Some words from the Principal

Bogan Bingo tomorrow night

The fundraising committee and KPA are looking forward to fun night at Bogan Bingo tomorrow night (Sat Oct 14th 7pm).  It will be a playful and entertaining night that will have a lot of laughter. There are some fantastic prizes to be won in the raffle as well as a number of items up for auction (including my car park!!) , so bring your best bingo skills, a good sense of humour, gold coins and your bogan vibes! 

Seesaw - live! 

We are super excited to have now launched the Seesaw app.  Parents have been sent home all the information you need for you and your child to be able to access Seesaw, a new platform that we can regularly share your child's learning. For all of 2023, Specialist teachers have been uploading work to begin to build your child's portfolio of learning. Seesaw will provide a powerful learning loop between children, teachers and families. Over time we want this tool to become a window into your child’s learning and help you to engage with what is going on in school. For more information, please see the Media page of this newsletter, talk to Mr Horne or your classroom teacher (although we are learning alongside you too!)

Payments

Of late there has been a number of instances where incursion and excursion permissions and payments have been requested after the due date. We would like to kindly remind you of the importance of timely payment for upcoming school excursions or incursions as it has a large flow on effect at school as well as the external provider. Providing your payment and permission by the due date ensures a smooth process and helps us with the necessary arrangements, including transportation, as well as all of the documentation on our end (lists etc).  Delays in payment not only hinder our ability to finalise these arrangements promptly but also create additional administrative burden for all of our hardworking staff. Timely payments enable us to deliver a seamless and enjoyable experience for your child. If you have any issues or concerns, please contact us so we are able to make alternative arrangements or a payment plan - well before the due date.  We really appreciate your cooperation in this matter. 

Classes for 2024

The construction of new classes for any year is a dynamic and a designed process, which ensures that children are thought of both individually and collectively. When we are working to compile class groups many factors are taken into account including academic ability, individual needs, gender, student relationships, social and emotional traits, behaviour, working relationships, influences (the influence a child has on others, how others influence them) and previous class placements/teachers etc. All these elements are considered in building the new “learning community”, as we make decisions about what is in the best educational and learning interests for students.  At all times we make decisions that support the learning environment for your child.  We strongly believe that the classroom is for learning and the playground is where we catch up with our friends. Part of developing our wellbeing is forming and making new friendships. If students are always surrounded with their best friends in the classroom, it can sometimes restrict them from developing other relationships and possibly making a new friend that they might not have if they were always with friends. 

As students at Karoo progress from Foundation to Year 6, it is expected they will learn to work and relate to a range of teachers and students. As with all school decisions, the aim is to offer the best possible learning experience for all our students. Before making any request for 2024, please consider if your request is supportive of the best learning environment for your child as well as their growth in expanding their friendships. 

Requests do not include names of requested teachers (to have or not to have). Instead these requests need to articulate the learning environment in which best supports the learning for your child and the type of teacher which supports this classroom culture (eg: warm and nurturing, firm and fair etc). Names of specific teacher requests will not be taken into consideration when formulating student classroom placements for 2024.

Please also note a new request needs to be submitted for each schooling year. Previous requests will not be taken into consideration for 2024 as each year situations change and students develop. 

Parent requests must be returned to the office by Friday 27th October for consideration. Any submissions after this date, unfortunately cannot be taken into account in our grade formulations for 2023.      

All requests need to be emailed to:  karoo.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

Safety on the roads

Unfortunately there has been further incidents where our wonderful crossing supervisors, Sue and Stu, were nearly hit by cars travelling through the crossing.  It is vital that everyone drives safely around our school for everyone's safety.  Sue and Stu play a vital role in ensuring the safety of your children as they cross Murrindal and Karoo Roads. Please always adhere to the speed limit (which is 40 around schools), stay off phones, and stay focused while driving through school zones. Please be patient and attentive, especially during peak school hours. Together, let's prioritise the safety of our wonderful crossing supervisors as well as parents and your children.

New Fish Tank

There has been great excitement in the foyer this week as students are discovering our new fish tank.  We encourage families to come in and enjoy the beautiful new tropical fish swimming amongst a variety of rocks and coral, very reminiscent of the Great Barrier Reef - spot 'Nemo' and 'Dory' and say hello to our very own starfish!  As the tank adjusts to its new surroundings, the coral will gradually become brighter creating a vibrant focal point for our foyer.

Our thanks to the Ross family (ex-Karoo family) for their time, support and generosity in making this acquisition possible for us, and to Sally and Mick Goyne for helping set it up.

Term 4 Professional Practice Day (Pupil Free Day)

Our last Pupil free day for 2023 is to be held on Monday 20th November. As per previous pupil free days, no children are required onsite. OSHC will be running a program for students who are booked in, and are looking at going on an excursion for the day to the Werribee Open Range Zoo (lucky things!)

Have a wonderful week and I look forward to seeing you around the school, 

Danielle Heatley

Principal