Our 150th Birthday Celebrations

This lovely milestone and week of celebration is fast approaching now. We have planned a full week of special activities (14th-18th November) , and below is a rundown of the week for our 2022 SPS students:

Monday 14th November – Whole-school Melbourne Zoo birthday party
Tuesday 15th November – Levels may choose to visit the old Scoresby School up at Scoresby Village
Wednesday 16th November – Old Fashioned Day. Dress up in old-fashioned clothes and play old-fashioned games at recess and lunch
Thursday 17th November - Levels may choose to visit the old Scoresby School up at Scoresby Village
Friday 18th November – School Pride Day and set up for Saturday's Celebration Day
Saturday 19th November - Community Celebration Day 1.00 - 4.30pm

On Saturday 19th November, the school will be opened for our community to come in and walk through our school's journey over the last 150 years. What will be on:

Memorabilia rooms - Walking through the Decades
Scoresby PS Art Show
Old-fashioned games for the kids and Mini Golf
Musical performances and Choir performance 1.45pm
Formal Ceremony - 2.00pm
New Time Capsule presentation
Commemorative Garden official opening
Hall - video of interviews with current students about their future aspirations
Afternoon tea available at the canteen

We are looking to showcase our history, and also show what the future brings - Looking into the past and stepping into the future. We hope our families can join us for this special occasion. Please spread the word in our community as well, and invite your friends and family.

Learning Beyond The Classroom

We are well into planning for 2023. Next year we will continue to broaden our educational programs by extending the Coding and Robotics program, and introducing stand-alone Science sessions each week for Years 1-6. Foundation will continue with PMP (Perceptual Motor Program).

Staffing for 2023 is still a work in progress, and we will let the community know once we have things in place for next year.

Heart Art Project

Last term a BIG project was taking place at Scoresby PS in the Art room. Mrs Coster, working with our School Council president Erin Parkin, made a beautiful piece of art, which is hanging outside Mrs Hartley’s office.

Mrs Coster worked tirelessly last term to get this project completed, and every person in our school - students and staff - have all contributed to the work. Please see photos of the finished work in the 150th Birthday section later in the newsletter.

Thank you Mrs Coster and Erin; it looks absolutely terrific!

Camping Program

The first week of term saw our level 5/6 students, teachers, aide and chaplain head off for their 3-day camp to Ballarat, to explore the culture and history of the city. Our students were amazing and, as a group, received many compliments throughout the week from staff at the attractions they visited, at the accommodation and from the bus drivers.

Next week we look forward to sending our Year 3/4 students to their first ever 3-day camp at Oasis in Mt Evelyn.

We realise that camps can put quite a strain on families, both financially and emotionally, however the benefits for students are many. The independence and confidence students gain from being away from home for a week is invaluable. We want to thank families for trusting that we could make this camp happen despite the ongoing COVID restrictions. We would also like to thank our staff for the work and planning that goes into these events.

2023 Intentions

Thank you to the families who have already notified the office if they are not planning to return to Scoresby in 2023. If you have not yet informed the office of your intention not to return to Scoresby in 2023, we would appreciate it if you could notify us in writing as soon as possible as we move forward with plans for classes next year.

If you still have not enrolled your Foundation student for 2023, we would appreciate it if you could send through your enrolment as a matter of urgency as we are already planning and organising class groups and transition sessions.

2023 Grade Considerations

Forming grades for the following year is a very complex process. Teachers take into consideration, and attempt to balance, genders, support needs, social needs, learning needs and student friendship requests when forming the classes.

If parents have any special educational considerations that the classroom teachers are not aware of, for the placement of their child for next year, please put these in writing and send them to Sue Hartley by Friday 28th October. As making up the grades is very complex, all parental issues will be taken into consideration before this process is completed, however we do not make any promises that we will be able to satisfy them.

Neither verbal requests, nor requests submitted after Friday 28th October will be considered. Parent requests for grade changes on or after this day cannot be considered due to the complexity of the placement of children. It is impossible to change a placement for one student without throwing the whole grade structure out.

SUE HARTLEY AND NICOLE RHEUMER

Scoresby Primary School Leaders

SPS Playgroup News