The purpose of this bulletin is to provide an overview of some important start-of-year information in one place, before a full newsletter next week.

Welcome back!

After hopefully what has been a fabulous summer for you all, it has been incredibly pleasing to see how confidently and enthusiastically our students have returned to school this morning. I extend a special welcome to our new students, families and teachers, including our Foundation families who will begin tomorrow.

Staff have been busy over the past week setting up spaces, engaging in Professional Learning and putting plans in place for a wonderful year we know you and your children will enjoy.

The start of the year is a busy time, with Compass notifications, permissions, calendar dates and the like flooding your inbox and phone as they are mine for my family. Whilst we do our best to streamline these, I acknowledge it can feel like a lot. I encourage you to stay connected and ask questions where they exist. The platforms we use for various purposes include:

Communication Platforms

Compass: All calendar events, payments and permissions and whole-school, cohort and individual notifications, reminders and updates.
Instagram/Facebook: Reminders, updates, staff profiles and celebrations of learning. To follow click these links to Instagram and/or Facebook.
WhatsApp: Class groups established by coordinators.
Seesaw: A private platform that gives you a window into our classrooms. Class and specialist teachers use Seesaw to share your child's schooling journey. Teachers will hand out information next week.
Newsletter: fortnightly updates, news and specific content such as wellbeing, curriculum, specialist programs and more.
Year Level Term Newsletters: posted at the beginning of each term, these contain information about key dates, reminders and curriculum focuses for the term.
Website: mostly static information about the school, including Parent Handbook, Enrolment processes, Policies and archived Newsletters.

Class Representatives

Each year we establish Class Representatives for each class at HPS to enable and facilitate social connectedness and fun between parents and families. This is a vital role that seeks to link together families and add great value to the positive, engaged and very involved parent culture we are fortunate to have at our school. Class representatives:

Support other parents in knowing how to access platforms
Set up a means of communication, such as WhatsApp
Send notifications as required
Check-in with the class teacher regularly
Organise class social events or year level social events (coffee catch ups, park plays, a dinner, etc.)

It is a role that can be carried out by a parent that is either able to be at drop off and pick up or performed entirely out of hours, it can also be shared between two parents. There are many parents within our community who have carried this role out numerous times and can provide support for anyone wanting to give it a go but are not sure where to start. I encourage you to consider the role and please email the school (hampton.ps@education.vic.gov.au) should you be interested in taking it on with the grade you would like to represent. We will host an information session online for Class Representatives next Friday 9th February at 9:00am to provide a brief overview and answer any questions.

The classes still needing a Class Representative are:

1A, 1D

2B, 2C, 2E

3A, 3B, 3C, 3D

4B, 4C

New Families Welcome BBQ

We invite all new families to a Welcome BBQ this Friday afternoon in the Quadrangle (Main Building) from 3:30pm-4:30pm. Attendees will be provided with a sausage in bread and it is a chance for parents to connect and hear from some of our parent groups within the school.

Parent Contributions

Thank you to all families that have paid your contributions already. Contributions are due by 1 February. If you need assistance or have any questions, please email our Business Manager at nicole.stleon@education.vic.gov.au or call to organise other arrangements. Payment plans are available for any families who require this assistance.

Through this process, donations to funds such as the Nurses Fund is essential to ensuring we can maintain such services here at our school, a role that last year was visited by over 3500 students, trained our staff and ensured those with higher medical needs are appropriately supported.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Bookings will be open from 2pm today for Parent Teacher Interviews for next week (information send out separately shortly). They will remain open until Sunday at 2pm. Please be reminded that should your child have two classroom teachers, that an appointment can only be made with one teacher.

Changes to Continuous Reporting

Parent Teacher Interviews form an important component of feedback and connection between families and school. After considerable analysis, our Continuous Reporting approach will instead be focused on Parent Engagement and better reflect the activities within it that attract highest engagement and have the greatest impact on student learning. Please keep an eye out next week for a detailed overview of what these changes will look like.

Smart Phone & Watch Sign In

In line with a statewide policy, students are required to sign in all phones and smart watches to their teacher each morning so that it can be locked away in a safe for the day. Should you have any questions please see your class teacher.

Annual Reminders

PRIVACY

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy. Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website here.

For more information about privacy, see Schools’ Privacy Policy – information for parents. This information is available in nine community languages.

INSURANCE

The Education Department does not have accident insurance. Items of personal property that are lost, stolen or damaged at school, such as iPads or other valuables, are not the responsibility of Hampton Primary School or the Department. Staff and students are reminded not to bring items of value to school. The Department does not hold insurance for personal property brought to school and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property, including iPads.

AMBULANCE COVER

The Education Department does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents and guardians of students, who do not have student accident insurance/ ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance or transport as well as any other transport costs.

New & Important Dates

Gr 6 Leader Badge Presentation Assembly: Friday 2nd February 3:00pm.
New Families Welcome BBQ: Friday 2nd February 3:30-4:30pm
Foundation Welcome Assembly: Friday 9th February 3:00pm.

To stay up to date with all events and key dates, see the Compass Calendar.

Hampton Primary School

Collaboration. Aspiration. Integrity. Resilience

Start of Year Newsletter · 31 Jan 2024

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