8th Nov 2024

Dear Families,

Learning at KPS continues to be highly productive. Healthy Harold has been visiting, and the children have been focussing on how to maintain healthy and safe bodies. The students who have participated have gained valuable, lifelong skills and insights.

On Wednesday, October 30th, Tony Armstrong visited our Year 1 and 2 students to share his experiences as an author. He was very impressed with our school, particularly commenting on how inclusive our practices are—calling us one of the most inclusive schools he has visited. We thoroughly enjoyed having Tony here and hope to invite him back in the future.

Yesterday, Year 2 students attended a full-day excursion to Sovereign Hill, which concluded with a meal at school and pick-up at 7pm. We received many compliments from both Sovereign Hill staff and the bus drivers on how respectful our children were, and we were very proud of the positive feedback. We sent home some very tired but happy children after the event. A big thank you to the parent volunteers and staff who supported this long day outing.

Year 5/6 students will be heading to camp from December 4th to 6th, and preparations for the camp are now complete. vgct

Curriculum Day

A reminder to all families that we will have a student free day on Friday the 29th of October as we prepare for 2025. Please make sure you have made child care arrangemnts for this day.

Medications

This is a reminder that parents and carers must not send medications such as Panadol, Nurofen, antihistamines, etc., in children's bags or lunchboxes. If a child requires medication during school hours, families are asked to complete a medication form at the front office. The medication will then be securely stored in the first aid room, away from other children. This policy is in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.

Diwali

We hope that all our families who celebrated Diwali enjoyed a special time with their community. Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.

Term 4 Routines

As we move into the final half of Term 4, we kindly ask that families continue to prioritise school routines, maintaining regular start and finish times for the remainder of the term. Consistency in arrival and dismissal times is crucial, as late arrivals or early departures can significantly impact student learning.

We have noticed that some families frequently collect children early from school, which disrupts valuable learning time. While we understand that attending specialist appointments may require early pick-ups or late arrivals, we ask that family events such as shopping trips, birthdays, etc., not be used as reasons to miss school.

Transition to 2025

To support our learners transitioning into 2025, we will hold three "step-up" events for our Year Prep to Year 5 students. The first two sessions will focus on Literacy on Monday, December 2, and Numeracy on Tuesday, December 3, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM in their new learning spaces for 2025. On the Statewide Transition Day, Tuesday, December 10, students will spend time with their 2025 class and teacher, provided mentor teachers have been finalized by that day.

Transition Days

• Session 1: Wednesday, November 13, 9:15AM – 10:30AM Maths session for Parents/Carers

• Session 2: Tuesday, November 26, 9:15AM – 10:30AM Literacy session for Parents/Carers

• Session 3: Tuesday, December 10, 9:15AM – 12:00PM State-wide transition day

Maths and Literacy sessions for Parents/Carers to provide guidance on supporting their children at home.

Cybersafety

This week, we have encountered additional concerns regarding students' online activities outside of school hours. I strongly encourage all parents to stay informed about what their children are doing online when at home. While we will continue to address these issues and bring them to your attention, it is crucial that parents take an active role by installing parental controls and regularly monitoring their child's online activity.

Please note that we are not responsible for your child’s online communications outside of school hours. However, we are here to support you in learning how to better protect your children online. A great resource to help you get started is eSafety.gov.au, which provides valuable guidance and tools to enhance your understanding of online safety.

It is never too early to start educating yourself about e-safety. We encourage every parent and carer of students in Prep to Year 6 in our school community to begin this important learning journey today.

Thank you for your continued support in ensuring that students are able to make the most of their learning time.

Happy learning,

Loren Peavey

https://keelonithps.vic.edu.au/

https://www.facebook.com/KeelonithPrimarySchool

FLY HIGH FORTNIGHTLY

Learning without limitsBe curious | Be Caring | Fly High | Find Joy

Issue 8 · 08 Nov 2024

In this issue

Learning without limits
Be curious | Be Caring | Fly High | Find Joy