Dear Parents & Community

It's difficult to believe that the end of term is upon us. Reports will be coming home soon and it's a great time to reflect on student achievements and set goals both at home and at school to support those students who are excelling, those who are working well and those who might benefit from some targeted support.

Education is not a linear journey for any of us. There are peaks and troughs, periods of acceleration and periods of plateau to pause and reflect before moving forward again.

Half way through the year is a good time to talk to children about goal setting for semester 2.

Reporting is timely to remember that we are all partners in learning, parent, teacher and student, and when we are all on the same page, travelling in the same direction we maximise potential and create opportunities for excellence.

Grade 5 Camp

Next week Year 5s are off to Camp Coonawarra. We will be heading off by bus quite early Monday morning. We anticipate that the buses will leave from Tate Street and will need to reverse down the street. Please do not park at the end of Tate street near the school. A teacher will be there with a STOP sign to help the drivers.

I suggest you park in Ailsa Grove and inter through the OSHC gate. Remember to rug up as it is often colder in the country than metropolitan Melbourne. A warm beanie is a must (maybe bed socks). Definately rug up. That said - it is Victoria so pack some sunscreen too.

If you were in leading ...

When my girls were growing up we would sit around the dinner table, and I would ask them what they had learned that day that was new. Sometimes it was like pulling teeth.

I worked with the Year 6 students and asked them to consider what decisions they would make if they were a) Principal of IPS, b) Prime minister of Australia, and c) World minister. Some responses were amusing, some seriously thoughtful, but all unique. Like them really! Some responses might surprise you and make for great dinner table conversations.

1. Principal

If I were Principal of I.P.S I would try to talk with the government about making school start at a later time and finish later. Free Quelch’s on hot days at the canteen.

2. Prime minister

Help the homeless with finding better clothes so they are more likely to get a job or education. Make a building for everyone.

3. World minister

No more gender pay gaps! No more plastic that isn’t needed to help global warming.

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1. Principal

I would lower the prices at the canteen for icy poles and snacks.

2. Prime minister

I would give homeless people a shelter to live in.

3. World minister

Pay kids to go to school. Make everything free.

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1. Principal

I would remove the portables on the oval and on the old basketball court and put them somewhere else. Make lunch and recess longer and earlier in the day.

2. Prime minister

Less pollution and litter and more gardens/nature. Less tax.

3. World minister

No wars. No homeless people. No pollution/litter. More parks and nature reserves.

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Read more on the "If I were the leader..." page.

Year 4L Leader Local Grant Finalist

Leader Local Grant Finalist - Student Voice

Grade 4L are successful finalists in the Leader Local Grants competition. 4L are thrilled that they are finalists in their submission for a grant with the local Leader newspaper.

They have applied for the money to build a GaGa Pit. A GaGa pit is a wooden hexagonal enclosure whereby you use a large soft ball for a game similar to dodge ball.

“As Grade 4s we strongly believe this would be a great space for our whole school. We saw a GaGa pit on our camp in Phillip Island earlier this year. It was extremely popular!”

They now need your help to win the grant. The idea that gains the most votes wins.

Please select the link below to vote.

https://www.leaderlocalgrants.com.au/gaga-pit-for-ivanhoe-primary-school/?sf_action=get_data&sf_data=all&sf_paged=9

Pokemon & Footy Cards & Convedrsdations

Sadly there has been a growing incidence of Pokemon cards and Football cards disappearing from lockers and bags at school . Students bring their treasured cards to school to play with, talk about and swap or trade.

I have suggested to students; that if they are trading cards they bring only 1 or 2 to school as they are easier to keep track of; that they do not bring precious possessions to school; that it is okay to admire and want to have the same card as someone else but to ask a parent for it as a reward for doing something good etc.

If new cards turn up at home please ask how they were procured. Whether found, swapped or gifted let's reward good behaviour and call out mistakes in judgement as powerful lessons to move forward on.

Couch conversations in terms of school values and extol the virtues of:

HONESTY

You are only as good as your word. Being honest is sometimes difficult, but it is the bedrock of character. A house is only as strong as its foundation.

COMPASSION

The ability to step outside of yourself and perform an act of selflessness: this is the foundation of compassion. To be compassionate is to value others above yourself for the sole purpose of contributing to the greater good.

RESPECT

The respect you show to others is a reflection of your self respect. For this reason, respect is something you do for yourself. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with others, but you simply value yourself enough to give others respect.

I have spoken with a number of classes about personal property and I struggle with the decision to ban them from school as they create a lot of joy and provide a playtime focus for those not as interested in the traditional playtime sports and activities. In the meantime encourage your child to keep the special ones at home.

Battle of the Bands

What a wonderful event. Our students were amazing and the performances worthy of any TV variety program. Thank you to the performers, the parents who helped set up the stages and equipment, the audience of parents, guardians and grandparents, the behind the scenes teachers and our wonderful music teacher Mrs Morrow without whose boundless energy, enthusiasm and belief in the students this, and other events, would not be possible. Listen to a harmony on the Music page. Or click this link.

Cross Country Regionals

We had four students compete on Thursday in the regional cross country and they were amazing. Ruby, Poppy, Finn and Matt all ran exceptionally well with two going through to the State Cross Country on the 19th of July. Finn came 3rd and Matt 8th with Ruby and Poppy not far behind.

Woolworths Earn & Learn

Thank you Francine in the office for once again coordinating the Woolworths Earn & Learn Program. When you shop at Woolworths you can collect Woolworths Earn & Learn Stickers. For every $10 spent (excluding liquor, tobacco, and gift cards), you will receive 1 Earn & Learn Sticker. Collect as many as you can and fill up a Sticker Sheet or our put them in the box outside the school office. Last year we redeemed these stickers for over $4000 of school resources. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, please ask at the Office.

This weeks happenings at school

In Year 2 the students were learning about the importance of water to our bodies.

In Year 1 the students were exploring measurement with their teachers and parents as partners.

Jump Rope For Heart was this week and just for Foundation to Year 2. It was marvellous to see so many students persevere and learn to skip or just get better at it. This was due to the efforts of Mrs Blanas (PE) and her skipping rope stations in the playground. Parents were invited in on Wednesday to be a part of the fun.

IPS Student Podcasts

Today's newsletter marks our second foray into the world of podcasting and over time students will take over as interviewee as well as interviewer.

Today we ask Poppy T, Chloe G, Amelia F and Femi S what it's like to be a Foundation student at school.

Favourite things about school.

What I like to do outside.

To be a small person in a big playground.

What I like to learn about.

Mathematics

An animation to support families to engage in conversations about mathematics and numeracy in everyday activities. An animated video of the Everyday Maths - Outdoors with captioned text is available for use. Explore maths everyday with your children as you walk, talk..

Finally

Congratulations to Indigo M of the 10th Ivanhoe Scout Troop on earning the highest scouting honour the Grey Wolf. To attain the top award in each of the five sections of scouting reflects initiative in tackling challenges involving self discipline, teamwork and leadership over a sustained period of time. Only a small percentage reach this level. Well done from all of us at IPS on your achievement.

We have a great school - let's strive to make it better!

I hope to see you in the school grounds.

Mark Kent

(Principal)

http://www.ivanhoeps.vic.edu.au/

Confidence, Independence, Persistence, Resilience, Respect

Stars of the Week

Our IPS Stars