Principal’s Message

Welcome to November. The school year is quickly coming to a close. Only seven weeks to go and still so much yet to happen. I know the year has been incredibly productive with great teaching and learning and the school community has come together for so many events. I know that once the Melbourne Cup is run, the year will also very quickly gallop to an end. As we see the year out, there are a number of significant events and I ask that you please note these carefully. I am also keen to receive feedback from the newsletter format we are now using, in particular the addition of the Google Translator button that translates our newsletter into a multitude of languages. If you have used this facility, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Teaching and Learning

Curriculum Day Sovereign Hill

It is not often that a Principal is able to step away from daily responsibilities to attend an excursion. Last Friday I did just that, joining the Topaz community on the excursion to Sovereign Hill. This excursion gave students firsthand insights into life and its hardships on the goldfields back in the 1850s. It also highlighted for them how progress has changed the world in which we live in. Students witnessed a demonstration of gold smelting, tried their hand at panning for gold, visited a classroom of the 1850s and saw just how large families lived in small confined, cramped and archaic housing on the dusty goldfields. The students were impeccably behaved and asked many great questions about the hardships back then as well as contrasting and comparing then and now. I congratulate Ebonie Keys for her outstanding leadership and preparation of this excursion for all the students across all three Year 1/ 2 communities. I thank all the staff and parents who attended the excursion for their supervision and guidance on the day. The follow up work in the classroom has been wonderful and great learning has occurred.

Halloween

On Tuesday, our Year 1/ 2 students and their teachers got into the Halloween spirit. Many a ghoulish character floated around the school as students and teachers alike had a great day of fun. The school reinforces a philosophy known as the FISH philosophy based on the mantra of a world-renowned fishmonger “Pike Market Fish Group” in Seattle. The way this group operates and engages the many visitors to its outlet every year is simple but most effective. If you have the opportunity google ‘FISH Philosophy’. In a nutshell there are four very simple ideals: choosing one’s attitude, playing at work, making someone’s day, and being present. This is exactly what the students did on Tuesday. As I wandered through the learning spaces, students were energized and having fun and the experience fostered great discussions and conversations, great learning and wonderful work responses.

3 /4 Team’s Inquiry Focus about Community

The students in Year 3/ 4 have had a major focus on community as part of their Inquiry Based Learning. What I am excited about is the authentic, real life learning opportunities that these students have engaged in as they explore their big picture questions. Undertakings have included excursions to local kindergartens to run a buddy program with younger children, a local neighborhood survey drop to gauge local community responses to a number of questions focusing on what our community needs and also incursions such as the RSPCA where students who have been focusing on responsible pet ownership were able to engage firsthand with an RSPCA officer and her dog Chino. One of the surveys landed on Wyndham Mayor’s desk and Mayor Barlow is keen to come and speak with our Year 3/ 4 team.

These authentic learning experiences ensure students make connections with the world they live in. It makes the learning real and gives them a strong understanding of the power and influence they have in enacting positive change and making a difference as active participants within their community.

House Pride DAY

An initiative planned and organised by our student leaders, on Thursday students and staff dressed in their house colors. Student leaders ran a number of activities at recess and lunchtime to build pride in student house teams. For those who may not be aware, the school has four house colours: RED, YELLOW, BLUE and PURPLE. Every day students gain points through work and play and every whole school assembly the winning house is celebrated in a party like atmosphere with a dance and the singing of the house chant. Lots of fun. I congratulate and thank the student leaders for putting on this event that included activities such as relay races, sack races and egg and spoon races. All monies raised for this fundraiser ( a gold coin donation by students and teachers) will be donated to Save the Children Australia who provide support to disadvantaged children.

Walk2School Breakfast

A huge shout out to the teachers who have led this wonderful initiative. Today the Walk2 School initiative saw many students and families walk one of the four pathways to school and then enjoy a breakfast to mark their achievement. Such a healthy and social way to start the day. It was a glorious morning for a walk. The number of students and families who participated in the walk was somewhat disappointing. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes and many teachers arrive extra early to walk and organize breakfast. Please support this initiative. It does reduce traffic issues and certainly promotes healthy practices. To all involved in planning the event (especially Terry Prowse, Stacey Bellin and Ash Haining) and all who helped with the breakfast, thank you. Most importantly for all who did walk to school, well done!

A Reminder

Please note: We have one more Curriculum Day for 2017. This day will be held on Monday November 6 (Melbourne Cup Eve). It is a student free day but all staff will be on board and will spend the day with our Inquiry Consultant, Dr Jeni Wilson (Melbourne University) to continue to grow our knowledge and best practice in delivering learning

through the Inquiry model.

School Values: Relationships

I actually like to add the word ‘respectful’ to our value of ‘relationships’. I believe that TSPS works hard to be inclusive, embracing and respectful in our interactions with all stakeholders within our community. We have conversations through School Wide Positive Behaviours Support initiative to instill in our students the need to be empathetic, resilient, supportive and collaborative in the way they work and play with each other. Of late it has become concerning that a number of students are been heard to use less than kind language, inappropriate or hurtful slurs and put-downs. I will address this at assembly and the teachers will continue to promote a culture of positive interaction and banter. I ask our families to do the same. As the adults, we need to be the first to model positive interactions with all we meet and speak about this with our children. I encourage you to have conversations with your children about the positive ways in which they can support, model, and uphold the value of respectful relationships. Talk about feelings and walking in another’s shoes.

Community Update Notices

Picking Up children After School

In recent times, it has become increasingly concerning that, quite a number of students are being collected from school at the end of the day much later than dismissal time. Children need to be collected between 3.00- 3.15pm. Quite a number of students are still waiting in the office area for at least half an hour after school has ended. The school day is very long and students work hard. Office staff graciously supervise students whilst they are continue their daily duties in the admin area. It is not part of their duty to supervise students and teaching staff have ongoing professional commitments and meetings that they are mandated to attend. On occasion, there is a genuine unexpected need for students to be waiting at 3.30pm but for some students this is now becoming a daily occurrence and this must not continue. Parents and carers need to be timely in collecting students. If this is not possible, I ask that consideration be given to either utilizing our partners, YMCA who offer a great after school program, or perhaps encourage students to walk home from school (particularly as the weather fines up). I ask your cooperation in this matter.

Prep Information Evening

On Tuesday 24th October, our Prep 2018 Information evening was very well attended by many parents. Such an important milestone and what can be an emotional time as families begin the next chapter in their child’s educational journey. Transition programs will commence shortly. A positive home/ school partnership is important and being informed and actively engaged shows our children that they are the centre of all we do. I thank the current Prep teaching team and leaders who attended the evening and the staff who stayed to offer child minding so parents could actively engage in the information session.

Colour Fun Run: Tuesday November 28

Our students are taking part in a Colour Fun Run on this date. I believe notices have already come home outlining details and sponsorship of our students for the event. The day will be staggered so that not all students will be out at once but it should be an amazing day of fun and colour for all. Thank you to our PE department for its leadership of this event.

End of Year Concert: Friday December 1st

Another very important date for your diary. Our school’s End of Year Concert is going to be another school day event. This year the focus will be on our community and school values and the students and teachers are already working diligently at putting on showcases that reflect our ‘Relationships, Excellence, Acceptance, Collaboration and Honesty’. We tried the daytime format last year and it was so very well supported that I want to give you as much notice as possible so you will be able to join us again in celebrating our year’s journey through the Performing Arts. The P-2 community will perform in the morning, followed by a family picnic. Our Year 3-6 students will perform in the afternoon. Moving forward I do understand that the day time format is not ideal for some families and we will explore how else we might roll out future Performing and Visual Arts showcases, but ask your indulgence in running it this way one more time. We hope to see as many of you as possible on the day to celebrate with us.

Refugee Migrant Children Centre Raffle

RMCC is a grassroots charity committed to empowering refugee and migrant youth to create their own opportunities and shape their own future. RMCC programs are dedicated to creating opportunities to stop the cycle of disadvantage and have 4 focus areas that address every child’s welfare holistically; education, identity & belonging, life skills, and mental health and wellbeing.

A raffle is currently being run to raise $10,000 to help fund over 500 hours of education programs and RMCC needs the community’s help to achieve this goal. Your support would be crucial in nurturing the development of our young community members. You can find out more about this project and the raffle at https://www.rmccaustralia.org.au/rmcc-raffle-to-raise-over-500-hours-of-education-programs/

Congratulations

Congratulations to Manal Mubiene, Amy de Wit, Bella Fryer and Rose Deng who came 2nd in the 11yo Girls 4x100m. Congratulations again to Amy de Wit who also placed 2nd in the High Jump at the recent

School Sports Victoria State Track and Field Championships. (See story in the newsletter).

Yours in Education

Linda Danese (Principal)