IMPORTANT DATES!
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
As I write, to my amazement we are wrapping up the term. What a wonderful term it has been with our many sporting achievements, our return to band programs and instrumental music and our 5-6 camp. Our students continue to demonstrate the values of our community and they enter the holiday period ready for a well-deserved rest.
I did want to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful students for the amazing effort and resilience they have demonstrated throughout this term as we all navigate the new COVID safe world. I also want to thank our staff who are at the very beginning of a new strategic plan and have really focused their effort and gone the extra mile to improve the learning at our school. Finally, I did want to thank our whole community. I am about to celebrate a personal milestone of 1 year at RGLPS and the support from families has been incredible. I have felt welcomed and part of the community immediately even during the difficulties that we have faced due to COVID interruptions. I know that we are in great shape to take on the new strategic plan and ensure that our students are getting every opportunity to be healthy, happy learners.
Education Week
Education Week 2021 will run from 23-29 May and the theme is “Building Connections”. The theme celebrates the connections between schools and local communities and strengthens bonds with families and careers. We aim to run a few celebratory activities during the week to showcase our learning for the community.
Keep your eye on the newsletter as we will advertise the various activities as we get closer to the date.
Year 5-6 Camp
What a way to finish the term for our 5 and 6 students. After spending most of 2020 inside and without any camps our 5-6 Team braved the bus ride and got all the way to Arrabri Lodge. I know that the students will spend most of the first week of the holidays catching you up on the fun that was had but they probably won’t tell you how proud we all were of the way they gave everything a go, worked together as a team and really supported each other. This was our first post COVID camp and our kids kept going regardless of obstacles. I was so very impressed by the can do attitude of our 5-6 students.
Do take an opportunity to have some down time over the holiday period.
We will see you all again on the 19th of April.
Take care,
Kirrily Lamers
Principal
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Easter Holidays
Well done to all of our families and staff for a fantastic Term 1. It has been an extremely productive term with our staff taking a deep dive into our student data and developing lessons to cater to our students. I’d like to wish all of our families a restful break to enjoy each others’ company and reconnect.
School holidays can also bring additional tension to the family unit. Should you or anyone you know require support please refer to the following list of family services:
- Safe Steps (1800 015 188) is Victoria’s statewide family violence support service, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Live online chat is also available weekdays from 9am to
- 1800 Respect (1800 737 732) provides family violence and sexual assault counselling and is available via telephone or online chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Kids Helpline (1800 551 800) provides counselling support service for young people aged five to 25 years old and for parents, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Parentline (1300 301 300) provides parenting counselling support service 8am to midnight, seven days a week, including support for parents experiencing family violence.
- The Lookout provides statewide information on family violence and local services across Victoria.
- What’s OK at home? provides information on family violence to children and young people aged 10 to 17 years old as well as information for adult allies looking to support the safety of children and young people.
- headspace provides tailored and holistic mental health support to young people aged 12 to 25 years old, from 9am to 1am, seven days a week. The website also provides resources and a local directory for headspace centres.
- intouch.org.au (1800 755 988) provides family violence support for multicultural women, their families and communities in Victoria.
- orangedoor.vic.gov.au is a free in-person and phone service that provides family violence support and services.
- djirra.org.au (1800 105 303) provides both telephone and face-to-face legal and non-legal support to Aboriginal people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence.
- No to violence (1300 766 491) works with men who use family violence.
Update on Bridging the Digital Divide Program
Thank you to all of our families that have replied to the Bridging the Digital Divide Program. We are currently working through the requests and beginning the process of getting these machines ready to be sent home. This process will likely take us into the first few weeks of Term 2. We will notify you when the computers are ready for collection.
At this stage, if you have not replied, this means you have declined the offer. Should you wish to return the form during the holidays we will consider this application. It is useful to the school if you do decide to accept this offer as it will help us to resource the Year 1 and 2 grades with new iPads.
Luke Franklin
Assistant Principal
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Make the most of your local library.......
The school holidays are a great opportunity for children (and parents) to recharge and relax after the ‘busy-ness’ of term. They are also an opportunity for children to engage in more imaginative, unstructured learning. Parents – if you are looking for an free activity and materials to occupy children during the holidays, I strongly recommend a visit to your local library. The three local libraries in our area (Watsonia, Rosanna and Ivanhoe) all host a range of free activities, including weekly children’s story time sessions and guest speakers. Our local libraries are well resourced with books in a range of genres for people of all ages – your child is sure to find something that interests them! If you are stuck for a holiday idea, I encourage you to visit a local library and supplement the reading material available in your home. Not only will books keep the kids quiet and calm for a period, they are also a great learning opportunity!
Victorian High Ability Learning Program
A group of RGLPS students have been invited to participate in the department’s High Ability Learning Program (HALP) during Term Two. All participating students are selected by the department for these programs based on their academic results. Next term, RGLPS has thirteen students who will take part in either the HALP Primary English or Primary Mathematics sessions. These sessions are held online and will be conducted by teachers at Virtual Schools Victoria on a weekly basis. The aims of the HALP are to extend the learning of high ability students and additionally support these children to make connections with high achieving peers within their own and local schools. Both the English and Maths HALPs will culminate in some form of an event to celebrate student learning and to enable students to meet participants from other schools. A big congratulations to each of the selected students from RGLPS – we hope that you enjoy your new learning opportunity next term!
Term Two 2021 Team Newsletters
Prep – Year 4 and Specialist Term Two 2021 team newsletters have now been published on Compass for parent access. These newsletters provide an overview of upcoming events, learning foci for the term ahead and general reminders. We encourage parents/carers to read these documents carefully to stay informed about what is happening in your child’s year level and specialist areas.
Due to Year 5/6 Camp in the final week of school, Year 5 and 6 Team Newsletters will not be available until early Term 2.
NAPLAN 2021
A reminder that NAPLAN for Year 3 and 5 students will be held from Tuesday May 11th – 13th 2021 as follows:
If your child is participating in NAPLAN in 2021, parents are requested to avoid making external appointments on these NAPLAN dates. NAPLAN tests are generally conducted in the morning so the school asks that all students are especially punctual to school on the above dates.
If you have questions about the upcoming NAPLAN tests, please contact the school on 9457 4178 or by ema
Policy News
The ‘RGLPS Child Safe Code of Conduct Policy’ has recently been ratified by School Council. Like all RGLPS policies, this new policy is available for parent access via both the school website and on Compass. On Compass, please use the following pathway to find all the school policies:
Compass -> Community Icon -> School Documentation -> School Policies
That’s all from me after what has been a busy term! I hope everyone has a relaxing and safe holiday break and I look forward to keeping you updated on teaching and learning across the school next term.
Kerron Worsdell
Learning Specialist
LIFE EDUCATION
Dear Parents of Grade Prep, One, Two, Three and Four,
In Term Two, as part of our Health Curriculum, we are having the Life Education mobile learning centre visit our school from: 12th to the 14th of May AND 17th to the 21st May.
Life Education delivers health and drug education which provides students the opportunities to develop strategies and practice the skills required to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Lessons are age appropriate and the children will be covering a wide range of health-related topics, ranging from the human body and how it works, healthy eating and nutrition, medicines and drugs, bullying, cyber safety, resilience and social skills.
Healthy Harold, the much-loved Life Education giraffe mascot is always a much-anticipated element of the visit. The sessions are always fun, interactive and really extend and develop the children’s understanding of the topics covered.
We will be further broadening these topics in class both prior to and after the visit with the student workbook which is included in the cost of the visit. As a charity, Life Education relies heavily on the generosity of local organisations to keep its fleet of mobile learning centres on the road delivering positive health and life messages to over 200,000 children in Victoria alone.
Please look on Compass for the ‘Event’, ‘Permission’ and ‘Cost’ early in Term 2.
Thanking you for your time,
Sharon Armstrong
PS. The ‘van’ will no longer visit , a Health educator will attend each session within a designated area of the school.
RGLPS ART GALLERY
SPORTS NEWS
District Athletics
Dear Parents and Students,
Congratulations to all students who participated in the District Athletics last Friday! Though I could not be there, I understand that all students displayed exemplary behaviour and gave their very best effort in their events which makes me very proud. Well done to those who won a ribbon on the day and to the following students who now move on to the Division Championships:
Audrey J – 1500 m, Jack P – Long Jump and Hurdles, Angus G – Discus, Molly M – 200m, Adele R – Discus and Shot Put, Mitchell T – Shot Put, Joel T – 1500m, Emma B – Discus, Riley T – Discus and Shot Put, Poppy P – Long Jump, James B – Long Jump, Levi S – 800m, Emily S – 800m.
Congratulations to all of you! Keep up your training and good luck in Term 3 when the Division Championships are held.
Have a great Easter Holidays everyone!
SUTAINABILITY NEWS
CSEF – CAMPS, SPORTS AND EXCURSIONS FUND
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.
If you have a valid means-tested concession card, such as a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families.
Payment amounts this year are $125 for eligible primary school students. Payments are made direct to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions and sporting activities for the benefit of your child.
If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
If you would like to apply for the first time, please contact the school office on 9457 4178 and ask for an application form.
You can also download the form, and find out more about the program and eligibility, on the Department of Education and Training’s Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund web page.
Check with the school office if you are unsure, and please return completed forms to the school office as soon as possible.
The closing date for new CSEF applications is 25 June 2021.
STATE SCHOOLS RELIEF
Just a reminder to parents who are eligible for CSEF that State Schools Relief also offer assistance with uniform and stationery. Applications are made via the School and will be provided by State Schools Relief from its own supplies unless a school logo is a requirement or they are unable to supply a similar item. Please see Kaylene in the office if you have any queries or would like to place an order.
CANTEEN
THEIRCARE – BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Disclaimer: Rosanna Golf Links Primary School (RGLPS) does not endorse any product or service advertised in this newsletter. RGLPS takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements or the quality and reliability of products or services offered in the advertisements
