Fete - One More Sleep!

The excitement has been building all week and now we only have one more sleep until we get to enjoy the AGPS Fete! As many of you will remember, this event was planned for around this time two years ago and was postponed at the last minute due to the first lockdown - so it has been a long time coming!

There has already been a tremendous level of support from all areas of the school community in the planning and preparation phase and a number of people have committed to spending their Saturday volunteering and helping out to make sure this event is a success. I cannot be more thankful for the support that our community has shown and cannot wait to enjoy the day together tomorrow. See you there!

What are we fundraising for?

A reminder that all funds raised from this event go directly towards the development and improvement of the sporting facilities of our school.

We are currently looking at redeveloping the basketball courts and area behind the gym to look something along the lines of this:

This will be a significant improvement to our outdoor spaces and will work towards our goal of developing happy, active and healthy kids. Thank you for your continued support to make our school even better!

Harmony Week

Last week AGPS celebrated Harmony Week. The message of Harmony Week is ‘everyone belongs’ – it’s all about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians. Our students participated in activities related to these themes in class and celebrated our cultural diversity with a dress-up day where students were invited to wear colours or costumes that represented their cultural background. AGPS is a diverse and vibrant community and events such as this are crucial in ensuring that everyone feels included and that they belong. Thanks to everyone for getting involved!

JSC - Flood Appeal

Dear Altona Green,

On behalf of the JSC we would like to thank everyone who donated a gold coin on our free dress day on the 28th of March. That money is being donated to the Red Cross Flood Appeal to support the families and communities affected by the floods. It was so great to see you all in casual clothes. All together we raised a grand total of $572.30. What an amazing achievement!

Thank you all!

Altona Green Junior School Council

To support further, you can donate here: https://www.redcross.org.au/floodsappeal/

Term 2 Inquiry Units

This week has been planning week for our teaching teams where each teaching team has had time together to plan the upcoming units of work based on the needs of the students in their cohort. In Term 2, each year level will be learning about a different aspect of History, making links to Geography and Intercultural Capabilities.

Prep: My School, Altona Green

Students will learn about what it means to be part of a community. They will understand Altona Green PS is a part of the Altona Meadows community and there are people and services that can help us. Students will also learn and appreciate that they are connected to others through place and community. Students will learn the name of the Indigenous land of our school.

Year 1: Then and Now

Students learn about their own history and that of their family, including stories from Indigenous culture. As participants in their own history, students develop their knowledge and understanding of how the past is different from the present. Students also learn about continuity and change in family life by comparing the present with the past.

Year 2/3: First Nations

Students develop an understanding and appreciation for the beliefs and traditions of Aboriginal culture and how these practices have changed and stayed the same over time. They will explore the significance of country and the develop their geographical understanding of the Aboriginal nations, using a map of Australia. They develop an understanding or what life was like for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before the arrival of the Europeans.

Year 4/5: First Contacts

Students learn about the great journeys of exploration, prior to 1788. They develop an understanding or what life was like for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before the arrival of the Europeans. Students also learn about why the Europeans settled in Australia and the nature and consequence of contact between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and early traders, explorers and settlers.

Year 6: Australia as a Nation

Students will learn about significant events of the 20th century in Australia, including Federation, immigration (pre and post 1901), Stolen Generations and World War 1. They will explore the stories of people who have immigrated to Australia, as well as how and why people immigrated. Students will develop their ability to sequence key events in chronological order on a timeline.

2023 Preps

We recently hosted an information evening for families with children beginning school in 2023. The night was very well attended and we have a number of families looking to enrol their child for next year.

To assist us with planning, we would greatly appreciate it if you contact Jenny (9360 0777 jen.armstead@education.vic.gov.au) to let us know if you have a child that will be joining us in 2023.

School Photos

A reminder that our school photos will be taken on the second day of term 2, Wednesday 27th April, 2022. See attachment below for details on how to order.

Please note that sibling photo orders must be placed by 4:30pm Tuesday 26th April, otherwise sibling photos will not be taken.

School Council

We had our first meeting of the newly formed School Council last term. All members look forward to a very productive year to continuously improve and make the best school possible for our children and community.

Office Bearers for 2022:

President - Victoria Reynolds
Vice President - Dan Robson
Secretary - Trevor Berens

Pupil Free Days

School Council has endorsed the following pupil free days:

Friday, 27th May
Friday, 29th July
Monday, 31st October

Toilet Update

Our first toilet block is ready to go from tomorrow! The new toilets are amazing and to say they are a significant upgrade would be a significant understatement!! The new designs work to modernise the toilets and provide full privacy for our students.

The builders are moving to the toilet block near Gumbuya next.

I cannot believe that there is only one more week of school left before the holidays and we are about a quarter of the way through 2022 already! It has been so wonderful to have been able to have such a range of activities and events for our students and for school to feel as close to normal as possible.

If I do not see you next week, I hope you have a great holiday period and are able to rest, relax and enjoy the time with your family and friends.

Take care,

David

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