A Warm Welcome to our Weeden Heights Community

Welcome back to term three! That break certainly went too quickly so I hope you have all enjoyed having your children home for the holidays. This is our first newsletter for the term.

School Review

I hope that everyone received their email from me last Thursday, inviting parents to contribute to our school review. A huge thank you to parents who have already returned their survey. I would really appreciate your feedback as you do have the opportunity to shape the direction of the school for the next four years.

School Council met on Monday night and discussed what they thought our school’s strengths were and identified what skills they would like their children to have as they exit the school in year 6. Our students in years 5 and 6 have been involved in providing feedback this week. As most students have been at WHPS for 6 or 7 years, they are in a great position to provide feedback. They are being asked about what they love, what they like but could be improved, what they would ‘chuck’ out and what they would like to see in the future for our school. Staff will be involved in analysing school data and identify their highlights of the last four years. It is really important that we hear from all of our community.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts and return the completed survey back to the school by Friday 28 July. Thank you for your time in anticipation!

NAPLAN results

Parents of students in years 3 and 5 received a message on School Stream about the NAPLAN results being released this week. I have not yet received any reports but as soon as the school receives them, I will send them home.

Reports and Student Led Conferences

As you are all aware, semester 1 reports are due to come home to families in week 3 on Friday 28 July. They will be emailed home as usual.

Student Led conferences will occur in week four this term (from 31 July). The conferences are an excellent opportunity for your child to take responsibility for their learning and discuss the evidence that they have produced to support the teacher’s judgements in the school reports.

You will have the opportunity to have the conference either in person or online in the Google Classroom. Students will share their online portfolios through the Google Classroom and will be supported to highlight their learning through their exemplars. Prep and Year One student conferences can be conducted online however, their portfolios are not online and actually in a physical folder. These will be sent home to share for the conference.

The main focus of the conference is for students to share work samples that they feel proud of and they will discuss with you, the learning that takes place in relation to their individual learning goals. Please ensure that you book in for a meeting when the note comes home as students will be extremely disappointed if they do not have opportunity to talk through their portfolio with their parents and help develop future learning goals. The students have put in a lot of work into their portfolios!

Capital Works

Over the holidays there were a lot of hold ups with the capital works due to the roof on B block which is due to be patched. There were several leaks and builders were left repairing damage. They made great headway with the administration block and the roof is due to go on this week along with the internal framing nearly complete. While progress has been a little disappointing as I would like areas finished, there have been delays that we have had no control over. The builders continue to work hard to meet their contractual handover deadline in October for the school building. They have negotiated the building of the outdoor learning space to take a little longer and it will be finished off on the summer school holiday ready for our return. We remain optimistic and excited!

2024 Enrolments

I would like to remind families with children who will be beginning school in 2024 that we are still able to take enrolments but the deadline is approaching soon for all students to be enrolled in schools. Enrolment forms are available on our website or from the office so please return them to the office ASAP. The Bright Beginnings transition program is about to start towards the end of this term so you do not want to miss out. If you have neighbours that have not yet enrolled, then please encourage them to come and visit the school or website for an enrolment form.

Please also look out for costumes notices coming home. It’s school production time and it’s an exciting time for our school as we all come together to have some fun and put on a performance. Extensive work will be completed this term culminating in a performance at Crossways. Make sure you’ve saved the date with friends and family who are also welcome to attend.

Until next term……

Kylie Campbell

Principal

Futures are Bright at Weeden Heights!

From the Department of Education:

Stay Well this Winter

In Victoria, influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection numbers are high among children aged 5 to 11 years, particularly in those in their first few years of school. The Victorian Department of Health expects more respiratory infections over Term 3.

Most children with flu or RSV have a mild fever, runny nose or cough. Some children, particularly babies and children with underlying medical conditions, may have more severe illness.

Keeping our school community well

Parents, carers and students are encouraged to:

· wash and sanitise their hands regularly

· avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

· cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing · stay at home if unwell and consult a general practitioner (GP) or NURSE-ON-CALL as needed

· stay up to date with flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

Flu vaccinations

Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your family from getting the flu. Annual flu vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older. As part of the National Immunisation Program, it is free for:

· Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and older

· children aged 6 months to under 5 years

· people aged 6 months or older with underlying medical conditions.

Flu vaccinations can be booked through GPs, pharmacies or your local council immunisation service.

Find out more

For more information about staying safe this winter, refer to: · Stay well this winter on the Better Health Channel, translated into 16 languages · Influenza and immunisation on the Better Health Channel · Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) on the Better Health Channel · Getting vaccinated against influenza.

Reminder: School Community Safety Order Scheme (from the Department of Education)

Schools are positive places of learning where everyone has a right to a safe and healthy learning environment. Schools are also workplaces, and school staff deserve to work in an environment where they don’t feel threatened or unsafe.

From Term 3, 2022, the School Community Safety Order Scheme (Scheme) came into effect in all Victorian schools. This Scheme allows principals and other authorised persons to issue ongoing or immediate school community safety orders that place limitations on the way certain parents, carers or other adults who act in a harmful, abusive or threatening way behave towards staff, students or others in the school community. Click here for more information about the Scheme, including a short video that provides an overview of the Scheme.

This Scheme provides a range of safeguards for people who may be subject to an order and their child. For example, before issuing an ongoing school community safety order, an authorised person must consider the person’s response to the notice to issue an order and how an order may impact their child. Orders can only be issued as a last resort option if it is the least restrictive option to address the behaviour. To read more about the protections built into the Scheme for parents, carers and other adults who may be subject to an order (including information on appeal rights), access the Department’s website.

Everyone at school, particularly staff and parents/carers, play a role in making school a better place for learning and work. The Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy outlines the shared roles of parents, carers and school staff in creating a positive environment for learning.
Our mutual objective is to support your child’s education. To do this, we ask that feedback and complaints are both constructive and respectful. Parents are reminded to follow the school’s complaints policy or process or the Department’s Complaints Policy if you wish to raise any constructive and respectful feedback.
You can find the Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy and other resources to build a positive relationship with our school community here.

Reports and Portfolios