Congratulations to

Thank you to Special Thanks to

Bus Travel Walking School Bus—Friday 20th May

Tuesday 22nd

November is our fourth and final curriculum day for 2016. This means that school will be closed for students. Staff will be in attendance completing training in anaphylaxis management and undertaking a communication workshop.

Buildings and Grounds (7pm) and School Council (7.30pm) are happening this coming Tuesday night.

Grade 3 / 4 Camp notes, permission forms and payment are due tomorrow, Friday 11

th of November.

This week, families will have received information and permission forms for our whole school swimming program, happening Monday 5

th December – Friday 9

th of December. Please read the infor-

mation and let the school know if your child’s swimming history / competency has changed. We also need all new families and all Prep students to complete and return the form to school so we can put students in like ability groups. Finally, if you are able to help out for any session this week, please fill in the form and return it to school. We are extremely grateful for the support we receive and it is vital in making sure we can run a successful swimming program. All volunteers will need a working with children check.

Grade 6 students received permission forms and information re-garding the Grade 6 Graduation Camp. Please return these by the due date and let the school know if you do not intend sending your son / daughter.

Willow Grove School and

Community Newsletter 1 0 T H N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 6 V O L 1 6 : I S S U E 3 5

DATES FOR 2016

15th November—Building &

Grounds Meeting—7pm

15th November—School Council

Meeting 7:30pm

16th November—Ghana Beat My

Drum Musical Incursion

18th November—3rd 2017 Prep

Transition—9:30am-12:00pm

22nd November—Curriculum

Day for Students—Staff PD

28-30th Nov—Grade 3/4 Sover-

eign Hill Camp

28th November—Traf High

School—Gr 6 Half Day Transition

1st December—Brendan attend-

ing West Gipps Prins Meeting

2nd December—4th 2017 Prep

Transition Session—9.30-1.30pm

2nd December—Gr 2 Sleepover

5th – 9th December—Whole

School Swimming Program

5th December—Lowanna Transi-

tion Day

6th December—Statewide Tran-

sition Day

6th December—5th 2017 Prep

Transition Session—9:30-2:15pm

8th December—PA Dinner-7pm

9th December—Reports Sent

Home

13th December—Presentation

Night—7pm

14th December—School Council

Mtg/Dinner—7pm

15-16th December—Gr 6 Gradu-

ation Camp

16th December—School Disco—

6:30-8:30pm

MON TUE WED THU FRI

14

Brekky Club

15

Building & Grounds

Mtg—7pm

School Council

Mtg—7:30pm

16

Brekky Club

Ghana Beat My

Drum Incursion

17

Brekky club

18

Prep Transition—

9:30am—12:00pm

21

Brekky Club

22

Curriculum Day—

No school for stu-

dents

23

Brekky Club

24

Brekky Club

25

November 2016

Find us at—

www.willowgroveps.vic.edu.au

TERM DATES 2016

Term 1 27th Jan (teachers start)

to 24th March

Term 2 11th April to 24th June

Term 3 11th July to 16th Sept

Term 4 3rd Oct to 20th Dec

Like us on

Reminders

SUPERVISED HOURS: 8.45AM—3.30PM

Notices Sent Home

P A G E 3

Congratulations

Happy

Birthday Rory Wilms

Ella Robinson

News from Ann

School Working Bee—Saturday

NAPLAN

Parents play a major role in assisting and supporting their child to ac-quire strong literacy skills. Literacy learning started when your child was born. Parents play a vital role as their children’s first literacy teachers. Consider all the things that children learn before school as they mix with others, observe what others do and try to do the same things. Much of this learning happens naturally and within a social context. Oral lan-guage is the foundation of learning to read to write. Encourage your chil-dren to talk about and express their feelings and ideas. Provide experi-ences that expand their concepts and vocabulary. Children do not al-ways needs loads of money spent on them. Varied family outings, games inside and out, just pottering around with you as do jobs will ex-pand their notion of the world. They will bring their knowledge and under-standing of the world to their reading and writing. Literacy learning is a social experience because it depends on demon-strations from, collaboration with, and continuous feedback and re-sponse from, other people, it happens, at home and at school, when chil-dren are surrounded by people who listen, talk, think, read and write. Children need to see the purposes for reading and writing.

Here are some ideas for you to support your child develop literacy skills over the year levels. Share experiences (a picnic, camping, gardening, cooking, farming) which are then talked about at home Share books (especially stories) and talk about them with more experi-enced readers Have plenty of books to handle and read See print all around them Have models of how people read and write Have opportunities to read and write Know that people expect them to read and write Are given choices about what they read and write Feel free to ‘have a go ‘ at reading and writing (including spelling) Are able to talk about their reading and writing Experience feelings of success Feel responsible for their own reading and writing Have confidence in their own ability Understand what reading, writing and learning can do for them We need to work together, parents and teachers, to develop a part-nership which will support our literacy learners and to ensure a life- long learning. As adults we know that literacy provides the keys to life.

Can you help?

News from Ann

Student Achievements

P A G E 2

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

As you may be aware, over the past month, School Council has been conducting the Prin-cipal selection process. This is always a busy time and I would like to thank all school council members for the time they have given throughout this process. I am thrilled to be appointed to the position of Principal at Willow Grove Primary School

and have been overwhelmed with the positive reception this news has brought. I look for-

ward to continuing to work with staff, students, parents and the community. I am passion-

ate about creating a learning environment where every student seeks challenges and has

high expectations of themselves and of those around them. Already, as a school we have

much to be proud of and it is our goal to ensure that we are continually improving to en-

sure we remain the school of choice for all students in the Willow Grove and district com-

munity.

I have great pleasure in announcing that our first groups of MiniLit students have success-fully passed this structured reading intervention program. MiniLit stands for ‘Meeting Initial Needs in Literacy’ and has been delivered to 3 groups of 4 students for the first time in 2016, 4 days a week for an hour at a time. A real strength of this program has been the passion, enthusiasm and dedication that Michelle Byrne has shown each session, each day and each week in delivering this highly effective program for our students. This ac-companied by the support she and the students has received from staff and the excite-ment shown by students in learning new skills has translated into an increase in confi-dence, a passion for reading and growth with our students. Almost once a week, I see or hear students, parents, staff and broader Education specialists give praise to our pro-gram. To celebrate the hard work and commitment of our students, Michelle will be presenting

them with their certificates and the students will be performing a short skit this coming

Monday at assembly. We will also hear some of the students read aloud! Please come

and join us if you can. The good news is, MiniLit will again operate in 2017 and be availa-

ble for our Grade 1 and junior students. Students are selected for this program based on

need. Please speak to your child’s classroom teacher if you are concerned about your

child’s reading progress or would like to know more about how you can support your child

at home. Michelle and I are also here to help.

Principal’s Report

MiniLit Celebration—This Monday at Assembly

Parent Association News

Congratulations

Happy

Birthday Rory Wilms

Ella Robinson

News from Ann

School Working Bee—Saturday

NAPLAN

Parents play a major role in assisting and supporting their child to ac-quire strong literacy skills. Literacy learning started when your child was born. Parents play a vital role as their children’s first literacy teachers. Consider all the things that children learn before school as they mix with others, observe what others do and try to do the same things. Much of this learning happens naturally and within a social context. Oral lan-guage is the foundation of learning to read to write. Encourage your chil-dren to talk about and express their feelings and ideas. Provide experi-ences that expand their concepts and vocabulary. Children do not al-ways needs loads of money spent on them. Varied family outings, games inside and out, just pottering around with you as do jobs will ex-pand their notion of the world. They will bring their knowledge and under-standing of the world to their reading and writing. Literacy learning is a social experience because it depends on demon-strations from, collaboration with, and continuous feedback and re-sponse from, other people, it happens, at home and at school, when chil-dren are surrounded by people who listen, talk, think, read and write. Children need to see the purposes for reading and writing.

Here are some ideas for you to support your child develop literacy skills over the year levels. Share experiences (a picnic, camping, gardening, cooking, farming) which are then talked about at home Share books (especially stories) and talk about them with more experi-enced readers Have plenty of books to handle and read See print all around them Have models of how people read and write Have opportunities to read and write Know that people expect them to read and write Are given choices about what they read and write Feel free to ‘have a go ‘ at reading and writing (including spelling) Are able to talk about their reading and writing Experience feelings of success Feel responsible for their own reading and writing Have confidence in their own ability Understand what reading, writing and learning can do for them We need to work together, parents and teachers, to develop a part-nership which will support our literacy learners and to ensure a life- long learning. As adults we know that literacy provides the keys to life.

Can you help?

News from Ann

Student Achievements

P A G E 3

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

Winter School Sports Competition—AFL and Netball—revised date

Thank-you to Chris Mangion for his work in repairing the Flying Fox. We also need to thank David Morgan from Omni Craft, an Aviation and Marine Specialist, for donating his time and materials to replace the Teflon bushes. Once again we are fortunate to receive such fantastic support from our broader community.

Thank-you to Beaumont Tiles – Traralgon and Paint Spot in Moe for their dona-tions to our kitchen. We have the tiles up, paint is being applied and it should be fin-ished by the end of the year.

Thank-you to Parents Association for their surprise morning tea to officially wel-come me as the Principal of Willow Grove PS. It was a lovely gesture.

I can’t believe there is only 6 weeks of the school

year left, it has flown!

The Kinder kids are excited to begin life at Willow

Grove, while the Grade 6’s are excited to begin their

High School lives. This is the cycle of life.

The Chaplain’s Choice Students of the Week are

Dustin Blackshaw and Liam Cumiskey form Erica

and Gwinear respectively. Both boys helped tidy up

the vegetable patch. That’s 20 house points each to

both houses.

Have a Great Week

Chaplain Deb.

Chaplain’s Spot

Chaplain’s Choice

Dustin B & Liam C

Parent Association News

Congratulations

Happy

Birthday Rory Wilms

Ella Robinson

News from Ann

School Working Bee—Saturday

NAPLAN

Parents play a major role in assisting and supporting their child to ac-quire strong literacy skills. Literacy learning started when your child was born. Parents play a vital role as their children’s first literacy teachers. Consider all the things that children learn before school as they mix with others, observe what others do and try to do the same things. Much of this learning happens naturally and within a social context. Oral lan-guage is the foundation of learning to read to write. Encourage your chil-dren to talk about and express their feelings and ideas. Provide experi-ences that expand their concepts and vocabulary. Children do not al-ways needs loads of money spent on them. Varied family outings, games inside and out, just pottering around with you as do jobs will ex-pand their notion of the world. They will bring their knowledge and under-standing of the world to their reading and writing. Literacy learning is a social experience because it depends on demon-strations from, collaboration with, and continuous feedback and re-sponse from, other people, it happens, at home and at school, when chil-dren are surrounded by people who listen, talk, think, read and write. Children need to see the purposes for reading and writing.

Here are some ideas for you to support your child develop literacy skills over the year levels. Share experiences (a picnic, camping, gardening, cooking, farming) which are then talked about at home Share books (especially stories) and talk about them with more experi-enced readers Have plenty of books to handle and read See print all around them Have models of how people read and write Have opportunities to read and write Know that people expect them to read and write Are given choices about what they read and write Feel free to ‘have a go ‘ at reading and writing (including spelling) Are able to talk about their reading and writing Experience feelings of success Feel responsible for their own reading and writing Have confidence in their own ability Understand what reading, writing and learning can do for them We need to work together, parents and teachers, to develop a part-nership which will support our literacy learners and to ensure a life- long learning. As adults we know that literacy provides the keys to life.

Can you help?

News from Ann

St

P A G E 4

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

Winter School Sports

Parent Association met this week for their monthly November meeting. The first item on the agenda was the vote for the winner of our ‘Buddy Bench’ competition. PA members were very impressed with the entries and it was certainly not an easy job to select a win-ner. Details of the winning name will be announced at assembly this coming Monday. The final figure from our Open Garden fundraiser was presented and I am pleased to announce that all together we raised $607. Thank-you to all of our families and other community members who visited and made a donation! Even though the weather was a bit up and down, it was still a great event for our school.

Order forms for the Grade 6 Polo tops have gone home and need to be returned to

school. When we have these returned we will then be able to put through our order.

The disco was also discussed, please keep Friday 16th

December free. The annual Christmas disco will take

place from 6.30-8.30pm. There will be glow sticks, food

and drinks for sale on the night. For further details,

please see flyer attached to this newsletter.

Please note that due to changes in our school’s

Child Safe Policy, any person wanting to volunteer

will need a valid Working with Children Check. This

can be obtained for free. Adults who do not have a

Working with Children Check will need to remain in

the foyer.

ROSTER

MONDAY 14 Nov Leah M.

WEDNESDAY 16 Nov Ella G.

FRIDAY 18 Nov Heather F.

Parent Association Report – November Meeting

P.E. Award

P A G E 4

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

Playground

Award

Shelby W.

Student

of the Week

Rory W.

P.E. Award

Josh G

Sofia M Lincoln M Ruby M Declan J

Art Award Blake B

LOTE AWARDS

LOTE AWARDS Dustin B.

Student Work—Japanese Student Work—Japanese

Community News