Principal Report
Welcome to our Week Seven Newsletter. We have had some fabulous events recently including Book Week Dress Up Day, a Junior School Excursion, Transition for our 2025 Preps and on Friday we are really forward to our Fathers Day breakfast.
As always a huge thank you to all of our teachers for their dedication, care and commitment to the school and the students in their care. You do a wonderful job and make HPS a great place to be.
Attendance
As you know, at Highvale Primary School we firmly believe that attending school every day plays a crucial role in shaping a child's educational journey. Regular attendance allows students to fully engage in classroom activities, discussions, and hands-on learning experiences. It provides them with the opportunity to grasp new concepts, ask questions, and collaborate with their peers. Consistent attendance helps build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills, enabling children to excel academically.
Today I will reflect on our August attendance at Highvale PS. There are 185 students who have attended school every day so far in August. Congratulations to the HPS students who have been at school every day in August, you are superstars! A few of these students include: Shamika B – Prep, Kaylee C – Prep, Quintin C – Year One, Xin Xin D – Year One, Luke D – Year Two, Joshua D – Year Two, Olivia G – Year Two, Mirabelle L – Year Three, Emma L – Year Three, Maya E – Year Four, Jonathan H – Year Four, Elizabeth C – Year Five, Zachary C – Year Five, Erin J – Year Six and Tweesha J – Year Six. Well done everyone!
Fathers Day
Happy Fathers Day to all of our Dads, Grandads, Uncles and male role models. We appreciate you and we hope you have a wonderful day celebrating on Sunday 1st September. A big Happy Fathers Day to the Dads on staff too Mr Crozier, Mr Smith, Mr Latta and Mr Creswell. We hope you enjoy your special day with family.
School Production: Star Warts
Our whole School Production of Star Warts will be held on Wednesday 11th September. Yesterday we had a dress rehearsal, which was a big success and gets us all very excited about our night time performance on Wednesday 11th September.
Remember that our initial ticket purchases close on Friday 30th August. After this date all remaining tickets will be opened up for additional ticket purchases. On this date the Production permission forms close on compass, so please ensure you’ve signed the permission form for both the daytime rehearsal and the evening performance on 11th September. On Wednesday 11th September we will have a Daytime rehearsal at Crossway 9:00am – 3:30pm. Students will catch a bus to this venue. If you have any questions regarding the production, please see your child's classroom teacher.
The school production performance will be filmed by a company called Aidemedia. Video orders are now open for purchase through the Aidemedia website for all HPS families. You can select an option for either USB or DVD and you will receive your copy after the production. If you would like a copy, please follow the link below to place an order.
https://www.aidemmedia.com.au/product-page/star-warts-the-umpire-strikes-back
We are VERY excited about the upcoming production and can't wait to show you what we've been working on.
Sports Colours Day
Sports Colours Day is on Monday 2nd September 2024. Students need to come to school dressed in their favourite sporting outfit or representing their favourite sporting team. Students can also enjoy a snack pack (cinnamon donut, packet of plain chips and Freddo Frog) for morning tea. The snack packs are $4 and must be ordered via Compass under the Canteen section by TODAY. No late orders or cash payments will be accepted. See Compass for more details. Thanks to HPCG (Highvale Primary Community Group) for your work on this event.
Respectful Relationships
This term we have begun solidly working on our whole school approach to Wellbeing which includes the use of the Respectful Relationships Program, a government initiative designed for implementation in all government schools. In Respectful Relationships there are 8 topics that we focus on across the year. They are:
- Emotional Literacy
- Personal Strengths
- Positive Coping
- Problem Solving
- Stress Management
- Help Seeking
- Gender and Identity
- Positive Gender Relations
We are excited to approach this program with greater consistency in the second half of this year and are looking forward to the positive impact this program will have on our students. We are learning how to appreciate and understand diversity across our school and aiming to create the most inclusive environment possible.
Online Activity
In today’s digital age, screens have become an integral part of children’s lives, used for education, entertainment, and social interaction. While technology offers many benefits, excessive screen time can harm a child’s physical health, mental well-being, and overall development. With the holidays approaching, I write this in the hope that we can all maintain a healthy balance between online and offline activities. Here are some useful tips:
1. Set Clear Screen Time Limits
2. Prioritize Educational Content
3. Designate Screen-Free Zones and Times
4. Model Healthy Screen Time Habits
5. Encourage Outdoor and Physical Activities
6. Utilize Parental Control Tools
7. Create a Screen Time Schedule
8. Encourage Hobbies and Interests
9. Engage in Screen Time Together
10. Regularly Review and Adjust
Striking the right balance between technology use and other activities is vital for students physical and mental well-being. By implementing the strategies above and maintaining open communication with your child about responsible screen time usage, you can help them develop healthy habits that will benefit them throughout their lives. Remember, it’s not about eliminating screens entirely but fostering a healthy relationship with technology.
Parking Around the School
Can I please remind all parents and carers of the parking and road restrictions around the school. Our priority is to keep our students safe at the busy times of drop off and pick up. We also ask you to respect our neighbours driveways and not to park in them or across them. Parking too close to the pedestrian road crossings is also against road rules. Unfortunately, we continue to witness;
-double parking
-parking on the wrong side of the road
-asking children to enter or leave a vehicle when they are not in a designated parking space
-using a car horn in an unnecessary or unsafe manner
All of these practices are not safe for our students and the wider community. We encourage all members of our community to be positive role models for our students with regards to road safety.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this important matter.
Parent Survey Extension
Recently, we invited parents and caregivers to complete the Parent Opinion Survey. The results of this survey help us understand the needs and views of our community. There is still time to have your say as the due date has been extended until the end of term. For more information on the survey, please see my recent Compass Posts.
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
Kids Help - kidshelpline.com.au phone 1800 55 1800
Parent Line - betterhealth.vic.gov.au phone 13 22 89
Headspace - headspace.org.au phone 1800 650 890
eSafety Commissioner - esafety.gov.au - Advice for parents and carers to help children have safe experiences online
Upcoming Events
Week Seven
2025 Prep Transition - Session Two
Fathers Day Breakfast
Week Eight
Footy Colours Day
District Athletics Day - Years 3-6
Week Nine
Production: Star Warts
Professional Practise Day - Student Free Day
Week Ten
School Nurse Visits - Prep
Buddies Day
Pizza Lunch
Last day of Term Three
As you can see over the next few weeks we have the House Athletics Day, Footy Colours Day, our School Production, a Student Free Day, a visit from the School Nurse and Buddies Day. A very busy time indeed! These opportunities enrich the students learning opportunities. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Have a great week ahead HPS families,
Carly Epskamp
Acting Principal
carly.epskamp@education.vic.gov.au