Hello Everyone,

It has been a big last week with the very successful Movie Night, the similarly successful and productive, Great Big Working Bee (our 5th!) and our School Council AGM this week. 

 You’ll notice we have our first entry this week in the newsletter regarding our Fete. Thank you Amy Murphy.
School Calendar for relevant dates, incursions, excursions, times and events. 

Chicken duty over the holidays!
As the chickens stay at school after hours, we need volunteers to make sure they have food and plenty of water over the weekends. It only requires a short visit in the morning and afternoon to feed them, fill their water and let them in and out of their free range area. Please see this link for more information and to sign up.

18th March 2023  Great Big Working Bee
A huge thank you to the following hard workers who attended our Great Big Working Bee that occurred last Saturday. Due to the weather we revised our hours from 10 - 1 to 10 - 12 and still managed to get a lot of things done.
Thank you to:

The following day, on Sunday, Macka and Michael Hunt turned up with Macka’s ute to remove two remaining loads of green waste. We are so lucky to have such dedicated parents.

Our Students
Fridays - Assembly 9.15am
Student of the week
Well done to all our recipients for actively displaying our school values. Students who are not in attendance to receive their certificate will be awarded it at the next week's assembly.

Class Student

Education Perfect - Language Championships
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the Education Perfect Languages Championship 2023 was a highly successful event for Wattle Park Primary School. 
Our students earned:

• 2 emerald awards
• 4 gold awards
• 7 silver awards
• 16 bronze awards
• 28 credit awards

Well done to the following students that were awarded a certificate for achieving  particular milestones.

Emerald Award
For earning over 5 000 points. Congratulations:
6A Sophie K
6B Zeina M

Gold Award
For earning over 3 000 points. Congratulations:
6A Nathan K
6B Nelson S
6B Nelya S
6B Leila B

Silver Award
For earning over 2 000 points. Congratulations:
4B James B
5A Jailin L
5B Alfie R
5B Ethan W
6A Shreshth B
6A Farrah Ma
6B Jonathan T

Bronze Award
For earning over 1 000 points. Congratulations:

Credit Award
For earning over 500 points. Congratulations:

Mathematics in Year 3
This week, Year 3 were exploring symmetry in their Mathematics classes. Here is some of what they investigated:

School Houses
The House Points have been collected. The winning house gets to keep their house colours on our House Trophy for the week! Well done to everyone awarded House Points this week!

• There are 4 school houses
• Waratah, Lomandra, Blue gum and Acacia
• Each student is designated a school house - your child’s house is on their Compass profile
• 1-3 points system is used school wide. Here are some examples
• 3 points
• • Student of the Week Award
  • Demonstrating academic excellence
  • Representing WPPS at district swimming, completing PRC
  • Demonstrating our WPPS School Values
• 2 points
  • Participation in extra-curricular school-based events (such as, Running Club)
  • Nude food
• 1 point
• • Participating in school based events, cross country, good behaviour

Movie Night Colouring Competition
Last Friday, the PFA put on our Movie night. An event not seen in the last 3 years. It was a beautiful evening weather wise and was attended by over 200 people. The winners of the PFA Movie Night colouring competition were announced too.

Ben I 2B

Our Staff
Continuing with our very popular articles shedding light on our staff at WPPS, we introduce Ms Monica Woodhouse.

Since joining the Wattle Park community in 2022, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know your wonderful kids, our fantastic staff and our feathered friends!  A highlight of my teaching week is always participating in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden sessions. I’m lucky to start my Monday mornings out in the garden with 4A students, planting and harvesting herbs and veggies and following this up with cooking in the kitchen. I also enjoy our Year 4 Science and STEM sessions and finding ways to put my science degree to good use!

Before joining Wattle Park, I worked as a CRT across several Eastern suburb primary schools. Teaching was a career change for me, so prior to this I was a Quality Assurance Officer in the food industry. My days as QA officer were filled with a range of diverse tasks from taste testing batches of hot cross buns and party pies, to calculating nutrition information and performing allergen traces. I feel like this was excellent preparation for teaching at WPPS, where our days in Year 4 are just as varied. We might be focusing on Maths one minute and shepherding chickens back into their coop the next! 

Ms Monica Woodhouse

Notices
Thank you
Thank you once again to Drew Noakes and his son Felix who have not only recently removed three wasp’s nests but Drew also supplied us with native dowel to plug up the potential nesting sites in the retaining wall outside the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen.

Drew has also supplied us with 2 sets of secateurs to assist in the garden. Thank you Drew. 

Thank you also to the parents who helped clear the green waste from the native Mr Feather and l trimmed on Wednesday morning. This tree was obstructing the entry to the Foundation courtyards. 

Lost and Found

• A digital watch was lost at movie night last Friday. Please return it to the office if you come across it on your travels.

• The padlock and chain to the Banksia Street gate was lost at movie night too. Please return it to the office if you find it. 

Our ‘Lost and Found’ looks like a second-hand store with a clinical propensity for hoarding! Please check if you have lost anything.

18th November 2023  Wattle Park Primary - Twilight Fete
The WPPS 2023 Fete has a new planning committee led by Amy Murphy (Sadie Year 2, Audrey F) and is already supported by numerous incredible parents. We are working together to create a fete that supports the school by raising funds to provide equipment, resources and high-quality care for our students. We’ll do this by bringing the community together to enjoy an afternoon of exciting rides, eating delicious foods, watching spectacular fireworks and having a lot of fun in the process.

We are looking for a few more members to fill a couple of positions to complete the committee. These include (but are not limited to) the coordination of the Entertainment, Food and Beverage, Marketing, Sponsorships, Donations and the Logistics portions of the fete. Committee members are required to attend a monthly meeting (via Zoom) on Tuesdays 8pm around mid-month, with more frequent meetings close to the fete on November 18th.

No experience necessary; a willingness to help and a commitment to seeing the fete be successful is all that is required to join.

Please reach out to any of the committee members with any questions or contact Amy on 0408 488 329 or wppsfete@gmail.com

We would love to have you on board!

2023 Twilight Fete Committee Members – 

• Amy Murphy
• Emily Beard
• Danielle Boer
• Elki Breslin
• Sjaan Keen
• Hayley Evans
• Alicia Rennie
• Anthony Hall

NAPLAN testing 
A big thank you to our Assistant Principal, Mr Abell who deftly organised and implemented NAPLAN online this year. A huge undertaking very effectively delivered.  For more information please go HERE.

Day 1 - Wednesday 15th March - Writing Yr 3 & Yr 5

Day 2 - Thursday 16th March - NO NAPLAN (School Photos)

Day 3 - Friday 17th March - Reading Yr 3 & Yr 5

Day 4 - Monday 20th March - Conventions of Language Yr 3 & Yr 5

Day 5 - Tuesday 21st March - Numeracy

Day 6 - Wednesday 22nd March - Make-Up Day

Day 7 - Thursday 23rd March - Make-Up Day

Day 8 - Friday 24th March - Make-Up Day

Day 9 - Monday 27th March - Make-Up Day

You may like to have your child practise some online NAPLAN tests at home. Click on the following link to practise.

• NAPLAN public demonstration site

Log-in details are not required to access the site. 

ICAS Testing
We are delighted to inform you that  we will be participating in the world-renowned ICAS competition this year across Years 4 – 6.

What is ICAS?  
ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling and Digital Technologies.  

Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.  

We encourage you to consider entering your child (Years 4-6 only) into ICAS this year.   

Learn more about ICAS here. (https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas)  

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please:  

1. Read about ICAS subjects and prices here.

1. Read the terms and conditions here.

1. Go to Parent Portal to purchase tests here.

1. Enter our school’s access code –  DGX967  

1. Enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, and then proceed to payment.  

Please note that the ICAS tests shown for selection are at the school’s discretion.   

After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email. Please keep this for your records.  

ICAS Results and Certificates 
We will notify you of the date(s) that we run ICAS at the school and when your child’s ICAS results are ready. You will have until July 31st to make an order and your child will be sitting the test/s in August. Once we have received your child’s ICAS certificate, we will send it home with your child. The back of the certificate shows ICAS results and the login details, “TAP ID and Pin”, that you and your child need to enter on the Results Portal.  

20- 26th March - Harmony Week 
In Celebration of Harmony Week, children will be wearing their school uniform with a touch of orange on Friday 24th March and participating in activities to celebrate cultural diversity.

Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it. 

Friday 24th March - Ride to School Day
National Ride2School Day is Australia’s biggest celebration of active travel and one of the best days on the school calendar. It is a day where students discover the joy of riding and kick-start healthy habits for the future.

National Ride2School Day will be held on Friday 24th March 2023. 

If you can’t ride, you can scoot or simply walk on the day too.

Canteen: Ordering
Our canteen operates on Mondays and Fridays for lunch only.
Due to the timetable change outlined above, orders must be placed by 5pm the day before the order is required. This means:

Monday orders         by        5pm Sunday
Friday orders             by        5pm Thursday

Orders placed after these times cannot be processed.

This allows our Canteen Manager, Charlotte, enough time to get things organised.

To place an order, please download the free Flexischools App from the App Store or Google Play. Once you have downloaded the app you will be able to view and select your orders, and pay online. 

Canteen: Volunteering
Do you have some time to spare? An hour and a half on a Friday would be great!

Our canteen would not be able to run without the wonderful support of the volunteer Parents and Grandparents in our school. We would love to have you volunteer for us, whether you are an experienced hand or an eager learner. Please see below to sign up.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on SignUp.com: https://signup.com/login/entry/827030846186224028
2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on SignUp.com)
3. Sign up! Choose your spots - SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

COVID 19 
If you require RATs please make a request to the school office. HERE is information from the Victorian Government about ‘Managing illness in schools and ECEC - information for parents and carers’. HERE is information regarding facemasks.

A summary below:

It is strongly recommended that students:

• who test positive to COVID-19 stay home and isolate for 5 days

• should not attend school after 5 days if still symptomatic

• who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school

• advise the school of the COVID-19 positive test result

• students who wish to wear a face mask should be supported to do so, and schools should continue to make face masks available for staff, students and visitors.

Where students become symptomatic at school they should:

• be collected by their parents/carers

• undergo testing for COVID-19

Have a great weekend.

Year 6 Parents, please look out for an email which will be sent to you next week, asking you to look at the information we have on file, and to return the form with any changes required.

Please return the forms, even if there are no changes necessary.

Thank you for helping the office to have the very latest contact information.  Crucial, in the case of any emergency.

All Year 1 - 5 parents/guardians should have received an email in regards to update contact information. Please return your forms to the office - as soon as possible, even if there are no any changes.

4. Financial Assistance 

5. Harmony Week

Harmony Week: 20^th -26th March 
In Celebration of Harmony Week, children will be wearing their school uniform with a touch of orange on Friday 24th March and participating in activities to celebrate cultural diversity.
We ask children to bring along an orange that will be cut up and shared on the day. Oranges can be dropped off in your child’s classroom where SRCs will collect or in the tub outside the office.

Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it.

6. WPPS Easter Hamper - Donations Required


7. Remember - No Hat No Play
 

It’s that time of year - September to May, when all students are required to have on a hat for outside play.  Children will be required to play in the shade if no hat is worn, and being a Sun Smart School its important to have sun protection.
Hats are now available for purchase  from office at a cost of $20 each.

8. First Aid Room Volunteer
In order to keep our First Aid Room clean and tidy, we require volunteers to assist with this task. We need approximately 40 families on our roster to ensure that every family only needs to do this once per year. It is not time consuming and requires approximately 15 minutes of your time on a FRIDAY.
https://signup.com/go/MvZZbFq

9. PSW New Deliver Option
From 15th February, parents are able to order PSW school uniforms online and have the order delivered to the school office. Deliveries will be weekly for parent collection. This will save parents from actually having to go to the PSW shop if you  know what you want and sizes.

Above is a screen shot of how the screen would look like. 

The parent needs to choose the “Click and Collect” Option, the drop down box will appear and they choose for their item to be delivered to Wattle Park Primary School.


10. TeamKids - Newsletter