Off To A Good Start

A warm welcome back is extended to all families as we start 2021! As I explained in COMPASS posts last week, we have had a smooth, calm start to the year. All students have settled into their new classrooms, including the newest members of our school community, our Foundation students. It’s lovely to see them in their new uniforms, with their big school bags on their backs and broad smiles on their faces. They have done very well transitioning to school.

Staff are taking the time to set up good routines and classroom practices so that teaching and learning will be targeted and efficient for the rest of the year for all. Routines are very important for children; they like to know what’s expected of them and how to improve and do better. Class teachers and ES staff are taking the time to set up good relationships with their 2021 students so they can get to know them, understand their learning needs and how best to work with each child.

Well-being remains at the forefront of our work in 2021. It runs nicely alongside teaching and learning, as we all know – kids who feel safe, secure and happy at school are able to learn to the best of their abilities. We are continuing to roll out the Department of Education’s 'Respectful Relationships' program and we are continuing on with The Resilience Project in 2021. We are setting goals and developing the GEM skills of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness with our students, and I am going to periodically offer some provocations for families and parents to discuss and consider over the course of the year at home.

Many events have been organised for the upcoming weeks; please refer to the dates in the calendar of this newsletter.

"News From The Classroom" - Home Fortnightly On FRIDAYS

In response to parent feedback and survey data, classroom teachers will be sending home a fortnightly post to all families via COMPASS this year. The year level post will provide all parents with information about:

Teaching and learning programs in literacy and numeracy
Information about up-coming classroom activities
Highlights and shared learning experiences
Special events
Photos

Please look out for the year level post each fortnight this term. The first one will be out tomorrow via COMPASS.

Parent Helper Sessions 2021

Reading Helpers and Maths Helpers

We are conducting Parent Helper Sessions in Reading and Maths next week. Please see the flyers later in the newsletter for details. We are looking to welcome parent helpers into our school in all classrooms.

All parent helpers need a Working with Children Check card and it needs to be presented to the office before you can work with our students in the classroom. The Working with Children Check is free and can be accessed via this link. https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

Reading Helper Session...Tuesday 9th February........2.30-3.30pm (in Hall)
Maths Helper Session......Thursday 11th February ...2.30-3.30pm (in Hall)

We are looking forward to welcoming you and working with many parents and carers in 2021.

Cyber Safety Parent Session - 'Parenting in the Digital World' Presentation

In 2020, our children were on their screens more than ever due to Remote and Flexible Learning. They also learned different ways to communicate with each other. In the ever-changing digital world, it is a constant challenge for parents and families to understand the needs of their children on devices.

Safe internet interaction needs to be taught and discussed with children, and that is why we are offering this free parent session for you to attend.

Monday 15th February 7.00pm in School Hall All welcome

Parent Information Nights

We are going to keep with our new findings from 2020 and run this year’s Parent Information sessions via Webex over 2 nights. We hope you can join us online! The accompanying information booklet will be emailed to families prior to the night.

Student Leader Badge Presentation

At our whole-school assembly on Friday 19th february, Mr Kim Wells (State Member for Rowville) will be presenting our 2021 Student Leaders with their official badges. The student leaders who will receive badges on this day are:

School Captains
School Vice-Captains
House Captains
HEART Captains
Sustainables Representatives
SCR Representatives
ICT Representatives

OnPsych Services

Dogs On School Grounds

Members of the Scoresby PS community are reminded that we have a school policy which prohibits dogs on school grounds during school hours. The only exception to this is our therapy dog, Ronaldo, who along with his owner - our School Chaplain, Lyndal - has completed training and is accredited to work with school children.

Sun Hats

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.

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.

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.

Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website https://scoresbyps.vic.edu.au/policies-and-documentation.html

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

Amharic
Arabic
Dari
Mandarin
Somali
Sudanese
Turkish
Urdu
Vietnamese

Term Dates 2021

TERM 1...... Thursday 28th January - Thursday 1st April
TERM 2...... Monday 19th April - Friday 25th June
TERM 3...... Monday 12th July - Friday 17th September
TERM 4...... Monday 4th October - Friday 17th December

Getting In Touch

Please contact us if you have any issues or concerns with your child and remember, your child’s class teacher is the best first point of contact for any concerns. Staff are happy to have quick chats with parents, however if you wish to discuss things in depth, please arrange a convenient time for both parties.

Thank you to all of our school community for making the beginning of 2021 so successful - students, staff and parents. We are looking forward to a really exciting and successful year for all.

SUE HARTLEY AND NICOLE RHEUMER

Scoresby Primary School Leaders

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