PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

‘Showcase 2013’ – Spectacular! What a fantastic night we enjoyed at Robert Blackwood Hall last Friday night with our Showcase

2013. This annual event is a wonderful celebration of the music program here at Essex Heights

and the quality of the children’s performances certainly impressed the audience as usual. Thank

you to all the parents and friends who did come and support the children on the night. Having an

appreciative audience is a highlight for the children and is the major reason for their enjoyment

and enthusiasm to perform. Thanks also to all the teaching and support staff for the many weeks

of hard work they put into preparation and rehearsal with the children, and for their work in

supervision and carrying out key responsibilities on the night. Thanks and well done also to our

great team of professional and enthusiastic Instrumental Teachers who are the reason we have

such a quality instrumental program here at Essex Heights.

A big thank you to Lisa Carne, our talented Music teacher, for her work in preparation of the

choirs and marimba ensembles and her general leadership of Showcase during the planning and

on the night. Thanks also to Lena Papadatos who has a lead role in the organisation of the event

and again, performed her duties with ever smiling efficiency. A job well done Lisa & Lena! Of

course, they were strongly supported by Alyssa Kennedy and Joan Scott as the Organising

Committee and these four staff members provided the drive and skill that ensured a successful

evening.

Well done to all at Essex Heights, a great community event!

CALENDAR DATES

TERM 4

5th November Public Holiday – children do not attend school

8th November Official Opening Ceremony for new School Buildings – 10.15 a.m.

11th November Chesterfield Farm Excursion - Prep

12th November Values for Life – Yrs. 5 & 6

14th November School Council Meeting – 7.30 .m. staffroom

18th November Book Fair – 18/11/13 – 22/11/13

26th November Forensic Frenzy – Year 6

27th November Healesville Excursion – Years 1 & 2

5th December Hot Dog Day - PFA

5th December Orientation Session – for Prep 2014

10th December Year 6 Orientation Day at Year 7 school

10th December Orientation Day for new students Yrs 1 – 6 at EHPS

20th December Last day of Term 4 – 1.30 p.m. finish

2014

28th / 29th January Staff return to school

30th January Students in Yrs 1 – 6 commence school

31st January Students in Prep commence school

ISSUE 35

31st October,

2013

The Showcase Finale

CD – “Around the World” A reminder to parents that the CD we recorded of most of the Showcase items is now

available for order. On order form can be found on the school website, the cost being $15.

We still have plenty available so if you need a couple for family Christmas gifts, there will be

enough to go around.

Class Structure - 2014 After a great deal of consultation and discussion with staff, we have determined the following grade structure

for 2014:

Class Structure:

Prep – 4 classes; Yr 1 – 5 classes; Yr 2 – 3 classes; Yr 3 – 3 classes;

Yr 4 – 3 classes Yr 5 – 3 classes; Yr 6 – 3 classes

Specialist Program Structure:

Phys Ed; Music; Visual Arts; Languages (to be confirmed); Literacy Support & ESL; Program for Students With

Disabilities (PSD)

This represents 24 classes, an increase of 1 on 2013 due to increased enrolments across the school. We

have now reached our capacity which is 24 classes and approximately 550 children. You will also note that

we do not have any multi-age or single gender classes in the model for 2014. I would make the point that this

does not represent a change in policy for Essex Heights Primary School. Both multi-age and single gender

classes are under consideration each year, depending on the needs of that particular cohort of children. So

whilst these classes are not part of our structure for 2014, we may return to this model sometime in the

future.

My thanks to our Business Manager Barb McCann for her expertise and advice with the Staffing Budget.

Thanks also to the Leadership Team (Ina Kuehlich, Joan Scott, Linda Fisher, Kathy Halliday, Pam Rowler,

Carolyn Wilson, Maria Capsalis and Anita Kuchta) for their valued advice and planning in this regard too.

Before the end of the year, I expect to be in a position to indicate to all parents and our wider community the

allocation of staff to each of these roles for 2014. Please be aware that at this time of the year, our teaching

and non-teaching staff have the opportunity to apply for other positions state wide and often it is very late in

proceedings when we are able to confirm final arrangements. Importantly, I would expect that all students will

know and have met their class teacher prior to the end of the school year.

Class Visit – 3S Last week I enjoyed a visit with Renae Simpson and the children of 3S. They were

engaged in a literacy session based their Unit Topic for Term 4 “Myths, Legends &

Fables”. They began by watching an animated fable on the TV, discussing the

various features of this genre of story. The children then divided into groups and I

worked with some girls in the Collaborative Space on planning and writing their own

fable.

The girls began by choosing the ‘lesson or moral’ they wanted to convey from a

brainstormed list, and then writing their own fable to communicate that. I was

impressed with the level of discussion we shared in the planning stage, and their

ability to plan a draft a story during the writing session. We then joined the rest of

the class and shared our stories with them.

Thanks to Renae for her work in building these important skills in the children, and

also her leadership as the ‘Premiers Reading Challenge’ coordinator this year.

Yr 4 Camp (Part II) The second stage of our new Yr 4 Camping Program takes place tonight and

tomorrow with the next group of children again staying overnight at Scienceworks.

They will then travel into the City on Friday for a fantastic program of film making at

ACMI. Look out for the report in next week’s Contact.

Children Who Are Unwell at School If your child has been unwell overnight or in the morning before school, please consider giving them a day off

to recover and reduce risk of cross infection to other children and staff. We appreciate this can be difficult

with work and other commitments but it is sometimes a necessity to aid in a child’s recovery and to prevent

further illness in the school community. If a child is unwell or tired, they are not going to be in the best frame of

mind to learn.

We do have a Health Centre and a First Aid Officer employed between 11.00 -

3.00 pm, but this is primarily for children who become unwell at school,

advising and waiting for a parent or guardian to collect children, dealing with

accidents that occur at school and to assist in managing Asthma, Anaphylaxis

and other medical conditions.

If your child is not well or has an injury sustained at home or at sport outside

of school hours and you are unsure how to manage this, we would advise that

you see your GP.

Cup Day Eve – Monday Historically, the day prior to Melbourne Cup Day is often included in some long weekend family plans and

attendance numbers at school are generally low. We are expecting a similar pattern this year and to make the

most of this opportunity, we will be combining the students at school into class size groups and providing an

alternative educational program.

If your plans are for your children NOT to attend school on the Monday prior to Cup Day (that is Monday 4th

November), would you please return the Reply Slip to school that was circulated on Tuesday this week.

See you around the school,

Andrew Crossett

PARENTS & FRIENDS ‘NEWS’ Last Friday was World Teachers day and the PFA put on a beautiful lunch to thank the teachers for such a

wonderful job they are doing teaching our children. This was much appreciated by all the staff. Special

thanks to Morwenna and her team for organising and serving the staff. Also to Jan Stef and Kylie for

collecting the food. Great job. The helpers on the day were Morwenna, Kylie, Stef, Jan, Lena, Angeline

with food provided by Maria, Dona, Helen, Cindy, Jenny, & Felicity

Also - HOT DOG DAY is coming up on the 5th December, more information coming out soon.

Hope you all enjoy and have a safe weekend.

Betty Ciorciari

FRIDAY 1st November

10.00 a.m. Stefanie Wendler-Canning, Jan Mattrow

MONDAY 4th November 10.45 a.m.

Sonia Mattingley

WEDNESDAY 6th November 10.30 a.m.

Katrina Kelly, Tas Stamopoulos

FRIDAY 8th November 10.00 a.m.

Andrea Jordan, Sandya Manojkumar, Shruti Purandare

Hopefully you all received the note sent home on Wednesday requesting ALL children are checked for head lice at home this week. Attached was an Information Sheet from the Department of Health called Treating and controlling head lice which is an excellent reference. If you did not receive one or have any questions for me in regards to head lice and management, please call me on 9804 4744 between 11.00 – 3.00 p.m. Thank you for your assistance with this. Julie Zuk, First Aid Officer

FROM THE HEALTH CENTRE

REMEMBRANCE DAY TRADITIONS

Once again, Essex Heights Primary School will be supporting RSL Victoria by selling Poppies for Remembrance Day - Monday 11th November, 2013. We have a range of items such as Poppies ($2.00), Wrist Bands ($3.00) and Luggage Tags ($4.00). These can be purchased at the front of the school each morning from 8.45 a.m. and the children will also be visiting the classrooms with the Poppies. Please support this cause.

IN FLANDERS’ FIELDS

By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place, and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead, Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders’ fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you from failing hands, we throw The torch, be yours to hold it high

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders’ fields

ESSEX HEIGHTS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Term 4 commences

Scienceworks sleepover Year 4

ACMI excursion – Year 4

Ride to Work Day Hands Up Survey

Prep 2014 -Transition 2 School Council Meeting

Working Bee 10.00 – 2.00

PFA Meeting 7.30 pm staffroom

Yr 6 Grad. Photo Music Showcase 2013

Scienceworks sleepover Year 4 Music ‘Count Us In’

ACMI excursion – Year 4

NOVEMBER

Science Talent Search Pres. Day

Official Opening of School Build.

Chesterfield Farm Excursion - Preps

Values for Life Years 5 & 6.

Prep 2014 – Transition Session School Council Meeting

Book Fair Book Fair Info Eve for Prep 2014 parents

Book Fair Book Fair Book Fair

Forensic Frenzy Year 6.

Healesville Exc. Years 1 & 2.

DECEMBER

Christmas Service

Orientation Day Prep 2014 Hot Dog Day

Orientation Day –Yr 6___________ Orientation Day – Yrs 1-6 new students

Year 6 Graduation

Year 6 Big Day Out

Last day of School

1.30 p.m. finish

PRODUCTS & SERVICES ADVERTISED IN ‘CONTACT’ ARE PLACED ON A PAID BASIS AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY BEING PROMOTED BY

ESSEX HEIGHTS PRIMARY SCHOOL