Hello Everyone,

Having reignited our Cameron Close Reading Program, which ended up not only on ABC radio but also in The Age, we find ourselves soon to be gracing a screen near you. 

Apart from a 4 year gap due to COVID 19, this program has been going for 27 years and is as unique as it is beneficial to all concerned for myriad reasons.

A message from our year 1 Team:

Delighted to let our Wattle Park community know that the Year One Reading program with the residents from Cameron Close Retirement Village story will be airing next Friday 23rd August at 2pm on Channel 7s The House of Wellness, and again on Sunday 25th August at midday.

 … as their lead story!

Welcome to The House of Wellness TV – your weekly slice of TV goodness.

Hosted by Jacqui Felgate, Jo Stanley, Luke Darcy, and Dr Nick Carr.

The show explores the worlds of health, wellbeing, and beauty in an entertaining and informative way.

From staying nourished to raising kids, getting physically and mentally fitter, ageing well and keeping beautiful inside and out, The House of Wellness is designed with one thing in mind – to help you live a healthier and happier life.

Filming for our segment occurred back on 29th May, so it has been a long wait for both staff, students and residents to finally see our wonderful literacy initiative aired . It is a celebration of the power of human connection and the beauty of learning together across generations.

  
You may recall last week our Year 2 reported on the Olympian escapades of certain multi eyed subterranean vegetables? Well here are the results:

https://youtu.be/BFgTWTz5KC4

2024 Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey
PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies. 

The survey is live from:

       Monday 29 July to Friday 30 August 2024. 

The survey will take 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

The survey is available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Resources are also available in additional languages to assist parents / caregivers / guardians who speak a language other than English at home. Please reach out to your child’s teacher, or the school directly for survey guides in your language. 

A link and PIN was sent to all parents earlier this week. If you did not receive yours, please contact the school office on 9808 2165.

Thank you in anticipation for your much appreciated contribution.

Book Week / Book Character Parade

Book Week happens annually and will be upon us in a matter of weeks. 

We will be having a Whole School Dress-Up Day on:

      Friday 23.08 so get ready! 

The theme is ‘Reading is Magic’ and for more information, please go HERE.

You are all invited to witness the:

      Friday 23.08 Assembly at 9.15am - Book Character Parade! 

***Additionally, we will be holding a Book Sale outside the gymnasium from 8.30 - 10.00 am. A bag of books for $2.

Our Students
Students 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 at next week's assembly.

Mathletics Champion
A round of applause for: 

      Muhammad I from 1A

who has excelled in Mathletics this week through consistent participation and impressive performance. Well done Muhammad!

ECO MVP
Congratulations to:

       Benjamin S from 6B for winning the ECO MVP

How to win….

It’s simple

 - Continue to bring your nude food lunches

 - Pick up rubbish around the classroom and school

 - Turn off lights and powerpoints that don’t need to be on

 - Turn off leaking taps

 - Dispose of rubbish appropriately.

Each week, a Scarecrow teacher or leader will visit one classroom (at random). They will select one student for the ECO MVP, and their photo will be taken for Assembly. The student will receive an amazing eco straw and bag.

Foundation 

As part of the Foundation integrated topic about farms and farm products we all went on an excursion to Chesterfield Farm on Wednesday, 14th August.

It was such a fun filled day! Students were actively engaged in many learning experiences such as:

• Going on a tractor ride around the farm and searching for all the new spring lambs

• Watching a sheepdog at work to see how the dog is trained to round up the sheep

• Milking a cow

• Visiting and handling many farm animals in the nursery such as calves, guinea pigs, rabbits, lizards, lambs and goats

      
Science Week  Yr 34s

To celebrate Science Week, our Year 3 and 4 girls were invited to Siena College for a sustainability scavenger hunt.  We scoured the campus searching for endangered species and learned about their habitats through augmented reality images that the Siena students had created.  We learned about the importance of sustainability and conservation.

Veronica – We got to use ipads and go around the school, scanning QR Codes. The QR codes had pictures of critically endangered animals in their habitat. There was a wallaby, bandicoot the helmeted honey eater and the corrobboree frog. 

Amelia – We made badges with our favourite animals from the scavenger hunt. My favourite was the bandicoot.

Avery – I liked how Siena gave us a fun scavenger hunt and gave us a little tour of their school.

Our Year 4s have also been busy designing, creating and testing balloon powered cars! Our students applied their knowledge of forces to design a car that was low in friction and was propelled forwards by the air releasing from the balloon.  After students tested and retested their cars, finding solutions to design flaws and making improvements, we went to the gym for a balloon car rally.  Although our cars were all shapes and sizes, they all moved successfully; some did 360 burn outs, others sped up the further they travelled and some were built for distance, making it a full 8 metres!!

Lexi, Lilly –  Our favourite part of our car was the wheels because they worked perfectly and went really fast. We stuck straws to the bottom of the car. Inside the straw was a skewer with lids stuck on either end.  They worked perfectly!  We also figured out if you blow up the balloon really big it will go further.

House Points

The House Points have been collected for this week.  The winning house decorates the trophy with their colours and has it displayed in the foyer of the school. 

Upcoming Father's and Special Person's Day Stall

2024.09.14 Saturday - Victorian State School Spectacular

When is the 2024 Victorian State Schools Spectacular?

The 2024 Victorian State Schools Spectacular will be held on Saturday 14th September. The performance times are 1:00pm and 6:30pm. 

Where is it held? John Cain Arena, Melbourne Park 

How long is the performance?

The show is approximately 2hrs 45min (including a 30-minute interval).

How much are tickets?

Adult: $40 Concession: $30 Child (U15): $20  (an additional service fee per transaction applies on all purchases)

Where can I buy tickets? 

Tickets are available through Ticketek: www.ticketek.com.au/spectacular or 132 849.

Tickets are on sale from 10am on Monday 22 July.

Where’s the best seat in the house to view WPPS students?

Section 9, 10, 31, 32, 33, 56, 57, 58

ICAS

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



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.  

All ICAS registrations have now closed.

ICAS Test dates/times 

Our Staff

Continuing getting to know our staff at WPPS, we introduce one of our regular Classroom Replacement Teachers, (CRTs), Ms Julie Hobson:

After teaching at Gladesville, Mimosa and Old Orchard Primary School, l now feel welcomed as a regular CRT at Wattle Park.

With 40 plus years of teaching experience l still embrace the vibrant energy and anticipation on eager faces as l enter the classroom. 

Especially, l enjoy sharing stories, my love of writing, venturing outdoors for a game or just bringing a spark of fun to the day, after completing the designated planned work of Wattle Park Staff of course!

My four grandchildren love hearing of Nanna’s days at Wattle Park.

Julie Hobson

Have a great weekend everyone

Steve Donohue

Principal

Wattle Park Primary School

1. New Uniforms - PSW
2. Second Hand Uniform shop - on site

• Donations of second hand uniforms are welcome. 
• Clothing must be washed and in very good condition. 
• Please bring donations to the donation box located near school office.
• Thank you for supporting this initiative!
• Sizes 10 and above are desperately needed.

Get ready for a fantastic day of golf and community spirit! Tickets are now on sale for the Wattle Park Primary School Golf Day 2024. This much-anticipated event, now in its third year, offers a great opportunity for dads and male guardians of our school community to connect, compete, and enjoy themselves.

Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just looking to have some fun on the green, everyone is welcome! Join past champions and fellow participants as we take on the Royal & Ancient Wattle Park Golf Course—no prior golf experience required.

Don’t miss out on this chance to be part of a wonderful tradition. Secure your spot today!

https://events.humanitix.com/2024-wattle-park-primary-golf-classic

We look forward to seeing you there!

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