From the Principal

Welcome to IPS

This Saturday is our first Working Bee for the Year. There is a lot to do so please join us from 3pm to 5pm. We are hoping to get some bike racks installed as well as our new cubby house painted. Mr Bull advises that there have been a couple of extra jobs added to the list over the last 24 hours, check them out at the link.

 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1s_fUqzG7W1HlA6dv3gFiuD_-9IQKVB0qLa8LEozRpa8/edit?usp=sharing

Please come along and help make your child's school clean, safe, fun and a great place to learn..

Our New IPS Cubby House

A huge “THANK YOU” to Principal Warren Dawson of Box Hill Senior Secondary College for the amazing donation of the new Cubby House. A most welcome addition to the Year 1 play area. 

BHSSC runs several high end programs in the Arts, Sports Academies (Basketball, AFL/AFLW & Tennis) and also offers an industry-based training program for students from Years 9-12, which features a Trade Training Precinct, complete with workshops that cater for Engineering, Electrical Systems, Building & Construction, Plumbing, Electronics, general metalwork & woodwork and Landscaping & Horticulture. 

The cubby is a part of the VET Building and Construction curriculum, related to the national training standards. The workmanship is clearly excellent. Thanks also to the Building and Construction teacher, Richard and his talented students who built the cubby house that our students clearly already love. 

Thank you to our IPS parents Nathan, Kieran and Gerard for collecting it for us and helping us get it into place. We need painters at this Saturday’s Working Bee to add a bit of colour. 

Working Bee Saturday 1st ofMarch 3pm-5pm

Please come along to our next Working Bee.  We need lots of helpers to make sure our school remains a beautiful and enriching environment for our students.  

Have a look at some of the jobs on the list and put your name down.  Even if others have volunteered for certain jobs, there are always of other jobs we need help with.  You don't need to be skilled, just willing to help us out for a couple of hours this Saturday afternoon.

Children who help can earn house points!  It is always quite a social, fun event and there's even a sausage sizzle cooked personally by Mr Kent and Mrs Wright!

School Review - Parent Forum 

Please come along and be part of helping to shape our future!

As mentioned in over the last couple of weeks in our newsletter, our school review begins next Tuesday!

All Victorian Government schools undertake a review every 4 years.  The purpose of the school review is to accurately and authentically review how they have met the goals set out in their strategic plan, support schools to set future directions and also to develop a new four year strategic plan. 

An external Review Panel is formed to support schools and a crucial element in the process is, the Parent Forum.   This is your opportunity to be a part of our school review, to add your voice and to shape the future directions of our school.  

The Parent Forum will be facilitated by the Reviewer (Brian Collins) on Tuesday 4th March at 3pm in the Collaboration Space.  

Please come along and be part of helping us create a roadmap for the future. You don't need to let us know you're coming, just turn up!

Cyber Safety Parent Session at IPS

Parents Only Cybersafety Education Session Wednesday 5th of March - 6.30pm - 8pm

Understanding digital safety can be daunting, and it’s often hard for parents and carers to know how to approach what can be a tricky topic.

This interactive workshop will empower you with the skills and knowledge to:

• Model a safe and healthy balance at home.
• Participate in your child's online world.
• Communicate openly about online risks.
• Supervise and support your child.

Seating is limited. Book through COMPASS.

Parent Payment Contribution

While all Government schools receive funding, IPS runs many programs  and resources that rely on the parent voluntary contribution. We are yet to meet many of our budget targets, including digital learning technologies and curriculum contributions. If you are still considering to what level, you are able to support the school program please also consider the educational benefits the contribution affords every child at our wonderful school. The form is at this link.

School Photos - 21st March 

School photography day is coming up soon. Sibling, group and portrait photographs can be purchased by following the link below. 

Three easy payment methods: Visa, MasterCard or PayPal 

To order, visit: www.advancedlife.com.au And enter online order code: TMA QV8 A9V 

• Online orders - Do not require an envelope 
• Sibling Photos - Don’t forget to pre-order your sibling photos online up to 24 hours before photo day. We provide your school with a list of sibling orders right up to the day of photography. If you miss the online order deadline, you can submit a completed sibling order envelope, found with the photographers first thing in the morning on photography day to the photographer. Please also inform the school so they are aware to schedule your children in for a photograph. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at your school. Please note not all schools offer sibling photos. 
• Late fees – A late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately. Please refer to the cut-off date on the flyer. 
• Package delivery - School photographs will be delivered approximately 8-10 weeks after the day of photography. Please note this delivery timeframe is dependent on proofing, the post-production process and additional photography days at your school. 
• Previous Years’ photos - Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available to order under the “previous years or group photo” tabs at your school’s advancedorder site, click on the “Order School Photos Here” button. You can also order past packages, portrait images and gifts from your child’s unique, individual and secure advancedyou image archive site using the unique 9-digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past. 

advancedlife would like to express our appreciation to Ivanhoe Primary School for placing your trust in us. Please remember we offer a 100% money back guarantee on our products to ensure your peace of mind. We would also love to receive your feedback or resolve any issues you may experience as fast as possible, to ensure your satisfaction. If you have any questions, comments or feedback relating to your advancedlife experience, please contact us at: www.advancedlife.com.au/contact. 

PFA Events & Community Building Opportunities

Please regularly refer to the PFA page in this and following editions of Inside Ivanhoe. 

Below are some "Save the dates" for this year's events. 

Mother's Day stall Wednesday 7th May

Mother's Day Breakfast Thursday 8th May

Disco Friday 25th July

Trivia Saturday 31st May 

Father's Day stall Wednesday 3rd September

Father's Day Breakfast Thursday 4th September

Biennial IPS Fair Saturday 22nd November

End of Year Picnic Friday 12th December 

The next PFA meeting is Tuesday 18th of March in the Staffroom at 7pm (enter off Waterdale Rd). All welcome.

The time you commit to the PFA is dependent on the time you have available. We understand that life is busy and the juggling of children, home and work can sometimes be overwhelming. We welcome as little or as much input as you can offer. 

Specialist Student Leaders

Our specialist subject captains will be presented with their certificates at assembly on Monday the 3rd of March.  

• Sports Captains
• Art Captains
• Music Captains

Class Rep Q & A - Every Class needs a rep

Find out a little more about being a class rep from Emily, who has done this a few times!

Emily's Q & A 

Is it a lot of work?

Like most volunteer roles, you completely control how much time you commit to being a class rep at IPS. 

Even just assisting in setting up a class WhatsApp group for all of your class’s parents and carers to join is a fantastic way of connecting the parent and carer cohort. 

Wait a minute. It’s a Fair year – doesn’t that mean there will be SO much to do?!

Not at all! There is one extra task added to your responsibilities in a Fair year (more on this below), but ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Fair Committee to run and organise the Fair.

So what is this extra “Fair responsibility” you speak of?

Your class will be assigned a stall to run at the Fair by the Fair committee. There are many ‘how to’ guidelines and instructions relating to your particular stall which the Fair Committee will provide you and guide you through, however the main duty you will be responsible for is liaising with all parents and carers in your class to create a roster of who can help run the stall on the day. If there are enough volunteers, it is possible to be allotted only 30 minutes of stall duty – plenty of time remaining to enjoy the Fair with your family. Quite often, two classes are assigned to run the one stall so you have plenty of people to support with what needs to be done.

What about producing an artwork masterpiece with the class for auction at the Fair?

 Not this year! The Fair Committee has decided that this is no longer the responsibility of the Class Rep but do not fear! Each class will still be producing wonderful pieces of art to raise extra money at the Fair, however, creation of each masterpiece will happen under the guidance and leadership of the class teacher (with any parent assistance entirely optional).

Hmm, ok, I’m thinking about it…

Excellent! We would love you to be a Class Rep this year. Please reach out to your class teacher on Dojo to let them know. It is a wonderful way to connect with, and assist in connecting, the IPS community; something we all value and may it long continue…

Please help.

Each class needs a class representative to help get things done!  Contact your child's teacher if you are interested.  If you're happy to help out every now and again, or you're interested in social get-togethers, you might want to consider adding your contact details to your child's class rep list.  Keep a look out for the request coming soon!

We welcome and value families who would like to volunteer with us.  Take a look at our classroom helpers information along with our Child Safe Volunteer information and please do volunteer. You'll find it really rewarding.

Message from Liz Bonetti (OAM)

I would like to thank everyone for their kind words to me over the past weeks, and a special thank you to Margaret Butcher for the thoughtful and generous piece in the last newsletter. I am deeply touched by everyone’s reactions to the Australia Day Award, an honour that was made possible not just by my individual efforts but by virtue of the community to which I belong. Without the skills and generous dedication of numerous other strings teachers, the creative collaboration of class music teachers, the support and goodwill of school leaders, staff and parents, and, not least, the efforts and enthusiasm of students over the decades, the String Program at IPS would not be the success that it is today. 

I am passionate about the String Program and about helping students to learn to play a string instrument so they might experience the joys of making music together and the success that comes with perseverance. Apart from the well-established benefits to children of playing a musical instrument, I have a very personal reason for believing in and working towards the success of the String Program at IPS. As a child, I was lucky enough to be at one of the few primary schools that benefitted from a government initiative at the time to introduce lessons in string instruments. At IPS we have been fortunate to have classroom music teachers who have the skills to enable every child to experience playing a variety of instruments in their music classes but this is not the case in most schools. I would dearly love to see all children benefit from the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. The String Program is my own, small attempt to give other children this opportunity at a young age – an opportunity without which I would never have become a violinist.

It is a tremendous honour to have received this award, to be part of this community, and to have the privilege of helping our children to become young, and sometimes lifelong, musicians. 

Thank you all.

Canteen Update

This week the canteen trialed 'Sushi Wednesday' and due to it's popularity, it will now be available regularly on a Wednesday.

Sushi is delivered to me fresh on the day and I need to be preorder  on Tuesday.

To avoid disappointment please get your orders in advance through my school connect .

Thanks for your understanding 

Annette and team 

Finally

Our School Council met for the first meeting of the year. It was great to have such a skilled and enthusiastic group who are committed to supporting the continued improvement of our school. Head over to the IPS School Council page to see who the office bearers are and the relected School Council President's report.

Congratulations to our students who were selected to compete in the IDSSA Swimming Carnival this week.   The year 6 girls team and Charlotte from 6H made it through to the divisional competition!  Well done!  

Read more about the amazing achievements of the swimmers on the IPS Sport page. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Pam Wright

Co Principal

http://www.ivanhoeps.vic.edu.au/ 

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria and pay respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Peoples.