From the Principal

Monday 19th December -(Last Day Of School- Normal 3.20pm finish)

Tuesday 20th, December-  (Curriculum Day- Student Free Day)

Dear Families,

End of Year: We are rapidly approaching the end of the year and have many things in place for 2023 also. Teachers have been informed what year levels they are in, classes have been formed for 2023, classroom organisation plans in place and so much more. Please keep your eye on the newsletter for next years information as it will all be published soon.

Final Assembly: Friday 16th @ 9.30am in the Park (Pavilion). After the final assembly we return to school, have recess and then transition into our 2023 classes. An exciting time of the year for all of us. Staff have, again, been so diligent on these placements and I commend them on their work.

Monday 19th Dec: This will be a school pride day where we will collectively help each other move and set up new classrooms, clean the playground, classrooms and prepare for 2023. Students can wear casual clothes (that may get dirty!) and I encourage students to bring a new cloth or sponge to give tables and chairs a wipe down. We might have some helpers in the gardens, raking mulch around the playground and lots of other jobs. Come prepared to give a little back to the school and leave it in a state ready for 2023 to begin. Parents – you are also welcome to help out too!

2023 Important Dates: We are all busy families managing work, kids and social lives so we have attempted to plan the MAJOR events that can sometimes disrupt our busy lives. In the newsletter you will find a document that outlines all the Public Holidays, Curriculum Days, Parent-Teacher Meetings days and a few other things. Camp Australia will be available for the days when students are not required at school, but bookings are essential. If not viable, they will cancel the program. You can also download and print the A4 page for your fridge if you need! Any date changes will be communicated via the email as early as possible.

Swimming Sports: Monday morning saw a turn in the weather again, but our swimmers loaded up on the buses and headed for Kardinia Swimming Pool. So many great events on show and some other new events to ensure students of all abilities could participate. A great recognition and example of our school’s culture of inclusion. Well done to all teachers and families involved and congrats to all the swimmers! Mr Armstrong – thanks for your coordination of the day! 

iPads: We would love to see as many students as possible with their own iPad in 2023. It doesn’t need to be a brand new one – as long as it supports iOS14 and above – models from approx 2017 onwards. We encourage families to invest in a cover and even a Bluetooth keyboard if you can. This helps with touch typing and developing other skills too. We will still have approx. 5 iPads per classroom to support those who do not have one or if a student forgets theirs on a day.

School Council: We met for the final time last night and celebrated the achievements across the school. It has been a great year with many subcommittees celebrating significant achievements. A sincere thank you to all councillors for their commitment to the school. To Vic Byrne who is finishing up with Council – a huge thanks for your work in particular around the Apple Fair and Sustainability. Your contributions have been welcomed and gives us a great place to add on in the future. Thanks! I look forward to working closely with the new 2023 School Council as we will have some vacancies to fill. 

Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP): School council and our leadership team are very keen to develop OGPS’s first RAP in 2023. If you are keen to be involved and help shape our RAP, please let us know via the office so we can reach out to you in the new year. If you have experience in this space, we would love your guidance and expertise so we can continue to build on our Indigenous learnings at OGPS.

Concert: Not long until the concert! Dallas has been training the students all term and we look forward to seeing the final production coming to fruition. Thanks for supporting the students with their costumes and rehearsals. Keep your eye out for communications from Dallas and the program in the newsletter.

Year 6 graduating families: Each year we have a number of families who finish their direct association with OGPS as their youngest child graduates and heads off to secondary school. Please see the list of families in the newsletter that I would like to recognise and thank for their contributions to OGPS over the time here. I sincerely hope to see you at the 2023 Apple Fair and other OGPS events. You will always be part of the wider school community and we do hope you come back and visit. We will see you next Tuesday for the Graduation ceremony.

Inclusive Playground: This week saw some action and movement up in the new playground area with tradies onsite beginning the construction of the Inclusive Playgrounds. It feels like ages since we received the grant and now it is underway, we will need to do our part in keeping the kids safe during construction. There will be deliveries at various parts of the day so we will ask bike riders to head around to the Draper St Fence near the oval and secure their bikes from Monday, for the remainder of the year. Walkers will need to enter/leave via the other exits so we can ensure safety of everyone and keep the playground installation on track. Please discuss your child’s new arrangements with them but please avoid Asbury St while construction is underway. WE anticipate it to be completed by the start of the 2023 school year. Fingers crossed!

Gabion Walls: We will also be seeing some modwood decking being installed over the tops of the Gabion walls during the holidays which will also add value and be aesthetically pleasing – and increase safety too! If you see the tradies over the holidays, say hi to them and encourage them to keep up the great work.

Fire Services: From 28th Dec-8th Jan, Kennedy’s Plumbing will be onsite to continue their works and progress the Fire Services. During this period of time, the school will be out of bounds as there is some work to be done under asbestos conditions. Please stay safe!

Enjoy the rest of the week.

Scott McCumber