- Thursday 9th May - Mothers Day Stall
PUPIL FREE DAYS 2024
- Friday, April 26
- Monday, July 15
- Monday, November 4
2024 TERM DATES
- TERM 2: 15th April - 28th June
- TERM 3: 15th July - 20th September
- TERM 4: 7th October - 20th December
2024 CAMP DATES
- Grade 3 Camp to Phillip Island - October 28 to 30
- Grade 4 Camp to Anglesea - May 15 to 17
- Grade 5 Camp to Bacchus Marsh October 9 to 11
- Grade 6 Camp - April 29 to 1 May
Anzac Day Commemoration We had a moving Anzac ceremony this morning. Ms Lane’s choir group (Tuesday mornings at 8:30am) and Gabby's singers led a stirring rendition of our National Anthem, with our Year 6 student leaders doing an amazing job.
Our school has a long and proud association with the Australian Defence Force. Thank you to everyone involved with this morning’s ceremony.
Walkathon A huge thank you to everyone involved with the Walkathon today. While it was a little chilly, everyone had a great time! Once we know a final figure that was raised, this will be communicated in a future Viewbank Voice. Sponsorship money can be paid via Compass (Course Confirmation and Payments) or returned to school by Friday, May 3. Thank you if you have already made a payment.
Year 6 Camp We wish our Year 6s all the best as they head off to their final primary school camp on Monday. Have a great time!
Thank you to the staff that are attending camp. They leave their families and loved ones, and other commitments, to ensure your children are able to have this experience. We are also grateful to the parents who are attending as well to ensure we meet our legal requirements in regard to adult : student ratios. Grade 4s turn in a few weeks’ time!
Foundation 2025 Information Evening This event is scheduled for Thursday 02 May at 6.30pm in the school gym. Please feel free to share this information with anyone you know that is interested in enrolling their children at our school.
Have a great weekend!
Patrick
Building a national picture of child health- From May 2024, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).
The AEDC is a teacher-completed census (similar to a questionnaire) which provides a comprehensive picture of how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.
The Foundation teachers will complete the AEDC for the students in their class.
The AEDC is an Australian Government Initiative and is completed nationally every three years.
Children don’t miss any class time while the AEDC is completed, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information.
The data collected through the AEDC is used by schools, communities and governments to better understand children and families’ needs, and identify the services, resources and support they need.
AEDC data is reported at a school, community, state/territory and national level. AEDC results for individual children are not reported and the AEDC is not used as an individual diagnostic tool.
Some teachers have found that completing the AEDC made them more aware of the needs of individual children and their class, and that the data was useful for planning for transitions to Year 1 and developing programs.
Participation in the AEDC is voluntary, however the AEDC relies on all schools with children in their first year of full-time school participating in the collection. Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.
To find out more about the AEDC and how it is being used to help children and families visit: www.aedc.gov.au.
If you have any questions, you can contact Gillian Nicholls on 9459 1512 or gillian.nicholls@education.vic.gov.au (after 1 May, 2024)
Inquiry Learning - Are you interested in becoming involved in Inquiry Learning at VPS?
Community involvement plays an essential role in Inquiry Learning at Viewbank Primary School. As a result, there are many ways you can join in and help inspire and educate our students. All classes from Foundation to Year 6 have now well and truly started their inquiries for 2024 and are beginning to reach out to the community to invite you in to share your knowledge and expertise as well as direct experiences with our students.
Involvement can take various forms including, but not limited to; volunteering to speak with a small group of students in the classroom and responding to their questions, setting up a table at an ‘expo’ for displaying or demonstrating and having small groups of students move around to view, discuss and ask questions, assisting with hands-on activities in the classrooms or school yard, offering to be a ‘direct line’ for students to contact you with questions (with teacher supervision) or bringing in artefacts such as models/examples, photos, video footage or even demonstrations to promote curiosity. We welcome your suggestions!
The following table represents the stages of Inquiry. As you will see, the ‘Finding Out’ stage encourages our students to collect information from a range of primary sources. This is where you or someone you know may come in!
How can you keep up to date with opportunities to become involved?
- Check Compass regularly for invitations from our teachers. You are more than welcome to offer to join in with any year level, not necessarily the level your child is in this year.
- Have a discussion with your child about what they are currently learning about in Inquiry. If you are able to share expertise in this area reach out and let us know. Offers may be sent through to the school email address (viewbank.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au) and will be forwarded appropriately. Simply state which year level the offer is being extended to and a brief description of how you would like to assist.
- Look out for notifications from your Class Representative or discussions on your year level Facebook page surrounding opportunities to join in. This can be a great way to gauge who is getting involved, especially if you would prefer to work with others when sharing or presenting. We understand that it’s often much more comfortable to join in when you are part of a group.
*Please note that all guests will be required to provide a current Working With Children’s Check as well as a completed ‘Child Safety Standards Induction Checklist 2024’ to participate.
If you do not already hold a Working With Children Check, you can apply for one online at https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au
All policies and documents relating to the ‘Child Safety Standards Induction Checklist 2024’ can be found on the Viewbank Primary School website ( http://www.viewbankps.vic.edu.au/forms-policies) along with the Child Safety Standards Induction Checklist 2024, which must be completed, signed and returned to the school office once all of the documentation has been read.
Looking forward to seeing you up at the school soon!
Jamie Ruddock
Learning Specialist – Teaching and Learning
Student Free Day On Thursday, April 25th, the school will be closed in honor of Anzac Day. Furthermore, Friday, April 26th, will be a student-free day to allow our staff to participate in professional development training.
TheirCare (Outside of School Hours Care) Please be aware that if your child is not registered with TheirCare they will be unable to access the program in an emergency. Therefore, it is highly recommend that you register your child/ren with TheirCare in case you may need it one day.
SCHOOL TOURS We will be running school tours on a Tue, Wed, Thu at 9.30am for prospective families. Please call the office to make a booking.
CAMPS, SPORTS AND EXCURSIONS FUND (CSEF) The Government assisted Fund provides payments for eligible students to attend camps, sports, incursions and excursions ($150 per child). Applications for the Governments ‘CSEF Fund’ can be accessed by filling in the application form and returning it to the office with a copy of your current Health Care Card. Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply) i.e. a Centrelink Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card or Veteran Affairs Gold Card.
If you applied for the CSEF at your child's school in 2023, you do not need to complete an application form in 2024 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred:
- new student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools in 2024 or you did not apply in 2023.
- changed family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2024.
- Funds are paid to the school and will be automatically allocated to the Extra-Curricular Items and Activities unless otherwise stated by the parent at the start of the year.
Kind regards,
Lucy Addati
In the garden today, the Year 3’s mulched, filled up wicking beds, did weeding and began to design the scarecrow. They also harvested sweet potato and silver beet for their kitchen session. After Garden, they stepped into the kitchen to cook, Silverbeet, Chickpea and Currants in Olive Oil, a Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala, Indian Flatbread and a sweet potato Rosti.
AUSLAN Students have jumped back into Auslan with enthusiasm! Last week, Years 1-6 revised all the topics from Term 1 including watching a story almost completely in Auslan, and Foundation students learned the Alphabet. We also had our long-awaited Auslan incursion last Friday, which garnered much positive feedback from staff and students.
The incursion saw Mel, Brooke and Naomi visit from Auslan Education Services. Mel asked Naomi (who is Deaf) some commonly asked questions, which she answered in Auslan, interpreted by Brooke so students could understand. Then, students were given the opportunity to ask Naomi questions about her life, what it was like to be Deaf, her experiences, and her interests. Students also had the opportunity to show their colour, alphabet and animal knowledge in various games and activities with the presenters.
Here's what some students have had to say about the incursion:
- “I learned it’s important to be who you are.”-Emma, Year 1
- “I liked learning about how Naomi learned Auslan at school while she was Deaf. It was cool seeing someone Deaf and seeing the interpreter.”-Layla, Year 2
- “Naomi told us that her smoke alarm flashes instead of making noise and it’s in most of the rooms so she can always see it.”-Jack, Year 2
- “One of my favourite parts was when I got to go up and fingerspell my name with Naomi and the interpreter.” -Elizabeth, Year 3
- “It was interesting to see a Deaf person’s point of view and how interpreters work.” -Inba, Year 4
- “It was cool to see fluent Auslan and how fast they can sign.” -Alexander, Year 4
- “I was surprised to learn that there’s a big Deaf community in Melbourne.”-Asher, Year 5
- “I thought it was interesting that she went to a school with hearing and Deaf people. I wondered if it was difficult for her to communicate with her friends.” -Arjun, Year 5
- “I realised how many signs we still don’t know!” -Jack, Year 5
- “I liked how they taught us to talk to others and introduce ourselves to others no matter if they’re Deaf or not.” Charlize, -Year 6
What a fantastic day we had at the VPS Walkathon 2024! I'm thrilled to report that the children absolutely loved every moment of it.
A huge thank you goes out to all the parents who volunteered their time and energy to make this event such a success. Your support before, during, and after the walkathon truly made a difference, and we couldn't have done it without you.
To the parents who organised every detail of the day, your dedication and hard work are deeply appreciated. Your efforts ensured that everything ran smoothly, allowing our students to enjoy a memorable experience.
I want to extend a special thank you to everyone who has already contributed to our fundraising efforts. Your generosity is making a significant impact on our school upgrade project, and we are incredibly grateful for your support.
For those who haven't yet had the chance to donate, please consider doing so at your earliest convenience. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us provide better resources and opportunities for our students. You can submit your sponsorship money via Compass or return it to the school by Friday, May 3.
Once again, thank you to everyone involved in making the VPS Walkathon 2024 such a wonderful day. Your commitment to our school community is truly commendable, and we look forward to continuing to work together to support our children's education.
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 upgrad
Our Term 2 Fundraising Lunch Order Dates are:
- Thursday 2nd May (Orders closing on Monday 29th April, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 9th May (Orders closing on Monday 6th May, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 16th May (Orders closing on Monday 13th May, 3:00pm) - Year 4 Camp
- Thursday 23rd May (Orders closing on Monday 20th May, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 30th May (Orders closing on Monday 27th May, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 6th June (Orders closing on Monday 3rd June, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 13th June (Orders closing on Monday 10th June, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 20th June (Orders closing on Monday 17th June, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 27th June (Orders closing on Monday 24th June, 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 2 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.
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
Lunches must be ordered online using the CLASSROOM CUISINE website.
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WEEKLY SECOND HAND UNIFORM SALE - Every Friday 8:45am to 9:15am, 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.
Instrumental Music Enrolments Can all students who would like to join our school instrumental music programs please inform the relevant teacher below of your expression of interest.
SINGING WITH GABRIELLA - Gabriella
- Email: favrettogab@gmail.com
- Phone: 0413 676 733
STRINGS - MR CAI
- Email: cai66@optusnet.com.au
- Phone: 0403 490 078
GUITAR/BASS GUITAR - Alec
- Email: alec.stalder@gmail.com
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
- Saturday 9am to 12pm
Online Ordering Please Visit: www.aplusschoolwear.com.au