Principal's Message
We cannot wait to see all of 'USps' again!
As we write the final parts of this edition of our newsletter, the sun is shining and we can't help but to feel happy and excited to have all of our students returning to on-site learning next Tuesday 9th June 2020.
Remote Learning has been a hugely successful venture for our school community, and we must acknowledge the amazing leadership of our staff, families, and of course our brilliant students.
Acknowledging the 'us' in USPS
A feature of Upwey South Primary School is our uniquely supportive, engaging, thoughtful, and
caring community. As a school, we wish to acknowledge the significance of those who help to make our school such a wonderful place to belong.
During the week commencing Tuesday 09/06/2020, each student, along with their classmates, will be presented with the opportunity to add a ribbon to our USPS Fence Mural, which will be located on the main basketball court. As each student ties a ribbon to the fence, they will be asked to reflect
upon what has helped to tie us together through our recent shared experiences.
The following week, we will be providing the opportunity for family members to also add a ribbon to our mural, which will represent the significant role our families have played in strengthening bonds across our community.
The Specialist Team have been busy preparing for this community project, and we would like to bring your attention to the words below from Mrs Lang:
Ribbon weaving/knotting is a fun activity that everyone can do and we are super excited to be undertaking a community arts project over the next couple of weeks to mark our whole school return to onsite teaching and learning.
In our day to day lives we use knots to help things stay together, or maybe even as a way to join or bind things to make them longer and stronger. This symbolism of strength and binding are positive ways we can reflect on our time apart, and our time together moving forward as a community.
Did you know that knots as good-luck charms and are often given out during Chinese New Year celebrations?
Every student, teacher and parent will have the opportunity to add a ribbon on our USPS fence mural (at staggered times). We will have ribbon for all students but you are also welcome to bring your own if you have a favourite colour. So get working on your knot tying skills as we create art together.
Facilities Update
During the Remote Learning period, we have been making the most of undertaking contractor works, some of which may be challenging to undertake with a full cohort of students on-site.
This week we have:
- updated security lighting on all external buildings
- undertaken line-marking on all asphalt areas
- cleared trees and vegetation
- upgraded the Bushfire Attack Rating protection measures on our gymnasium (shelter-in-place)
These achievements are on top of our already long list of Term Two projects, which have been mentioned in previous newsletters.
In the coming weeks we will begin updating all ceiling lights in the main building, and continue with general upgrades to facilities.
The coming term break promises to be busy with painting and landscaping scheduled, as part of our school's Rolling Facilities Improvement Program, which has been generously funded through DET and the VSBA.
School Lunch Order Program- Term Three Update
Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 situation our existing lunch order provider was forced to close their doors.
However, in conjunction with local schools, we are pleased to announce that our lunch orders for Term Three will be back on offer!
Our agreed provider is "The Blacksmith" and "Sushi Express" who are both local Belgrave businesses, and have combined to offer lunch orders available through the QKR app. There are even photos of each meal available for you to view!
Lunch orders will only be available on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (which includes sushi available on each of these days) and must be ordered via QKR (with orders due by midnight the night before). There are no cash purchases available.
The QKR app will be viewable for parents/carers from the second week of July.
We want to hear about your Remote Learning Experience.
DET has provided schools with the option of taking part in a statewide survey to measure the effectiveness, attitudes, and beliefs of families during Remote Learning.
We encourage every family, regardless of your experiences, to take part in the survey. The more families who take part, the greater the statistical reliability of the data gathered.
The Learning from Home Surveys will be open between Wednesday 13 May and Friday 26 June 2020.
There is a separate survey for students and parents.
The surveys are open for:
- all students in Years 4 to 12; and
- all parents to complete.
The surveys are completely anonymous and may be completed:
- at any convenient time throughout the fieldwork period; and
- on any device connected to the internet.
What is the purpose of the survey and why should I participate?
Learning from home is a big change for schools, teachers, students and families. This survey is designed to help schools understand how learning from home is going for students and their families, and the information collected can be used to drive school improvements.
For information refer to the .pdf below.
Students will also be provided with the opportunity to take part in a similar survey once they have returned on-site.
Semester One Reporting- what will it look like?
Given the very unique environment of Remote Learning, DET has put an extensive amount of time into producing clear guidelines and directives for schools when reporting and assessing student learning for Semester One.
It is important to note that these directives differ from primary to secondary school settings.
For a details of Semester One Reporting at our school, please refer to the .pdf below:
Looking for more advice from DET about Covid-19?
For more advice on how DET is working to support families through the Covid-19 experience, visit: Coronavirus (Covid-19) advice for parents, carers and guardians
Keeping Aware of Information Relating to School
As a school we work hard to keep our families informed of happenings across the school. We acknowledge that receiving information in a timely and consistent manner can help to alleviate the pressures which come from managing a busy family calendar.
Communicating via Compass
All of our school notifications are sent via the Newsfeed within the Compass app. There is also a calendar of events within the app, which sends push notifications to users to remind them of school events.
In 2020, we are also utilising Compass for families to consent and pay in order for their children to take part in school events. The uptake and comments from families thus far is that it is so easy to do, and helpful to be able to consent at the push of a button.
In order to filter notifications which are received, you will notice that we send out notifications which are year level specific. This means that sometimes not all notifications are sent to all year levels.
Communicating with the School Administration Team
We look forward to partnering with you in 2020, and welcome your input:
USPS Inbox:
upwey.south.ps@education.vic.gov.au
Damien Kitch (Principal)
Damien.Kitch@education.vic.gov.au
Janet Young (Business Manager)
Janet.Young@education.vic.gov.au
Janette Clarke (Office Manager)