REMINDER: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS DECEMBER 19TH, DISMISSAL TIME IS 2:30PM

School Office Hours:

Monday -Friday

8:30am- 4:30pm

59 414 436

Please note the school office is not open during school holidays

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.

Student absences:

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

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.

SCHOOL SAVING BONUS

Dear parents and carers,

In Term 4, 2024, families with a child enrolled in a government school from Prep to Year 12 in 2025 will receive the one-off $400 School Saving Bonus.

The $400 School Saving Bonus provides families with support for education-related costs, such as school activities and/or school uniforms and textbooks.

The School Saving Bonus is not available for full-fee international students, home schooled students, TAFE students and students attending kindergarten in 2025.

Actions for parents and carers

Before 18 October 2024, the Department of Education is asking parents and carers to:

Complete enrolment: If your child, or children are changing government school for Term 1 2025, or starting Prep or Year 7 in 2025. For more information, read about Enrolling in School.
Check your contact information: Ensure your email address and phone number is up to date with us. You can check this information by contacting us directly.

We need to ensure your contact information is up to date as the Department of Education will email you twice:

in October, to verify your email address
in November, with your $400 School Saving Bonus and access to an online system.

Please check your junk mail regularly to make sure you do not miss an important email.

To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus.

PHPS Podcast

Exciting news! Our Pakenham Hills Primary School is launching a new podcast on YouTube, going live every second Friday starting October 25th @ 2.30pm. Join us as we discuss important topics like student attendance and celebrate our amazing learners by handing out attendance raffle awards. We'll also share updates on school events, spotlight exciting student projects, and warmly welcome new students to Pakenham Hills Primary School. Don't miss out on this opportunity to stay connected and engaged with our school community! Keep an eye out for the (private) YouTube link to catch our first episode and more to come.

Private YouTube Channel Link:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ27YfIX1KfT5s68ZwMnuuQ

Episode 1 - Week 3 Podcast Link:

https://youtube.com/live/j7KZKgWhCbc?feature=share

Episode 2 - Week 5 Podcast Link:

https://www.youtube.com/live/j7KZKgWhCbc

Podcast Jingle Competition

Well Done to Amity and Akur from 5/6J who entered the podcast jingle competition and won!

Listen to their jingle at the start of every podcast!

Veggie Garden News

This week we have a had a student poll to select a name for our Veggie Garden area. The winning name of the garden is "Pakky Paradise." This name was entered by Emi Donovan of grade 5/6J. Congratulations on coming up with a catchy name for our space!

Last year we had a fundraising drive for the garden. Those families that donated $50 plus to help with the purchase of bench seats now have their names on a plaque in the garden (see below).

All grades got to visit the garden last week and completed a Scavenger Hunt. Students had to draw or write something they could find in the garden using their sense of smell, touch, taste, sight or sound.

The 5/6's started on a large out door art project for the garden last week which we hope to get finished by the end of term! Watch this space!

Students have the opportunity to design a logo for the Veggie / Sensory Garden. See details below.

Welfare / Inclusion News