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. 

As we publish the final edition of our newsletter, there are so many exciting events and learning that we are proud to share with you. The past three weeks across our school has again seen a buzz of excitement from our students as we are once again being given the opportunity to open-up and engage with extra-curricular activities. Over the last three weeks, the list of exciting events seems almost endless and has covered events across the school such as: 

• Year 3-6 swimming
• JMSS Enrichment Programs
• Foundation Family Picnic
• Division Tennis and District Swimming
• Harmony Day
• ANZAC Day proceedings
• National Day of Action Against Bullying
• VSSS Dance and Choir Rehearsals

and that just names a few of the exciting things happening around our school. Information regarding the above is covered in the relevant sections of this newsletter. 

Term Two is also gearing up to be an exciting term, with many events planned, including: 

• Gifted Insights Program returns
• Cross Country
• F-2 swimming lessons
• District and Division events
• alternative sporting clinics continue, including such coaching as lacrosse
• NAPLAN occurs for Year 3 and 5 students
• VSSS rehearsals
• Lunchtime Clubs commence
• various incursions/excursions by level

and that is just to name a few of the exciting things we are planning. More details regarding these events will come out via Compass as is appropriate. 

Newsletter Publishing

Please be aware that in Term Three we will move to publishing our newsletter every three weeks, allowing us even more time to put our efforts into providing enriching learning opportunities for our students. In addition to the publishing of the newsletter, we will continue to provide regular updates to our community through Compass. 

Annual Report

In April of each year, School Council endorse an Annual Report- which reflects upon the position of the school from the prior calendar year. This report is then distributed to the community via normal communication channels (such as newsletters, websites, public forums, etc). 

The report covers information about the school including demographic data, academic achievement and community engagement data. Below are some extracts from our report: 

"I am able to get the information I need through the school's regular communication channels" returning 96% positive endorsement, 14 points greater than the state average. 

92% positive endorsement in the factor "This school always aims to improve the quality of education it provides" and a 94% positive endorsement for the factor "This school provides opportunities for my child to develop a sense of responsibility". 

"Staff in this school have trust in their colleagues and school leadership" 97% positive endorsement, which was 15 points above similar schools. 

To view the full Annual Report, please refer to the attachment below titled "2021 Annual Report_Upwey South Primary School"

Curriculum Day- Term Two

Please add the date of Tuesday 31st May 2022 to your family calendar. This will be a student-free day. On this day, teachers will be undertaking professional learning relating to the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) Module Four- Stamina and Engagement. 

Out of School Hours Care is available from 7:00am-6:30pm on this day, with bookings to be made through the TheirCare booking service. 

A visit from James Merlino- Education Minister

On Friday 25th March, we hosted the Education Minister James Merlino. Whilst we have regular contact with representatives from the Minister's Office and the DET Regional Team, we don't often promote this... as we see this contact as just part of what we do daily.

However, on this occasion we would like to highlight to you the reason for the Minister's visit. There were no photos, no social media posts, and the visit was not part of a 'tour' of school visits for political gain. 

Minister Merlino requested to visit our school for the purpose of finding out what it is that we have been focussing on across the three key areas of our school, being: 

• climate- the structure which enables desirable learning behaviours
• culture- the framework which guides 'why' and 'how' we do what we do
• curriculum- the instructional content that is delivered to students

Minister Merlino was particularly interested to learn more about our partnership with Macquarie University, our evidence-based approach to Literacy, and our school's SWPBL culture. During the visit Minister Merlino requested that our school leadership team put together documentation which can be shared with other schools who are also wanting to focus upon improvement. In other words, if there was a recipe for school improvement what would it look like... and what are the key steps USPS has taken to make such rapid improvement. 

As a school focussed upon continuous improvement, our leadership team (whilst being proud of our achievements) will also be the first to identify areas of our school which we wish to improve further. These improvements will come from our School Review, which is scheduled to occur in Term Three 2022. 

In the meantime, the accolades being directed towards our school in regards to culture, climate and curriculum are an affirmation of the behind-the-scenes hard work which is constantly being undertaken by our amazing staff.  

NAPLAN 2022 Information for Parents/Carers

NAPLAN is scheduled to occur during Week Three, Term Two for students in Year 3 and 5 (May 10th-May 12th with backup days to be held from May 13th-May 18th). This year the assessment moves to an online format (with the exception of Year Three writing) allowing for the assessment to be "adaptive" which means that not all students will sit the same chronological order of questions. The questions will adapt based upon the level of correct answers, and move up or down through the curriculum as the assessment progresses. 

More information will be provided to families from these year levels via Compass at the commencement of Term Two. 

For information regarding NAPLAN please refer to the attachment below, which is also being sent home as a hard copy with students: 

This week students have again undertaken practice online assessments. If you wish to practise with your child over the term break you may visit the following site: 

public demonstration site https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

Working with our Neighbours to manage road safety and parking

Whilst the focus of our newsletter is to celebrate the achievements of our students, we also use the newsletter (in addition to Compass posts) as a way to communicate important messages. 

One of these messages is the importance of being mindful of the school's neighbours when parking your vehicle. We have been requested to provide you with a reminder that neighbours will continue to require access to their driveways and designated car spaces (such as in the childcare centre next door). Please be mindful of other road users, and always park and drive in a manner which promotes a safe environment for our community. 

School Council are in ongoing negotiations with Yarra Ranges Council (YRC) to improve traffics safety and parking along Morris Road, and will provide you with updates as we receive these from YRC. 

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