Welcome Back

Last term was an unusually long beginning to the school year, being a full ten weeks, so I hope all our families and staff had an opportunity to relax over the break.

I am sure that everyone echoes my sentiments in wishing Principal Michele, as she is so fondly referred to by the Foundation students, a well deserved eight weeks of Long Service Leave. We look forward to seeing her back for the start of Term 3. During this time, Michelle Di Giovanni will be stepping into the role of acting Assistant Principal. There is certainly a lot happening in a relatively short Term 2.

Assessment and Reporting

Term 2 is characteristically known as a Reporting term. Teachers continue to undertake a variety of pre, post and ongoing assessments with students as they prepare written reports for parents/carers around their child’s progress over Semester 1. As part of our Assessment and Reporting program, teachers have a Professional Practice Day on Friday 2nd June (Week 6) to moderate student assessments. Please ensure you mark this date in your calendar as this is a pupil free day. The Out of School Hours Care Program will operate a full day program on this day if there is sufficient student numbers to make it practical. Please contact James, our Out of School Hours Care Coordinator to register your interest ( oshc@oakleighps.vic.edu.au ).

Reports will go home in the last week of term. More information around reports will be featured in our next newsletter issue.

Future Enrolments 2024

May is also known as Education month. During this time schools provide opportunities to showcase their school to the wider community as parents/carers of Yr 6 and Kinder students make decisions around their child’s primary and secondary education. School Tours and Information Nights are invaluable in gaining a feel for a school and finding out what makes them unique to neighbouring schools. While all Government schools are GREAT SCHOOLS, uphold Department values and teach to the Victorian Curriculum, each school will have different goals, programs and priorities which differentiate them from other local schools.

Last week across the state, primary schools began distributing Yr 6-7 Government School Placement Application forms for 2024. I highly recommend Yr 6 parents attend any Information Evenings on offer. Tours are usually advertised on school websites.

Tours at Oakleigh PS for future Foundation students in 2024 are currently promoted on our website. If you, or family and friends that you know of, are interested in sending your child to Oakleigh next year, please check availability for tours across the term and reserve a place though the office as they are filling fast.

This year the Department has made changes to the Foundation Enrolment Process, which now includes set timelines across the state.

Students residing within our school zone are guaranteed a place at our school, which is determined based on a family’s permanent residential address. Our school manages enrolments using the Placement Policy to ensure that students have access to their designated neighbourhood school or those who may enrol from outside of the school zone, if there are available places.

To find out your closest school go to findmyschool.vic.gov.au which hosts the most up-to-date information on school zones in Victoria.

Contact our school on 9568 0558 or via email at oakleighps@education.vic.gov.au to join a school tour or to learn more about our school and enrolment application process.

Enrolment applications for Foundation students 2024 should be received by Friday 28 July 2023.

Parents/Carers will be notified of the outcome of applications by Friday 11 August 2023.

Enrolment applications submitted after 28 July 2023 will be processed by our school as they are received, in accordance with the department’s Placement Policy.

Volunteers – We need you!

The last newsletter saw me talking to the impact volunteering can have on student connectedness and outcomes. We are again looking for volunteers to help with our Working Bee this coming Sunday, 7th May. As the saying goes many hands make light work. It would be great to see volunteers from across the school pitching in to lend a hand to continue the great work our volunteer gardeners undertake, along with members of our Building and Grounds Committee. Parents/Carers can register their assistance by phoning or emailing the school, or stopping by the office. We would love to have numbers confirmed by Thursday afternoon so that we can allocate jobs across the day and cater for lunch. A barbecue lunch is provided for those shifts immediately before or after lunch. Michelle and I look forward to seeing lots of families on the day.

This year one of our Year 4 mums has also volunteered to coordinate one of the most loved events on the school calendar – the Mother’s Day Stall. Fiona Mackrell is putting a call out for volunteers to help with set up on the day as well over the course of the morning. Please look at signing up if you can, to ensure its continued success again this year.

Finally, a big thank you to those parents/carers and staff who gave of their time to man a Bunnings sausage sizzle at the end of last term to assist in raising funds for sports uniforms. Thank you also to those families and businesses who supported the fundraiser through food donations. It was an amazing event with an equally outstanding amount raised of over $2500. A big thank you goes to Sam Wood for his coordination of the event.

Bronwyn Orr

Acting Principal

bronwyn.orr@education.vic.

Oakleigh PS Newsletter

Issue 3 · 02 May 2023

In this issue