IMPORTANT DATES!
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
The excitement was palpable at RGLPS this week with the much-anticipated production happening in only a few more sleeps. We can’t wait to share this experience with our community. The 3-4 students enjoyed their trip to Healesville during the week with excursions and camps a little novel at the moment we have really loved getting back into business.
Schools Rapid Antigen Testing Program
The Rapid Antigen Testing Program will continue to run for the remainder of term 2 with a few alterations. RATs will continue to be distributed to you as they have been throughout this school year for the remainder of this term.
However, from Monday 23 May 2022, students will no longer be recommended to undertake either twice weekly RATs in mainstream schools or 5 days a week in specialist schools.
RATs however will continue to be required by students who are household contacts to attend school (5 negative tests over a 7 day period) or who have symptoms.
The ongoing supply of RATs to families in our school will ensure that parents and carers will have them should they need them if their child is a household contact or has symptoms. Please note that we will again distribute RATs next Friday the 27th of May.
Families must continue to notify the Department of Health and the school if their child returns a positive RAT result. Additionally, you should inform us if any of your children are household contacts.
Thank you also to all families who have managed to get their child vaccinated. Vaccination continues to remain the best way to protect students and staff in our school.
Getting vaccinated is easy and bookings can be done via the coronavirus website. If you have any questions about the vaccines, I encourage you to speak to your GP or a health practitioner.
Thank you again for your ongoing cooperation and support during this time.
Education Week - Open Morning Sessions
On Wednesday the 25th of May, we will be running our annual opening morning for the community. Student led tours will occur with the culmination event a Q and A in our school hall. This is an opportunity for prospective parents and 2023 prep parents to get to know the school, running from 9:30 – 11:00am. On Friday the 27th of May we will hold an open morning in the classrooms. Families are invited to attend from 9:00 – 10:00 and celebrate learning in the classroom with your children. It would be great to have as many people back in the school as possible to celebrate the education system and our community. We look forward to seeing you at this time.
Attitudes to School Survey
About the Survey
We value student voice as a means to improving student engagement, wellbeing and quality instruction and are conducting a survey to find out what your child thinks of our school.
The AtoSS is an annual student survey offered by the Department of Education and Training to assist all schools to gain an understanding of students’ perceptions and experience of school. Students will be asked about their thoughts and feelings in relation to RGLPS, their learning, peer and family relationships, resilience, bullying, mental health and wellbeing, physical activity, and life in general.
This year, the AtoSS will be conducted between the 2nd and 7th of June.
What are the benefits?
In our experience, young people enjoy having their say. We have been running this survey for nearly 20 years and it has been invaluable in helping schools understand student views. RGLPS will use the survey results to plan programs and activities to improve your child’s schooling experience.
What are the risks?
While we do not anticipate many risks of participation, some students may find some of the survey questions too personal and sensitive in nature. Should you agree for your child to participate, they are still free to skip questions or to withdraw at any stage if the survey makes them upset or uncomfortable.
The survey has been approved by a Human Research Ethics Committee. The questions are selected from validated survey instruments used in Australia and around the world, are strength-based, and tailored for each year level group.
What will my child be asked to do?
Your child will be invited to complete the survey online during class time using a purpose built secure online survey tool. It is important to note that we are not in any way “testing” your child. Please note:
- – Student participation in the survey is voluntary and students may withdraw at any time.
- – The survey will take around 20-45 minutes to complete.
How is my child's confidentiality protected?
Your child will be provided with a unique login to complete the survey from their teacher. The student login is an assigned identifier that may be used to link data for statistical and research purposes only. Personally identifiable data will not be recorded in the survey response file. This ensures that the confidentiality of your child’s responses is protected at all times.
How will results be reported?
The survey results will be reported back to the school in an aggregate form throughout the survey period. All survey data that is made available in reports are for groups of students only so that no individual student can be identified. Data suppression rules are used for schools with low student numbers per year level.
We will share the results of the survey with parents, in documents such as the School Annual Report.
A copy of the survey that we are asking your child to complete is available here at RGLPS. Please contact the administration office if you would like to see the survey before making your decision about whether you would like your child to participate.
If you would like more information, please speak to your child’s teacher, or contact the Department at school.surveys@education.vic.gov.au.
Take care,
Kirrily Lamers
Principal
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS’ REPORT
Production Program Drawing Competition - WINNERS
Congratulations to Eva R, Ruby R, Amelia P & Charlotte M for having their drawings printed on the 2022 Production Program. Thank you for your entries.
One last time - Production Reminders
Payment and Consent for Production Rehearsals close on Compass at 11:59pm TONIGHT!!!
Drop Off
Once at the venue, student names will be checked off by a classroom teacher who will be waiting at the venue door to record student arrivals. From there, students will be taken to backstage rooms where outer costumes will be added and make-up applied if needed. From this time, students will be supervised by their classroom teachers.
o Prep students will be having their faces painted (black nose and whiskers). Please ensure they are at the theatre by 6pm.
o All other students are asked to be at the theatre at 6pm.
o Lead characters are required to be at the theatre at 5:15pm for mics and sound check.
Pick Up
At the conclusion of the evening, students will be released strategically in grade levels. This is planned to be at approximately 8:30pm. Parents attending that evening’s performance will be asked to remain seated until their child’s grade is called. The first group will be the Preps. The second, the Year 1 and 2 students and so on. To ensure that all students are accounted for and safely collected, every child will be collected by their parent/guardian and marked off a roll by a teacher.
Please contact the general office if you require a form to authorise another adult to pick up your child from the venue.
As you can imagine this event requires logistical procedures so we ask that you please support us and collect students in an organised fashion.
It is imperative that students have their names checked and unchecked at the beginning and end of the evening. If a child has been picked up without getting their name ticked off, we will be calling parents/guardians to ensure the child has been collected.
To Bring
On the night of the performance, students are asked to bring a snack and drink in a small bag. While not performing, students will be supervised in class groups. We suggest sending along a quiet activity such as a novel, colouring book or card game to entertain your child/ren while waiting to perform.
DVD Orders
Order forms for a professionally recorded copy of the production will be coming home shortly.
Photography
A reminder that there is no photography permitted.
Tickets – SOLD OUT!
Raise a healthy mind
Raising Healthy Minds is a free app you can tailor to your child, family and interests. It answers your questions about child wellbeing and shares practical tips for your day-to-day family life.
Download now to start building your child’s wellbeing, encouraging positive behaviour and emotions, strengthening family relationships and looking after yourself.
Isolation, quarantine and family wellbeing
As many of you know the COVID-19 situation in Australia is continuing to have an impact on our community. As infection numbers climb we are starting to see families required to isolate. This can be a positive time for many families and for others it can be very challenging. There is a great article about this here: https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/coronavirus-covid-19-guide/lockdown-family-wellbeing
Key points from the article:
– Isolation, quarantine or lockdown can be both challenging and positive for families.
– Look after family wellbeing by making the most of family time, using routines, staying connected and managing conflict.
– If you’re struggling, call Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
– If children are struggling, they can call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 or Youth Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
Luke Franklin & Denisse Lobos
Assistant Principals
TEACHING AND LEARNING
2022 Premier's Reading Challenge
A reminder that the ‘2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge’ opened on March 15th. The Challenge encourages children to read a number of books over the year and to log their reading efforts online. This year’s Challenge ends 2nd September, 2022 so there is still around 60 days to go in this year’s Challenge. All successful participants will receive a certificate at assembly later in the year. Parents/carers, please speak to your child’s teacher if you need your child’s login details. An instructional guide for navigating the Challenge website was sent out in a Compass alert earlier in the week.
Education Week
Next week is ‘Education Week’ and we are celebrating 150 years of public education in Victoria. Aside from our long-anticipated school production, the school is holding an Open Morning for parents/carers on Friday 27th May from 9am – 10am. Parents, family and friends are invited to visit at this time to see their child’s classroom in action and to join in activities.
2022 Simultaneous Storytime
On Wednesday 25th May, RGLPS students will participate in ‘National Simultaneous Storytime’. This event is organised annually by the Australian Library and Information Association and next Wednesday will see around one million Australian students reading the same text on the same date.
This year’s book is ‘Family Tree’ written by Josh Pyke and illustrated by Ronojoy Gosh. The story is described as ‘… a celebration of family, community and the seasons of life, to cherish and to share’.
On the day, RGLPS students will enjoy the text and participate in follow up classroom-based activities. We are all looking forward to exploring the book and celebrating children’s literature collectively next week!
Teacher Professional Practice Day
RGLPS has scheduled the common Professional Practice Day for teachers on Thursday 26th May 2022. Teachers will spend this time planning, analysing assessment data, working on Semester One reports and undertaking professional learning. There will be no classes for students on this day.
2022 ICAS
Once again, RGLPS will offer the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) through UNSW. All participating students will receive a detailed report and certificate reflecting their achievement on each assessment.
In 2022, ICAS will be held in August on the dates specified below. All ICAS will be conducted online in 2022.
Please note that your child’s participation in ICAS is completely optional and at parent expense. There has been a slight price increase in 2022 – most ICAS assessments cost $19.25 each, with the exception of the ICAS Writing, which costs $23.65 per child.
ICAS registrations can be made through the Parent Payment Portal located at https://www.icasassessments.com/shop-parents/ Please use the RGLPS access code EMT934. Registrations via the Parent Payment Portal will close on Sunday 31st July 2022.
Parents, please note that your child will miss a classroom or specialist lesson to complete each ICAS. In 2022, there is also a reduced testing window for each ICAS of one week. If your child is absent on the testing day, a makeup test may not be possible this year. I encourage parents to carefully cross check 2022 ICAS dates against external and family events as ICAS do not issue refunds under any circumstances.
Have a great week everyone – see you at the production next Monday and Tuesday night!
Kerron Worsdell
Learning Specialist
MATHS NEWS
Maths Riddle
Well done to those who attempted last week’s ‘Turn the Fish’ challenge. The answer to the challenge is:
Here’s this week’s Maths Riddle. I’ll share the answer in next week’s newsletter.
Berries Challenge
The following picture contains ripe berries (red) and unripe berries (olive green). The berries on the branches display a pattern. How many unripe berries are missing from the last branch?
Hint: Use counting and record the numbers of different types of berries on paper. Look for patterns.
Extra Challenge: Can you make other berry branch challenges? Try using addition, subtraction, multiplication or division.
If you’d like to share your response or have your working out featured in our newsletter, please send your solutions to sarah.mclellan@education.vic.gov.au
SPORTS NEWS
House Cross Country
On Wednesday last week, the Grade 3,4,5 and 6 students competed in the House Cross Country. There was a lot of excitement and cheering from all the houses as our boys and girls ran laps of the school. Once all the races had been run we were able to reveal that the winner of this year’s Cross Country was BLUE HOUSE!! I would like to also congratulate the first 8 runners in each race who have qualified for the District Cross Country at Banyule Flats, Viewbank next week – good luck and give it your best!
Lastly, I would also love to give my thanks to the parents, grandparents and teachers who guided our children around the course and helped them follow the cones! I could not run events like this without your help and I sincerely thank you for giving up your time for our children.
Darren Peters
PE and Sports Coordinator
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
DO YOU HAVE A PREP STARTING IN 2023?
Thank you to everyone who has already enrolled for prep 2023. We look forward to meeting all of our new siblings!
If you haven’t already enrolled, spare forms can be found in the office foyer or on the school website.
CANTEEN
Help still needed.......
Volunteers are now allowed back into the canteen and you would be most welcome.
Because of our new lunch time table you assistance would be required as below.
You need to have done the school volunteer on-line course and be fully vaccinated.
If you are interested in helping out please email me at margaret.groves@education.vic.gov.au.
Please include: name and contact information: email, mobile number, date and times available.
TIMES
MONDAY : 11AM-1PM
WEDNESDAY 10:30AM-12:30PM
FRIDAY Any hours from 9AM-1PM- Especially between 10:30AM-12:30PM which is our peak.
If you can’t do the entire time and still want to volunteer we are flexible.
Regards
Margaret Groves
Canteen Manager
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
