24th February 2025 Elsie

Elsie is being recognised for demonstrating the school values of Persistence and the learning disposition of Curiosity. This Superhero is a student who is eager to learn and thrives on challenges. Elsie's curiosity shines through in the questions she asks, which helps her make meaningful connections with her learning.

Elsie never backs down from a challenge, whether it’s a new topic or a tricky concept. Instead of saying something is too hard, she asks for help, determined to figure it out. Whether it’s a math problem or sounding out a new word, she keeps going until everything clicks and the “light bulb” comes on. Her curiosity drives her to ask questions and dig deeper, showing a true passion for learning.

Elsie's hard-working attitude towards learning will continue to grow and set her up for further success, with or without her front teeth.

Congratulations Elsie, we hope you've had a fantastic week.

3rd March 2025 Huntyr

This week’s Superhero award is presented to a Huntyr who embodies the values of respect, responsibility, and collaboration in everything He does.

This young leader is always ready to lend a helping hand, whether it’s assisting teachers, supporting his classmates, or sharing thoughtful ideas in class discussions. He shows initiative by offering help before being asked and encouraging others to do their best. Huntyr's respect for both adults and peers is evident in the way he listens, follows instructions, and considers the needs of those around him.

Beyond the classroom, Huntyr leadership truly shines. He leads by example, motivating teammates with encouragement and determination. Win or lose, he respects decisions and fosters a positive, team-first attitude. On the cricket field, he demonstrated outstanding teamwork and sportsmanship, earning the role of team captain.

Huntyr's actions speak louder than words—he is a student who uplifts others, takes responsibility, and values teamwork. Today, we proudly recognise this Studio 14 student for his kindness, leadership, and commitment to excellence.

Congratulations Huntyr, on this well-deserved award!

Classroom Awards

Congratulations to the following student for receiving a classroom award: Annabelle, Phoenix, Chenula, Sonny, Brody, Audrey, Patrick, Betty, Alia, Beren, Aria, Clancy, Aleksandra, Ethan, Chase, Callum, Mara, Jaxon, Cameron, Arabella, Mason, Lincoln, Gracie, Leroy, Esther, Greta, Archer, Ayva

Year 1/2 News

The grade 1 and 2 students have settled in nicely to their new classroom and routines and have been busy learning to select good fit books to read in class and at home, learning about numbers and writing recounts of their weekends. There have been many birthday parties!! In Mappen, the students have been having so much fun guessing their classmates from their baby photo. In the past two weeks of school, the students have been learning about how they have changed over time and creating a timeline of their milestones, such as their birth, when they began walking, lost their first tooth and first day of primary school.

Swimming lessons kicked off this week, and the students have been doing an excellent job of taking responsibility for their belongings at the pool and moving safely around the water.

In Grade 2, the students participated in a science experiment called ‘Magic Flower’ to learn about capillary action. Students coloured a paper flower with texta, cut it out, folded the petals in and watched as the petals opened up in the water. Students voiced their predictions before the experiment and watched as these were confirmed. Try it at home and see the magic unfold!

From the Year 1/2 team.

School Council nominations close at 4pm today Thursday 6th March 2025.

There are still two vacant positions so please give this important role some consideration.

Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help inform and shape the direction of the school. Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

Nomination forms can also be obtained from the school office and are below

Acknowledgment of Country Update

Last year the Student Council researched and created an Acknowledgement of Country for KPS. This personalised Acknowledgement is read out at school assembly each week. The students read up about Bunjil and Mobok – the names of two of our buildings. They wanted to incorporate Tuarurung language into the Acknowledgement and include words that we already use at our new school. The students read the information signs that are at a variety of important places in and around Kyneton. For instance Bald Hill and the signage at the community playground at the botanic gardens have artwork and information that the students read.

Congratulations and thank you to the students from our 2024 student council! We appreciate the effort you all put into researching and creating an Acknowledge of Country that is uniquely for Kyneton Primary School.

The Acknowledgement is below for you to read and share as a family.

Kind regards,

Jane Turner

Sport News

Over the past three weeks students have represented KPS in Hot Shots Team Tennis at the Kyneton Tennis Club, COBAW Summer Sports – Volleyball, T-Ball and Cricket in Romsey and in the Division Swimming Championships in Bendigo.

All teams and players tried their best and showed great improvement over the course of their days. Wearing our new KPS sports shirts our students have represented our school with pride, playing with a smile on their faces and having an enjoyable time.

A big congratulations to our boys Hot Shots Tennis Team who by finishing second have qualified for the Division Championship to be held in Castlemaine later in the year.

We also wish good luck to our girls – Etta, Brielle, Nell, Hazel and Johanna, who travel to Swan Hill on Tuesday (11.3) to compete in the Loddon Mallee Primary Swimming Region Finals. Good luck girls!

School Saving Bonus (SSB)

SSB funds NOT being used for uniforms can be transferred to the school at any time by allocating amounts to activities in the SSB Parent Portal.

From the end of June any funds that you have not allocated will automatically transfer to the school and will continue to be held as a credit for you. Any balance of unused uniform credit will also transfer to the school for your use in events. A detailed statement of credit and expenditure can be provided at any time.

There are a few processes that have had to be introduced to administer the SSB that need to be explained as failure to meet deadlines on Compass will now mean your child/ren will miss out on events.

If you would like to use the School Saving Bonus (SSB) to pay for an event please ensure you have allocated funds in the School Saving Bonus portal to 'Activities'.

In the Compass event you can answer 'Yes' to the SSB question during checkout. You will then be able to 'Submit Consent' only without making a payment and we will allocate these funds for you. Please be aware this can take a couple of days to process.

To learn more about the School Saving Bonus visit - https://www.vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus . A guide is also availble below to assist in navigating the system.

Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.

2025 Swimming Program

Our 2025 swimming program has commenced and students have been enjoying their time in the pool with the Year 5 and 6 students finishing off the program next week.

Foundation students will participate in the swimming program in Term 2 and further information will follow closer to the date for these families.

The timetable for the swimming program is below:

2025 School Photo Day - Next Friday 14th March

Our school photo day is booked for Friday 14th March 2025. Information regarding online ordering of photos has been sent home and is below.

NAPLAN for Years 3 & 5

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for Years 3 and 5 students are held in March each year.

In 2025, the NAPLAN test window is between Wednesday 12 March and Monday 24 March. Students will complete NAPLAN testing during class time on these days.

Please see below further information about the program.

Volunteers needed for our Canteen & Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club is a great way to get involved with the School Community. This is only possible when we have enough volunteers to help run it. So, we are asking grandparents, older siblings, dads and mums in the KPS Community. This years aim is to have Breakfast Club running 5 days a week.

This would require you be at the School Canteen at 8.30am. We have two volunteers each shift, who help prepare the toast (vegemite, butter and honey) ready for 8.45am when the gates open. We continue to serve until 8.55am or when the toast runs out. It is then just a quick clean-up for the Canteen. You are finished between 9am and 9.15am depending on how busy it is.

One Volunteer is needed to pick up the donated bread from Baker’s Delight on certain shifts prior to 8.30am. Please let me know if you are able to assist with this.

Let me know if you are available one day a week, one day a fortnight or even just once a month. We have a small group of Volunteers who will help next week but we still need more to run Breakfast Club efficiently.

We are also looking for Canteen Volunteers to help with Lunch orders on a Thursday and Friday. I have created a sign up sheet before for Term 1 below.

Volunteers are required to hold a valid Working With Childrens Check (WWCC) and will need to present this and complete a 5 min OHS induction with office staff. This needs to be done once a year and prior to your 1st Volunteer shift in the Canteen.

If you don’t have a WWCC, they are free and easy to apply for. You just need to register as a Volunteer. Click on the link below.

Regards

Sarah Lockhart

Canteen Manager

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) applications

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you have a valid means-tested concession card, such as a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families.

Payment amounts this year are $154 for eligible primary school students. Payments are made direct to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions and sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

If you have previously applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

If you would like to apply for the first time, please complete the attached form or call the office to request a form.

Please return completed forms to the school office as soon as possible. A copy of the form is attached below. We will require a copy of your valid health care card with the application.

Instrumental Music Program

Our instrumental music program at KPS offers an excellent opportunity for students in Years 2–6 to learn from highly experienced teachers.

Students can choose from a variety of instruments, including guitar, violin, ukulele, voice, keyboard, trumpet, clarinet, and flute.

Spots are still available for some instruments. Please refer to the below information letter for further information. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at polly.christie@education.vic.gov.au.

Ms Polly Christie

Music Teacher (M,T,W,Th)

Kyneton Primary School

2025 Parent Payments

Thank you to the families who have paid the $140 Parent Payment.

These funds are used for:

• Curriculum Contributions – items and activities that students use, or participate in, to access the Curriculum.

• Other Contributions – for non-curriculum items and activities such as memberships, subscriptions to programs and affiliations.

• Extra Curricular Items – the Kyneton Primary School Yearbook

If you would like to pay for these please use one of the following methods -

• Compass portal

• EFT - at the office or by phone

• Cash - at the office

• Direct Bank Transfer - BSB 063-000 Account No 14033609 - use your child’s name as the reference

• BPay - contact the school office for your personalised identification details

• Centrepay - use of this method is available to recipients of Centrelink payments

Please do not hesitate to contact the office for more information or for any other query you may have.

Full Parent Payment information is attached below

Early Collection of Students from School

We understand that there are many reasons why you might need to collect students from school early, however, we ask that you please keep these to a minimum where possible.

Our school PA system works by buildings so when an announcement is made it will be heard throughout the whole building and the closest relocatable classroom. These announcements are very disruptive especially when some days announcements are being made on numerous occasions within short periods. These disruptions have an impact on student learning.

We ask for your assistance with some strategies to assist with this matter:

Email the teacher or the office early in the day with the time you will be collecting your child/ren so we can, hopefully, have them waiting at the office for you.
When possible, collect your child just before recess (11 – 11:40am) or lunchtime (1:40 – 2:20pm) rather than during the middle of class times.
Announcements for collecting children will not be made during class time. If you need to collect your child during class time please come to the office to sign your child/ren out as an early departure and then go to the classroom to collect them.

We understand there can be emergency situations, however, we hope you will give your support and enable all children to receive as much learning as possible.

School Gates and Opening Times

In the morning all gates will be open for access to the school site at 8:45am as this is when under industrial arrangements staff supervision in the yard commences. No students are allowed onsite until this time.

In the afternoon all gates will be open at 3:15pm for access to the school site. Access to the office during the school day is via the pedestrian gate on Edgecombe St.

The ramp between the school and the kindergarten is currently being repaired so if you are coming from the kindergarten please enter via the Edgecombe St gate until these works are completed.

A reminder to all members of the school community the staff car park is not to be used to walk between the school and the kindergarten for safety reasons.

* Please do not access the school site at any time via the staff car park for safety

reasons.

* Please do not park in the kinder carpark unless it is your kinder day and you are a kinder family.

Uniform Ordering

School uniforms are available for purchase online direct from A Plus Schoolwear www.aplusschoolwear.com.au

When ordering uniforms please put the studio number of your child for easier delivery.

Once uniforms arrive at school, they will be sent home with your child.

Students Arriving Late

Students arriving late to school should come to the office, accompanied by an adult, and sign in either on the Compass Kiosk or in the late book. They will then be issued a late pass to take to class and their arrival at school will be updated on the roll. This will avoid parents/guardians receiving notification that their child is not at school when they have arrived late.

Accessing Compass

Compass is our main way of communicating with our families. It is important that parents access the Parental Portal in Compass at https://kynetonps.vic.jdlf.com.au

Using our parent portal will enable you to –

View up-to-date class and school attendance information
Approve or enter upcoming or past absences for your son/daughter
Update your registered email and mobile number (used for SMS alters)
Access information regarding upcoming events and news
Access your child’s Semester Reports
Book your Parent/Student/Teacher conferences

We encourage families to download the Compass App and to enable notification to ensure you receive all communications.

Please click on the “Welcome to Compass” booklets for further assistance or contact the office.

Upcoming Events

Term 1 2025

March

April