FUNDRAISING BAKERY LUNCH ORDER DATES - Lower Plenty Bakehouse
- Thursday 1st December (Orders closing on 28th November, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 8th December (Orders closing on 5th December, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 15th December (Orders closing on 12th December, 3:00pm)
2022 TERM DATES
- Term 4: 3rd October - 20th December (1:30pm finish)
WORKING BEE Thank you to the families who found some time on Saturday to attend the final working bee for 2022. We were able to complete a number of tasks including the construction of further wicking beds for our new vegie patch (Jilinga Gardens), the emptying and transporting of water tanks from the general school site and the spreading of top soil and Tuscan toppings. As you can see from the photos, there are plenty of vegies now growing in the beds and with a few more enhancements before the start of next year (pavers to define a path, chickens in ‘Cluckingham Palace’! murals on the side of the shipping containers, a cover between the two containers etc), we will be well ready for another exciting Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden year for our Grades 3 and 4 students.
SINGING CONCERT Gabby and Jade’s singers and families will be well aware that next Tuesday night, November 29, affords us the opportunity to listen to their talents at a concert to be held from 7pm. All welcome!
STATE ELECTION Viewbank PS is once again a polling booth for the State election and we will be providing an election day sausage sizzle to raise funds to support our 2023 building program. Thank you to those who have signed up to volunteer to ‘man’ the barbecues. We are very grateful for your assistance!
GREAT NEWS The Science Talent Search (STS) is an annual, science based competition open to all primary and secondary students in Victoria and attracts a few thousand student entries each year. The theme for 2022 was Glass: More than meets the eye. One of our Grade 5 students, Samuel Jacobs was sponsored by Viewbank College and submitted two entries into this year’s STS competition: a board game on the topic of “Atoms and Molecules” and a children’s story book on the topic of “Optic Glass Fibres”. The top students in each age group and section category receive a bursary – receiving a cash prize sponsored by a person or company, as well as a medal and certificate. Samuel received a major bursary for his story book and a minor bursary for his game. His medal ceremony was held last week at Viewbank College.
Congratulations, Samuel – a mighty effort!
KINDER-FOUNDATION 2023 TRANSITION SESSION The second term four transition session takes place next Wednesday from 9.15am to 10.45am with our eighty 2023 Foundation students spending time with their ‘new’ teachers. Sessions such as these are planned to make the start to school next year so much easier for our ‘newbies’. We also have a transition morning on Tuesday, December 13 where our Foundation to Grade 5 students meet their 2023 teachers and classmates in their new classrooms. On this day our Grade 6 students are off to their secondary colleges and high schools for a similar program.
That’s it for me this week. Hope you have a pleasant and hopefully warmer weekend than previous ones!
Kind regards,
Bill Kersing
Principal
As we move closer to the end of term we are certainly seeing many students (and staff) becoming increasingly tired. For most of our students and staff this is the first full year they have had at school since 2019 and many are feeling the effects of a busy school year and the impending festive and holiday season.
It is very important to ensure your child is receiving adequate sleep so that they can come to school each day ready to learn and interact positively with others.
The following information has been taken from Raising Children Network.
Why is sleep important?
Sleep restores children physically. It helps them learn and remember things, and it boosts immunity. And sleep helps children grow. For example, children’s bodies produce growth hormone when they’re asleep. Children often need more sleep at times of rapid growth.
Children of all ages need to get enough sleep so they can play, learn and concentrate during the day.
School-age children: when and how much they sleep
Children aged 5-11 years need 9-11 hours of sleep a night.
Primary school-age children are usually tired after school and might look forward to bedtime from about 7.30 pm.
About good sleep for children
A good night’s sleep is about getting to sleep and staying asleep. Most children wake up by themselves in the morning if they’re getting enough good-quality sleep.
Getting to sleep
Most children fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed. How long it takes children to get to sleep can depend on how sleepy their bodies are, and also on their daytime and bedtime routines. Bedtime routines help children wind down before bedtime, so they can fall asleep more easily.
Staying asleep
Children wake briefly during the night, but they might not be aware of being awake. To stay asleep, children need to be able to fall back to sleep by themselves after these brief waking episodes.
How to sleep better for children: tips
1. Set up a bedtime routine
A regular bedtime routine starting around the same time each night encourages good sleep patterns. A bedtime routine of bath, story and bed can help younger children feel ready for sleep. For older children, the routine might include a quiet chat with you about the day then some time alone relaxing before lights out.
2. Relax before bedtime
Encourage your child to relax before bedtime. Older children might like to wind down by reading a book, listening to gentle music or practising breathing for relaxation. If your child takes longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep, your child might need a longer wind-down time before turning the lights out to go to sleep.
3. Keep regular sleep and wake times
Keep your child’s bedtimes and wake-up times within 1-2 hours of each other each day. This helps to keep your child’s body clock in a regular pattern. It’s a good idea for weekends and holidays, as well as school days.
4. Keep older children’s naps early and short
Most children stop napping at 3-5 years of age. If your child over five years is still napping during the day, try to keep the nap to no longer than 20 minutes and no later than early afternoon. Longer and later naps can make it harder for children to get to sleep at night.
5. Make sure your child feels safe at night
If your child feels scared about going to bed or being in the dark, you can praise and reward your child whenever they’re brave. Avoiding scary TV shows, movies and computer games can help too. Some children with bedtime fears feel better when they have a night light.
6. Check noise and light in your child’s bedroom
Check whether your child’s bedroom is too light or noisy for sleep. Blue light from televisions, computer screens, phones and tablets suppresses melatonin levels and delays sleepiness. Bright light in the hour before bedtime can have the same effect on young children.
It helps to:
- turn off devices at least one hour before bedtime
- keep screens out of your child’s room at night
- dim the lights an hour before bed for children of preschool age and younger.
If your child uses a night-light, choose a dim, warm-coloured globe, rather than a bright, white, cool-coloured globe.
7. Avoid the clock
If your child is checking the time often, encourage your child to move the clock or watch to a spot where they can’t see it from bed.
8. Eat the right amount at the right time
Make sure your child has a satisfying evening meal at a reasonable time. Feeling hungry or too full before bed can make your child more alert or uncomfortable. This can make it harder for your child to get to sleep. In the morning, a healthy breakfast helps to kick-start your child’s body clock at the right time.
9. Get plenty of natural light in the day
Encourage your child to get as much natural light as possible during the day, especially in the morning. Bright light suppresses melatonin. This helps your child feel awake and alert during the day and sleepy towards bedtime.
10. Avoid caffeine
Caffeine is in energy drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate and cola. Encourage your child to avoid these things in the late afternoon and evening, and don’t offer them at these times.
Have a great week,
Gill Nicholls
Planning Week Beginning on Monday 28 November all staff will be involved in planning sessions with their 2023 teaching team. Specialist teachers will cover classes while teachers are engaged in planning sessions.
Book Fair We would like to say a huge thank you to all involved in the organising and supporting of the Book Fair, held last week in the library. The event was a massive success, and we hope that the students will read and re-read their purchases many times over the coming years.
Please be safe, respectful, and kind to one another and yourself!
Have a great week!
Patrick
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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.
2023 PARENT PAYMENTS Viewbank Primary School is looking forward to another great year of teaching and learning and would like to advise you of Viewbank Primary School’s Parent Payment Arrangements for 2023.
We continue to value and thank you for your contributions in supporting our school’s programs and resources. These contributions assist us to broaden the educational experience for our students.
All classroom supplies will be provided directly to the classrooms in bulk. Teachers (including specialist teachers) will distribute stationery and other supplies to the students as required.
Payments can only be made on Compass from Monday the 9th of January 2023.
Further detailed information about Parent Payments can be found on your Compass newsfeed.
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.
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/
Kind regards,
Lucy Addati
Business Manager
The Year 4 students were very excited to be back in the Kitchen this week!
We would like to express our thanks to Chris and our Kitchen volunteers for making the session such a success.
- “The food was amazing!” – Abbey, 4R
- “The cauliflower fritters were my favourite” – Abbey, 4R
- “I liked how everyone was kind to each other and communicated well during the session” – Patrick, 4R
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JSC Fundraiser: ‘Guess How Many Pieces of Lego in the Jar!’ We are fundraising for a group called Container of Dreams. This group builds shelter accommodation for disadvantaged people and is currently working to provide crisis accommodation for flood-affected people in NSW.
JSCs will be coming around classrooms before and after lunch.
Bring $1, have a guess and you could be the winner of THE WHOLE JAR!!
BOOK CLUB Catalogues have been sent home this week. All orders are due by Wednesday 30th of November. Every dollar you spend earns points to buy more books for the Library. Thank you for your support.
Volunteers Required - 2022 Victorian State Election - Sausage Sizzle
Lower Plenty Bakehouse will be providing the school with fundraising Lunch Orders every Thursday during Term 4. 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 1st December (Orders closing on 28th November, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 8th December (Orders closing on 5th December, 3:00pm)
- Thursday 15th December (Orders closing on 12th 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.
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 Upgrade Get a Free membership Upgrade (Validity 4th October - 24th November 2022) for a limited time only. You get all your usual vouchers plus more. Purchase any Single City Entertainment Membership and receive a bonus, Multi City upgrade*, unlocking access to 20 cities and thousands of offers across Australia and New Zealand. And of course 20% of the membership goes directly to support our fundraising at Viewbank Primary School. https://www.entertainment.com.au/current-promotion
People who purchase this book often get the entire value back through savings within the first few uses.
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/UKULELE - 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