F O U N D A T I O N

I N F O R M A T I O N

B O O K L E Ts y n d a l s o u t h p r i m a r y s c h o o l

F O L L O W O U R S O C I A L M E D I A P A G E S T O G E T A F E E L O FO U R S C H O O L A N D A G L I M P S E I N T O T H E E V E R Y D A Y

L E A R N I N G E X P E R I E N C E S

@syndalsouthpsSyndal SouthPrimary School

Syndal SouthPrimary School

CONTENTSWelcome by Principal Learning in Foundation at SSPSDaily OverviewSchool Wide Positive Behaviour SupportFine Motor SkillsPhonicsReadingWritingPractising at HomeMathematics Specialist Programs Preparing for School Useful InformationSchool UniformLost PropertyFoodOut of School Hours Care (OSHC)HomeworkLibrary Connecting with the SchoolParent HelpersParent's Association Reporting to ParentsCommunication

F O U N D A T I O NI N F O R M A T I O N

S Y N D A L S O U T H P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

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Syndal South Primary School is a vibrant place, where learning and relationships are the centre of ourschool life. We aim to deliver opportunities and experiences which will stay with our students for alife-time. As students only pass through their school years once we know that their learningfoundations must be sound, in preparation for future growth. We have high expectations for our students academically and deliver an innovative andcomprehensive curriculum which promotes creativity, curiosity, tolerance and nurtures self-worthand self-expression. Positive relationships with the students and their families, based on trust, respect and support arebuilt. Each student is highly valued, as is their time with us. We endeavour to unearth their talents,arouse their interests, promote the development of citizenship and personal character and nurtureand guide individual growth. Walking into a school is the perfect way for you to gain an understanding of what it can offer yourchild and what is valued in the school community. Our school values of respect, curiosity, resilience,integrity and care are built into how we interact as a community. When we ask our current parents,what drew them to Syndal South they often comment that it was the ‘feel’ or ‘vibe’ of the school. We look forward to you getting involved in our school, working with us as a team to support your childon their learning journey. We welcome your interest and feedback and would be pleased to communicate with you further.Please do not hesitate to contact the Office on 9802 5277 if you would like to book a school tour or todiscuss any aspect of our school.

Helen Freeman - Principal

Principal's Welcome WELCOME TO SYNDAL SOUTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

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DAILY OVERVIEW HERE IS A SAMPLE OF THE DAY IN THE LIFE OFA FOUNDATION STUDENT AT SYNDAL SOUTHPRIMARY SCHOOL.

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Daily OrganisationFine Motor Skills Literacy Focus - Phonics, Reading, WritingRecessLiteracy Focus - Phonics, Reading, WritingNumeracyLunch timeSpecialist Class* Humanities Lesson

Home Time

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S Y N D A L S O U T H P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

S Y N D A L S O U T H P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

CURRICULUMT h e c u r r i c u l u m a t s c h o o l i s b a s e d o n t h e V i c t o r i a n C u r r i c u l u m . A t F o u n d a t i o n L e v e l ,t h e f o c u s i s l a r g e l y o n f o u n d a t i o n a l l i t e r a c y a n d n u m e r a c y s k i l l s a n d t h e d e v e l o p m e n to f p h y s i c a l , p e r s o n a l a n d s o c i a l c a p a b i l i t i e s . T h e r e a r e 8 L e a r n i n g A r e a s a n d 4C a p a b i l i t i e s a s f o l l o w s :

SCHOOL WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT

L E A R N I N G A R E A S

Literacy

Numeracy

The Humanities

Science

Technologies

Languages

Health & Physical Education

The Arts

P E R S O N A L C A P A B I L I T I E S

Critical & Creative Thinking

Ethical

Intercultural

Personal & Social

BE RESPECTFUL

School Wide Posit ive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) is a framework that promotesposit ive behaviours. Syndal South Primary School uses the framework by; model l ingand teaching posit ive behaviours , expl ic it ly and incidental ly teaching expectedbehaviours , and rewarding students for using posit ive school behaviours which arecare, responsibi l i ty , respect and resi l ience. SWPBS is a real ly fun and posit ive way toteach students expected behaviours and reinforce their efforts . When unexpectedbehaviours ar ise, students are reminded, retaught and given choices to help them getback on track in a non-punit ive yet construct ive approach. This systematic and school-wide approach to behaviour management removes the unexpected for students andhelps them continue with their learning and have their hard work and effortsrecognised.

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BE CARINGBE RESILIENTBE RESPONSIBLE

S Y N D A L S O U T H P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

Body awareness

Spatial awareness

Balance

Midline awareness 

5 senses - which we experience everything

through!

Webspace between fingers and finger isolation

Strength in shoulders, wrists and hand muscles.

Fine motor skills are necessary for many aspects of

self-care as children, for example: putting on shoes,

feeding themselves, cleaning their own teeth. Fine

motor skills are also critical for the development of

emergent writing. This is why every morning at the

beginning of the year Foundation students start

their day with a range of fine motor activities which

are designed to develop:

PHONICS

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At Syndal South Primary School we use the Letters

and Sounds program. Letters and Sounds is a

systematic Phonics program to learn reading,

writing and spelling. This program also fosters

speaking and listening skills which are the

foundation for English. In this session, we explicitly

teach students about the letters, speech sounds,

spelling choices, blending and segmenting in English.

We help children to understand the relationships

between the 44 phonemes of spoken English and the

26 letters of the alphabet.  Students participate in a

wide-range of fun activities making our sessions

powerful and engaging.

S Y N D A L S O U T H P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

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READING

Another 50-minute session during the day will be focused on Writing. Using VCOP, a writing

program designed to make writing fun and challenging, students are continuously given

support and encouragement to improve their writing through ongoing teacher assessment and

self assessment. Not only do our Writing lessons focus on vocabulary (V), connectives (C),

openers (O) and punctuation (P), but are structured to incorporate a range of writing skills. For

example a lesson may begin with whole-class speaking and listening, sharing ideas, building

great vocabulary and learning how to use punctuation. The students will also apply their

knowledge of Phonics in a variety of writing tasks.

WRITING

Each day the Foundation students will bring home a short book in their green communication

folder. This book is to share and to be enjoyed at home. Early in the year, most children will

need you to read the book to them. As they become more confident they can take on more of

the reading task. The take home books are sent home for children to practise FLUENCY and

PHRASING. Your child may read through this book quite quickly and it may appear that they

are finding the words ‘easy’. These books are not designed to be a difficult task for your child.

It is very beneficial to sit and look at the book together and have a CONVERSATION about

what is happening in the book, how the characters may be feeling, and relating the ideas in the

book to familiar experiences. Each morning the children will be encouraged to come into the

classroom from 8:50am onwards to change their take home books.

PRACTISING AT HOME

At Syndal South, we recognise that great readers need to

be well-rounded in all areas of reading including fluency,

decoding unknown words and discussing concepts

within, beyond and about the text. After being assessed

using the school-wide assessment program Fountas and

Pinnell, students strengths and areas for improvement in

Reading are targeted and specifically taught to in a range

of lessons including whole class and smaller targeted

groups called guided reading. In guided reading sessions,

students will read a variety of genres and explore

concepts such as authors message, text ideas and

author’s craft.

MATHEMATICS

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In first term, the students will be introduced to the

numbers and shapes and positional language.

Throughout each Mathematics lesson, students are

exposed to a range of activities and lessons that

develop a strong 'number sense' using a range of

mathematical materials such as ten frames, hundreds

charts, hands on materials and real life examples of

mathematics.

Each day, students will count the number of days they

have been at school up to 100. At each count of the day

students experience seeing the number, viewing the

number on a tens frame, locating the number on a 100

chart and ‘hearing’ the number in terms of materials. On

the final day we celebrate with ‘100’ things. This daily

activity helps students to conceptualise and visualise

numbers up to 100. It allows them to recognise patterns

in counting and truly understand what it means to be ‘x’

number.

Understanding

Fluency

Problem solving and reasoning.

S Y N D A L S O U T H P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

Each week, the Foundation students will have daily

sessions of Mathematics. Here, the students will be

participating in many hands-on and real life activities

and games that focus on developing skills and

strategies. There are three content strands:

Number and Algebra: number recognition and

counting from 0 – 20 and beyond, simple addition,

place value, algebra and ordinal numbers from first

to tenth.

Measurement and Geometry: using units of

measurement, shape, location and transformation.

Statistics and Probability: chance, data

representation and interpretation.

Across each content strand there are proficiency

strands of:

Foundation students playing The Shape Game and

naming features of each shape they land on.

100 Days of School! Dressed up 100 year olds, our

students completed various games and activities to

practice number recognition to 100!

SPECIALISTS

ARTFoundation students will have a weekly 50 minute Visual Arts lesson with Mrs Threadgold.

These lessons will take place in our fantastic dedicated Art Room. The focus of the Visual Arts

program in Foundation is having fun and having a go as we explore and create. Students will

develop their fine motor skills by using a range of materials and techniques. They will also

respond to visual artworks and share and reflect on their own artwork.

PHYSICAL EDUCATIONThe Physical Education Program for each class is composed of daily and weekly activities taken

by the class teacher and the physical education teacher, Mr Charlie Kenez. To maximise the

benefits of the PMP program, it is essential to have volunteers help to supervise and run the

activities. The weekly timetabling for year levels in the school are shown below, satisfying the

requirements as identified by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Additional School-Based Activities

Foundation - 2 (PMP, swimming, gymnastics, dance, fundamental motor skills, fitness)

50 minute lesson with the Physical Education Teacher

30 minute session of Perceptual Motor Program (PMP)

An intensive swimming program in Term 4 over 8 days

Community Joggers & Cycling Club (every weekday morning before school)

Milo Cricket (Summer)

Auskick Football (Winter)

House Athletics Sports (Term 1)

Active Transport to School Days

Participation in Jump Rope every second year

Fun Run every alternate year

Physical Education Week activities during Term 4

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S Y N D A L S O U T H P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

At SSPS all students take part in one 50-minute session of each specialist, each week.

In addition to this, there are also celebrations and special days throughout the year

for some specialist classes, for example, Nation Science Week, Cross-Country, House-

Sports and Japanese Day.

S Y N D A L S O U T H P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

SCIENCE

PERFORMING ARTS (MUSIC)

INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Music Education develops in the student enjoyment, appreciation, creativity, skills and

understandings with Mr. Leo Kahans. Some of the goals of the music program are to develop

skills and techniques as a musician and sing, play, create, move and listen to a variety of music.

In Term 1,  Foundations will experience singing, dancing, listening, playing and creating music

through many songs and activities. They will learn to use their voices by speaking, singing and

whispering. They will join in games that help to develop each student’s sense of beat, rhythm

and pitch. In addition to the scheduled Music lesson, private instrumental lessons are

available for piano, ukulele, cello, violin and guitar on a user pay basis.

In Science, Foundation students will explore the properties of familiar materials and objects

and discovering their behaviour through mixing and physical changes with their science

teacher, Mrs Jessie Evans. They will investigate natural occurring cycles around them, such as

the weather, day and night and the seasons. Through hands-on activities they will explore

light and sound and the features of living things. Students will pose questions and investigate

to find answers and solutions. They will use their senses and begin to record observations and

communicate their findings to others.

JAPANESEThe Japanese program allows students to experience the Japanese language and culture. Each

week, the Foundations have one fifty-minute session with Sensei Yoo. During these sessions,

the Foundations learn Japanese words, songs and greetings, as well as simple hiragana

(Japanese alphabet) and origami. These are also supported with classroom activities.

All classrooms have access to banks of laptop and iPad borrowing. The Foundations use a

variety of different computer programs to support learning in all curriculum areas. These

include; TumbleBooks, Word, coding programs, Google; Drive, Docs, Slides and Sheets.

Computers and iPads are used in the classroom for Literacy, Maths and Humanities sessions.

During these sessions there is an emphasis on working together in pairs or small groups to find

and sort information, as well as to create and collaborate using ICT equipment. Computer skills

are taught across curriculum areas as they are needed. The Foundations also have regular

access to the Smart TV in the classroom. This provides an opportunity for children to engage in

their learning using videos, music, interactive games and a range of activities.

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PREPARINGFORSCHOOL

Starting school is an exciting, yet daunting,

experience for most children and parents alike. One

way to reduce anxiety and develop confidence for

the transition to school is by building and

celebrating independence in your day to day lives.

The transition to school will be a much happier and

succssful one if your child can:

S Y N D A L S O U T H P R I M A R Y S C H O O L

Speak clearly

Listen to a story

Concentrate for one activity for 10-15 minutes

Be independent in dressing, eating and toilet

use

Play cooperatively with other children and

solve associated problems

Have practice using pencils, crayons and

scissors

Follow simple instructions

Confidently seek assistance when they need

it

Be responsible for packing up after an

activity

Be aware of personal hygiene including

washing their hands

Tie up their shoelaces

Eat independently including managing their

own lunchbox

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WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME

School readiness:

SYNDAL SOUTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

O v e r t h e n e x t f e w m o n t h s g e t y o u r c h i l d u s e d t o :

P u t t i n g o n a n d t a k i n g o f f c l o t h e s

P u t t i n g t h e i r b e l o n g i n g s a w a y

P u t t i n g o n a n d d o i n g u p s h o e s

E a t i n g a n d d r i n k i n g w i t h o u t a s s i s t a n c e

U s i n g a t i s s u e

U s i n g a n d f l u s h i n g t h e t o i l e t i n d e p e n d e n t l y

P l a y i n g w i t h g r o u p s o f c h i l d r e n a n d e n c o u r a g e t h e m t o s h a r e a n d

t a k e t u r n s

U s e p l a y g r o u n d e q u i p m e n t s a f e l y

S t a y a t a f r i e n d s ' o r r e l a t i v e s ' h o u s e f o r a f e w h o u r s w i t h o u t y o u

a r o u n d

C a r i n g f o r a n d p u t t i n g t h i n g s a w a y

H e l p i n g w i t h s m a l l j o b s a r o u n d t h e h o u s e s u c h a s p u t t i n g c l o t h e s o r

t o y s a w a y

A l s o t r y a n d l e t y o u r c h i l d g e t u s e d t o :

T h e s e e x p e r i e n c e s w i l l a i d y o u r c h i l d ' s d e v e l o p m e n t :

U s i n g c h a l k o r c r a y o n s t o d r a w p a t t e r n s a n d p i c t u r e s

M a k i n g a n d c r e a t i n g w i t h p l a y d o u g h

C u t t i n g p a p e r a n d m a t e r i a l s

R o l l i n g , t h r o w i n g a n d c a t c h i n g d i f f e r e n t s i z e d b a l l s

D o i n g j i g - s a w p u z z l e s

T o a s s i s t y o u r c h i l d f o l l o w s i m p l e i n s t r u c t i o n s a n d r o u t i n e s , w e

h a v e i n c l u d e d a ' m o r n i n g r o u t i n e ' s t i c k e r c h a r t f o r y o u a t t h e e n d

o f t h i s b o o k .

page 11

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http ://www.psw.com.au/

9 a m o n t h e f i r s t T h u r s d a y o f e a c h m o n t h

I n t h e O S H C K i t c h e n

S y n d a l S o u t h P r i m a r y S c h o o l

LOST PROPERTY

page 12

Useful InformationSYNDAL SOUTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

SCHOOL UNIFORMS c h o o l u n i f o r m i s w o r n b y a l l s t u d e n t s a n d c a n

b e p u r c h a s e d n e w f r o m P S W ( o n l i n e o r i n -

s t o r e ) o r f r o m t h e s e c o n d h a n d u n i f o r m s h o p .

T h e s c h o o l u n i f o r m i n c l u d e s b l a c k s h o e s , a

s c h o o l b a g a n d a s c h o o l h a t . A l l i t e m s m u s t b e

n a m e d .

P S W

S e c o n d H a n d U n i f o r m S t o r e

L o s t p r o p e r t y i s l o c a t e d i n t h e j u n i o r b u i l d i n g .

P l e a s e f e e l f r e e t o t a k e a l o o k i f s o m e t h i n g

g o e s m i s s i n g . M a k e s u r e a l l s t u d e n t s c l o t h i n g

a n d b e l o n g i n g s a r e c l e a r l y n a m e d .

Scan the QR code to be taken to the SyndalSouth PS section of the PSW online store.

In Foundation students eat in the classroomunder the supervision of the classroomteacher. We encourage 'nude food' which arelunches and snacks that have no rubbish.

FOOD

SYNDAL SOUTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

B r a i n F o o d Brain Food is a small piece of fruit orvegetables packed each day in addition tolunch and snack. Each morning theFoundation students eat brain food at 9.50and 11.50. L u n c h O r d e r sClassroom Cuisine can be ordered online alldays except Tuesdays. The orders aredelivered to school before lunchtime. Ordersneed to be placed before 8.30 am. https://classroomcuisine.com.au/

Some children in Foundation have allergies todifferent foods. We ask that where possibleyou avoid sending nuts to school. Being a neateater and washing hands after eating helpsminimise the risk of an allergic reaction.  If your child is allergic or anaphylactic toanything please inform the school andteacher.

A l l e r g i e s

HOMEWORKThe most important aspect of homework inFoundation is reading the TAKE HOMEBOOK. From time to time, teachers may giveyour child an activity to do at home. These aredesigned to be fun tasks, which complementthe work we are doing at school.

LIBRARYEach week students have the opportunity toborrow books from the school library to takehome and share. Books can be kept for twoweeks. Books need to travel in the red librarybag provided.

Useful Information

OUT OF SCHOOLHOURS CAREOut Of School Hours Care (OSHC) isavailable every day before and after school.Before School Care runs from 7.15-8.45 andAfter School Care runs from 3.30-6.30. For more information:http://www.syndalsp.vic.edu.au/oshc.html

page 13

Parents are very welcome to join in with anyclassroom activities. Parent involvement is avital part of our Early Years Literacy program,where parents work with small groups ofstudents. They are equally vital in our PMPprogram.  There may be opportunities to alsohelp out with special activities throughout theyear. To volunteer you will need to have aWorking With Children Check and havecompleted a quick induction session with theschool. Volunteer Working With Children Checks arefree. A Working With Children Check can beobtained by filling in the online application formon the following website and then finalising it atthe Post Office. https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/individuals/applicants/how-to-apply

PARENT'S ASSOCIATION

REPORTING TO PARENTS

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PARENT HELPERS

SYNDAL SOUTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

We welcome any parent or carer to becomeinvolved in the Parent's Association in orderto assist in providing wonderful experiencesfor our children and families. For more information please do not hesitateto contact Deane Lam at pa@syndalsp.vic.edu.au

Connecting with the school

Scan the QR code to betaken to the Working WithChildren Check applicationpage.

Parents will have the opportunity to attendan information night during Term 1, allowingteachers to 'meet the parents' and find outrelevant information about each child.Parents will recieve a written report at theend of Term 2 and Term 4. Parent/Teacherinterviews will be conducted following eachreport. All teachers are happy to arrangeinterviews at any time throughout the year ifyou have anything you need to discuss.

COMMUNICATIONThe school communicates news, including ournewsletter via COMPASS portal. Parents cancommunicate with the classroom teacher inperson or by email via COMPASS too.

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