Principals' Page

Busy times at HEPS

It certainly has been an extremely busy but exciting few weeks at HEPS starting with the Father's Day celebration last Monday, followed by both Junior & Senior Hoop Time Basketball, Level 4 Zoo excursion, Foundation excursion to Blackburn Lake & retirement home, RUOK Day and Three Way Conferences occurring this afternoon and tonight. Tomorrow we also have Grandparents Day followed by the Working Bee on Sunday. Organising these events does take a lot of time and effort so thank you to all teachers that have organised these extra-curricular activities for our students.

Father's Days/Special Person Open Morning

What a fantastic turnout for our Father’s Day/Special Person’s assembly and open morning last Monday. The dads had the opportunity to participate in various activities with their child/ren, such as reading together, working on arts and crafts projects and playing education games. The event was a great way for Fathers to bond with their children and get a glimpse into their school day.

Hoop Time Basketball

Last week we also had 60 students attend Junior Hoop Time Basketball (Wednesday 4th September) and 85 students attend Senior Hoop Time Basketball at Dandenong Stadium. There were many students playing basketball for the first time and it was great to see students willing to give it a go. Congratulations to the Future All-Stars who have progressed to Region level. A special mention to the Junior All Stars boys who made the grand final but were defeated in a close game.

District Athletics

Congratulations to our 60 students who participated at District Athletics Day today. The event was rescheduled after it was cancelled last Monday due to high winds. The weather was much more pleasant today and from all reports, students are having a great day. Students who finish in the top 2 at the District level will progress to Divisional level early next Term.

Work on Oval- Closed for a month

This week we have had some significant work done on our oval to ensure its longevity. Work has included spraying a weed herbicide, aerating the oval to break up compaction and spreading turf sand to level out undulations. The oval will be closed for the next few weeks and into the school holidays to allow time for the grass to grow back. Please be respectful by staying off the oval during school and after-hours.

R U OK? Day

Today is R U OK day?  R U OK?  It was great to see many students wearing a touch of yellow to share the importance of this initiative. R U OK Day? is an annual national day of action that reminds us that every day is the right day to ask, ‘are you okay’? A lot can happen in a year, a month, a week.  Whether it’s your friend, family member, colleague, partner, or teammate, the people you care about go through life’s ups and downs every day. By having regular, meaningful conversations, you build trust and normalise talking about what’s really going on, so when the people in your world find themselves struggling, they know you’re someone they can talk to.

Consent & Payment- Compass

This is a reminder that consent and payment is required a week before for excursions/incursions and 4 weeks for camp. In adherence to our school policy, students who have not finalised payment by the required date will not be allowed to attend unless the principal determines an exceptional circumstance applies. If you have any issues paying for these activities or are under financial hardship, then please speak to the school before the event payment deadline. In recognition of the additional hours that our teaching staff put into organising these extracurricular activities available to your child/ren, we would appreciate you following these deadlines.

Supervision from 8.45 am

A reminder that students should not be at school before 8.45 am. There has been an increase in the number of students arriving without parents before this time, meaning that they are unsupervised. We kindly remind families that unaccompanied students should not be at school before 8.45 am and if you need care prior to this time, TeamKids is available.

Working Bee- This Sunday 15th September

A reminder that our working bee is scheduled for this Sunday 15th September commencing at 9am. Whether you can lend a hand for an hour or stay for the whole time, every bit of help makes a significant difference. No special skills are required, just bring your enthusiasm and willingness to contribute!

Hats are Back!

Just a reminder that Spring has arrived, and students need to start wearing their hats. In line with the HEPS SunSmart Policy, children are required to wear their hats when playing outside. Please make sure hats are clearly named. Hats are available for purchase at the front office if required.

Discussing Reading With Your Children

One question teachers repeatedly get asked is ‘How can parents support their child’s reading comprehension?’ A way to do this is to engage your child in a substantive conversation about their reading. Below are some possible questions that you might use to guide the conversation.

Some questions you might use for students reading at a Prep – Year 2 level:

What happened in the story/text?

What do you think is going to happen next? What makes you think this?

What was the problem in the story?

Tell me about the characters – what are they like? How can you tell?

How do you think XXX felt when XXX happened?

What did the author do to keep you interested in the story?

What is something interested you learned from your reading today?

Suitable questions for students reading at a Year 3 – Year 6 level

Tell me what is happening in the text?

What happened at the start, middle and end of the story?

Tell me about the main characters – how would you describe them? Why do you think they are behaving like this?

Did the characters change during the story? Why do you think this?

What was the most important moment in the story? Why?

What predictions can you make about the rest of the text? What makes you think this?

What is something interesting you learned today? Why was this interesting?

What are the important points/facts/moments in the text? Why are these so important?

What connections can you make to other books, the world or your own experiences?

What do you think the author is trying to make you think about? Why?

What new information have you learned from your reading?

Has your opinion on anything changed from your reading? Why/Why not?

Try to use a conversational approach, rather than a question-and-answer interrogation format when you discuss your child’s reading with them. Keeping the discussion low key will also help your child to feel safe in sharing their opinions and open up. Remember that the focus is on getting your child to elaborate on their thinking in their response and to provide reasons for their opinions. The aim is for them to deepen their thinking and understanding. Be aware that there may not be a correct answer to some questions.

Have a wonderful break

We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing break and we look forward to seeing rested, happy faces around the school for a big last Term. Enjoy the beautiful spring weather!