Principal and Assistant Principal's Page

Principal's Report

It’s hard to believe there’s only a fortnight of school to go. This fortnight’s newsletter is filled with student events and achievements of our students in all different areas- leadership, reading, STEM, the Arts …which are all equally important!

2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge 

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is a great opportunity to find new and interesting books to read and to set a goal to read more! At last week’s assembly I presented these students with their awards: 

Grade 5 Leadership Day at 

South Oakleigh College 

The grade 5’s had a fantastic leadership day last Friday at South Oakleigh Secondary School led by George Tzimourtas and secondary school leaders. We were split into 3 groups and the students completed various activities such as ranking leadership traits from most important to least, brainstorming what qualities they admired in leaders they know and also who could be a leader. A highlight for most of the students would have been their free snack of a muffin and a drink box! Thank you, Mrs Mathews, for organising this event for our students. 

Taiko Performance

Our Taiko Group had the experience of performing outdoors to a large number of people at the St Kilda and Balaclava Kindergarten Fete and 111-year celebration. It was very much a younger demographic of audience with lots of children 5 years and younger! They wee all wowed by our group’s fabulous performance, though I did see some children holding their ears- they were not used to the loud drum noise!

Thank you to Tadashi Hanazono for teaching our students and coordinating the morning. Thank you to our parents for your support of our group and attending on the day. It was a gorgeous day and our students shone!

Monash University Maker Faire 

On Sunday, as part of the Oakleigh Education Plan, our students participated in the Monash Maker Faire. It is the largest community Maker Faire in the southern hemisphere in 2022! I believe over 5000 people visited on the day!

Our students worked with South Oakleigh College and Oakleigh South Primary School, to imagine what life would be like on Mars. Our students focused on shelter and presented their projects on the day.

Well done to Momoka, Cassie, Mars, Marcus, Matthew and Shunsuke for their great work. Thank you to Craig Sutherland and Mr Magart for their support of the students. It was a wonderful day!

2023 Camp

Details were sent out via Operoo last week, giving advance notice about next year’s camp. At our last school council meeting on 8 November, School Council approved that the camp for Years 3-6 will go ahead in 2023. 

2023 Years 3-6 children will have the opportunity to attend the Waratah Beach Camp in Gippsland. This is a fabulous opportunity for the children to further develop positive relationships with their peers and teachers in a unique setting. 

While on camp, students have the opportunity to participate in a number of outdoor adventure activities including the giant swing, initiative activities, beach activities, low ropes course, rock climbing wall, outdoor and indoor games, a night walk on the beach, enjoy the camp fire and participate in ‘Camp Idol’. Students sleep in bunk style rooms with a bathroom. 

CAMP DETAILS

Dates: Grade 5 & 6: 27-29 March 2023  - Grade 3 & 4: 29-31 March 2023

Destination: Gale Street - Waratah Bay, Vic, 3959

Transport: Coach

Cost:  $400- including food, activities, accommodation & transport

Teacher in charge:  Nick Tolliday

Other adults attending:  To be confirmed near the date

Early in Term 1 2023, we will send home more information and ask you to complete the permission slip and medical form. This will need to be done by March 1, 2023. We must inform the camp shortly after that of our confirmed numbers. We ask that final payments be made by 17th March 2023. 

If you have any questions, please contact the school.

Reminder- Planning for 2023

The school is finalising planning for the 2023 school year.

If you are planning on moving interstate, to another country or away from Huntingdale and are yet to notify the office please do so as soon as possible. Numbers have a significant bearing on our planning, and we appreciate early notification where possible.   

If you hear of anyone wishing to attend Huntingdale in 2023, please send them to the office to enrol.  If you have not enrolled any younger siblings, please do so as quickly as possible so that they can attend our kinder to school transition program.

If you have any further questions, please contact the school office.

Christmas Concert Reminder

We look forward to seeing all of our families at the Christmas Concert this Thursday! The picnic starts at 5.30pm. Concert starts at 6.30pm. Watashi Mo will have snacks on sale. Don’t forget to bring your rugs and seats for a great night!

Have a great fortnight! 

Ruth Biddle

Principal

Assistant Principal's Report

It’s December! Our children have started practicing their number for our Christmas Concert on 8th December and have also started sharing their learning in many ways.

Grade 3/4 Inquiry Learning

I visited Grade 3B this week, and students were so excited to share their learning with me. 

As part of our inquiry,  Creativity, students in Grade 3 and 4 have been learning about local rules/laws and local services in our community.  As part of their learning, they researched our local council and discovered local services that are provided for the community. The students then used this knowledge to plan their own town. They worked on deciding what unique rules/laws and local services they could provide in their town. As part of their Go Public, the students are building their diorama showcasing either a rule/law or a local service in their town. (Written by Mrs Perrella)

Zoom Exchange session 

Foundation students had an online exchange program with Izumi Kindergarten and Mitama Kindergarten, Kofu (Yamanashi Prefecture) in Japan. They performed Christmas Carols and played gesture games together. Our students were so excited from early in the morning and it was a great opportunity for our students to use their language to communicate with the same age group children from a different country. Thank you to Iida sensei and our Foundations teachers for organising this special event.

International Day of People with Disability

Grade 5/6 students came to share their learning with me. Here are their acrostic poems explaining what disability means to them.

This year’s theme for International Day of People with Disability calls for innovation to fuel inclusive development for an accessible and inclusive world. The innovation is coming from here…. (let’s talk)

Anna

Utano

Oliver

Mars

Kenji

Tulasi

Adele

Hanna

Watashi Mo (Parent Association)

Watashi Mo held their monthly Meeting on Monday 5th December and they have already started thinking about events for our school community to engage together for next year.  

Watashi Mo will be selling Japanese snacks from 5:30pm until the Christmas concert starts at 6:30pm. Please bring your coin to purchase these as EFTPOS is not available. 10% of sales will go to our school. 

Our first event for 2023 is the morning tea for new parents on 2nd February at 9am. Please contact Watashi Mo if you have spare time to help out to set up the morning tea and chat with new parents. 

Watashi Mo meeting will be held on Monday 6th February. Please keep this date in your diary. 

If you would like to be involved in Watashi Mo and to connect with our school community, please send an email to watashimo.huntingdale@gmail.com.   I hope to see you next year and look forward to our future planning together.

Lost Property

Lost property is mounting up again.  Please ask your child to check the tubs in office and their classrooms to see if anything belongs to them.  Please also remember that if you put your child’s name on their lunch box, jacket, hat, etc., there is a better chance of them finding their owner. At the end of each term items not collected are disposed of responsibly.

Naomi Mori-Hanazono

Assistant Principal