Launching Place Primary School Newsletter

Principal's Message

Thank You to Our School Community

Our School Council has played a vital role in providing valuable feedback to school leadership, shaping policy, and overseeing our finances. Their dedication and expertise have been invaluable, and we thank them for their tireless efforts.

We are also fortunate to have a team of wonderful staff who are committed to providing the best possible education and care for our students. Whether it's in the classroom, supporting students, or in the office and wellbeing spaces, our staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that every student has a positive and successful year. We thank them for their ongoing commitment to our school and for all that they do to support our students and families.

Special mention must be made of Beck V and Ali P, and their team of helpers, who have contributed so much to our school through our Parents and Friends this year. From organizing special events to making our school a more fun and inviting space, their efforts have been truly appreciated by our students, staff, and families.

We also want to extend a big thank you to Esme A, who has dedicated herself to running our breakfast club. Her hard work and commitment have been a blessing to our families, students, and staff, and we are so grateful for all that she does.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge the contribution of Peter, grandfather of Megan and Hayden, who has assisted our junior school students with reading in recent years. Your dedication and commitment to our students' literacy development have been invaluable, Peter, and we thank you for all that you do.

To all of our volunteers and staff, we say thank you. Your contributions have made a real difference to our school community, and we are so grateful to have you as part of our team.  Parent and family volunteers are reminded that the Volunteers Morning Tea is running this coming Monday 9th December at 11:00am.  We hope you can all make it.

 

Farewell and Best Wishes to Mrs. Emily Rae

As we approach the end of the year, we would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude and farewell to Mrs. Emily Rae, who has been an integral part of our school community for 12 years.

Mrs. Rae has been an outstanding member of our staff, providing exceptional support and care to our students, parents, and colleagues. Her dedication, expertise, and passion for student well-being have made a significant impact on our school, and we are deeply grateful for her contributions.

We are excited to announce that Mrs. Rae has been offered a new role as a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader at a school in the Knox network. This is a fantastic opportunity for her to share her expertise and experience with a new community, and we are thrilled to see her take on this new challenge.

Mrs. Rae will be taking leave from our school for a year to pursue this new role, and we wish her all the best as she embarks on this new chapter in her career. We are confident that she will make a positive impact in her new role and continue to inspire and support students, parents, and staff alike.

We would like to thank Mrs. Rae for her tireless efforts, her kindness, and her commitment to our school community. She will be deeply missed, but we are also excited to see her grow and thrive in her new role.

Please join us in wishing Mrs. Rae all the best as she begins this new chapter in her career. We are grateful for the time she has spent with us and look forward to staying in touch.

 

New playground grant – We did it!

We are over the moon to announce that our school has been awarded a $30,000 grant to support the installation of a brand new playground! This is a dream come true for our school community, and we can’t wait to see the new playground take shape in 2025.

A huge thank you to our P&F and School Council for their tireless efforts in making this project a reality. Their vision and dedication have paid off, and we are grateful for their hard work.

We are also thrilled to be partnering with Active Schools, who share our passion for creating a fun and engaging outdoor space for our students. Their co-funding of this project is a testament to the importance of providing our children with opportunities for physical activity and play.

The new playground will be a fantastic addition to our school, and we know that our students will love it. We can’t wait to see the joy on their faces when they get to play on the new equipment for the first time.

Here’s to an exciting 2025! We are looking forward to working together to make our school an even better place for our students to learn and grow.

 

Looking Ahead to 2025

First Day Arrangements – Wednesday 29th January – Students in Year 1 to 6 attending.

  1. Time: School will commence at 8:55 am sharp. Please ensure your child arrives on time to settle into their classroom before the first bell.
  2. Assembly: We will hold our first whole-school assembly at 9:00 am on Friday 7th February to welcome everyone back and outline important information for the term. All parents/families are invited to attend.
  3. Classroom Allocation: Students will find out their class teacher and room at our upcoming ‘Meet the teacher’ day on Tuesday 10th December. 
  4. Parent Information: Teachers will share information by COMPASS over the break and early in 2025 regarding important class details, curriculum outlines and contact information.  Keep a look out! 

Meet Our New Staff!

We are pleased to introduce the following new staff members who will be joining our Launching Place Primary School team in 2025:

  1. Ms. Kylie Maes:  Specialist Arts Teacher
  2. Miss Jenna Dunford: Year 1 teacher (0.5) sharing with Mrs Marissa Tomlinson.  Jenna has worked with us this year in our Prep classroom and as an ES staff member. We look forward to welcoming her to this new role.

We are thrilled to have them on board and know that they will bring new ideas and energy to our school.

 

Upcoming Programs and Initiatives

In 2025, we will be introducing several new programs and initiatives aimed at enhancing student learning and well-being. These include:

  1. Tutoring Initiative Program: Commencing in Term 1, this program will provide targeted support for selected students across the school, focusing on reading comprehension, writing and numeracy skills.
  2. Morphology and Word Origins Program: Launching in Term 1, this literacy program will be used for all students in Year 3 -6. Teachers have attended training in 2024 and we are excited to get this up and running as an extension of the UFLI work we are doing P-2.
  3. Wellbeing Focus: Throughout 2025, we will be emphasizing the importance of mindfulness and self-care through whole-school initiatives and classroom activities.

Important Dates for Term 1

  1. Wednesday 29th January: First day of Term 1 for students in Year 1 to Year 6.
  2. Monday 3rd February: First day of school for Prep students (8:55am – 1:20PM)
  3. Week 3: Thursday 13th February: Welcome back BBQ
  4. Week 4: Parent-Teacher Interviews -      Thursday 20th February  (bookings will be sent out separately)

We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead and working together to make 2025 an exceptional one for all our students! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher or myself on laura.caddy@education.vic.gov.au

 

School Office Holiday Hours

As we approach the holiday season, please note that our school office will be closed from 4:00 pm on Friday, 20th December, and will reopen at 8:00 am on Tuesday, 29th January. If you need to contact the school during this time, you can email us at launching.place.ps@education.vic.gov.au or direct at laura.caddy@education.vic.gov.au.

 

2025 Book Collection Dates

Don't forget to collect your child's books for the new school year! Books can be collected from our school office on Monday, 28th January, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

 

Uniform Shop Opening Times

All uniform orders can now be made through the Spartan website. Simply click on the link below to make your purchases:

https://www.spartanschoolworld.com.au/collections/launching-place-primary-school

 

Start of Year Requirements

Before the start of the new school year, please ensure that you have:

  1. Updated your contact details with the school, including your email address and phone number.
  2. Completed any necessary forms or documents, such as medical alerts or emergency contact information
  3. Familiarized yourself with our school's policies and procedures, which can be found on our website.

Big Summer Read Challenge

The Big Summer Read challenges you to pick up a book and keep reading over the holidays. Anyone between the ages of 0-18 are welcome to participate! Independent and non-independent readers can log any book they read, that is read to them, or listened to as an audiobook. We encourage parents and caregivers to continue to read aloud to young people during the summer school holidays and log these books as part of the challenge. Read and log least 10 books and be in the running for some fantastic prizes! And it is free! What are you waiting for? Sign up here: https://readbooks.com.au/bsr 

 

Water Safety Reminders

As we enjoy the warmer weather, it's essential to remember water safety tips to keep our families safe:

  1. Always supervise children near water, whether it's a pool, beach, or river.
  2. Be aware of potential hazards, such as strong currents or slippery surfaces.
  3. Teach children how to swim and water safety skills from a young age.
  4. Never leave a child unattended near water, even if they know how to swim.

Sun Smart Tips

Protecting our skin from the sun is crucial during the summer months. Here are some sun smart tips to keep in mind:

  1. Apply sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and reapply every two hours.
  2. Wear protective clothing, such as hats, sunglasses, and long-sleeved shirts.
  3. Seek shade, especially during peak sun hours (10am-4pm).
  4. Use a lip balm with SPF to protect your lips from the sun.

Virtual Tour

See you around our place,

Laura Caddy

Principal