Principal's Report

 Principal Report   

Welcome back!

We hope that our families were able to manage some down time over the break, and that children are raring to go for the final term of the year.  We have had a smooth start to Term Four, with students happy to be back at school and reconnecting with their friends.  We have an action-packed term – with a one-week swimming program (reduced from two weeks), a bigger End of Year Christmas concert and of course, our Year 6 graduation.  

Year 5/6 Camp 

At the end of last term, our Year 5 and 6 students went on camp to Sovereign Hill.  Students panned for gold and experienced life on the goldfields.  Some students reported it was the best camp they had been on!  Huge thanks to the 5/6 team of teacher and Education Support staff for organizing and accompanying our students on this very worthwhile camp, which will have made memories for a lifetime.  

Whole School Reward Day – Disco!

 Last term, students voted for a disco as a whole school SWPBS reward.  Even though it was held during the day, students had a great time!  They even had a lesson in the Nutbush!  Thanks so much to Dana for organising.  A quick survey at the end of both the junior and senior sessions revealed that students would definitely love to be able to vote for this reward again!  Keep displaying our school values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience to be able to vote! 

Don’t forget your hat! 

Is the weather heats up and the UV rating increases, schools are ensuring that when students are outside, they are wearing hats.  Students who don’t have a hat will be asked to sit in a shaded area.  We encourage all students to make sure their hat is in their bag and encourage sunscreen and sunglasses, too!

New Airconditioning 

We are pleased to announce that 3 classrooms have had new split systems (heating & air conditioning) installed during the recent school holidays. These will provide cooling and warmth to the students and staff in these buildings for many years 

Parent Opinion Survey Results 

Thank you to all parents who completed the Parent / Carer Opinion Survey.  We take your feedback seriously and we are constantly striving to improve the experience for our students and families. Results showed that the majority of parents are satisfied with school and teacher communication (both 88% positive response), the school ethos and environment (87% positive response), and student engagement (made up of high expectations for success, motivation and support, stimulating learning environment and effective teaching) at 89% positive response. Managing bullying received an 87% positive response, with promoting positive behaviour also at an 87% positive response. Parents indicated that their students feel accepted and connected to school (93% positive response) which is important because school connectedness is recognized as a critical factor for long-term wellbeing and resilience.  

This survey is put out by the Department of Education, but of course, we welcome respectful feedback all year round. Whist we acknowledge the good results, we also note that unless they are at 100%, there is still work to do. If there is anything you would like to discuss, please contact your child’s teacher in the first instance. You can also contact me on Jane.Capon@education.vic.gov.au  

Moving away in 2027? 

We ask that you let us know if you are moving and your child will be transferring to another school in 2027. We require this information as soon as possible to establish classroom structures for the start of the new school year. If your child is currently in F-5 and will not be at ARPS in 2027, please notify the school office or email as soon as possible. Thank you.  

Thunderstorm Asthma season Oct-Dec

 Grass pollen season in Victoria usually runs from October to December. During this time, asthma and hay fever symptoms can get worse. There is also an increased risk of thunderstorm asthma. Ten years ago, Melbourne experienced the largest thunderstorm asthma event in the world. Thunderstorm asthma can be sudden and serious. It can be life-threatening, especially if a person’s asthma or hay fever is not well controlled.

ARPS will have measures to keep our school community safe.

Many of our staff are trained in asthma first aid. We will monitor VicEmergency for thunderstorm asthma warnings. When needed, we will keep students indoors if the weather forecast shows a higher risk.

Managing asthma and allergies matters. During this pollen season, there are some things you can do to protect yourself and your family:

· If your child has ever had asthma, talk to your doctor about your Asthma Action Plan and to make sure symptoms are well controlled.

· If your child has hay fever, talk to your pharmacist or doctor about a hay fever plan and check if you need an asthma reliever puffer.

· If your child has cough or wheeze with hay fever, talk to your doctor to make sure they don’t also have asthma.

· Take asthma medication as directed by your doctor, as the good control of symptoms can prevent thunderstorm asthma. · Follow the VicEmergency website or app. Where possible, avoid being outside during thunderstorms – especially during the winds that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. If you have your air conditioning on, turn it to ‘recirculate’. · Know asthma first aid. If you are not sure if someone is having an asthma attack, you can still use a blue asthma reliever puffer.

Foundation 2027 Transition sessions 

We look forward to welcoming our new 2027 Foundation students and their families to our transition sessions this term. Dates are as follows: 

 Positive School Environments 

Positive school environments areimportant because everyone has the right to be safe and play a shared role in being respectful. Everyone at school, particularly staff and parents/carers, play a role in making school a better place for learning and work.  Respectful behaviours are important in building strong, healthy and thriving school communities. 

School staff in Victorian Government schools have to follow the Respectful Workplaces Policy to build and maintain a respectful workplace, including: 

• treating each other with respect and consideration 
• being inclusive, valuing others and accepting their differences 
• recognising the efforts and achievements of others 
• considering our impact on others 
• calling out and addressing behaviour that can lead to bullying, harassment and discrimination. 

Parents/carers can create a positive environment for learning and work by: 

• modelling positive behaviour to their child/children and to the school community 
• communicating politely and respectfully with all members of the school community 
• working with the school to achieve the best outcomes for their child/children 
• communicating constructively with the school 
• making use of the expected processes and protocols when raising concerns 
• following the school's processes for communication with staff and making complaints 
• treating all school staff, students, and other members of the school community with respect. 

By treating everyone with respect, parents/carers and schools can make sure students feel supported and cared for. For more information, please check Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy | vic.gov.au 

Achievement of the week 

Congratualtions to Jolene 34N won Bronze in a tournament in Canberra 

Taking Photos at School

 It is lovely to be able to look back at your child’s primary school journey through photos. We remind parents that while at school (assemblies, sports days, etc.) you are only able to take photos of your own child.  Taking photos of other children without express permission from that parent (particularly if posting online) is not allowed. We thank you for your cooperation.  

Playgroup at Albany Rise!

 The Albany Rise Primary School Playgroup is officially in session!  After the morning drop-off, if you have children aged 0-5years (who are not already at school), you are welcome to come to the Function Room where we will have a variety of toys and activities set up for the children to play, and parents/grandparents are welcome to have a cuppa and a chat.  Families from outside our school community are also welcome. Gold coin donation if you can.  Huge thanks to Ann Dunford, who has kindly offered to facilitate our playgroup on Monday mornings 9.15 -10.30am during school terms.  

 Tours 

 If you know of any families who would like to see our school in action, we offer group tours, which run on most Mondays at 9.30am.  We can also offer individual tours at other times. Please call the office for more information. 

Toys at ARPS

 We know how important play at lunchtime and afternoon recess is for our students.  However, towards the end of last term, we noticed more and more, that students were bringing personal toys to school. These items became a distraction in class, and a cause for distress in the playground, as items were lost and broken and causing many disputes and misunderstandings.  These issues were then spilling into the classroom, with teachers spending valuable learning time on solving these issues. Therefore, with the exception of balls, we are asking parents for their support in ensuring that all other toys are left at home.  If you have any queries around this, please do not hesitate to contact Jane on Jane.Capon@education.vic.gov.au 

Brain Food 

 We know how important healthy eating is for learning! For some school children, the only time of the day that they eat fresh fruit and/or vegetables is during Brain Food time at school. For this reason, Brain Food time is privileged for fruit and vegetables only (this does NOT include fruit juices or other food).   This is something that most schools practice each day, sometime between 9am and lunch time (11.30am).  We thank you for your support of this initiative.  

Outside of School: sport or other activity - Achievement of the Week 

We know how important physical activity and sport is for our students and to our school community, which is why we privilege time at school for PE and sport. We also know that we have some very talented students who participate in sports and activities outside of school.  

We would love to celebrate their achievements!

  If your child has received an award or progressed to the next level of their activity outside of school (be it sporting or otherwise) , please let us know and we would love to celebrate their achievements in our newsletter. Please contact Mr Mottershead with information and a photo, or email through to our school office on Albany.rise.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

Jane Capon