Thursday 8th August - The Resilience Project (students)

Saturday 17th August - Working Bee, 9am to 12noon

Tuesday 20th August - Fathers' Day Stall

Friday 23rd August - Pupil Free Day

Monday 2nd September - The Resilience Project (parents)

Thursday 5th September - School Production VMTV (matinee and evening)

Friday 6th September - School Production VMTV (matinee and evening)

Tuesday 17th September - Walkathon Fundraiser

PUPIL FREE DAYS

• Friday August 23, 2019
• Monday December 16, 2019
• Tuesday January 28th, 2020
• Wednesday January 29th, 2020
• Two extra days yet to be confirmed in 2020

TERM DATES

• 2019 TERM 3: Monday 15th July - Friday 20th September (2:30pm finish)
• 2019 TERM 4: Monday 7th October - Thursday 20th December (1:30pm finish)
• 2020 TERM 1: Tuesday 28th January - Teachers start (All students start Thursday 30th January) - Friday 27th March (2:30pm finish)
• 2020 TERM 2: Tuesday 14th April - Friday 26th June (2:30pm finish)
• 2020 TERM 3: Monday 13th July - Friday 18th September (2:30pm finish)
• 2020 TERM 4: Monday 5th October - Friday 18th December (1:30pm finish)

CAMP DATES

• Year 3: Arrabri Lodge Camp (Mon 05Aug to Wed 07Aug 2019)
• Year 5: Lady Northcote Recreation Camp (Tue 08Oct to Fri 11Oct 2019)
• Year 6: Canberra Camp (Mon 14May to Fri 18May 2020)
• Year 4: Anglesea Recreation Camp (Wed 27May to Wed 29May 2020)
• Year 3: Arrabri Lodge Camp (Mon 27July to Wed 29July 2020)
• Year 5: Lady Northcote Recreation Camp (Tue 06Oct to Fri 09Oct 2020)

2019 PARENT OPINION SURVEY 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 29th 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, Greek, Turkish, Somali and Punjabi.

The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September, and will be shared with School Council and the school community.

PUPIL FREE DAY A reminder that Friday, August 23 will be a pupil free day, approved by School Council. All day care will be available through OSHClub if required.

100 DAYS AT SCHOOL PARTY The Foundation students are eagerly looking forward to their 100 days at school party – always a highlight. It’s a great time for us as teachers and parents to reflect on how quickly they have become ‘used’ to school, and to admire how much they have grown and how much they have learned!

WORKING BEE The Term 3 working bee is scheduled for Saturday, August 17 from 9am. More details will follow but if you can possibly make it, even for just a short period of time that morning, we’d love to see you.

BUILDING WORKS We had our first meeting with the Project Managers for our Northern Classroom building project on Monday. At this stage, the project commencement looks like being in the Term 2 holidays of 2020, but as mentioned previously, the time frame is short and the project will be finished by December 2020. Exciting times ahead, with a few inconveniences too, undoubtedly, but short term pain for long term gain.

Have a great weekend,

Kind regards,

Bill Kersing

Principal

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE DAYS Over the next few weeks, staff at Viewbank will be taking their Term 3 Professional Practice Day. Teachers receive one day per term out of the classroom, allowing them to focus on the improved delivery of high quality teaching and learning. On these days, an alternative teacher will be provided with the learning plan for the day and will be well equipped to assist your child with their learning needs. This term, most teachers will be focussing on assessment of student learning, reviewing Individual Learning Plans, entering data and term planning.

ASSISTING YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING

Homework Homework is an important part of your child's learning.

It gives them a chance to:

• work through the things they have learnt at school
• strengthen their long-term understanding of the topic or activity.

Homework helps your child to develop study skills that they will use for the rest of their life. Homework is also a chance for you to get involved and help and in your child’s learning. The type of homework set for your child will depend on:

• our school’s homework policy
• their age and year level
• their individual learning needs

These things will also influence the length of the homework and the level of difficulty.

Homework can take different forms.

1. Practice exercises such as Mathletics, Reading Eggs, reading, spelling or playing a musical instrument give your child the chance to apply new knowledge and understand or go over what they have learnt in school.
2. Homework that introduces a subject or topic such as researching topics for class work, collecting newspaper articles or watching the news gives your child the chance to learn about a topic before their teacher covers it. This helps your child prepare and understand future lessons.
3. Homework that builds on what they already know is sometimes called extension work or extension assignments. This may include writing a book review, finding information on the internet or completing investigations and often allows students flexibility to complete tasks in their own way.

How you can help with homework

• Encourage a homework routine. Help your child to do their homework at the same time everyday. Some children concentrate better in the mornings. Some are better in the afternoons. Choose a time that works best for your child. Having a regular homework time will set your child up with good study habits. This will help them throughout school and beyond.
• Set up a comfortable space. Your child will find it much easier to do their homework if they have a comfortable space. This could be a space in their bedroom, in your study or in the family room. If you don't have a space at home you could thing about going to a library. A good homework space: is comfortable, quiet, has good light, all the things needed to do their work: think about stationery, a computer, a printer and is free from distractions such as the television or computer games.
• Talk to your child about their homework. Ask them what is easy or what is difficult, how they could go about working something out, what they find interesting or ask them to explain their thinking. You can also suggest resources they can use to help with their work or research things together. By starting a conversation, you will be able to help them plan their homework. Encourage them to tackle the difficult work first while they are fresh.
• And remember to celebrate your child’s successes and achievements. Attend school events, productions or award ceremonies your child is a part of. Show them you support and value their learning.

Have a great week

Mrs Nicholls

The Resilience Project The Resilience Project student sessions are occurring on Thursday 8th August – next week!

The presenter is Martin Heppell and you can see his bio here https://theresilienceproject.com.au/about-us/ (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Foundation, Grade 1 and Grade 2 session will be starting at approximately 9:45am and the Grades 3-6 session will be starting at 11:30am. The sessions will last an hour and promise to be high energy. We will be providing some more information about our much inquired about parent session, scheduled for Monday 2nd September, next week!

Parent Tips This week, I am going to share two resources for parents who are struggling: Parentline and The Orange Door.

Parentline The below is from:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/services-for-parents/Pages/parentline.aspx

Parentline is a phone service for parents and carers of children from birth to 18 years old. We offer confidential and anonymous counselling and support on parenting issues.

13 22 89 - Available 8am to midnight, seven days a week including public holidays.

What we do Our qualified counsellors are available to:

• talk about any issues to do with parenting and your relationships with your child
• help you with ways to cope and be a positive parent
• help with your family's wellbeing and resilience
• connect you with services in your area.

Your call

• We respect your privacy. Your call is confidential and anonymous.
• Calls are not time limited and you can call back as often as you need.
• Our qualified and experienced counsellors have social work or psychology backgrounds. You can ask for a male or female counsellor and ask to speak to the same counsellor if you call back again.
• We can assist non-English speaking parents and carers connect to a translating and interpreting service.
• If you're hearing impaired, you can call Parentline using the National Relay Service.
• Calls from a landline are charged at a local call rate. Mobile call rates will depend on your network provider. Check with your provider if you're unsure.
• We are happy to call you back to minimise the cost to you. If you choose a call back, we will ring back and you'll be placed at the front of the queue until you're connected with the next available counsellor.

Some reasons to ring Parentline We can discuss a range of issues about parenting, including:

• child behaviour and development
• parent / carer child relationships
• education
• bullying
• living with teenagers
• family violence
• family breakdown
• parental stress

The Orange Door The below is from https://orangedoor.vic.gov.au/what-is-the-orange-door

Who is The Orange Door for? The Orange Door is a free service for adults, children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence and families who need extra support with the care of children.

You should contact The Orange Door if:

• someone close to you is hurting you, controlling you or making you feel afraid – such as your partner, family member, carer or parent(s)
• you are a child or young person who doesn’t have what you need to be OK
• you are worried about the safety of a friend or family member
• you need more support with the care of children, e.g. due to money issues, illness, addiction, grief, isolation or conflict
• you are worried about the safety of a child or young person
• you need help to change your behaviour and stop using violence in your relationships

The Orange Door can work with you on your own, or together with your family members depending on your situation.

Tell a worker if you use communication aids or require an interpreter, including Auslan.

The Orange Door welcomes everyone, regardless of migration status. You can seek help or support if you are a migrant or a refugee or do not have permanent residency.

You can contact The Orange Door whenever you need help. Workers at The Orange Door understand that all families can experience difficult times and may need help.

Workers at The Orange Door also know that people continue to be affected by family violence long after the violence stops. If you have experienced family violence in the past and would like help now, contact The Orange Door.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Patrick

​

TICKETS NOW ON SALE - 2019 Viewbank Primary School Production - VMTV

Tickets for this years school production "VMTV" are now on sale via TryBooking

Venue: Planetshakers Theatre, 360 Main Road, Lower Plenty

Cost: All tickets $20.00 *Please be advised that there is a 50 cent Trybooking fee per seat

Dates:

• Thursday 5th September, 2019 - 12.00pm (A - K)
• Thursday 5th September, 2019 - 7.00pm (A - K)
• Friday 6th September, 2019 - 12.00pm (L - Z)
• Friday 6th September, 2019 - 7:00pm (L - Z)

For all ticketing enquiries, please contact the school office on 9459 1512

Tickets are limited to 2 per family for the evening performances. Matinee tickets are unlimited.

All remaining unsold tickets will go on sale on Monday 26th August (unlimited)

All performances will go for approximately 2 hours

https://www.trybooking.com/BEIWY

​

Viewbank Primary School Parents and Friends Committee Meeting The Parents and Friends Committee has operated in various formats for a long time at Viewbank Primary School and has raised significant amounts of money over the years. The Term 3 Parents and Friends meeting for 2019 is scheduled for Tuesday, August 13 at 7.00pm in the staffroom. Our ‘meetings’ are very informal, and we would love to see you there. Everyone is welcome!

2019 Fathers' Day Stall - Tuesday 20th August This year’s Fathers' Day Stall will be held on Tuesday 20th of August, 2019. Children are asked to bring no more than $10.00 to purchase some quality goodies for their Dads, Grandparent, Uncle or Special person. Please remember to bring your money and a carry bag with you on the day.

For this to run smoothly Parent helpers are required to assist with the setup, selling of gifts and packing up the stall which will run throughout the entire day…. so if you are available please contact Carol Seneca & Sarina Sherlock via email cazstar@optusnet.com.au (Mob: 0410 039 554)

Purchase your Entertainment Membership NOW to help Viewbank Primary School raise much needed funds!

Viewbank Primary School are again fundraising with the very popular Entertainment Book or Digital Membership. You'll receive hundreds of valuable offers for everything you love to do, and help our fundraising at the same time. Hurry, Entertainment Memberships sell out quickly.

ICY POLE FRIDAY Students are able to buy icy poles over the counter at lunchtime. All icy poles cost $1.00 each. We are asking for parent helpers to assist with the sale of these icy poles on Fridays from 1pm to 1:30pm.

STRINGS, DRUM KIT, GUITAR, UKULELE, FLUTE, SINGING, KEYBOARD AND PIANO

Information and “Expression of Interest” forms are available at the general office. Alternatively, you may contact Gabriella on 0413 676 733 or gabriella@the.inter.net.au

Dear Parents,

In order to keep our students safe whilst on line, we will be attaching some resources for your information. We encourage you to discuss these with your children - particularly the grade 5 and 6 students who have their own iPads. We have obtained the Information sheets from The Carly Ryan Foundation. The Carly Ryan Foundation is a certified online safety program provider under the Office of the eSafety Commissioner and delivers online safety and healthy relationship seminars to students and parents. The organisation also provides a range of services and support in the areas of internet safety and crime, cyberbullying, connection to resources and counselling and contributing to law and policy reform.

The Carly Ryan Foundation have very generously allowed us to use their Information sheets on a variety of apps that our students may or may not be aware of. The information sheets point out the concerns/challenges surrounding each app and give information on how to set up each app so that our student’s information is completely private. Of course if you are concerned about any app your child is using - DELETE! We will attach a couple of information sheets each week for your information. We are organising for The Carly Ryan Foundation to present to our grade 5 and 6 students and parents in 2020 so keep watching for more information on this.

For more information please use the attached link: https://www.carlyryanfoundation.com

BANYULE CITY COUNCIL - SAFETY AROUND SCHOOLS

Foundation — Stephy, Bella, Sebastian, Iona & Whole Foundation E Class

Year 1 & 2 — Maisie, Mia & Jerylia

Year 3 & 4 — William, Zac, Eliza, Julia, Sophie, Zoe & Grayson

Year 5 & 6 — Elijah, Lana, Casey, Maya, Cooper, Dean, Liam & Elise

HATS ON From 1st September until 30th April school hats must be worn outside during all outside activities.

SCHOOL BANKING Don’t forget to hand your bankbooks into your class teacher every Tuesday for banking.

RUNNING GROUP Every Thursday from 8:15am on the oval, for any students in years 4-6. All abilities welcome. Pack a spare pair of socks/shoes in case the oval is damp. Hope to see you there!

SCHOOL CHOIR Every Wednesdays, 8.30, in the Music room. Everyone from Year 2 to 6 are welcome!

SAKGP are currently looking for donations of trellis, pallets and foam boxes, Thank you.

The program is scheduled on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Of course, volunteers are essential to the success of the program, so we are always looking for anybody willing to work with a small group, in the kitchen or garden. You do not need to be a ‘masterchef’ or have a green thumb! Enthusiasm is the only requirement. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the Volunteer Information form and return it to the school office. Once you have completed the form please book in to volunteer via one of the program staff.