Newsletter #16 October 11 2024

GHPS IS COMMITTED TO CHILD SAFETY

    Learning Today.                     Leading Tomorrow.

Welcome back to term 4. I hope you had time to recharge over the holidays. I was very lucky to holiday at Port Douglas. The weather was very warm, which I have missed this week.

This term is going to be another great term filled with learning, fun and assessment.

Our school will be involved in reflecting on the past 4 years in preparation for the school review in term 1 2025. All the school community will be invited to evaluate the goals of the current School Strategic Plan and constructively contribute how we can make our school even better.

Please look out on Compass for updates.

School is better when your child is there.

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.

Why it’s important. 

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.

  • If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school.
  • There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness.
  • Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading.

Lost opportunities for our students and remember the data below.

80% attendance rate is equivalent of missing 1 day per week or 40m days per year.

85%= 30 days per year.

Unexplained absences

Thank you to those parents and carers who notify the school on Compass when your child is absent. The school is mandated to follow up ALL students who are absent on any given day without explanation. This is why you receive a daily SMS message alert if you have not informed us of your child’s absence.

AT RISK absences

The school will be contacting families of any student with significantly high levels of absences and asking how we may be able to assist in improving these absences.

Top attendance tips for parents

  • We want to work in partnership with parents/carers – act early if you have any concerns by contacting the school and asking for advice and support.
  • Remember that every day counts.
  • Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day.
  • Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term.
  • Seek help from the school if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing.

Together we can make a difference, so if there is a reason that is preventing your child from attending school please come and discuss this with Cameron White, Assistant Principal, so he can help provide the support your child needs. 

School Uniform reminder

The following is an excerpt from the guidelines of the school uniform policy.

“Students with hair length past their collars, will be required to tie up their hair in a ponytail, plaits etc. for the following reasons: – Health and hygiene – Visibility of face and eyes, Health and safety by providing clear unobscured vision.”

I encourage all our students to tie their hair back if it is past their collars. There will be hair ties at the office if our students forget.

I thank you for your support.

Social Media Safety


Parents and carers play an important role in supporting their children to be safe online and on social media. You can help your children safely navigate their digital world and educate them to
avoid harmful online experiences. You can explore websites, games, apps, and social media together and set some rules and boundaries.
Your support and guidance can give your children the knowledge to make sound decisions online and confidence to ask for help when they need it. It is also important to stay informed about online safety.
The Department of Education recognises this important issue and has developed fact sheets about supports to help keep students safe online and what to do if they are involved in an online
incident.
The fact sheets contain links to evidence-based information on supporting positive and safe online experiences, signs a child or young person might need support, what to do if something unsafe
happens online, and where to reach out to for more support.
To access the fact sheets, refer to the Safe Socials webpage. The fact sheets are available in 19 community languages. Safe Socials – For parents and carers (Primary) | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au)
The government is also launching public consultation on age limits for social media.
You and your children can share your experiences to inform proposed changes via an online survey, before 5 pm on Friday 1 November 2024. For more information on the survey and to take
part, refer to Proposed changes to social media age limits on the Engage Victoria website.
If you have any queries about this information, you can contact the department by email: bullystoppers@education.vic.gov.au

It’s Spring and time to wear our school hats.

The weather is warming up and it’s time for all our students to wear a sun safe hat and they are also encouraged to wear sunscreen. Students without a hat will be instructed to play in the shaded areas. Students are also reminded to wear a hat (and sunscreen) by their teachers before leaving the classroom.

Appropriate hats are available through PSW located on North Road Ormond. PLEASE remember to label hats with the child’s name so they can be returned if temporarily lost.

School Maintenance Update – Holiday Works

Over the recent school holidays, several important upgrades were completed to enhance the safety and infrastructure of our school:

  • Junior Campus:
    The old water pipes were replaced with brand new ones, ensuring better and cleaner water flow and reliability throughout the campus. Additionally, the outdated external security lighting was upgraded to modern LED lights, providing improved visibility and energy efficiency.
  • Senior Campus:
    The old roof over the veranda at reception was replaced due to leaking, offering enhanced protection from the elements and a refreshed look.

These improvements are part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe and comfortable learning environment for all students.

New House Sport and PE Tops Now Available!

We are excited to announce that PSW, our school’s uniform supplier, now offers House Sport and PE tops for purchase.

These sport tops come in our four House colours and can be worn by students during PE lessons, as well as on House Sport days, such as swimming, athletics, or cross-country events.

Make sure to grab your House top and show your team spirit! Samples are now on display at reception.

For more details or to purchase, please visit the PSW store or their website.

Glen Huntly Primary School Cooking Program – Term 4

We are excited to announce that the Glen Huntly Primary School Cooking Program will return in Term 4!

This term, Fiona, our wonderful cooking teacher, will be guiding students through the process of preparing and cooking a delicious desert.

The cooking classes are always a highlight for the students, as they have fun learning new skills and knowledge while enjoy the tasty meals they create.

Parent helpers are always welcome! If you would like to assist in the kitchen, please reach out to your child’s class teacher for more information.

Thunderstorm asthma – be prepared this pollen season


Grass pollen season, which typically runs from October to December each year in Victoria, brings an increase in asthma and hay fever symptoms. It also increases the risk of thunderstorm asthma. For people with asthma or hay fever, especially those who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever, thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening.
GHPS will implement a range of measures to keep our school community safe as the risk of thunderstorm asthma increases.Many of our staff are trained in asthma first aid, and we will monitor the VicEmergency app to receive thunderstorm warnings, and, where appropriate, keep students indoors when weather
forecasts identify greater risk.
During the season, there are some things you can do to prepare and protect yourself and yourfamily:
*  If your child has ever had asthma, talk to your doctor about what you can do to help protect them from the risk of thunderstorm asthma this pollen season, including updating your asthma action plan. Taking an asthma preventer properly and regularly is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.
* If your child has hay fever, see your pharmacist or doctor for a hay fever treatment plan and check if you should have an asthma reliever puffer. These are available from a pharmacy
without a prescription.
* If your child has hay fever and experiences wheezing and coughing, it is important to make sure they don’t also have asthma. Speak to your doctor about an asthma action plan.

Protect yourself this pollen season – managing asthma and allergies matters.
Find out more
For more information, speak to your doctor. You can also visit the Better Health Channel website.

“Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”

Take care,

 Nerida Burns   Principal              Cameron White   Assistant Principal


Congratulations to the following students who received a ‘Student of the Week’ award.

Jacob 0A – For his detailed recount of the Wedding he attended in the holidays. Great Work Jacob!

Gurnoor 0B – For building an awesome Shape Robot, Gurnoor, you got super creative! You used all kinds of cool shapes — rectangles, hearts, a semi-circle, and even a star! Your final design is absolutely amazing!

Aiden 0C – For the amazing initiative you took during our lesson about digital systems this week. You started sorting your pictures into categories and when I came back to check, you had finished the task all by yourself. Incredible effort!

Augie 1A – For your fantastic holiday recount writing. Your handwriting has taken a fantastic leap, and all your hard work is shining through! Keep up the awesome effort.

Tillie 1B – For your epic knowledge of figurative language! You totally nailed it when you told the class the meanings of “something smells fishy” and “made my blood run cold”. You’re on fire—keep shining, superstar!

Aaradhya 2B – For the progress she has shown in her overall reading. She has demonstrated confidence when retelling the story in great detail, reading with a flair of expression and answering questions about the characters in the text with her own wonderings about what might happen next. Keep it up!

Maddie 2C – For your exceptional organisation, effort, and attention to detail in your work! Whether you’re working on decimal notation or creating a spelling chatterbox, you always do your best and look for ways to improve. Outstanding start to Term 4, Maddie!

Santiago 3A – For an outstanding start to our school! You have settled into our class with a positive attitude, made new friends and shown great enthusiasm in all your learning. We are so happy to have you in our class.

Saambavi 4A – For consistently displaying and modelling all of the GHPS values in the classroom and in the yard. Thank you for being such a reliable and inclusive student and friend!

Sienna 4B – For your hard work displayed this week when completing all persuasive reading and writing tasks. It is clear you are a dedicated learner! Keep up the fantastic effort!

Ruby 5C – For working beautifully in class all week, caring for others and having excellent time management with her tasks. Ruby delivered a strong presentation about Mary Lee and wrote her pet proposal to Mrs Burns with clear, convincing arguments! Well Done!

Twisha 6A – consistently demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities both inside and outside of the classroom.


Spring Fair Preparations 

Preparations for the Glen Huntly Primary School Spring Fair are well underway, and we are excited for what’s shaping up to be a fantastic event! A big thank you to the many parents who have already volunteered to help run a stall on the day, have organised sponsorship or are on the planning and organising committee.

Each class is organizing a themed hamper of goods, which will be auctioned off at the fair. Here’s a list of the class hampers:

  • Prep A: Cooking and baking hamper
  • Prep B: Games and puzzles hamper
  • Prep C: Toys and books hamper
  • 1A: Pamper hamper
  • 2B: Gardening hamper
  • 2/3A: Arts and craft hamper
  • 2/3B: Stationery hamper
  • 2/3C: Movie night snacks hamper
  • 4/5A: Coffee, tea, and biscuits hamper
  • 4/5B: Chocolate hamper
  • 4/5C: Savoury hamper
  • Grade 6: Pet hamper

Families are kindly asked to leave donated items for their class hamper in the classroom.

The Spring Fair will feature a variety of exciting activities for everyone to enjoy, including:

  • Several rides on the oval including the Mega Extreme obstacle course, The Eliminator and the Superslide 4
  • A variety of food stalls including Indian food, fairy floss, ice cream, coffee, pizza and pies
  • Cake store
  • Reptile shows
  • Glen Huntly has Talent dance show
  • Entertainment and live performances
  • Fun games like the chocolate toss
  • Martial arts and Kendama presentation
  • Kendama workshops
  • Pony rides
  • Handmade crafts
  • Face painting
  • Plant, book, and toy stalls
  • Activities for younger children too (under 5s)

We are also on the lookout for businesses, shops, or organizations that would be interested in sponsoring the Spring Fair. There are several sponsorship options available, including Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers.

Additionally, we are seeking donated items for the silent auction.

All funds raised from the Spring Fair will go toward the construction of a second playground on the Senior Campus, so your support will directly benefit the students.

If you can contribute in any way, or if you’d like to join the Spring Fair Organizing Committee, please contact the office or email Sylvia Yarnton at syl_y@yahoo.com.

Let’s work together to make this year’s Spring Fair a huge success!


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Calendar

TERM 4

October

Thu 17    2025 Prep Transition #1

Thu 31    2025 Prep Transition #2

Thu 31    Spookathon

November

Fri 1         Diwali Celebration

Mon 4     Curriculum Day

Tue 5      Melbourne Cup Day

Thu 14    2025 Prep Transition #3

Sat 16       Spring Fair

Wed 20    Year 3/4 Camp

Mon 25    Week of Swimming

Thu 28    2025 Prep Transition #4

December

Wed 11    Year 6 Graduation

Thu 19     Final Assembly

Fri 20      Last Day Term 4 (Early Finish 1.30pm)


 

Fee payments and Excursion Permissions and Payments.

All Communication notices regarding excursions will be sent through COMPASS.

Permissions are to be given through COMPASS.

Preferred payment method for Fee payments and Excursions is through COMPASS.

This will allow us to always keep all the correct information available to staff whilst on an excursion.

If you have any questions, please contact the office or see Guide below.

CLICK HERE for Parent’s Guide to Compass

Thank you.