Principal's Message

Please take the time to read each page of our newsletter, as we provide you with information updates across each curriculum area. 

2023 Class Allocations and Staffing

In 2023 we welcome to the school, coming from: 

• Mr Lachlan Prasad- Mooroolbark College 

• Lee Sensei (Michelle Lee)- Mount Waverley Primary School 

• Mrs Amanda Oakley- Mount Dandenong Primary School.

 Moving on from our school, going to: 

• Ms Laura Kelly – South Melbourne Primary School 

• Masae Sensei (Masae Uekusa)- Tecoma Primary School. 

We thank and congratulate Ms Laura Kelly and Masae Sensei on their new appointments.

Details of our 2023 specialist programming is available in the Curriculum- Teaching and Learning section of this newsletter, and has been distributed to families via Compass. 

Following the announcement of 2023 classes, we would like to thank our entire school community for your ongoing support of our school. 

In allocating classes for 2023, we had to consider the learning needs of 271 students across a 12 class structure. 

It is natural for parents/carers to wonder about the 'how' and 'why' of student allocations, therefore please refer to the following information: 

What do we consider when allocating home-room classes?

At Upwey South Primary School, we utilise a variety of data sets which provide us with the information we require to make suitable class placements. These data sets cover: 

• Academic achievement in English
• Academic achievement in Math
• Tiered behaviour (within the classroom)
• Tiered behaviour (within the yard)
• Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) scaling
• Program for Students with Disabilities and/or Specific Learning Disorder status
• Known health challenges/ allergies for staff to be aware of to promote safety
• Does the student currently have a teacher who is in their first year to USPS?
• Has the student had this teacher before?
• Do parents/carers have family challenges which may impact upon the student's learning?

In addition to the above, Year Two-Year Six students are able to select up to five peers who they believe they work well with, or who they would like to be in the same home-class. When considering these requests, teachers work closely in teams to make decisions which will benefit both the student and the wider cohort. 

Teachers may also submit recommendations to the Leadership Team to consider when making placements. 

The class allocation process is multi-faceted, and presents challenges for schools every year. In order to minimise human-error, our school also uses a software program known as Class Solver which helps to reduce the risk that important information may be missed. Like all software and data analytics programs, the outcome of the class allocations is only as good as the data which is entered in the first place. 

Upwey South Primary School is a great place to belong:Reflecting upon our achievements and looking forward to our future school goals

Over the past term we have provided our school community with an abundance of data sets to provide you with insight into our amazing school. 

We move into 2023 as  a 'school of choice' for families across the Dandenong Ranges area, with enrolments for our school continuing to be in high demand. 

The findings of our School Review (conducted at the end of Term Three, 2022) demonstrated that our school is in a strong position moving forward, with the overall theme of the review being that “…Upwey South Primary School is a great place to belong.” Whilst the findings of the Review Report are not yet publicly accessible, the following points can be highlighted:

• Our school has been invited to apply for Silver Accreditation as an SWPBL school, jumping Blue and Bronze Level Accreditation (currently there are only 31 out of 1557 DET schools who have been awarded Silver Accreditation, and there are only 3 DET schools with Gold Accreditation).
• Our school’s 2022 Year Three NAPLAN Literacy results were in the ‘Top Five’ schools across the Outer Eastern Region (this data is taken from over 120 schools, 98 of which are primary)
• Our school’s Parent Opinion Survey Results within the 12 key indicators were all at 90% or above positive endorsement
• Our school’s Staff Opinion Survey (climate/culture) within the 6 key indicators were all at 90% or above positive endorsement
• Our Student Opinion Survey Data (Year Three-Six) summary results indicated that students have a strong desire to have greater input and direction into personalised learning.

In response to the findings of our School Review, the School Strategic Plan (SSP) for the next four years has the following three main goals:

• Goal 1: To improve numeracy outcomes for all students.
• Goal 2: To strengthen student voice, student agency, and student leadership.
• Goal 3: To broaden professional partnerships to improve student outcomes.

For further detailed information regarding insights from our recent Curriculum Day please visit the "Curriculum- Teaching and Learning" section of this newsletter. 

Lunchtime Orders via QKR

As we move into 2023, please be aware that student lunch orders will continue to be available via the QKR app. 

Please note that The Blacksmith Belgrave Pty Ltd includes Sushi Express and the Blacksmith Cafe; therefore all lunch orders will appear on your banking statement as The Blacksmith Belgrave Pty Ltd. 

Term Four Community Events- a reminder of what's coming up

We have some very exciting events planned for the reminder of Term Four. 

The following school-wide events should be added to your family calendar, and are in addition to information which has already been provided regarding year-level specific events. 

Please speak with your child’s classroom teacher if you require more information on any of the events listed below. 

Step-Up Transition Dates

Tuesday 13th December all Year Six students attending government secondary schools will attend their secondary school for the day. On this day, all Year One- Year Five students will spend time with their 2023 classroom teacher and class. 

Monday 19th December all Year One- Year Five students will spend time with their 2023 classroom teacher and class whilst Year Six students prepare for their final assembly presentation. 

Year Two- Year Six Christmas Choir Public Carols in Upwey Main Street

On Wednesday 14th December selected Year Two-Year Six students will be singing in our Christmas Choir in the main street of Upwey. We will begin walking from school at approximately 12.00pm and we will be back at school at approximately 2.00pm. We will be performing near the community reserve in between Bendigo Bank and Upwey Pharmacy. Your child is welcome to dress up in Christmas clothes/costumes. The more tinsel the better. They must have a hat on the day for the walk. You are welcome to come along and support us. 

If you are unable to attend, please note that we will be singing again at the 2.45pm school assembly on Monday 19th December.

Foundation- Year One Christmas Choir

On Wednesday 14th December selected Foundation- Year One students will be singing in our Christmas Choir at the Dandenong Ranges Kindergarten (next door to our school). Choir members will be walking over at approximately 10.45am and will be back at school at 11.30am. Your child is welcome to dress up in Christmas clothes/costumes. The more tinsel the better. 

Unfortunately, parents are not able to attend this performance but we will be singing again at the 2.45pm school assembly on Monday 19th December so we would love to see you then.

Year Six Graduation Ceremony and Party

On the evening of Thursday 15th December, we will be honouring and celebrating our Year Six Class of 2022. Please refer to details which have been previously communicated via Compass. 

Year Level Class Parties and Celebrations

Friday 16th December all classes will have their end of year Christmas celebrations. Please refer to further details which have been sent out via Compass to each year level. 

End-of-year School Assembly

Monday 19th December 2:45pm-3:15pm we will be holding a whole-school assembly to announce the recipients of our Year Six Graduation Awards (to the wider community) and to announce the names of our 2023 School Captains. We will also have the opportunity to see some exciting performances from our students. 

Year Six Graduation Assembly

Tuesday 20th December 2:00pm-2:20pm we will be holding a whole-school assembly in the gymnasium to farewell and honour our Year Six graduating students. Our Year Six students will also perform their Graduation Song for our audience. 

Celebrating Student Achievements

We have the most amazing students at Upwey South Primary School, and quite often their brilliance extends beyond the boundaries of our school fence. With community sport, artistic endeavors and other events back in full-swing we are wanting to use our newsletter as another chance to celebrate the achievements of our students beyond the school gates. 

If you know of a student who has achieved something beyond the school gates which should be celebrated, please email damien.kitch@education.vic.gov.au 

Sunsmart Hats and Schools

As we being to experience more sunny days in Term Four, we bring your attention to the importance of our school's Sunsmart Policy. 

Please take the time to read over the attached policy, and be aware that in Term Four all students are required to wear a school branded sunsmart hat when outside. 

or visit the policy directly at: 

http://www.upweysthps.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/Sunsmart-Policy.pdf 

Keeping Aware of Information Relating to School

As a school we work hard to keep our families informed of happenings across the school. We acknowledge that receiving information in a timely and consistent manner can help to alleviate the pressures which come from managing a busy family calendar. 

Communicating via Compass

All of our school notifications are sent via the Newsfeed within the Compass app. There is also a calendar of events within the app, which sends push notifications to users to remind them of school events. 

We continue to utilise Compass for families to consent and pay in order for their children to take part in school events. 

In order to filter notifications which are received, you will notice that we send out notifications which are year level specific. This means that sometimes not all notifications are sent to all year levels. 

Administration Reminder

Please be reminded that if you need to collect your child/ren early, please contact the office when you are five to ten minutes away so we can have them at the office for collection.

Communicating with the School Administration Team

We look forward to partnering with you in 2023, and welcome your input: 

Damien Kitch (Principal)  damien.kitch@education.vic.gov.au 

Paula Lee (Business Manager) upwey.south.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Janette Clarke (Office Manager) upwey.south.ps@education.vic.gov.au