Wales Street Primary School Newsletter
Date: 13 February 2020 Term 1, Number 2
In This Issue
Message from the principal
PE News
CSEF News
Great Ideas Grant
Safer Internet Day
Scholastic Book Club
Our Great Fete
Welcome Picnic Postponed
ABC Music Program Flyer
Next Curriculum Days
Tuesday 10 March, 2020
Thursday 4 June, 2020
Friday 5 June, 2020
The yard is supervised before
school from 8.45am and after school until 3.45pm. Students must not be dropped off and left alone before 8:45am. Any student in the yard
unsupervised before 8.45am will need to go to our school aged care program.
An important reminder that any change of address or contact phone numbers needs to be
updated with the office. This
includes work numbers and emergency contacts. It is very important that the school is able to contact families in the event of an accident or illness.
From the principal……
Our ‘soft start’ initiative has certainly been well received by parents and staff and has resulted in a very calm atmosphere at the start of the school day. Learning programs have begun as soon as the bell goes to begin the day. Robyn and I have been out in the yard and have spoken to many parents who are enjoying the chance to take their child to their classroom, and those with more than one child, have said that it is easier to drop both at their classroom door. The ‘kiss and go’ zone also appears to be flowing smoothly with a longer time frame for parents to drop their child at the gate.
This week we will be upgrading our PA system to play the music at 8:50 until 9am automatically as Luisa Kalenjuk has been kind enough to be managing this element manually every day. This ten minute window provides enough time for all students to go to their classroom, get themselves organised for the day and be ready in front of their teacher by 9am. Thank you to the staff for making this transition so smooth and we will continue this trial for a few weeks more.
Privacy Policy We have been asked by the Department of Education to remind parents to read the DET Privacy Policy annually and understand its implications for your family. You can find the policy in Compass under School Documentation along with many other policies that are relevant to our school.
Parent Information Nights- Meet The Teaching Teams Will be held on Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th February 2020. These evenings provide parents with an opportunity to meet the teaching staff for these year levels. During the evening, the staff will give you an overview of the key learning areas taught in each year level as well as any key events or programs that you will need to be aware throughout the year. Parents are provided with the opportunity to ask questions. We look forward to seeing you there.
Recess: 10.40am–11.10am Lunch eating time: 12.50pm-1.00pm Lunchtime: 1.00pm – 1.50pm
School Finish: 3.30pm
Events Tuesday 18 February G: F 5 & 6 Information Night Wednesday 19 February G: 1 2 3 & 4 Information Night Thursday 20 February G5 Fizzics Incursion
Friday 21 February Welcome Picnic 6-8pm Tuesday 25 February Northcote District Swimming
Championship 10-12:30 Wednesday 4 March
G4 WTP Excursion G1 Market Fresh Incursion Thursday 5 March G5/6 T20
Contact Us
Ph: (03) 9484 3949
Fax: (03) 9480 5930
www.walesstps.vic.edu.au
Tuesday 18th February
Grade Where
5:45-6:15pm 6:15-6:30pm
Foundation Clyde Street Building Individual Classrooms
6:30-7:00pm 7:00-7:15pm
Grade 5 Clyde Street Building Individual Classrooms
6:30-7:00pm 7:00-7:15pm
Grade 6 6B & 6C Double Classroom Individual Classrooms
Wednesday 19th
February
Grade Where
5:45-6:15pm 6:15-6:30pm
Grade 1 Communal Space in the Wales St Building Individual Classes
5:45-6:15pm 6:15-6:30pm
Grade 2 Clyde Street Building Individual Classrooms
Flexibuzz and Compass As we are now fully integrated onto Compass as our main platform for communication which we have been using for five years, we will be phasing out the use of Flexibuzz by the end of term one as we feel that the need for 2 platforms is no longer necessary.
Compass has an app that provides the same features as Flexibuzz in delivering push notifications and we have extended the Compass Newsfeed to be ‘live’ for 12 month so articles can be retrieved if necessary. Flexibuzz has some limitations as it relies on parents to re-join and sign in each year which means we are open to anyone who subscribes to the site and not everyone is connected to us. Compass is for Wales Street families only and requires more security via a password and username. If you have not used the Compass app, we are providing plenty of notice to migrate to this app. Staff will continue to use both apps until the end of term one. Dogs in the school ground Please be aware that dogs need to be on leash and are not to be brought into the school grounds before and after school. With many children around we need to respect the needs of the community, our four legged friends and the children in our care.
Website Have you seen our amazing website! A very special thanks to Fiona Clarke for driving the changes to our new platform and getting it up and running this year. It is a much easier site for our staff to work with and will make communications and information easier to produce and share on a more stream lined platform. Check it out!
School Council Vacancies & Elections 2020 – Call for Nominations Each year approximately half the members on school council face election as part of a process to ensure mentoring and renewal of this body.
The role of School Council, the various categories of membership election and calls for nominations for the 2020 election are detailed below. If you choose to
PYP Learner Profile
Attributes
Open Minded
Principled
Reflective
Courageous
Thinker
Caring
Communication
Inquirer
Knowledgeable
Well Balanced
PYP Attitudes
Appreciation
Enthusiasm
Cooperation
Creativity
Confidence
Commitment
Curiosity
Integrity
Empathy
Tolerance
Independence
Respect
nominate, please attach a written paragraph about yourself that can be published in the event of an election and for entry into the newsletter. If the number of nominations exceeds the vacancies then an election is conducted for members of the School Council of Wales Street.
PS. Before considering standing for School Council please consider the time commitment as it is an expectation that as a School Council member that you may also be a member of one of the sub committees. Election Time Frame
Friday 14th February Notice of School Council vacancies and calls for nominations Nomination forms on the website or copies at the front desk and attached to this newsletter.
Friday 21st February Closing Date for School Council Nominations at 4pm. Monday 24th February Notification of School Council Elections if required Tuesday 25th February Display a list of candidates, nominators and seconder
outside Office. Distribution of ballot papers by mail if necessary. Thursday 5th March Close of ballot at 4:00 pm. Friday 6th March Counting of votes and declaration of the poll. March 25th School Council AGM. Membership category Term of office Number of positions Parent member From the day after the date of
the declaration of the poll in 2020 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the poll in 2022
FOUR
Department of Education and Training (DET) employee member
From the day after the date of the declaration of the poll in 2020 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the poll in 2022
ONE
What Is a School Council and What Does It Do? All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally formed bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within centrally provided guidelines. 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? There are three possible categories of membership:
A Mandated Elected Parent Category
More than one third of the total members must be from this category. Department of Education and Training (DET) employees can be Parent members at their child’s school as long as they are not employed at the school.
A Mandated Elected Det Employee 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. Jenny Deeble, Acting Principal
PE News - Term 1 Sports dates and information
This term we will have students from grades 4-6 participating in some of the following sporting events.
District swimming – Tuesday 25 February, 2020
Division swimming – Monday 2 March, 2020
Grade 5 & 6 District T20 – Thursday 5 March, 2020
Regional swimming – Tuesday 17 March, 2020
Grade 4-6 WSPS House Athletics Day, Coburg Athletics Track – Monday 23 March, 2020
Grade 4-6 Back up WSPS House Athletics date – Thursday 26 March, 2020
Please note that the House Athletics day is being held earlier than in previous years, this is due to a number of factors, the major one being weather! As the date for the State, Regional and Division Athletics are earlier than in previous years, we have been forced to hold our school event in winter. This creates safety concerns for our students and also increases the likelihood of the day being postponed, making staffing and parent attendance difficult. By holding the event in term one, we are hoping to avoid these issues. Students who make the District team will compete on Thursday 20th August.
Camp Sport and Excursion Fund (CSEF) CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school camps, excursions and incursions and sporting activities.
If you received CSEF in 2019, you do NOT need to complete an application form for 2020 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new sibling commencing in 2020.
To apply please download the application form from Compass, or they are available from the school office.
Great Ideas Grants 2020 Each year $10,000 of fundraising money is committed to the Great Ideas Grants program at Wales Street Primary School.
Who can apply? Students, staff and families are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $1,500 for a ‘Great Idea’. We love to see applications from students! What sorts of things do the students of Wales Street Primary School say they want or need at their school?
All applications will receive feedback, and if not suitable for a Great Ideas Grant, there may be other avenues of support available for the Great Idea.
How do you apply? Please find information on how to apply, and the application form here: GIG 2020 information and application Also available on the school website!
Timeline for Term One applications: Monday 10th February - Applications open
Friday 6th March - Applications close
March - Selection Panel reviews applications and makes recommendations to School Council
Thursday 26th March - Applicants advised of outcomes
All applications must be submitted by email to [email protected] by 5pm Friday 6th March 2019.
A second round of applications will open in early Term Three.
For further information contact Kylie Price [email protected]
Safer Internet Day 2019: show some RESPECT online This week we have been immersed in responsible use of digital devices for ‘Safer Internet Day’. As we are in the process of gaining ESMART accreditation we are sending home Acceptable Use Policies. This is a good time to discuss safe and responsible use of devices/internet with your child. Jason Sergi (eLearning Coordinator)
Safer Internet Day 2019 on
Tuesday February 5th is a
global day dedicated to
providing a better internet
experience for all. The theme
of this year is “Together for a
better internet”. To do this, we require commitment from all areas
of government, schools, tech companies, app and gaming creators and social networks themselves. But we also need to
take it upon ourselves as individuals, teachers, parents, families and young people to do our part for a better internet.
The focus of this year’s commitment is on the 4 R’s of Respect, Responsibility, Reasoning and Resilience.
These areas are obviously things that I cover regularly in my work with schools, families and corporations, and so I will
take a closer look at some of these concepts here, starting today with Respect.
Respect ourselves and Respect others
Obviously we would consider it a ‘no brainer’ to continue the ethos of ‘do unto others as you would have done to you’, as
we spend increasing amounts of time connecting in online spaces. It seems we should all have read the memes now about
being kind, to stop bullying and to be mindful of others. So why do we need to talk about this? Well….. just spend a few
moments on any social network and you will see way too many examples of disrespect by internet users both of
themselves and of others. And it can range from the insensitive, the poor judgement, the bold and brazen comments to
the downright horrific and heinous.
So here are some of the things we need to be teaching and indeed role modelling and mentoring when it comes to showing
Respect online.
The usual ……
Don’t offend others by posting offensive stuff.
Remember the digital footprint you leave behind so be sure it is showing you in the light you wish to be seen.
Don’t be mean
Don’t abuse others
Show kindness
And the slightly more nuanced behaviours…….
Stay on point
When someone is talking about apples, you don’t have to point out everything they haven’t said about oranges. In other
words…. We often have 280 or so characters we use for a Twitter comment, or a relatively short Facebook update where
we may want to make a quick observation. People can make a such a statement on something without having to cover
every single angle and permeation that you need to dissect and question. Sure if something is particularly offensive, then
call them out. But if it’s just picking apart a comment to have yourself heard and use someone else’s post for your
soapbox……then please refrain, find your own platform and show them, their views and their updates a little respect by
staying on point.
Take things for face value
Look at the intention of something before adding your 2 cents. For example. Here is a meme created by Netsanity.
It’s a humorous meme. Meant to highlight the advanced skills of kids today and
how they can easily navigate their way around the seemingly intricate skills of a
smartphone but tend to struggle when asked to perform some slightly less skilled
labours of household chores. This was a post that went viral as parents worldwide
related to the meme and for the majority had a laugh as they no doubt recalled
their kids refusal to pick up a mop or broom. And indeed it is enjoyed by the
parents at my talks when I share this as a final slide for a bit of a laugh. But.There
are always those who want to see it for something more than it is. Both Netsanity
and myself when I shared it received comments and emails of abuse that this
meme was dangerously inciting parents to put deadly chemicals in the hands of
2 year olds and thus is completely irresponsible. Seriously? (That is the softer
version of what goes through my head when I read these sorts of comments)
People. Look at something for what it is. It is a bit of fun. Nowhere does it say put dangerous chemicals in the hands and
mouths of babies. Use your common sense.
The Online world is a melting pot of experience, beliefs and circumstance… respect that
When we believe in something, we must remember that not everyone holds the same beliefs. Not everyone’s experiences
are similar to our own. We can certainly argue a point of view, espouse our reasons for believing something or protect our
values as we see fit. But our role is not to change the way everyone else thinks. When you have an argument or viewpoint
you want to share with others, do so by sticking to your reasons and your beliefs, but don’t feel your role is to change the
whole worlds way of thinking with your tweets or comments.
The minute an argument turns personal…abort
This is a skill I teach to students (and indeed their parents). The minute someone turns their arguments away from the
issue and to the personal…then let it go. When they start making personal jibes then they have lost sight of the issue and
are wanting to engage in argument for arguments sake. Don’t disrespect yourself by engaging in personal ‘tit for tat’. Be
able to recognise when a conversation is no longer respectful, and leave it alone. This can sometimes be tricky and not
always evident at the time or in the heat of the moment. When I role play certain conversations with students and have
them recognise when and how to abort a conversation, it becomes a really effective way of alerting them to these future
situations and conversations that are not going to contribute in a helpful way.
Know who is worth engaging with
Similarly, we need to be able to recognise those people that won’t serve us well. Learn the skills to know who is worth
engaging with. If someone is not supporting, entertaining, enlightening, challenging or engaging with you in a meaningful
way…..then leave them be. Respect yourself enough to know those that are worth the effort, and those that are not.
Know when to sleep on it
We can certainly get upset, agitated or offended by what people say online. We may want to lash out a response. Tell
them they are wrong. Tell them they are crazy, stupid, and downright ridiculous. But in those moments, it’s always good
to sleep on it. It’s amazing how differently we can look at things 12 hours later. Usually we come to realise the tirade
wasn’t going to be worth it, the person wasn’t worth engaging with and the emotion isn’t quite so intense when we take
a little breather.
When we engage with others online we open ourselves up to a world of respect and a world of disrespect. Thankfully we
have a lot of say in what we accept as respectful and that which we don’t. Make sure you are making the decisions, and
teaching your kids to make the decisions, that ensures respect to themselves and to others, remains a priority.
For more information and resources on how you can take part in Safer Internet Day 2019, head to the Office of the eSafety
Commission site or the global SID2019 website.
Scholastic Book Club 2020 - Issue 1 now open for orders
Paper catalogues will be distributed this Friday 14 February. Orders will close the following Friday 21 February. Orders will be open for ONE WEEK ONLY once catalogues are out. There will be no exceptions, or we will not have orders back in time for distribution. Estimated distribution date: Friday 6 March (TBC) Please note: there are usually two issues each term, but due to a short term, Lamont Book Fair and the school fete we will only run one Book Club this term.
Don’t forget All orders need to be placed using the Scholastic LOOP online ordering system – online
https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx or via the APP – Book Clubs Loop for Parents.
You can also view the catalogue online
School receives 20% back of all sales through Scholastic
GIFT ORDER If you would like to order books but not have them delivered to the kids in class you can select the Gift Order check box (or the Gift Order? tab at the bottom if using the APP) If you place a gift order YOU MUST BE ABLE TO PICK IT UP FROM SCHOOL DURING SCHOOL HOURS.
If you have any technical issues setting up your online account, or placing an order, please contact Scholastic directly on 1800 021 233. How to use Scholastic Book Club LOOP Register here https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx for a parent account. Add your child/ren (select school, year level, and class)
There is also an APP - Book Clubs Loop for Parents, making ordering even easier. You must register for an account on the website before you are able to use the APP to place an order. For further information contact Kylie Price [email protected]
Fete planners will come out early next week, see red folders. And our first fete newsletter will go live on Fri 14 Feb via https://www.walesstps.vic.edu.au/get-involved/fete-2020/ From Wed 19 Feb, we welcome donations of complete books/comics, quality kids and ladies’ clothes and toys in good condition at the Fete Shed. Every school day 8.45-9.15am and 3.15-3.45pm. If you can volunteer at those times to help receive and sort donations, please contact Erica: [email protected] Please drop chocolate bars for Lob-a-choc stall (particularly 200g varieties, NO nuts please) and wine donations for the wine raffle (only bottles you’d drink yourself) to School Office any school day 8.30am – 4.30pm.