School News
Superhero Elizabeth 28th August 2023
This week’s superhero is receiving the award for persistence, care and respect.
Elizabeth has not only shown a huge amount of growth in their learning this year, but also in their mindset. She has learned that with persistence and hard work, she can achieve difficult things. Elizabeth now loves to be challenged and works both at home and school to accomplish her goals.
This Grade One student shows care in many ways. She collaborates with her peers by guiding them through learning tasks or sharing their ideas as part of a team. Additionally, she is a kind and caring friend when somebody needs one, and assists her teacher and always remember her responsibilities in the classroom.
Elizabeth is respectful to her teachers, her friends, and the environment. She often chooses to spend her breaktimes picking up rubbish around the school with a happy, helpful smile on her face. She is learning to express herself in ways which show she cares about other people, and for herself.
A huge congratulations to our extremely deserving superhero from Studio 2.
Congratulations Elizabeth, we hope you had a great week!
Superhero Evan 21st August 2023
The superhero this week is being awarded this special badge for the school values of Persistence, Care and Respect.
Evan is someone in the school who is well liked and respected by his peers. He has many friends in the classroom and out in the yard. Evan regularly demonstrates persistence. He is one to always give anything and everything his best go. He asks for help when he needs it and will go back to his table to keep working at it until he achieves his goal.
Evan has a large and caring heart, you could say that he wears his heart on his sleeve. He looks out for others, and he cares deeply about his group of friends.
Sometimes, footy gets the best of him and someone might get tackled too hard, and he will make sure that they are OK and cheer them up.
This year 3 student demonstrates respect when he shows he is actively listening to the teacher or his peers when working collaboratively. Evan doesn’t call out and instead raises his hand when he has a comment or question to ask. He is polite to all, and Studio 8 is extremely lucky to have him.
Congratulations Evan, we hope you had a great week!
Classroom Awards
Congratulations to the following students for receiving classroom awards: Johnny, Jax, Danieka, Isabella, Blake, James, Studio 14, Molly, Eve, Beau, Xavier, Diesel, Anabelle, Hunter, Joy, Maeve, Brooklyn, Max, Huntyr, April, Reuben, Studio 2, Spencer, Saoirse, Levi, Henry, Kai, Vero, Chenula.
Turning Pages Program
Congratulations Storm and Hollie for their participation in the Turning Pages Program.
Art
Congratulations to Etta for receiving the Art Award this week.
Fathers Day Stall
MS Readathon & Book Week Parade
What a wonderful, fun-filled day it was for Book Week dress up day today.
I'm beyond amazed at the incredible effort everyone went to with their costumes this year! We certainly reached another level with the creativity.
The Student Council members had a very hard time deciding the most deserving winners, however the students and staff listed below were chosen as finalists.
In no particular order:
Prep unit: Levi
1/2 unit: Clancy
3/4 unit: Hayley
5/6 unit: Henrietta
Staff: Mr Drago-Stevens (and the three little pigs)
Foundation News
Music News
Grade 3-6 Production
Save the date: Wednesday 1st November.
There is much excitement in the music room this term as the Grade 3-6 prepare for our School Production. A team of Grade 5-6 students have come up with our theme, Time Travel, we explore music from 1660 to now and songs about space travel….doom, doom, doom, doooooom doom…!
The show will take place in the beautiful Kyneton Town Hall on Wednesday 1st November. There will be a matinee show at 1.30pm and an evening show at 6.30.
More details will be sent home very soon.
Ms Polly
2023 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents / caregivers / guardians think of our school. The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
A random sample of approximately 30 per cent of KPS parents / caregivers / guardians has been selected and emails were sent out last week with an invitation to participate.
The survey is open until Friday 8th September and it would be great to have all invited families complete the survey.
P & F Fundraiser
Kyneton Daffodil Parade
The wonderful Daffodil Grand Parade is on Sunday Sept 10th. Each year KPS students and families are invited to walk with the school.
This year we will be walking behind the Kyneton Street Band, and Ms Polly may even hand out some percussion instruments!!!
The theme this year is "Once Upon A Springtime", so don your favourite floral frock, or your gardening dungarees, decorate your hat with daffodils, or just come as you are.
The parade normally gathers at 12pm in the showgrounds, but I will confirm details closer to the event.
Please let me know if you can come at polly.christie@education.vic.gov.au
I look forward to a colourful, lovely community parade.
Ms Polly
https://www.kynetondaffodilandartsfestival.com.au/event/grand-parade-and-fair/
Plastic Free August at KPS
For the month of August, the Gardening and Sustainability group are encouraging families to reduce the amount of rubbish/waste/packaging brought into the school in lunchboxes. Each studio each day will record lunchboxes free of any unrecycabled packaging and the studio at the end of the month with the highest tally will be awarded a free dress day as a prize. This is the 3rd time the school has organised this and it is so good to see a reduction in packaging. Where possible, use reusable containers or recycabled packaging rather than single use. This website has many great suggestions on what you can do to make a difference. https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/.
2024 Foundation Enrolments
We are working through our enrolment applications for our 2024 Foundation students. If you have a child you wish to enrol for 2024 please drop into the office to collect an enrolment pack. These can also be sent home with your current student if you wish.
Information has been sent out to families who have enrolled regarding our transition program commencing next Term.
More Canteen Helpers Still Required
We are still in need of canteen helpers on Thursdays and Fridays.
We have a very small number of fabulous parents that assist in the canteen but it is just not enough to have consistent help.
The shifts required are as follows:
Thursdays - 1 parent helper required from 12pm - 2pm
Fridays - 2 parent helpers required. One from 11am - 2pm and another from 12pm - 2pm
Please email the school at kyneton.ps@education.vic.gov.au if you can help. All volunteers will need to show a valid a Working With Childrens Check and complete a short OHS Induction before commencing.
We really appreciate your help to enable us to continue to run our wonderful canteen.
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 – 3:40. 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.
2023 Uniform
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.
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 still like to pay for these please use one of the following methods -
- 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.