NEWSLETTER 17/2018

Dear Families,

REMEMBRANCE DAY – NOVEMBER 11

Beginning Friday November 2 we will be selling poppies, pins, wristbands and pens to raise money for the Mentone RSL. Mentone RSL do a wonderful job helping families effected by war and conflict. Whilst Remembrance Day is on a Sunday this year we will mark this significant day in Australia’s history on Friday November 9 with an assembly at school.  

 

OUR AMAZING ATHLETE – LIAM

On Monday, Liam competed in the State championships for long jump and shotput.  After a very tiring day Liam came away with a silver medal in long jump, making him the second best multiclass long jumper in Victoria, which is very exciting.

Liam has now been accepted into Team Vic to represent the state in national competitions.  Towards the end of November, Liam will have an intensive 4 day coaching session in readiness for the National competitions.

 WORKING BEE – A MASSIVE THANK YOU

Thank you once again to the families who attended our Working Bee on the 21^st of October. It is great to see our community spirit on days like this and the end result is an amazingly revitalised eating area full of colour. As a result, a few Dads started chatting about the next step and have come up with some great ideas. Stay tuned as there is still more to come.

SAFETY ON THE ROADS AROUND OUR SCHOOL

Please be aware that the roads around our school can be very busy, especially around drop off and pick up time. Recently a number of our parents have reported cars either speeding, illegally parking or making unsafe turns and this is putting lives at risk. The speed limit during these times is 40 km/hr and is there for the safety of everyone.

I would also ask that parents do not use the school car park and that you talk to your children about not walking through, especially when cars are moving. Yours and your children’s safety is at the heart of everything we do.

STUDENT ONLINE ACTIVITY

As we all know cyber activity, communication and gaming is a major part of our children’s lives and, when used appropriately, can be an extremely valuable resource. It is however important to know that many games and applications have age restrictions as they are designed for different purposes. Here at school we teach the children about these but in most cases they are accessed at home. As a parent it is your right to allow your children access but please be aware that we are now seeing conversations that occur through these apps transfer to school and the results are affecting behaviour in class. Whilst we can deal with some of this at school, there may be times when we will contact you regarding the home school partnership.

I have been in contact with Susan McLean, Cyber Safety Expert, presenter and ex police officer to come to our school early next year for some student and parent information evenings. (http://www.cybersafetysolutions.com.au/)

This article regarding the extremely popular Fortnite game may provide you with a discussion starter for you and your family.

  Fortnite Battle Royale

What is Fortnite Battle Royale?

Fortnite Battle Royale is a highly popular, free version of the original Fortnite game. Up to 100 players compete online through player vs player combat to be the last person standing.

The action is non-gory, but there are plenty of weapons used in play.

What is the recommended age?

Fortnite is not recommended for children under 12 years of age. This rating does not take into the fact that players have direct contact with others and may be exposed to offensive and inappropriate language or unwanted contact through the chat or voice function. Young players may find themselves in communication with players much older than themselves.

The voice function (which is the default) can be turned off through the settings menu. Parents are also advised to discuss with their children the importance of cybersafety and alerting them to anything that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

Is it addictive?

In a recent interview with the ABC’s 7:30¹, psychologist Brad Marshall, who runs an internet addiction clinic at Kidspace in Sydney, says most of the children he sees are playing Fortnite. He believes it is more addictive than other gaming fads before it, due to its easy accessibility.

These are his three top tips for parents:

• Set reasonable boundaries around internet usage
• Emphasize things like homework and sport before going on the internet
• Sleep. Turn off the internet or unplug the modem at night
   
  1. McGee, A. (July 11, 2018). Fortnite: Millions are playing it, but is addiction to the game really a thing? URL: www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-11/fortnite-is-addiction-really-a-thing/9981528

Best wishes
Cameron Agars
Principal

CLUBS AND EXTRA CURRICULA ACTIVITIES

FROM THE OFFICE

Spare clothing

Please ensure that you pack extra underwear and clothing for your child/ren.

We are more than happy to assist with showing you how to use Qkr and Flexibuzz.
Please feel free to phone or come into the office if you have any questions.

Please check Kids Café for all lost property items.

There are a large number of unnamed containers and other items.

PFA

CLASSROOM CUISINE

AVAILABLE WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS

OSHCLUB NEWS

This week at OSHClub we’ve got a Halloween theme as the kids are creating lots of decorations for our room and have been playing all kinds of themed games.
Also a big welcome back to Jorja who returned on Tuesday to OSHClub!

 Next Week (5^th – 9^th  November)

The coming week will be focused around keeping fit and active. The kids will be involved in many activities that will help them get up and about and moving.

David Quinn

OSHClub Co-ordinator

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB

Dear Mentone Park Families,

Welcome to another year at school and the beginning of a new issue of Scholastic Book Club catalogues!. Orders can be left with the office or please order via the online ordering system called  “LOOP”  - details are in the catalogue. When ordering there is an option to mark as a gift if you would like your order sent to the office instead of to class for your child to take home.

To families new to our school the Scholastic Book Club generates reward points which we claim back throughout the year as new books and resources for teachers to use in class. Each book club order earns 20% in rewards points – they soon add up! Scholastic often have some great books on special for as little as $2, so look out for their “gold coin books” in the catalogue

If you need any assistance please don’t hesitate to contact me via the school office or call the Scholastic Customer Service number 1800 021 233.

Best wishes

Jenny O – Book club coordinator

Dear Parents,

If you have any preloved MPPS uniforms please drop these off at the office. If you would like to purchase any items for a very reasonable price, please send a text to Megan or Jess to arrange a meeting time.

We have different items coming in all the time so if we didn't have what you were after last time you checked, it might be worth trying us again.

FREE TO A GOOD HOME!

 

Second hand school windcheaters in various sizes.

If you need a spare windcheater for these freezing days, please come and help yourselves.

Thank you

Megan: 0404 228 320
Jess:    0411 031 589

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 MESSAGES & ADVERTISEMENTS

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.