Principal and Assistant Principal's Page

Principal's Report

Students continue to be settled into school life. The weather has been pleasant, but not too hot, but it will warm up later in the week. Please make sure your child has their school hat.

Parents as Partners

Last week I sent out an Operoo post informing the community about our Parents as Partners night on Wednesday 22nd February.

We have organised ‘meet and greet’ sessions with parents

• Years 1-6- 15-minute time slots in classrooms- English and Japanese Teachers- 2-4 families (depending on grade numbers) in each room starting at 4.15pm
• Foundation- 1:1 interviews with English and Japanese Teachers- 10 minute time slots

Parents will need to access the online booking system (link below) to make an appointment time. You must make an appointment time.

During your session, the classroom teacher will give you a pack of key information about your child’s learning. In return we ask you to fill in a form detailing some basic information about your child and their learning to help build an understanding between the parents and teacher. It is a google form that can be accessed at: 

https://forms.gle/oy64wA6Wug6VLMyt8

We hope you take this opportunity to meet your child’s teachers to develop a strong working partnership between home and school.

Annual Implementation Plan

The Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) is a document which outlines the one-year goals and strategies of the school. It is created using the goals in the 4 Year Strategic Plan. Over the next few newsletters, I will outline the key goals in our 2023 AIP. The first goal is a common goal across all Victorian Government Schools.

2023 Priority- Learning Dimension- Support both those who need scaffolding and those who have thrived to continue to extend their learning, especially in numeracy.

At Huntingdale we will 

• Consolidate a bilingual approach to teaching mathematics in F-5, focusing on language and reasoning skills, meeting students' individual learning needs and improving learning growth
• Consolidate the Tutor Learning Initiative across the school targeting students who are behind the expected level in numeracy and literacy, targeting students in Year 2, 3 & 4.

Undokai- 7 March

We are looking forward to Undokai (Japanese Sports Night) as part of our school social and cultural calendar.

Undokai is a Japanese inspired sports and games community event, which will be held on our school oval. The details are as follows:

Date- 7 March

Family Picnic- From 5.00pm

Activities start- around 6.00pm

Estimated finish time- 7.30pm

Families are to bring their own picnic food, rug/chairs to view the games. Please make sure you bring a bag to take your own rubbish home.

Watashi Mo will be selling zooper doopers on the night, so bring some loose change.

Please note that Hokkaido and Honshu house children wear Aka (red) t-shirt if they have them, while the Shikoku and Kyushu house children wear Shiro (White) t-shirt if they have them. Teachers will remind students which team they will be on

On the night we will have a staff v parents relay race.  We will let you know how soon how to become involved in the race!

Year 6 Tops 

The 2023 Year 6 tops have arrived. Students voted on the choice of the colour top and the design on both the jacked and top.

Jessie, Abby and Sophie are showcasing the jacket.

Louie, Mars, Hideki and Leo are modelling the top.

You will agree they all look great!

13th February- National Apology Day

On 13 February 2008, then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally and publicly apologised, on behalf of the Federal Government, to the Stolen Generations- the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children that were forcibly removed from their families and communities by successive colonial and Australian Governments. 

This is a significant day in our history and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. 

At Huntingdale PS we have a Cultural Understanding Plan for the year and will share with you major events related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. We aim to weave education about our nation’s first people into all inquiry units we undertake.

International Mother Language Day

21 February it is International Mother Tongue Day.

The aim of this day is to recognise that keeping up your ‘family’ language is as important as learning English or any other second or third language.

In fact, students who know and learn more than one language are able to make connections between languages and it also helps them overall with learning. The Department of Education and Training have information for parents about language learning. Please visit the website:

https://www.vic.gov.au/speak-your-child-language-you-know-best

Hinamatsuri Display

Hinamatsuri (雛祭り), also called Doll's Day or Girls' Day, is a holiday in Japan, celebrated on 3 March of each year. Platforms covered with a red carpet–material are used to display a set of ornamental dolls (雛人形, hina-ningyō) representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period. 

In the library we have our display of the dolls which students can view. Please click this link to find out more about the festival.

https://livejapan.com/en/aricle-a0000994/

Cultural Diversity Week

Huntingdale will be celebrating Cultural Diversity Week beginning 20th March. 

We are having a special assembly on Monday 20th March at 9.10am. We are having some performance from our choirs, taiko and ukulele groups.

If your child or group of children has a special talent to showcase cultural diversity, we are happy to include this on the program. The students will need to be prepared to perform outdoors in front of a large crowd and be able to be heard. 

If you are interested, please email the school.

District Swimming

Yesterday a number of students competed in the Oakleigh District Swimming Competition. Well done to the following students: 

Patrick- 1st in 50m freestyle and breaststroke

Lea- 2nd in 50m freestyle

Gabby- 4th in 50m freestyle

Kynam- 5th is 50m freestyle

Patrick and Lea will progress to the Division round. Thank you to Mr Tolliday for attending the event with these students and, together with the parents,  for getting up so early!!

Student Wellbeing at Huntingdale

At Huntingdale, we use a number of wellbeing frameworks at the school to teach social and emotional learning. Over the course of the year, I will detail some of these.

‘Play is the Way’ is the central wellbeing program at the school. It teaches social skills through games and its objectives are to:

• Assist students, staff and parents to create a safe learning environment in which students are taught to be independent, self-regulating, self-motivated learnings in persistent pursuit of their personal best and be able to get along with each other
• Develop students of strong character and decency with the social and emotional competencies to live and learn well
• Foster empathetic students, considerate of themselves, each other and the world in which they live with sound and reasons for the things they say and do

There are five key norms which state our behaviour expectations:

Have a great fortnight!

Ruth Biddle

Principal 

Assistant Principal's Report

Welcome to the 2023 school year! I trust everyone had a fabulous summer holiday. It has been wonderful hearing about students’ holidays- many have been overseas, taking trips to the beach, watching movies and relaxing!  I had a fantastic holiday. I feel refreshed and am really happy to back at school.

1st Children’s Assembly

We have our children’s assembly Monday fortnightly from 2:55pm approximately on the basketball court. School leaders will lead the assembly in English and Japanese and celebrate children’s learning. Parents are very welcome to join in.

We had our first assembly on 6th February this year with our new school leaders leading the event. It will be a great learning opportunity for them and they did very well for their first one. I am looking forward to seeing their growth over the year as leaders. 

It was also the Foundation children’s first assembly. They were so ready to be on the basketball court for the assembly and listened well for the whole time. It is wonderful to celebrate each of their stepping stones. On the alternative Monday afternoons, students will have a bilingual wellbeing session with both English and Japanese teachers.

The assembly dates for Term 1 are: 

Mon 6 Feb, Mon 20 Feb, Mon 6 March, Mon 20 March (starting at 9,10am), Thu 6 April (last day of Term)

Creating Our Learning Community (COLC)

For the first four weeks of school all classes are completing our ‘Creating Our Learning Community’ (COLC) unit of work. This unit focuses on creating a positive learning atmosphere in the classroom which will set up learning for the year. Throughout the unit,  students review our school values which are strongly linked to the ‘Play is the Way’ virtues. A key component of COLC is students working together with both their English and Japanese teachers in the same sessions to build common language and learning protocols, which will be mirrored both in English and Japanese sessions throughout the year. Our aim is for the students in each class to build a strong rapport and identity with all of their teachers which will be vital for the success not only this year but in years to come.

WATASHIMO (Parent’s Association)

Watashi Mo had their first meeting for the year with an all new committee! They are refreshed and excited about the new year, with new members bringing great ideas and passion to the group. 

Watashi Mo is a parent run committee that not only helps fundraise for the school but create a great community atmosphere and the committee would love to see more parents engaged in Watashi Mo and /or the Watashi Mo events. They would love feedback from the school community about what events are important to them and what else they would like from Watashi Mo. A survey will be sent out in the upcoming weeks, even if you cannot be involved, all responses are useful to us.

The events that have been discussed and scheduled for this year are in the attached document.

Event Opportunity

JCV会員のみなさま

3月13日月曜日（レイバーデーのため祝日）8：00-13：00

お神輿の担ぎ手を募集いたします。

参加者には感謝状が進呈されます。

是非ご協力ください。

お申し込みはこちらから

https://www.jcv-au.org/moomba-parade/view/form

Recruitment for Moomba Parade 2023 VolunteersPortable Shrine Carrier

 8:00-13:00 Mon 13th Mar 2023

Join us at 8:00 @Sidney Myer Music Bowl (JCV's Red Flag)

JCV offers an appreciation certificate to you.

Application Form: https://www.jcv-au.org/moomba-parade/view/form

Japan Club of Victoria

Email:info@jcv-au.org

Student Support Services

A major part of my role as Assistant Principal is to coordinate the student support services at the school. This includes the DOE (Department of Education)  speech pathology, psychology and social worker services, as well as outside agencies. I also facilitate additional programs in the school such as EAL (English as an Additional Language), Literacy, Wellbeing and Maths support.

If you have any concerns about your child’s education, please see the classroom teacher first. They can then discuss options. 

It is also important if your child has received outside assistance such as speech pathology, psychology, occupational therapy and so on that your inform the school. The classroom teacher may ask if you have any reports so we can keep them on file at school. This will enable your child’s teachers to implement any recommendations and adjust the teaching program accordingly. 

If you have any further questions, please come and see me.

Have a great fortnight.

Naomi Mori-Hanazono