February 14th, 2024
'The Puggle Post'
OUR SCHOOL VISION:
"Wandong Primary School...Making a difference by developing confident, independent and resilient learners who strive for personal excellence."
What's on What's Due
| February | 2024 |
| Thursday 15th | Meet The Teacher bookings open today 4.30pm |
| Thursday 15th | Dental forms due today |
| Friday 16th | Young Leaders Day - Selected Students only |
| Monday 19th | School photo day - Whole school |
| Tuesday 20th | School Nurse onsite |
| Wednesday 21st | Alternate day - Meet the teacher 9am - 7pm - If your child requires care, please book in at https://theircare.com.au/ |
| Monday 26th | Foundation 2025 Touring Wandong - 6pm |
| March | 2024 |
| Monday 4th | Foundation - start full time |
| Monday 4th | Smile Squad Dental Van Onsite |
| Monday 4th | School photo catch up day |
| Monday 5th | School photo catch up day again! |
| Monday 11th | Labour Day Holiday - No students |
| Friday 15th | Casual Clothes Day - for an Easter themed donation |
| Monday 18th | Foundation 2025 Touring Wandong - 6pm |
| Tuesday 26th | Foundation 2025 Touring Wandong - 10am |
| Tuesday 26th | Easter Raffle Drawn |
| Tuesday 26th | Purple Day - Epilepsy Awareness Day - More information to follow |
| Wednesday 27th | Curriculum Day - No Students – If your child requires care, please book in at https://theircare.com.au/ |
| Thursday 28th | End of Term 1 - 2.30pm dismissal |
| April | 2024 |
| Monday 15th | First Day Term 2 |
| Monday 15th | Foundation 2025 enrolment applications can be accepted |
| Thursday 25th | Anzac Day Holiday |
| May | 2024 |
| Friday 3rd | Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser |
| Thursday 9th | Mother's Day Stall - Catch up day 1.30pm -2.30pm |
| Tuesday 14th | District Cross Country 9.30 - 2.30 pm Selected Students only |
| June | 2024 |
| Wednesday 5th | Pizza Day - more information to follow |
| Monday 10th | Kings Birthday Holiday |
| Friday 28th | Last Day Term 2 |
| July | 2024 |
| August | 2024 |
| Monday 19th | Launch Pad Program For Parents - Special evening for those with a submitted application 6pm - 7pm |
| Wednesday 28th | Father's Day Stall |
| Thursday 29th | Father's Day Stall - Catch up day |
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Meet the Teacher Conferences –
BOOKINGS CLOSE 3PM MONDAY – Don’t miss out!
We are looking forward to our conferences next week. Each meeting will be 15 minutes in duration and bookings are open now through Compass. Please note these are not sessions for reporting as classroom teachers have not yet had time to accurately assess each student’s point of need. However, the individual questionnaire that children will bring home on Friday will be an extremely valuable conversation piece for you and your child. They are a great opportunity for you to share information about your children and to open the lines of communication with teachers.
Propel Learning – how can you support our values at home?
In the first few weeks of school, our teachers all run a Start Up program in all classrooms and specialist classes. This program is aimed at creating a culture for learning. It allows each class to identify classroom expectations, protocols and behaviours which are conducive to active learning. Collaboration and teamwork are paramount in preparing our students for the future. Children will talk about what good learning and teaching looks like, and they will focus on social and emotional learning. A big part of the work at this time of the year is around our school values.
We want our children to learn new skills and have a strong knowledge-base in all subject areas, but more importantly, we are passionate about them building their capacity to think creatively, investigate and find out. Our teachers want to build positive thinkers who understand and value their community and the contributions they can make. We hope that you will also discuss and reinforce the learnings from school, at home. Please feel free to discuss this with your teacher and how you can support the school, its values and its vision.
Join With Us! Remember to comment, like and love stuff
We currently have 920 followers on our official school Facebook page. Please head over and ‘LIKE’ us at https://www.facebook.com/WandongPS/
We currently have 562 members in our official school Facebook group. Please head over and join this group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/3619617971385556/
Please ensure you answer the required questions to ensure authenticity of the membership.
Staffing – 1/2L
Ms Langdon is taking some much-deserved long service leave from Week 6 until the end of this term. We are excited to welcome back Ms Domino who will be taking this class for the duration of Ms Langdon’s leave. I’m sure we will get some great updates and photos of their trip when the Langdon’s return in Term 2!
IMPORTANT - Online Games at Home
More and more we are confronting behaviour and social issues at school, resulting in children playing online games at home. In particular, children are playing games that are completely inappropriate for children of primary school age. The games that are being played have a minimum age limit of 12, 13 and even 14 years. Children are coming to school being exposed to offensive language, high-level violence and weapons. Children that are still learning to navigate social situations are being permitted to go online unsupervised. There is also considerable risk of online random strangers. I urge you to please supervise and ensure you know what your children are playing, who with and the level of risk.
We are incredibly fortunate to have Susan McLean booked for another parent and staff session
Wednesday the 15th of May.
SAVE THE DATE! COMING TO WANDONG! SPECIAL PARENT EVENT Susan McLean – CYBER COP, KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE ONLINE
It’s an Online World!
Kids today have access to and are accessible to many millions of people worldwide via the vast array of websites, applications and online games. The unprecedented amount of personal information available on these sites makes them a perfect place for people who would happily identify their victims and gain their trust. Other identified dangers include exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying and harassment, exchange of inappropriate images and identity theft. Teens are often not aware that their words and or photos, which may have been intended for a small audience, sometimes find their way to a larger one, often with both the unexpected and undesirable consequences.
Today’s parents grew up in a world devoid of these technologies. They often have little knowledge on how best to assist and guide children and, when interest or concern is shown, suspicious kids ‘fob’ them off with the typical responses of ‘You won’t understand…..’ ‘Go away its private……’or ‘You have no idea…..’.
Internet and mobile phone technology is fabulous and provides us with the ability to connect with people all around the world. We can explore and learn about the world like never before, however, cyberspace does have its problems, and unfortunately for kids, they are the primary targets for people’s warped ideas and bad behaviours. Young people are often targeted and groomed without the ability to recognise that this is occurring.
Kids’ technical skills are superb. Adults today cannot even aspire to the level of technical knowledge inherent in today’s kids, but we do know that this skill is not matched by cogitative development. Nothing we do can ‘put an old head on young shoulders’ and the ability to perceive risk, and foresee consequences, is limited.
Kids need to appreciate and accept that just as in the real world, there are dangers in cyberspace. Parents need to teach kids that cyberspace is permanent. Everything that they write, post and send can be traced and will remain there forever. Do they want that comment, or picture from Saturday night’s party on the desk of the person conducting a job interview in 10 years time? Are you happy for that naked picture, sent trustingly to their boyfriend who loves them dearly and will not share it with anyone (until he has it or you break up or both) on the computer of a paedophile? Kids need to think before they click and parents and teachers need to educate them to ensure that where possible, the correct decisions are made in the first instance, not after a moment of madness.
Don ’t be afraid of technology. Learn about it and embrace it as your children do. Accept that they will access content that might upset them, often not because they went looking for it and make sure that they are comfortable coming to you when this happens. Spend time online with them. Cyberspace can be a lot of fun.
Please ensure you have called or emailed the office to book in for this special event.
GRADE 6 NATIONAL YOUNG LEADERS DAY
Our Grade Six captains will head to the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on Friday, February 16, for National Young Leaders Day, accompanied by Mrs Woods and myself. Please follow the link for details of the day, including guest speakers. https://www.halogen.org.au/shop-event.php?intid=783
This is always a highlight of the student leadership training and year and we will ask for their reflections of the day in next week’s newsletter.
National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy
Our Year 3 and Year 5 students will be completing the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in the second half of March. The schedule has not been finalised as yet, however; the tests will be conducted in the following order from left to right:
Duty of Care – Supervision Before and After School
Please be aware that staff are on duty no earlier than 8.40am each morning and 3.40pm each afternoon. Any students who are onsite prior to 8.40am and after 3.40pm will be taken to OSHC. Please ensure you have enrolled your child with Their Care to ensure your child is appropriately supervised.
WELLBEING
Foundation SEW- FI
In foundation SEW lessons our foundation students have been learning about safe and unsafe games to play at school. First students read a picture book about playground safety. Next students were provided with pictures, where they had to discuss whether these games were safe or unsafe and why. Then we came back together to place these behaviours on our safe and unsafe chart. Lastly, we went for a walk around the yard to discuss safe games we could play in these areas. Were so excited to play all the new safe games we learnt with our friends!
NOTICES
Office Hours
New : Please note the school office hours are 8:30am until 3.55pm
Picking Up Children – Please help our admin team!
IMPORTANT – Mobile Phone/Watch/Device Policy
In 2020, DET introduced strict restrictions on the use of any device with access to a cellular system, with or without a physical connection to a network. Where students bring a device of this type to school, it MUST be placed in secure storage at the office.
IMPORTANT – Student Information
It is very important we have up-to-date information for all students. Please check Compass and update current home & email addresses, phone numbers & medical details.
Reminder:
Hats must be worn throughout Term Four outside. If your child has taken their hat home, please make sure it’s brought back to school.
Uniform Orders
****Please remember to order a bag for smaller orders & for larger orders select two.
If you order a bag, the order can be placed in your child’s or siblings’ tub for convenience. If not, you will need to supply a bag or make arrangements to collect your order.
COMPASS – CANTEEN UNIFORM ORDERING
When ordering uniforms through Compass, use Canteen. See below for how to order
Going paperless will reduce waste & conserve our natural resources.
Please Note:
Select the following day as your order date if the current date is closed, even if it’s a weekend!
Log into the Compass App.
Select more at bottom of screen.
Click on the Canteen button.
Select Place Order at bottom of screen.
Select Student.
Select Date. (Will have to select next date if current date is cut off)
Select sitting e.g. Uniform
Click on item you require e.g Short Sleeve Polo.
Select how many you want and then select the size.
Add to cart.
Repeat for other items e.g. Bomber Jacket.
View Cart
Proceed to Checkout or create another order.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC INFORMATION
Wandong Primary is pleased to offer instrumental lessons for students from Foundation to grade 6.
Thank you for your interest in the Instrumental Music Program at Wandong
Primary School.
Our program provides students with the opportunity to develop musicianship
skills, build confidence and collaborate with others to deliver performances.
Above all, we aim to foster peoples love of music, have fun and stay creative.
Please find below, the conditions of our program and Enrolment form.
| Fee Description 2023 | Term 1 (10 Weeks) | Term 2 (10 weeks) | Term 3 (10 weeks) | Term 4 (10 weeks) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Lessons | $390 | $390 | $390 | $390 |
Please read carefully to ensure your child’s maximum involvement and development.
In order to continue and develop their skills, students are encouraged to
show evidence of regular practice. Below is a recommended guide for weekly
practice times:
Beginners: 15-20 minutes, 3 days a week
After one year: 30 minutes, 4 days a week
After two years: 40 minutes, 5-6 days a week
Payment Terms & Withdrawal from the Instrumental Music Program
1. An invoice will be sent at the beginning of each term and is to be paid,
in full, via Direct Deposit.
2. Fees must be paid by the due date. Failure to do so will result in lessons
being stooped until payment has been made.
3. Unless notified, the instrumental teacher assumes all students in the
program will automatically continue lessons each term. A verbal or written
notification to the instrumental teacher is required to withdraw students
from the program. Notice needs to be received 2 weeks prior to the end
of the term, to avoid incurring the next term’s fees.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
About the program
TheirCare provides adventurous and stimulating Before & After School Care Programs in a safe environment for all children. During sessions children develop life skills, friendships, confidence and creativity through play.
Wandong Primary School has partnered with TheirCare to provide this service to your school which includes quality care, booking flexibility, amazing programming for your children and commitment to deliver on our promise to your school community.
| Operation Times | Fees* | Out of Pocket | Average^ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before School Care | 6:30am - 8:45am | $21.00 | $3.15 - $21.00 | $4.83 |
| After School Care | 3:30pm - 6:30pm | $23.00 | $3.45 - $23.00 | $5.29 |
| Pupil Free Day | 6:30am - 6.30pm | $103.00 | $15.45 - $103.00 | $23.69 |
| Holiday Program | 6:30am - 6.30pm | $103.00 | $15.45 - $103.00 | $23.69 |
| Late Booking Cancellation Fee | Within 48 hours | $5.00 | ||
| Cancellation Fee | Same Day | Full Fee | See BSC/ASC |
Service Phone Number: 0497 877 771 Your Service coordinator will be available during sessions times. TheirCare support is available during office hours if required on 1300 072 410
How to Enrol
Visit Theircare website: www.theircare.com.au and click on ‘Book Now’ in the top right hand corner to register your child’s details
*Standard fees excluding incursions/excursion costs
^Based on ABS published average family income for the suburb the school is located
WANDONG PRIMARY SCHOOL FETE SPONSORS
