A Message from David & Cam...
Whilst there are only 3 weeks left of Term 3, there are so many great things happening at AGPS. We are all looking forward to welcoming all the dads, grandads and other special visitors to our school this Friday. Next week, our Year 4 students head to Camp Allambie for what we are sure will be the highlight of the year for those lucky students. In week 9 we get to celebrate all things books with our Book Week celebrations and then after all that excitement the Year 2 students get to pack their bags and head on their very first school camp in the final week of term - I think those kids (and staff) might need the holiday by then!
School Events
Mini Olympics
Our 2/3s had a great day last week participating in the AGPS Mini Olympics. The students represented all different countries from around the world and competed in a series of fun and challenging activities designed and run by our 2/3 teachers and the Year 6 sports leaders. Highlights of the day were the opening and closing ceremonies, chicken discus and pin the torch on Cam! Thanks to all the staff and students who made this happen.
Dear Zoo
The preps recently received a very special delivery from the zoo. There was so much excitement when the students collected the parcel and then opened it to find a pet stick insect inside! Here are some samples of the writing the preps have done all about their new pet.
Year 1 Excursion
On Tuesday, our Year 1 students had a fantastic excursion to the Melbourne Zoo! The students had an educational session where they learnt about animal features, habitats and life cycles and also had an opportunity to explore many of the amazing animals in the zoo, including elephants, giraffes, meerkats, lemurs, tigers, lions, seals, sharks and many more! Thank you very much to the Grade 1 team for organising this wonderful memory-making experience for our students.
2025 Enrolments
It is that time of the year when we begin planning for 2025. As there is a high demand for places at AGPS we would really appreciate it if you could notify the school if your child/ren will not be returning to AGPS in 2025. We would also appreciate it if you have a child starting prep in 2025 and have not informed us that you do so as soon as possible.
Please contact the school office on 9360 0777, or alternatively on altona.green.ps@education.vic.gov.au
Book Week
Book Week is fast approaching! AGPS have moved our Book Week celebrations later in the term than the official week to minimise disruptions to our other programs and events. We are very much looking forward to the range of activities planned with a highlight being the dress-up parade being held at 9:15am on Friday 13th September under Gumbuya. This is always a great event and a lot of fun for the whole community. We encourage younger siblings to also get dressed up and join in on the fun!
Here is a full overview of the week:
Laverton District Athletics
What a great day of competition for our students at Altona Green Primary to attend the Laverton District Athletics on Monday 20th of August. We were able to gather a team of students to represent the school across a range of track and field events. The students all tried their best, they encouraged each other, some achieved personal best results and many have qualified for the next level of competition, the Hobson’s Bay Division Athletics Carnival! This will be held at Newport Athletics Track on Wednesday 10th of September. Wishing everyone all the best for those going further, and above all, we thank students and teachers for their participation and assistance on the day. It was great seeing family members in the crowd cheering on our students too!
Jensen at the Nationals!
Jensen recently competed at the cross country nationals. As always, our whole school community is so proud of his running achievements and the effort that he puts in every day to be the best he can be. Here is a recount of Jensen's time at the nationals (I can only image how intense the game of tag with Australia's best runners would be!):
The School Sport Australia cross country championship held in Yarra Glen began with the opening ceremony on Tuesday 20th of August. The opening ceremony included all the states grouping up and walking the course that we would later race on. All the states were introduced to all the spectators, with Victoria concluding the ceremony as we were the home state. We went on to leave the venue, coming back the next day to race.
It was Wednesday the 21st of August. My race began at 11:30am. It was a tough 3km cross country course, where I eventually finished 11th in Australia. The day ended with a picnic at the nice park nearby where everyone was congratulated.
One day later, we had an excursion to Healesville Sanctuary. I spent time with my competitors from Victoria, where we saw koalas, eagles, turtles, the gift shop and much more. The day ended with a nice dinner with the people I spent time with at Healesville Sanctuary.
On Friday, it was relay day with an early 7:15am start. Our team of five was determined for a medal. We warmed up together and practised the changeovers for the race. In our age group we all had to run 1.5km each and I was the second leg. At the start of my leg we were tied 3rd, 50m behind 2nd place. I ran a good race, giving us roughly a 60m lead on third. We finished with the medal we wanted, but instead of a bronze, we upgraded to silver! Finishing the final day of the competition we played tag before the closing ceremony, officially closing the championships.
- Jensen
Maths Extension with Cam
Our Maths Extension lessons are in full swing with selected Grade 5 & 6 students working diligently to learn, consolidate and demonstrate their knowledge on concepts such as the Index Laws and solving algebraic equations. The engagement and level of participation of the students has been very pleasing, along with the development in their understanding of more complex mathematical concepts. The students have demonstrated a high level of persistence and willingness to challenge themselves. Well Done!
Joke: What do you call friends who love math? Algebros
Lunchtime Clubs
We offer a range of lunchtime clubs to provide students with a range of options during lunch breaks. These clubs are really important for many of our students as lunchtimes can often be overwhelming and having calm and structured spaces can support the social and emotional development that takes place in the schoolyard.
Many of our lunchtime clubs are student-led and provide a great opportunity to develop leadership and organisational skills. Our latest student-led club is an art club created by Zoe and Sienna and is held every Wednesday. They had their first session yesterday and it was a great success. Well done, girls!
Respect Competition
The Australian Government is running a respect competition as part of their 'Stop it at the Start' campaign. The competition is for students in Years 4 - 9 and asks students to create a storyboard that tells a story about respect. The winning entry will be turned into a 30 second animation by a professional animator and they will receive a $500 gift card for them and one for our school. This sounds like a great competition and we encourage our students to enter. All the details can be found here: https://www.respect.gov.au/respectcompetition
The Story of KEFAR - Louie
Louie from 2/3C noticed a much-loved (and battered!) KEFAR who was missing an arm. He asked if he could take him home and give him some much-needed TLC. KEFAR is now back in Liz's office and looking better than ever! Thank you Louie (and his family) for showing such kindness and respect!
Here is a lovely story written by Louie telling the story of KEFAR's visit to Louie's house.
School Saving Bonus
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.
Please check your junk mail regularly to make sure you do not miss an important email.
To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, download the School Saving Bonus Information sheet for government school parents and carers or visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus.
Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Survey Reminder
The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey has been extended until Friday 20th September 2024. The survey is conducted online and only takes 20 minutes to complete. At the time of writing, we only have 61 out of 280 families that have completed the survey. We would really appreciate it if you could take the time to complete the survey before the closing date as this information is used to monitor our progress towards our improvement goals as well as supporting us with our overall strategic direction.
Details of the survey and how to access it were sent via Compass. Please contact the office you have any further questions.
Thank you all for a wonderful fortnight. We hope you all have a fun-filled weekend.
Take care,
David and Cam