Principal's Report
Dear HPS Community,
I hope all students have enjoyed a successful start to Term 2 and loved discussing what they enjoy at Heidelberg Primary School and the challenges that our staff can support them with during this semester as part of the conversations that are leading up to Goal Setting Conferences with families.
Please find below the information linking to Goal Setting Conferences.
In Term 3, we will have Goal Setting Conferences for our students. The conferences will occur on the following dates and times during Week 3.
Tuesday, 25th of July- 3.30 pm- 6.30 pm
Wednesday, 26th of July- 3.30 pm- 5.40 pm
The Goal Setting Conferences booking portal will close this evening across the school.
2024 Foundation Enrolments
Please note that the school currently provides private school tours for 2024 enrolments. Don't hesitate to get in touch with the main office for more information.
Please note that enrolments are now open for 2024 Foundation students. There have been some system wide changes put in place by the department which families need to be aware of. I encourage you to visit our school website for the most up-to-date information:
The key changes are as follows:
- If you are residing in the school zone or you already have another students at HPS, who will still be here in 2024, you can complete and lodge an enrolment form (please include a copy of the birth certificate and immunisation history).
- If you live outside of the school zone, you must now access and complete an application form.
- Application forms should be received by Friday 28th July, and you will be notified of the outcome by Friday 11th August.
NAPLAN 2023
Please note my communication with the Year 3 and 5 families last week. There have been some changes to this year's NAPLAN. These are changes introduced nationally by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
NAPLAN will continue to measure student achievement in numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, but the results will now be presented in 4 proficiency levels:
These are:
➢ exceeding
➢ strong
➢ developing
➢ needs additional support.
This change will give schools, parents and carers clearer information about student achievement against new proficiency levels.
Students' NAPLAN reports will continue to show how they are tracking against their peers and indicate their skill levels against national averages and where we would expect them to be to get the most out of schooling. This provides valuable information to teachers about how we can continue to support your child.
Each set of NAPLAN results is an important milestone, but it's also important that students know that one result does not define them. These results are about ensuring every student gets the support they need to continue to get the best from their learning.
When we provide your results, you will also receive information about the new proficiency levels.
You're welcome to speak to me or your child's teacher with any questions about these changes.
School Council Sub Committees
The HPS School Council has several sub-committees that operate within the council framework. Participation in these committees is not limited to School Council members. They are more effective and productive with contributions from the wider school community. Unfortunately, we are experiencing minimal involvement and engagement from community members outside the council. The school is eager to address this issue and is starting by focusing on the Community Engagement Sub-Committee. This group concentrates on creating opportunities for the community to come together, connect, and contribute. Although fundraising is part of their work, it is not their primary focus. If you would like to attend any of the Sub Committee meetings, please do not hesitate to contact the school via the email address provided, with the convenor's name mentioned below.
heidelberg.ps@education.vic.gov.au
Community Engagement- Convenor: Emma-Jane Stabb
Curriculum/ Wellbeing Sub Committee- Convenors: Justin Lania and Helen Thomas
Buildings and Grounds- Convenor: Hugh McKenzie
School Age Care (SAC)- Convenor: Carol Dawson
Interschool Sports
Congratulations to the HPS Football, Soccer, and Netball teams for making it to the Banyule Division Finals in Term 3. The finals will be held over the next two weeks. Well done to the students involved in the teams and the staff who supported them in these upcoming tournaments. This is truly a wonderful achievement!
Further to the achievement of our interschool sports teams, Year 6 student Esther M has recently placed 3rd in the Under 12 competition at Nationals Tennis! This is in addition to two recent wins in local Under 12 singles and doubles competitions - her national rank has now rocketed to 16th in the U12 category! Congratulations Esther on this fantastic achievement - the school community is very proud!
HPS Disco
The annual HPS Disco is coming up soon. Parent volunteers will fully supervise the event, and we ask that every child be signed in and out and remain in the hall until an adult comes to collect them. The event times are:
Foundation-Year 2 Students: 4.45 pm-5.45 pm
Year 3-4: 6.00 pm-7.00 pm
Year 5-6: 7.15 pm-8.30 pm
Please note that ticket sales will close on Wednesday, 26 July 2023, and there will be no ticket sales on the day or night of the disco. Payment for the event is $10 per child and can be made via Compass. Click on the 'events' tab and select the disco event corresponding to your child's year level. Families with three or more children buying the $20 maximum per family payment can only pay at the office. We look forward to seeing your children at the school event!
Term 3 Key Events for the next four weeks
Life Education- Wednesday, 12th July- Wednesday, August 2nd
Goal Setting Conferences- 25th and 26th of July
School Disco- Friday, 28th of July (PM)
100 Days of School (Foundation)- Friday, 4th of August
Author Visit- Wednesday, 9th of August
Curriculum Day- Friday, 11th of August
Dress Up Days
100 Days of School (Foundation)- 5th of August- Foundation students invited to dress up as a 100-year-old or in the theme of the number 100.
Book Parade- Friday, 18th of August- Students dress up to celebrate their favourite book character
Thank you to the Heidelberg Primary School families for the fabulous start to the term,
Justin Lania