Parkhill Primary School Newsletter
Issue 11, Thursday May 2 2019
Principal's Message
Dear Parents/Carers
Welcome back to Term 2 – I trust you all had a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable holiday. The weather was perfect for an Easter break!
Term 2 has started with pace and learning programs are in full flow already!
Y5/6 camp was a roaring success! Kangaroobie is always a fabulous camp with lots of outdoor time and dirty activities! I would like to thank the staff who dedicated their time to supporting the children during their camp and over ANZAC day – I was proud of the way the children represented Parkhill over the course of the week.
Sadly we say goodbye to Giovanna Boccari. Giovanna has been an Integration Aide at Parkhill for 7 years now. She will be leaving us this week to continue her work with children elsewhere. We wish her all the best.
INTO INQUIRY:
Throughout the school children have been tuning in to their learning, asking questions and planning their finding out. Below is the detail of the units of work for the first part of the term.
EMOTIONS:
Should we teach emotions in school? As part of our Social Emotional Learning program we explicitly teach children about their emotions, what different emotions feel like and what may bring about these feelings. Alongside teaching emotional intelligence we also spend time learning strategies that children can use to help them manage their ever evolving emotions. Below is an article that a parent sent to me last week – it’s a super easy read and very insightful. Thanks Elle!
https://ideas.ted.com/should-emotions-be-taught-in-schools/
SCHOOL COUNCIL:
At the end of Term 1 we elected our new School Council. It gives me great pleasure to share with you our 2019 Council:
School councils have three main responsibilities:
finance: overseeing the development of the school’s annual budget and ensuring proper records are kept of the school’s financial operation;
strategic planning: participating in the development and monitoring of the school strategic plan;
policy development and review: developing, reviewing and updating policies that reflect a school’s values and support the school’s broad direction outlined in its strategic plan.
Please do talk with our community councillors should you have anything you would like to raise for discussion based around these areas.
SCHOOL DAY RESTRUCTURE:
The restructure of the school day has started really well – we are fine tuning the food eating element of lunchtime and working with feedback from the teachers and children – your feedback is also valuable to us – please do chat with me if you have anything you would like to share.
The day will be split into four learning blocks and three breaks. Morning block will run from 9.00–10:30, with morning tea break being 10:30–11:00. The middle learning block will be 11:00–12:30, with lunch from 12:30–1:00. The third learning block will run 1:00–2:30 with afternoon tea being 2:30–3:00. The school day will end at 3:30 as usual.
The session from 3:00–3:30 will primarily be used for Social Emotional learning, Buddies and Assembly. The time allocation of core curriculum areas will not be affected by the restructure, and in fact the hope is that it will increase learning time because teachers are not spending so long unpacking the incidents that occur during the second half of the hour break.
REMINDERS
Essential Items Payments (School Fees):
2019 school fees (Essential Education Items) are due – if you have not yet paid this fee please contact the office ASAP. It is important to note that the school has to subsidise any fees that are not paid by families. These subsides are paid our of our curriculum budgets.
Ongoing meetings with teachers:
It is important to remember that you are always welcome to meet with your class teacher and I encourage you to make appointments throughout the year to touch base and talk about your child’s learning progress.
Elaine Brady
Principal
Calendar of Curriculum Events - Term 2
Friday 3 May - Y4/5/6 House Cross Country
Thursday 9 May - Stargazing 6.30-8.30 pm
Friday 10 May - Mother's Day Stall
Monday 13 May - Curriculum Day (Students do not attend school)
Tuesday 14 May - Friday 24 May - NAPLAN
Wednesday 15 May - Bring it Breaky
Friday 17 May - District Cross Country (selected students)
Wednesday 22 May - Open Day & Night
Monday 10 June - Queen's Birthday Public Holiday
Wednesday 19 June - Friday 21 June - Y3/4 Camp Weekaway
Friday 28 June - Term 2 ends at 2:30pm
Student of the Week
F/1C - Dylan R
F/1S - Archie P
F/1T - Andy P
2/3G - Jack D
2/3L - Holly G
2/3M - Annabella B
4D - Jayden M
4O - Jack R
Canteen Closure
STEAM
He chose this activity from the STEAM homework grid that went out last week. Great job Najim!
You can access the STEAM grid here ...
Stargazing at Parkhill!
On Thursday 9th May the Astronomical Society of Victoria will be visiting Parkhill complete with telescopes aplenty!
We will be viewing from 6:30 to 8:30pm, on the netball courts below our school oval.
Come join us if you’d like to spend a while gazing at the stars. Don’t forget to rug up, and bring your own telescope if you have one.
Let us know if you can come along by registering with us:
https:/www.trybooking.com/BCLYU
5/6 Camp - Camp Kangaroobie
What a fabulous time Y5 and Y6 had last week as Parkhill descended on the Great Ocean Road and Camp Kangaroobie. On the way to camp we visited the 12 Apostles and marvelled as our knowledgeable bus drivers told us the history of Loch Ard Gorge and it's famous ship wreck.
At Kangaroobie students and teachers a like enjoyed a variety of activities including: canoeing, the game of life and death, the obstacle course and farm activities. We experienced a calf newly born, the fabulous feel of hunting students with a super soaker and the slippery satisfaction of crawling through mud trenches. Our hike to Princetown beach was also well worth the effort as students spent the day sculpting sand, soaring down sand dunes and dominating in a very enthusiastic game of keepings off.
A highlight for many on camp was the Parkhill has Talent Show, where we were all entertained by the many and varied skills of our Y5/6 students and teachers. Many thanks to Mrs Coy, Mr Sciacca and the brutally honest Mrs Patton for their creative and hilariously funny judging on the night.
A great camp, a great group, a great time had by all.
Y6-Y7 Transition Application Forms
Transition forms for Y6 students moving to high school are now available.
This year the Department have made transition application forms available to parents. You can either fill in the form your child has, or fill in the form digitally and print or email it to the school.
The form detailing your request for high school placement is due back at school before Friday 17th May.
Transition information for parents https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/going-to-school/Pages/year-6-to-7.aspx
Application form https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/parents/application-year-7-placement.docx
Tinikling Performance
Coats for Kids!
PFA News
Committee Members
Office Bearers:
President: Vanessa Cowley
Vice President: George Andrakakos
Treasurer: Sumi Sundram
Secretary: Nadine Phillips
Committee Members:
Shadow Treasurer: Fiona Crellin
Communications: Eva Conley
General Members:
Jason Van Lint, Elle Delmee, Mark Havas, Lisa Jacobson, Wendy Douglas, Janneke Storteboom, Leanne Knight, Kylie Touloupis, Donna Edwards, Katrina Battle
If you would like to be on our email distribution list and receive communication and minutes from our meetings please email parents.friends.secretary@gmail.com
TERM TWO KEY DATES - Please lock these dates into your calendar!
MOTHER’S DAY WRAPPING BEE SIGN-UP - Friday 3rd May 7 more volunteers required
Our Mother’s day wrapping bee is this Friday from 9am to 11am in the school hall. We still desperately need 7 more volunteers to wrap up the gifts for the kids to buy. Please sign up via this link. http://signup.com/go/mRwSvyb
MOTHER’S DAY STALL GIFT SELLING SIGN-UP - Friday 10th May
We would also like volunteers to help with one or two sessions, 9:00 - 11:00 or 11:00-1:00. You will either sell the items to the children or help them bag up and label their goodies. It is a great morning as the kids are so excited to get something special for their mum or other special person in their life. Please sign up via this link https://signup.com/go/BZmBziW
MOTHER’S DAY MOVIE @ PINEWOOD CINEMA - Friday 10th May
Would you like some time out with some fabulous mums from Parkhill Primary School? Then, come and see “Top End Wedding” at Pinewood Cinema in Mt Waverley on Friday 10th of May. It costs $12, which includes your ticket, a water and a goodie bag! If you are interested in going, please return payment and the forms which is attached to this newsletter to the office by Wednesday 8th of May. The trailer to the film can be accessed here.
ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS - now available
Entertainment books are now available for you to purchase. They cost $70 and provide over $20000 in discounts to all the things you love to do...dining, attractions, shopping, travel and more! They are filled with up to 50% off or 2-for-1 style offers, they are a great way to discover new favourites and enjoy the value at the same time. The proceeds of the sold books goes to Parkhill Primary School. Please order one now via this link https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/9r34937
CUPCAKE STALL NUMBER TWO - Sprinkled with love!
Thank you to all the kids and parents who bought one or more of the cupcakes on Wednesday. All of the proceeds go to the school! The cupcakes, honey joys and jellies looked like they were made with such love and gobbled up so quickly by the kids (and parents). Thank you again to our bakers, Elle, Julie, Kylie B, Kylie T, Leanne, Nadine, Pia, and Sumi. Our next stall on Wednesday 19th June.
WOOLWORTHS EARN AND LEARN now on!
Woolworths Earn and learn promotion is running again starting May 1st. Parkhill has been registered to benefit from this generous program - last time we collected over 17,000 stickers, an amazing effort which helped purchase much needed sports and robotics equipment for our school programs. Lets see if we can smash that this year and collect even more!
There is a Parkhill collection bin at our local Ashwood Woolies and there is also one placed in the office. If you can please collect a sticker sheet from Woolworths or the office to attach your stickers to before handing them in that would be very helpful. We cannot submit stickers that are not attached to a sheet - from previous experience kids find this quite a fun activity so lets get them doing the sticking for us. You can photocopy blank sheets if you need more.
The promotion runs from 1st May to 26th June and all stickers collected provide our teachers with the opportunity to order any resources they need from the Modern Teaching Aids website, a well known and valued online resource portal for all Australian education services.
Please ask all friends and family to contribute as many stickers as they can to the Parkhill cause.
Chinese Classes
We are pleased to announce that the Storz Centre of Accelerated Learning Excellence (SCALE) in collaboration with our mother company, the Australasian Centre of Chinese Studies (ACCS), and the support of the Principal and parents of Parkhill Primary School, are taking over Chinese (Mandarin) classes this term.
Our classes are designed for children from Foundation up to 12 years of age using Accelerated Learning Techniques or Suggestopedia (founded by Dr Georgi Lozanov). Accelerated Learning techniques was designed by Dr Moni Lai Storz specially for Australian students in the study of Mandarin Chinese. Our textbooks are written in the form of a story with key Chinese words students have to learn in order to develop their linquistic skills. In each lesson students also learn about some aspects of Chinese culture.
Accelerated Learning use storytelling, certain type of music, games, relaxation and positive suggestions to enhance the self esteem of the students as they learn. Boring memorisation and repetitions are taken out of the learning process. Our students learn while "doing" and having fun, hence using both sides of their brain.
We keep our classes small so that the children will have the teachers' utmost attention.
Anyone interested in starting classes please email Olga@accschinese.com or call Olga on 0421 709 414
Parkhill Primary School
Email: parkhill.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
Website: parkhillps.vic.edu.au
Location: 4A Parkhill Drive, Ashwood VIC, Australia
Phone: 03 9807 2239