Newsletter #3 March 11, 2021
Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow.
Principal’s Report
I have to say, I’m feeling so grateful to be able to offer parents quite a few opportunities to join in with us for on-site activities. We have really missed these and are looking forward to seeing parents and friends again at school.
- School Review and Parent Focus Group: An invitation has been extended to you from School Council and Staff to attend the Focus Group tonight at 7pm on the West Site in the Library. We will be reflecting on the last four years at GHPS and what highlights there have been. Please contact the Office if you would like any further information and we look forward to welcoming your ideas and thoughts Thank you to those who have already returned their attendance slip.
- Family Fun Night: We look forward to a great turnout to this year’s Family Fun Night which will be held on the East Site Oval on Friday 12 March 5-7pm. The kids will love playing the games which will be put on by Ms Kasambalis between 5.30pm – 6.30pm and there will be music entertainment arranged by Mr David Jenkins. Thanks to Ms de Bruyn who has provided us with Jude’s delicious lemonade icy poles to sell ($3) and to GPA for arranging to have Woodstack Pizzas available to buy as a very handy option for tea but feel free to bring along your own picnic and child/adult refreshments, chairs or picnic blanket. Please read the GPA Newsletter #2 – 4 March for further details. Great work everyoneJ
- Prep (Foundation) to Grade 2 Easter Hat Parade: Wednesday 31 March on the West Site outside. Mr Jenkins will be organising the music and singing for the annual Easter Hat Parade and GPA will be running the annual Easter Raffle. Parents are welcome to come and watch outside with us while the parade is on. We have put the call out for donations of Easter goodies and we are getting tickets out for families to buy and sell to friends. It’s a fun event with lots of colour and smiles, so we hope parents can come along and join in the fun. Also in getting into the spirit of Easter, don’t forget to get your hot cross bun orders which are due in by 18 March.
Student Councillors Meeting Thursday 11 March
For the first time since being elected as representatives of their classes for 2021, the School Captains and the Grades 3-6 Student Councillors met with me today. I was most impressed by the way the group collaborated together. Thank you to Year 4 Representatives who will for providing a report for the Friday Assembly tomorrow, which will be included in the next Newsletter.
Lightning Premiership Friday 12 March
All the very best to the Grades 5/6 students who will be proudly representing GHPS on Friday at the Lightning Premiership in softball, cricket, volleystars and basketball. Thank you to Ms Kasambalis, the staff and Gr 5/6 students who will be attending.
Grade 5/6 Camp at Lady Northcote: Monday 15 – Wednesday 17 March
A big thankyou to the Grade 5/6 team for organising the 3 day Camp which will depart next Monday (Week 8) Thank you to the wonderful staff for giving up their home comforts and families etc. to be there for the students: Ms Amy Tinetti, Ms Claire Piscioneri, Mrs Melinda Oldham, Mr Callum Swanson, Mrs Alysha Jones, Ms Olivia Fourniotis and Denise Rimanic. Thank you Mr Vic Thompson who will be teaching 3O while Ms Fourniotis is at Camp.
Celebrate Harmony Day
On Thursday 25 March, the school will be holding our Harmony Day festivities, to celebrate and broaden our knowledge, respect and cultural understanding of our indigenous First Nation People. Students are invited and encouraged to come to school dressed in their chosen national dress or wear something orange to mark the day. As part of the events students will also have the opportunity to be present for an Indigenous First Nation People Opening and Respect Ceremony, Welcome Song and Dance, Didgeridoo and Storytelling. We look forward to this performance and thank Mr David Jenkins for arranging this unique opportunity for every student to attend. A notice has been distributed on Wednesday 10 March so please return this by Monday 22 March. Thank you to GPA members Haley (Harvey Yr 2 and Adam prep) and Abbi (Eden prep, Lewis Yr 1 and James Yr 3) for coordinating the sushi lunch which will be available so don’t forget to get your orders in before Thursday 19 March.
2021 School Council Elections
Nominations for GHPS School Council are still open until 4pm on Friday 19 March- see the information below.
Nomination forms need to be received and lodged by:
4.00 pm on Friday 19 March, 2021
The terms of office, membership categories and number of positions in each membership category open for election are as follows –
| Membership category | Term of office | Name of nominees required |
| Parent member
2 year vacancy |
From the day after the date of the declaration of the poll on Thursday 25 February 2021 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the poll in 2023 | 6 |
| DET employee member
2 year vacancy |
From the day after the date of the declaration of the poll on Thursday 25 February 2021to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the poll in 2023 | 3 |
Nomination Forms are included with a link in the 25 February newsletter and 2021 Parent Compass Notification and Notice.
Please complete the self-nomination form 3 or have a member of the school community nominate you form 4. (see links below) Additional forms are also available:
- East Site: At the Main Office
- West Site: TheirCare Before/Afterschool Care in the Activities Centre
Six parent vacancies need to be filled for School Council as of March. Thank you very much to the four parents who have been nominated so far. We still need a minimum of two more nominations.
Three staff vacancies: Thank you very much to the one staff member who has accepted nomination so far. We still need a minimum of two more nominations.
End of Term 1
As we come to the end of week 7, the end of term 1 is fast approaching, so this is just a reminder that all students will be dismissed at 2.30pm on Thursday, 1 April from their usual site. Students who are registered for TheirCare will be collected in the usual way. Don’t forget there will be a great Autumn Holiday Program operating by Their Care and bookings will open later in the week on 1300072410 or go to www.TheirCare.com.au
This year the dates for Easter are at the commencement of the school holidays and Good Friday is the 2 April. Term 2 resumes on Monday 19 April.
Advance Notice: School Council and Annual Reporting Meeting (ARM) to report on 2020 will be early term 2 and the date will be confirmed in the next newsletter.
Libby Alessi Principal
A message from your Assistant Principal:
School Review:
Schools are responsible for ensuring that they remain compliant with the minimum standards for registration, including Child Safe Standards (Ministerial Order 870) plus a Principle of Inclusion. Each school review includes a minimum standards assessment. Our school community can view all policies on our school website.
Child Safety Standards:
All Victorian organisations that provide services or facilities to children are required by law to comply with the Child Safe Standards. Protecting children and young people from abuse is our responsibility. The Child Safe Standards are compulsory minimum standards for all Victorian early childhood services and schools, to ensure they are well prepared to protect children from abuse and neglect.
We provide continual professional development for all of our staff and school council members on Child Safety Standards. You can find all of the Child Safety Standards on our website or for more information please click on this link:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/safety/Pages/child-protection.aspx
Click Here for a quick link to our Child Safety Policy
Click Here for our Statement of commitment to Child Safety
The staff and I at GHPS will continue empowering our students each and every day and work together with the students to build their understanding on their right to be safe and protected.
If you have any questions on the minimum standards or Child Safety Standards please let me know.
Resilience Project:
I am so excited that next week Hugh van Cuylenburg the creator of the Resilience Project will be working with our students. All students from Prep to Year 6 received their notice today. Can parents please fill out the permission form and return by Wednesday 17th March along with $7.
The Resilience Project is such a vital and key component to our Student Engagement and Wellbeing program and together we will continue to build happy and healthy kids!
We will also be having a FREE Parent Information Session on Tuesday 23rd March 6:30pm-8pm via zoom. Please keep this date free in your diaries as you will NOT want to miss it. We will share the meeting link with you all on Monday 22nd March.
“When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.”
Jaeda Dewalt
Amy Tinetti Assistant Principal
Congratulations to the following students who received a ‘Student of the Week’ award.
Nagi 1E – For working hard and using your sounds in your writing. You are producing amazing work!
Winston 1E – For being brave and scaling new heights on the playground. I am so impressed with your persistence.
Annie 1E – For consistently putting in amazing effort in all your work. I am so impressed with your hard work and diligence! Keep it up!
Haru 1M – For settling in so well to Glen Huntly Primary School. Your smile brightens up our classroom!
Krishna 1M – For a wonderful start to Grade 1! You have impressed me with the amazing effort you put into each and every learning task. Keep it up!
Dishen 2K – Being a fantastic table leader, showing organisation, patience and kindness to others and always completing his work to his best ability. Congratulations!
Harrison 2K – Being a helpful and versatile “Fill In” monitor in the classroom and trying hard with his work! Well Done!
Sriram 3F – His enthusiasm and confidence in Mathematics. Sriram is a great problem solver.
Bridget 4N – For consistently showing respect towards her teachers and peers, and approaching tasks with a positive attitude. What a great start to Grade 4! Keep it up!
Keshav 4N – For always enthusiastically doing his class job and being eager to help his teachers. Thank you, Keshav!
Rishi 4R – For your insightful responses during our Mentor Text lesson, and for being an excellent Chromebook Monitor and eSmart helper!
Harshitha 4R – For your excellent efforts in all learning tasks this week. You are a positive role model to other students!
Anisha 4R – For volunteering your time to help others with their learning this week. Well done!
Emma 5/6S – For making a magnificent start to the school year. Your debating skills are magnificent and a true credit to your leadership skills.
Amelia 5/6S – For being a helpful and kind member of 5/6S. You have made a great start to 2021!
Sport News
District Swimming
Well done to all the District swimming participants who represented our school On Thursday March 4th.
A highlight was Stephanie in Grade 5 who finished 3rd in Backstroke and Marko in Grade 6 who finished fourth in freestyle.
Please remember to put your name on all uniform/property.
Lost property will be sorted every month and any uniform without a name will be put into the second hand uniform shop.
Other unnamed items will be donated to charity.
If your child attends before or after school care, please check their lost property as well.
Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund applications
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 collect an application form from the school office.
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.
Calendar
March
Fri 12 Family Fun Night
Mon 15 Year 5/6 Camp
Thu 25 Harmony Day Activities
Fri 26 School Photos
April
Thu 1 Final Day Term 1 – Early Dismissal 2.30pm
