WELCOME

EPSOM PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER NO 1 –03/02/10

Phone Number: 03 5448 4318 School Fax Number: 03 5448 3334 Dates to Remember: Term 1 Thur, 4th Feb Prep parents morning tea at Loaded Plate Mon, 8th Feb Active After-School Communities 3:30-4:45pm Thurs, 11th Feb Active After-School Communities 3:30-4:45pm 9

(Mondays & Thursdayʼs onwards) Fri, 12th Feb First day for Subway lunch orders Tues, 16th Feb Prep-2 Parent Information Night, 7-8pm Mon, 22nd Feb Parent/teacher interviews begin this week Tues, 23rd Feb Years 5 & 6 Netbook Information Night ` Fri, 26th Feb Parent EMA applications close Mon, 8th March Labour Day holiday Fri, 26th March End of term 1, 2:30pm finish Mon, 12th April Start of term 2 Meeting Dates:

Monday, 15th March 2010 School Council Meeting at 7.30pm. This will be the AGM followed by an ordinary meeting. More information to follow.

Grounds Roster. Many thanks to all those families who tidied the school grounds over the holidays.

Grounds Roster Gardening keys are being sent home next week with the Allan and Andrews families. The following week keys will go home to the Austin and Baker families. EPSOM P.S. EMAIL ADDRESS - epsom.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Home Page www.epsomps.vic.edu.au

Welcome back to everyone for the 2010 school year. I hope you have had a wonderful holiday and are ready for a busy and exciting year. I am thrilled to have been appointed as Principal of Epsom Primary and look forward to getting to know parents and students over the next few weeks. During the last two days I have visited each of the classrooms and I am impressed by the settled manner in which the children have begun the school year. Thank you to the staff for their considerable work ensuring a smooth beginning to the school year. Welcome to the new Prep children and other new students and their families. We have begun the year with 142 students. Kerry McGuffie End of Day Traffic Car Parking & Student Safety As you are aware, Howard St is a very busy road, with ever increasing volumes of traffic. This is even more apparent at the beginning and end of the school day. A reminder to parents and children about the following parking and safety issues: • The parking spaces in front of the main

building are for pick up and drop off only. Cars should not be parked in these spaces for no more than five minutes.

• Parking is not allowed on the opposite side of Howard St. Parents may utilise the car park opposite the school (next to the bridge) but must come across the road to collect their child/ren. Children must not cross the road unattended.

• It is illegal to perform a U-turn on the section of Howard St in front of the school buildings. Parents must drive to the section in front of the oval (where there is a broken line) to perform a U-turn.

40 Kilometre Speed Signs Please assist us in ensuring the safety of our students by adhering to the speed limits outside our school at all times.

Midland Hwy/Howard St Crossing I ask parents to reinforce the following with their children: • They should wait for the crossing

supervisor to blow his/her whistle before beginning to cross the road at the Midland Highway intersection.

• Children must walk their bikes across the intersection.

• When going home in the afternoon children should walk their bike across the bridge over the Bendigo Creek on Howard St. This narrow footpath is right next to the roadway and is congested of an afternoon. We don’t want children falling off their bikes on to the busy road!

Staggered Pick Up Times As you are aware during 2009 School Council implemented staggered pick up times for students to alleviate traffic issues. Thank you for your cooperation with this matter.

o Children in grades Prep-2 can be picked up by parents at 3:30pm.

o Children in grades 3-6 can be picked up by parents at 3:40pm. (Teachers will supervise these students until this time.)

o Families who have children in both categories should pick their children up at the later time of 3:40pm.

School Office Hours Mrs Deanne Hendy, office manager, will be at the school Monday - Thursday from 8:15 am to 4:30 pm and on Friday from 8:15am to 2pm. The office is open from 8.15 am for payment of money, enquiries or any other business.

Information Package Today you will receive a package of information containing the following: • School fees for 2009. (There is a slip

you must return asap.) • Student absence forms. (Complete

an absence form and return it to your child’s classroom teacher when your child returns to school after absence / illness.)

• School payment envelopes. Payments can be sent to school in a school envelope (or recycled envelope) with your child or drop them in the slot at the front counter of the general office.

• AASC permission form. During next week you will receive: • A booklet containing:

o Head lice permission form o Minor excursion permission

form o Media permission form o RE permission form

These forms will apply for your child’s primary school years and will mean that you do not have to complete them at the start of each school year. Changes can be made at any time on request.

• ICT permission forms • Parents of children in grade 5/6 will

have received additional information about the 1 to 1 student notebook program.

Morning Tea for PrepParents – Tomorrow Morning Invitations have been sent to all Prep parents for our welcoming morning tea at 9:15am tomorrow morning at the Loaded Plate, Midland Highway, White Hills. This is a great opportunity to meet new parents, infant teachers and the principal in a relaxed setting. Toddlers are welcome. We look forward to seeing you there.

School Composition Staffing for 2010 is as follows: ♦ Mrs Kerry McGuffie - Principal, ♦ Mrs Jan Brunswick - Grade 5/6. ♦ Mrs Hilary Miller - Grade 3/4. ♦ Mr Jarrod Epps – Grade 2/3 ♦ Mrs Gill Davey - Grade 1/2. ♦ Ms Sue Briggs - Grade Prep/1. ♦ Miss Steph Parsons – Grade Prep/1 ♦ Mrs Jenny Ashby – Technology,

Reading Recovery ♦ Mr Philip McGuffie – Performing

Arts (4.5 hours over two days) ♦ Mrs Deanne Hendy – Office

Manager & library coordinator. ♦ Mrs Glenda Nevinson – Integration

aide & library assistance. ♦ Mrs Naomi Smart – Integration aide. ♦ Michael Roberts – Cleaner Thank You A big thank you to the following families for their input into the school over the holidays: Mickan, Burns, Anderson and Keene. Great job! • Parents and community members

who have kept an eye on the school environment over the holidays

Your contributions are much appreciated. Could you please return keys if you have not already done so. Excursion Fee The 2010 excursion and camp costs for various grades will be sent home later this term. This fee can be paid in full or by term instalments. Those families who are eligible for the Education Maintenance Allowance will pay less, as half the EMA is paid directly to the school by the Department of Education. The school puts these funds towards your outstanding materials & requisites fee and excursion costs. Student Materials Fee

In 2010 the student materials and requisites fee is $70 per child. Details regarding how this is to be paid are below Educational Maintenance Allowance – $225 For Primary School Children Information regarding eligibility for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) has been sent home today. What do you need to do? If you qualify, call into the office and complete an application form. Bring your Centrelink Card (which must be valid as of 27th January, 2010) for the school to make a copy. No late claims can be processed so it is essential that you submit your form by 26th February with the name of the main cardholder and card number filled in exactly as it appears on your Centrelink Card. Student Absences When your child is absent we would like you to complete one of the tear-off slips attached and return it to school. More forms are available from your child’s teacher or the office. It is an expectation of the Department of Education that all absences are explained. Regular attendance is extremely important and it’s not okay to be away, unless your child is ill or has a valid reason. Studies have shown that there is significant negative impact on a child’s learning if they are absent for 20 days or more in a year. Parent Information Night – Grades Prep-2 Put this date onto your calendar. Further details will be sent to you soon. Grade Prep-2 Literacy Information Night, Tuesday, 16th February, 7-8pm. School Banking

This will commence for all grades next Tuesday. Interested new children can collect banking details from the office and forms can be returned to the office at any time. Books will be collected from your child’s classroom and returned to your child’s room on Tuesday mornings. Please ensure that the coupon has been filled in correctly and that it contains your child’s account number. Active After-Schools Communities (AASC) – Free Program The free AASC program begins on Monday, 15th February and will be coordinated by Jenna Raglus on Monday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30-4:45pm. To participate in AASC you must fill out the enrolment form for your child/ren to attend this program. (as Jenna is a new coordinator we require children enrolled last year to re-enrol and thank you for your assistance with this.) Enrolment forms are attached. This term’s fantastic activities include multi-skills, skateboarding and basketball. Children are also provided with free fruit and drink for afternoon tea. Please ensure your child/ren are picked up promptly from AASC at 4:45pm. Parent Helpers For parents of children in all grades we invite you to come into our classrooms to hear reading any morning you are available. Our preference this year is for reading to begin at 9:00am through to approximately 9:30am. We also require parents to assist cleaning the tables. This could happen any morning before 9.00am or any afternoon after 3.30pm.

Please see class teachers if you are able to help at any time. Thank you to those who have already offered their help. Hilary Miller Reading – Please Hear Your Child Read Every Night All children will receive a Reading Record book. The Reading Record should be brought home by your child every night and returned to school the next morning, signed by a parent or other adult at home. We cannot stress enough the importance of daily home reading for your child’s progress in literacy. Once again we are making a particular effort to see that ALL children are reading each night and we appreciate your cooperation. You are simply asked to initial the Reading Record each night after hearing your child read. In the upper grades, where many children are competent silent readers, research still shows the value of reading aloud. • In the junior grades you should be

hearing your child read the whole book.

• In the middle grades you should be hearing your child read most of the book, followed by them doing some silent reading.

• In the upper grades you should be hearing your child read at least 1 or 2 pages a night, followed by your child doing another 5 to 10 pages of silent reading.

Always follow up the reading aloud by a question or two. “What happened?” “What would you do if it was you?” “Where do you think they will go next?” and so on. There are some great ideas to help your child in the Record Record itself. Don’t forget to keep a tally of nights read, as there are great reward stickers for your child at certain points along the way. Please don’t put numbers in if you were unable to read that night. Although older children are able to fill in many of the details themselves it is still important that YOU sign the book. We

will contact you if your child’s reading log comes back to school unsigned for several days. We have a wealth of experience in the teaching of reading, so please come and see us if you have any queries or concerns. Subway Lunches – Begin Next Friday 12th February Subway lunch order forms will be sent home next week. If your child is having a lunch order, please write your child’s name, grade and order items on the form and forward the correct money in a named & sealed envelope. Your child then needs to place his/her lunch order in the slot at the general office before 9am on a THURSDAY MORNING. Please note that lunch orders will commence on Friday 12th February. Once again, Subway lunches will be available on Fridays only. 2010 School Times Commence 9.00 am Recess 11.00 am - 11.30 am Eat Lunch 1 pm – 1.10 pm (in

rooms) Lunch 1.10 pm – 2.00 pm Dismissal 3.30 pm Children need to be at school early enough to allow time to unpack bags and change reader/library books before the bell. Children should not be at school prior to 8:30am. A warning bell will be sounded before school, after recess and lunch time, two minutes before the above times. Hats – Be Sunsmart Children are expected to wear broad-brimmed or legionnaire-style hats for sun protection. Baseball caps are not acceptable, as they provide inadequate protection. The school has a ‘no hat, no play’ policy. A copy of the policy is available at the office upon request.

Children who do not have a hat will be directed to remain under the shelter area. We appreciate your support with the promotion of sunsmart behaviours. Prep Attendance & Other Information Prep children attend school four days a week during February. They will NOT be required at school on Wednesdays. Parents are most welcome to join in with class activities between 9-9:30am each morning. Mothers, fathers and grandparents are all welcome. At a later date more formal assistance will be needed with reading in the classroom. Some assistance with domestic chores (eg. washing tables, sharpening pencils, etc) would be appreciated on Fridays between 8:45-9am. Sue Briggs, Prep Teacher Supplies To Be Provided By Parents The school supplies most materials that your child will need. The only things parents are asked to supply are: 1. Smock or old shirt for Art and Craft. 2. Large box of tissues. Please send to

your child’s class teacher. 3. School bag large enough to hold a lunch

box, reader cover and general belongings.

4. Library book bag for Grades 1-6. 5. The payment of a student requisites fee

of $70.00 per student per year and the additional excursions/camp fee.

Please ensure you name clothing, bags, drinking containers, lunch boxes and other personal items. Small children often fail to recognise their belongings. Weekly Grounds Roster We have a very successful weekend grounds roster for parents to help keep our school grounds in such good shape. We will commence this roster again next week with two families on duty each weekend.

On the Wednesday prior to your weekend duty, you will be sent information and a key that opens the padlocks on the double gate closest to the oval and the shelter shed. Equipment is stored in the shelter shed. For parents who are new to the school, your duty involves only an hour of your time over the weekend, or after school any night, and entails sweeping paths, weeding and other light jobs. You use the school’s equipment for any job allotted. If the week you are rostered on doesn’t suit, you can swap or let us know in the office. We would like to thank all the participating families for a job well done in 2009 in providing a more aesthetic, happier and safe environment for the children. Deanne Hendy – Environmental Coordinator Headlice Inspection Program Our school conducts an effective headlice inspection program that minimises headlice infestation. The school will begin our regular program of headlice inspections this term. As for 2009, all children will be screened unless parents have requested that they be excluded. If you return the form asking to be excluded from the program, you are agreeing to carry out your own inspections to coincide with school inspections and you will be expected to return a form the following day stating that you have carried out an examination of your children. The head lice form will be sent home in the booklet next week. School Inspection Procedure: At the time of an examination, all children will receive a letter stating that there has been an inspection. If your child has headlice infestation:

• they may not return to school until treatment has commenced

• you must also complete and return a form explaining what treatment has been undertaken.

A follow-up inspection will take place a week after the whole-school inspection to monitor infestation. Be aware that it is a parental responsibility to check your child/ren’s hair on a regular basis and to treat headlice infestation. A copy of the school’s headlice policy is available on request from the office. The school thanks you for your support and cooperation.

Personal Property Personal property is often brought to school by students and visitors. This can include toys, sporting equipment and cars parked on school premises. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and it will generally not pay for any loss or damage to such property. Students should be discouraged from bringing any unnecessary or particularly valuable items to school. Student Accident Insurance Parents are reminded that the Education Department does not provide personal accident insurance for students. Student accident insurance policies are available from the private insurance market. These cover a range of medical expenses not covered by Medicare. They can be obtained by parents for individual students. Parents/guardians are generally responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including any transport cost.

Community News

Bendigo and National open Sport Stacking Tournament. Saturday 13th of February 9.00 am till

5.00 pm. Cost : $20

Bendigo Baptist Church 757 McIvor Road Junortoun.

This is an event for age 6 to 96. There will be individual and team events.

Visit www.bendigospeedstacks.comfypage.com to download the registration form and to find out all other information.

The Eaglehawk Junior Football Club will be holding its Registration Day on Sunday 21st February  at  the  Canterbury  Park Clubrooms  between  11am &  1pm.    There will be a BBQ and BOOT SWAP available so bring along your old boots and  trade  them in  on  another  pair.  Registration  fees  for 2010 are U/10’s $50, $100 a single, $180 for 2  players  and  $220  for  3  or  more  players per  family.  Please  note:  fees  are  due  on registration  day.    You  will  need  to  bring along  your Medicare  card  to  complete  the medical  form. Hope  to  see  all  past  and some new players there.     White Hills Junior Football Club will be holding their Registration day this Sunday, 7th Feb. 10 am til noon. At our club rooms, Scott Street White Hills. All coaches will be in attendance. All old and new players welcome. Please check Notice board for more Community announcements.