Principal’s report Dear students, parents and friends, A big welcome back to you all! I hope you found the holiday break relaxing and with a little bit of fun as well. I always enjoy the September school holidays as the weather is usually ‘spring like’ and with daylight savings it seems that we feel that we can achieve more with that extra hour of daylight! However, I must say that I do find getting my own children to bed and to sleep a little harder at this time of the year. With the holidays and lack of routine, along with daylight savings, my two children are trying to squeeze every minute they can before heading to bed! I have included an article from the Michael Grose Parenting series. This one titled ‘Why effective learning starts with a good night’s sleep’ discusses the importance of a sound night’s sleep but also the need to have less screen time prior to bedtime. I’m super guilty of not adhering to this but I do understand the research behind this suggestion. I hope you find parts of this article useful. Welcome As always, Term 4 is a busy and eventful term. I would particularly like to welcome our 2 new families who have enrolled with us over the holiday break. I thank you for choosing Kangaroo Flat Primary School for your child’s education and trust that you will find our school to be a happy and positive place. I would like to acknowledge how well our students have returned to on-site learning this week. For many of our students, they have been in remote learning for 15 weeks of this school year. It was truly wonderful to see their beautiful faces – some have grown so much taller! I would also like to welcome Ben Symmons to our staff team who will be supporting students in the Grade 6 area for the term. I know the class has already made him feel very welcomed. Term 4 Expectations: We continue to work under the operating guide from the Department of Education & Training with reference to Covid-19. Students are required to enter and exit through their allocated gate. Gates will open at 8:35am and all students are required to be onsite prior to the 8:50am bell when classes commence. Student dismissal is at 3pm. Students will continue to have their hands sanitised upon entry at the school gate. All classrooms have hand sanitisation stations and students are expected to use the hand sanitiser upon entry and exit of the classroom. Students are required to bring their own drink bottle – there are no drinking taps in operation at the school. Classrooms and playgrounds are sanitised during the course of the day as part of our additional clean ensuring the high touch points are sanitised. Canteens, Brekky Club and cooking classes for students can resume under strict hygiene guidelines As a SunSmart school all students are required to wear a sunsmart hat during Term 4. Visitors to the school continue to be limited. Assemblies will continue to be televised via WebEx and students will remain in their classrooms to watch the assembly. We will not be holding whole school assemblies during Term 4. If your child is unwell then they are to remain at home.

ICT Devices For those families who received a loaned laptop or iPad from the school to support your remote learning experience we need to have those computers returned to school this week. Classes are awaiting the return of those laptops. It is a 7 day turnaround from return of the device to when it

is ready to be placed into classroom circulation. Virtual Zoo - Foundation At the end of last term our Foundation students experienced a vir-tual excursion to the Werribee Zoo. The students made up their animal crowns before joining our WebEx so that they could wear them during our virtual excursion to the Werribee Zoo. Before watching the tour of the zoo, the students enjoyed eating their special “animal” snacks that arrived in the mail prior to our excur-sion. Please check out the photos of some of our Foundation stu-dents on their “virtual” zoo tour.

KFPS NEWS: No. 30 Wednesday 7th October, 2020

Principal’s Report cont…. 2021 Enrolments I would like to remind families with children who will be beginning school in 2021 that enrolment forms need to be returned to our front office as soon as possible. We are currently making deci-sions about class structures and sizes based on enrolments numbers and it is important that we are aware of all children who intend on being a Prep students with us next year to ensure that we have your enrolment details. We also ask that members of our school community assist us by informing any of your neigh-bours, family and friends of the enrolment procedures and direct them to our website to take a virtual tour. Unfortunately due to the COVID-19 restrictions, large school tours are not possible, so Kinder transition will look different than in previous years. Each of those students who have enrolled into Preps for 2021 has received an email with a link to a very special video of Mrs Cusack ex-plaining what it is like to be a Prep at KFPS. We will be able to have small groups of Kinder chil-dren visit our school site under very strict conditions during our November Transition Tuesdays. Assembly At this point in time we cannot have parents on site to attend our weekly assemblies however from this week onwards we will be running a shortened online WebEx assembly where students will tune into the assembly from their classrooms and for those parents who wish to tune in to the assembly can certainly do so. Assemblies will commence at 9am.

For those who wish to get onto WebEx and join the assembly please use the following infor-mation: Meeting number (access code): 1546203844 Meeting password: Dw7byM9i8R8 Congratulations to our Principal Awardees from last term. This week’s principal awards have the school focus of ‘Teamwork’. I look forward to providing these dedicated students with their cer-tificates on Friday morning.

REMINDERS: Sunsmart As a SunSmart school we are required to wear sun smart hats from September through to the end of April. Please ensure that your child has a hat to wear during school hours, otherwise they will be asked to remain in the amphitheatre during the recess breaks. Water bottles Please remember that students are required to bring their own named water bottle. We are not allowed to turn the bubble taps on as per the Covid 19 guidelines. Brekky Club: It is back for Term 4 Brekky Club will re-commence operating next week on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays. There are COVID guidelines around the breakfast service but we are happy to be offering this nutritious opportunity to our students again every week. Canteen is open! Your family should have received a new spring/summer canteen menu for this term. Students will be able to order their meal deal lunch or purchase snacks form the canteen on a Wednes-day, Thursday and Friday. Please check out the information in today’s newsletter. Book Week Book Week is coming! Monday 19th – Thursday 22nd October we shall be celebrating Book Week. The theme is ‘Curious Creatures and Wild Minds’ so put your thinking caps on and work out what costume you might wear. Thought of the week Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."

Kind Regards, Kim Saddlier Principal

Announcement of Finalists – Victorian Education Excellence Awards 2020

Kangaroo Flat Primary School

named as a finalist in the 2020 Victorian Education Excellence Awards

Forty-one finalists from government schools across 14 award categories have been shortlisted for the Victorian Education Excellence Awards 2020 and we’re delighted that Kangaroo Flat Primary School is among the finalists.

Our school has been chosen as a finalist in the Outstanding Inclusive Education Award category and will attend an online award presentation ceremony on 20 November, 2020 where the winner will be an-nounced.

Kangaroo Flat Primary School was nominated for their great work and focus on wellbeing and inclusion and where student learning needs are accommodated responsively, ensuring students can thrive emo-tionally as well as academically. The school’s strong partnerships with home and local agencies extend staff expertise and the school’s ability to access support for students. The introduction of the school dog ‘Bonnie’ into the classrooms, a strong oral language program, and EAL parent workshops, where multicultural education aides help families to support their child’s learning, ensure that student needs are met in an inclusive manner. Kangaroo Flat Primary continues to rate well above the state average in all areas of the Attitudes to School survey.

Award categories include outstanding primary and secondary teachers, principals and business man-agers, school improvement, Koorie education, inclusive education and education support. Specialist award categories will also recognise excellence in global teaching and learning, and in physical educa-tion. In 2020, two new awards have been added which celebrate the work of teaching teams that have delivered outstanding provision for high-ability students in primary and secondary school. All finalists are in the running to win professional development grants of up to $25,000 to support their work in schools. The Victorian Education Excellence Awards highlight exemplary government school education and in-novation in Victoria. The awards demonstrate what success in public education looks like and to be a finalist is a great achievement and should be celebrated. It is just one way Victorians can be proud of the great government schools in their communities and the people who work in them, highlighting Victoria as the Education State. For more information about the Victorian Education Excellence Awards and a full list of finalists visit www.education.vic.gov.au/veea

Foundation Virtual Zoo Trip

Speaking of zoo animals, look at these amazing creations by Reece

& Ryan W for the Remote Learning Paper Mache Art projects.

Every Minute Matters @KFPS

Remember our motto “It’s not okay to be

away”.

Please make every effort to come to school. We love seeing your faces at KFPS—it’s cool to be at school. It is very important to let the school know your child is Absent.

To let the school know of any absences you can:-

Phone the school on the Absence Line—Phone 5447 5100 Press 1 and leave a message.

or

Provide a written note or

Reply to the Absence text which is sent out by10.30am daily.

ROOM NO. Student

18 Easter TK

19 Jarrell R

3 Lar Say P

4 Caprice S

12 Crystal H

13 Jakobi P

14 Jayden TS

5 Caskade P

6 Charlie O

7 Tyler C

8 Jennifer B

9 Tahlia P

KFPS VALUES

Respect Teamwork Being Your

Best Responsibility

Principal Awards Congratulations to all of the students who

will receive a Principal Award this week for displaying Teamwork @ Kfps’.

Health & Safety, Late Pass & Absences Students who arrive late to school need to go to the office on arrival and collect a Pass which is to be handed to the class teacher. It is a parent responsibility to notify the school of

any Absences

Parents are required to inform the school if their

child is absent from school for any reason. Please phone 5447 5100 Press 1 for Absence line. Leave your child’s name, room number, date and reason for absence.

Times for the school day: 8:50am – 11:20am: Learning Session 1 11:20am: Eating time 11:30am – 12pm: 1st recess (30 minutes) 12pm – 1:30pm Learning Session 2 1:30-2pm: 2nd recess (30 minutes) 2:00pm – 3:00pm Learning session 3

CONTACTS @

kfps Principal: Kim Saddlier

Assistant Principal: Faye Martin

Business Manager: Maree Wayman

Administration: Ange Jobe

Music: Jessica Dellow

Art Studies: Sue Gloury

First Aid Officer: Tania Riddick

Library Hub: Julie Holt

Neighbourhood Leaders: Gumnut– Melissa Cusack /Brooke Cole Grevillea– Kate Novak Ironbark– Felicity Creighton Whirrakee– Carryn Hendy

Wellbeing Officer: Wendy Donaldson

School Chaplain: Rose Amy

Sports Program: Travis Colley

Canteen Manager: Rayelene Burns

School Council: (School Council meetings held every second Tuesday of the Month) School Council Members; Kim Saddlier (Executive Officer) Faye Martin Corey Gilmore Sally Coburn Jess Dellow Leticia Laurien (President) Brad Gould Amanda Hooley Lauren Marron Kristen Miller Verna Greenhalgh David Hunter Victoria Curnow Parent Club : Vice President: Amanda Hooley Secretary: Lauren Marron Treasurer Sharyn Holmes Parent Club meeting on the First Monday of the Month at 2.30pm in the Parent Clubroom near the Canteen. After School Care: YMCA Bendigo Central Booking: 5444 6666 Breakfast Club Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings commencing at 8.15am– 8.35am Help Lines: Nurse-On-Call (1300 60 60 24)

Lifeline (Ph 13 11 14)

Parentline (ph 13 22 89)

Kids Helpline (Ph 1800 55 1800)

Beyond Blue (Ph 1300 22 4636)

60-80 Olympic Parade, Kangaroo Flat 3555 Phone: 5447 5100 (Absence Message Service: 5447 5100 Press 1)

www.kangarooflatps.vic.edu.au Email address: kangaroo.flat.ps@education.vic.gov.au

KFPS Website

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you to the latest e-news. Go to:

https://www.kangarooflatps.vic.e

du.au

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