Hello everyone and welcome back to school for term 3. I hope you all have enjoyed the recent school holidays and used the time for some quality time or even just some down time after a long term 2. We have enjoyed a chilly week for our first week back and the students have settled back into their learning programs really well. It has been great to hear the students talking and sharing their holiday experiences, equally great to see them re-connect with friends in their classrooms and the school yard. Looking for a GREAT social night out……..80’s Disco Bingo Night It’s time for our major social event. Our 80’s Disco Bingo night promises to be a wonderfully enjoyable social night for our school community. This will be held here at school in our GP room and we encouraging all families to mark this date on their home calendars. In coming weeks we will be selling tickets, so get your table together or just come along and join a table with some new friends of WHPS! I hope to see you all there to enjoy some fun, dancing and a bingo extravaganza! Please HELP… We are looking for any possible donations that could assist us in this fundraising effort. Do you own a business that could support with an auction item? Do you work in a business that could support with an auction item? Do you have something to contribute such as vouchers, new quality items or alcohol, we will be most grateful. Concert It’s coming soon….. Monday 18th August at Yarra Valley Grammar School. Students have been enjoying their practice sessions and build up to this wonderful school event. Athletics this term! Our Year 3-6 students have commenced their unit on athletics. The students will spend time learning and practising the skills of the differing track and field events. These sessions will occur each Friday morning and will serve as a great build up to our House Athletics sports which are to be held on Tuesday 12th August. Personal technologies A reminder that any students bringing a personal technological device to school must hand these in to staff at the commencement of the school day and retrieve these at the end of the day. Curriculum Day Please note that there will be no school on Tuesday 26th August due to our scheduled Curriculum Day. Chocolate drive This is a whole school, annual fundraising effort. Your support in helping us to sell some chocolates to friends, family, known chocoholics – anyone who’d like to support the school; will be greatly appreciated. These funds will allow us to purchase a range of resources to support your children. We are targeting our fundraising efforts towards bolstering our resources for:

Watsonia Heights Primary School 61 Henry Street, Greensborough 3088 (03) 94354617 www.watsoniaheightsps.vic.gov.au Email- watsonia.heights.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

LINKLETTER PRINCIPAL – MICHAEL KENT

ISSUE DATED – 18th

July 2014 EDITION 1/ TERM 3 - Week 1

1. Big Write whole school writing program and 2. Increasing our pool of new texts for home reading. Please note that all chocolate products may contain traces of nuts and therefore we are enforcing that no students consume any of these chocolates whilst at school. These indulgences are meant for home! Please note we are requesting all collected monies and any unsold chocolates to be returned to school by Friday 8th August. Bunnings BBQ On Sunday 24th August we will be conducting a fundraising BBQ at Bunnings in Thomastown. To ensure this a successful event we are seeking support from our community. If you are able to offer an hour of your time on this date, we would be very grateful. Further details and a roster will develop in coming weeks. Please keep an hour free for WHPS on this date. PLEASE come to morning tea After the success of our previous Parent Morning Tea we are conducting another gathering on Monday 28th July. This is open to all parents and guardians of WHPS. A great chance to come together to enjoy a cuppa and some morning tea. I hope to see you all there to enjoy the company and connections within and across our school community. If you are interested please fill in and return the RSVP slip attached to this newsletter. This will help with our catering requirements. Mathletics going strong Students are thoroughly enjoying their access to Mathletics program at school. This continues to provide a wonderful compliment to our existing numeracy curriculum. Being that the students have 24 access, I trust that many parents have noticed their children spending a few extra minutes on this program at home. If not, why not spend some time with your child enjoying the numeracy site! Congratulations to Isaac who has reached the mantle of being the current Number 1 Mathletics student in Australia for his age group! Number 1 in the country, a wonderful achievement Isaac; keep up the great work!!! Montmorency Visit This week our year 5 students and those year 6 students whom will attend Montmorency Secondary College next year, enjoyed a leadership/immersion day at the college. This was a very positive day for all involved and we enjoy fostering positive connections with our local secondary colleges. Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability Our school is participating in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (Data Collection). This Data Collection is taking place in government, Catholic and Independent schools across Australia, and will provide valuable information about supports required for a broad group of students. This will enable Australian and State governments to better target support and resources in schools. This in turn will help schools give students with additional needs, the support they need. The Data Collection is not limited to students with diagnosed disabilities. It uses a very broad definition of disability, taken from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, which describe a broad range of health and learning conditions for which schools are required to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ to support students to participate on the same basis as other students. The Data Collection is taking place. No personal or identifying information about any student will be included. Further details were sent home this week, which provides an opportunity for identified students to opt out of this collection. More information about the Data Collection is available on the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development website at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/needs/Pages/nccd.aspx or you could contact the Principal if you have any further questions. Love is in the air!! Congratulations to Mr. Younger and Claire who became engaged over the holidays. Michael is a renowned romantic and he didn’t disappoint with a heartfelt invitation offered on the beaches of Adelaide. Underneath that beard, you can’t wipe the smile off his face. Congratulations to Michael and Claire we wish you every happiness at this special and memorable time.

Canteen Next week we will welcome our new canteen Manager, Karen Haeffner. Karen was successful from a pool of applicants and has extensive experience in catering and commercial restaurant operations. Karen will be keen to welcome any possible volunteers to support this program. If you are able to help out please email: watsonia.heights.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au or phone the school. Thanks again to our outgoing Canteen Manager, Suzanne Shaw for the wonderful job she has done for the past 2 years. Mrs. Kennedy a Mum again! Mrs. Kennedy will be departing WHPS on family leave at the end of July. We wish her and husband Lawrence all the very best for the healthy arrival of their second bundle of Joy. Their eldest daughter Lily will no doubt enjoy being a big sister. Thank-you to Mrs. Kennedy for all her hard work this year in developing our Cultural studies program and our Music program. Her great program will be continued in her absence. I am currently conducting the rigorous selection process to replace Mrs. Kennedy for the remainder of the year. Newsletter If you would like the newsletter personally emailed, you are welcomed to join our email list for all newsletters. If you wish to take up this option please send an email request to: watsonia.heights.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Newsletters are published on a Friday each fortnight. Rugby Prep-4 students will next week enjoy a rugby clinic. This activity is provided by Melbourne Storm and has been incorporated into the 2014 school excursion costings. Enjoy the weekend ahead! Michael

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

July 2014

Mon 21st School Council Finance Mtg

Mon 28th School Council Mtg & Parents

Morning Tea

Tue 29th Rugby Clinic Prep-4

August 2014

Tue 5th Rugby Clinic Prep-4

Gde 5/6 visit to Montmorency

Sec College to see ‘Oliver’

Production

Tue 12th Rugby Clinic Prep-4

Gde 3-6 House Athletics

Wed 13th Tony Bones Incursion

Fri 15th Concert Rehearsal 9.30-11am

(at school)

Mon 18th Concert Rehearsal at Venue 9-

1pm

CONCERT NIGHT @ GEORGE

WOOD PERFORMING ARTS

CENTRE

Tue 20th Grade 5/6 Transport Incursion

Sun 24th Bunnings BBQ Thomastown

fundraiser

Tue 26th Curriculum Day

Fri 29th District Athletics

Sat 30th 80’s Disco Bingo Night

Fundraiser

School Photos

School Captains, House Captains & Junior School Council photos are

available to order now.

These photos are on show in the office window. To order you can collect a special group photo envelope from the office counter or you may order these online. Go to www.advancedlife.com.au and enter the 9 digit online key code which is FK1 GT7 KB8 If you want to order extra photos or your child you can also order online using the key code above. If you have any queries please contact Advanced Life Photography on 9852-1133

FOR SALE

LOVE N CARE - COMPLETE BASSINET.

White in color. Never been used. Still in box.

Asking for $150.00 ONO

Contact – Jenny McDonald-Price in the school

office on 9435-4617.

Guinea pigs available for adoption. Currently three, 8 week old boys (would like to stay together) Two young adult girls (must stay together) Constant ongoing support throughout the life of the guinea pigs. For more information please call Kate: 0439037328