• Thursday 6th February - Information Evenings
• Monday 10th February - School Swimming Trials
• Tuesday 11th February - School Council Meeting
• Tuesday 11th February - Getting to Know You Interviews
• Thursday 13th February - Getting to Know You Interviews
• Tuesday 25th February - School Photos

PUPIL FREE DAYS

• Tuesday April 14th, 2020
• One extra day yet to be confirmed in 2020

TERM DATES

• 2020 TERM 1: Tuesday 28th 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 6: Canberra Camp (Mon 25May to Fri 29May 2020)
• Year 4: Anglesea Recreation Camp (Wed 27May to Fri 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)

NOTICE OF SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTIONS Each year we conduct School Council Elections at our school. Our School Council is made up of NINE members in the ‘Parent Category’ and FOUR members in the ‘DET Employee Member Category’, and the intent is that each year half of the positions in both categories become vacant, as the elected members have served their two years term of office.

Consequently, I would very much like to thank Lucy Addati (DET Employee Member Category) and Carole Seneca, Rebecca Deighton, Anu Chikarsal and Jodie Burns (Parent Category) for their contributions to our school these last two years. All Council members have contributed in a significant way to the decision making at our school, and on behalf of the community, I thank you all. Whilst these terms have finished, the aforementioned are eligible for re-election, providing they still have children at our school, or remain as a DET employee (depending on the category).

Therefore, I am now in the position to give notice of an election for members of Viewbank Primary School’s Council. There are four two-year vacancies in the Parent Member category, and one in the DET Employee Member category. Nomination forms may be obtained from the General Office and must be lodged by 4.00pm on Monday, February 17, 2020. If a ballot is required, it will close at 4pm on Monday, March 2, 2020. For further information please read the included advice on School Councils later in this newsletter.

BANYULE CITY COUNCIL – SAFETY AROUND SCHOOLS Please find attached later in this newsletter a pamphlet produced by Banyule City Council in relation to safety around schools. The document outlines clear definitions of road rules, parking and traffic signs along with a plea for common sense and courtesy and is fully supported by the school.

UPCOMING EVENTS Lots happening in the upcoming week with Getting To Know You Interviews, the last of the Information Nights tonight, and swimming trials. In addition, staff are being released for half a day during the week to plan our Inquiry units for the year, under the continuing guidance of Jeni Wilson, who has been working with staff now for three years. Busy times!

SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING The final School Council Meeting of the current Council is scheduled for 7pm on Tuesday, February 11, with the Finance Subcommittee meeting at 10am.

SCHOOL PHOTOS Just a specific reference to an important date – school photo day is on Tuesday, February 25. Please mark this in your electronic calendar or somewhere you are unlikely to miss it!!!!!

It has been a much more comfortable week weather-wise. Hoping this continues. Enjoy your weekend.

Kind regards,

Bill Kersing

Principal

Appendix A

Fact Sheet 1. School council elections – Information for parents

What is a school council and what does it do?

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the broad direction of a school in accordance with their constituting Order and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

Who is on the school council?

For most primary school councils, there are several possible categories of membership:

• A mandated elected Parent member category – more than one-third of the total members must be from this category. DET employees can be Parent members at their child’s school as long as they are not engaged in work at the school
• A mandated elected DET employee member category – members of this category may make up no more than one-third of the total membership of school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members
• An optional Community member category – members are co-opted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experiences. DET employees are not eligible to be Community members
• A small number of school councils have Nominee members.

For all schools with a Year 7 and above cohort, there is an additional category of membership:

• A mandated elected Student member category, two positions.

Generally, the term of office for all members is two years. The term of office of half the members expires each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.

Why is parent membership so important?

Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help inform and shape the direction of the school.

Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

Do I need special experience to be on school council?

Each member brings their own valuable life skills and knowledge to the role. However, councillors may need to develop skills and acquire knowledge in areas that are unfamiliar to them. It is important to have an interest in your child’s school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future.

Code of conduct for school councillors

School councils in Victoria are public entities as defined by the Public Administration Act 2004. School councillors must abide by the Code of Conduct for Directors of Victorian Public Entities issued by the Victorian Public Sector Commission. The Code of Conduct is based on the Victorian public sector values and requires councillors to:

• act with honesty and integrity (be truthful, open and clear about their motives and declare any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest and duty)
• act in good faith in the best interests of the school (work cooperatively with other councillors and the school community, be reasonable, and make all decisions with the best interests of students foremost in their minds)
• act fairly and impartially (consider all relevant facts of an issue before making a decision, seek to have a balanced view, never give special treatment to a person or group and never act from self interest)
• use information appropriately (respect confidentiality and use information for the purpose for which it was made available)
• exercise due care, diligence and skill (accept responsibility for decisions and do what is best for the school)
• use the position appropriately (not use the position as a councillor to gain an advantage)
• act in a financially responsible manner (observe all the above principles when making financial decisions)
• comply with relevant legislation and policies (know what legislation and policies are relevant for which decisions and obey the law)
• demonstrate leadership and stewardship (set a good example, encourage a culture of accountability, manage risks effectively, exercise care and responsibility to keep the school strong and sustainable).

Indemnity for school council members

School councillors are indemnified against any liability in respect of any loss or damage suffered by the council or any other person in respect of anything necessarily or reasonably done, or omitted to be done by the councillor in good faith in:

• the exercise of a power or the performance of a function of a councillor, or
• the reasonable belief that the act or omission was in the exercise of a power or the performance of a function of a council.

In other words, school councillors are not legally liable for any loss or damage suffered by council or others as a result of reasonable actions taken in good faith.

How can you become involved?

The most obvious way is to participate in and vote in the school council elections, which are held in Term 1 each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant.

In view of this, you might consider:

• standing for election as a member of the school council
• encouraging another person to stand for election.

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Library Borrowing Times for Term 1 Due to the upcoming building works, our library is currently being used as a Year 1 classroom space. As a result, students will not be taken to the library each week by their classroom teacher but they will still be able to borrow books at lunchtime.

Beginning next week, 10 February, students will be able to borrow books from the Library at lunchtime from 1.10 to 1.30pm.

Each year level will have an allocated day to borrow and return their books. If a student misses their day then the library will also be open each day after school until 3.45pm.

Students are asked to bring their library bag on the following days ready for borrowing:

• Monday - Foundation (from term 2) Foundation teachers will assist students with borrowing during term 1.
• Tuesday - Year 1 and 2
• Wednesday - Year 3 and 4
• Thursday - Year 5 and 6.

Access to the library collection outside these times is not possible.

From next week, the Gym foyer will also be open at lunch time from 1.30pm-2.00pm each Tuesday and Wednesday for students who wish to read, colour in or play board games.

Foundation Welcome BBQ I hope our Foundation families enjoyed the Welcome Barbecue on Tuesday evening. The warm evening was the perfect backdrop for socialising, playing and finding out a bit more about school life. If you couldn't make it, there will many other opportunities to get to know others and become involved with school life.

Thank you to our super Foundation teachers Kelsey, Amanda, Kirsten and Colleen, our wonderful parent organisers and helpers - Kate Cullen, Susanne Rowland, Kate Ryan, Betty Chahine, our barbecue master chefs Jake Hart and Carlos Chahine and to Zoey Ryan for managing the fingernail and face painting table.

Extra Curricula Activities Later in the newsletter you will find a timetable of weekly extra curricula activities such as Chess, Choir, Running and Origami clubs that students are able to participate in.

Please check this regularly as some lunchtime clubs will be starting in coming weeks.

Have a great week,

Mrs Nicholls

Getting to Know You Interviews The 2020 ‘Getting to Know You Interviews’ are being held on Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th February. These 10 minute meetings are an excellent opportunity for you to share important information regarding your child, information that will help the classroom teacher best support your child to ensure that they can succeed. As it is very early in the year, the teacher will be able to provide information on how your child has settled into the 2020 class, as well as some preliminary information regarding initial academic performance. A comprehensive report and interview regarding academic and social progress will be offered mid-year.

The teachers do their best to ensure that the interviews are completed in the allocated time. However, at times, interviews may run longer than expected. Please try to be understanding. If you have more than one child at Viewbank PS, it would be helpful to have at least a 10 minute ‘break’ between each interview.

The booking system opened via Compass on Monday the 3rd February at approximately 10am and will close to further bookings on Monday 10th at 4pm. If you have any difficulties booking a time, feel free to contact the Office.

I would like to thank the teachers for giving up their evenings (Information Evenings and Getting To Know You Interviews) with their families and other commitments. Our staff do this because they recognise the importance of a strong school-home relationship, to make sure we have a common understanding and that they value your input. We are fortunate to have such committed teachers and support staff at Viewbank PS!

Approaching Children In The Yard Your children are your most precious assets. It is entirely understandable that you want to protect them and you may get upset if another child has done the wrong thing by them. However, it is not acceptable at any time to approach a student at school to berate them, tell them off or give them a warning. This is verbal abuse and will not be tolerated. If you have an issue with a student who may have done the wrong thing by your child, please come and see your child’s classroom teacher or Mr Kersing, Mrs Nicholls or myself. It is also worth remembering that there are always two sides to a story.

Yard Supervision Unfortunately, we had far too many students in the yard before school this week, before supervision began. As a reminder, please re-read Mr Kersing’s passage on this issue from last week’s Newsletter (below).

You will be aware that all of our staff are timetabled on for yard duty supervision at various times throughout the day. Supervision hours extend from 8.50am through to 3.40pm. Outside of those hours, if you cannot care for your child, we have an exemplary Out Of School Hours Care program (OSH Club) that can cater extremely well for your child’s supervision. At morning recess (11.00am-11.30am), there are 4 teachers on yard duty at any time proudly wearing that much sought after fashion accessory (the fluoro vest!!) for easy recognition by our students. Similarly at lunch time (1.10pm – 2.00pm) there are 4 teachers on duty. Before and after school we have two teachers on duty. In addition throughout the year, Grade 6 students are nominated, selected and trained to be peer mediators, which we think definitely contributes to the resolution of minor disputes and assists in a harmonious, bully-free playground environment. We have varied our recess and lunch breaks this year, adding 10 minutes to the recess break but reducing the lunch break by the same time amount of time.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Patrick

​

SICK BAY Sometimes it can be tricky to discern whether or not your child is fit to attend school. If your child is feeling unwell before school or has been vomiting or had diarrhoea in the last 24 hours please keep them at home until they are well again. Sick bay tends to be a busy hub so if we call for your child to be picked up and you are unavailable please make other arrangements as it not acceptable or practical to accommodate a sick child at school for the whole day.

Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 It is the parent’s responsibility to advise the school if their child is away from school and alert us of notifiable diseases as per School Exclusion Table.

https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/public-health/infectious-diseases/school-exclusion

DISPENSING MEDICATION Medications such as antihistamines and paracetamol are not stored or dispensed to students unless they are supplied from home with a signed parent Medication Authority Form.

SICK BAY ATTENDANCE Fiona our school nurse will enter all student attendance in sick bay on Compass. If your child presents at sick bay you will get an alert advising you that a Sick Bay attendance note has been added on your child's Compass dashboard.

VOLUNTEERS/PARENT READING HELPERS SIGN IN/OUT OFFICE PROCEDURES We have installed two new electronic sign in systems at the office which require all volunteers to enter their ‘Working with Children Check’ number for the first time on the system. Once you have registered on the system your WWCC number will be recorded and you will not need to enter again. Without your WWCC card you will be unable to sign in and volunteer.

It is a requirement that all volunteers/parent helpers sign in and out at the office. It is imperative that we are aware of who is in the school at all times. Please also wear the visitor lanyard while volunteering at the school as this helps identifying persons on school grounds and creates a safe environment for all.

WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK (WWCC) A ‘Working with Children Check’ is just one part of creating and maintaining a child-safe environment. Viewbank Primary School encourages all parents to obtain and register their number with the school. It is a requirement that all parents/guardians who wish to volunteer or participate in school activities have a current WWCC.

2020 SCHOOL CHARGES/FEES School Charges/Fees are now due. Please be advised there are alternative payment options for families who may be experiencing financial hardship or who would prefer a regular payment plan. Please contact me if you wish to discuss these arrangements.

CSEF (Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund) CSEF (Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund) is a government assisted fund which provides payments for eligible students to attend camps, sports and excursions ($125 per child). Applications for the Governments ‘CSEF Fund’ can be accessed by filling in the attached form and return to the office with a current Health Care card. To be eligible for this funding, you need to hold a current Centrelink Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card or Veteran Affairs Gold Card. Please note: as this funding is means tested, the Parent/Guardian MUST be the card holder, no Medical Health Care Cards in the student’s name will be accepted as it will be rejected by the CSEF system. Funds are paid to the school and will be automatically allocated to the Term Expenses unless otherwise stated by the parent at the start of the year.

TERM 1 EXPENSES Term 1 Expenses have been published on Compass on Monday and are due on Friday 14 February.

COMPASS If you have any questions or require assistance with Compass, please do not hesitate to contact the office or refer to the Compass Parent Guide on your Compass Newsfeed.

STUDENT ABSENCES If your child is sick or a holiday, you are required to notify the school before 9am on the day of their absence via Compass. Therefore there is no need to phone the office if your child is absent. Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfil your legal responsibility. Victorian government schools are required to contact parents/carers as soon as practicable on the same day of an unexplained student absence. If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained and a text message will be sent.

LATE ARRIVALS PROCEDURES It is parent’s responsibility to accompany their child to the office when their child arrives after 9am so they can be signed in and record their attendance accurately. When you record the late arrival in Compass it provides us with the explanation but does not mark your child as present. When you present at the office, staff will record your child’s actual arrival time which updates the class roll.

EARLY LEAVERS PROCEDURES Parents are required to come to the office when collecting their child early from school and fill in the ‘Early Leavers’ register at the front desk. The Office Staff will ring the classroom and ask for your child to come to the office with their bag. Children are only to be collected by their parent from the front Office (not the classroom). This will minimise disruptions to the children's learning.

Kind regards

Lucy Addati

Business Manager

​

Uniforms can be purchased online at www.aplusschoolwear.com.au with one of three delivery options:

• Free collection in store during trading hours.
• Postage to address of customer’s choosing, at $12.50 for two items or less, or $17.50 for three items or more.
• Free delivery to school, to an existing student at Viewbank Primary. Please note, this option is not available if the customer does not already have a student at the school.

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.

BOOK CLUB Catalogues have sent home this week. All orders are due by Thursday 13th February. No orders can be accepted after this date. Every dollar you spend earns points to buy more books for the Library. Thank you for your support.

VIEWBANK PRIMARY SCHOOL EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 

• Choir: Wednesdays before school at 8.30am for Years 2-6 in the Music Room
• Origami Club: Wednesdays at lunchtime in the Japanese Room
• Japanese Club: Fridays at lunchtime in the Japanese Room
• Creative Club: Thursdays at lunchtime in FO (Ms Ottrey – room 7) classroom
• Running Club: Tuesdays and Thursdays before school at 8.15am for Years 4-6 on the oval
• Gardening Club: Wednesdays at lunchtime in the Vegie Garden
• Code Club: TBA
• Chess: Thursdays at lunchtime in Gym Foyer (Cost involved)
• Tennis Lessons: Thursdays in the Gym (Cost involved)
• Icypole Sales: Fridays at lunchtime

HATS ON From 1st September until 30th April school hats must be worn outside during all outside activities.

RUNNING GROUP Starting from week 3 every Tuesday and 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!

PHONE NUMBER: 0448 075 422

EMAIL: viewbank@oshclub.com.au