PUPIL FREE DAYS 2025
- Tuesday 28 January
2024 TERM DATES
- TERM 4: 7 October - 20 December
2025 TERM DATES
- TERM 1: 28 January - 4 April (Students start: Year 1 to 6 - 29 January, Foundation - 30 January)
- TERM 2: 22 April - 4 July
- TERM 3: 21 July - 19 September
- TERM 4: 6 October - 19 December
2025 CAMP DATES
- Year 3 Phillip Island Camp - 27 October - 29 October
- Year 4 Anglesea Camp - 14 May to 16 May
- Year 5 Lady Northcote Camp - 08 October to 10 October
- Year 6 Urban Camp - 15 September to 17 September
SCHOOL PRODUCTION I trust and hope that everyone has been suitably impressed so far with the performances of all of our students in this year’s School Production. An amazing amount of work, rehearsal, costuming, planning and coordination goes in to such a massive undertaking and I wish to express my grateful thanks to all involved. Our students have responded beautifully to the sometimes daunting challenge of performing in front of 500-600 people, and some will have discovered talents they didn’t think they had! We will all sleep well tonight – hopefully, after the final performance!!
SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS The boys softball and girls cricket teams performed at Regional levels this week and acquitted themselves brilliantly. Regardless of the outcomes, we are so very proud of their performances and their sportsmanship. Congratulations to players and coaches for your efforts.
***LATE NEWS JUST IN*** Received this from proud coach, Darren Peters, today and very happy to share!
We are very proud to announce that our Boys Softball team have just WON the Northern Metropolitan Region Championships! In an all-around effort by every team member, they won their first pool game against Apollo Parkways PS 17-4 and the second against Marymede College 16-7 to qualify for the Grand Final. In an incredible display, our boys scored 11 of 12 possible runs in the first inning and managed to hold Pascoe Vale South PS to 6 runs in their 1st innings, and then 4 runs in their 2nd innings, to win by an innings and 1 run in euphoric scenes at Mill Park Softball Diamonds. Raymond S, who was voted by his peers as the captain for the Grand Final, accepted the pennant on behalf of the team who will now head to the Victorian State Final on Monday 25th of November.
Thank you especially to Catherine Cahir, Kate Cullen and Eugene Iievliev who volunteered their time to drive our students to the venue and back and to the parents and grandparents who came along to support our team.
SCHOOL COUNCIL A reminder that the next meeting of our school Council is scheduled for next Tuesday, November 19 at 7pm. As usual, we will be meeting in the staffroom.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP SPEECHES Next Monday it will be our pleasure to hear the speeches of our aspirant school captains as the annual process for election and selection of student captains takes place. For some, speaking in front of their peers and outlining why they will be the best choice of school captain will come quite naturally. For others it will be a real step out of their comfort zone. I commend everyone who does have a go and know that we will be spoiled for choice. I reflect on my own schooling and can guarantee, even taking into consideration the ravages of considerable time on my memory, that I had neither the confidence nor the conviction of these fine young students at a similar age in my own life. We will keep you posted on the outcomes in due course.
2025 FOUNDATION INFORMATION NIGHT AND TRANSITION The 2025 Foundation Information Night took place last Thursday night as most of the families of our 82 enrolled Foundation students for 2025 met in the school gymnasium The first transition session for our new students is scheduled for Wednesday, November 20 from 9.15am until 10.45am.
STUDENT SUCCESSES It seems we have some talented self-defence students in our school! Congratulations to Hamzeh AL-SAIDI who competed in the National Taekwondo competition in Brisbane last weekend and to Sasha and Dymtro IIEVLIEV who performed at the national level in karate in Japan.
That’s it from me in a busier than normal school week. Rest well everyone on the weekend.
Kind regards,
Bill Kersing
Quality Screen Time
Love it or hate it, screens are a part of daily life! The following information is provided by the Raising Children Network.
The quality of screen time matters. Good-quality screen time can have benefits for school-age children’s learning and behaviour.
Learning benefits
Screen time can support your child’s learning when it’s good-quality and balanced with other activities like physical play, creative play, reading and socialising. It’s especially good if it ties in with your child’s interests or things they’re learning at school, or it sparks their imagination. For example, a 7-year-old can develop problem-solving and creative skills by creating an animation on a screen.
Behaviour benefits
Good-quality screen time can encourage positive behaviour too. For example, watching a video that shows friends socialising respectfully at school can help your child learn what to do in different social situations at playtime or in the classroom. Likewise, videos with football or netball drills might help your child learn how to kick or shoot goals.
In contrast, poor-quality screen time has very few benefits. For example, your child won’t get much out of spending long periods watching ‘epic fail’ videos.
You can help your child learn about quality by talking with your child about whether the videos or apps they want to play or watch are good quality. As your child gets older, encourage your child to tell you why they think an app is good quality when they ask to install it.
Good-quality apps and games for school-age children
The best apps and games help your child learn and develop. Good-quality apps or games for primary school-age children can:
- encourage creativity – for example, by encouraging children to paint, or create content like video clips, animations or comics
- encourage problem-solving – for example, by helping children explore the possible results of virtual science experiments
- develop communication skills – for example, by helping children learn other languages, or keep in touch with friends and family
- develop social skills and caring behaviour – for example, by encouraging children to take turns, work as a team or help others
- reduce children’s stress and boost their wellbeing – for example, by guiding them through child-friendly mindfulness or relaxation activities
- promote a healthy lifestyle – for example, by helping children stay fit and well with dance or yoga apps.
To get a sense of overall quality, you can also check the following aspects of games and apps:
- Age range – check that the age range for an app or game matches your child’s age.
- Content – make sure your child doesn’t use apps and games that promote gambling, unhealthy eating or violence of any kind.
- Advertising – be wary of apps that feature movie characters, unhealthy food or other popular products.
- In-app purchases – check that in-app purchases are blocked and one-click payment options are disabled.
- Privacy settings – check the terms and conditions to see whether and how apps collect data and make sure you’re comfortable with this.
- Addictiveness – be wary of games that make children feel they need to play ‘just one more game’, including games that don’t allow children to save their progress. It can be hard for children to manage their frustration in these situations.
Children often want the apps and games their friends have. A family media plan can give you some ground rules to help you manage this kind of peer influence and pestering.
Good-quality TV shows, movies and YouTube for school-age children
Good-quality TV shows, movies and YouTube videos for school-age children:
- have positive messages about relationships, family and lifestyle
- have inclusive messages about disability, gender, race and culture
- inspire new off-screen play ideas for children once they’ve finished watching
- have interesting stories that feature kind and respectful characters
- are age appropriate.
To get a sense of overall quality, you can also check content, messages and characters, and avoid TV, movies and videos that:
- celebrate violence, bad attitudes, unhealthy eating, gambling and other antisocial activities
- are designed to market or sell products to children through product placement or merchandise tie-ins
- have ideas or story elements that are too mature or complex for children to understand.
Online reviews can help you decide whether a movie, app or game is high quality and has educational benefits. Try our movie reviews or reviews on Common Sense Media. Use Australian Classification to find out what different age classifications mean.
Have a great week and I hope you have been able to attend and enjoy our school production performances.
Gill
OSCAR Ms. Boness and I received the following email from Jasmine at Dogs For Life on Tuesday. Many of you will remember Oscar, a therapy dog in training last year, and for a period of time in Term 1 this year.
Hello Patrick and Bonnie,
I hope this email finds you well.
This is Jasmine from Dogs for Life. I have asked and received a little update from Oscar and thought you might like to see some current pictures of him and hear how he is doing.
First off, Oscar is doing amazing, living with 2 other dogs and loving life. He is a calming presence, very happy and works like a dream for his participant. To quote from our therapists who works with Oscar and his participant, Oscar has made a huge difference to this man's life, it has helped him feel so much more comfortable in public and to manage social interactions.
Oscar’s participant feels more confident when out in public with Oscar, he takes him to the local shops, cafes, Bunnings and to his favourite park. They even take him out on road trip adventures with his 2 dog siblings to different parts of the state. Oscar has also started learning new tasks to help his person with his PTSD.
Attached are a couple of pictures, let me know if you can't receive them.
I hope this brings much joy to the school and kids, Thank you again for all the school, Bonnie and students did for Oscar to help him achieve his goal.
Thanks
Jasmine DFL
We are always eager to hear how former students and staff (and even therapy dogs in training!) are progressing with their lives.
RIDDELLS CREEK Our thoughts are with the community of Riddells Creek following the death of a staff member, being killed when a truck crashed into the Riddells Creek Montessori Preschool. Once again, we ask you to do what you can to keep all members of our community safe by driving / parking around the school in a mindful manner. This accident is less than two weeks after the tragic occurrence at Auburn South Primary School.
UPCOMING EVENTS As mentioned in previous Viewbank Voices, we are now moving into an incredibly busy time of the year (as it always is!). This is just a reminder to continue to act on any Compass notifications you may receive (including consenting or declining events). This is particularly pertinent for any off-site excursions that may happen. Consent MUST be provided to allow your child to attend these.
Have a great weekend!
Patrick
Parent and carer School Saving Bonus code distribution
The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus – a one-off $400 support for government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.
From Tuesday 26 November 2024, you will receive an email from the Department of Education with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code.
The School Saving Bonus will help families cover the cost of uniforms, excursions, activities and more.
If you have multiple children enrolled in Victorian government schools for 2025, you will receive one School Saving Bonus code email per child. These emails might arrive on different days. Please make sure to check your spam/junk email folder.
Parents and carers can use the School Saving Bonus code in store at school-nominated suppliers. Parents and carers can also choose to access the School Saving Bonus online system, where they can allocate part or all the $400 bonus to use at school nominated-online suppliers or for school activities.
To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, visit School Saving Bonus | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au). A step-by-step user guide will be available on the webpage on 26 November.
If you have not received your School Saving Bonus code via email by Friday 29 November, please contact the Department of Education by emailing school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au
Dear Parents & Carers,
Viewbank Primary School is excited to embark on another year of excellent teaching and learning and would like to share information about the Parent Payment Arrangements for 2025.
The arrangements for Curriculum and Other Contributions will be accessible on Compass from January. You will receive an email notification as soon as they are published.
Financial contributions from our families are essential in helping us provide the highest quality education and resources for our students. The learning environment and facilities we enjoy today are the result of the generosity and commitment of our parent community over many years. We value all forms of support, including financial contributions, participation in fundraising, and volunteering your time. Thank you in advance for your commitment to our school community.
For your convenience, all classroom supplies will be provided in bulk directly to classrooms, where teachers will distribute stationery and other items as needed.
Please refer to the attached 2025 Parent Payment Arrangements document for more detailed information.
Lucy Addati
School Production Video Envelopes have gone home this week with all students! If you would like to purchase a USB containing a recording of this year’s school production, "Where in the World is Eddie the Teddy?", please complete the information on the outside of the envelope. Return the envelope with payment details to the General Office by Friday, 15th November. The cost is $40 per USB, and delivery to the school will be within two weeks. Don’t miss out on this special keepsake of a fantastic performance!
Viewbank Primary School Biodiversity Learning Story
Viewbank Primary School has been committed to making biodiversity a key focus for the school and our extended community. Throughout 2023 and 2024, our school has been focussed on completing the Resource Smart Biodiversity Module, working towards achieving our second star.
The school embraces the challenge of helping to make a positive impact on the environment in the school and local community through Green Team projects, Inquiry actions, as well as regular participation in national, state and local initiatives. Some of these initiatives have resulted in the school receiving funds to relocate and construct a new vegetable garden with a water tank watering system, solar panel installations, bee hotels and bird feeders, as well as multiple composting systems and worm farms located around the school and gardening space.
In June 2024, Viewbank Primary School was awarded a $1,000 Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant. This allowed the students, staff and volunteers to be actively involved in designing, building and planting a pollinating garden. This included adding a diverse mix of beneficial plants to the school grounds. Throughout this project, students were taught the value of fostering and maintaining biodiversity within our local community, and how to make it happen.
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program - 10 Year Anniversary
This year, our school is celebrating 10 years of being part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen and Garden Program, where our Year 3 and 4 students participate in fortnightly Kitchen and Garden lessons. Within these lessons, students learn about companion planting, propagation, composting, gardening maintenance and the benefits to the community and the environment for creating spaces for wildlife. Our Year 4 students have designed and created a bird feeder for our Jilinga garden to provide a space for a diverse range of birds to enjoy. While we already have several small insect hotels, our Year 3 students are in the process of planning for, designing a large bug hotel that will attract a diverse mix of beneficial insects, bees and small animals to our garden.
Year 4 students, as part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program, researched and purchased native edible plants from Edendale Farm, which have now been planted in the school garden.
Rubbish Free School
To help preserve the biodiversity of the school and its grounds, Viewbank Primary School has become a rubbish free school from the start of Term 3. This new approach has drastically reduced the amount of litter out in the yard, resulting in a nicer space for students and wildlife to enjoy. Restricting the amount of single use plastic that enters the school is an ongoing priority, and we thank all families who have made habitual changes that help us in achieving this goal.
Foundation Garden Rejuvenation
Our Foundation students, teachers and some parent volunteers collaborated with the staff at Bunnings Eltham. Bunnings has provided a range of plants for our Foundation Garden. A horticulturist from Bunnings also came along to assist us in where to plant the donated trees, climbers and shrubs.
The Sustainability Committee would like to thank everyone who has helped to maintain and improve our schoolyard throughout the year. We are lucky to have so many natural spaces to enjoy, but it certainly takes considerable time and effort to keep our school beautiful.
Auslan On Monday 25th November, we will have a visit from Auslan Education Services, the program we have been using this year to pilot Auslan as our new language. AES is a highly recommended program and students have greatly benefited from the weekly videos on each topic, with the majority of presenters being members of the Deaf community.
After assembly on the 25th, AES is offering a parent information session to learn more about Auslan, ask questions, and even learn some signs. From the end of assembly, any interested parents are invited to stay behind for the session (approximately 45-60 mins) with the location TBC.
If you’re interested in attending, please access the Google Form below using the link and answer the short questionnaire. We’d love to get an accurate gauge of attendees before the session so we can allow adequate space for the session so please fill this out if you’re interested.
See you there!
Day for Daniel Red, red, red! On the 25th of October Viewbank Primary School participated in Day for Daniel. Day for Daniel is Australia’s biggest child safety education and awareness day. Students could wear any type of red accessories or a red t-shirt. The purpose of Day for Daniel is to recognise safety for everyone. Students participated in activities and lessons throughout the day. The Year 6s learnt about body clues and what to do if they feel unsafe. Some body clues include; shivering, breathing fast, becoming sweaty, getting goosebumps and more. Some strategies that can help a situation like this are; running to someone or a store, ask for help, saying stop and you can also tell a trusted adult. Overall the day was a success.
Written by Jade 6B
Lower Plenty Bakehouse provide the school with fundraising Lunch Orders every Thursday. These lunches have been implemented via our Parents and Friends Committee. All money raised will be used towards our major school upgrade.
Our Term 4 Fundraising Lunch Order Dates are:
- Thursday 21st November (Orders closing on Monday 18th November, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 28th November (Orders closing on Monday 25th November, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 5th December (Orders closing on Monday 2nd December, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 12th December (Orders closing on Monday 9th December, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 19th December (Orders closing on Monday 16th December, 3:00pm)
Orders need to be placed in advance via Compass Canteen. Ordering will close the Monday before the lunch date at 3pm. All of Term 4 lunch dates are now open for orders and can be placed in advance for the whole term if you choose to do so.
Please see attached a Parent User Guide on how to order via Compass Canteen. Please note a 35 cents order fee will be charged at check out. All food is Halal.
Thank you for your support.
ICY POLE FRIDAY Students are able to purchase icy poles over the counter at lunchtime every Friday. All icy poles cost $1.00 each.
Entertainment Book 20% of the membership goes directly to support our fundraising at Viewbank Primary School. https://www.entertainment.com.au/current-promotion
Help Reduce Waste and Support Our School! - Purchase Your Name Labels Now Are you tired of losing lunch boxes and clothing? Please remember to always label your items so they can be returned to you, helping to reduce landfill. You can easily order labels via this link: https://www.mynamelabel.com.au/discount/VPS0515
This is a fundraising activity, and all funds raised will contribute to making our school more sustainable. You can order labels at any time throughout the year!
Our fundraising code is VPS0515.
Thank you for supporting sustainability at Viewbank Primary School!
Lunches must be ordered online using the CLASSROOM CUISINE website.
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WEEKLY SECOND HAND UNIFORM SALE - Every Friday 3:00pm to 3:30pm, next to the music room. Jumpers with the school logo, long and short sleeve school polo tops and school dresses will be $2.00. We are currently asking for donations of any unwanted reusable school uniform items to sell at our stall.
SINGING WITH GABRIELLA - Gabriella
- Email: favrettogab@gmail.com
- Phone: 0413 676 733
STRINGS – Jack Cai
- Email: jack3bld@gmail.com
- Phone: 0426 665 044
STRINGS - MR CAI
- Email: cai66@optusnet.com.au
- Phone: 0403 490 078
GUITAR – Luca Brading
- Email: lucabrading@gmail.com
- Phone: 0422 690 842
PIANO/KEYBOARD/DRUMS - Daniel Tucceri
- Email: info@banyulemusicandtutoring.com
- Phone: 0405 667 908
Our school has partnered with an independent provider called TheirCare to provide exceptional Outside School Hours Care services for our school community.
The program is available for all children at Viewbank Primary School from 6:30am until 9:00am in the morning and from 3:30pm until 6:15pm each school day.
During School Holidays & Pupil Free Days the service will operate from 6:30am until 6:15pm.
Families wishing to use this service can visit the TheirCare website: www.theircare.com.au
Families are eligible for a Government Rebate called the Child Care Subsidy which can reduce the cost per session by up to 85%.
More information can be obtained by contacting the school or ringing TheirCare Support Team on 1300 072 410.
TheirCare provides a stimulating and safe environment for all children. During sessions, children develop life-skills, friendships, confidence and creativity through play-based programs.
A PLUS SCHOOLWEAR
Shop Details:
- Unit 3/30 Heaths Court, Mill Park
- T: 9436 4005
- E: info@northernregionaluniforms.com.au
Opening Hours:
- Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm
- Friday 9am to 3pm
Online Ordering Please Visit: www.aplusschoolwear.com.au