From the Principal

Dear IPS Community,

The Victorian Government has announced a seven lockdown from 8pm tonight.

You child will use the platform they used in the last snap lockdown and your child’s teacher will be in contact though Class Dojo.

School Arrangements will be as follows:

Friday:  Remote school 

– teachers will do their best to have something in place tomorrow. There should be a WebEx link in Class Dojo available by 9.15am in the morning.

Monday: Remote school

Tuesday : Remote school

Wednesday : Remote School

Thursday : Remote School

Friday : Curriculum Day

Only children of Essential Workers may attend school where they will be participating in the same program as their peers. Essential Workers are those who were considered Essential Workers last time. 

This lockdown is “hard and fast” and the numerous hotspots that have sprung up necessitate that we will be extremely diligent in applying the essential worker rule. If you can stay at home you must stay at home. “Retail is shut”.

If you are an Essential Worker and you require onsite school tomorrow you must speak to myself of Ms Wright who will be on the Lowe Street pedestrian gate tomorrow morning at 9am OR if you use OSHC (the number is 0412 348 554) drop your child off and phone us on 94991880 between 9 and 9.30am.

If you require further days next week you must contact the school office tomorrow morning to complete the necessary paperwork. 

We will do our best to have devices ready to borrow as early as possible tomorrow. Email the school email address and we will respond when they are ready to be picked up.

Please do not be offended if you are required to prove your Essential Worker status. 

Remember this is a seven-day lockdown, avoid panic and additional stress and do what you can. We understand this is a stressful time and it is a challenge for all of us. 

Many of the staff are yet to be able to be vaccinated, many are parents too so we understand the pressures. However, it is important to do the right thing and if we follow the restrictions this will end and we can once again move forward onsite.

This is a National Cabinet endorsed decision. 

We all know the rules and how to manage. We will continue to work together.

SO LET'S HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS ...

Appointment of OSHC Coordinator

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Alexis Simmonds as our new coodinator of the Ivanhoe Primary School Out of School Hours Care program. 

Alexis has had extensive experience in many areas of the teaching profession, including having worked in early childhood and kindergartens.

Over the years Alexis has worked in our IPS OSHC and has developed a good understanding of our particular community needs. 

Alexis brings a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to the role and is looking forward to working with the IPS staff, parents and children.

Meet Blue Beary

Foundation students worked together to choose a name for our Cairns Hospital Teddy. Each class came up with a name which they put in a box. A name was pulled out of the box and Teddy is now Blue Beary

FM chose Blue Beary 

FL chose Parks

FC chose Rainbow

FS chose Love Bear

Blue Beary (which was Ruby M's suggestion) was pulled out of a box. We think it suits him.

Our Stars of the Week

Each week students from Foundation to Year 6 are chosen by their teacher to be Star of the Week.  Our Stars of the Week are students who demonstrate our school values.  Our school values are: Confidence, Persistence, Respect, Resilience and Independence and each can be demonstrated in many ways. Please check out the Stars of the Week page of this edition of "Inside Ivanhoe"  to read about this weeks stars.

Children are currently awarded this in their classroom and a ribbon is presented by the Principal or Assistant Principal at assembly when possible. 

Foundation students first 100 days

This week the Foundation students celebrated their first 100 days of school with a day dressed as if they were ‘100 years old’ and with many fun activities about their first 100 days of school. 

The day began with an outdoor parade where the students got to model their outfits. The rest of the day was filled with activities related to the number 100. The Foundation teachers are so proud of all of our students and we are very proud of them for getting involved and showing the way!

Classroom Helper Training

As a result of COVID 19 the CHT is a truncated program is available through the schools website and linked below.

We are pleased to say that classroom helpers will be resuming in Term 3 for grades Foundation, One and Two. In accordance with Covid-safety measures, training for this program will occur online this year. If you are interested in helping in the classroom and have not completed the training in the past you will be required to read through the attached PowerPoint and sign an agreement.

 An optional half hour web-ex meeting will follow once restrictions have eased to clarify any points and to answer your questions. Please note if you have previously completed the training program no further steps are required to assist in the classroom. We look forward to seeing you back at I.P.S!

Parents can enjoy the opportunity to share in the educational development of students with the support and direction of teachers, by participating in the Classroom Helper program.

The Classroom Helpers' course is a component of the Victorian Early Years Literacy Program and is designed to support the work of parents, helpers and aides who assist in classrooms.  The program runs for three consecutive weeks in Term 1 and is presented by teachers from the school. 

Topics include:

• Being a Helper
• Helping with Speaking and Listening
• Helping with Reading
• Helping with Writing

Click here to access the CLASSROOM HELPER TRAINING

Your class teacher can advise when it is safe to come on site and how you can be a classroom helper.

2021 Capital Works - Stage 3

The west façade of the building is currently being refurbished. Specifically:

• Brickwork cleaned and re-pointed
• All wooden windows and glass are being replaced – some with frosted glass up high to reduce glare.
• Cement render is being replaced
• All paint work is being renewed
• All box gutters, guttering and downpipes are being replaced
• The roof is being cleaned, skylights replaced and some new tilework.
• The construction site compound includes part of the front garden so we would lose the least amount of play space.

The work is scheduled to be completed before 10th September.

At times parking and street access will be affected, but traffic management controls will be in place and where possible I will keep you informed of major restrictions. 

Parent Opinion Survey reminder

Parents/Carers who received the randomly generated link have the opportunity to provide feedback to the school through the 2021 Department of Education Parent/Guardian Survey which will remain open until Friday, September 3rd. 

2022 Enrolments and Exits

New families, or families of current students with siblings, intending to enrol a new student at our school for next year are encouraged to enrol now! It is only by knowing our student numbers now that we able to staff the school effectively. 

If, for any reason, your child/children will be leaving the school between now and the beginning of the next school year, please let the school know in writing as soon as possible. (Except Year 6 graduates)

We are already workforce planning for next year so please make your enrolment count and contact the school office as soon as possible. This applies to new students only.

Book Week is  21st to 27th August

Students will be doing some fun Book Week activities based on shortlisted books, through both the Art and Library programs. In addition, some book week activities in classrooms will also occur as part of classroom reading programs. Staff and students are all invited to dress up as a character from their favourite book during Book Week.

School Events - Take note of these dates

Book Week is 22nd to 27th August. 

The theme is "Old worlds / New worlds"

Curriculum Day is the 13th of August - student free day.

If you require the OSHC service please contact them asap to book a place. The service can only run if there are 25 bookings or more. 

Out of School Hours Care new email is iposhc@ivanhoeps.vic.edu.au  and the new phone number is 0412 348 554.

Father's Day Stall 1st of September.

The PFA are once again running the annual Father’s Day Stall.

This is an opportunity for students to buy an inexpensive gift for a special male in their lives. They are welcome to buy for Grandfathers too. See the Father's Day stall page of this newsletter.

Father's Day Breakfast is the 2nd of September.

The incredibly popular Father's Day Breakfast is scheduled for the morning of Thursday 2nd September. So dads, step dads and or significant males please save this date.

PFA Trivia Night is the 4th September.

The Trivia Night is planned to go ahead on the 4th of September.  Reserve your seat or table through the office.

*Please see the flyers on the Community Page for more information as it becomes available. The PFA and staff are looking forward to seeing you all on as many occasions as possible.

Battle of the Bands

You will see and hear more about today's event next week but I am thrilled to report over 120 parents  engaged with this performance via the WebEx link live that Mrs Morrow and her team set up. Thank you to everyone for the remarkable effort under adverse conditions to pull off this wonderful community event. 

PFA is looking for two parents to share the PFA Coordinator role in 2022

Our wonderful PFA coordinator leaves IPS at the end of the year along with her son so we are looking for someone(s) to take the reins. If this is, or might be you, please email Jo Anderson on joanne.anderson@education.vic.gov.au or phone me at school for a chat.

Tips

As part of our commitment to learning catch up and extension there is now  a page dedicated to tips to helping your child learn. Not all will be relevant to your child or your circumstances, but if you find just a few ideas to help you help your child engage with their learning then it will have been worth it.

Call for stall items

Finally

Like and follow us at www.facebook.com/IPS2021Fair

Please read the School Fair News page in this edition of "Inside Ivanhoe".

For those who use the school crossing who will know that Yvonne has returned from her stint as mobile librarian looking after the literary needs of those without prose. 

Yvonne has asked that I remind pedestrians and drivers alike that the red character at the lights means "do not walk".  Yvonne is there for everyone's safety so please be mindul of her instructions.

Mark Kent

Principal