Friday 14th December - 2018 Parent Helpers' Morning Tea 10:45am

Monday 17th December - Pupil Free Day

Tuesday 18th December - Year 6 Graduation at Viewbank College

Tuesday 12th February - 2019 School Photos

Saturday 4th May - Parent Fundraising Event - Disco Bingo (Save the date).

TERM DATES

• 2018 TERM 4: Monday 8th October - Friday 21st December (1:30pm finish)
• 2019 TERM 1: Tuesday 29th January (All students start on Thursday 31st January) - Friday 5th April (2:30pm finish)
• 2019 TERM 2: Tuesday 23rd April - Friday 28th June (2:30pm finish)
• 2019 Term 3: Monday 15th July - Friday 20th September (2:30pm finish)
• 2019 Term 4: Monday 7th October - Thursday 20th December (1:30pm finish)

CAMP DATES

• Year 3: Arrabri Lodge Camp (Mon 05Aug to Wed 07Aug)
• Year 4: Anglesea Recreation Camp (Mon 03Jun to Wed 05Jun)
• Year 5: Lady Northcote Recreation Camp (Tue 08Oct to Fri 11Oct)
• Year 6: Canberra Camp (Mon 27May to Fri 31May)

PUPIL FREE DAY Please don’t forget that in lieu of a planning ‘week’, Monday, December 17 is set aside as a pupil free day in order for staff to plan in teams for 2019. As is usual, full day care is available via OSHClub.

SCHOOL COUNCIL The final School Council Meeting for the year is scheduled for tonight, Thursday, December 13 from 6pm.

PARENT HELPERS’ MORNING TEA I am very much looking forward to helping celebrate another fine year of contributions from our Parent Helpers at the morning tea we have planned for Friday morning, December 14 at 10.45am. I hope you can make it. It is a small way we can say thank you for everything you have done to make our school great this year.

GRADUATION We are very grateful to Viewbank College for allowing us to use their new Performing Arts facility for our Grade 6 Graduation on Tuesday, December 18 from 6.00pm. In addition to changing the venue, we have also slightly altered the format of the evening and we trust that the students who had input into these changes will feel that the ceremony is a worthy celebration of their seven years of education at Viewbank PS.

HOUSE CAPTAINS Congratulations to the following students who were announced as House Captains for 2019 at a special Grade 5 Assembly on Tuesday. We are hopeful to have a prominent sporting personality present the students with their badge at Assembly early in 2019:-

YARRA

• Kiran Thomas CAPTAIN
• Liam Dunn VICE CAPTAIN
• Reyna Laksita CAPTAIN
• Mia Ferguson VICE CAPTAIN

DIAMOND

• Zach Stevens CAPTAIN
• Cooper Ford VICE CAPTAIN
• Gretel Baulch CAPTAIN
• Ella Ennis VICE CAPTAIN

DAREBIN

• Ilyas Weli CAPTAIN
• Abdulrahman Abdulwahid VICE CAPTAIN
• Zara Li CAPTAIN
• Charlotte White VICE CAPTAIN

PLENTY

• Phoenix Green CAPTAIN
• Callan Sharp VICE CAPTAIN
• Elise Hall CAPTAIN
• Ivy Chen VICE CAPTAIN

2019 STAFFING STRUCTURE We head into 2019 planning for 651 students and 28 grades. At the time of writing, we have a couple of “unknowns” with vacancies yet to be filled. One has been created by Bec Andrew (nee Gurney) being successful in her application for a teaching position on the Bellarine Peninsula as she and her husband move there to live in 2019. Our loss is certainly Geelong East’s gain. Bec has been an extremely hard working and innovative staff member, having ‘driven’ the student leadership training and Inquiry approach to learning in 2018 at our school, as well as doing a great job in Grade 6, and we will miss her but certainly wish her all the very best in this next phase of her life. We are yet to appoint her replacement as this appointment happened just last week. Similarly, we are yet to appoint a candidate to a 0.6 additional assistance position which you will be informed of once that has been through process. You will note a couple of name changes in the list below but the staff members are not new to our school. Karli Burns will be known ‘officially’ (in terms of our staffing list, that is) as Karli Mooy from now on, and Jane Gough as Jane McLeod. We welcome back Emma Sargeant, Jess Ellis and Kori Stuckey from family leave. These staff members are well known to our school community. We also welcome Bessie Grant to our school. Bessie was appointed in November, hails from Eltham, and is a welcome addition to our staff. We wish Emma Dove all the very best as she eagerly awaits the birth of her first child in February. Emma has been with us just this one year, but has impressed everyone with her expertise, energy and teaching skills and we thank her for her contributions to our school. And to Ruth Panaccio, we wish her a relaxing year in 2019 as she takes a year’s leave and we eagerly await her return in 2020. Thank you, Ruth, for everything you do!! The full list of staff for 2019, as it stands at time of writing, is as follows:-

• Foundation E Amanda ELLIOTT
• Foundation M Kelsey MENTIPLAY
• Foundation R Sally RUDDOCK
• Foundation C Jen CUTHBERTSON
• Grade 1R Jamie RUDDOCK
• Grade 1G Bessie GRANT
• Grade 1D Suzie DOUMAS
• Grade 1E Emma SARGEANT/Jess ELLIS
• Grade 2C Claire KIELTY
• Grade 2A Andrea CLEEVE
• Grade 2K Kylie KIRKWOOD
• Grade 2M Kim MOUCHA
• Grade 3B Bonnie BONESS
• Grade 3G Marina GOURZELAS
• Grade 3D Paige DEERY
• Grade 3/4C Meredith COLLINS
• Grade 3/4L Kara LANE
• Grade 4N Sophie NOAKES
• Grade 4R Jackie RIELLY
• Grade 4B Michael BETSON
• Grade 5M Karli MOOY
• Grade 5T Rhys TEGG
• Grade 5F Sandy FARLEY
• Grade 5/6J Jane McLEOD
• Grade 5/6? To be advised
• Grade 6B Phil BYRNE
• Grade 6T Narelle TAYLOR
• Grade 6W Pete WALKER
• Visual Arts Lisa MAY and Fiona WRIGHT
• Performing Arts Renee DAVEY and Jen HALL
• Japanese Showji ITO
• Phys Ed Blair MORTON and Kori STUCKEY
• STEM Angela ROCCASALVA and Nat CARR
• Additional Assistance Judy COURSE Literacy
• Maralyn LAMB EAL
• Chris SYMONS Literacy
• Bec ANDREW Literacy
• TBA Numeracy

Administration

• Lucy ADDATI Business Manager
• Sue WRIGHT General Office
• Georgeina FISHER General Office
• Fiona CROWE First Aid

Education Support

• Louise BUISSINK
• Thelma RIGONI
• Sarina SHERLOCK

Principal Class

• Bill KERSING Principal
• Gill NICHOLLS Assistant Principal
• Patrick WALSH Assistant Principal

That’s it from me for this week. Good luck with your Christmas shopping this weekend!

Kind regards,

Bill Kersing

PRINCIPAL

One of the things I enjoy most about my job is that you never quite know how the day will unfold. I can arrive at work with a plan but by 9.15am realise that it’s just not going to happen. Other days are busy and I get to tick off lots of ‘to do’ items from my list. Both of these types of day are rewarding but the best days are when I get to visit the classrooms and interact with the students and teachers or when students come to visit me to proudly share some work and tell me about their learning. Yesterday was one of these days.

The Foundation students went out for the day to the zoo, it was to be a huge adventure. On their return, I visited their room to see how their day went and although they were tired they were so excited and had so many stories to tell. I heard about George the turtle, who felt quite rough when they held him, the elephants that were eating branches and spending some time in the elephant spa, other students didn't see the lions but they saw the tigers pacing around. It was evident that their day had been an adventure and a great success.

Earlier in the day, I had the most wonderful visit from Emily in 2B and her friend Chloe. Emily had completed her Inquiry action and wanted to share it with me as she thought I may be able to use her book. During Inquiry, the Year 2 students have been developing an understanding of the social and emotional world around them. In particular, the students have been looking into different conflicts they may face and ways in which they can deal with/solve these conflicts. Emily had written and illustrated a book called Strategies to Solve Conflicts. She knew that I often help students deal with and solve conflicts and wondered if I would like to read her book. We read it together and I was amazed at the thought and understanding that Emily had obviously put into each page. She had certainly learnt a lot in Inquiry about helpful strategies to try and so chose an action that can assist others. With Emily’s permission, I would like to invite everyone to read and learn from her book so please follow the link below. You may also like to read it with your child, as it is full of fantastic strategies that they could also try.

I know I’m going to keep a copy on my table and refer to it the next time there is a conflict to solve, so thank you Emily!

On reflection – remember to celebrate and enjoy the things that are all around us, there is nothing better than seeing the world through the eyes of a child.

Have a great week.

Gill Nicholls

2019 AND NEW CLASSES Now that classes have been announced, most students will be incredibly excited already thinking about the year that awaits them in 2019. While we wish this was the case for all students, we know that this is not always the case. I wrote the following in the newsletter a few weeks ago, and would like to bring it to your attention again.

TRANSITION For most students, transitioning from one grade to the next is something that evokes feelings of anticipation - excitement mixed with a touch of nervousness. However, for some students who have created strong bonds and a sense of safety, the thought of leaving can become too much. While we can put this down to being tired at the end of the year, fear of the unknown can be overwhelming.

If your child may struggle with the end of year transition, the following tips may be of help to you:

1. Speak to your child and find out how he/she is feeling
2. Speak to your child's teacher about the conversations occurring in class regarding transition
3. Write down your concerns and strategies you believe may help and pass onto your child's new teacher (once known)
4. Reiterate that while the classes and rooms may be different, they will still see their friends at recess and lunch
5. Normalise the change as much as possible 'We did this last year'
6. While sometimes difficult, be positive about the change in class/teacher
7. Acknowledge your child's feelings.

If you require any other support, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

THE HOLIDAYS The holiday period can provide challenges for some children and their families. It can be difficult to think about support and where to turn to when one is in the middle of a difficult period. Headspace is a great free resource that will be able to support you either directly, or refer you to a more suitable resource. They provide tailored and holistic mental health support for 12 - 25 year olds, however, many of the resources and strategies can be adapted for younger students. There is a centre in Greensborough - all information can be found here https://headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/greensborough/.

The following information has been sourced from the fact sheet in the link (2 easy to read pages) https://headspace.org.au/assets/Uploads/Corporate/Support-your-young-person-during-the-holidays-web.pdf

Supporting your young person during the holidays

1. Encourage them to stay connected with their friends in person - not online;
2. Encourage them to stay involved, this is tricky when so many activities stop during January; Being involved at home can help, e.g., cooking dinner, giving choice about activity;
3. Encourage physical activity, just being out of the house walking with a parent can be enough;
4. Keep a regular routine where possible: going to bed, getting up, meal times;
5. Eat healthy most of the time; and
6. Encourage play, with friends, family, pets

CSEF (Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund) is a government assisted fund which provides payments for eligible students to attend camps, sports and excursions ($125 per child). Applications for the Governments ‘CSEF Fund’ can be accessed by filling in the attached form and returning it to the office with a current Health Care card. To be eligible for this funding, you need to hold a current Centrelink Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card or Veteran Affairs Card. Please note: as this funding is means tested, the Parent/Guardian MUST be the card holder, no Medical Health Care Cards in the student’s name will be accepted as it will be rejected by the CSEF system. Funds are paid to the school and will be automatically allocated to the Term Expenses unless otherwise stated by the parent at the start of the year.

COMPASS If you are requiring any assistance with Compass (logging-in, attendance, installing the App etc) please contact the office.

​

Kind regards,

Lucy Addati

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2018 VIEWBANK PRIMARY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS RAFFLE

• 1st PRIZE - $100 Coles Myer gift card & $60 Cadbury pack
• 2nd PRIZE - $50 Coles Myer gift card & $60 Cadbury pack
• 3rd PRIZE - $30 Coles Myer gift card & $60 Cadbury pack

$1.00 PER TICKET

PLEASE RETURN TICKETS TO OFFICE BY FRIDAY 14TH DECEMBER

DRAW WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE SCHOOL ON TUESDAY 18TH DECEMBER WITH RESULTS PUBLISHED ON COMPASS

WINNERS CAN COLLECT THEIR PRIZE FROM THE OFFICE

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.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST Please email or text me your expression of interest to learn an instrument in 2019. Students wishing to continue with lessons next year can fill out the form below and return to the office, thank you. Please include in your email the students name, year level and chosen instrument (including voice). favrettogab@gmail.com or 0413 676 733

CHESS NEWS

Dear Viewbank Chess Club parents,

I hope you are well. It's been a great year for Chess at Viewbank. Thank you all for your support, interest and enthusiasm! The 2018 Chess medals and School Champion's trophy will be presented this Friday at 1.15pm in the Science Room (previously the School Hall).

There will be a short fun Chess activity for the children between 1pm and 1.15pm (before the presentations).

My Junior Coach, Daniela and I hope to see you there.

Kind regards,

Jim

Thank you to the following people for their assistance with the Japanese Garden as the garden is officially open!

• Sonia Etheridge – working in the garden each week and helping to source materials
• Bec Deighton - working the in garden
• Neralie and Riley Cadusch for working in the garden each week
• Dani King
• Grant and Graham Osborn – for helping to instal the water feature and sharing their knowledge and resources
• The Bennie Family – For donating the timber for the bridge and Arch
• The Stanton Family – For donating the pavers
• Fletchers Rosanna Real Estate – For donating $400
• The Student Leadership Team for designing and working in the garden.

2018 PARENT HELPERS’ MORNING TEA We are incredibly lucky at Viewbank to have many wonderful school community members who are willing to help us in so many ways.

Throughout the year, we have helpers assisting with reading, SAKG program, library, Book Club, school banking, sporting events, excursions, camps, Inquiry expos, working bees, School Council and its sub committees and Parents and Friends to name a just few.

We could not run the amazing programs that we do and provide the varied experiences to our students without the contributions made by our helpers.

To show our appreciation and say a big THANK YOU, we would like to invite everyone who has assisted this year to a special morning tea on Friday 14 December at 10.45am.

LOST PROPERTY As the year draws to a close, please find the time to come and see if there is any lost property that belongs to your child/ren. Lost property is stored in the wheelie bins in the breezeway of the office building. There are many un-named jumpers in lost property at the moment and unless claimed, they will be washed and resold at our next second hand uniform sale early in 2019. We will endeavour to return all named items of clothing before the end of term.

We have been collecting summer pyjamas and children’s toiletries for Big Group Hug. Within one week we filled our donations bin thanks to the generosity of our Viewbank Families. You can see just some of our fabulous donations in the photo. We will continue to collect until the end of the year so if you haven’t had time to donate yet, the donations bin is in room 18. Thank you for your ongoing support.'

SCHOOL BANKING The last day of school banking REWARDS order is 30 Nov 2018. Students that have 10 tokens can order their rewards by 30 Nov 2018. Ps: Secret Scratch Notepad is out of stock

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

RUNNING GROUP Every Thursday from 8:15am on the oval, for any students in years 3-6. All abilities welcome. Pack a spare pair of socks/shoes in case the oval is damp. Hope to see you there!

Facility Hire Viewbank Primary School provides a venue for hire with kitchen facilities. Please submit a written application to the office, outlining the details of intended use via email at viewbank.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Please note that conditions do apply. At the discretion of the school, venue costs may also be waived in some instances. All applications will be considered on a case by case basis

All Big Group Hug donations can be left in the Grade 3/4F classroom.