Welcome Back to Term 3

Welcome back to Term 3! I hope you all enjoyed spending time with family and friends over the holiday break. Whether your holidays were filled with exciting adventures or simply enjoying a slower pace (and perhaps a few sleep-ins!), I hope everyone had the opportunity to recharge. It has been wonderful to see students and teachers return looking refreshed, full of smiles and ready for a fantastic term ahead.

Term 3 is shaping up to be another busy and exciting one. Our calendar is already bursting at the seams with learning experiences and community events. We have Book Week, Tree Planting Day, our 100 Days of Prep Celebration (where some of our youngest students may look 100 years older than they really are!), excursions to Scienceworks, IMAX, the Museum, and the Gould League. Summer Sport for our senior students, Market Day (keen to see what the Junior school students create this year), ISIC and Family Thrive sessions.

I have a feeling the term will fly by before we know it—so it might be worth checking the calendar regularly to keep up!

We are looking forward to another term of learning, growth and creating wonderful memories together.

Lunchtime Clubs

We have some new lunchtime clubs, some old favourites are back, and there is a change in days.

All children are welcome to attend any of the clubs, etc ICT this term, which will be for Years 3 to 6 only.

All lunchtime clubs start at 1.30 pm, so students can play outside for 20 mins before going to a club. Please see the flyer below for the schedule

Attendance

As we begin Term 3, we have noticed an increasing number of students arriving after the 9.00 am bell. A positive start to the day begins with arriving on time, settled and ready to learn. We encourage all families to support their child in developing the lifelong habit of punctuality, helping them make the most of every learning opportunity. You can view our current attendance data below.

We know that regular attendance is one of the strongest contributors to student success. Every school day provides valuable opportunities for learning, building friendships and participating in the life of the classroom. Even small amounts of missed learning can add up over time.

Did you know?

Attendance below 85%: Students are at risk of not meeting minimum learning expectations or achieving their full potential. They are also more likely to lose important connections with their peers.
Attendance between 85% and 89%: Students are missing too much valuable learning time, which can make it difficult to keep up with classroom learning and new concepts.

Excursion and Incursion: Friendly Reminder

Friendly Reminder: All events must be consented to and paid for by the advertised closing date.

When permissions and payments are received after the cut-off date, it can make planning more difficult. This includes organising parent helpers to meet supervision ratios, finalising sporting teams, and confirming participant numbers with venues. It can also be challenging on the day of the event when we are unsure whether a student is attending.

To support families, all school events are published on Compass with a minimum of two weeks' notice, providing plenty of time to complete consent and payment requirements.

We kindly ask parents and carers to ensure consent and payment are completed by the due date. This helps us plan effectively and avoids students being disappointed if they are unable to attend due to outstanding permissions or payments.

If you have any concerns, please reach out to the office staff or come and chat with me.

Curriculum Day 10 September: Reminder

We would like to advise families that our next Curriculum Day for the year will be held on Thursday 10 September. This will be a student-free day.

On this day, all staff will work together to unpack the findings and recommendations from our recent IB Evaluation. This is an important opportunity for us to reflect on the feedback received, celebrate our strengths, and plan for the future growth and development of our IB Primary Years Programme.

We understand that holding a Curriculum Day on a Thursday may be inconvenient for some families, and we apologise for any disruption this may cause. However, having all staff on site and available provides the best opportunity for every member of our team to be involved in the planning and decision-making process. Ensuring that all staff contribute to this work is vital as we continue to strengthen the learning experiences we provide for our students.

OSHC will be available for families who require care for their child/ren on this day. Further information regarding bookings will be provided directly by the service.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we invest in the ongoing improvement of our school.

Garden and Biodiversity Donations Needed

Parking and Safety Reminder

The staff car park is for staff use only. Students must not walk through the staff car park when being collected, as staff exiting the area may not be able to see children moving between vehicles. Please arrange to meet your child outside the staff car park area.

Please do not park in the disabled parking spaces unless you hold a valid permit. Even brief stops for drop-off or pick-up are not permitted and may result in fines.

The two-minute parking zone at the front of the school is designated for quick drop-off and pick-up only. If you need to leave your vehicle to accompany your child to their classroom, please park in a suitable parking area instead.

We also remind families that the convenience store car park next to the school is reserved for store customers. Parents are asked not to use this car park for school drop-off or pick-up.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping keep our students, families, and staff safe.

Wellbeing

Please make sure you are paying attention to your own well-being and getting support if need be.

We hope your child has an amazing year at Heany Park PS. Please always let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We are only a phone call or email away.

Phone 9764 5533

Email: kym.ryan@education.vic.gov.au

Kind regards

Kym Ryan

Acting Principal

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