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Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
1
Mill Park Primary School
Issue 21
18th July 2019
Newsletter
2 – 10 Blamey Avenue (PO BOX 163)
Mill Park 3082
Telephone: (03) 9404 3337
Web: www.millparkps.vic.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Our vision is to be a dynamic school, promoting lifelong learning and our school values of
respect, integrity, compassion and excellence.
TERM 3:
Week 2:
Wednesday, 24th July – MPSC Musical Performance
Week 3:
Tuesday, 30th July – Prep 100 Days of Learning
Friday, 2nd Aug – BDSSA Yr5 & 6 Basketball Tournament
Week 4:
Week 5:
Thursday, 15th Aug – Year 3 Swimming Survival
REMINDERS
Tuesday, 30th July
Prep 100 Days Of Learning
“By taking time to reflect, we create stepping stones to bigger and better accomplishments” – Anonymous.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-year break and took the time to appreciate all the wonderful achievements
in the first semester. We had a great start to the year, with many fun excursions, school events and learning tasks-
and we are just getting started with another exciting term ahead!
It can often be hard for students to settle back into school after the holiday break, so it is important for parents
to re-set good routines to ensure that their children are prepared for school each day.
This begins with students resting their minds and bodies with the right amount of sleep! Six to nine year old
students need approximately 10 to 11 hours of sleep whilst ten to twelve year old students need an average 9 to
10 hours sleep. Ensuring your child sticks to their bed time will keep them energized at school during the day.
More and more studies are showing how important nutrition is for growing bodies. Ensuring that your child’s diet
is full of fresh fruit, vegetables and protein is a great way to keep their bodies healthy to continue developing and
to help fight off any bugs that might be passing through the classroom.
Finally, encouraging learning, both at school and home is a great way to build a positive learning environment.
This includes nightly reading, home learning tasks and sharing stories from your child’s day.
There’s a lot of exciting things planned for the next nine weeks of school and I can’t wait to get started!
FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL
2
REPAIRING OF THE RETAINING WALL
I am happy to report that over the school holidays, the retaining wall near the stage area was finally repaired. The
previously collapsed retaining walls were removed and rebuilt. The stage decking and steps were also removed
and replaced. The area now looks fantastic but more importantly it is safe for our students to use. The area will
now be a focus for us to develop and beautify in line with the rest of the school.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Well done to everyone involved in the Student Led Conferences. It was wonderful to receive
positive feedback from students and parents about the mid-year reporting process, as well as
hearing about students’ achievements and future learning goals. If you have any feedback you
would like to share, please contact me in the office or send me an email,
PREP ENROLMENTS FOR 2020
This is a final reminder to families who have a child attending our school, and have another child starting school
next year. If you would like your sibling to attend Mill Park Primary School, please enrol him/her as soon as
possible.
We have a number of families on a waiting list to enrol their child at our school for 2020 and need to notify them
of the outcome as soon as possible.
PARENT OPINION SURVEY - WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an
annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of
randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of
school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help
inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the
survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22nd July to Sunday
11th August.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any
convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online
survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin,
Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and shared with School Council
and the broader community. Please see me if you would like more information.
3
PFA NEWS
Following the great success of the ‘Loose Coin Challenge’ fundraiser in previous years, I would like to again
encourage our families and community to donate any loose coins to the school.
All classrooms have received a jar to start collecting as part of this year’s fundraiser. So, start
collecting the loose coins around your home and let’s see which class can raise the most amount
of money for our school!
Jars will be collected and counted on Thursdays and the top three amounts will be shared at
assembly and in the newsletter each week.
MPPS HAS TALENT
This term, I will be visiting each classroom and sharing the wonderful talents that our students and teachers are
demonstrating each day during their daily learning.
W1 and W2 were the first classes I visited this term and I was so impressed by their talents that I just had to share.
The students, with their teachers, have created their own classroom libraries and all the students were excited to
tell me about their reading boxes and how they selected their reading books.
Carol Vidmar
Acting Principal
Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and took some time out to have some fun.
Time flies when you are having fun - which is what we saw in the first half of the year! However, Term 3 promises
to be bigger and better, with many exciting things planned for our students, giving them new learning
opportunities and exciting events ahead!
The main highlights for the term to come are:
• Prep – 100 days of Learning
• Year 5/6 Basketball Tournament
• Years 3/4/5/6 – Swim Survival
• District Athletics Carnival
• Day of Wonder
• Year 1 Games & Dinner Night
• Year 5 camp to Phillip Island
• Father’s Day
• Year 2 Sleepover
• Whole School Expo
• Footy Colours Day
• + all the incursions and excursions for each
year level
Keep up to date on event information by reading the Newsletter weekly- all details will be shared regularly for all
the exciting activities planned for Term 3.
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
4
EVERY DAY COUNTS - STUDENT ATTENDANCE
All Here All Term Award
At this week’s assembly our Student Leaders were excited to
randomly select one winner from 101 students who did not
have an absence in Term 2.
Congratulations to Timothy from W6 who was the lucky winner
and chose a wonderful box of Lego as his prize.
All Here All Week Awards
There were no awards presented at this week’s assembly for All Here All Week – Week 10, Term 2. Well done to
the many groups who had progressively improved their attendance over the term.
Week 10- 24th – 28th June
Attendance Report
W1 79% H2 78%
W2 71% H3 88%
W3 80% H4 70%
W4 80% H5 83%
W5 84% H6 84%
W6 89% E2 92%
W7 81% E3 95%
W8 77% E4 75%
W9 81% E5 73%
W10 76% E6 77%
E1 58% E7 74%
H1 86%
It is important for all students to be at school every day. During the winter months there will be many students
who experience coughs, colds and other minor illnesses. When deciding whether to keep your child at home from
school, please remember that children should be at school unless:
• the child is too sick to leave the house
• the child has an infectious disease like measles, chicken pox, etc
• a medical or dental appointment could not be made out of school hours.
Please remember that if children miss the basics in the early years of schooling they often experience learning
difficulties later on. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement, and poor patterns of attendance
in the early years can lead to poor patterns of attendance throughout the school years.
FREE FRUIT PROGRAM
We are very fortunate to still be involved with the free fruit program
donated by Secondbite.
Daniel Peluso will continue to pick up fruit on a Tuesday morning in
Heidelberg and distribute to every classroom. I hope your children
continue to enjoy the fruit!
5
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
In 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious
and other non-government agencies. The inquiry’s final report ‘Betrayal of Trust’, made a number of
recommendations that have been acted upon by the Victorian government.
The introduction of Child Safe Standards across all schools, form part of the Victorian Government’ response to
the recommendations of the Betrayal of Trust Report, which found that more must be done to prevent and
respond to child abuse. The Child Safe Standards set out to create, safe places for children to fully and actively
participate in the life of the community benefiting everyone.
Mill Park Primary School will ensure that the children in its care are protected to the best of its ability and in line
with the compulsory Child Safe Standards. School Council has endorsed a range of policies and procedures that
comply with the Child Safe Standards requirements.
The 7 Child Safe Standards that have been implemented are:
1. Strategies to embed a culture of child safety, through effective leadership measures
• Student Welfare is permanently on the Leadership Agenda
• Information is distributed via parent handbook and newsletter articles
• Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy
• Programs for Students with Disabilities Policy
2. A Child Safe Policy
• Has been developed and passed by School Council in 2016
• All staff and volunteers are given a copy of the Child Safe Policy
3. A Code of Conduct that has established clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
• All staff and volunteers have read and signed the Code of Conduct before any duties with children is commenced
4. Screening, supervision, training and other resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and
existing personnel
• Copies of Police Checks and Working with Children Checks are obtain prior to commencement
• The school follows Merit Protection guidelines
• Induction programs that address Child Safe Standards with staff and volunteers are conducted
• Regular performance reviews for all staff
5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
• Mandatory Reporting Professional Development occurs annually with staff completing online training
• Allegations and safety concerns are recorded and reported to relevant services e.g. DHHS, Police
• All issues of Child Safety is investigated, recorded and actioned
• Protective Behaviours and Restorative Practice are implemented throughout the school
6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
• Documented school based Risk Assessment
• Duty of Care Policy
• Visitor’s to School’s Policy
• Documented procedures for students e.g. leaving their classrooms in pairs
7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children
• School values program
• Curriculum activities related to safety, personal choice, reporting unsafe behaviours, neglect or abuse
• Identifying trusted adults
• Student voice
Have a wonderful week ahead and stay warm!
Kelly Spurr
Assistant Principal
6
EXCURSION PAYMENTS – PLEASE NOTE NO PAYMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DUE DATE
Year 5 & 6 BDSSA Basketball Tournament due 26th July - $11.00
Prep Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $20.00
Year 1 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $30.00
Year 2 Term 3 Planner Incursions due 9th Aug - $25.00
Year 3 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 4 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $26.00
Year 5 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $14.00
Year 6 Term 3 Planner Excursions & Incursions due 9th Aug - $49.00
Years 3, 4, 5, 6 Bundoora District Athletics Carnival due 9th Aug - $9.50
Footy Day Special Day Lunch Order 20th September due 3rd Sept – Various
Year 3 Cave Hill Creek Camp Balance due 16th Sept - $200.00
Angela Falso, Vivian Gulia and Alison Wylie
Administration Team
Dear Parents,
Each year the University of New South Wales invites Early and Middle Years school children (beginning Year 3) to
participate in competitions in a variety of subject areas. These areas are Science, Spelling, Mathematics, Writing,
Reading and Digital Technologies. The tests are held at school on different days during September. All tests are
held after school, beginning 3.45pm. The cost of each test is $14.50 and this cost is set by the University.
Children do NOT have to sit each test and this is NOT a compulsory part of our school curriculum. Tests must be
paid for ONLINE.
Steps to register your child for the tests:
1. Type the following into a web browser: unsw.global/parentpay
2. Enter the school’s unique access code: 666e7e95cc
3. Follow the steps to select which tests you would like to enrol your child in. You do NOT have to enter
anything in the ‘Student ID’ box – you can leave that blank
4. For support, go to: https://unsw.global/support-icas
5. Obtain a permission form from the school office, fill out and return
FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE
CLASSROOM / CURRICULUM NEWS
7
Online payment concludes 31st July 209. Permission forms (after online payment has been made) are due no
later than Friday 9th August.
The sitting dates for the tests are as follows:
Subject Sitting Dates
Digital Technologies Monday 2nd September
Science Wednesday 4th September
Writing Monday 9th September
Spelling Wednesday 11th September
English Monday 16th September
Mathematics Wednesday 18th September
If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to come and see us.
Vicki Griffiths & Simon Ferwerda
ICAS Testing Coordinators
READING MATTERS
Premier’s Reading Challenge
AMAZING! WOW! AWESOME! I came back from holidays to find a big pile of Premier’s Reading Challenge lists on
my desk. Thank you to all the students who read and completed their Challenge over the holidays. We now have
332 students who have completed their Reading Challenge! Some classes are so close to the finishing line they
can taste victory! We only have 5 weeks to go so as of next week I will be setting up in the Hibiscus Building two
lunchtimes a week and we shall plough through our reading together. The Premier’s Reading Challenge is part of
our Literacy Program and therefore compulsory for each child to enter. The Challenge is a great way for your child
to increase their reading skills, their vocabulary and to widen their choice of authors. Every student in our school
has completed the Challenge for the last six years so I know that you will want to continue that success in 2019.
I am available before and after school to answer any questions you may have. The booklist for the challenge has
yet to be updated but books from last year’s list will count. Home Reading books are not on the list so borrow
from your class libraries. The website for the Premier’s Reading Challenge Book list is
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Overdue Books
Overdue notices will go home on Monday. We currently have 252 books overdue. Please look for these missing
books and return them as soon as possible.
Book Club
Hello fellow readers!
Book Club Issue 5 pamphlets went home yesterday. Please peruse them at your leisure and all orders must be
either ordered and paid for on line or returned with cash in a school envelope by Friday 26th July at 4pm.
No orders will be accepted after this date, so get in early to avoid disappointment.
Happy Reading
Sharon Turner
Library/Book Club Coordinator
8
PREP PREP
W1: Shivam
For great reading!
W2: Amaan
For writing an excellent holiday journal.
W3: Chloe
For taking pride in my work.
W4: Anna
For fantastic independent reading.
W5: Benji
For finding golden words when reading!
W1: Chantae
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W2: Amir
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
W3: Tia
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W4: Ayla
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
W5: Aaron
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 1 YEAR 1
W6: Brylee
For working hard towards her spelling goal.
W7: Edward
For his excellent reading!
W8: Abdul
For fantastic skip counting.
W6: Mitchell
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W7: Indi Rose
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W8: Sarah
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
YEAR 2 YEAR 2
W9: Cassidy
For answering lots of questions in class discussions.
W10: Akeesha
For excellent participation in class discussions.
E1: Jonathan
For trying his best in all learning areas.
W9: Arwa
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
W10: Kade
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E1: Violet
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 3 YEAR 3
H1: Hadi
For excellent counting with coins and making predictions.
H2: Ty
For my awesome work during Maths this week!
H3: Max Hawkins
For my creative writing.
H1: Summer
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H2: Angelina
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
H3: Deena
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 4
YEAR 4
H4: Grace
For becoming more confident with multiplication facts.
H5: Yena
For great work in Reading.
H6: Mito
For reading with expression.
H4: Brooklyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H5: Caitlyn
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
H6: Mohamed
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
YEAR 5
YEAR 5
E2: Michael
For detailed responses in his Geography Project.
E3: Riley
For thoughtful and considered contributions to class discussions.
E4: Class E4
For an excellent start to Term 3.
YEAR 6
E5: Jordyn
For giving my best during all learning tasks.
E6: Alaa
For developing a deeper understanding of poetry.
E7: Samantha
For sharing her wonderful overseas adventure with us.
E2: Jake
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E3: Dante
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
E4: Class E4
For demonstrating the value of Respect.
YEAR 6
E5: Aleisha
For demonstrating the value of Excellence.
E6: Fouad
For demonstrating the value of Integrity.
E7: Christina
For demonstrating the value of Compassion.
VALUES AWARDS
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