CNPS SCHOOL VISION: To build a community of curious, creative and engaged learners who are empowered to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world. Collectively we will work with our students to become responsible global citizens who have the skills, knowledge and personal attributes they need for their future.
Principal’s Column
Wominjeka to 2023! We had a good start to our school year with all of our students from Year 1 to Year 6 returning to school. I was happy to see so many smiling faces at school this week, with only a few sad ones who were transitioning from home to school life. I must admit, I too am struggling with this transition. Getting back into routine and returning to the hustle and bustle has been a challenge this year. This feeling is not uncommon among many Victorians who are feeling the strain from the last 3 years. It is no surprise that many are seeking guidance to restore their health and wellness. The Department of Education has acknowledge this challenge and has updated their Framework for Improving Student Outcome (FISO 2.0) to place both Learning and Wellbeing at the centre at all that we do in education. After all if you are not feeling your best, how can you learn/work?
FISO 2.0 works to build positive environments through strong relationships that enables all students to become:
- happy, healthy, and resilient
- successful lifelong learners
- active, informed members of just and sustainable communities
This improvement to DET’s FISO model is welcomed at CNPS, as it closely matches the work we are doing. This year we will be continuing our work on building our Learning and Wellbeing priorities.
LEARNING:
New Initiative to support Learning
- Data - beginning journey into trialing DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) and DAL (Digital Assessment Library in Mathematics) to determine student's Zone of Actual Development (where students are at) and Zone of Proximal Development (next step for students) across some of the Reading Pillars (DIBELS: phonological awareness, comprehension, word reading fluency, non-word reading fluency, oral reading fluency) and Mathematics (DAL).
- Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum (GVC) - developing a whole school GVC in Literacy and Mathematics and begin to embed in school planning documents.
- SeeSaw - Introduce SeeSaw across the school to strengthen parents as partners through demonstrating student learning in reading, writing and mathematics.
Consolidating our Learning from 2022
- Systematic Synthetic Phonics - consolidate and extend teacher’s knowledge of the PLD (Promoting Literacy Development) program through explicit whole class/masterclass instruction and students consolidating learning and embed in teaching practice.
- Tutoring - we will be continuing tutoring this year with teachers continuing tutoring a group of students in mathematics during their teaching groups as well as an additional non interrupted 20 minute session during STEAM. In addition we have a reading tutor who will be using the systematic synthetic phonics approach. Communication regarding tutoring will be made through Compass.
WELLBEING:
New Initiative to support Learning
- Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Wellbeing - developing a multi-tiered system of supports for wellbeing across the school.
- Coaching - developing CNPS coaching protocols and deliver coaching for whole school behaviour support strategies and mental health coaching.
- Guided Play - introduce Guided Play principles in Foundation (N.B. This is also a Learning initiative)
Consolidating our Learning from 2022
- School Wide Positive Behaviours (SWPB) - strengthen understanding of SWPB tier 1- universal supports.
Foundation Students start Monday!
We are very excited to be welcoming our new Preppies to CNPS on Monday. All of our Foundation students have finished their testing and are now ready for their very first day of school. This is a very special moment for our preppies (and our families too). Please be on the look out for our new CNPS families and welcome them to our wonderful community.
Parents and Friends will be hosting Tea and Tears for our Foundation families this year in the Coburg Crop. To our new parents, we ask that you leave your kisses and cuddles at the door and make your way to the crop. I know that you all want to stick around and stay gazing through the classroom windows to watch this special moment, but please move on as quickly as possible as this is important for the success of your child’s transition to primary school. Please read more about this in the Wellbeing section of this newsletter.
Welcoming New and Returning Staff
CNPS would like to introduce you to our new and returning staff. We are pleased to see both Sarah Jackson and Eva Norbury back to CNPS. Both Eva and Sarah have returned from their maternity leave.
Our new classroom teachers, Angus Kininmonth, Sophie Corbett and Taylor Reid, with our new Italian teacher Elyssa Agnoletti have joined the CNPS team. If you see them around the school be sure to say hello to them to make them feel welcome. We know that they will have a great year with us.
New Specialist Team
Kristin and Carmel will be joining our specialist team running STEAM. They are very excited leading STEAM this year with plans to work in our Coburg Crop. Elyssa is excited to join the CNPS team, leading our Italian program with big plans ahead for our annual Carnevale. Brigette is staying on with us at CNPS with plans for additional art work throughout the school. Stephen is continuing in Music, this year planning our junior school concert. How lucky are our junior students that they will be able to perform under our new covered outdoor learning area. We look forward to an exciting year ahead for the specialist team.
Meet the Teacher
On Wednesday 15 February and Thursday 16 February, each family will have the opportunity to arrange an appointment with their child(ren)’s classroom and specialist (optional) teacher.
Meet the Teacher is different to a parent/teacher conference as the discussion will centre around the exchanging of information about your child as a learner, effective strategies to assist their learning and any other pertinent information regarding their social, emotional or medical needs. It is also an opportunity for you to get to know your child(ren)’s teachers better.
Please take note o the following:
- Foundation to Year 2 = Wednesday 15th February
- Year 3 to Year 6 = Thursday 16th February
- Interview times are strictly set for 10 minutes
- Bookings are made on Compass
- Bookings close on Wednesday 15th at 10am
- Families can meet with Specialist teachers on both Wednesday and Thursday (note: STEAM Carmel (Wednesday), Kristin (Thursday)
If you have not filled in the student information survey yet, please click on the button below.
If you have any difficulties making your booking, please contact the school’s office.
School Council - Call for Nominations 2023
This Monday (February 6,) I will call for nominations for both the Parent and DET categories for school council. There are 7 vacancies on council; 5 parent representatives; 1 DET (staff representative) and 1 Community/P&F representative).
School councillors whose terms expire at this election are as follows:
- Brad Appleton (parent rep)
- Philippa Meier (parent rep)
- Jenny Ha (parent rep)
- Phil Cadman (parent rep)
- Sarah Jefford (parent rep)
- Tim Prendergast (DET rep)
- Tamara Heath (Community/P&F rep)
If you decide to stand for election, you can either nominate yourself, or be nominated by someone who is eligible for the same category as you wish to stand for.
Nomination forms need to be in by Monday, February 13.
If there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted in the two weeks after the call for nominations has been closed.
The School Council Election Process and Timeline 2023
- Notice of election and call for nominations - Monday, February 6
- Closing date for nominations - Monday, February 13
- If there are more nominations than vacancies: List of candidates and nominations will be posted on Compass - Wednesday, February 15
- Ballot papers will be prepared and distributed - on or before Monday, February 20
- Close of ballot - Monday, February 27
- Vote count - Tuesday, February 28
- Declaration of poll - Wednesday, March 1
- First council meeting to elect office bearers - Wednesday, March 29
Parent Payments (School Fees)
If you haven’t done so already, please be sure to contribute to our school’s funding by paying for our school fees. We understand that the financial pinch is growing so we made an effort to keep the fees the same as last year. Currently we only have 20% of our families contributing. If you have forgotten, you can contribute to our school fees through Compass or at the Office. We rely on this funding to provide students with the essential items they need for school. Every contribution helps.
For more information on our Parent Payment Policy, click on the button below.
School Uniform and Hats
A friendly reminder to all parents and carers about our school's uniform policy. All hats and uniforms that are torn, frayed or damaged will need to be replaced. If you require support in obtaining a new hat or uniform, please contact the office on 9354 1660.
REMINDER - Sun Safety
Although we haven’t had much of a summer this year, it is important to know that the sun’s unltraviolet (UV) rays are still out. UV radiation is the major cause of skin cancer. The good news is that we can prevent this by being Sun Smart.
Please ensure that your child has applied sunscreen before the come to school each morning. If you haven’t done so yet, pack labeled sunscreen as this will be added to the classroom’s Sun Smart Station in their rooms where they will reapply sunscreen before lunch. Also remember to pack your child’s hat (no rips or bends).
You can see our Sun Smart policy on our school’s website for more information.
Supervision and Yard Duty
A reminder that our school gates open at 8:45am and close at 9:05am in the morning. Please do not send your child/ren to school earlier than this as we do not have supervision before this time. For more information be sure to check out our Supervision policy on our school’s website.
Parent Information Handbook
Everything you need to know about CNPS, is listed in our CNPS Parent Information handbook. You can find this in Compass in the Documentation tab in the folder ‘Documents for Parents’
eSafety
PROTECTING YOUR CHILD WHEN ON A DEVICE
Owning a personal device has many advantages to learning and wellbeing, but can also lead to undesirable behaviours if not managed. Please read below.
How to secure your child’s iPad
We get asked this question constantly. There are huge positives for a child using their first iPad for school. They offer a variety of educational apps and games that can help with subjects like reading, math, and science. iPads also provide a platform for children to explore their creativity through drawing, music apps, videos, and more. But it is your responsibility as a parent to secure it.
Remember, the school's firewall and security does not come home with your child, so you need to ensure that it is secure when it is connected to your WIFI at home (and at the grandparent's). Here are our top tips.
- Create a new Apple ID: Create a new one specifically for the child's device. Make sure to use a secure password and enable two-factor authentication. Please do not use your child’s school email address or one related to your employment.
- Enable restrictions: Go to "Settings" > "General" > "Restrictions" to turn on parental controls. You can restrict access to certain apps, websites, and features, including 18+ content and bad language. Restrict TikTok and other social media apps if your child is under 13yrs.
- Enable "Ask to Buy": This feature will require your approval before the child purchases in the App Store. To turn it on: Go to "Settings"; iTunes & App Store; Apple ID; Family Sharing; Ask to Buy;
- Enable "Find Me": This feature will allow you to locate the child's device if it's lost or stolen. Go to "Settings"; iCloud; Find My, and make sure it's turned on.
- Set up Screen Time: Screen Time is a feature that lets you control and monitors the amount of time your child spends on the iPad. Go to "Settings"; Screen Time; set limits for app categories and screen time. Do not 100% rely on this feature and make it a rule from day one that they are not allowed to have devices in the bedroom. Instead, set a 20min time limit for use after they have completed their homework, for example.
- Disable Siri: If you don't want your child to have access to Siri, you can disable it in "Settings" Siri & Search
- Install parental control app: Several third-party apps are available that provide additional parental controls, such as filtering websites and monitoring app usage. Qustodio: Offers a range of features such as content filtering, time limits, and activity reporting; Net Nanny: Provides comprehensive filtering options, time scheduling and real-time alerts; Norton Family Premier: Offers real-time monitoring, location tracking, and set time limits on device usage.; Kaspersky Safe Kids: Offers location tracking, screen time management, and app control features; Bark: Monitors texts, emails, and social media for potential risks such as cyberbullying, sexting, and more. These apps are considered the best as they offer a combination of effective filtering and monitoring features and ease of use and reliability. The best choice may depend on specific parental needs and the type of devices the children use.
- Have a conversation: It's essential to have open and honest discussions ongoing with your child about responsible device usage and the importance of privacy. Make sure they understand the rules and consequences and that it is best to speak up if they see something that upsets them, and you will help without judgment.
We also encourage you to access The eSafety Guide, where you can learn about the latest games, apps and social media, including how to protect your information and report harmful content. The guide specifies age ratings for apps to assist parents in making informed choices on their child’s device use.
https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/esafety-guide
Parent Controls - eSafety Commissioner
Another great resource which is a worthwhile read is Parent Controls by the eSafety Commissioner. It also has a video attached which is an easy watch. Click on the button below to learn more.
Wellbeing and Inclusion
Welcome Back Everyone,
As the new school year begins your child/children may be feeling a range of emotions while they start to transition to their new teacher, classroom, and classmates. However, we can use a range of strategies to help our children through these difficult moments.
Goodbyes
- Acknowledge that the goodbye is going to be happening and when (after the bell goes, after you have walked them to the classroom etc).
- Some children respond to creating a goodbye handshake they do with their parent/guardian as part of their goodbye routine.
- Students being at school for the soft start is also another way to make the goodbyes easier as they have had some time to connect with their teacher and classmates.
Routines
Routines are important in helping students knowing the expectations as it takes away some anxiety or the unknowns.
Some routines that help are;
- Knowing who is picking them up after school
- Having a calendar so they know what days they are going to TheriCare
- Having a meeting spot for pick up (O’Hea gate, pirate ship playground, basketball court etc)
- Knowing their night routines to ensure they are getting enough sleep
In the first few weeks of a new school year, it is good to have a little bit less on in their social schedule. So, trying not to commit to lots of playdates, sporting activities, dance class or other external activities will help. This reduces the demands on them when returning to school. As we often know how tired students are in the first few weeks.
Wellbeing Hub
The Wellbeing Team is very excited about the CNPS Wellbeing Hub that we will be established this year. It is located in room 5 and 6 (classrooms in the corner of O’Hea and Bishop streets). The Wellbeing Hub will be a safe space that is available to students when needed. The purpose of this space is;
- To create another safe space for student in the school
- To help students regulate when they have big emotions
- To run our social club every recess and lunch. This provides students who are overwhelmed during the breaks or for people looking to make new friends a space to come to.
- Run lessons for specific groups (for example; anxiety groups)
We look forward to sharing photos and more information about this space when we have finished setting up.
Upcoming Events
Week 2
- First Day for Foundation Tea & Tears (P&F) - Monday, 6 February
- Grade 5 Camp Forest Edge CYC - Monday 6 February - Wednesday, 8 February
- Online Body Safe Parent Information Night Grade 5/6 - Tuesday, 7 February
- Online Body Safe Parent Information Night Grade 3/4 - Wednesday, 8 February
- Online Body Safe Parent Information Night Grade F-2 - Thursday, 9 February
Week 3
- Body Safety Student Sessions - Foundation, Gr 5, 5/6, Gr 6 - Tuesday, 14 February
- Body Safety Student Sessions - Foundation, Gr3 - Wednesday, 15 February
- Meet The Teacher - F-2 - Wednesday, 15 February
- Meet the Teacher - 3-6 - Thursday, 15 February
- Body Safety Student Sessions -Gr1, Gr 2, Gr 4 - Thursday, 15 February
Week 4
- District Swimming Trials - Tuesday, 21 February
- Body Safety Student Sessions - Foundation, Gr 5, ⅚, Gr 6- Tuesday, 21 February
- Body Safety Student Sessions - Foundation, Gr3 - Wednesday, 22 February
- Body Safety Student Sessions -Gr1, Gr 2, Gr 4 - Thursday, 23 February