shack (weather permitting)
Fundraising Goal: $500 for Make-A-Wish

Baking Schedule:

Year 5/6: 11th November (Goal exceeded with $709 raised!)
Year 3/4: 18th November
Year P-2: 25th November

If it’s your child’s turn to contribute, please help them bake a school-friendly treat and drop it off at the office before school on their designated date.

If you can’t attend, donations are also welcome via our fundraiser page at:https://fundraise.makeawish.org.au/fundraisers/ACPS

Thank you for helping us make a positive impact!

Daniel Webber

Principal

Extracurricular Activities & Community Announcements