Hello Everyone,

2022.08.22  This coming Monday is a Student Free Professional Practice Day

A whole school Professional Practice day has been mandated for term 3 by Deputy Secretary of Education, Mr David Howes. School Council approved Monday, 22nd August. Please note that this will be a student-free day and therefore students will not attend school on this day. To assist families, TeamKids will operate. Please contact TeamKids directly to make bookings. Tel: 1300 035 000

Child Safety

So you are kept up to date with what is going on with Child Safety you may like to have a look HERE at our Child Safety Policies. They have recently been updated by our Assistant Principal, Ms. Emma Tan. Emma is responsible for a great many things and does a terrific job of them all - The Child Safe Standard requirements recently changed which is why we have had them updated. You can find more information about them on the DEpartment of Education and Training’s website  HERE.

Canteen

We are lucky to have such a vital and dynamic canteen provider in the form of Mrs Charlotte Stilve. In response to various requests from our school community the following vegetarian options will be added to our Flexischools menu from Monday 29th August:

• Vegetarian Fried Rice (also GF) - $4.00
• Spinach & Cheese Roll - $3.50

A link to downloading the Flexischools app can be found on our website HERE.

Our Students

Mr James Feather teaches 6B on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays. On Mondays and Tuesdays he works across the school utilising his training as a Mathematics Specialist. This week he worked with Year 4:

Mathematics at WPPS - Year 4 - Multiplication

This term in maths we learnt about multiplication. As a warm up we would play ‘Around The World’. Then we would move onto different activities that include: practising vertical multiplication, using the grid method, playing multiplication games like Multiplication Wars, 6 In A Row and Race To The Top. We also had lots of fun making our array gardens. We enjoyed learning about multiplication this term.

Written by: Lila, Zoe, Abby, Oscar, Lachie, Damon and Owen (4B)

In 4A we practised multiplication by playing games like Race to 100, Buzz and Multiplication Wars. We learnt vertical multiplication and the grid method. We also enjoyed creating our Vegetable Gardens using arrays. Using the vegetable requirements we were given, we had to somehow fit them into a 12 x 18 grid.  At the end we successfully succeeded ;) 

Written by: 4A

      
      

Victorian State School Spectacular

A message from our Performing Arts and Visual Arts Teacher, Ms Sylwia Michalska who, on Wednesday this week, took a selection of our students to a rehearsal for the Victorian State School Spectacular:

This year 20 of Wattle Park Primary students are part of an amazing concert - Victorian State School Spectacular. Along with students from other schools they will perform in John Cane Arena on the 10th of September. We are very fortunate to be part of this outstanding Event. If you are interested in supporting the students, you can still book your tickets at www.ticketek.com.au/spectacular 

Students of the Week

Well done to all our recipients for actively displaying our school values. These students were awarded their certificates at assembly today. Any student who was not present will receive their certificate next week.

Class		Student
FA		Ted S
FB		Arvid S-G
Year 1A		Neva B
Year 1B		Benji C
Year 2A		Kite S
Year 2B		Heidi B
Year 3A		Lleyton L
Year 3B		Santiago R
Year 4A		Leen M
Year 4B		Calum B
Year 5A		Nelson S
Year 5B		Riyaa B
Year 6A		Lily B
Year 6B		Suliman A

 Our Staff

Continuing our series on getting to know our staff at Wattle Park Primary School we introduce our Year 5A teacher and Yr 5 and 6 Team Leader, Mr Richard Abell:

“Hello Wattle Park Primary Community!

I’ve been fortunate enough to be teaching for over a decade across a number of different settings including overseas. However, no setting has compared to Wattle Park Primary and I have had the great pleasure and privilege of teaching here for over seven years now. Over these years I’ve had the opportunity to work across a range of year levels and currently working in the senior school as one of the Year Five teachers. 

I love this school for many reasons from the collaborative staff who continuously work tirelessly to support one another and our students and families. To the amazing students that seek to grow and evolve on a daily basis and have a hunger to learn. To our community that is constantly engaged and supportive of all parts of our school.

I look forward to being involved in our great school evolving and improving moving into the future."

School Calendar (Go on, click on it...)

Lots of events happening this term. Events can be clicked and downloaded to your phone.

2022.08.26 Book Week Dress Up Day

A heads up about the book week dress up day - coming dressed as a character from a book is encouraged! Normal school uniform rules apply. No open toed shoes or drop earrings. For reference, HERE is our Dress Code Policy. Otherwize - go for your life!

Do you have a chainsaw?

In preparation for a major cleanup of where the fence meets the footpath on the Banskia Street side of WPPS, I am looking for someone to remove a few scraggly trees. This will provide access for the volunteers at another Working Bee to be held before the end of the term. I’ve marked the trees to be removed with yellow spray paint. Basically, it's just all the dead/ugly/well past use by date, ones. Once this is done I will set a date for the Working Bee. Please call the office or just come and see me if you can assist.

Facemasks

Current advice from the Victorian Government recommends face masks are worn in indoor settings (except for close contacts, who must wear a mask indoors unless an exception applies). Students who are close contacts and want to attend should still take 5 RATs over 7 days and wear a face mask whilst indoors if they are aged 8 years or over. A letter provided by the Department of Education and Training has been sent out this week via COMPASS to explain DET’s current position. 

Chickens

We need volunteers to help look after the lambs and the chickens. 

Sheree Spiteri, a parent of one of our Foundation students, is currently organising a weekend roster for our school chickens in her role as Chicken Care Coordinator and she is now seeking volunteers for the weekends throughout Term 3. Everyone is welcome to volunteer and support is available if required.

Responsibilities:

• Let the chickens out in the morning and bring them in late afternoon
• Check for eggs
• Empty water containers and refill with fresh water
• Check food and grit containers and ensure there are adequate amounts of food for our 8 fabulous ladies
• Clear any chicken droppings/feathers from the laying boxes and water/food/grit containers
• Replenish hay in the laying boxes 

The chickens are such an important part of the WPPS community and the SAKGP. Ensuring they are cared for outside of school hours is essential to their health and wellbeing… and egg laying! If you are interested, please contact Sheree at: shereespiteri85@gmail.com  and advise of the following:

• Name
• Email address
• Mobile number
• Availability (even one weekend will help)

2023 Enrolments

2023 school planning has commenced. We are having quite a few families who are asking to enrol from outside our zone due to various factors - all of which are inherently a very positive reflection on WPPS!  So, if you have a child/children due to commence school in 2023 please complete a school enrolment and forward to the school office along with a copy of their Birth Certificate & Vaccination Certificate ASAP. A  2023 School Enrolment form is available HERE on the WPPS website or the school office.

And one more thing!

We are padlocking shut the gate to Warrigal Road after 9.15am every morning. It opens again around 3pm. We are doing this because we have a student who has a penchant for running out of the class and out of the school grounds. There are processes in place to ameliorate this issue but the safety issues are abundantly evident. Thanks for your understanding on this one.

Have a great weekend.

Steve Donohue

Principal

 

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Hello everyone,

A busy time of the year and hopefully with footy finals and school holidays in September better weather is on the way.

Just wanted to reach out with some information from the PFA about what's been happening and coming up around the school. Our events are two-fold raising much-needed funds for school facilities and providing social events for parents and students.

Our parent's Trivia "Christmas in July" Night at the school was a great success with some great outfits and a general fun night out which we hadn't experienced for a few years. My thanks to everyone who attended, sponsors  and Em Beard for organising the event.

The Soccer goals have just been completed with funds raised over the last couple of years allowing our budding soccer (football) stars another opportunity to have great fun and exercise.

Fathers day is coming up, and we have the Gift stall ( Em Beard & Alicia Jackson 👍🏼 ) + also hopefully the start of a regular WPPS Dad's Golf Day on the 11th September at the Royal and Ancient Wattle Park make sure to dust off the clubs and join in https://www.trybooking.com/CBTDM

We also have the return of the KIDS Disco on Thursday 8th September with bookings via TryBookings https://www.trybooking.com/CBTDF

Thanks to everyone that has helped out or supported our events we do appreciate it and hope that it's making you feel more part of the Wattle Park Primary Community.

Regards,

Anthony Hall

President 2022

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Please scroll through to see all of our latest notices!



1. Second Hand Uniform Shop
2. Recording Compass Student Absences on Your  Mobile Device
3. School Council Dates for 2022
4. Banksia Street Parking - Please avoid driveways!
5. Volunteers Needed for First Aid Room
 


1. Second Hand Uniform Shop
Monday, 29nd August 8.30-9am

2. Recording Compass Student Absences On Your Mobile Device
To record that your child/ren will be absent form school on your mobile app is easy!
Click on the tab SMS called "Shortcuts", this will take you to the site to record your child's absence.
If no reason is given prior to 9.30am, an automated SMS message is sent alerting you to the fact your child has not been marked present at school.
If you receive this SMS, please enter the absence on Compass - via the app or on line or give the office a call.
As a Dept requirement a follow up phone called is placed to parents where no reason has been recorded in Compass, by mid morning.

3. School Council Dates for 2022

Tuesday, 23rd August, 7pm
Tuesday, 18th October, 7pm
Tuesday, 13th December, 7pm

4. Car Parking, Banksia Street

Parents, out of courtesy to our neighbours please do not park across their driveways in Banksia Street, when dropping off or picking up your children. Whitehorse Traffic Officers will be patrolling during these times.

5. Volunteers Needed for First Aid Room

We operate a first aid room at Wattle Park Primary school. In order to keep our First Aid Room clean and tidy, we require parent volunteers to assist us each Friday. We'd love 40 families to help - so you only have to help once a year!
For only around 15 minutes we appreciate you checking the area, changing the sheets, and returned washed sheets the following Monday. 

How to assist

• Click on the link below, choose the date you can assist, and sign up.
• You will not require an account or to keep a password. 
• If you would prefer not to use your email address, please email the school and your details can be entered manually to include you on the roster. 
• To assist with tidying the First Aid room please sign up here: 

https://signup.com/go/bpUzddO

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