31st March 2025 Aria

This week’s Superhero is being recognised for her excellence.

Aria consistently puts in effort and always strives to do her best. She demonstrates grit by persevering through challenges, getting straight to work, and showing a clear desire to deepen her understanding, extend her skills, and achieve her goals.

If she feels she hasn’t given her best, she’ll ask to redo, resubmit, or even retest—committed to improvement at every step. Aria regularly asks for more maths, and has spent days tackling a complex, large-scale multiplication problem, simply for the challenge.

In Writing, Aria's work is becoming more detailed and carefully crafted, always aligned with the success criteria. Feedback is embraced—sometimes with a huff—but always taken on board. Every task is approached with determination and care.

Aria's teacher regularly hears her signature phrase, ‘Um, I have a complaint’ and knows she would happily play silent ball at almost any moment. However, she balances any cheekiness with being on task and having high expectations of herself. Aria's humour creates a sense of fun in the classroom, but it never takes away from her strong commitment to learning. We proudly celebrate this wonderful learner from Studio 11.

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

Classroom Awards

Congratulations to the following student for receiving a classroom award: Leo, Sonny, Lincoln, Harriet, Harper, O’Shae, Holland, Angus, Nate, Evelyn, Jack, Isaac, Alia, Etta, Frankie, Cooper, Harry, Abbie, Madeleine, Sam, Austen, Billy, Callum, Brielle, Athena, Hunter, Beau, Axel, Aarav.

Visual Arts News

Sports News

Cross Country Trials / Fun Run

On Thursday 27th March, we held our Cross Country Trials / Fun Run at school. Students in grades 3 to 6 were competing for house points and the opportunity to represent our school at the District Championships at Hanging Rock next term on 6th May. Well done to all students for their efforts and congratulations to our place getters listed below.

8/9 Boys 1st – Sonny 2nd - Arno 3rd – Memphis

8/9 Girls 1st – Josie 2nd – Elizabeth 3rd – Elke

10 Boys 1st – Elijah 2nd – Aiden 3rd – Xavier

10 Girls 1st – Pheiffer 2nd – Erin 3rd – Minnie

11 Boys 1st – Hayden 2nd – Rex 3rd – Jack

11 Girls 1st – Etta 2nd – Mae 3rd – Daisy

12/13 Boys 1st – Finnegan 2nd – Elwood 3rd – William

12/13 Girls 1st – Nour 2nd – Sasha 3rd – Ruby

A big congratulations to Piper for winning our house event for the second year in a row. Piper (118 points) just held out Ebden (116 points), Mitchell (105 points) and Mollison (101 points).

Loddon Mallee Regional Swimming Championships

On Tuesday 11th March, five students travelled up to Swan Hill to compete in the Loddon Mallee Regional Swimming Championships and achieved some impressive results as listed below -

11 year old girls breaststroke – Nell – 1st

12-13 years old girls breaststroke – Brielle – 5th

12-13 years old girls butterfly – Brielle – 6th

11 year old girls freestyle relay – Nell, Johanna, Etta and Hazel – 3rd

9-13 year old girls medley relay – Nell, Johanna, Etta and Brielle – 4th

With her victory Nell now moves onto the State Championships on 1st May at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. Congratulations and good luck Nell!

Foundation Swimming Program

Information has been sent home to our Foundation families regarding the swimming program in Term 2.

Foundation students will be swimming from Monday 19th May - Friday 23rd May.

Please return the swimming assessment form and pay and consent on Compass by Friday 2nd May.

Canteen News

We have had a wonderful time in the Canteen this term, being creative with different flavours of Icey Poles and Milky Moos. The children have come up with some great new flavour, Mango Milk, Banana & Raspberry Milk. We have also had a number of flavours with a Coconut Water base. We even tried a Chocolate Flavoured Coconut Water; however, the Lychee & Coconut Water was a clear winner. Both of which are available at the local Woolworths.

In Term 2 we will start with Soups again. We are also looking to introduce on a Wednesday or Thursday a special Hot Meal, like Pasta Bolognese, Apricot Chicken or Lentils. If you have a recipe that your children love, please send to me sarah.lockhart2@education.vic.gov.au

Come and share your ideas on other ways we can improve our Canteen, stop by and have a chat with me. We are always looking for Volunteers to help any day of the week, however Thursday and Friday are our busiest days.

Volunteers will need to have a valid Working with Children’s Check (Volunteer), this is free and easy to apply for. You will also need to complete a quick OHS induction at office.

I look forward to seeing a few new faces soon.

Regards

Sarah Lockhart

Canteen Manager

Parents & Friends Association

The KPS Parents and Friends have already had their first meeting, where we discussed some ideas for 2025. We will have an end of term park play on the 4th April at the Botanical Gardens from 3pm onwards. BYO Picnic.

Our first Prep to Year 2 park play will be on Wednesday 7th May from 3.45pm. It will be held at “Train Park” next to the Visitors Centre on Bourke street. All KPS families are invited.

The Parents and Friends will also be holding a Mothers/Carers Day stall on Friday 9th May. Gifts will be $5. We will also be looking for a small team of parents to help run the stall on the Friday from 9am until 11am. Ideally we would want as many Dad’s as possible, that way Mum’s don’t find out what they might be receiving.

We have a small team of parents who are sourcing gifts and/or making some. If you have any contacts or ideas of inexpensive and ideal gift, please contact KPSpnf@gmail.com.

Our Parents & Friends association will update you each newsletter.

Sarah Lockhart

P & F President

Photographing, filming and recording students consent forms

Further copies have been sent home to students who have not returned these consent forms.

Please complete and return this form by tomorrow so we can record your preference and communicate this to staff.

If we do not receive the completed consent form by tomorrow we will assume you consent to all uses of your child’s image in photos, videos and recordings at our school.

Thank you for your assistance with this.

Volunteers needed for our 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.

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

Bringing theatre to life at KPS!

We are thrilled to announce that Kyneton Primary School has been awarded a $35,000 grant through the Creative Learning Partnerships program, a collaboration between Creative Victoria and the Department of Education. This incredible opportunity, supported by our Parents & Friends Association, will bring a unique and immersive theatrical production to life in partnership with Threshold and talented local artists.

During Terms 2 and 3, students in Years 3-6 will embark on a creative journey exploring the theme of "Life Cycles", using theatre, music, storytelling, and visual arts to reflect on nature, growth, and change. Over 10 weeks, students will participate in workshops led by professional artists, co-creating an original theatrical experience under the guidance of Project Coordinator Miss Polly, with support from Mr Mountford.

The project will culminate in a spectacular performance at Kyneton Town Hall on Thursday 4 September, featuring three shows – a dress rehearsal for junior students, a matinee, and an evening performance for families and the wider community. Save the date!

Beyond an incredible learning experience for students, this project will also provide a valuable professional development opportunity for KPS staff and the Threshold creative practitioners. We can’t wait to see the creativity and learning that unfolds and to share this exciting experience with our school community!

This week, the Threshold team visited KPS to introduce themselves to students, with workshops set to begin next term. To follow the creative journey – or for some free school holiday activities – visit: www.thethreshold.com.au/kps-project.

Your kids might also like to experience some of Threshold’s other work at Kyneton Town Hall on 15 April: www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/See-Do/Events-and-Awards/Whats-on-around-the-shire/Creative-Kids-Changing-Shapes.

A Fantastic First Visit to KPS and a FREE ADVENTURE!

Threshold artists had such a great time meeting all the students from Grades 3-6! In quick 15-minute sessions, we explored what ‘change’ feels like, created 30-word stories, and challenged each other to physically change form. We loved meeting everyone and can’t wait to uncover all the magic, creativity, and innovation that KPS students will bring to this project.

To learn more about the artists, see what we explored in our first sessions, and access a free digital experience for all KPS families to try these holidays, visit our project webpage, which we will be updating throughout the project. Younger students will also find some treasures in here https://www.thethreshold.com.au/kps-project.

Sarah Lockwood, Marita Davies, Zoë Barry, Sylvie Meltzer and Youbi Lee

Smile Squad Dental Packs

All children deserve a healthy smile, and the Smile Squad free school dental program is working hard to help make sure this happens.

Your child/ren has received a free dental pack to bring home. The dental pack contains a toothbrush, full sized toothpaste, and an oral health brochure. Please take the time to read the brochure. It’s full of helpful hints and tips to help your whole family eat well, drink well and clean well – for life.

Standard strength toothpaste

Smile Squad provides standard strength fluoride toothpaste that is generally used by ages six and over, unless recommended by a dental or trained health professional.

If your child is under six, please talk to a dental or trained health professional to find out if your child might benefit from using this toothpaste. You can also choose to put the toothpaste away until they turn six or give it to someone else in your family to use.

About Smile Squad

Smile Squad is a Victorian Government program that provides free dental care to all Victorian government primary and secondary school students.

We will let you know when Smile Squad will be coming to our school to provide dental examinations. Although Smile Squad is not visiting our school just yet, you can access free dental for students by calling your local community dental clinic Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health and asking for a Smile Squad appointment. Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health are located at 12-28 Macedon Street Sunbury and can be contacted on (03) 9744 4455.

Visit the Smile Squad website at: www.smilesquad.vic.gov.au to learn more.

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

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.

Access to the office during the school day is via the pedestrian gate on Edgecombe St or the ramp between the kindergarten to the school.

Please do not use the large gate near the junior playground from the kindergarten car park to access the school. There is no safe pedestrian access through the kinder carpark for families to walk.

* 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.

Community News

A few messages from our community

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