PUPIL FREE DAYS 2023 (TheirCare will be running their day care programs at school on all student free days)
- Monday 8th May - Staff professional development
- Friday, 26th May - Staff professional practice day
- Monday 10th July - Three way conferences
- Monday 6th November - Report writing day
2023 TERM DATES
- Term 1: 27th January - 6th April (2:30pm finish)
- Term 2: 24th April - 23rd June (2:30pm finish)
- Term 3: 10th July - 15th September (2:30pm finish)
- Term 4: 2nd October - 20th December (1:30pm finish)
A warm welcome back to school for Term 2 to the whole school community. I trust that everyone availed themselves of the opportunity to catch up with family and friends and celebrate Easter, as well as having a well earned end of term break.
Whilst progress has been made on site with our capital works program, there have been some unfortunate delays most noticeably with our existing portables still ‘on-site’ as we return to school. The latest update is that they will be moved to their new location by Friday, May 5 to then enable works to commence on the new Administration building. It is hoped that the relocated portables, along with two brand new Mod-5 portables will be ready for occupation by our current Grade 3 and 4 classes in early June.
Our Grade 2 students moved in to their new classrooms on Monday and immediately enjoyed the extra space, the wonderful views afforded from the most southerly classrooms and the brand new facilities. Whilst there are still a few landscaping tasks to complete, as well as minor defects to be remedied, the feedback thus far is very positive.
GROUNDS ACCESS AND PARKING UPDATES Gate 5 (the turning circle gate) is now permanently closed as preparations are made for the construction of the new administration building. There is NO PARKING at ANY TIME in the turning circle. For morning drop offs in Nevin Parade, please turn at the northern end and then drive down as near as possible to the main gate where your children can be dropped off in the newly signed and designated 'Kiss and Drop' Zone. (see attached signage) Please do not park or exit your vehicle when dropping off in the morning. Gate 2 (Lascelles Avenue), Gate 3 (Winston Road) and Gate 4 (school oval) will all be open as normal. In addition, there is pedestrian access to the school oval on Winston Road with new pedestrian gates and steps installed over the holidays.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND TERM HIGHLIGHTS It is a shorter term than normal, following a lengthy Term 1. The nine weeks of term include both the Anzac and King’s Birthday Public holidays as well as two approved or proposed pupil free days. The first of these has been approved by School Council – Monday, May 8. Full day care will be provided by Their Care but there are NO classes for students on this day. The second pupil free day for Term 2 is provisionally set down for Friday, May 26 – a whole school professional practice day for staff. This will be confirmed after School Council meets on May 8.
As always, there are a host of activities and events set down for the term in addition to the normal programs of instruction. Our Grade 4 students travel down the highway to Anglesea for their three day school camp from May 17 to 19, whilst our Grade 6 students commence their regular (weekly) interschool sports competition. Our Grade 3 to 6 students compete in the various levels of cross country running commencing with the school event on May 4 at Price Park. Our Foundation to 2 students look forward to a swimming program at the Eltham Leisure Centre over the last five weeks of term, whilst the Parents and Friends are busily organising a trivia night on June 16. Much to look forward to.
A CHILD IS BORN I am very happy to share Kelsey and Ben Mentiplay’s baby news. Leo Kennedy Mentiplay was born a tad early on April 15. Everyone is well and happy!
FOUNDATION 2024 INFORMATION EVENING This event is scheduled for Thursday, May 4 at 6.30pm in the school gymnasium. Please feel free to share this information with anyone you know that is interested in enrolling their children at our school.
THANK YOU To the very loyal band of helpers who attended an impromptu furniture shifting working bee on the Saturday before school resumed. Many hands made light work and ensured a smooth start to Term 2 for our Grade 2 classes.
Have a lovely weekend.
Kind regards,
Bill Kersing
Principal
Welcome Back! We have certainly ‘hit the ground running’ this term.
Yard Supervision This is just a reminder that supervision in the yard is at the following times:
We have 5 staff rostered on at lunch as one of these is allocated to the Library. The Library is generally open every lunchtime from 1pm – 1:50pm.
There have certainly been some challenges due to the building works, but overall, the students have spread themselves out across the various areas.
Bakery Lunches Did you know that our weekly bakery lunches are a school fundraiser? From every order made, we receive a percentage as ‘cash back’ from the bakery. We are incredibly grateful to the Lower Plenty Bakery (https://www.facebook.com/lowerbakehouse/) who do not inflate their prices to you. In Term 1, they donated $2,750 to the school. If you are ever at the Lower Plenty shops, it would be great to either drop in and buy something (support those that support us) or pop in and say thank you!
Save The Date The Parents and Friends Committee have organised a Trivia Night on Friday 16th June! It will be a fun-filled evening that brings together parents, staff, and the wider community to raise funds for our school. The proceeds from this event will go towards refurbishing our Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden classroom!
We would be very grateful if you could pass this note on to anyone who may be able to contribute to this event by donating goods, services, or vouchers for our silent auction and raffle. This is a great opportunity to showcase a business while supporting a worthy cause.
Generosity of the community will be acknowledged in various ways, including a mention of the business in our event program, on our school's website, and on our social media platforms. Businesses will also receive recognition on the night, where we will be thanking our donors.
If there are further questions, or you or someone you know can donate something, please email the school directly at viewbank.ps@education.vic.gov.au, so we can communicate further.
We appreciate your consideration and support for Viewbank Primary School.
- Date: Friday 16th June
- Time: 7:00pm
- Location: Viewbank Primary School Gym
- Who: Adult only event
Tickets on sale soon.
Have a great weekend.
Patrick
Welcome back to Term 2. I hope each family was able to enjoy the holiday period and take some time to relax.
I know both students and staff were very tired at the end of Term 1, so hopefully, everyone is feeling energised and ready for the busy term ahead.
It is very important to continue to look after our wellbeing as we move through the year. This week I am including a resource from the Department’s Student Wellbeing Hub titled Wellbeing: What’s it all about?
This article discusses why your child’s wellbeing is important, your role as a parent in promoting wellbeing and a range of useful websites.
Have a lovely week.
Gill
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE & AMBULANCE COVER ARRANGEMENTS Parents/carers are reminded that the Department does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents/carers of students, who do not have student accident insurance, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance or transport as well as any other transport costs. Parents/carers can purchase insurance policies from commercial insurers.
VALUABLES & PROPERTY Personal property brought to school by students, staff or visitors is not insured and the Department of Education does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage. The Department does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property. This can include mobile phones, calculators, toys, and sporting equipment. We request the support of parents/carers in ensuring students are discouraged from bringing any unnecessary or particularly valuables items to school.
FIRST AID AND MEDICAL CONSENT The Department no longer seeks parent consent to administer first aid or receive medical attention. This Department update has been made because schools have a duty of care to provide appropriate and reasonable first aid to students and to take action in emergency situations. Additionally, parents cannot delegate decision-making authority, including consent for medical treatment. Where a student requires medical attention, the medical professional administering treatment would either speak to the parent or provide treatment without consent.
UNIFORM SHOP RELOCATION The school uniform shop provider A Plus Schoolwear/My Uniform store has relocated to new premises. Please find attached information re location and updated operating hours.
If you order online your order will be delivered to the school. If there are any issues with sizes etc uniforms can be returned to the office for exchange.
Kind regards,
Lucy Addati
Business Manager
YEAR 6 CAMP STUDENT REFLECTION
From the 27th-29 March the grade 6s stayed two nights at Coonawarra Farm Resort. They did a bunch of activities such as rock climbing/climbing wall, canoeing, swimming, flying fox, giant swing and high ropes!
The camp staff were incredibly welcoming and respectful to our year 6s, teachers, parents helpers and the other Viewbank Primary staff who came along with us. They were extremely supportive and encouraging to everyone especially those who were scared or worried about doing an activity.
We did a survey on one of the year 6 classes asking what their favourite activity from camp was and here were the results:
- Flying fox won by a mile with 15 votes
- Giant swing came second with 4 votes
- Canoeing came third with 2 votes
- And lastly climbing wall with 1 vote.
We all had a blast having a go at all the activities and we thank all the staff and parent helpers for bringing this camp to life and helping our year 6s, teachers and other Viewbank Primary staff have a great time. Without you this would have never happened thank you again!
Thank you Coonawarra! Written by Taya and Zara S.
Our Year 4 Students were amazed at how big the zucchini's have grown over the holidays
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The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and Viewbank Primary School is excited to be participating. The PRC application offers a range of exciting features including:
- access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs)
- a modern user-friendly interface
- rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved
- the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review
The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 8 September 2023.
Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 6 are challenged to read 15 books.
Books included in the Challenge book list can be found online. Books borrowed from the Library, read at home, read with parents and read in the classroom can all be counted in your Challenge total. Students must read the required number of books from the Challenge list to complete the Challenge.
All students who meet the Challenge will receive a completion card at Assembly and a certificate of achievement in late November.
There will be a reward for the first ‘whole class’ that meets the Challenge.
All VPS students have been registered to participate in the Challenge. Classroom teachers will issue username and password details to enable students to log into their account online.
To login into your student account, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge
Save the Date Now is the time to brush up on your facts, and get ready to show off your smarts at our Trivia Night!
Join us on Friday 16th June for a night of fun and friendly competition at our Trivia Night event. All funds raised will go towards refurbishing the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Classroom (SAKG).
So put your knowledge to the test and compete against other teams in a variety of categories, including history, sports, geography and more. The night will also have a silent auction and fun games to play.
Whether you're a trivia buff or just looking for a fun night out with friends, this event is sure to be a blast with tickets going on sale soon. So gather a team of up to 10 or plan to book seats at a table and create a team on the night. This event is for any school community member over the age of 18 years old. It will be BYO alcohol and snacks.
Prize Donations Required As we begin Term 2, we are reaching out to ask for your support in a new way. We are currently looking for prize donations to help us raise money for the SAKG Classroom at the Trivia Night.
Our school is committed to providing the best possible educational experience for our students, and the SAKG Classroom is an important part of that effort. This classroom provides a safe and supportive environment for students to learn about healthy eating and cooking. With all the building changes happening around the school it is a perfect time to refurbish and improve this space.
If you are able to donate a prize, which could be a physical item, voucher or an experience through a business you own or are connected to we would be incredibly grateful for your support. We need prizes for a silent auction, raffle and trivia games on the night.
Donations can be dropped off at the school office or coordinated with our P&F representatives. If you would like further information you can also call the school office or email them on viewbank.ps@education.vic.gov.au
Thank you in advance for your generosity and for being a part of our school community. Your support means the world to us.
Regards, P&F Committee
Children are asked to bring no more than $10 to purchase some lovely goodies for their Mums, Grandparents, Aunties or Special person. Items will be priced between $2-$8. Please remember to bring your money and a carry bag on the day.
Some volunteers are needed to make the day a success
We need some parent helpers to assist with setup, selling gifts and packing up the stall. Please sign up here: volunteersignup.org/443KY
Please note if children do not have money on the day, they will not be able to make a purchase, as we do not have an "I Owe You" system.
Lower Plenty Bakehouse will be providing 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 2 Fundraising Lunch Order Dates are:
- Thursday 4th May (Orders closing on 1st May, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 11th May (Orders closing on 8th May, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 18th May (Orders closing on 15th May, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 25th May (Orders closing on 22nd May, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 1st June (Orders closing on 29th May, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 8th June (Orders closing on 5th June, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 15th June (Orders closing on 12th June, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 22nd June (Orders closing on 19th 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.
Parent assistance is required on Lunch Days from 10:30am to 12:30pm to assist with the packing of our orders. If you are available to assist in anyway can you please email the school at viewbank.ps@education.vic.gov.au so your name can be added to our roster.
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
DRUMS/BEGINNER KEYBOARD - Michael
- Email: michaelfindlaymcnab@gmail.com
- Phone: 0451 394 540
PIANO/KEYBOARD – Tiaryn Griggs
- Email: tiaryngriggs@gmail.com
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