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. 

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 

In this addition, we celebrate the achievements of Lucy H, Seth and Jacob C, Lucy C, Mila B, and Jack C.- all of whom share with us the importance of believing in yourself!

Ninja Warrior- World Titles Qualifier

Lucy C.- Year Five "achieved 2nd in Australia for Ninja Warrior Competitive League"

How did you first get involved in Ninja warrior? 

Originally, when I was around five years old, I was doing gymnastics. I did gymnastics for just under one year, but during every class all I wanted to do was climb things… so gymnastics wasn’t really for me. My older cousin had joined a newish sport known as “ninja warrior” and thought that I might like to have a try. I was seven when I started ninja warrior (I am now 11) and since then the sport has become much more mainstream. 

What is the best thing about ninja warrior? 

You feel like you are flying! When I travel through the air from obstacle to obstacle, I get a huge rush of adrenaline. Every week I look forward to my training sessions. During lockdown it was hard to train and compete in ninja warrior, so over the last year I have been really committed to training. The coaches that I train with are really encouraging, and I love ninja warrior because when I complete an obstacle which I couldn’t’ do before, I feel proud of my achievements. It makes all of the training worth it. 

Do you train competitively or just for fun?

I am now training competitively, although every session is still so much fun. My original goal was just to have a go at a new sport and maybe qualify for “Elite Ninja”. I’ve been doing competitions for the last year, and my original goal was to get into what’s known as “Elite Ninja” which is a level of training in which you focus on one obstacle or movement and you train until you master it. 

What are the photos about?

During the term break I entered a National Competition through the Ninja Challenge League, which involves qualifying athletes from each state across Australia. Due to my age, I was in the “pre-teen” age group which is 11- and 12-year-olds (I am only 11 years old). I qualified by earning points through regional competitions which led up to qualifying for the Nationals. Exactly 51 people, boys and girls, qualified across Australia. The National Competition went over two days and involved three stages of competition. At the end of those three stages I had finished 7th overall for Australia, and 2nd overall for the girls competition. 

This means that I may be going to America next year to represent Australia at the World Titles for my age-group. My coach and my family are eagerly awaiting more news as to what exactly is involved for the World Titles. 

What is the biggest take-away for people reading this article?

With Ninja Warrior you can be as physically ready as possible, but the challenge at national level is training your mind. 

Believe in yourself. When you believe, you can achieve anything! 

Skating Superstars- Knox Competition Winners

Seth C.- Year One "1st place in Knox Skating Competition"

Jacob C.- Year Three "2nd place in Knox Skating Competition"

It's pretty amazing to have two brothers who are both great at skating. How did you first get into skateboarding?

Jacob- my mum asked me and my brother if we wanted to learn hot to skate properly, so that we didn't hurt ourselves. We said "YES!". 

Seth- We used to have lessons on a Saturday at the Knox Skate Park on a Saturday morning. At the lessons we learnt how to do basic tricks such as "drop-ins" from the edge of the bowl. The most important skill in skateboarding is just learning how to ride on your board, and accepting that sometimes falling-off is just part of skating. 

What is your favourite trick to do on the skateboard? 

Jacob- I am pretty good at doing drop-ins, but my favourite trick which I am practising at the moment is going UP stairs on my skateboard. To travel up stairs you need to place both of your feet on the end of the board, and flick it so that one end goes up a stair, then you repeat it and flick the other side. When you are just learning it's okay to hold onto a hand-rail to help you. 

Seth- My favourite trick is definitely dropping-in from the bowl. When I first tried this trick I was a little but scared and I had to hold onto my mum's or dad's hands... but now I can drop-in all on my own into the pond bowl. 

What do you love most about skatebording?

Jacob- It's quicker than walking so I can get around faster. I can also travel further without getting tired. 

Seth- There are always new things to learn so it is never boring. The tricks just get harder and harder but you just need to put your feet on the board and lean into trying new tricks. 

What prizes did you win in the above photo?

Jacob- I won a grip tape and a gym sweat towel. 

Seth- I won a skateboard, a gym towel, and a giant cheering hand. 

Are there any important messages for other kids who want to learn about skateboarding?

Jacob- when you first start be patient, don't try the tricks that the pro's do. You have to decide whether you want to learn 'street' skating or 'trick' skating. Getting lessons is a good idea. 

Seth- falling over is a part of skateboarding. You should always wear elbow and knee pads and a helmet, even if you are just skating on concrete in your backyard. 

Upwey Archies- a public exhibition showcasing amazing artistic talent

Mila B. -Year Four "Packing Room Youth Prize Winner"

Jack C. - Foundation "Highly Commended Youth Prize Award"

Jack C- Foundation

What is the Upwey Archies? 

It's a competition for kids and adults. You have to paint a picture of somebody that you like. You have to do your best effort. 

Who did you paint? I painted my sister, Lucy. I wanted to paint her because she is kind to me, and she helps me a lot. She is a great big sister!

How did you paint such a great portrait? First of all I got a white canvas, and then I drew on it with pencil. Then I traced over the pencil with a black marker. Once the black marker was dry, I painted lots of bright colours onto the canvas. From start to finish it probably took me about five days to finish, and I did most of the painting on the weekend. 

When you are not painting, what else do you like to do on the weekends? I like to relax and watch TV. My favourite TV show is "Bluey". 

What else would you like to paint in the future? I would like to paint a picture of a tiger. 

Mila B. - Year Four

Why did you enter the Upwey Archies?

Last year I looked at all of the other paintings on display in the shop windows, and thought it was really cool how artists in our area get to share their work with everyone. So this year, I got the confidence to enter my own painting. I've always enjoyed painting with my dad, but mum wouldn't be too happy if I painted every day as she has to clean up my mess! The life of an artist!

Why did you choose to do a self-portrait? 

I wasn't sure who else to paint, so I thought it would be coll to paint a cartoon version of myself. 

When you are not painting, what else do you like to do? 

I like reading books and drawing the characters I read about. Learning to draw from activity books, and improving my sketching is one of may favourite things to do. 

What do you think you would like to paint a picture of next? 

I would like to paint a portrait of my Granny, as she is going back to England soon. When I paint my Granny I would like people to look at my painting and say "Wow, that granny is the best granny in the world."  

Girls can do anything!- The role of female peacekeepers in Australia over the last 75 years.

Lucy H. - Year Five "Victorian State Winner of the 2022 ANZAC Day School's Award" 

You may remember an earlier edition of our newsletter which featured Lucy H, who entered a national competition held by the Department of Veteran's Affairs. Lucy's entry demonstrated a strong commitment to learning about the role of Australian peacekeepers involvement in operations around the globe. 

In fact, Lucy won an amount of $3000 for the school, which she is currently hoping to utilise to develop a mural/artistic piece which recognises the values and roles of Australians in peacekeeping. 

Below is the original article which Lucy wrote for a previous newsletter. 

Girls can do anything!- The role of female peacekeepers in Australia over the last 75 years. - By Lucy H

Over the last few weeks, I have been learning more about the role of Australian peacekeepers, and in particular learning about female peacekeepers. I wanted to learn more about this because when you are peacekeeping (instead of defending your country such as during a war) your main role is to help others by listening to people, balancing what different sides might want, and to provide other countries and their people with the resources to stop wars from erupting. 

I became interested in learning about this because there are lots of skills that peacekeepers use which I think I also use in my daily life as a kid- such as helping my friends to listen to each other when there is a disagreement. I think it’s better if everyone is working together, instead of working against each other. 

Keeping the peace (even if you are not in the defence forces) is all about treating different people equally no matter who or what they are. 

It has been so interesting learning about how being a female peacekeeper has changed over the last 75 years. When I was interviewing Major Freeman (see picture below) we spoke about how years ago female peacekeepers would feel terrified to be out in the open without a male peacekeeper being with them. But now Australian female peacekeepers generally feel much better supported and are proud to be treated as equals. As well as learning about the role of female peacekeepers, a really important message I want people to learn from my project is that girls just don’t have to be housewives or stay at home like may have been expected from them a long time ago. 

As a female student, I would like all girls now and in the future to grow up knowing they can be whatever they want. There shouldn’t be a difference between genders, and anyone can do anything. 

After Mr Kitch and I spoke about my project, Mr Kitch showed me a video which illustrates the importance of children my age acknowledging that girls can do anything. I think everyone will like this video. 

Sunsmart Hats and Schools

As we enter 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 

Gifted Insights Select Entry Enrichment Program

Gifted Insights Mentoring Gifted Kids at Upwey South Primary School  provides small group enrichment experiences for selected students. Classes are held each Tuesday morning, based in our school library. 

The next unit being held is "Hands-On Equations: Making Algebra Child's Play". 

For further information, or to register for a program, please contact Jennifer 

E: jennifer@giftedinsights.com.au 

M: 0414642560

Further details are below: 

Spotlight on School Policies

Each Department of Education and Training (DET) school is mandated to hold a minimum of eight School Council meetings per calendar year. At each of these meetings, the School Council members oversee the governance of the school; part of which is the updating and publishing of policies which are aligned with DET legal obligations. As these policies are updated, they are distributed to the community via school websites. 

In order to bring these updated policies to the attention of our school community, we will be including a "spotlight on policies" twice per term through our newsletters. 

All School Policies have been updated and are now available on the following link: 

http://www.upweysthps.vic.edu.au/about/upwey-south-ps-policies/ 

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 2022, 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