Families and Friends
Promoting the welfare of, and providing support to, the SMPS community...
SMPS's Family & Friends news
💙💛💚
There's lots of news this week:
- Translate the newsletter into your language
- SMPS Easter Raffle - 1st April
- Easter Hat Parade - 1st April
- Last chance to buy a 2020 SMPS Family Favourites Recipe book
- Donate toys
- Young Engineers
- Ride2School Day 2021
- Excursions and a Working With Children Check
- SMPS Family & Friends (FAF) update
- Thank you to our working bee volunteers
- SHUS (Second Hand Uniform Shop)
- Cultural celebrations - shared stories
- Future activities
- Joke of the week
Translate the newsletter into your language
Did you know you can translate the school's newsletter into another language?
Simply click on the 'language' button at the bottom of the first page and select your language.
Here is a small sample of what languages are available:
🇪🇬🇸🇦🇯🇴 Arabic
هل تعلم أنه يمكنك ترجمة النشرة الإخبارية للمدرسة إلى لغة أخرى؟
ما عليك سوى النقر فوق "لغة"الموجود أسفل الصفحة الأولى وحدد لغتك.
فيما يلي عينة صغيرة من اللغات المتوفرة:
🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳 Chinese
您知道您可以将学校的新闻通讯翻译成另一种语言吗？
只需点击“语言第一页底部的'按钮，然后选择您的语言。
🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 French
Saviez-vous que vous pouvez traduire la newsletter de l'école dans une autre langue?
Cliquez simplement sur le 'Langue'bouton en bas de la première page et sélectionnez votre langue.
🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 Hindi
क्या आप जानते हैं कि आप स्कूल के समाचार पत्र को दूसरी भाषा में अनुवाद कर सकते हैं?
बस 'पर क्लिक करेंभाषा: हिन्दी'पहले पृष्ठ के नीचे बटन और अपनी भाषा चुनें।
🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹 Portugese
Você sabia que pode traduzir o boletim informativo da escola para outro idioma?
Basta clicar em 'língua'na parte inferior da primeira página e selecione seu idioma.
🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸 Spanish
¿Sabías que puedes traducir el boletín de la escuela a otro idioma?
Simplemente haga clic en 'idioma'en la parte inferior de la primera página y seleccione su idioma.
SMPS Easter Raffle - 1st April
By now, each student should have received an envelope with raffle tickets to sell. Lots have been sold already. Well done!
There are lots of chocolate prizes available!
You can return your money raised and ticket stubs, (for the tickets you've sold):
- between 8.30am-9am each morning at the school gates. (Last day Wednesday 31 March) Look for the FAF members wearing bunny ears.
- between 2.30pm-3.45pm on Wednesday 31 March at the Second Hand Uniform Shop (just outside the school's doors, near the STEAM room)
We'd like to say a big thank you to those who have donated chocolates. The raffle wouldn't be possible without your generosity.
And another big, sincere thank you to everyone for selling and buying the raffle tickets. And to those that have donated money on top of buying tickets, your generosity is overwhelming. THANK YOU!
🎯 The raffle will be drawn on the last day of Term 1, Thursday 1st April.
Easter Hat Parade - 1st April
Are you busy at home making your hat for the SMPS Easter hat parade on the last day of term?
We have some hat pictures that may give you some ideas. Remember, there are lots of things you can use to make your hat: items in your recycle bin at home, an old hat, leaves or twigs found in the park, a paper plate, or pieces of ribbon/lace you have.
Last chance to buy a 2020 SMPS Family Favourites Recipe book
🍱 If you would like to order the 2020 edition of the SMPS Family Favourites Recipe book, ($20 per book), please:
- collect the yellow order form from the table next to the office, (the table with some of the Easter raffle prizes on display),
- complete the form with your child's name and grade, and how many books you'd like to order
- hand the form in to Emma in the office and make your payment, 💳 Card only - no cash
- The recipebooks will be delivered to you in Term 2.
‼️ The last day you will be able to order a recipe book is Thursday 1st April.
💙 Thank you very much to Emma for helping the FAF and taking the recipe book orders!
Donate Toys
Sometimes our children enjoy playing with toys during their recess breaks, but we'd prefer students didn't bring their toys from home because they can be a distraction in class, or get lost or broken and we know that almost always ends in tears.
Solution: a 'Tub of Toys' to be shared amongst all students.
If you're sorting through your children's toy box over the school holidays and find a few toys you no longer need, please donate them to the SMPS 'Tub of Toys'. Simply drop them off at the office.
If your generous donation is considered unsafe or inappropriate for the SMPS 'Tub of Toys', we will donate the items to a local opportunity shop.
Young Engineers
Would your child enjoy being a 'Young Engineer'? Then come along to the 'Young Engineers STEM club' after school every Thursday and Friday
⚙️ The 'Young Engineers' learn Engineering, Physics, Mechanics and coding using fun tools like Lego and K’nex. Children use motors, sensors, hubs, iPads and battery boxes to create Lego machine prototypes. Prototypes move and work like real machines. For example children can build a Ferris wheel, Rabbit Robot, Conveyer Belt, Crawling bot, Motor cycle, Walking robot, etc.
Preps – (Fridays 3:30 – 5:00 pm - $185/term) Build non-moving K'nex models and learn Science concepts like Physics, Biology, Aeronautics etc along with developing visual spatial and fine motor skills.
Grade 1s (Thursday/Friday 3:30 – 5:00pm – attend any 1 day - $185/term) Build working Lego models with electronics and learn physics and Mechanical engineering
Grade 2s and 3s (Thursday/Friday 3:30 – 5:00pm – attend any 1 day - $185/term) Build working Lego machines and further code them using iPads and Lego Wedo coding platform
Grades 4-6 (Friday 3:30 – 5:30 - $240/term) Build complex robots and machines using the powerful Lego EV3 engine, multiple motors and sensors. E.g. Colour sorters, Ball painter, Trash can remover, Robotic hand etc.
Please note: There is currently a waiting list for most sessions and the next round of enrolments will be taken in Term 2 (in April). If you would like to enrol your child, please send the Young Engineers club an email with:
- your child’s name
- your child's grade
- your name
- your phone number
Website: https://melbsouth.young-engineers.com.au/
Email: melbsouth@young-engineers.com.au
Phone: 0478 534 693
Ride2School Day 2021
🚴🏼♂️ Put your arms up if you had fun at the Aerobics class on Friday 19 March before school?
🏃🏾♂️ Look at all those arms up in the air! It looks like everyone had a fabulous time!
🏃♀️ Thank you to the SMPS fitness stars Miss Kate and Miss Jenny; to the rocking DJ Mr Colin; to Mr Cam for his commentary; and to the school captains for handing out stickers and house points. What a fun way to start the day!
Excursions and a Working With Children Check
Some of our SMPS family members were able to join the Grade 3's and 4's on their excursion to Melbourne Museum this week, (and join in the conga line), because they have a Working With Children Check (WWCC). Don't miss out on the fun when your family's students go on an adventure. Apply for a WWCC today! It's free.
SMPS Family & Friends (FAF) Update
📗 We held our Annual General Meeting this week. We were very excited to have an 'in-person' meeting! We'll get some photos of the team into a future newsletter, but for now, we are pleased to advise the 2021 SMPS FAF team are:
- Miss Jess - SMPS teacher liaison officer
- Georgie - President
- Datta - Secretary
- Katy - Treasurer
- Doug & Vanessa - Fun officers
- Angela, Ellie and Jacqueline were unable to attend the AGM last night, but we expect they will be signed up as 'Fun Officers' too.
🌸 We'd like to say a big Thank you to Miss Jenny for helping set up the FAF last year, being the SMPS liaison officer up until now, and helping us get to where we are today.
🌺 Welcome Miss Jess to the teacher liaison officer role! We're thrilled to be working alongside you and look forward to achieving great things together.
Come and say hi if you see us at some of our activities such as: selling second-hand uniform or collecting Easter raffle tickets.
New members are always welcome. Email smps.faf@outlook.com
You don't have to be a member to volunteer to help at something we're organising, (such as the working bee).
Thank You - Working Bee Volunteers
🪴 Thank you to the wonderful SMPS community members who volunteered their time on Saturday 20 March to attend our garden working bee. It was a huge success! Take a look at the before and after photos on the Sustainability page of this newsletter.
💚 Thank you Kelly Brogan for all the garden tools you brought with you. We wouldn't have been able to achieve as much, (or leave the place as clean and tidy as we did), without your generous support.
💚 Thank you to our volunteers: Miss Maddie, Miss Ciona, Miss Jess, Miss Lin & Jin, Miss Makayla, Doug, Georgie, Kelly, Isobel and Ian (2C), Katy, Angela & Jimmy (1D), Datta & Shreyansh (2D), Subhadip & Srithik (2C), Nishant & Aaryash (2B), WaiLing, Erwin & Chloe (1A), Tuhin & Tulip (2B), and Shraddha.
SHUS (Second Hand Uniform Shop)
Our SHUS is only open for one more day this term.
On: Wednesday 30 March 2.30pm - 3.45pm
Where: Outside the school building, in front of the STEAM room
Payment: Cash only.Change will be limited, so please bring small notes and coins. Prices range from $5-$10.
Thank you to everyone who has donated SMPS uniform they no longer need. Our SMPS families greatly appreciate your generous donations.
Dates/times for next term will be advised in future newsletters.
If you're looking for iron-on clothing labels or shoe labels, check out 'Stuck On You' via the link below.
Cultural Celebrations - Shared Stories
😀 We are incredibly lucky to have such a diverse range of cultures at SMPS! To help us get to know each other, we would love to hear about what you do to celebrate your special days. Please email your happy stories and/or photos to smps.faf@outlook.com and we will share them in our newsletter. Some recent/current/upcoming events include:
💜 Lent - 17 February to 1 April
💛 Harmony week - 15 to 21 March 2021
💚 St. Patrick's Day - 17 March
🧡 Passover - 27 March to 4 April
💙 Holi (Festival of Colours) - 28 March
Future activities
🤹🏼♀️ We will be needing lots of volunteers to help host a Bunnings (Port Melbourne) fundraising BBQ in Term 2. Keep an eye out for more details in future newsletters.
Joke of the week
Why did the soccer players take so long to eat dinner?
They thought they couldn’t use their hands!