Principal's Report

Welcome back to Term 2. I trust everyone had a restful (or chocolate filled!) term break. I had a lovely Easter with my family and also travelled to Adelaide for the ‘AFL gather round’ with my niece, nephew and friends. The weather has now turned much cooler and it’s time to pull out the warmer layers ready for Winter.

Message from The Hon Ben Carroll MP

Deputy Premier and Minster for Education The Hon Ben Carroll has asked me to share a short video message to welcome families back to Term 2 and to speak to parents and carers about the importance of the second school term for learning, along with a few helpful reminders. Please click the link below.

Term 2 message from The Hon. Ben Carroll MP on Vimeo

Term 2 Assemblies

A reminder about assemblies for Term 2:

April 22nd- 2.35pm

13 May- 2.35pm

27 May- 2.35pm

17 June- 2.35pm

28th June- 1.35pm

Education Week

Education Week is an annual celebration of education in Victoria. This year Victoria will celebrate Education Week from Monday May 13 to Friday 17 May. The theme will be Spotlight on STEM, to celebrate and share how science, technology, engineering, and maths come to life in the classroom.

On Tuesday 14th May, we are hosting an open classroom morning. Parents are invited to have morning tea, hosted by Team Kids, on the basketball court from 8.45-9.15am. From 9.15am- 10.45am parents are invited to visit classrooms literacy and numeracy learning. Specialist programs such as STEM and Visual Arts will also happen. We will have a display of Visual Art and STEM work. We encourage parents to join us for a celebration of education!

2025 Foundation Enrolments are now open!

The Department of Education opened the enrolment process for 2025 foundation enrolments last week. All foundation enrolments must be completed online via the website ‘VicStudents’.

To commence online enrolment, visit https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/  to create an account and complete the online application form. Please ensure that all documents required are attached to the application.

On our website, you can download the Foundation (Prep) enrolment information pack giving families an understanding of the enrolment process. Applications for Foundation (Prep) are due by Friday 26 July 2024. You will be notified of the outcome of your application between Monday 29 July and Friday 9 August 2024. If you receive an enrolment offer, you should contact our school to accept the offer by Friday 23 August 2024.

Enrolment applications submitted after 26 July 2024 will be processed by our school as they are received, in accordance with the department’s Placement Policy.

Parents who have older siblings at the school should enrol online. If you know of any friends or neighbours wishing to enrol their child, please let them know of this process. We conduct school tours each week for prospective enrolments.

Student Wellbeing in Term 2

During the first week of Term 2, we reserve a number of sessions as ‘refresher’ for ‘Creating Our Learning Community’. These sessions aim to reconnect the students with expectations and a focus on kindness, especially looking at strategies when dealing with unkind situations.

Respectful Relationships this term is Topic 6: Help Seeking. Activities in this topic are designed to help students discuss the importance of seeking help and providing peer support when dealing with problems that are too big to solve alone. This helps to normalise and destigmatise help-seeking behaviour. Scenario-based activities also help students to identify situations in which help should be sought, identify trusted sources of help, and practice seeking help from peers and adults.

Over the holidays, it was particularly sad to hear of the tragic events which unfolded on a normal Saturday shopping morning in Bondi Junction, along with the seemingly ever constant Ukrainian and escalating Middle East crisis. Your child may be understandably curious and distressed about the recent news cycle. For parents, it may be difficult in navigating conversations with your child about distressing news items.

Our children become more attuned to the events of the world, as they connect with the news and social media, and also are attuned to our own reactions, attitudes and moods to these events. Your child may be looking to discuss and unpack what they have seen and heard and often parents are worried about how they approach these. Here is some helpful advice:

Prepare for the conversation beforehand.
Make the time to hold discussions with your child.
Use curiosity to begin the conversation 'how do you feel about...', 'do you have any questions about...'
Listen actively and without judgement.
Answer honestly and reassure them they are safe.
Have dedicated for 'no news' and 'no social media' time to switch off from the events. Engage in other activities together.
Help seek for external services if needed.

Some excellent services are:

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

Parent Line Victoria: 13 22 89

You can also engage with the school- classroom teachers or Naomi and I if you need support. Other excellent resources for parents/carers

Kids Health: How to talk to your child about the news
Raising Children: Supporting Teens with Distressing News Events
Embark Behavioural Health: How to discuss difficult news

Medical Plans and Update contact details

At school, we often need to contact parents for a variety of reasons. Over the break, many families’ telephone numbers, home address and email addresses had changed. If you do change telephone numbers, email, and/or home address, or there is an update on personal/medical/family situation, it is most important that you contact Gill in the school office to let us know so we can update the school records and update this on Operoo. An early reminder that we must have your correct email address as school reports will be emailed this year to parents. We thank you for your cooperation with this.

Supervising Children Before and After School

At school there is a teacher on yard duty from 8.45-9.00am (the first bell rings at 8.50am when students can go into classrooms). Students should not arrive at school before 8.45am unless they are supervised by a parent. After school, teachers are on duty until 3.45pm. After this time, parents and carers are responsible for supervising their children in the yard. This includes supervising your child when playing with other children. Parents, please ensure you are within ‘eyesight’ of your children both school aged and younger siblings for their safety. We thank you for your cooperation.

Reminder- Mobile Devices Policy

The school understands that several students own a mobile phone. Our school follows the Department of Education Policy, where students are not allowed to access their mobile during school hours. All students must bring their mobile phone, tablet or smart watch to the office to be stored in a locked filing cabinet. This policy can be found on our website at:

https://huntingdaleps.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/M11-Mobile-Devices-Policy-2021.pdf

Student Attendance

Over the term break, I sent the student attendance for the month of March. I have attached a copy below for your reference.

We would like all families to maximise their child’s attendance and make a greater effort to arrive at school on time. When students are late, they miss vital learning instructions at the beginning of the day, and this can interrupt the flow of teaching and learning for themselves and the class. We understand the traffic is more hectic on the roads in the morning, so we ask families to plan ahead to ensure students arrive to school on time. This can include:

Setting a regular alarm
Preparing lunch the night before
Students packing their bag the night before as much as possible
Completing homework tasks in the evenings rather than mornings when it is busy
Laying out school uniform ready for the morning
Minimising television and device time in the morning

Reminder: Curriculum Days

We have two further curriculum days on Friday 7 June (staff professional practice day) and Wednesday 26 June for parent teacher interviews. Team Kids will be open for all day care.

Have a great fortnight. I am on leave this week and Naomi Mori-Hanazono is Acting Principal.

Ruth Biddle

Principal

Assistant Principal's Report

It is a joy to welcome back our students, parents and school community for another term. This term will see us slowly wind our way toward winter, but for now, we can enjoy the experience of colour and golden light that is Autumn.

Lunch Time Activities

We have a variety of activities running during lunch time.

Students can borrow books from the library everyday from 1:40-2pm and they can read books in the library until 2:30pm.

Monday

Crochet Club

Tuesday

Ukulele Club

Wednesday

Yoga Club

Ukulele Club

Thursday

Senior Choir

Friday

Junior Choir

Susan’s Hang out

YOGA club

Around 8 - 16 students attend the Yoga Club each week. They enjoy the relaxing time with Mr Gorney each Wednesday lunch time in the Hall.

Japanese-Language Proficiency Test

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is the largest-scale Japanese language test in the world. Since 1984, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services have continued to offer the JLPT as a reliable means of evaluating the Japanese proficiency of non-native speakers. The JLPT is widely recognised across corporate and government sectors as a benchmark for proficiency measurement, and is also a strong motivator for students of Japanese language.

Xyran passed Level N4 and Albert passed Level N3 of the Japanese -Language Proficiency Test given in December 2023.

JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) – Japan Foundation, Sydney (jpf.go.jp)

The next test date in Melbourne is Sunday 1st December. The application period for December test is typically announced from early July with application commencing late July or in August.

Bilingual Book Fair

English Books

The Scholastic Book Fair is back in 2024. This is a great opportunity for both students and parents to come and look over and purchase a selection of books sent to us by Scholastic Books which are for sale.

Japanese Books

Tetsuta Watanabe is a writer and translator of children’s books (English to Japanese) who lives in Melbourne. This is a great opportunity to come a look over a selection of his books as well as books from his father, who is also a very famous writer and translator.

When :

Monday 13th May to Friday 17 May

Place :

LIBRARY/STEM ROOM AREA - NEW BUILDING (Enter via Grade 1A/1B entrance)

Time :

Mornings: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 9.00am

Afternoons: Monday to Thursday 3.30pm to 4.00pm

During our book fair, we will give families the opportunity to “adopt a book”. It’s simple….all you have to do is purchase a book during book fair and donate it to the school. A special “adopt a book” sticker will be placed on the inside front cover with your family or child’s name. It is a great way for our school to build up our library resources.

If you are able to volunteer for any of the sessions, please email the Events Committee at Watashi Mo watashimo.huntingdale@gmail.com

Japan Festival

Our Taiko Group will perform at 10 am, our junior and senior choir and Ukulele club will perform at 10:30 am on the Main Stage. Please come along and enjoy the day with Japanese foods and cultures.

JF2024 “ETEGAMI/Japanese Postcard Art” Contest (ENTRY IS FREE)

As part of the 22nd Japan Festival to be held on Sunday 19 May 2024, a “ETEGAMI/Japanese Postcard Art” contest will be held for primary and secondary students as well as the general public. All the drawings will be displayed at Box Hill Town Hall (please note that due to space limitations, not all works may be displayed).In addition, all the drawings will be sent to Matsudo-city in Chiba Prefecture, the sister city of the Whitehorse, where the event is being held (in honour of the event’s theme “TUMUGU”). “TUMUGU” means "connecting communities, connecting cultures, connecting to future".

Judging criteria:

Basic features of postcards, which combine hand-drawn pictures with short messages
Drawings that bring feelings of happiness and enjoyment by a recipient
Drawings that express what the creator wants to convey, such as “Introduction of Australian schools and lifestyles”. “Introduction of the Whitehorse city”, and “Message to Matsudo-city and Japan”

　※An ETEGAMI/Japanese Postcard Art is a special type of letter that has hand-drawn pictures. The concept is to draw things that are familiar to you with a short message.

Eligibility:

Primary School Division - Prep to Year 6
Secondary School Division - Year 7 to Year 9
High School / General Division - Year 10 to Year 12 and above

Prizes:

Primary School Division -
1st prize: Certificate & $30 shopping voucher
2nd prize: Certificate & $20 shopping voucher
3rd prize: Certificate & $10 shopping voucher
Secondary School Division -
1st prize: Certificate & $40 shopping voucher
2nd prize: Certificate & $30 shopping voucher
3rd prize: Certificate & $20 shopping voucher
High School / General Division -
1st prize: Certificate & $50 shopping voucher
2nd prize: Certificate & $30 shopping voucher
3rd prize: Certificate & $20 shopping voucher
Audience Award
Certificate & $50 shopping voucher

Judging method:

Each division will be judged by Melbourne-based artists.
The Audience Award will be determined by the number of votes from attendees on the day, across all divisions.

Entry Guidelines:

Material: Paper
Size: A6, W148 x H105mm (1/4 of A4 paper, same size as Japanese postcards)
Recommended thickness: Drawing paper, card etc. Approximately 2-6g
Drawing materials: Crayons, pastels, paint, coloured pens, coloured pencils, anything is fine
Message: It can be written in either English or Japanese

Entry Rules:

One entry per person, entry is limited to one drawing per individual
Please fill out the contact information on the application form and attach it to the back of your artwork before sending it
Application acceptance starts on Tuesday 2 April, 2024
The deadline is Monday 6 May, 2024, Late entries will NOT be accepted – STRICTLY. Please send in early.

※All rights to the submitted artwork will belong to the Japan Festival Executive Committee and the Japan Club of Victoria.※Please note that submitted artwork will not be returned.

Announcement of the winners and presentation of the prizes:

Sunday 19 May 2024 on the Main Stage, Box Hill Town Hall
If the winner cannot attend on the day, we will send the prize by mail

How to Apply:

Download and fill out the application form below with your name, contact information, etc. Then attach it to the back of your artwork, and send it in a sealed envelope by mail.

Please send your ETEGAMI/Japanese Postcard Art to:

Takako Pattenden (Ms)Japan Festival Organising Committee51 Birdwood Street Balwyn VIC 3103

Contact:

Mobile: 0403 593 765（SMS only） Email: jfdrawing@jcv-au.org

Mother’s Day Breakfast

Team Kids will host a Mother’s Day breakfast for all the mums and grand mums at our school.

Date: Friday 10th May

Time: 8:15am

Place: STEM Room

Please enjoy the breakfast and have a relaxing time with other mothers.

Reminders…School Uniform

All students are also required to wear a Huntingdale PS uniform, hat and school bag.

We are aiming to build school pride with our students. This includes pride in our learning and achievements, but also in the way we present ourselves. As per our School Dress Code Policy we ask that:

Students wear appropriate footwear for school activities, e.g. runners for sport, preferably in black. Socks need to be either white or navy blue.
Any accessories such as tights, scarves, beanies, bike shorts have to be navy blue. Students will be asked to remove any accessories that are not in school colours.
During art/craft activities, children will wear protective clothing.
Jewellery such as dangling earrings, necklaces are not to be worn due to safety concerns. Studs and sleeper earrings are acceptable.
Makeup is not to be worn, except when part of a school performance or dress up event.
Fingernails should be without nail polish, natural and of a practical length.
Hair should be well groomed, of natural colour, tied back and off the face with accessories in the school colours of teal blue, navy or white.

We understand that from time to time keeping up with washing can be difficult. If your child is not in school uniform for a day, please write a note in your child’s diary.

Some families may be eligible for assistance in purchasing new uniform. Please see Rosella at the Office if you believe you may qualify.

Parents can view the full Student Dress Code Policy on our website.

Please make sure you will write child’s name on their items, so that lost uniform items can be returned to their owner.

Naomi Mori-Hanazono

Assistant Principal