Maths Olympiad

This year a group of our Grade 5/6 students are participating in the Maths Olympiad which is an annual competition run by the Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads.

The main aims of the competition are to:

Introduce students to important mathematical concepts
Teach major strategies and develop flexibility for problem solving.
Foster creativity and ingenuity and strengthen intuition.
Stimulate enthusiasm and enjoyment of mathematics.
Provide for the satisfaction, joy and thrill of meeting challenges.

Students participate in 4 different competitions across two terms, and each time, have 30 minutes to solve 5 challenging problems. The most recent competition, Olympiad #2, was held on Wednesday of last week and already students have shown growth in their results and their use of strategies from the first competition.

Curious about the types of questions students respond to? Here is a sample question that you can tackle at home, make sure sure you set the timer for 6 minutes.

Changes to Photographing, Filming and Recording Students consent form

The Department of Education has released an updated policy on photographing, filming, and recording students. This update outlines how we handle images of students, including when consent is needed and how it can be managed. It will also be factored into the enrollment process moving forward meaning this information will only need to be collected as the child begins here at Northcote PS.

We use images to celebrate student achievements, document learning, and communicate with our school community. While some uses of images, such as for classroom activities and safety, do not require consent, we want to respect your preferences and concerns.

Early next term you will recieve a compass notification with a link to the Google Form as well as the new policy that will ask and explain consent for:

Use of images in within the school environment - i.e displays in the classroom and noticeboards around the school
Use of images in within the school community - i.e Compass, emails, that can only be accessed by students, parents/carers and school staff with passwords
Use of images beyond the school community/publicly i.e the schools website, newsletter and social media

To provide or withdraw consent, complete the google form or, if you have any questions, please contact the office.

School Saving Bonus

In Term 4, 2024, families with children enrolled in government schools (Prep to Year 12 in 2025) will receive a one-time $400 School Saving Bonus for education-related costs. Parents should ensure enrolment and update contact details by October the 18th, 2024, as the Department of Education will send important emails about the bonus in October and again in November.

To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, download the School Saving Bonus Information sheet for government school parents and carers or visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus.

End of Term 3.

This term was filled with exciting events and achievements. Our Prep to Grade 2 students completed their swimming program at Northcote pool, and our Year 4, 5, and 6 girls enjoyed the Big Sister Experience workshops, with one more session scheduled for our Year 4 students. Highlights also included the Grade 3/4 camp to Toolangi and the fun-filled Book Week Parade.

Parents and teachers engaged in valuable parent-teacher conferences, and the term featured the Parents Battle of the Bands. Parents and carers capped off the term with an enjoyable Trivia Night.

As we head into the break, I want to thank our entire school community for your support and involvement this term. I hope you all enjoy a well-deserved rest and take time to recharge. Have a fantastic break, and we look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for the new term on Monday the 7th of October.

Take Care,

Shaun.

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