A note from Mr Jackson
Working Bee Invitation this Saturday
1 March at 9:00am to 12noon
Many will have noticed the mounds of softfall delivered this week in the lower and upper playgrounds. While they look like fun additions to the play spaces, they are to ensure the safety of students on the play equipment. Students have helped move some of the softfall underneath the playgrounds this week, but they need the support of parents at the Working Bee on Saturday. We’ll be gathering at 9:00am and are hoping that we might have a squad of helpers with wheelbarrows and some eagerness to help! Everyone is welcome! We look forward to making our play spaces safer and especially the rewarding BBQ lunch at 12 noon!
Unexplained Absences
Thanks to all who are ensuring that the school is informed when students are absent from school. It is the responsibility of the parent to inform the school when students are absent.
When a child is not at school in the morning, an SMS alert is sent to the parent/carer indicating that their child has not arrived at school. Parents who receive that alert should, as a matter of urgency, contact the school office to question the students’ absence if the child should be at school or record the reason for the child’s absence in Compass straight away. An ongoing ‘unexplained absence’ implies that neither the school nor the parent were aware of the child’s whereabouts on this day. An ‘unexplained absence’ is shown on the Compass attendance summary in yellow.
If you have any questions regarding the accurate recording of your child’s absence, please speak with the office team.
Puzzle Almost Complete for the First Time!
There was a buzz of excitement this week as students' positive behaviour was celebrated on Wednesday! Students who have received ten stamps on their Values Cards exchanged their card for a puzzle piece! The school jigsaw has almost been completed and is a real celebration of the positive actions students are taking in classrooms and the play space. We are on the edge of completing the puzzle for the first time and each area will have a special reward once it is completed. Feel free to drop into the office and watch the puzzle be pieced together. Many students can identify their individual contribution or piece of the puzzle that they have added.
SRI Consent Forms
The Special Religious Instruction notices have been circulated to families and responses have started to flow in. For those who have missed the note there is a copy attached, or please feel free to ask for a copy in print at the office. We are hoping to start classes on Monday 17 March.
FORPS ‘Welcome Back’ Picnic
Tonight - Friday 28 February from 5:00pm
A reminder that the ‘Welcome Back’ picnic is on tonight on the school oval. A special thanks to the FORPS team for bringing the event together. It is a great opportunity to relax, make new friends and enjoy the fun of painting, playing and laughing together. We’re still looking for some helpers to turn the sausages so please don’t hesitate to speak to the FORPS Team on the night.
Safety in the Afternoons
It has been great to see so many families onsite picking up students at the end of the day. Teachers report a lot of energetic play that is causing concern. Parents are encouraged to support staff as they remind students to play safely.
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of students around the playgrounds, students are encouraged not to run and risk collision. The top playgrounds are differentiated by age. The playground close to Victoria Ave has been designed for students from Prep through to Year 3, while the playground closest to the Grandview Grove front entrance is for students from Year 3 to Year 6. The lower playground is for Prep through to Year 3.
Students will continue to be encouraged not to climb the retaining wall below the sustainability garden.
Learning Focused Through Inquiry
Students in Years 1 to 6 are embarking on a range of rich learning experiences that take students deep into the curriculum.
Students in the 4/5/6 Learning Area are focusing on Australian History. Students will learn about World War I. They will make links to the use of horses during that war which will be enhanced as students explore the novel ‘War Horse’. Students will be working in collaborative groups to investigate our country’s past, focusing on key events and figures involved in the migration of people that have shaped Australia as we know it today. These groups will further develop the Inquiry skills of collaboration and co-operation, questioning, problem solving and listening to and responding each other. The of history and cultures of Australia’s First Nations peoples and the impact they and other cultures have had on Australian society will be of prime importance.
The 3/4 Learning Area are exploring how groups and communities thrive through the active engagement of individuals, such as volunteers, who contribute their time and effort to help others. They will learn how building and maintaining healthy relationships is crucial for community wellbeing and how these relationships are shaped by values and mutual support. Students will also explore strategies for coping with difficult situations and understand how decision-making affects not only themselves, but also those around them, highlighting the importance of collective action and empathy in fostering strong communities.
Students in the 1/2 Learning Area are embarking exploring important concepts related to family, community, and culture. They will investigate how their families, friends, and communities commemorate past events that hold special meaning, and how cultural diversity shapes their world. Through reading and viewing storybooks such as ‘Just the Way We Are’ and ‘The Kindest Red’, students will explore themes of kindness, valuing differences, and embracing diversity. In addition to these stories, students will engage in activities like creating family timelines and exploring how family structures have changed over time. By reflecting on these themes, students will deepen their understanding of how people value different things and the ways in which these values shape relationships and communities.
School Leaders Head
Monday 3rd March
National Young Leaders Day, held at the Melbourne Convention Centre is on next week. We are sending our student leaders for a day that consists of talks, videos and interactive activities about what it means to lead yourself and others in today's world. Keynote talks are presentations from prominent people from many different walks of life. This year, the speakers include:
Emma McKeon: With 11 Olympic Games Medals and 20 Commonwealth Games Medals to her name, Emma McKeon is not only the greatest Australian swimmer of all time, but the most decorated Olympian, and one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.
Majak Daw: Born in Sudan, Majak and his family moved to Australia as refugees. When Majak debuted for North Melbourne, he became the first Sudanese-Australian to ever play in the AFL.
Thomas Duncan-Watt: Young screenwriter and author, awarded for shows ranging from cartoon series ‘Space Nova’ to ‘Home & Away’, and multiple shows across Netflix, ABC and BBC.
We look forward to hearing about their learning in the upcoming weeks.