NEWSLETTER 10/2017

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Dear Parents,

2017 REGIONAL PRINCIPAL FORUM

On June 15 and 16 Alison and I attended the Regional Principal’s Forum in Melbourne where the focus was building on the strength in the state education system and the momentum achieved through the Education State initiatives. There was particular focus during these 2 days on literacy and numeracy as these are foundational to engagement in education and achievement in all learning areas. Strong Literacy and Numeracy outcomes for all children are a key part of the Education State goals and targets, as part of learning for life and successful/rewarding adult lifestyles.

Keynote Speakers were:

• Professor David Woods, Chair of the London Leadership Strategy who works as an Education Consultant with schools and local authorities. David’s presentation examined how the school education system in London was transformed from the lowest performing region in the country to the best.
• Mary Jean Gallagher, has had a 35 year career as an educator and has served as the head of the Ontario Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat at the Ministry of Education of Ontario. Mary Jean’s presentation provided us with a deeper understanding about sustainable systemic transformation and the importance of literacy as the ‘golden ticket’ to achieving system improvement.
• Dr Therese A. Dozier is the Director of the Centre for Teacher Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education. Terry presented the role of teacher leadership in enhancing student learning outcomes and improving government school system policies and curriculums.
• Dr Lyn Sharratt, a highly accomplished practitioner working at the University of Toronto. Lyn’s research and experience as a practitioner speak to the conditions and qualities required to lead collaborative learning that is focused on improving outcomes for all students.
• Rev. Tim Costello is Chief Executive of World Vision Australia. Tim spoke passionately about social justice and appealed to us as educational leaders to create a civil, socially just, equitable society and to be inspired to make a difference to the quality of teaching and learning in our schools.
  Opening Speakers were:

• The Hon. James Merlino – Minister for Education
• Gill Callister – Secretary, Department of Education and Training
• Bruce Armstrong - Deputy Secretary, Regional Services Group  

Not only was this a wonderful opportunity to engage with world class speakers and educational leaders from all over the world, it also provided us with the chance to discuss programs and initiatives with school leaders all through the South East Victoria Region. Whilst there is never an end point along the journey to school improvement, it was extremely pleasing to reflect on the fact that some of this “best practice” is happening right here in the heart of Mentone Park Primary School. Alison and I look forward to working with all of our staff to enhance their abilities to provide your children with high quality educational outcomes.

YEAR 5 & 6 CAMP
Reports back from the campers are that they are having a great time (but missing you terribly I’m sure). By the time you read this I will be at the camp hearing all of the wonderful stories and joining in with some of the great activities that the camp provides. The bus is planned to arrive back at school well before the 2.30 dismissal time and we will keep you informed via Flexibuzz of a more accurate arrival time.

JUNIOR SCHOOL EXCURSION TO SCIENCEWORKS
Last Friday I joined the junior school for some educational fun at Scienceworks. Whilst there were plenty of fun activities to do and lessons to learn, the most pleasing thing for me was the outstanding way all children represented Mentone Park PS. All students displayed wonderful manners and appreciation whilst enthusiastically engaging in some amazing hands on learning experiences.

SCHOOL SWIMMING PROGRAM
Next term all students from Foundation to Grade 4 have the opportunity to participate in the school swimming program at the Don Tatnell Leisure Centre from Aug 28 – Sept 8. The cost will be $120 and further information will be sent home during the first week of term 3.

REPORTS
Over recent weeks I have highlighted some of the changes you will see in your child’s report that will be sent home today, with the main difference being the removal of the A – E grading. This year marks the start of reporting against the new Victorian Curriculum, where the Department of Education are placing a greater emphasis on student growth along a learning continuum than in previous years. You will still however be able to see how your child is performing against the standards in each area as represented by the shaded yellow are on the graph. I know many parents are in regular contact with their child’s teacher and I encourage all families to engage where possible along their child’s educational journey.

ENROLLING FOR 2018

Don’t forget if you have a child starting next year please collect an enrolment form from the office and get it back to us as soon as possible. Planning is well underway for Term 3 and 4 transition activities and we would love to see you there.

If you know of any families looking for a great school then please get them to give us a call. I am currently conducting a number of individual and personalized tours allowing parents to ask specific questions about how we can best meet the needs of their families.

KIDS CAFÉ
Lastly and sadly this week we say goodbye to Liz and her team at Kids Café. As per my previous communication, Kids Café will be closed for a period of time as we look at how we can implement a new sustainable cafe model whilst still maintaining the values and philosophy held so dearly by our community. School Council will be investigating and communicating with our community and we will keep you informed along the process. If you are able to drop in on Friday morning at 9am you are more than welcome.

STAY SAFE AND ENJOY SOME QUALITY FAMILY TIME
With the holidays fast approaching I would like to wish all of our families a safe and relaxing 2 weeks break. I know some of you are going away as I have heard stories of Fiji, Hawaii and Los Angeles as well as day trips to Sovereign Hill and Phillip Island. Whatever you get up to, please stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all again on July 17.

Best Wishes
Cameron Agars
Principal

FROM THE OFFICE

Dear Parents & Guardians,

Please note all signed permission forms and any payment must be given directly to your child/ren’s teachers. This allows the teachers to check and mark off each child’s permission form and payment.  

PAYMENTS FOR EXCURSIONS/INCURSIONS
Payments for Excursions/Incursions can be made via Qkr under School Payments using the EXCURSIONS 2017 TAB
Families can enter the amount they owe and also add a note e.g Scienceworks Excursion
Spare clothing
Please ensure that you pack extra underwear and clothing for your child/ren. Due to OHS guidelines, we are no longer allowed to provide underwear.

Please feel free to phone or come into the office if you have any questions.

We are more than happy to assist with showing you how to use Qkr and Flexibuzz.

Thank you

Administration Team

PFA

SCHOOL BANKING

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Working With Children Check Reminder

All parents/guardians, visitors & volunteers to the school MUST sign in & out of the school and display their WWCC in a lanyard, which is available at the school office.

The Department of Education requires any person involved in an activity where children may be present to have a current WWCC or have supplied proof that they have applied for a WWCC with the Department of Justice. All schools are required to comply with the Working with Children Act 2005.

Volunteers are expected to carry the WWCC card on their person at all times when working or volunteering at the school or during school related activities.

There is no fee for this check. Apply now by visiting: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au

COMMUNITY SERVICE & ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Department of Education & Early Childhood Development and Mentone Park Primary School do not endorse the products or services of any private advertiser. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information contained in advertisements or claims made by them.

PIANO LESSONS

Piano lessons are available for Grade 2-6 students during school time.

If you are interested, please contact Mrs Jocelyn Millard on 0418 629 586 or 9583 6172.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMS

NEWSLETTER 9/2017

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Dear Parents,

Tomorrow and Friday, Principals and Assistant Principals in the South East Victoria region have been asked to attend a conference to discuss progress our state is making against current Victorian education targets, and to celebrate what’s happening in government schools. International education experts will speak about system improvement from countries achieving sound academic results. Alison and I will be engaging with world class presenters as well as local school leaders to ensure Mentone Park Primary School is continually striving for educational "best practice". During this time our school will be professionally led by teachers from our school leadership team. We look forward to sharing some of our insights in our next newsletter.

MID-YEAR REPORTING/PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Our teaching staff have been very busy over the past month writing mid-year reports for each student. It’s an extremely busy time for teachers, the task taking around 40-50 hours, all of which is undertaken outside of the school day and on weekends. However, we know that this is an important opportunity for parents to be updated on their child’s progress so it’s undertaken with a high degree of diligence. Each report once drafted, goes through two rounds of proofreading to ensure we maintain our high standards. We are focused on reporting in a clear and concise style without too much teacher jargon. The reports will be ready for distribution on Friday, 23rd June for our Grade 5 and 6 students and the rest of the school will be distributed on Thursday, June 29.

Some changes you will note include:
There are no A-E scores. These won’t appear as the departmental expectations for an A-E have changed from last year, as has the curriculum from AusVels to Victorian Curriculum. For example, what was an “A” last year might now be a “B”. To avoid confusion, we have removed the grading. Department advice is to have more of a growth mindset when reporting, that is how far has your child grown in 12 months. This will be particularly relevant for you at this time next year when the Victorian Curriculum has been in place for 12 months. This year, you will receive a “dot” to show where your child is placed along the learning continuum for that subject area.

The children have set goals with their teacher and their progress against this will be commented on.

Achievements and areas for improvement are in the one comment.

We have expanded the number of learning indicators for specialist reports (Performing Arts, Visual Art, Italian and Physical Education.). This is now more visual for parents and in many cases, self-explanatory and therefore not needing a “wordy” comment.

When you get the report, please remember that we have begun the process of writing reports in May. This is especially pertinent for parents of prep children. A prep child has been with us for 4 months, so unless we are totally satisfied they have made 6 months growth in their learning progression, we won’t move them up the graph. It doesn’t mean your child hasn’t made growth, it’s just they might not have shown 6 months growth in the 4 months they have been with us. This is but one example as to why you should have a conversation with your child's teacher, as our doors are always open. Feel free to make contact, either in person, via Flexi Buzz or phone call to make an appointment.

For most students, their progress in Reading provides a reasonable indicator of how they are progressing in most aspects of the curriculum which is why we have so much of a focus on developing sight vocabulary and regularly reading habits. Whilst all students develop at different rates it does highlight the need for the development of regular reading habits. Reading for enjoyment at home is great way to wind down after a busy day and also spend some quality time with your children. During targeted literacy time at school we focus on developing a students’ ability to expand their comprehension, expression and fluency, rather than merely just reading a certain level of book.

As a response to parent feedback we have decided this year to move our Parent / Teacher interviews to a date in August. In previous years the June interview was primarily a discussion around the report whereas this way we are adding an extra opportunity for touching base with your child's teacher before the December report. This will also allow for some discussion around your child's learning journey in the second half of the year. Opportunities for feedback around this change will be provided after the interviews however all of our teachers are happy to have a discussion with you at any mutually agreed time.

ENROLLING FOR 2018

Don’t forget if you have a child starting next year please grab an enrolment form from the office and get it back to us as soon as possible. Planning is well underway for Term 3 and 4 transition activities and we would love to see you there.

If you know of any families looking for a great school then please get them to give us a call. I am currently conducting a number of individual and personalized tours allowing parents to ask specific questions about how we can best meet the needs of their families.

OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS

Thank you to those families who recently paid their invoices for a number of school activities from earlier in the year. Activities such as the Life Education Van, whole school yoga and the swimming events from Term 1 provided your children with opportunities to shine and develop. Prompt payment for these activities allows us to continually run a variety of programs to meet the needs of all of our students.

Best Wishes
Cameron Agars
Principal

FROM THE OFFICE

Dear Parents & Guardians,

Please note all signed permission forms and any payment must be given directly to your child/ren’s teachers. This allows the teachers to check and mark off each child’s permission form and payment.  

PAYMENTS FOR EXCURSIONS/INCURSIONS
Payments for Excursions/Incursions can be made via Qkr under School Payments using the EXCURSIONS 2017 TAB
Families can enter the amount they owe and also add a note e.g Scienceworks Excursion

Spare clothing
Please ensure that you pack extra underwear and clothing for your child/ren. Due to OHS guidelines, we are no longer allowed to provide underwear.

Please feel free to phone or come into the office if you have any questions.

We are more than happy to assist with showing you how to use Qkr and Flexibuzz.

Thank you

Administration Team

Dear Parents & Friends,

Please, if you have any time (even if it’s only a small amount of time) available on a Friday to support Kids Cafe please either email or phone on my mobile.    lizpleasants@me.com or 0413 009 493

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Please note the new cutoff time for Kids Cafe orders is now 8.00am Friday morning. Orders can be placed at any time during the week.

Liz and Kids Café team

OSHCLUB

SCHOLASTIC BOOKCLUB

Please note Friday 16th June is cut-off for bookclub orders.

PFA

SCHOOL BANKING

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Working With Children Check Reminder

All parents/guardians, visitors & volunteers to the school MUST sign in & out of the school and display their WWCC in a lanyard, which is available at the school office.

The Department of Education requires any person involved in an activity where children may be present to have a current WWCC or have supplied proof that they have applied for a WWCC with the Department of Justice. All schools are required to comply with the Working with Children Act 2005.

Volunteers are expected to carry the WWCC card on their person at all times when working or volunteering at the school or during school related activities.

There is no fee for this check. Apply now by visiting: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au

COMMUNITY SERVICE & ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Department of Education & Early Childhood Development and Mentone Park Primary School do not endorse the products or services of any private advertiser. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information contained in advertisements or claims made by them.

PIANO LESSONS

Piano lessons are available for Grade 2-6 students during school time.

If you are interested, please contact Mrs Jocelyn Millard on 0418 629 586 or 9583 6172.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMS