Thursday 8th August - The Resilience Project (students)
Monday 2nd September - The Resilience Project (parents)
Thursday 5th September - School Production VMTV (matinee and evening)
Friday 6th September - School Production VMTV (matinee and evening)
PUPIL FREE DAYS
- Friday August 23, 2019
- Monday December 16, 2019
- Tuesday January 28th, 2020
- Wednesday January 29th, 2020
- Two extra days yet to be confirmed in 2020
TERM DATES
- 2019 TERM 3: Monday 15th July - Friday 20th September (2:30pm finish)
- 2019 TERM 4: Monday 7th October - Thursday 20th December (1:30pm finish)
- 2020 TERM 1: Tuesday 28th January - Teachers start (All students start Thursday 30th January) - Friday 27th March (2:30pm finish)
- 2020 TERM 2: Tuesday 14th April - Friday 26th June (2:30pm finish)
- 2020 TERM 3: Monday 13th July - Friday 18th September (2:30pm finish)
- 2020 TERM 4: Monday 5th October - Friday 18th December (1:30pm finish)
CAMP DATES
- Year 3: Arrabri Lodge Camp (Mon 05Aug to Wed 07Aug 2019)
- Year 5: Lady Northcote Recreation Camp (Tue 08Oct to Fri 11Oct 2019)
- Year 6: Canberra Camp (Mon 14May to Fri 18May 2020)
- Year 4: Anglesea Recreation Camp (Wed 27May to Wed 29May 2020)
- Year 3: Arrabri Lodge Camp (Mon 27July to Wed 29July 2020)
- Year 5: Lady Northcote Recreation Camp (Tue 06Oct to Fri 09Oct 2020)
A very warm welcome back to our school community after the Term 2 break. I trust that everyone who had time off is suitably refreshed and re-invigorated for the events and happenings of Term 3. The highlight looking forward is the School Production, held over two consecutive days with matinee and evening sessions on Thursday, September 5 and Friday, September 6. This year’s production is VMTV, standing for Viewbank Music Television and an unashamed imitation of the successful MTV program. More information, including ticketing arrangements, will be heading your way in upcoming weeks. We are also planning for Parent Information evenings (Family Life for Grade 5 parents tonight!, the Resilience Project and a STEM night), our Foundation Transition program commencing this term with Maths Land, PMP Land and Story Land, a Grade 3 camp to Arrabri Lodge in August, Divisional Aths later in the term and a range of other activities, excursions and events. Enough to keep us busy!
PUPIL FREE DAY School Council has approved Friday, August 23, as a pupil free day, in order for staff to work on our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support program under the guidance of Regional staff and our committee. There will be no classes for students on that day but, as always, OSH Club will be open to cater for child minding on that day if necessary.
BUILDING WORKS You will be very aware that our school has been allocated $3.817 million to replace our northern classrooms (current Grade 3 and 6 classrooms and the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program rooms) with new pre fabricated modular buildings in this financial year. The Victorian Schools Building Authority (VSBA) coordinates our building works program and initial assessments and checks have already been carried out in relation to electricals, plumbing, surveying, asbestos audits and more. We will be meeting with representatives of the VSBA in Week 3 to look at timelines for the project and how we manage that moving forward. Unlike the Grand Designs program where timelines and budgets never quite match initial predictions, our budget is fixed, with a timeline of 38 weeks from start to finish also (it is argued) being fixed as a time frame to complete the build. Once the Northern classrooms are demolished, our job will be to relocate 6 classes for two terms and to manage safely the flow of student traffic around a building site. It’s a management issue we are very happy to have. I will provide regular updates on the timelines and organisational issues as we become aware. Exciting times!!
STAFFING We welcomed on Monday Dana Cohen (Grade 3G) and Nicole Baillargeon (ART) who will be working with us for the remainder of 2019 (as a minimum). We trust your stay with us will be rewarding. They replace Marina Gourzelas and Lisa May who, as you are aware, are on different forms of leave. We will also be bidding farewell, very soon, to Fiona Wright as she leaves on maternity leave in preparation for the birth of her second child and wish her and her husband all the very best for a safe and swift delivery. No news on Sally Ruddock and Marina Gourzelas as I write, with such announcements not too far away. I also would like to welcome Lynne Thomas to our staff for this term. Lynne is replacing Judy Course who is on leave for the term, and Lynne will therefore be taking up Judy’s Literacy Support role for two days per week. Maralyn Lamb is on long service leave for the term being replaced by Rachel Richardson (English as an Additional Language), as is Suzie Doumas from Week 3 being replaced by Zoe Birse who is well known to our students. Busy times for some, exciting times for others and restful ones for the rest. I will let you classify those!!
I hope you have a great weekend.
Kind regards,
Bill Kersing
Principal
Welcome back to term 3. I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday and managed a few sleep-ins.
ICAS UNSW ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENTS 2019 Each year we offer students from Year 2 to Year 6 the opportunity to participate in the UNSW ICAS Assessments in English and Mathematics.
This year there have been several changes with all tests being completed online by students as well as the parent payment for the tests being completed online.
ICAS Assessments are online assessments, designed to recognise and reward academic excellence.
The assessments are based on the curricula for the relevant year. Students are asked to demonstrate a deeper, integrated, and thorough level of learning. The ICAS Assessments series is designed to assess a students' ability to apply classroom learning in new contexts, using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills.
To ensure an engaging and beneficial experience for all students, new ICAS assessments are developed annually for each subject in every year level.
Each participant receives a printed certificate of achievement. Students with the top score in each subject in each year level are also awarded a medal and a medal winner’s certificate at a presentation ceremony.
ICAS Test Dates at Viewbank Primary School
- English - Monday 16 September
- Mathematics – Thursday 19 September
Permission and Parent Payment System The cost of each ICAS assessment is $15.95. If you wish your child to participate please complete the online payment by WEDNESDAY 31 JULY as well as giving permission via Compass.
Visit unsw.global/parentpay and enter the unique access code for Viewbank Primary School: 5449b9ce44 to make a direct payment to UNSW Global.
Using the new ICAS Parent Payment System, parents will be able to make direct online payments for ICAS until the end of July 2019.
POLICY CONSULTATION AND FEEDBACK As part of the ongoing review process of school policies, I am inviting members of our school community to provide input into the review and update of the following policies-
- Heat Stress Policy
- Toileting Policy
- Volunteers in Schools Policy
Please email me any feedback or print off and alter a hard copy of the policy and return to the school office by Friday, 12 August.
Thank you for contributing to this valuable process.
EDUCATION SUB COMMITTEE MEETING The next meeting of the Education Sub Committee will be held on Monday 19 August from 7.00pm to 8.00pm in the staffroom. The above policies will be discussed and finalised. All welcome.
STUDENT TOILET UPGRADE I am very happy to report that the final piece of the toilet upgrade puzzle was completed this week with the application of inspirational messages onto the cubicle doors of the senior toilets.
The Parents and Friends group committed a large portion of fundraising to this project as a result of community feedback and we are happy that our students now have pleasant facilities to use each day. Thank you!
Have a great week
Mrs Nicholls
Welcome back Welcome back everyone – I hope you enjoyed spending some time together over the past 2 weeks and that your children (and you!) are refreshed and ready for a big Term 3!
The Resilience Project Please make sure, if possible, you are available for The Resilience Project – Parent Session on Monday 2nd September. There has already been a huge amount of interest in this and we may have to look at requiring parents to book a seat (the session is free). The time will be confirmed in coming weeks.
The Resilience Project focuses on 3 main areas, sometimes initialised to the word GEM.
- Gratitude: The act of being thankful and appreciating what you have in life. Rather than focussing on what you don’t have or what you want, the focus shifts to all that you have.
- Empathy: Empathy is the capacity to understand and feel what another person is feeling. Every time you do something kind for someone else, your brain releases oxytocin.
- Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practise of attention regulation
There is more information at https://theresilienceproject.com.au/
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).
Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:
- year of schooling
- category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
- level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.
This information assists schools to:
- formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
- consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
- develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.
The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.
The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).
Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).
Facebook If you have not done so already, please give our Facebook page a like and share. Search for Viewbank PS or select https://www.facebook.com/viewbankps/. It is great to be able to share some of the exciting things that are happening in our school – everything from wood work excursions in Foundation through to funding announcements from state politicians!
Parent Tips The below article was sourced from the Parenting Ideas Blog https://www.parentingideas.com.au/blog/childrens-birthday-parties-cause-for-celebration-or-alienation/
Children’s birthday parties – cause for celebration or alienation? It’s funny how the seemingly small things cause the greatest angst for kids – a sneer from a sibling; a curt remark from a teacher or being left off a classmate’s birthday party invitation list can leave a child feeling insecure, even sad.
While some issues such as sibling disputes are perennial others such as helping children manage the disappointment of missing a friend’s birthday party is a more pressing concern for primary-aged children right now. In fact, according to many teachers and parents I meet many children’ birthday parties are creating rifts between children, leading to alienation for those left off the party list.
Issue invitations with sensitivity It’s a good life lesson for a child to learn that they can’t be invited to everything. But not being invited to a party shouldn’t make a child feel isolated or humiliated. Disappointment is normal; humiliation and alienation are not acceptable. Which means children need to give out invitations while being mindful of the feelings of others. This is where good parenting comes in. We need to remind, and if necessary teach children, how to give out invitations sensitively being mindful of the possible disappointment that some children will experience. Likewise all children who are going to a party should be reminded of their social obligations to all classmates, not just those who are in the “in” crowd. Tolerance and social graces are the foundations of a civil society and these lessons start in primary school.
Helping kids handle disappointment One of the keys to functioning socially and emotionally is the ability to deal with disappointment and rejection.
So whether it is a case of not receiving an invitation to a classmate’s birthday party or a school playground snub, most children experience some type of rejection from their peers throughout childhood. Most children recover from such rejection. They move on and form constructive, worthwhile relationships but some children need help. They often take rejection personally, blaming themselves. As a parent it is useful to challenge children’s unhelpful thinking and encourage them to look for new friendship opportunities. Parents can help children understand that rejection may happen for any number of reasons that are unrelated to them.
In the course of a school day children will meet with a number of challenges and even setbacks. They may struggle with some schoolwork. They may not do well in a test and they may not be picked for a game that they wanted to play. Children grow stronger when they overcome their difficulties. The challenge for parents is to build and maintain children’s confidence to help them get through the rough times.
One way to help children deal with rejection and disappointment is to talk through problems or difficulties, recognising and accepting their feelings. Talk about various scenarios, discussing possible outcomes. The age of the child will determine the amount of detail. Keep things simple and avoid burdening a younger child with concepts he or she doesn’t understand.
Your attitude can make a huge difference to how a child reacts. If you see rejection or disappointments as problems then your child will be hamstrung by this view. See them as challenges then your child will, in all likelihood, will pick up your upbeat view and deal with disappointments easily. After all, confidence is catching!
To help children handle rejection and disappointment try the following four strategies:
- Model optimism. Watch how you present the world to children, as they will pick up your view.
- Tell children how you handle disappointment and rejection. Not only is it reassuring for children to know that their parents understand how they feel but they can learn a great deal by how their parents handle situations.
- Help children recognise times in the past when they bounced back from disappointment. Help them recognise those some strategies can be used again.
- Laugh together. Humour is a great coping mechanism. It helps put disappointment in perspective. It helps them understand that things will get better. They always do.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Patrick
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ICY POLE FRIDAY Students are able to buy icy poles over the counter at lunchtime. All icy poles cost $1.00 each. We are asking for parent helpers to assist with the sale of these icy poles on Fridays from 1pm to 1:30pm.
STRINGS, DRUM KIT, GUITAR, UKULELE, FLUTE, SINGING, KEYBOARD AND PIANO
Information and “Expression of Interest” forms are available at the general office. Alternatively, you may contact Gabriella on 0413 676 733 or gabriella@the.inter.net.au
YEAR 1 INCURSION - THE TRAVELLING KITCHEN
As part of our new Inquiry in Term 3 on 'Healthy Choices', the children had first hand experience in preparing a healthy snack and learning what foods are important to their overall wellbeing.
BANYULE CITY COUNCIL - SAFETY AROUND SCHOOLS
HATS ON From 1st September until 30th April school hats must be worn outside during all outside activities.
SCHOOL BANKING Don’t forget to hand your bankbooks into your class teacher every Tuesday for banking.
RUNNING GROUP Every Thursday from 8:15am on the oval, for any students in years 4-6. All abilities welcome. Pack a spare pair of socks/shoes in case the oval is damp. Hope to see you there!
SCHOOL CHOIR Every Wednesdays, 8.30, in the Music room. Everyone from Year 2 to 6 are welcome!
Facility Hire Viewbank Primary School provides a venue for hire with kitchen facilities. Please submit a written application to the office, outlining the details of intended use via email at viewbank.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Please note that conditions do apply. At the discretion of the school, venue costs may also be waived in some instances. All applications will be considered on a case by case basis