Foundation 

Don't forget to register for the Parent Cybers Safety Workshop 7pm March 2 https://bit.ly/vermontps-ps

Dear Parents,

We have had some very busy weeks and it’s about to get busier! 

Starting from Monday 27th February, we will be coming to school every Wednesday from now on. Your children will be tired and we have found that they are exhausted by Thursday afternoons. If you can avoid after any extra school activities over the next few weeks, it may help your child (and family!) adjust to being at school full time. 

We also attended our first Assembly and the students did a great job in listening and watching the rest of the school. 

Upcoming events for your diary

Week 6

Monday 27th Feb – First full week at school – Students are to attend school on Wednesdays from this week onwards.

Thursday 2nd March – Ysafe Cybersafety Parent Evening 7pm-8pm (see the link above)

Week 7

Monday 6th March – Assembly 9.10am

Tuesday 7th March - Parents with English as an Additional Language Information night - 6:30pm – 8:00pm 

Thursday 9th March – Parents and Literacy Night 2 – Writing 6.30pm-8pm

Friday 10th March – School Photos (at school)

Foundation Family Picnic 5pm-7pm in the Foundation playground (next to the Art Room)

Week 8

Monday 13th March – Labour Day Public Holiday. 

No students at school (No Out of School Hours Program is available). 

Week 9

Monday 20th March – Assembly 9.10am

*Parent Teacher Interviews start this week (more information will be given in future newsletters).

Week 10

Monday 27th March – Cultural Diversity Assembly and Dress up day (more information in future newsletters)

Thursday 30th March – Curriculum Day (No students at school)

Week 11

Thursday 6th April  – Last day of Term 1. 2:30pm Dismissal. 

Pink Notices to Return

2023 Internet Agreement F-2 – this form needs to be returned so your child can participate in Digitech.

Internet Site Agreement Form

Medical Notification Forms (if applicable to your child)

Library Bags

Library bags – bring each Monday WITH the book inside.  Your child will be unable to borrow a new book if they are missing either their old library book to return, or the library bag to take the new book home. Please encourage your child to keep the book and the bag together and place them in their school bag when you are finished reading it. 

Arrival at School

Our school day starts at 8.57am when the children come inside, unpack their bags and are ready to start learning at 9am. We find that children are the most settled at school when they are in the line up and ready to come in with the rest of their class. 

If your child arrives after 9am, please sign them in at the Office before walking them into our corridor. 

Blue Folders and Reader Covers

The book inside the reader cover is changed every Monday and Thursday in Term 1. When you have finished reading the book, please put it back inside the reader cover. 

The reader cover and book need to be in the blue folder when it is returned to school each day. Our books are slowly going missing as some students leave them at home and don’t bring them back. If you have any reader storybooks at home, please return them to school in the blue folder as soon as you can. 

Parents and Literacy Nights

We had a great night at the ‘Parents and Literacy’ Night on Thursday evening and we are looking forward to the next session on Thursday 9th March (6.30pm-8pm) for Writing. 

A session on Tuesday 28th February 2023, from 6:30pm – 8:00pm, will be held for Parents with English as an Additional Language. 

If you have any queries, please contact John Hoskin at Vermont Primary School on john.hoskin@education.vic.gov.au.

Party Invitations

Parties are very exciting times for children and we understand that not all the children can be invited to every party. We are happy to help you pass on invitations to your child’s classmates and friends in other grades. If you have invitations, please let your child’s teacher know and we will discretely place them in the blue folders of the other children. 

Foundation Family Picnic - Friday 10th March 5pm - 7pm

We are having a Foundation Family Picnic at School in the Foundation Playground on Friday 10th March from 5pm to 7pm (weather permitting!) 

All Foundation families are encouraged to attend as it is a wonderful opportunity to meet other parents and teachers who are sharing this exciting year with your child.  

We are holding a sausage sizzle with sausages in bread and a vegetarian option on offer for $2.50 each. 

Please click on this link and to let us know if you would like to order sausages or the vegetarian option https://forms.office.com/r/mGX7NshNwN by Wednesday 1st March, so we have enough for everyone. There will be some extras if you change your mind on the night and would like to buy some.  

Alternatively, bring your own dinner and drinks, and chairs or picnic rugs to set up on our new grassed area of the Playground.  

Please mark this event on your calendar, we are looking forward to seeing you there. 

 School Uniform

Hats must be proper school hats (with the logo) that cover the children’s faces and ears. School hats are mandatory for all outside activities in Term 1 and 4. Please ensure that your child’s hat is clearly named and in their school bag every day.  From next week onwards, children without hats will need to stay in the shade and will be unable to play on the equipment without a hat. Involve your child in packing their school bag each day so they know where to find their hat in their bag. 

Sunscreen

With this run of sunny weather that we are having, the question of sunscreen has been raised. Students will need to bring their own sunscreen to school and apply it to their own arms, legs, necks and faces. Due to allergies and child safety guidelines, teachers are unable to either supply sunscreen or put it on students. 

Snacks and Lunches

As the children are getting used to the snack and lunch routine, we are finding that some children are unwilling to eat what’s in their lunchboxes at times because they don’t like it. 

A great way of involving your child in preparing their lunchboxes starts in the supermarket. Ask your child to make a list and to shop with you to get healthy snacks and lunches they are willing to eat independently. This will give them enough energy to get through the day to learn and play. 

Classroom Assistance

In Foundation we have many events which require parental support at school and on excursions. If you are considering helping at any stage during the year (eg. Digitech, excursions or classroom reading), please apply for a Working With Children Card this term so we are able to include you on our lists for these events from Term 2 onwards. The forms are available online.

Absense Notes

If your child is away for any reason, please update this in Sentral. We require this notification for legal purposes.

Literacy

Continue to read with your child every night and sign their reading log.  Talk about the story, interesting words or ideas that come from the text. 

Over the next two weeks we introduce the lower case sounds ‘b, f, e, l, h, sh, r’. We have covered the sounds for m, a, s, d, t, I, n, p, g, o, c, k, u’. It is very important that children attend school every day as we introduce new sounds daily to help them begin to read independently.

Numeracy

• Counting rhymes. 
• Written formation of numerals. 
• Numbers 6, 7, 8 and 9. 

Your child’s log-in and password for Mathletics are also stuck in their reader folder ready for use. These tasks are optional and are best completed with your child as many of the questions require reading and interpretation. 

We understand that the children are at different levels of understanding with all aspects of Mathematics. We encourage children to work through all of the activities, even if they are easy. In this way, they are consolidating their learning and ensuring they are accurate with their answers. 

Your child is also practising using the mouse in Digitech and is encouraged to use it at home to answer the questions. Talk to them about being eSmart with log-ins and keeping passwords safe (by only sharing with your parents and teachers). 

Named belongings

Please ensure that all clothing, lunch boxes and drink bottles are clearly named. This will ensure that if they are misplaced, they will be returned to their owner as soon as possible. Please understand that it may take a few days for your child’s lost item to be returned to their classroom. If you buy a new item of clothing (eg hat, jacket or jumper), please write your child’s name on it before they wear it to school. 

If you have them, stickers are best used for drink bottles and iron on labels for hats and jackets. Unfortunately stickers fall off hat labels or the insides of hats and jackets, so even writing their name on the label is better. 

Show and Tell Timetable

Each week there will be different letters to base our Show and Tell on. These letters will have been taught in the previous week and will provide further opportunities for revision. 

Although it is not mandatory to complete Show and Tell every week we highly encourage children to bring it as regularly as possible as it is a vital component in the Speaking and Listening strand of the curriculum. Show and Tell is a great way for students to gain confidence speaking in front of their peers, as well as a chance for them to practise listening respectfully to others. 

Please feel free to be creative with the letter themes each week. For example in Week 4 when we are learning the letters m, a, s, d, students could bring in a photo or their favourite toy!

Soccer Program - exclusive time for preps

Some of you may be aware that the the school offers a Soccer program before and after school for student. This is run through the Futbal First Academy, and is a great way for student to learn about soccer, and be involved in a team activity. 

The program has been running for a few months now, and the Academy would like to offer a special 'Foundation Students only' session that will allow for our littlest students to engage in the program comfortable. Please see the information below, and contact Neb if you have any questions.