School Office Hours:

Monday -Thursday

8:15am- 4:15pm

Friday

8:15am-4:00pm

PHONE NUMBER

59 414 436

Please note the school office is not open during school holidays

Email

pakenham.hills.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Late students:

If your child arrives late to school (9am onwards) please ensure that they are signed in at the office.

Students who arrive late (after 9am) will be escorted to class by a staff member.

Collecting students from the Office:

If you are collecting a student from school early please come to the office and sign them out, they will then be called up to the office to meet you.

Please note if you are collecting a student in break times it may take more time for them to get to the office. Please call in advance where possible to limit delays.

New Canteen News

We currently have a new canteen starting in Term 2. Instuctions on how to order are on the poster below.

Labelling Clothes

It is very important for parents to ensure that all items of clothing are labelled, we have a large number of school uniform that makes it way to lost property because it is not clearly labelled with the students name. This includes jackets, jumpers, hats etc

Student absences:

If your child is absent from school please note this on Xuno the morning of their absence or phone the school office.

Child safety and wellbeing at Pakenham Hills

Child safety and wellbeing at Pakenham Hills : Information for families and the school community

Pakenham Hills is committed to providing an environment where students are safe and feel safe.

Our child safety framework includes policies, codes and procedures that explain how we support and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students and protect them from harm. These documents are available on our website: https://pakenhamhillsps.vic.edu.au/

We are also committed to continuous improvement of our child safety framework. We are currently reviewing our child safety policies and practices to ensure they are up-to-date and effective.

Our students and families are important partners in this process. We welcome your feedback or ideas on ways we can improve our approach to child safety and wellbeing.

If you have any suggestions or comments, please contact Lisa Holding, Assistant Principal on 03 5941 4436 or at Pakenham.hills.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Supervision before and after school

Dear School Community,

We hope you're all having a wonderful start to the year! This is just a quick reminder that our school gates open at 8:45am each day. Supervision will begin at 8:45am once the gates are open, so please ensure that students arrive after this time for their safety. School finishes at 3:10pm and students need to be collected by a parent/guardian on time.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

HELMET SAFETY REMINDER

Recently we have had several occasions where students have been seen riding bikes and scooters to school with no helmet. In Victoria it is mandotary to wear a helmet.

Wearing a properly fitted helmet reduces the risk of head injury by up to 74% in the event of a crash . This simple safety measure can make a significant difference in protecting our children's health and well-being. Please talk to your children about the safety of wearing a helmet.

Parking at Pakenham Hills Primary School

Just a quick note to remind you that parking around the school can be a bit tight, especially during drop-off and pick-up times. To help keep things safe and smooth for everyone, please be mindful of where you park.

Avoid parking in front of driveways or double parking, as this can block access and create hazards for pedestrians and other drivers. The bus loop is used for public transport and parents need to ensure they are not stopping buses or other vehicles from entering and exiting the bus loop. It's also important to be considerate of our neighbours—let's make sure we're not causing any inconvenience to those who live near the school. Pakenham Police have advised the school of incidents and may conduct drive-bys to ensure road rules are being complied with.

Thanks so much for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe and respectful.

Social Skills

Social Skills Program aims to assist students to:

-Develop a positive attitude towards school, students and teachers and learn to engage in day to day activities

-Be safe with other students and teachers and follow directions in school environment

-Be respectful towards other students and teachers and gain confidence in interacting with others in a socially accepted manner

-Be able to develop friendships, respecting other people, despite their differences and abilities

-Provide a small group, caring environment where students can learn social skills through play and also can talk about their concerns

-Enable students to gain confidence in managing conflict resolution and skills in dealing with triggers which may lead to stress and irritation.

The Social Skills Program includes activities that are based on the Respectful Relationships Booklet and the Zones of Regulation book by Michelle Garcia Winner. There are also other activities that relate to social skills and are based on scenarios and situations frequently occurring at school and in real life in general. Role play and Muppet show, “True or False” activity sheets, Brainstorming activities, drawing, painting, reading books related to social interactions, playing cards, gameboards and other activities all contribute to creating a fun, learning environment where students express their personality.

Community Pantry

Located in the Junior Learning Centre

We Pakenham Hills PS Community Pantry up and running. It is located in the Junior Learning Centre and is accessible before and after school each day. Please help yourself to whatever items you need. Items will be regularly restocked throughout the year. Students must be accompanied by an adult when taking items from the community pantry.

Head lice

Dear Parents,

We are writing to inform you about the importance of being vigilant about head lice. While not a serious health concern, head lice can be uncomfortable and spread easily among children. We encourage you to regularly check your child's hair for lice and nits (lice eggs).

Here are some tips to help prevent the spread of head lice:

Regularly check your child's hair:
Look for small, light-colored eggs (nits) glued to the hair shaft, especially near the scalp, behind the ears, and at the back of the neck.
Avoid sharing personal items:
Discourage sharing combs, brushes, hats, scarves, and towels.
Keep hair tied back:
If your child has long hair, encourage them to keep it tied back to minimize contact with other students' hair.
Wash bedding and clothing:
If head lice are detected, wash bedding, clothes, and other items that may have come into contact with the infested hair.

MARCH
30th March	Year 2 Moonlit Sanctuary Excursion
30th March	5/6 Blueback Lunch celebration

APRIL
2nd April	Easter Bonnet Parade 1:40pm - 2:20pm
2nd April	Last Day of Term 1 - 2:30pm finish
9th April	Approval and Deposit due for 5/6 Camp
20th April	First Day of Term 2
21st-22nd April	School Photos

MAY
15th May	Full payment due 5/6 Camp
27th- 29th May	5/6 Phillip Island Camp

PHPS Calendar