Welcome to 2024

Welcome back to the new year, which has started really well. The new Foundation students are finding their feet and getting used to the long learning days. Welcome also to all the new families - I am sure you will enjoy being part of the Jells Park community.

Once again, we look forward to another busy year with lots happening. Look out for the Twilight Market Night, the Art Show, re-booted Interschool Sport, Swimming Program and a couple of camps, all in the first half of the year.

Staffing for 2024

Jells Park PS is delighted to welcome new and returning staff for the 2024 year:

* Julie Hall - Acting Assistant Principal

* Nikki Tenberge in Level 6

* James Salter in Level 5

* Natalya Hajj in Level 5

* Zoe Callanan in Level 3

* Matt Perrin in Level 2

* Maeve Kalogeropoulos in Level 1

SAVE the DATE - Twilight Market Night

Jells Park Twilight Market Night - Friday 22 March, 2024. Save this date in your calendar. If you are interested in a stall please email parentcommittee@jpps.com.au

Changed Dates

Due to clashes between a couple of events, we have pushed Education Week back a week to Mon 20 - Fri 24 May. This means the Art Show will now be Wednesday 22 May and the Student Free Day (Curriculum Day) on Friday 24 May.

Important Reminders

2024 Student Fees - can I ask parents to follow through with payment of school contributions (fees). The contributions may have been missed by some families at the end of last year.

We understand that all these contributions are voluntary, however please also understand that the income from these contributions helps pay for many of the vital resources and programs that the school offers. They also allow us to plan for upgrades and repairs to areas of the school, as well as plan for some more major facility developments in the future. In 2024 we will be having the outdoor basketball court surface replaced.

There are links later in this newsletter that will take you to the school webpage, where the recommended contribution letter for each year level is available.

We hope that you are able to support us.

School Council - nominations for School Council will be soon distributed to the school community. We have a need for a few new people on School Council due to some families having departed the school. If you are interested in a role on School Council please contact me or pop in to the office for a chat.

JPPC AGM on Friday 16 Feb at 2.30pm - the Jells Park Parents Committee is a very active group that supports the school through fundraising activities and community social events. Their AGM is on next week, so if you are interested in helping out please attend. New members are VERY welcome.

Buildings & Grounds - all the deck areas in the school have been refurbished over the break and we had in the arborist to trim all the large trees. A few minor internal repairs and additions were made to some classrooms as well.

We are getting quotes to replace the front wall of the main building where the rust on the panels is letting in water leaks, as well as additional concreting, start some painting, replacement of the basket ball court and further upgrades to the student playgrounds.

Smart Watches and phones - a reminder that all student mobile phones are required to be stored in the office during school time. The office staff will provide a storage slot for any regular users. This also applies to smart watches. However if smart watches are switched to 'School Mode' (parent protected) then students can continue to wear them as watches only. Any communications to your child during school time must come through the office.

FINALLY, thank you to those families in Level 1 and Level 3 that came to the assistance of one of our families by providing meals and food. This was done at short notice and has been gratefully received.

Regards.

Kevin Oakey

Principal

Getting to Know You Interviews

We will be having face-to-face ‘Getting to Know You’ parent/teacher interviews for all students (F - 6) on Wednesday 21st February from 3.40 - 8pm. These interviews are an opportunity for you to meet your child's teacher and to tell them a little bit about your child. Student progress and academic meetings will be held in June.

Interviews should be booked via the SENTRAL parent portal https://jellsparkps.sentral.com.au/portal2/#!/login and registrations open on Monday 12th February at 10am and close on Tuesday 20th February at 3pm.

This year interviews will be held onsite in your child's classroom. If you are unable to attend on this date, please contact your class teacher for an alternative time.

Below is the “How to Guide” for help with booking an interview or if you need support accessing SENTRAL please contact Julie Hall – j.hall@jpps.vic.edu.au

Safer Internet Day

Last Tuesday was Safer Internet Day which is a global initiative to raise awareness around the importance of online safety, something which is a real passion of mine. This year's theme is - Connect, Reflect, Protect.

As an eSmart school, where we promote the smart, safe and responsible use of digital technologies, we are encouraging you to discuss with your children the following three actions:

Connect safely by keeping apps and devices secure and reviewing your privacy settings regularly.

Reflect on how your actions online may affect others or your safety.

Protect yourself and others by visiting eSafety.gov.au to find out how to stay safe online and report online abuse.

The Office of eSafety has an amazing range of videos, articles and information about popular apps which are invaluable for families trying to guide their children safely through this digital world. I encourage you to have a look - Parents | eSafety Commissioner

Chinese New Year

This Saturday, 10th February, many people in our community will be celebrating Chinese New Year. It is also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. 2024 will be the year of the dragon.

Chinese New Year is an important event in many countries such as China, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia. It is celebrated with dragon and lion dances, gift giving and fireworks. Traditionally the celebrations continue for 15 days and finish with the Lantern Festival where lanterns decorate the streets and houses.

If you are celebrating Lunar New Year - I would love to hear about it.

Julie Hall

Assistant Principal

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