Footscray West PS Newsletter

Principal's Report

Principal: Brendan Millar

In this Week's Newsletter

  • Appreciations and News…
    • Appreciations on a successful term
    • Anaphylaxis training appreciation
    • Kids’ Share afternoon
    • Sunsmart requirements enforced next term
    • 2024 Learning buddy suggestions for students in grades prep to 5
    • 2024 Grade placement considerations
    • Book ‘n’ Boots drive concludes tomorrow
  • Coming up 
    •  Sporting Colours Day tomorrow
    • Assembly will be early tomorrow
    • Staff on leave
    • Next term
  • Repeated (and updated) messages

Appreciations and News

To Staff, Students and Community - Another big term is nearly done.  So many interactions, challenges and great successes.  May all families have an enjoyable and safe term break.

  

Anaphylaxis Training Video - A big appreciation to our nurse, Zowi, assisted by office team member, Rachael, for having the foresight and creativity to develop a fabulous training video for staff.  The purpose was to ensure that the mandatory anaphylaxis training update (a 6 monthly requirement in schools) be made relevant and practical.  As a result, students who have anaphylaxis allergies from grades prep to 6, volunteered to participate and indeed star in the video.  Developed around the concept of a television news desk with a broadcast from the field, this enabled key information to be shared in an interesting and engaging way.  A very big acknowledgement to: Jonah, William, Sam and Harriet from grade 6, Amelia, Ari and Miles (grade 5), Sienna (grade 4), Sebastian and Eli (grade 3), Oscar, Fred and Isaac (grade 1) and Lachlan (prep).  Featuring terrific newsreaders and reporters, as well as impressive character acting, it enabled all staff to recognise the students who one day just may present in the yard or classrooms with symptoms and of course provide our students who have to manage this serious condition, significant agency in ensuring that our understanding and knowledge has been enhanced.

 

Kids’ Share Afternoon - Thanks to the many parents and carers who attended after school yesterday in stunning weather to participate in our second semester Kids’ Share visit to classrooms.  It was great to see so many students from junior to senior school confidently and proudly sharing their classroom and their learning achievements with family members.

 

Sunsmart - We are encouraging the wearing of wide brimmed or bucket hats this week in preparation for mandatory hat use in Term 4 during lunch and recess play times and sport and class activities held outdoors.  The warmer weather this week has been a great reminder.  Please ensure that your child has an appropriate and labelled hat ready for use, as come next term there will be a requirement for students without their hats to only play in limited shaded areas.

 

2024 Learning Buddy Suggestions - Each year class teachers enable all students from grades prep to 5 to select 5 children from their grade level who they would like to be within the same grade the following year and are good candidates as learning buddies.  We then guarantee that one child on that list will be with them in their step up grade.  Based on feedback, this year we will provide families with the opportunity to provide their list following discussion at home.  Please note the item below in today’s newsletter.

All families will have until Wednesday, 18th October (week 3) to complete this list online.  We encourage all families to participate in this process.  Where families do not provide a list, the class teachers will provide this opportunity in class-time, as per our previous process. The above information will also be provided to parents and carers tomorrow as a specific, pinned Compass post.

 

2024 Grade Placement Considerations - Each year we provide the opportunity for parents and carers to communicate considerations for class placement for the following school year.  This information and the online link is provided below in today’s newsletter and will be repeated during weeks 1 and 2 of Term 4.  We ask all families to carefully consider whether they need to make a submission, as class placement is a complex process that involves all our teaching and leadership staff to develop over much of Term 4.  There are clear and abiding parameters that we have in place.  Please read with careful consideration and if you choose to make a submission, do so by Wednesday, 18th October (week 3).  There will be no opportunity for late submissions with either of these processes.

 

Books ‘n’ Boots drive - Thanks to our B ‘n’ B books contributors.  The drive will conclude tomorrow.  

Coming up…

Sporting Colours Day - Tomorrow we will celebrate our Melbourne sporting culture by holding our annual Sporting Colours Day, as promoted by our JSC members recently at assembly and noted in the newsletter.

 

Each year on this day we take the opportunity to support State Schools' Relief, the government school charity that has been assisting families experiencing challenging times with school costs for over 50 years. To support SSR tomorrow we request that your child provides a voluntary donation of a gold coin, or small note.  Money should be taken to class to be handed as soon as the children attend their classroom.

 

This is an informal event held annually on the last day of term.  In the midst of footy finals it encourages students, staff and community members to get into the spirit of footy finals by sporting our team's colours.   If footy isn't your gig, choose another sport or activity that you do love as your clothing choice.  

 

JSC members will make the collection from the classes at the beginning of the day and we will announce the total made at assembly in the afternoon, prior to our early 2.20 pm dismissal ahead of the school holidays.

 

Assembly this week - This week we will hold an assembly an hour earlier (1.40 pm) due to our end of term dismissal at 2.20 pm.  In this final assembly of term it will be 1TN’s turn to present their assembly item.  Please ensure that you have made arrangements for your child to be collected at this earlier time.

 

We noticed last week that the position of the sun was affecting the viewing of the students at assembly.  It is another reason to encourage your child to have their hat with them each day during Spring and Summer.

 

Term 3 concludes tomorrow at 2.20 pm.  In terms 1, 2 and 3 school always finishes one hour earlier.  In term 4, school finishes 2 hours earlier. A final assembly prior to the holiday break will be held at 1.40 pm, an hour earlier than usual.  

 

Leave - When class teachers go on leave or have extended absences, we send a compass post to the parents and carers of the relevant grade.  I did note in last week’s newsletter that Liz was about to go on long service leave, returning week 3.  This week I will add that our Physical Education teacher, Stratos will also be travelling, due to return to school on week 5.  

 

For all families fortunate enough to have travel plans in place, may you all have safe trips that are memorable for all the right reasons.

 

Next Term - Term 4 starts on Monday, 2nd October.

 

It will be a busy term with Smile Squad, grades 5 and 6 camps, grade 6 interschool sport, Halloween disco, Diversity Dash, Concert Week, Prep swimming, as well as incursions and annual events such as Through School Transition and the Grade 6 Graduation.

 

Please help make our disco a success by volunteering to assist for this event.

 

 

 

Cheers,

Brendan

Repeated (and updated) messages…

Assembly - Assembly on Friday’s will be held outdoors only if the weather conditions are conducive.  If not, assemblies will be presented indoors in the gallery space in Dingo and broadcast to the classrooms.  At this time of the year it may be anticipated that the majority of assemblies will be held indoors.  For our indoor assemblies we gather all the student presenters, class assembly presenters and pupils of the week before assembly starts, as well as parents, carers, grandparents and community members who have come to watch.  

Hearing your voice - In every newsletter we will add a feedback link.  If you have a concern, suggestion or appreciation, or wish to specifically provide comment on school policies, rather than looking for the school email, you can just go to the link.  This will not be the preferred option for detailed emails - the usual practice of using the school email: footscray.west.ps@education.vic.gov.au will still be the avenue, but for the concerns, suggestions or appreciations go to:  https://forms.gle/dPnAN75bFVeM1i16A

Parent/Carer Volunteer Induction 

This information has been ‘pinned’ on Compass so it remains easily accessible.  You will currently find it as the second pinned item on your News Feed.  For all new families or parents and carers who didn’t complete the online process last year, if you wish to assist in classrooms, excursions or camps, or volunteer for really any other purpose at FWPS, we need you to complete the modules online.  For parents/carers who did this last year, all you need to do is sign the relevant form at the office.

Change of Email  

We are no longer using the school gmail addresses for communication to staff.  Parents will be asked to communicate directly with staff using the email facility within Compass, or email the school email address at: footscray.west.ps@education.vic.gov.au ‘Attention staff member’s name’.  Emails sent from the Compass app will be sent directly to the relevant staff members’ education email account.  Please understand that staff are busy and will respond in a timely manner.  If a matter is urgent, you are advised to call the school during office hours, or leave a message outside those hours.

Car Park Use

A reminder that the car park is open prior to 8 am and after 4 pm daily for parent access for the Their Care OSHC program.  At other times, please appreciate that the car park is for staff use.  Should you need to walk through to the Their Care location at Emu Corner, for safety’s sake we ask that you use the pedestrian gate next to the boom gate and make your way between Koala and the Wallaby buildings past Gecko via the basketball court through to Emu Corner.

Please check out the brief explanatory video at: https://vimeo.com/777907951

Photo Permission - When parents and carers first sign the enrolment form for school entry, they may be understandably reluctant to sign the photo permission section.  We frequently use pictures and videos to share learning highlights and to maintain and foster school/home links.  As we frequently include photos and videos of the students learning and playing we are regularly confronted by wonderful picture opportunities we cannot share in our newsletter and videos.  

We would love you to review your decision so your child can be fully involved in the life of our school.  Feel free to contact your child’s teacher or the office so they can make those adjustments on your behalf.

COVID information

For parents and carers:

Protect yourself and others | Coronavirus Victoria

 

2024 LEARNING BUDDY SUGGESTIONS

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

Each year we provide an opportunity for our students (Grades Prep to Five) to suggest the names of five peers (learning buddies) who they would like to be with in the same class for the following school year.

 

A good learning buddy is someone who works well with your child, is supportive and they respect the learning of your child. A good learning buddy partnership benefits the development and learning of both children, and should not encourage an overreliance on the friendship.

 

Through this process, we guarantee each child will have one learning buddy from their list in their 2024 class.

 

For the 2024 school year, we are adjusting this process to enable parents and carers to collaboratively make their list WITH THEIR CHILD via the Google Form below. We kindly ask that all families sit down with their children to fill out this form and to discuss suitable learning buddy options.

 

This process will need to be completed by Wednesday 18th October 2023. There will be no extensions for families should they miss this deadline. Please use a different form for each of your children.

 

We have an expectation that students of separated families will collaborate on this process and submit only one response per child.

 

In order to be valid, each child's entry MUST include FIVE (5) different students from the same grade level. Where families do not choose to provide an entry, the child will be provided this opportunity to do so in class time.

 

Please note that submissions will be deemed invalid if:

 

- One child is listed more than once on your child's form

- Not all five spots are filled (i.e. we will not accept only one name on the form).

 

If the entry is deemed invalid, your child will be provided the opportunity to complete this process correctly during class time.

 

The five buddies listed are not preferential and will be treated as such during the grade placement process.

 

No further discussion or correspondence will be entered into at the completion of grade placements. This is your one time to have input into the process.

 

In making decision for grade placements, teachers consider the needs of all students from a social, academic and behavioural perspective.  

 

Please note that all communication on this matter will need to be received via this form, no later than Wednesday 18th October. 

 

You will receive an automatically generated email acknowledgement after submission. Please ensure your email is correctly listed. 

 

LINK TO LEARNING BUDDY REQUESTS FOR 2024: https://forms.gle/79dVyEkX3zyQcRns5

 

Warm regards,

 

Brendan Millar, Carolyn Lockie and Liz Beasley

FWPS Principal Team

2024 GRADE PLACEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

 

Dear Parents and Carers, 

 

During Term 4, the teaching teams will spend many hours preparing grades for next year. Throughout this process, the needs of all students are considered from a social, academic and behavioural perspective.   

 

In limited situations, we may consider communications or requests from families regarding their child's 2024 grade placement. 

 

If you believe that the following listed considerations are relevant to your child's needs, we advise that this form must be completed by the due date. This is the formal communication for this process so we will not be accepting phone calls or emails.

 

Please note that requests from previous years do not carry over. If there are still concerns, new requests should be made for the 2024 year.

 

All matters will be dealt with sensitively; however, we must stress that requests for specific teachers, classes or friendships will not be accommodated. Throughout the grade placement process, teachers look for compatible learning partners and encourage the development of new friendships.

 

Requests related to learning, behavioural or social requirements will be considered on merit and in consultation with key staff members.

 

This year, families will be able to submit learning partner suggestions through a separate online process. Please see Compass and the newsletter for these specific links. Do not list learning buddies on this form as they will not be considered.

 

Requests related to learning, behavioural or social requirements will be considered on merit and in consultation with key staff members. 

 

Please note that all communication on this matter will need to be received via this form, no later than Wednesday 18th October.

 

You will receive an automatically generated email acknowledgement after submission. We may seek further discussions or clarification with families.

 

LINK TO PLACEMENT REQUESTS FOR 2024: https://forms.gle/U3vjzFM9YsmsiW5r9

 

Warm regards,

 

Brendan Millar, Carolyn Lockie and Liz Beasley

FWPS Principal Team