PUPIL FREE DAY (OSHClub available)
- Monday 31st October 2022
FUNDRAISING BAKERY LUNCH ORDER DATES - Lower Plenty Bakehouse
- Thursday 4th August (Orders closing on 1st August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 11th August (Orders closing on 8th August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 18th August (Orders closing on 15th August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 25th August (Orders closing on 22nd August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 1st September (Orders closing on 29th August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 8th September (Orders closing on 5th September, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 15th September (Orders closing on 12th September, 3:00pm)
2022 TERM DATES
- Term 3: 11th July - 16th September (2:30pm finish)
- Term 4: 3rd October - 20th December (1:30pm finish)
2022 SCHOOL CAMP DATES
- Year 3: Arrabri Lodge Camp - Monday 8th August to Wednesday 10th August
- Year 5: Lady Northcote Recreation Camp - Tuesday 4th October to Friday 7th October
WORKING BEES We had a very productive Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting on Tuesday night at school with discussion centred largely around the future home of our vegetable garden and other preparatory works required before our building project starts at the end of next month. I would like to advise that we are holding two working bees before the end of term – one on Sunday, August 21 and another on Saturday, September 3 and both from 9am to 12 noon. Please mark these down in your diaries and if you are any chance at all to spend an hour or two at school on either day rendering assistance, we would be greatly appreciative.
GRADE 3 CAMP It’s not long now to the Grade 3 camp at Arrabri Lodge, Warburton East, from August 8 to 10. This is the first camping experience for this cohort, and we have fingers crossed for dry weather and good times!! The Grade 6 campers arrived back last Friday, tired but glad to have experienced their first camp in three years after spending the week at Camp Coonawarra in Bairnsdale.
SCHOOL COUNCIL The next meeting of School Council is the August meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, August 9 in the staffroom from 7pm.
ENROLMENTS 2023 Whilst we believe we have most of our ‘sibling’ enrolments for 2023 already, if you are a current family of Viewbank PS and you have a child commencing school next year please complete the enrolment process asap if you haven’t done so already.
INTENTION TO LEAVE Whilst talking ‘numbers’ for next year, it would be extremely helpful to us that if any family intending to leave our school community in 2023 because of relocation or other reason, advises us as soon as possible. A phone call to the office, or an email to the school or my email account asap would be most appreciated. For future planning purposes, I need to submit an enrolment projection for 2023 to the Department of Education and Training this week, so such advice would be really helpful!
Have a lovely weekend.
Kind regards,
Bill Kersing
Principal
Berry Street Parenting Seminars Don’t forget to register for the upcoming free online parenting programs available for Viewbank families-
- Supporting Children with Anxiety - 11 August
- Moving Confidently into the Teen Years - 25 August
The fourth edition of PROJECT+ focusses on Mindfulness.
Using the link Parent/Carer Support, families will learn about Mindfulness as well as gain some insight into devices, online safety and the use of family tech agreements from the eSafety Commissioner.
Tickets are on-sale for our Kids Show Tour with Martin Heppell
We’re rapt to continue supporting student mental health with our first ever high-energy kids show tour around Victoria - ‘3 Happy Tricks’ with Martin Heppell. Tour tickets are available now, and you can catch us in the Term 3 school holidays in Frankston, Moonee Ponds, Narre Warren, Shepparton & Wodonga.
Have a positive week.
Gill
Parent and Friends Meeting Please don’t forget that we are having a Parents and Friends (P&F) meeting on Tuesday 2nd August at 7:30pm. We are meeting in-person in the school’s staff room. There is more information further below.
Student Illness There is still quite a bit of student illness. If your child is unwell, please make use of the Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) that have were sent home last week, and earlier this week. There have been a few COVID-19 notifications this term, and we thank the parents and guardians who have followed the advice of the Department of Education and Training (DET) and reported cases to us. We have had some requests to not send notifications anymore but our employer, DET, requires us to do so for the time being.
Reporting your child’s positive COVID-19 test
If your child tests positive to COVID-19 you need to report the positive case through the Student COVID-19 Test Portal at covidtest.educationapps.vic.gov.au or you can notify the school in writing or by phone. You must also report your child’s positive test to the Department of Health online, via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form dhvicgovau.powerappsportals.com/rapid-antigen-test/ or phone the call centre on 1800 675 398.
Weather We can’t do much about the weather. If raining during Recess or Lunch, and after a quick check of the Bureau of Meteorology weather radar, we will bring the students inside if it will continue to rain. If your child is someone who seems to ‘fall’ (jump?) into puddles and is regularly covered in water and/or mud, please pack a spare pair of clothes through winter. Our spare clothes collection is quite small at the moment. Some students have had to wait for parents to come home from work to bring dry clothes to school.
Have a great weekend!
Patrick
LATE ARRIVALS Please ensure children who arrive late go straight to the office to be marked as present. If the child does not come to the office for a late pass a text message will be sent to the parent/carer notifying that the child is absent. Late arrivals can only be time stamped at the office. When Parents/carers record the late arrival in Compass it provides us with the explanation but does not mark your child as present. When your child presents at the office, staff will record your child’s actual arrival time which updates the class roll.
EMAILING TEACHERS DIRECTLY A reminder that you can now email your child/ren’s teachers directly, if you do not have their email address, please email the school account viewbank.ps@education.vic.gov.au to request the teachers’ email.
TERM 3 EXTRA-CURRICULAR ITEMS (EXCURSIONS/INCURSIONS/ACTIVITIES) Term 3 Extra-curricular items (excursions/incursion/activities) will be published on Compass on Friday. Please contact Lucy Addati, the Business Manager for a confidential discussion regarding financial hardship arrangements or a payment plan.
Thank you again to all the families who have made voluntary financial contributions towards our curriculum and other contributions. Without your contributions our school would not be as wonderful as it is.
CUTLERY AND FOOD FOR STUDENTS The office will no longer be able to provide plastic cutlery for students. Please ensure that if your child requires cutlery for their food it is packed in their lunch box.
We have a had an increased number of students coming to the office requesting food as they believe they have insufficient food in their lunch box. Can you please ensure your child is provided with enough food to satisfy them for the day as we are unable to supply extra food.
FOUNDATION ENROLMENTS 2023 Applications are now taking place for new Foundation students for 2023. If any of our existing families have children that need to be enrolled for next year, we encourage you to download the enrolment form from our webpage and email to viewbank.ps@education.vic.gov.au or return signed form to the office with a copy of the birth certificate, immunisation certificate and proof of address document such as a drivers licence. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the office.
OSHClub (Outside School Hours Care) Please be aware that if your child is not registered with OSHClub they will be unable to access the program in an emergency. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you register your child/ren for OSHClub in case you may need it one day.
SICK BAY Sometimes it can be tricky to discern whether your child is fit to attend school. If your child is feeling unwell with cold/flu like symptoms, have been vomiting or had diarrhoea in the last 24 hours please keep them at home until they are well again. Sick bay tends to be a busy hub so if we call for your child to be picked up and you are unavailable, please make other arrangements as it not acceptable or practical to accommodate a sick child at school for the whole day.
Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 It is the parent’s responsibility to advise the school via Compass if their child is away from school via and alert us of notifiable diseases as per School Exclusion Table. https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/public-health/infectious-diseases/school-exclusion
DISPENSING MEDICATION If your child requires prescribed medications a signed parent Medication Authority Form is required. Medications such as antihistamines and paracetamol are not stored or dispensed to students unless they are supplied from home with a signed parent Medication Authority Form.
WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK (WWCC) A ‘Working with Children Check’ is just one part of creating and maintaining a child-safe environment. It is a requirement that all parents/careers who wish to volunteer or participate in school activities have a current WWCC. https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/
VOLUNTEERS/PARENT READING HELPERS SIGN IN/OUT OFFICE PROCEDURES When arriving at the school office please use the electronic sign in system. All volunteers are required to enter their ‘Working with Children Check’ number when registering for first time. At the end of your registration, it will ask if you would like to create a QuickPin which is a number (a number you will remember like your mobile) which you will use to sign in/out each time so that you do not have to register each time you attend. Without a valid WWCC card you will be unable to sign in and volunteer. It is imperative that we are aware of who is on school premises at all times. Please also wear the visitor lanyard while volunteering at the school as this helps identifying persons on school grounds and creates a safe environment for all.
COMPASS If you have any questions or require assistance with Compass, please contact the office or refer to the Compass Parent Guide on your Compass Newsfeed.
Kind regards,
Lucy Addati
Business Manager
Book Week 2022 Book Week will be celebrated in the week beginning Monday 22nd August this year and VBPS has two events to celebrate, with the theme being ‘Dreaming with Your Eyes Open’. On Tuesday 23rd August, students are invited to come to school dressed as a character from their favourite book. A whole school costume parade will be held on the Tiger Turf (weather permitting) from 9:00-9:45am which the school community is welcome to attend. As it is winter, please ensure students are wearing appropriate clothing and footwear. Whilst Wally was successfully located last year, it appears he has gone missing again and we will be asking the students to join us on a Where’s Wally Hunt around the school during Book Week.
Our second event is a visit from Dale Baker (author/illustrator), who will be speaking to the Foundation to Year 6 students on Thursday 25th August over 6 separate sessions. Each session will run for about 45 minutes. No payment is necessary as the cost has been included in the Term 3 expenses.
We look forward to celebrating Book Week onsite this year!
The Year 3 and Year 4 students are enjoying their time in the SAKG Program. This fortnight the dishes were:
- Asian Coleslaw
- Fried Rice
- Vegetable Gyoza
If you would like to create these recipes and more at home please find visit at the link below.
http://www.viewbankps.vic.edu.au/stephanie-alexander
Book Club Issue 5 is now closed for delivery to the school.
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Save the Date: 7.30pm Tuesday 2 August – Viewbank Parents & Friends Committee
After the prolonged Covid lockdowns, the Parents & Friends Committee is seeking new members to reinvigorate our Viewbank Primary School social and fund-raising program.
Can you spare a few hours per term to help deliver activities designed to build community and raise funds for the school? This term we are working on the Father’s Day stall and the school disco.
What’s involved?
The committee is friendly, relaxed and meets twice per term to plan for upcoming activities. New ideas are most welcome. The P&F Committee is also a great way to meet others from the Viewbank community.
P&F funds contribute to projects that improve the school environment, such upgrading playgrounds, and fitting out the new Stephanie Alexander Kitchen and Garden.
The next meeting is face-to-face in the staffroom on Tuesday 2 August from 7.30pm. Please join us, meet some other friendly Viewbank faces and make a difference to the school.
We look forward to seeing you.
It's time to get your dancing shoes on and dust off the moves. Our school disco is back!!!
After missing a few years of this fun activity we are pleased to announce the school disco will be held on Friday 9th September 2022 in our Gym.
- Foundation - Year Two 6.00pm-7.00pm
- Year Three- Six 7.30pm-8.30pm.
Entry into the Disco is $10.00 per child.
The entry price includes the 1-hour Disco as well as a Zooper Dooper icy pole to cool down on the way out. Please email the school if you do not wish for your child to receive a Zooper Dooper icy pole.
We will be having a fundraising family Sausage Sizzle outside the gym from 5.30-7.30pm for families to enjoy.
Any parents who would like to help out either cooking the BBQ or inside at the disco, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please click here to sign up to help.
- This fundraising event is hosted and fully supervised by the Viewbank Primary School Parents and Friends Association.
- Only registered volunteers will be able to enter the School Gym during the evening. Please click here to register
- All volunteers must have, and have presented to the school in advance, a current Working With Children Check, or approved exemption (e.g. VIT card, police badge etc).
- Children are required to supply their own bottle of water on the evening.
- Children will not be allowed to exit the gym once they have been signed-in without a parent present.
- Parents must collect their children from the school gym at the allocated Disco finish time.
- A Zooper Dooper icy pole will be provided to all students at the conclusion of each Disco - Please email the school if you do not wish for your child to receive one.
Lower Plenty Bakehouse will be providing the school with fundraising Lunch Orders every Thursday during Term 3. These lunches have been implemented via our Parents and Friends Committee. All money raised will be used towards our major school upgrade.
Our Term 3 Fundraising Lunch Order Dates are:
- Thursday 4th August (Orders closing on 1st August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 11th August (Orders closing on 8th August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 18th August (Orders closing on 15th August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 25th August (Orders closing on 22nd August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 1st September (Orders closing on 29th August, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 8th September (Orders closing on 5th September, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 15th September (Orders closing on 12th September, 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 3 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.
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 $5.00 and all other items $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
SINGING WITH JADE - Jade
- Email: jadefaving@gmail.com
- Phone: 0413 834 933
STRINGS - MR CAI
- Email: cai66@optusnet.com.au
- Phone: 0403 490 078
GUITAR/BASS GUITAR - Alec
- Email: alec.stalder@gmail.com
PIANO/KEYBOARD - Ella
- Email: ellac.blackburn@gmail.com
- Phone: 0410 938 840
DRUMS - Michael
- Email: michaelfindlaymcnab@gmail.com
- Phone: 0451 394 540
PHONE NUMBER: 0448 075 422
EMAIL: viewbank@oshclub.com.au
A PLUS SCHOOLWEAR Our uniform supplier is A Plus Schoolwear which is located at 41-43 Northern Road Heidelberg West. Open hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday’s from 9am to 4.30pm (closed on weekend and public holidays).
You can also purchase your uniform online at www.aplusschoolwear.com.au