Welcome back for the 2024 school year!

We have had a very calm start to the school year. It was lovely to walk around to every classroom on day one and see our students happy to be back at school, working in their new classrooms, and adjusting to their new environments.

Welcome To Our 2024 Foundation Students

We have welcomed the newest members of our school community this week. Our wonderful Foundation kids have begun their educational journey and are well on the way to becoming Scoresby Superstars! There is lots to learn and navigate when starting school, and their buddies are raring and ready to go to help them adjust to school life.

NewTimetable And Brain Food

The new timetable has begun, and it is an adjustment for staff and students. We are getting used to the longer morning session and are looking forward to putting our Rigor Session into practice in Week 3. This session will run each day from 9.00-9.40am, so coming to school promptly will ensure your child gets the best opportunity to practise their literacy and numeracy skills.

A reminder that the Brain Food Break is at 9.40-9.50am each day, and children are required to have raw food for this (fruit and vegetables – no packet food). Please pack some brain food in your child’s lunchbox each day.

Setting Up For Success – The First 2 Weeks Of School

The beginning of any school year is an important time to set up for success. We have done this for many years, and this year we have added to our program with a whole-school focus for each day.

Classroom routines are very important for our students, and good routines allow teachers to be able to focus on teaching and learning, rather than focusing on managerial and behaviour problems. Children need to know expectations of teachers, and teachers need to know how their students learn best. It is a big job setting up for a school year but focussing on getting to know students and their needs is a vital part of a successful year.

Kaboom Tabloid Sports - Friday 9th February 1.45-3.30pm

To end our Set Up For Success 2-week program, we have organised a whole-school, fun activity afternoon with KABOOM TABLOID SPORTS on Friday 9th February from 1.45 -3.30pm. The cost is $10 per child, and payment is now available on Compass.

We would like to invite our parent community to come up to school and join in the fun as our students participate in this whole-school activity. You may like to bring a snack and enjoy a small afternoon tea with your family prior to the event. Community members welcome from 1.30pm; the sports will be commencing at 1.45pm (there will be no second break on this day and no assembly).

SSG Meetings - Monday 19th February (Face-To-Face Or Via Webex)

Our SSG meetings for this term will be held on Monday 19th February. SSGs will run for 20 minutes and will be held face-to-face in Sue’s office, or via Webex - whichever is more suitable. Monday was chosen so specialist programs would not be interrupted.

Baby News

Our wonderful Science teacher, Ms Kim Louwdyk, is expecting her second baby in June and will be commencing family leave from Term 2. We will be looking for a replacement Science teacher in the second half of Term 1, and Kim will do a hand-over before she leaves.

We wish Kim and Arno all the very best for the arrival of their newborn, and we are sure brother Oscar is looking forward to meeting his new sibling.

Respectful Behaviours In The School Community

We have a wonderful community here at Scoresby PS, and it is important that we continue to work together and treat each other with respect and kindness. The Department of Education and Training has released a policy that describes the positive behaviour expected from parents, carers and other adults in Victorian school communities.

The policy sets clear standards of behaviour to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment for students, staff and adults. There are also other resources to support safe and respectful relationships in our school community, including information about getting involved in the school, advice on how to raise a concern or complaint, and parenting support resources.

Our HEART Values are at the core of how we work together, and it is important for our students to see these values also modelled within our school community.

Annual Privacy Reminder

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

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in nine community languages.

Student Mobile Phones

In accordance with the Department of Education Mobile Phones – Student Use Policy issued by the Minister for Education, personal student mobile phones must not be used while on-site at Scoresby Primary School during school hours, including lunchtime and recess.

Students are encouraged not to bring mobile phones and smart watches to school unless absolutely necessary.

Where students bring a mobile phone, or any other device with internet connectivity, to school, Scoresby Primary School will provide secure storage and students are required to store their phones and devices by handing them into the school office to be placed in a safe before school. The devices can then be collected from the office after the 3.30pm school bell.

For further information, please see our Mobile Phones Policy on the school website.

Being Sunsmart

This is a reminder to all families that Term 1 is a Sunsmart term and Scoresby PS sunhats must be worn by all students for all outdoor activities, including playtimes and sport activities, throughout this term. Please ensure that your child has their Scoresby PS sunhat at school.

In addition to sunhats, parents are encouraged to apply sunscreen to their child prior to coming to school; staff are unable to apply sunscreen to students at school.

Accident Insurance

The Department of Education and Training does not provide personal accident insurance for students. Parents are generally responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including any transport costs. The Department of Education Training states that reasonable low cost accident insurance policies are available from the commercial insurance sector. For those parents who seek personal cover, details of an insurer who offers individual accident insurance is:

EBM INSURANCE BROKERS and their website is www.studentcover.com.au

Personal Goods Brought To School At Owner’s Risk

The Department of Education and Training does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools. Principals are requested to remind students and parents/guardians of this at the beginning of each academic year and to discourage parents/students from bringing any unnecessary or particularly valuable items to school. Please, try and avoid bringing these items as it can be most upsetting for all concerned when items do go missing.

Lost Property

We often have a large amount of lost property with many items of clothing having no name. Please ensure your child’s jumpers, jackets and hats have names.

Students Must Be Supervised Before 8.45am And After 3.45pm

A friendly reminder for safety and the school's duty of care:

We ask that students are not left unattended in the school grounds before 8.45am on school mornings, or after 3.45pm after school as there is no supervision available for your child/children.

Camp Australia Before and After School Care is available each morning from 7.00-8.45am and in the afternoon from 3.30-6.00pm. For more information, or to register, please go to Before & After School Care | OSHC | Camp Australia or phone 1300 105 343.

AFL Superkick Program

AFL Victoria have invited Scoresby Primary School to participate in one of their Auskick & Superkick Programs in Term 1!

The 5-week Auskick & Superkick Program is for students in Prep to Grade 6, and provides an introduction to AFL through their foundation program - Auskick - and the AFL's newest product AFL, Superkick! The program looks to engage students in a safe, inclusive and fun environment, with the AFL’s expert coaches delivering a memorable experience.

The program will run on Tuesdays starting 27th February, and the sessions are from 3.45-4.45pm and are entirely run by AFL Victoria staff. AFL staff will arrive by 3.15pm so that the children will be supervised from the end of school.

To register your interest in the program, please use either the QR code (below) or the registration link https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/53e4b7

The link for Superkick isn't live yet but for those interested in registering, you can register for Auskick and they will add you to their Superkick group!

SUE HARTLEY AND NICOLE RHEUMER

Scoresby Primary School Leaders

Happy Birthday To You!

Best wishes to these students who are celebrating their birthday: