School News

12th February 2024           Emma

Last week, this Superhero received the award for respect and responsibility. Emma consistently demonstrates politeness, always offering a helping hand to her teachers and friends. She engages wholeheartedly in all learning activities and games, participating and approaching challenges with a can-do attitude. 

Emma is a team player who maintains good sportsmanship and a pleasing sense of humour.

This Grade 6 student always takes responsibility for her own actions, learning, and growing from all situations. Moreover, she demonstrates accountability towards her learning through her curious disposition.

A considerate student, she was recently nominated by her peers to represent them at Student Council. A fitting honour for this role model of respect and responsibility.

Congratulations Emma, we hope you had a fantastic week.

19th February 2024          Kayla    

This week our Super Hero is receiving the award for our school values of Responsibility and Respect. Kayla is a quiet achiever and she often ‘flies under the radar’, however her hard work and terrific attitude needs to be celebrated.

In the classroom Kayla is very reliable and keen to help out. She is always doing the right thing which encourages others to do the same. Kayla is an excellent role model due to their wonderful behaviour and respect she shows to her teachers and peers.

Most recently, Kayla has been showing respect to nature also, by becoming our class ‘bug saviour’ through catching and releasing any insects that have made their way inside. 

She is always organized and seeks feedback to clarify instructions when needed. She also strives to achieve her personal best by presenting her work beautifully which is often used as an example for her classmates.

Additionally, Kayla has a great sense of humour which all those around her enjoy.

She is an absolute pleasure to teach as she is very trustworthy, completes work to a high standard and makes positive choices throughout the school day.

We are very lucky to have Kayla as a part of the 3/4 Unit, and she needs to be commended on the start she has had to Year 4!

Congratulations Kayla, we hope you had a fantastic week.

Classroom Awards

Congratulations to the following students for receiving classroom awards: Archer, Nour, Pfeiffer, Billy, Zoe, Harper, Charlotte, Josie, Abel, Nathan, Olive, Eli, Escher, Henry, Vero, Eddie, Storm, Max, Alice, Phoenix, Imogen, Sonny, Jack, Brielle, Aubrey, Leroy.

Grade  3/4 News

In the Grade 3/4 unit we have been establishing classroom expectations and getting to know each other. In our Respectful Relationship sessions, we have been learning about emotions and what they look and feel like. We played some team-building games in 3/4 sport, where we had to keep a balloon off the ground and pass a chicken around the circle using our hands, feet and elbows. We all laughed a lot.

In MAPPEN we have been learning about liquids, solids and gases. We have completed some interesting experiments using ice cubes and chocolate. We have been making a hypothesis and writing science experiments. Please enjoy some photos from the first weeks of school in the 3/4 unit. Maree from the Kyneton Aquatic Centre visited to talk to us about Water Safety. We are all looking forward to swimming lessons next week.

Sports News

CDSSA District Tennis Competition 2024

On Monday 12th February in sweltering conditions our tennis team consisting of Olive, Max, Liam and Chloe competed against other schools in the Goldfields District at the Kyneton Tennis Club. They each played singles matches to 4 against 5 to 6 other players in their pool. The two players in each pool having won the most games then progressed to a knockout semi-final. 

Well done to both Liam and Chloe for reaching their semi-final. Winners of the semi-finals progressed to the grand final stage. A big congratulations to Olive for reaching her grand final and finishing 3rd overall.

School Nurse visit

 Important information regarding the Primary School Nursing Program has been sent home to our Prep families. This is a free health and wellbeing service offered to all Victorian students in their first year of school. We highly recommend all students participate in this free service as it is extremely beneficial.

The program aims to assist with the early identification of children with potential health, wellbeing or development concerns which may impact on their education and offers screening which may include: Hearing, vision, speech, dental, motor skills and behaviour and social skills.

Please see the attached form for more information, the form also includes a QR code that you can scan to complete a questionnaire and give consent for your child to participate. You will also receive the QR code on a card in the information pack we send home.

2024 Swimming Program

Information has been sent home regarding our 2024 swimming program which starts on 26th February 2024 for students in Years 1-6.

Students will swim in the following groups:

 Foundation students will participate in the swimming program in Term 2 and further information will follow closer to the date for these families.

Payment of $45 and consent is required on Compass and is now due. 

If you have a credit or CSEF please select this payment option in Compass during the payment process.

School Photo Day - Friday 8th March

Our school photo day is Friday 8th March 2024.

Please see below a flyer with information on how to place photo orders. A hard copy has also been sent home with students. 

Orders can ONLY be placed online prior to photo day. No cash orders can be accepted at the office.

The schools unique access key is 7UZAJU7A and to order your school photos you will need to log onto https://www.leadingimage.com.au

Please note that family photo orders need to be placed before 4:30pm the day before photo day to ensure a family photo is taken. No late orders can be placed for family photos.

Photos will start promptly at 9am so children need to be at school on time, in full school uniform and bring their best smile. 

If you have any queries regarding photo orders please contact Leading Image at info@leadingimage.com.au or call them on 1800 750 586.

Meet the Teacher Chats - Wed 28th Feb - early school dismissal of 11:40am

Our 2024 Meet the Teacher Chats with classroom teachers will take place on Wednesday 28th February. 

Meet the Teacher Chats are an opportunity for you to have a chat with your child's teacher and discuss student goals in Term One, students are encouraged to also be present. 

These meetings will be for 10 minutes and will be held in your child’s studio commencing at 12:10 pm until 6:00 pm.

You will need to book a time on the Compass Portal in Conferences.  

School will finish at 11:40am for all students at Kyneton Primary School on this day. 

Buses will not be running at this early time so bus travellers will need to make other arrangements. 

If you have any queries, please contact your child’s teacher or the office.

If you have a matter you would like to discuss with a specialist teacher, please email that teacher to arrange a booking time –

ART – Nathan MOUNTFORD – Nathan.Mountford@education.vic.gov.au      

FRENCH – Sherry VARGA – Sherry.Varga@education.vic.gov.au

MUSIC – Polly CHRISTIE – Polly.Christie@education.vic.gov.au

PHYSICAL EDUCATION – Kirk ANSTEE – Kirk.Anstee@education.vic.gov.au

Wednesdays at home for Prep students

It has been lovely to see our Prep students settling into their time at school. 

For the first five weeks of Term 1 our Prep students have had a rest day at home and have come in for one session with their teacher for an English Online Assessment. Families should already have their date booked for this assessment but please see your child's teacher if you have any queries regarding this.

Prep students will commence full five day attendance from Tuesday 12th March 2024.

Breakfast Club

Welcome to 2024! I am pleased that we are once again able to offer Breakfast Club to our students each morning from Tuesday to Friday. This is a fabulous opportunity for students to eat a piece or two of toast, top up their bellies ready for the day and meet up with their friends in the canteen area. However, this can not happen without our amazing volunteers who possess the needed buttering and toasting skills!

Some feedback from students last year was 'Toast never tasted so good!', 'This is my favourite part of the day' and 'Sometimes I don't have time to have breakfast so I know I can when I get to school'.If you can spare 30 minutes once a week, can you please contact Sarah (Canteen extraordinaire). Sarah can be contacted via email at sarah.lockhart2@education.vic.gov.auIf you have any queries, please do not hesitate to ask either Sarah or myself. 

Thank you! Michelle Thompson

Mental Health and Wellbeing Teacher

Parent Payments

Thank you to the families who have paid the $130 Parent Payment.

These funds are used for – 

• Curriculum Contributions – items and activities that students use, or participate in, to access the Curriculum.
• Other Contributions – for non-curriculum items and activities such as memberships, subscriptions to programs and affiliations.
• Extra Curricular Items – the Kyneton Primary School Yearbook

If you would like to pay for these please use one of the following methods -

• Compass portal
• EFT - at the office or by phone
• Cash - at the office
• Direct Bank Transfer - BSB 063-000 Account No 14033609 - use your child’s name as the reference
• BPay - contact the school office for your personalised identification details
• Centrepay - use of this method is available to recipients of Centrelink payments

Please do not hesitate to contact the office for more information or for any other query you may have.

Full Parent Payment information is attached below

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 $125 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.

Hats required in Term 1

In line with our Sun Safe policy children are required to wear the school uniform wide brimmed or bucket hats when playing outside in Term 1 and Term 4. Please ensure your child brings their hat to school every day for outside play. 

Hats are $11 and available to purchase from our uniform supplier AGS Prints or from the school office.

School Gates and Opening Times

In the morning all gates will be open for access to the school site at 8:45 as this is when under industrial arrangements staff supervision in the yard commences. No students are allowed onsite until this time. 

In the afternoon all gates will be open at 3:15 for access to the school site. Access to the office during the school day is via the pedestrian gate on Edgecombe St.

The new ramp/path between the school and the kindergarten is now operational. Access to the school grounds using the ramp is between the hours of 8:45 – 4.00. On either side of these hours, the bottom of the ramp will be chained off. Access outside of these hours needs to be arranged through the school office or a staff member by calling 5422 1855.

A reminder to all members of the school community the staff car park is not to be used to walk between the school and the kindergarten for safety reasons. Now that the ramp/path is operational the pedestrian gate next to the car park gates should be used following the path, crossing the road in front of the boom gate using the marked pedestrian crossing and then down the ramp.

* 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.

Contact Details

There are times when we will need to contact you during a school day. It is important we have your most up to date contact details on file.

Please update these on Compass or email the school at kyneton.ps@education.vic.gov.au so we can update our records. Please include parent/carers’ name, address, phone numbers, email address and emergency contact details.

Student Attendance

If your child is sick or absent, you are required to notify the school as soon as possible on the day of absence, by logging your child’s absence using our school’s Parental Portal in Compass.

Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfil your legal responsibility.

Victorian government schools are required to contact parents/carers as soon as practicable on the same day of an unexplained student absence. If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained. It is a DET requirement that we have a reason for each child's absence.

This system also promotes daily school attendance. Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education, they learn new things every day – missing school puts them behind.

The Kyneton Primary School Attendance Policy which outlines the school’s processes and procedures for monitoring, recording and following-up of student absences is available on our website www.kynetonprimaryschool.com.au 

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.