Newsletter No.5 30th May · the survey results to plan programs and activities to improve your...

Responsible Respectful Learners

Newsletter No.5 30th May 2019

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Halfway through the term

It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through Term 2, so much has happened in such a little space

of time. I just wanted to share with you all what the students and staff have been involved in to date:

- Anzac Day Assembly

- School Photos

- Year 4 Excursion to the MCG

- Year 5/6 MPSSA Soccer

- MPSSA Cross Country

- Prep Incursion on Financial Literacy

- Year Level and Sub School Assemblies

- Year 3 Stress Busters Incursions

- Year 5/6 MPSSA Inter School Sport

- NAPLAN for Students in Year’s 3 & 5

- Year 3/4 Athletics Day

- Year 5/6 Athletics Day

- Classroom Library Launch

- STEM Night

End of the School Day

There are times at which Melbourne traffic can be unforgiving and I understand that there are incidences

when parents are late in collecting their children. We are able to make accommodations when this is a rare

occurrence. We cannot, however, supervise children until 4pm each day. Our administrative staff should

not be responsible for looking after children on a continual basis. If this issue does arise, we will organise for

your child/ren to attend after-school care, at your own cost.

NAPLAN Testing

I would like to thank the parents of students in Years 3 and 5 for the support and encouragement that you

gave your child who sat 4 days of NAPLAN Testing in Literacy and Numeracy. It can be a stressful time for

students, but I know that a lot of work is done at school assisting students to understand and prepare for

sitting and working through an assessment booklet. Well done to all the students who sat the test and all

that could be asked of you was that you tried to do your best on the day, which I am sure you did. The school,

parents and students will not know the results of these tests until September.


STEM Night

Thank you to everyone (600+ people) who attended our Family STEM night. We had a terrific number of

families attend and it was lovely to see families enjoying STEM activities together and taking time to discuss

a variety of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths concepts. I would like to sincerely thank all the

staff for their enthusiasm and organisation during the evening.

I was so proud of our School Community in the way it supported this event and celebrated the learning of all

students.

Classroom Library Launch

Thank you to all the families who shared the afternoon with our students exploring the 7541 new books at our school. It was great to see the students reading, sharing and discussing the books with fellow students and parents. The level of excitement with these new books has been tremendous. Other fundraising events throughout the year (colour run) will continue to allow us to purchase more books. Be sure to ask your child/ren about the new books they are reading in class.


Curriculum Day

While our students may have had a little sleep-in on Friday, our staff were hard at work unpacking elements of ‘The Writing Hour’ and the approaches to implementing this into the classroom. Informed by research, analysis and feedback, the framework of the writing hour will be strengthened and enhanced.

It was a hugely beneficial day and I would like to thank Sara McKee and the Teaching & Learning Coaches

for planning and facilitating this professional learning.

Reports

Teachers have begun writing accurate and informative Student Reports explaining the learning and progress your child has made throughout Terms 1 and 2. Your child will be assessed against each learning area that is appropriate for their grade level. Student achievement is assessed against the Victorian Curriculum F-10 achievement standards or the Level A to D continuum to show student progress towards achieving the pre-foundation standards. Along with this is a chart showing your child’s level of effort and class behaviour. Classroom teachers have also written comments about your child’s achievement and skill development in English and Mathematics. These comments will assist you to understand the rating they have been given in these areas. You will also read comments about your child’s personal and social learning habits. This area of the report will enable you to gain an understanding of how your child relates to others at school and how they are managing their learning within the classroom. There will also be comments outlining the future learning goals your child will be working towards in order to enhance their development.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

As part of the Wedge Park Assessment and Reporting Policy, we will be conducting Parent Teacher Interviews on Thursday 27th June 2019, from 12:00pm-6:45pm. Students are not required at school on this day. This is for parents/guardians only. This meeting will be an opportunity for you to discuss your child’s progress and report. We are using COMPASS as our online booking system, which has already been made available. Please ensure you get on quickly to get the time you need. Specialist teachers are also available on this night as well.

Celebration of Learning

I am pleased to share with you the date for our Celebration of Learning. I know our students will be eager for this opportunity to share their learning with their families. During this session, the students will share their Semester 1 Learning Portfolios. When: Tuesday 25th June Time: 2:10pm Where: Classrooms


Student Clothing

Please ensure that your child’s clothing is clearly labelled with their name and class. This will ensure that, if they accidentally leave a jacket or hat in the playground, it will be returned to them and not end up in the lost property cupboard. Parents are also asked to regularly check the clothing that is brought home, to ensure it does in fact belong to your child and has not been mistakenly taken.

Education Support Staff Day

On Friday 17th May, we held a special morning tea in recognition of the fantastic work of our Education

Support Staff. Each grade made our ES staff something special and thanked them for everything they do.

ES Day sees thousands of personnel across the globe recognised and celebrated for the contribution they

make to our students and our schools. Victoria has celebrated ES staff since 2000 – first as SSO Week,

then ES Month, then National Support Staff Week. The support our ES staff provide for students with

additional needs is an integral part of the WPPS community and I thank them on behalf of all.

Attitudes to School Survey

We want our students to tell us what they think!

At WPPS we value student voice as a means to improving student engagement, wellbeing and quality

instruction and are conducting a survey to find out what your child thinks of our school. The Attitudes to

School Survey is an annual student survey offered by the Department of Education and Training to assist

schools in gaining an understanding of students' perceptions and experience of school. Our school will use

the survey results to plan programs and activities to improve your child's schooling experience.

Students from Year 4 to 6 at our school will participate in the survey. Your child will complete the survey

online during school hours using a purpose built secure online survey tool. It is important to note that we are

not in any way “testing” your child.

Your child will be provided with a unique login to complete the survey. The student login is an assigned

identifier that may be used to link data for statistical and research purposes only. All responses to the survey

are kept anonymous in the response file. Personal identification data will not be recorded in the survey

response file. This ensures that the confidentiality of your child’s responses is protected at all times.

This year the Attitudes to School survey will be conducted at our school over the period Monday 20 May to

Friday 3 June. The survey only takes 20 minutes to complete and occurs during your child's class time.

If you would like more information, please speak to Ms Stevenson.

Woolworths Earn and Learn Program

Woolworths Earn & Learn is back and it is now easier than ever to earn valuable equipment for your Primary School, Secondary School or Early Learning Centre. In our last campaign, more than 16,000 schools and Early Learning Centres benefited from the program, boosting supplies in classrooms, libraries, music rooms, gymnasiums and science labs. It's simple to participate. From Wednesday 1st May and Tuesday 25th June 2019

or while stock lasts, when you shop at Woolworths you can collect Woolworths Earn & Learn Stickers from

the checkout operator, via team members at the self-service checkout or through an online order and place

them on a Woolworths Earn & Learn Sticker Sheet. There will be one Woolworths Earn & Learn Sticker for

every $10 spent (excluding liquor, tobacco, and gift cards). Once completed, simply place the Sticker Sheet

in the Collection Box at the Office.


Keeping Students Well as we Move into Winter

When the seasons change, we often see some students becoming unwell and missing school. At Wedge

Park Primary School, ‘everyday counts’ and so with the colder weather upon us... here are some tips for

keeping our children well so they can be at school.

Wash Hands

Washing hands - regularly and

correctly - is the single most

effective way to prevent most winter

illnesses.

Teaching children 'cough etiquette,'

is also vital. Teach them to cough

or sneeze into a disposable tissue

or the inside of their elbow, instead

of simply coughing or sneezing onto

their hands – this will reduce the

spread of germs onto everything

they touch.

Dress Warmly

Make sure they are wearing their school uniform winter woollies! Layers help trap the warmth – and do not

forget navy blue scarves and beanies to cover icy ears, particularly on the walk to school.

Eat Well and Drink Water

Fill hungry tummies with lots of good, wholesome food. Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, proteins, grains

and dairy help to build natural immunity. You may not feel as thirsty in cold weather, but drinking water helps

to keep our systems fresh and flushed.

Get Plenty of Sleep

A good night’s sleep makes everyone more productive and keeps our immune systems operating well.

Children up to the age of 10 should get at least 10 hours of sleep per night and between 8-10 hours for

children aged 10+.

Less Screen Time – More Green Time

Outside play can help strengthen the immune system, as well as support healthy physical development.

Children still need a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity each day, so bundle up in weather-appropriate

layers and enjoy a walk, ride or game outside.

If your child does become sick and needs to rest at home, please remember to notify the school as soon as

possible ON or BEFORE THE DAY OF ABSENCE using one of the following methods:

COMPASS: log the absence directly using our Compass Parent Portal.

PHONE: the school office on 9743 7595 and let the staff know your child’s name, class, date of absence and

reason.


TEACHING & LEARNING REPORTS

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY Students in years 2 and 3 have been supported to use iPads in their classrooms. Grade 2 students have been exploring Keynote and Showbie to write and share their transactional texts (letters and postcards). Year 3 students have been exploring angles with the use of mBot.

Yr 2 Letter published in Keynote Yr 2 Postcard Design Exploring Angles with mBot

Year 6 students have been supported with Bloxels. They have researched a famous person and are now building and animating characters and artwork for their Bloxels games.

Albert

Einstein – Character Lets Show off the Light – Artwork Billie Eilish – Character A Popplet plan for a Bloxels games

YEAR 2/3 There are some wonderful things happening with the students learning in the Year 2/3 area this year. It has been so exciting to see the levels of engagement from the students during problem solving lessons in Maths this year. Seeing the strategies the students are using and the increased efficiency in their selection of strategies over the year has been amazing. Students are now experimenting with different strategies and taking a risk at trying to solve problems in different ways. The persistence and resilience they are displaying is excellent. This engagement can only be matched by the excitement of the arrival of the new books in our classroom libraries. Students are choosing books based on their own interests and engaging in a range of literature. Students are focusing on their reading goals during Independent Reading and are learning to use multiple reading and comprehension strategies at the same time.

3SL This Term in Numeracy, the Year 3’s have been learning all about angles. In geometry, there are different types of angles, we have been focusing on acute, right and obtuse angles. This week in 3SL Miss Leetham brought in digital technology that students were able to use to enhance their

learning. In small groups, students created a poster with their chosen angle. Students had to name and

label the features of that angle. They then used an mBot robot to follow trace the angles rays while they

recorded their understandings and uploaded a video to Showbie. Students thoroughly enjoyed using this

technology to enrich their learning of angles.


SPORTS NEWS

SOCCER - On Thursday 2nd of May, Wedge Park Primary School participated in

games of soccer against other schools from the Melton Community. The

intensity was high as both teams passed the ball around at great pace,

communicating well with each other and celebrating each small success

passionately. It was great to see the boys and girls teams working together to

both achieve a win and score some amazing team goals. Well done to everyone involved!

CROSS COUNTRY - On Wednesday 8th May the Wedge Park Cross Country

Team competed in the Melton Primary School District Cross Country at

MacPherson Park. All students tried their best and represented the school with

great pride. Wedge Park Primary School came third overall on the day, with a

number of students progressing onto the next round at Presidents Park in

Wyndham Vale. Thank you to all parents and guardians for coming along to

show support on the day. Good luck to the students progressing on.

ATHLETICS - On Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd May, Wedge Park Primary School Students in Years 3-6 travelled to Bridge Road Athletics Track for our annual School Athletics Carnival. On both days, students displayed great sportsmanship and had a go at all athletic events including, long jump, triple jump, 100 metre sprint and many more. Students challenged themselves and worked really well with the assistance of teachers to achieve excellent results!

Well done to winning house colours Merrimu (Yr 3/4) and Dunvegan (Yr 5/6). The points from both days and all year levels were calculated together to work out the overall winner. This year the winner is Merrimu!!

We look forward to progressing through to the next round where Wedge Park students will have the chance to compete against other schools from the Melton Community.


SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH SCHOOL ANXIETY

At any age, children can find going to school difficult. They may be very unwilling to get up, get ready; they

may feel sick, or complain of stomach/headaches; they may get angry or upset. The longer it goes on, the

more worrying it can be for the child and their parents.

Some children feel anxious about the thought of school when they are at home, but settle down during the

school day, while others only display anxiety while at school.

Some parents find their children’s distress at going to school so hard to bear they keep them at home, to

avoid daily upsets. It may seem like a solution, but doing this will confirm your child’s fears about school and

can make the problems much worse. It is really important to address these issues with the school and work

together. Here are some things that can help:

1. Tackle it early – the longer anxiety about school persists, the deeper it becomes.

2. Make sure their routines are consistent, including bedtime, mealtimes, homework, and fun. Promote a good night’s sleep.

3. Talk to the school – make us aware of what is going on so we can support you and your child, and agree on strategies to make things easier.

4. Talk to your child, listen to their fears and respect their feelings. Try out practical strategies that help them to be in control of their anxiety. For example, younger children could try a making a ‘worry box’ where at a certain time each day they write down their worry, post it in the box, close the lid and don't worry any more about it that day. For older children, involving them in anxiety-reducing activities like sports clubs, a creative hobby or youth groups. Encourage positive thinking strategies and remind them of times when they successfully engaged in activities or events that have been anxiety provoking.

Wedge Park Wellbeing Team

DOJO’S Congratulations to all students who continue to show school values and

receive Dojo’s. Fantastic effort by all!


OSHCLUB

Hello Families,

We have had such an action-packed term two this far! Our STEM corner has been such a success with the children. They love the sensory play through the light box and the colour mixing resources, as well as the indoor sandpit. We have implemented lots of science experiments including erupting volcano, apple explosion, colour walk, oil and water mix and water cycle in a bag. These experiments have sparked up lots of conversations and become great learning experiences for the children. Other STEM activities include marshmallow and toothpick towers, straw and tape challenge, cup tower building and loads more. It was great to be able to share this area with the school community that attended the school STEM night. The children enjoyed making and serving popcorn using the popcorn maker and handing out stickers to all that attended on the night, we hope you all had a fantastic evening and enjoyed your time at OSHClub. The children have also been really focusing on their weekly goals this term, working as a group and discussing what they feel needs to be focused on each week. Some examples of our goals this far were to create a STEM inspired QIP display, improve on packing up skills, practice and understand our OSHClub expectations, celebrate Mother’s Day or someone special to us and we are currently celebrating and recognizing reconciliation week. We have been so lucky to receive some resources and dress ups from one of the families that attend OSHClub sometimes and quite a few more families giving us some recycling items such as egg cartons, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, bottle lids, jars, etc. Thank you to all that contribute to the service, the children love building and creating different things using the recycled items on a regular basis. If you have any old toys that are in good condition and would like to donate them to the program you are very welcome to and please feel free to drop off your recycling items that are appropriate for the service. Important Reminders: How to Enrol: An online OSHClub enrolment must be completed via our website (oshclub.com.au) prior to your child’s first attendance. If you require any assistance with this process, please feel free to phone us at the program so we can help you further. Making or Cancelling a Booking: Once enrolled, bookings can be made online up to 24 hours prior to the commencement of the session for before and after school care. Late bookings can only be made by calling our Customer Service and Billing Team on 1300 395 735. If you are having trouble getting through on the phone, the email address is [email protected] Late Booking and No-Show Fees: It is extremely important you book your children in to the service and inform us of any last-minute bookings, as we need to ensure we have the correct child to staff ratio to ensure your children get the best possible care. Bookings made within 24hours will incur an additional charge of $4.00 per session, per child. If you have booked your child in for a session and they no longer need to attend due to change in circumstances, it is important that you inform the service asap to avoid a no-show fee of $5 per session, per child. You can contact the service on 0419 178 976 and we look forward to seeing you and your children at OSHclub. Have a great week! Allison and Zoe.


OFFICE REMINDERS

Payments Due Year 2 (2AM, 2KH & 2KJ) Excursion – Permission Slip & Money Due by 7th June Year 2 (2KC, 2KW & 2RA) Excursion – Permission Slip & Money Due by 17th June Year 3 Incursion – Permission Slip & Money Due by 19th June Year 5 Excursion – Permission Slip & Money Due 10th June

School Office Office Hours: 8:15am – 4:30pm Phone Number: 9743 7595, please press 1 to report an absence or 2 to speak to Reception Email: [email protected]

Student Contact Details If you have changed your phone number/address, please notify the office or update your details through the Compass Portal. It is very important that we have correct details in case we need to contact you in an emergency.

SICKBAY REMINDERS

Borrowed Uniform from Sick Bay If your child has come home from school with borrowed uniform from Sick Bay, can you please wash and return as soon as possible.

Medical Conditions If your child has a medical condition or requires Medication at school, please notify the office and fill out the appropriate forms.

MISSING

One of our Year 6 Students is missing their guitar that they use on a Friday afternoon for guitar lessons in the Music Room. The guitar is blue and it was in a black case. If anyone has seen this on the school grounds, please contact the office.

mailto:[email protected]


TERM 2 CALENDAR

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31 May

Newsletter

3 June 4 June 5 June 6 June 7 June

Year 4 - 6 Assembly 2:15pm


PUBLIC HOLIDAY

NO SCHOOL

Prep - Year 3 Assembly 2:15pm

Winter Lightning Premiership


Year 5 Excursion

Year 2 Excursion 2AM, 2KH, 2KJ

Girls AFL School Council Newsletter


Reports published on Compass

Year 2 Excursion 2KC, 2KW, 2RA

Year 3 Incursion

Celebration of Learning 2:10pm

PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS NO SCHOOL

LAST DAY TERM 2

2:05pm FINISH

Newsletter No.5 30th May · the survey results to plan programs and activities to improve your...

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