yarraville west primary school, no. 2832 family resource bookyarraville west primary school, no....
TRANSCRIPT
!!
!
!
Yarraville West Primary School, No. 2832
Family Resource Book Great Kids, Great School, Great Community
2016%YWPS%School%Council%November%2015%
i!!
CONTENTS A.! ABOUT%YARRAVILLE%WEST%PRIMARY%SCHOOL%.........................................................................%1!
Our!school!–!Great!Kids,!Great!School!...........................................................................................!1!Contact!details!...............................................................................................................................!1!
B.! CURRICULUM%.................................................................................................................%2!1.! Teaching%and%Learning%............................................................................................................%2!
The!School!Day!...............................................................................................................................!2!Structure!........................................................................................................................................!2!Organisation!of!the!Curriculum!......................................................................................................!2!Homework!......................................................................................................................................!2!Assessment!&!reporting!.................................................................................................................!3!Replacement!teachers!...................................................................................................................!3!NAPLAN!..........................................................................................................................................!3!Learning!Portfolios!.........................................................................................................................!4!Reports!...........................................................................................................................................!4!ParentKteacher!meetings!...............................................................................................................!4!
2.! Specialist%Programs%.................................................................................................................%4!Italian!.............................................................................................................................................!4!Information!technology/ICT!...........................................................................................................!4!The!Arts!..........................................................................................................................................!5!Music!..............................................................................................................................................!5!Library!............................................................................................................................................!5!PMP,!PE!and!sport!..........................................................................................................................!5!
3.! Extracurricular%Activities%.........................................................................................................%6!Excursions!and!incursions!..............................................................................................................!6!Camps!.............................................................................................................................................!6!Performance!...................................................................................................................................!6!Lunchtime!and!after!school!activities!............................................................................................!7!Wacky!walkathon!...........................................................................................................................!7!Social!service!..................................................................................................................................!7!
4.! Student%Wellbeing%..................................................................................................................%7!5.! Support,%Intervention%and%Extension%Programs%.......................................................................%8!
Student!behaviour!..........................................................................................................................!8!Integration!programs!.....................................................................................................................!8!Student!support!services!................................................................................................................!8!Reading!recovery!............................................................................................................................!9!Extension!programs!and!clubs!.......................................................................................................!9!
6.! Student%Voice%.........................................................................................................................%9!Junior!School!Council!.....................................................................................................................!9!ESmart!Ambassadors!.....................................................................................................................!9!Grade!Two!Voices!...........................................................................................................................!9!
C.! FACILITIES%....................................................................................................................%10!7.! Buildings%and%Grounds%..........................................................................................................%10!
Community!use!of!school!facilities!...............................................................................................!10!Working!bees!...............................................................................................................................!10!Mud!monsters!..............................................................................................................................!10!SmokeKfree!environment!.............................................................................................................!10!Dogs!.............................................................................................................................................!10!
D.! SCHOOL%EXPENSES%.........................................................................................................%11!E.! COMMUNITY%ENGAGEMENT%.............................................................................................%12!
ii!!
8.! Out%of%School%Hours%Care%......................................................................................................%12!9.! Working%in%Partnership%with%Families%....................................................................................%12!
School!Council!..............................................................................................................................!12!Family!involvement!......................................................................................................................!12!School!functions!...........................................................................................................................!13!
10.! Communications%...................................................................................................................%13!Electronic!communications!..........................................................................................................!13!Newsletters!..................................................................................................................................!13!Other!sources!of!information!.......................................................................................................!13!Information!nights!.......................................................................................................................!14!Access!to!teaching!staff!................................................................................................................!14!
11.! Health%...................................................................................................................................%14!Anaphylaxis!..................................................................................................................................!14!Illness!/!injury!at!school!................................................................................................................!14!Medications!..................................................................................................................................!15!Immunisation!certificates!............................................................................................................!15!Head!lice!management!................................................................................................................!15!Privacy!..........................................................................................................................................!15!School!nursing!program!...............................................................................................................!16!Toileting!.......................................................................................................................................!16!
12.! Safety%...................................................................................................................................%16!Absence!or!early!departure/late!arrival!.......................................................................................!16!Custody!and!access!......................................................................................................................!16!Emergency!procedures!................................................................................................................!16!Food!.............................................................................................................................................!16!Canteen!........................................................................................................................................!16!School!grounds!supervision!.........................................................................................................!17!Valuables!......................................................................................................................................!17!Visitors!onKsite!.............................................................................................................................!17!Working!with!Children!check!.......................................................................................................!17!
13.! Travelling%to%School%..............................................................................................................%17!Walking!........................................................................................................................................!17!Wheeling!–!bikes,!scooters!and!skateboards!...............................................................................!18!Parking!.........................................................................................................................................!18!
14.! School%Uniform%.....................................................................................................................%19!Dress!code!....................................................................................................................................!19!Lost!property!................................................................................................................................!19!PreKloved!Uniform!and!Changes!..................................................................................................!19!
15.! Prospective%Students%............................................................................................................%19!Enrolment!process!.......................................................................................................................!19!Open!night!....................................................................................................................................!20!School!tours!.................................................................................................................................!20!
16.! Transition%Programs%..............................................................................................................%20!Prep!program!...............................................................................................................................!20!IntraKclass!transitions!...................................................................................................................!20!Year!six!to!seven!...........................................................................................................................!20!
F.! SCHOOL%DATES%.............................................................................................................%21!17.! Term%dates%and%holidays%–%2016%............................................................................................%21!
StudentKfree!days!.........................................................................................................................!21!Other!important!dates!.................................................................................................................!21!
!
1!!
A. ABOUT YARRAVILLE WEST PRIMARY SCHOOL Our$school$–$Great$Kids,$Great$School$
Yarraville! West! Primary! School! (YWPS)! is! a! government! primary!school! located! in! one! of! Yarraville’s! quiet! residential! areas.! The!school! is! within! the! South! Western! Region! of! the! Department! of!Education!and!Training!(DET).!YWPS!has!served!the!schooling!needs!of! the! community! for! over! 110! years,! and! the! current! school!buildings!were!opened!in!1985.!!The!school!has!a!projected!student!population! of! 780! for! 2016! and! the! students! come! from! diverse!cultural,!ethnic!and!social/economic!backgrounds.!!Enrolments!at!the!school!have!been!increasing!over!the!past!few!years.!!!
We! constantly! strive! to! improve! and! extend! the! academic!achievements!of!our!students,!whilst! recognising!the! importance!of!social!skills,!problem!solving!and!being!creative!and!adaptable.!There!is!a!strong!focus!on!overall!student!wellbeing.!
Our! school! motto! is% Great% Kids,% Great% School,% Great% Community!!!We! are! proud! of! our! school,! and! proud! of! our! students.! Our! kids!have!a!history!of!success!in!a!wide!range!of!core!and!extracurricular!activities,! including! NAPLAN,! Mathletics,! student! film! competitions!(such! as! Screen! It),! the! Victorian! Model! Solar! Boat! Challenge,!Tournament! of! the! Minds,! Maths! Olympiad,! school! sporting!competitions,!and!numerous! individual!successes.!The!teaching!and!learning!practices!of!Yarraville!West!are!based!on!a!value!system!and!learning!framework!that!recognises:!
• Learning!develops!best!when!children!are!actively!engaged!in!their!own!learning;!• Learning!proceeds!at!many!different!rates;!• Learning!is!significantly!enhanced!within!a!safe!environment;!• Positive!teacher/learner!relationships!are!critical!if!effective!learning!is!to!take!place.!
The!achievements!of! the!school! rely!on!strong!relationships!between,!and! input! from,!all!members!of! the!school! community;! students,! staff! and! families.!We!all! contribute! to! the! safety,!wellbeing! and! success! of!YWPS!students.!Our!school!culture!is!inclusive!and!is!built!on!acceptance!and!respect,!as!exemplified!by!our!use! of! first! names! for! everyone! in! the! school! community.! We! embrace! the! School! Values! of! Respect,%Responsibility,%Resilience%and%Teamwork.!
This!booklet!has!been!developed!to!provide!a!resource!and!reference!for!families,!to! introduce!you!to!our!school! if! you! and! your! child/ren! are! just! beginning! your! educational! journey,! and! to! provide! an! ongoing!reference!as!your!journey!progresses.!It!identifies!where!and!how!you!can!help,!and!who!you!should!contact!for!further!information!or!regarding!specific!problems.!!
Welcome(to(YWPS.((
Contact$details$
30!Powell!St!(PO!Box!138)!Yarraville,!3013!Australia!Phone:!+613!9314!7714!Fax:!+613!9315!1663!Email:[email protected]!!!!!
Principal:!Carole!Tempany!Assistant!Principal!(Wellbeing):!Judy!Webster!Assistant!Principal!(Curriculum):!Sally!Emery!School!Council!President:!Jo!Sasse!(2015)!!Website:!www.ywps.vic.edu.au!!
2!!
B. CURRICULUM 1. Teaching and Learning The$School$Day$
Classes!at!YWPS!start!at!9:00am!every!morning,!and!finish!at!3:30pm.!Students!are!expected!to!be!at!their!classroom! in! time!to!be! inside!and!settled,! ready!to! learn!by!9:00am.!Breaks!are! taken!at!11–11:30am!for!first! break,! and! from! 1:40–2:30pm! for! the! second! break.! It! is! important! that! students! have! 2! reasonable!amounts!of!food!for!each!break,!an!extra!10!minutes!is!allocated!to!each!break!for!supervised!eating.!
On! some! days! specialists! will! start! at! 9am! in! your! child’s! grade! and! your! child! will! be! required! to! be!organised!to!quickly!move!to!the!specialist!setting!and!be!ready!for!the!lesson.!
Structure$
After!the!Prep!year,!classes!at!YWPS!are!generally!structured!as!composites;!and!the!teachers!of!each!level!work! in! teams!–! i.e.! Prep,!Gr!1–2,!Gr!3–4!and!Gr!5–6.!Composite! classes!provide!many!benefits,! allowing!childKcentred,!developmentally!appropriate!education!and!greater!development!of!coKoperation,! tolerance!and!leadership.!!
Organisation$of$the$Curriculum$
Our! purpose! is! to! engage! students! in! a! curriculum! that! focuses! on! developing! literate! and! numerate!students;!this!is!the!key!to!opening!the!doors!for!lifelong!learning.!
Teaching! Teams! work! together! to! plan! and! deliver! a! guaranteed! and! viable! curriculum.! Teams! use! the!Australian!curriculum! for!Victoria! (AusVELS)!as! the!basis! for! their!planning.!AusVELS!has!been!designed! to!ensure! that! schools! and! teachers! are! not! required! to! manage! two! different! curriculum! and! reporting!frameworks!during! the!development!of! the!Australian!Curriculum.! !AusVELS!defines!what! all! students! are!required! to! learn! from! Foundation! level! (Prep)! to! Year! 10! and! is! used! to! plan! teaching! and! learning!programs,!including!assessment!and!reporting!of!student!progress.!
As! a! staff! we! have! developed! framework! documents! to! ensure! clarity! of! the! curriculum.! From! these!documents!teams!develop!termly!curriculum!plans!to!cater!for!the!range!of!students!in!any!class.!!
At! YWPS!we!have!a! strong! coaching!program.!Our!Coaches!work!with! teams!when!developing! curriculum!plans!and!also!provide!mentoring!and! research!based!professional! learning.! ! Coaches!may!also!work!with!small!groups!of!students!for!targetted!teaching.!We!have!coaches!for!literacy,!numeracy!and!ICT.!
Inquiry! learning! is! focused!on!developing! informationKprocessing!and!problemKsolving!skills.! Inquiry!can!be!taught!through!all!areas!of!the!curriculum.!!The!emphasis!is!on!"how!we!come!to!know"!and!less!on!"what!we!know".!The! Inquiry!Curriculum! is!designed! to!enable!our! students! to!develop! lifelong!concepts,! rather!than!just!learning!about!topics.!An!example!of!this!would!be!a!Grade!1–2!class!learning!about!the!concepts!of!Identity!and!Culture!through!the!topic!of!Celebrations.!Humanities,!Civics!and!Citizenship,!Science,!Health!and!Information!and!Communication!Technology!are!key!areas!covered!in!our!inquiry!framework.!
For!further!information,!see:!http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/primary/Pages/stages.aspx!
Homework$
Homework! forms! part! of! the! teaching! and! learning! framework! at! YWPS.! It! provides! an! opportunity! for!parents! and! guardians! to! participate! in! their! child’s! education,! complements! and! reinforces! classroom!learning,!and!fosters!lifelong!study!habits.!!
The! homework! set! for! your! child!will! vary! depending! on! their! age.! The! degree! of! difficulty! and! length! of!homework!will!also!be!set!according! to! the!age!and!abilities!of! the!student.!Children!are!asked! to! read!at!home!from!Prep! to!Grade!6;!and!additional! tasks!are!set!as!appropriate.!For!example! in!Grade!1–2,! there!may!be!one!or!two!projects!set!throughout!the!year!for!completion!at!home!as!part!of!their!inquiry!learning!
3!!
unit.! !More! regular!homework!begins! in!Grade!3,!with! (usually)!weekly!practice!exercises! to!provide!your!child!with!opportunities! to!apply!new!knowledge,!or! to! review,! revise!and! reinforce!newly!acquired! skills.!These!may!include!maths!exercises,!spelling!practice,!writing!exercises!or!other!creative!tasks.!Students!on!learning!plans!will!have!separate!activities,!which!are!more!specifically!tailored!to!their!needs!but!will!still!fit!into!the!time!frame!of!homework!requirements.!
Additional! special! projects! are! also! set! at! different! times.! These!may! include! projects! for! Science!Week,!Literacy!Week!or!other!milestones!that!may!be!recognised!and!celebrated!by!the!school.!
It! is!expected!that!students!from!Prep!to!Grade!3!will!complete!up!to!30!minutes!of!homework!per!school!day.!
It!is!expected!that!students!from!Grade!4!to!6!will!complete!up!to!45!minutes!of!homework!per!school!day.!
Families!can!help!their!child/ren!with!homework!by:!• encouraging!a!regular!daily!time!to!examine!and!complete!homework;!• discussing!key!questions!or!suggest!resources!to!help!with!homework;!• helping!to!balance!the!amount!of!time!spent!between!homework!and!recreational!activities;!• asking!how!homework!and!class!work!is!progressing!and!acknowledge!success;!• attending!school!events,!productions!or!displays!your!child!is!involved!in;!• talking!to!teachers!to!discuss!problems!with!homework;!• checking!whether!homework!has!been!set;!and/or!• discussing! homework! with! your! child! in! their! first! language! (if! English! is! not! the! main! language!
spoken!at!home).!
For!further!information!see!our!homework!policy!http://ywps.vic.edu.au/YWPS/Documents_Notes.html!
Assessment$&$reporting$
Assessment!and!reporting!are!an!integral!part!of!the!learning!framework!at!YWPS,!and!have!the!primary!aim!of!improving!student!performance.!Assessment!is!a!vital!process!to!provide!information!about!what!students!know! and! can! do,! and! to!make! recommendations! for! their! future! learning.! Teachers! can! then! report! to!parents!and!guardians!on!how!far!their!child!has!progressed!during!the!year,!where!they!are!compared!to!the!relevant!standards,!and!what!the!student,!the!family!and!the!teacher!need!do!to!improve!the!student's!performance.!
Assessment!is!ongoing!at!YWPS;!and!includes!diagnostic!assessments,!student!selfKassessment,!and!a!range!of!formal!assessments,!such!as!NAPLAN.!Reporting!is!just!as!comprehensive,!comprising!learning!portfolios,!formal! school! reports,! and! parent! teacher!meetings! twice! a! year.! ! Parents! are! also! encouraged! to!make!appointments!with!teachers!to!discuss!concerns!as!they!arise.!
Replacement$teachers$
At!times!during!the!year,!class!and!specialist! teachers!will!be!absent.!This!may!be!due!to! illness,!approved!leave,!training!or!professional!development.!Casual!Relief!Teachers!will!normally!replace!absent!teachers.!!
NAPLAN$$
The!National!Assessment!Program!–!Literacy!and!Numeracy!(NAPLAN)!is!an!annual!assessment!of!students!in!Years!3,!5,!7!and!9.!NAPLAN!tests!essential!skills,!such!as!reading,!writing,!spelling,!grammar!and!numeracy.!The!assessments!are!undertaken!nationwide,!every!year,!in!the!second!full!week!in!May.!Children!are!tested!in! four! areas! (‘domains’)! –! specifically,! reading,! writing,! language! conventions! (spelling,! grammar! and!punctuation)!and!numeracy.!!
Overall!school!results!are!reported!publicly,!with!reference!to!similar!schools,!through!the!MySchool!website!(http://www.myschool.edu.au/).!
NAPLAN! tests! are! one! aspect! of! the! school's! assessment! and! reporting! process,! and! do! not! replace! the!extensive,!ongoing!assessments!made!by!teachers!about!each!student's!performance.!
4!!
Learning$Portfolios$
At!YWPS,!examples!of!student!work!and!accomplishments!are!collated!in!a!learning!portfolio.! !Prep!to!two!children! will! bring! home! a! learning! portfolio! in! the! form! of! a! book.! ! Children! in! Grades! 3–6! may! have!selected! pieces! presented! in! hard! copy! and! some!presented! digitally,! as! appropriate.! ! Learning! portfolios!come!home!once!a!term!and!enable!families!to!share!and!reflect!on!the!achievements!of!their!child.!!Parents!have!an!opportunity!to!provide!feedback!to!both!their!child!and!the!class!teacher.!
Learning!portfolios!are!also!an!essential!resource!enabling!an!effective!transition!between!year!levels.!!The!current! portfolio! is! transferred! to! the! next! year’s! teacher! to! ensure! continuity! of! learning.! ! The! learning!portfolio!is!returned!to!the!child!to!keep,!in!the!first!part!of!the!new!year.!
Reports$$
You!will! receive!a!written! report! from!your!child’s! teacher!at! the!end!of!each!semester! (i.e.!at! the!end!of!Term!2!and!Term!4).!The!YWPS!reports!follow!a!common!format!and!are!written!in!plain!English!to!provide!you! with! a! clear! picture! of! your! child's! progress.! They! are! consistent! with! the! Victorian! Government!guidelines,!and!your!child’s!progress! should!be! reported! in! the!same!way!and!against! the!same!statewide!standards!from!Prep!to!Year!10.!
ParentFteacher$meetings$
Formal!parentKteacher!meetings!are!held!twice!a!year!at!YWPS.!The!first! is!held!early! in!Term!1,!and! is!an!opportunity!for!teachers!to!meet!parents!or!guardians!to!discuss!the!learning!and!social!needs!of!your!child.!The!second!is!held!at!the!end!of!term!2,!and!provide!an!opportunity!for!teachers!to!report!on!your!child’s!progress.!Other!parentKteacher!meetings!can!be!arranged!by!appointment!as!required.!
2. Specialist Programs Italian$
At!YWPS!we!teach!Italian!as!our!Language!Other!Than!English!(LOTE).!!We!understand!the!importance!of!our!students! learning! another! language.! ! In! learning! a! language,! students! develop! communication! skills! and!knowledge!and!come!to!understand!social!and!historical!aspects!of!the!specific!country.!!Language!learning!contributes!to!the!development!of!culturally!aware!citizens!at!a!time!of!rapid!and!deep!globalisation.! !This!program! is! implemented! across! all! year! levels! with! maximum! time! provided! to! our! senior! classes.! ! The!program!focuses!on!language!and!cultural!learning.!!
Information$technology/ICT$
The!knowledge,!skills!and!behaviours!that!are!developed!through!specialist!ICT!classes!enable!students!to:!• develop!new!thinking!and!learning!skills!that!produce!creative!and!innovative!insights;!• develop!more!productive!ways!of!working!and!solving!problems!individually!and!collaboratively;!• create!information!products!that!demonstrate!their!understanding!of!concepts,!issues,!relationships!
and!processes;!• express!themselves!in!contemporary!and!socially!relevant!ways;!• communicate!locally!and!globally!to!solve!problems!and!to!share!knowledge;!• understand!the!implications!of!the!use!of!ICT!and!their!social!and!ethical!responsibilities!as!users!of!
ICT.!
In!ICT,!students!focus!on!the!task!to!be!accomplished!rather!than!on!the!technology!they!are!using!to!do!the!work.! Through! the! selection! and! application! of! appropriate! equipment,! techniques! and! procedures,! they!process!data!and!information!to!present!information!in!forms!that!are!meaningful!for!themselves!and!their!audience.! These! presentations! demonstrate! their! knowledge! and! understanding! of! the! concepts,! issues,!relationships!and!processes!that!are!the!subject!of!the!task.!
5!!
YWPS!has!Digital!Technology!Agreements!that!apply!to!different!levels!of!the!school:!P–2,!Gr!3–4!and!Gr!5–6.!At! the! beginning! of! each! level,! families! are! asked! to! read! through! the! agreement!with! their! children! and!return!a!signed!copy!to!school!to!be!kept!on!file!while!the!child!is!in!that!level.!!
The$Arts$
At!YWPS,!children!are!given!opportunities! to!explore!personal! interests!and!develop!skills,!knowledge!and!understanding! relevant! to! specific! arts! forms! and! disciplines! in! a! range! of! ways.! During! their! schooling,!students!at!YWPS!develop!knowledge!and!skills,!increase!their!ability!to!explore,!manipulate!and!apply!these!ideas! in!different!combinations!and!contexts! in!order!to!realise!their!own!ideas!and!better!understand!the!techniques,!products!and!performances!of!others.!
Lunchtime$art$Extra!sessions!are!an!optional!activity!for!any!student,!and!provided!at!Lunchtime!by!a!Specialist!Art!Teacher!to! allow! for! children! to! pursue! their! interest! in! Art! and! further! develop! their! skills.! Examples! of! previous!activities!provided!in!these!sessions!include!participation!in!The!International!Global!Arts!Project!and!School!Outdoor!Displays.!
YWPS!holds!an!annual!art!show!(usually!at!the!end!of!Term!3)!with!art!work!from!all!classes!displayed.!This!celebration!of!the!artistic!achievements!of!our!students!is!one!of!the!highlights!of!our!school!year.!!
Music$
All!teachers!provide!music!lessons!within!their!classroom!program!to!develop!skills!such!as!beat,!rhythm,!and!pitch.!
All! Grade! 2! students! learn! keyboards! in! a!weekly! group! lesson!with! a! specialist! teacher,! culminating! in! a!concert!at!the!end!of!the!year.!This!gives!every!child!the!opportunity!to!experience!music,!at!a!stage!that!is!ideal!for!skill!acquisition.!
A!privately! run! instrumental!music!program! (Yarraville!West!Music!Program)! is! run! throughout! the! school!day!and!is!offered!to!any!child!in!Grades!2–6.!It! is!coordinated!by!Paul!Holleman!and!delivered!by!him!and!his!teaching!team!(http://mdiart.com/jadidawp/ywmp/).!They!offer!tuition!in!areas!such!as!keyboard/piano,!singing,!ukulele,!guitar,!recorder!and!drums.!The!program’s!approach!to!music!teaching!is!student!led!–!find!out!how/what! the! student! learns!most!easily!and! tailor! lessons!accordingly,!with! the!primary!objective!of!ensuring!that!playing!music! is!enjoyable.!Ensemble!and! individual!public!performances!and!a!CD!recording!towards!the!end!of!the!year!are!a!special!feature!of!the!program.!Tuition!costs!vary!according!to!the!duration!of! the! lesson! and! whether! they! are! individual! or! in! groups.! Enrolment! information! is! available! from! the!School!Office.!
Library$
Each! class! has! a! weekly! class! in! the! library,! where! they! are! able! to! borrow! a! book! (as! long! as! the! one!borrowed!previously!has!been!returned).!Lost!books!can!be!paid!for!at!the!library.!
PMP,$PE$and$sport$
Physical!Education!(PE)!is!part!of!the!Physical,!Personal!and!Social!Learning!Domain.!Preps!have!PE!with!their!class!teacher!as!well!as!a!60!minute!PMP!(Perceptual!Motor!Program)!session!with!a!PE! teacher.!Grade!1!–!6! children!have!a!weekly!60!minute!PE! lesson!with!a!PE!teacher.!
A! PE! lesson! enables! the! development! of! the! fundamental! motor! skills! (e.g.!catching,! striking)! through! direct! teacher! assisted! activity! stations! in! the! junior!classes,!through!to!using!these!skills! in!minor!and!major!games!in!the!middle!and!senior! years.! Complementary! skills! that! are! also! included! in! the! program! are!skipping,! gymnastics! and! dance.! The! focus! is! on! the! children! “having! a! go”,!enjoyment,!working!with!others!and!at!times!being!part!of!a!team.!Being!a!“good!
6!!
sport”!is!paramount!and!celebrated.!Please!remember!that!your!child!needs!to!be!dressed!comfortably!for!PE/Sport.!Jeans!or!jean!shorts!restrict!movement!and!dresses!and!tunics!are!inappropriate,!especially!when!we!do!gymnastics.!School!sports!shorts!are!available!as!part!of!the!uniform.!Children!also!need!supportive!runners,!and!black!soled!shoes!should!be!avoided!on!sports!days!as!they!leave!black!marks!on!the!Hall!floor.!
PE!includes!participation!in!an!intensive!9Kday!Water!Safety!Program.!This!is!held!as!early!as!possible!in!the!year!for!Grades!1!–!6,!and!in!Term!4!for!Preps.!It!is!run!at!the!Maribyrnong!Aquatic!Centre!and!is!supervised!by!swim!centre!staff.!Children!are!divided!into!skillsKbased!groups,!to!work!through!Levels!1–7!of!the!Swim!and!Survive!Program.!Swim!and!Survive!provides!a!broad,!balanced!program!of!swimming,!water!safety!and!survival!skills.!It!focuses!on!swimming!technique,!water!safety,!water!confidence,!survival!and!endurance.!!
The!requirements!for!each!level!are!on!the!school!website!(http://www.ywps.vic.edu.au/YWPS/About_Us.html).!The!level!that!your!child!is!at!is!reported!in!your!child’s!midKyear!(Gr!1–6)!or!end!of!year!(Prep)!report.!!
Sport$There!are! several! sports!events!over! the!year! that!are!overseen!by!State!Sport!Victoria.! !This! is!organised!through! District! and! Regional! secretaries! and! coordinators.! There! are! five! levels! to! school! sport:! school,!district,! division,! region! and! State.!We! are! in! the! Yarraville! District,!Maribyrnong!Division,! South!Western!Region,! State! of! Victoria.! The! other! schools! in! the! Yarraville! district! are! Footscray! City,! Kingsville! and!Wembley.!
Children!from!Grades!3–6!have!the!opportunity!to!participate! in!District,!Region!and!State!competitions! in!swimming,!cross!country!and!athletics.!All!Grade!5–6!children!participate!in!winter!and!summer!interschool!team!sports.!These!are!usually!organised!as!a!winter!and!summer!gala!day,!with!children!nominating!for!one!sport!each!season.!Preference!is!given!to!Grade!6!children!for!their!choice!of!sport.!!
There!are!opportunities!in!other!sports!too,!including!basketball!and!lacrosse,!and!District!trials!are!held!for!a!variety!of! team!sports! for!talented!Grade!5–6!children.!Please!visit!our!school!and!read!the!newsletter! for!further!explanation!about!the!swimming!carnival,!Athletics!carnival!and!Interschool!sport!and!opportunities!to!participate!in!representative!sports.!
There! is!a!notice!board! in! the!middle!area!of! the!school!which! is! regularly!updated!profiling!PE!and!Sport!activities!in!the!school.!
3. Extracurricular Activities Excursions$and$incursions$
Excursions! and! incursions! are! planned! and! conducted! throughout! the! year! to! support! our! curriculum.! All!students!are!expected! to! take!part! in! these!experiences.!Permission!notes!signed!by!parents/guardian!are!required!for!any!out!of!school!activity!and!are!sent!home!with!students!for!signing!(and!increasingly!being!made!available!on!the!school!website).!A!general!permission!form!is!held!at!the!office!for!local!excursions.!The!cost!of!these!activities!is!included!in!the!itemised!payment!request!issued!at!the!beginning!of!the!year.!!
Camps$
Children! from!Grade!2!have! the!opportunity! to! attend! school! camps.! This! is! a! very! important!part! of!our!Personal!Development!program!and!all!children!are!encouraged!to!attend.!Children!in!Prep!&!Grade!1!have!an!“Evening!of!Fun”!which!usually!involves!a!BBQ,!disco!and!entertainment.!
Performance$
Class$plays$and$performances$The!performing!arts!(music,!dance!and!drama)!are!incorporated!into!classroom!activities!by!teachers.!These!activities!often!support!current!areas!of!inquiry!and!students!are!encouraged!to!participate!and!present!their!understanding!through!the!performing!arts.!Other!opportunities!for!productions!and!performances!include!
7!!
the! Grade! 5–6! puppet! plays! and! Screen! It,! for! example,! which! are! activities! that! are! supported! by! the!teacher!but!wholly!controlled!by!interested!student!groups.!
School$concert$One!of!the!highlights!of!the!school!calendar!is!the!endKofKyear!school!concert,!where!all!students!perform!a!short!item!with!their!classmates.!
Lunchtime$and$after$school$activities$
There!are!a!broad!range!of!extracurricular!activities!available!at!lunchtime,!or!in!some!cases!after!school,!for!interested!students.!These!include:!
• Junior!and!Senior!choir! (with!practices!held!at! lunchtime!and!a! range!of!performances! in!both! the!school!and!broader!community!throughout!the!year);!
• the!library!is!open!daily!at!second!break:!• solar!boat!program!(an!after!school!program!for!students!interested!in!building!a!solar!boat!to!enter!
into!the!Victorian!Model!Solar!Vehicle!Challenge!at!Scienceworks!in!October);!!• lunch!time!art;!• running!club;!• Hoop!time!(basketball);!• Mathletics;!• knitting!club;!• verandah!games;!• netball;!!• keyboards;!• Lego!club;!• face!painting!group.!
Wacky$walkathon$
The!Wacky!Walkathon!is!an!annual!event!where!the!YWPS!community!raises!funds!for!our!school!in!a!happy!and!healthy!way.!It!is!a!fun,!nonKcompetitive!event!where!students!are!encouraged!to!simply!do!their!best.!Students!dress!up!in!their!‘wackiest’!outfits!and!walk!laps!of!the!oval.!They!ask!people!to!sponsor!them!for!every!lap!they!complete.!Once!the!Walkathon!is!over,!the!children!come!home!with!a!certificate!indicating!the!number!of! laps!they!have!completed.!They!then!collect!the!pledged!donation!from!their!sponsors!and!bring!the!money!back!to!school.!It!is!a!funKfilled!community!event!and!is!certainly!one!of!the!highlights!of!the!year!!
Social$service$
YWPS! encourages! social! awareness! in! our! students! and! the! school! community.! The! school! usually!contributes!to!fundraisers!such!as!the!Royal!Children's!Hospital!Good!Friday!Appeal,!Red!Nose!Day!and!State!School's!Relief!fund.!!The!Junior!School!Council!also!identifies!other!causes!for!fundraising!(such!as!the!Black!Saturday!Bushfire!Appeal!etc.).!A!percentage!of! the!Wacky!Walkathon!proceeds!each!year!are!donated! to!State!Schools!Relief!to!support!needy!families.!UniformKfree!days!are!held!regularly!to!raise!money!by!gold!coin!donation!to!support!camp!access!for!all!families.!!
4. Student Wellbeing Student!wellbeing!has!a!high!priority!within!the!school,!focusing!on!our!school!values!of!Respect,!Resilience,!Responsibility! and! Teamwork.! Wellbeing! is! the! responsibility! of! the! whole! school! community! and! is!embedded!throughout!the!school,!both!in!our!curriculum!and!extra!curricula!activities.!We!focus!on!positive!education,!combining!academic!skills,!social!skills,!emotional!regulation!and!resilience.!
eSmart:! ! YWPS! is! an! eSmart! school.! ! Designed! for! Australian! schools,! eSmart! is! an! initiative! of! the!Alannah!and!Madeline!Foundation.!!eSmart!is!a!system!to!help!schools!reduce!bullying!and!cyberbullying!and!
8!!
to!promote!cybersafety.! ! In!eSmart!schools,!social!and!emotional!skills!are!taught,!relationships!are!strong!and!supportive,!and!learning!outcomes!are!enhanced.!!Bullying!and!cyberbullying!are!therefore!less!likely!to!thrive.!
Programs:%We!incorporate!explicit!programs!such!as!Bounce!Back,!a!Buddy!program,!other!studentKled! initiatives,! regular! incursions! for! students! and! information! sessions! for! parents.! ! Bounce! Back! is! a!Wellbeing!and!Resilience!Program.!!We!teach!standKalone!lessons!and/or!build!it!into!our!Inquiry!curriculum.!!Our! Buddy! program! ensures! that! every! child! in! the! school! is! matched! with! an! older! or! younger! buddy.!!Recent! incursions! for! students! have! included! the! Life! Education! Van! and!wellbeing! focused! performance!from!Brainstorm!Productions.! !Recent!parent! sessions!have! included!Cybersafety! (2014)!and!Parenting! for!Resilience!(2013).!
In%the%Classroom:%Students!are!given!frequent!opportunities!to!work!cooperatively!with!others,!which!helps!to!foster!a!sense!of!wellbeing!in!the!classroom.!Teachers!at!YWPS!have!collaborated!to!define!the!key!principles! of! effective! classroom! management! at! our! school.! We! believe! in! Respect,! Organisation,!Consistency,!Routine,!Positivity,!Engagement!and!Expectation.!
In%the%Playground:!In!the!playground!we!aim!to!reinforce!positive!relationships!and!positive!emotions.!We!have!a!number!of!lunchtime!activities,!the!Buddy!program,!initiatives!such!as!the!‘Friendship!Stop’!and!teachers!on!yard!duty!who!are!always!there!to!help!sort!out!problems!or!just!have!a!chat!!
Friendship%Groups/Special%Arts%Groups/SOLART%Groups:%Students!who!are!having!difficulty!building!and! maintaining! positive! social! relationships! can! be! nominated! by! their! teachers! to! participate! in! these!special! small! focus! groups.! ! These! groups! aim! to! foster! positive! relationships! and! resilience! through!appropriate!behaviour!and!pragmatic! language.!The!SOLART! (Student!Owned!Learning!and!Research!Task)!initiative!involves!small!groups!of!student!working!together%to!promote!wellbeing!across!the!school.!Recent!projects!have!included!a!short!film!about!kindness,!a!music!video!about!‘playing!by!the!rules’!and!a!brochure!about!bullying!produced!for!the!students,!by!the!students.!
5. Support, Intervention and Extension Programs Student$behaviour$
YWPS! has! a! comprehensive! approach! to! student! behaviour!management! and!welfare.! It! is! based! on! the!expectation!that!children!have!the!right!to!be!safe!and!secure!at!all!times!and!that!the!school!will!maintain!a!culture!of!mutual!trust!and!respect.!We!aim!to!cultivate!a!strong!sense!of!pride!in!our!school,!our!teachers!and! our! children.! For! more! information! on! this,! please! see! our! Student! Engagement! Policy!(http://ywps.vic.edu.au/YWPS/Documents_Notes_files/EngagementPolicy.pdf).!!
Integration$programs$
YWPS!has!an!inclusive!policy!for!students!with!disabilities.!!There!are!a!number!of!students!attending!YWPS!who!have!disabilities!but!who!are!able!to!work!successfully!within!the!mainstream!school!setting!with!some!extra!support.!!Our!staff!work!closely!with!the!families!to!provide!the!best!educational!opportunities!for!all!students.!!Outside!services!also!assist!the!school!to!best!cater!for!children!with!special!needs.!!These!include!the!Outreach!Teacher!from!the!Western!Autistic!School!who!regularly!visits!the!school!to!work!with!children!and!class!teachers.!
The! staff! at! YWPS! have! ongoing! opportunities! for! professional! learning! to! help! cater! for! students! with!disabilities.!
Student$support$services$
The!South!Western!Region!provides! targeted!professional! support! to!students!based!on! referrals! received!through! individual! schools.! Class! teachers! are! able! to! refer! students! in! their! class! to! the! school! support!services.!!Referrals!are!made!after!discussion!with!the!Assistant!Principal!(Welfare)!and!the!family.!!Parents!must!sign!a!parent!consent!form.!!!
9!!
Educational% Psychologist:! ! Works! at! YWPS! for! 3! days! per! fortnight.! ! The! psychologist! works! with!teachers,! children! and! families! helping! with! social! and! emotional! issues,! anxiety,! challenging! behaviour!issues!and!identifying!learning!difficulties.!The!psychologist!also!works!with!teachers!to!provide!strategies!to!assist!students!with!a!disability.!
Speech%Pathologist:! !Works!at!YWPS!for!one!day!each!week.!!The!speech!pathologist!works!with!the!Prep!teachers!to!identify!any!of!our!new!preps!with!articulation!and!language!development!difficulties.!The!speech!pathologist!also!provides!individual!therapy!sessions!and/or!group!sessions!for!identified!students.!!!
The!support!provided!by!the!educational!psychologist!and!the!speech!pathologist!within!our!school!is!short!term.!!Follow!up!or!review!sessions!occur!as!needed.!
At!times!during!their!schooling,!some!students!need!extra!support!to!master!skills!and!concepts,!or!in!their!personal!development.!YWPS! identifies!students! in!need!through!the!ongoing!observation!and!assessment!made! by! teachers,! and! has! a! range! of! programs! to! assist! such! students.! Any! concerns! families!may! have!about!their!child!should!be!raised!initially!with!the!classroom!teacher.!
Reading$recovery$
Reading! Recovery! is! a! shortKterm,! intensive! early! literacy! acceleration! program! which! helps! students! in!Year!1!who!have!not!yet!established!effective! reading!and!writing! skills.!Students! receive!a!series!of!daily,!individual,!thirtyKminute!Reading!Recovery!lessons!from!a!specially!trained!teacher!in!addition!to!the!regular!classroom!reading!and!writing!program,!with!followKup!support!from!home.!
Extension$programs$and$clubs$
A!range!of!opportunities!are!available!both!within!the!school!and!through!external!organisations!to!provide!challenging! and! enriching! activities! and! experiences! to! highly! able! children.! These! include! the! Maths!Olympiad,! GATEWAYs! programs,! the! Tournament! of! the! Minds! competition! and! structured! learning!opportunities!to!develop!and!extend!children!working!significantly!above!the!expected!level.!!
6. Student Voice At!YWPS!we!want!our! students! to!have!a!voice.! ! There!are!a!number!of!groups!across! the! school! to!help!facilitate!this.!
Junior$School$Council$
There! is!an!active!JSC!operating!at!YWPS.! !Student!representatives!from!every!Grade!3–6!class!are!elected!each! year! by! their! classmates! and! form! the! JSC.! ! The! JSC!members!meet!weekly! and! are! supported! by! a!teacher! to!discuss! current! school! issues,!projects!and! to!organise!particular!events.! ! The! JSC!organise!and!host!the!school!assemblies!that!are!held!throughout!the!year,!and!arrange!fundraising!events!and!activities!at! specific! times!during! the!year! such!as!National! Literacy!and!Numeracy!Week,!Education!Week!and!Arts!Week.!
eSmart$Ambassadors$
The!eSmart!Ambassadors!are!a!group!of!students!who!are!able!to!offer!their!expertise!in!matters!related!to!both! technology! and!wellbeing.! ! They! help! develop! guidelines! around! the! use! of! technology! and! provide!opinions!and!suggestions!on!how!to!make!our!school!a!safe!and!happy!place!for!everyone.!
Grade$Two$Voices$
Starting!in!2014,!the!Grade!Two!Voices!are!a!groups!of!students!who!meet!two!or!three!times!a!term!to!talk!about!issues!that!affect!the!younger!members!of!our!school!community.!
10!!
C. FACILITIES 7. Buildings and Grounds Community$use$of$school$facilities$
The!multiKpurpose!hall!is!available!for!hire!by!the!local!community,!with!priority!given!to!regular!bookings!by!users!that!need!access!to!the!hall’s!specialty!sports!facilities.!Community!groups!that!wish!to!use!the!hall!or!other!spaces!at!the!school!should!complete!a!Booking!Request!Form,!available!from!the!office.!
Working$bees$
Working!bees!are!held!as!required.!Attendance!is!not!compulsory,!but!families!who!can!spare!some!time!are!encouraged! to!attend.!Details!of!working!bees!are!publicised! through! the!Newsletter.! If! you!would! like! to!coordinate!a!working!bee,!contact!the!school.!
Mud$monsters$
Much!of!the!improvement! in!the!school!grounds!is!thanks!to!this!program.!All!Prep!students!participate!in!the! Mud! Monsters! program.! Classes! spend! one! hour! a! week! for! eight! weeks! in! the! school! gardens,!participating!in!‘handsKon’!learning.!They!learn!about!seeds,!growing!fruit!and!vegetables,!composting,!worm!farms!and!the!natural!cycles!of! life,!with!an!emphasis!on!sustainable! living.!The!Mud!Monsters!program!is!run! by! parent! volunteers,! supported! by! classroom! teachers.! Families,! including! younger! siblings,! can!participate.!!
SmokeFfree$environment$
Smoking!is!prohibited!by!law!in!the!school!buildings,!grounds!and!within!four!metres!of!school!entrances.%
Dogs$
YWPS!is!a!dogKfriendly!school,!but!dogs!that!are!brought!to!school!must!be!on!a!leash!and!under!the!control!of!an!adult.!Children!should!not!be!left!in!control!of!their!pets.!Please!make!sure!that!all!dogs!are!on!a!short!leash!so!that!they!cannot!frighten!any!of!our!children.!Large,!intimidating,!loud!or!unruly!dogs!are!best!left!at!home.!
11!!
D. SCHOOL EXPENSES Most!of! the!costs!of! schooling!are!covered!by!government! funding,!but!all! schools! request!payment! from!parents!and!guardians!for!educational!items!and!services.!At!YWPS,!payment!for!essential!education!items,!excursions/incursions/water!safety/special!events!and!voluntary!contributions!is!sought.!
An! itemised! payment! request! for! the! current! school! year! is! issued! early! in! Term! 1.! YWPS! seeks! to! avoid!requests!for!additional!payments!throughout!the!year!(e.g.!for!excursions!or!sport!etc.)!by!including!most!of!these!costs!in!the!payment!request!distributed!at!the!start!of!each!year.!School!photographs!and!camp!fees!are!invoiced!separately.!
The! Essential( Education( Items! payment! helps! fund! items! for! all! children! at! all! year! levels! and! includes!classroom! requisites! such! as! exercise! books,! pens,! pencils,! rulers,! erasers,! photocopying,! craft! materials,!Learning! Portfolio,! cooking! ingredients! and! other! general! supplies! for! all! classes.! The! payment! also!contributes! to! the! costs! of! leasing! resources! and! equipment! for! all! specialist! programs! across! the! school,!including!ICT,!Music,!Art,!Physical!Education!and!the!Mathletics!Program.!
The( Excursion/Incursion/Special( Events( and( Water( Safety! payment! covers! all! incursions! and! excursions!across! the! school,! Special! Events! such! as! the! Life! Education! Program! and! Italian! performances,! and! the!Water!Safety!Program.!
The! Voluntary( Contributions! payment! makes! an! important! contribution! to! the! development! of! our!playground!and!identified!projects!to!improve!the!facilities!for!your!children,!as!well!as!shade!structures!and!equipment.!We!are!continually!upgrading!and!developing!our!grounds!to!provide!a!stimulating!and!engaging!place!for!our!children!to!play.!
An!additional!Sport/Buses!payment!applies!to!Grade!5–6!children!to!cover!the!costs!of!buses!to!interschool!sporting!activities.!YWPS!has!a!policy!of!only!hiring!buses!with!seatbelts.!
Family!Finance!Statements!are!sent!out!via!the!children!early!in!Term!1.!!All!school!fees!are!to!be!paid!in!full!by! the! end! of! Term! 1.! Discounts! apply! to! the! third! and! subsequent! children! concurrently! attending! the!school.!
Payment! can! be! by! cash,! cheque! or! BPay.! If! you! decide! to! pay! by! BPay! the! details! are! on! your! family!statement.!!The!biller!code!is!the!Department!of!Education,!the!reference!number!contains!Yarraville!West!Primary!School!number!and!your!unique!family!identification.!!Retain!these!for!further!payments.!Please!be!aware!that!the!school!does!not!receive!any!reference!you!may!type!in!and!therefore!all!BPay!payments!are!allocated!to!the!oldest!outstanding!fee.!
If!you!are!not!able!to!pay!the!fees!by!the!end!of!Term!1!you!can!arrange!a!Payment!Plan!with!the!Business!Manager! (Chris).! Payment! plans! are! tailored! to! suit! individual! family! needs.! ! If! you! have! any! queries!regarding!finance,!please!call!Chris!on!93147714.!
School!Expenses!for!2016!are!• $540.00!per!Prep!–!Grade!4!child!• $570.00!per!Grade!5/6!child!
! !
12!!
E. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 8. Out of School Hours Care A!before!and!after!school!program!operates!from!the!OSHC!office!in!the!Hall!at!the!Anderson!St!end!of!the!school.!The!program!is!fully!supervised!and!is!for!the!use!of!families!who!need!it.!Both!permanent!and!casual!bookings!can!be!made.!The!YWPS!OSHC!program!is!an!accredited!Child!Care!Provider.!Enrolment!forms!are!available! from! the! School! Office! and! further! information! can! be! obtained! by! contacting! the! coordinator!(Tracey)!on!9314!9738.!
The!morning!program!begins!at!6:30am!and!the!afternoon!session!ends!at!6:00!pm.!Care!is!also!available!on!studentKfree!days!in!term!time.!
9. Working in Partnership with Families School$Council$
The!School!Council!is!a!formal!body!that!operates!under!Ministerial!Orders,!within!the!legislative!framework!of!the!Victorian!government!school!system.!It!is!the!major!governing!body!of!the!school.!Its!role!is!to!support!the!principal!in!providing!the!best!possible!educational!outcomes!for!students.!School!Council!is!responsible!for!overseeing!the!school’s!annual!budget!and!financial!operation;!developing,!monitoring!and!reporting!the!school! strategic! plan;! and! developing,! reviewing! and! updating! policies! that! reflect! a! school’s! values! and!support!the!school’s!broad!direction.!!
The!YWPS!School!Council! comprises!7!parent!members,! 4!DET!employee!members! and!a! community! (coKopted)!member!as!required.!
Councillors!serve!twoKyear!terms,!and!nominations!for!parent!member!vacancies!(3!or!4!positions!each!year)!are!due!in!February–March!each!year.!An!election!is!only!held!if!more!people!nominate!as!candidates!than!there! are! positions! vacant.! ! Enthusiastic! parents! or! guardians! who! want! to! help! improve! the! learning!outcomes!for!all!students!are!welcome!to!nominate!for!School!Council.!All!parents!or!guardians!of!students!enrolled!at!the!school!are!eligible!to!vote.!
Family$involvement$
Family! involvement! in! school! activities! is! encouraged! and! welcomed.! Approach! your! child’s! classroom!teacher!about!ways!in!which!you!might!be!able!to!assist!in!the!classroom!and!in!the!school!in!general.!If!you!have!any!particular!skills!(art,!craft,!sport,!music,!science,!technology!etc)!you!would!like!to!share!with!our!children,!please!let!us!know.!We!would!love!to!use!your!talents!to!enhance!the!learning!opportunities!of!our!children.!Families!can!also!support!the!school!through:!
• Help! in! classrooms! (teachers!will! often! call! on! families! to! help!with! classroom!activities,! including!listening!to!students!as!they!read);!
• Fresh!Fruit!Fridays!(cut!fruit!and!deliver!to!classrooms!on!Fridays);!• Helping!with! School! Banking,! a! service! run! by! volunteers! for! the! students,!with! support! from! the!
Commonwealth!Bank.!School!Banking!is!currently!operated!before!school!on!a!Tuesday;!!!• Helping!with!Book!Club,!a!program!organised!by!a!volunteer!and!supported!by!Scholastic!publishing.!
Books!and!related!products!(usually!discounted)!ordered!by!students!through!book!club!are!matched!by!rewards!providing!additional!resources!for!the!school;!
• Assisting!with!sport!(PMP,!Swimming,!Athletics!and!other!sporting!events!need!helpers!both!to!help!host!events!and!to!train!our!kids);!
• Supporting!school!events!(setKup,!cleanKup,!or!take!a!half!hour!shift!on!the!BBQ);!• Working!bees!(held!a!few!times!a!year,!watch!the!Newsletter);!• School!council!and!subKcommittees!(elections!for!twoKyear!terms!held!annually!in!March,!as!notified!
in!the!Newsletter);!
13!!
• Mud! Monsters! (a! group! of! volunteers! coordinating! a! whole! range! of! gardening! activities! and!education);!or!
• Fundraising!(fundraising!events!are!held!throughout!the!year,!including!a!Trivia!Night).!
School$functions$
A!number!of!school!functions!are!held!throughout!the!year,!with!members!of!the!broader!school!community!invited.! At! these! events,! families! are! responsible! for! the! safety! of! their! children,! particularly! around!playground!equipment.!These!events!often!include!fundraising!activities!and!food!and!drink!may!be!available!for! purchase.! At! some! events! alcohol! may! be! sold,! consistent! with! DET! guidelines.! YWPS! tries! to! take! a!balanced!approach!so!that!these!functions!and!events!meet!the!different!expectations!of!our!diverse!school!community.!
!
10. Communications Electronic$communications$
Website$The! school! website! (http://www.ywps.vic.edu.au)! is! updated! regularly.! It! provides! important! information!about! dates! and! times!of! school! events! and! can!be!used! to! access!Newsletters,! the!most! recent! canteen!menu! and! price! list,! source! school! policy! documents,! view! a! selection! of! student! projects! (such! as!Claymation!and!Mud!Monsters)!and!link!to!a!range!of!websites!appropriate!for!kids.!
Konnective$In!2014,!YWPS!began!using!Konnective!to!send!news,!events,!notices!and!reminders!directly!to!parents’!and!guardians’!smart!phones.!Our!school!website!has!details!on!how!to!sign!up!to!Konnective!and!receive!alerts.!!
Newsletters$
Fortnightly$newsletter$The! fortnightly! Newsletter! is! the! single! most! important! way! for! the! school! to! communicate! information!about!what! is!happening!at!YWPS.! It! is!usually! issued!every! second!Thursday!and! is! available! through! the!school!website.! It! is!essential!that!parents!and!guardians!read!their!copy,!giving!particular!attention!to!the!section! on! important! dates,! to! keep! informed! of! upcoming! events,! including! studentKfree! days.! The!Newsletter!generally!also!includes!a!Principal’s!Message,!information,!news,!updates,!student!contributions,!achievements!and!other!matters!of!interest!to!the!school!community.!Check!the!website!regularly,!or!signKup!on!the!website!or!to!Konnective!for!notification!of!when!each!Newsletter!is!published.!
Grade$level$newsletters$Early!every!term,!a!newsletter!with!information!about!the!curriculum!and!extracurricula!activities!is!sent!out!for!each!grade!level!(Prep,!Gr!1–2,!3–4!and!5–6).!This!keeps!you!up!to!date!regarding!the!focus!of!the!term’s!work! in! literacy,! numeracy,! inquiry! learning,! LOTE,! the! arts,! ICT,! sport! and! extracurricula! activities.! Grade!newsletters!also!include!information!about!important!dates!and!activities.!!
Other$sources$of$information$$
Teacher’s$notes$Please! check! your! child’s! bag! and/or! reading! folder! daily! for! notes! from! classroom! teachers.! Excursion!permission!slips,!Grade!newsletters,!information!regarding!sporting!events,!camps!and!other!special!events!will!be!sent!home!as!required!with!your!child.!
14!!
Noticeboards$There!are!dedicated!noticeboards!at!the!entrance!of!the!school!and!in!the!middle!area!providing!information!on! staff,! numeracy! and! literacy! activities,! visual! arts,! sport,! fundraising,! extracurricular! activities! and!achievements,!and!upcoming!events.!Please!keep!an!eye!on!these!for!current!information.!
Assemblies$The! Junior!School!Council!hosts!assemblies!during! the! term.!These!dates!are!posted!on!our!website.!Also,!there!is!generally!an!assembly!held!at!the!end!of!each!term.!!
Information$nights$
We!have!many!information!nights!for!families!to!help!them!understand!and!support!the!learning!that!occurs!at!school.!In!midKMay!there!is!an!information!night!for!parents!of!students!starting!Prep!the!following!year.!Later! in! term!two!we!usually!hold!an! information!session!about!THRASS!and!how!this! is! taught!across! the!school!and!the!significant!impact!it!can!have!on!a!student’s! literacy!learning.! !There!are!information!nights!about! numeracy! learning! and! how! it! has! changed! in! the! time! since! you!were! at! school.! Other! important!information! nights! include! talks! about! building! resilience! in! students,! Cybersafety! and! other! important!topics.!
Access$to$teaching$staff$
Parents!or!guardians!are!welcome!to!make!contact!with!teachers!regarding!their!child!and!any!other!school!matter.! Individual! classroom! teachers! will! inform! families! at! the! beginning! of! each! school! year! their!preferred!way! and! times! for! being! contacted,! but! you! can! always!write! a!note! to! your! child's! teacher,! or!leave!a!message!at!the!school!office!to!make!an!appointment!to!speak!on!the!phone!or!in!person!with!the!class!teacher.!It!is!usually!best!to!arrange!any!meeting!times!or!phone!calls!at!a!time!that!is!convenient!for!both!you!and!your!child's!teacher!and!does!not!interrupt!teachers!during!the!time!they!need!to!be!with!their!students.!Email! should! only! be! used! to! contact! classroom! teachers! about! issues! directly! relevant! to! your!child,!and!should!not!be!used!for!urgent!messages.!
11. Health Anaphylaxis$There!are!a!number!of!children!attending!YWPS!who!are!allergic!to!food!items!such!as!nuts,!eggs,!dairy,!fish,!kiwifruit! and! sesame.! ! These! children! have! been! identified! as! having! potentially! anaphylactic! responses.!!These!children!all!have!an!individual!Action!Plan!for!Anaphylaxis!and!have!EpiPens!kept!at!the!school!office!in!case! of! an! emergency.! ! All! staff! participate! in! training! and! regular! updates! for! the! management! of!anaphylaxis.!The!YWPS!Anaphylaxis!Policy!is!on!the!website!!(http://ywps.vic.edu.au/YWPS/Documents_Notes.html)!
All! families! are! asked! to!be!mindful! of! these! children!with! allergies! and! the! common! triggers! (nuts,! eggs,!dairy)!when!preparing!and!sending!food!to!school!in!order!to!help!keep!all!the!kids!safe.!If!your!child!has!an!anaphylactic!classmate,!your!child’s!classroom!will!be!declared!a!‘NutKSafe!Zone’!and!an!allergen!alert!will!be!posted!in!the!classroom.!You!will!also!receive!a!letter!that!specifically!identifies!the!allergens.!
Illness$/$injury$at$school$
If! children! are! unwell! or! are! seriously! injured! while! at! school,! parents! are! contacted! immediately.! If! the!injury! is!minor,! the! child! is!monitored! and! first! aid! given.! An! accident! slip! is! sent! home!with! the! child! to!inform!you!of!minor!injury!and/or!treatment.!
It! is!essential! that!all! contact!numbers!and!emergency!contact!numbers!are!current,! so!please!keep! them!updated!through!the!office.!If!your!child!is!ill!and!we!are!unable!to!contact!you!directly,!we!will!contact!the!emergency!number!you!provide.!
15!!
Medications$
If! children! have! any! illnesses! or! known!medical! conditions! (eg.! asthma,! allergies,! diabetes,! epilepsy)! it! is!essential! that! the! staff! at! the! general! office! be! informed.! The!more!medical! information! you! can! give! us!regarding!your!child,!the!better!we!can!assist!if!your!child!requires!attention.!The!YWPS!Medication!Protocol!is!on!the!website!(http://ywps.vic.edu.au/YWPS/Documents_Notes.html).!
If!your!child!requires!medication!while!at!school,!the!directions!will!need!to!be!written!out!and!given!to!staff!at!the!general!office.!Medication!left!at!the!office!must!be!labelled!with!the!child’s!name,!grade,!dosage!and!date!and!time!to!be!given.!!
Immunisation$certificates$
All!children!enrolling!at!YWPS!need!to!provide!a!current!immunisation!certificate.!!
Head$lice$management$
Head! lice! (Pediculosis(humanus(capitis)!are! tiny! insects! that! live!on! the!human!scalp!where! they! feed!and!breed.!Probably!between!2–3%!of!primary!school!students!are!infected!at!any!one!time.!While!they!do!not!carry!or!transmit!disease,!they!are!the!most!common!cause!of!an!itchy!head!and!the!consequent!scratching!may!lead!to!infection!and!swollen!lymph!glands:!therefore,!they!need!to!be!eradicated.!
Anyone!can!catch!head!lice.!Head!lice!cannot!fly,!hop!or!jump.!They!can!only!crawl.!They!spread!from!person!to!person!by!head!to!head!contact!and!by!sharing!personal!items!such!as!combs,!brushes!and!head!gear!such!as!hats.!
YWPS!aims!to!respond!to!reports!of!head!lice!quickly,!ensure!that!an!effective!process!for!treating!head!lice!is!well! known! and! consistently! followed,! and! ensure! that! parents! and! guardians! are!well! informed! about!head!lice!treatment.!The!YWPS!Head!Lice!Policy!is!on!the!website!(http://ywps.vic.edu.au/YWPS/Documents_Notes.html).!
Parents!or!guardians!will!be!asked!to!sign!a!permission!form!allowing!their!children!to!be!screened!for!head!lice.!This!form!will!be!signed!at!the!time!of!enrolment!or!the!beginning!of!the!school!year.!Any!child!without!a!signed!permission!slip!will!not!be!checked.!
In! the! event! that! head! lice! are!detected,! families!will! be!provided!with! a! letter! informing! them! that! they!have! been! found,! and! the! recommended! treatment.! Children! identified! with! having! ‘live’! lice! will! be!excluded!from!school!until!after!treatment!has!been!completed.!
Information! relating! to! the! prevention! and! eradication! of! head! lice! appears! throughout! the! year! in! the!Newsletter.!
Privacy$
All! staff!members!of!YWPS!are!required!by! law!to!protect! the!personal!and!health! information!the!School!collects! and! holds.! The! Victorian! privacy! laws,! the! Information! Privacy! Act! 2000! and! Health! Records! Act!2001,!provide!for!the!protection!of!personal!and!health!information.!!
Personal!Information!is!collected!and!used!by!YWPS!to:! !• provide!services!or!to!carry!out!the!School!statutory!functions;!• assist!the!School!services!and!its!staff!to!fulfil!its!duty!of!care!to!students;!• plan,!resource,!monitor!and!evaluate!School!services!and!functions;!• comply!with!DET!reporting!requirements;!• comply!with!statutory!and!or!other!legal!obligations!in!respect!of!staff;!• investigate!incidents!or!defend!any!legal!claims!against!the!School,!its!services!or!its!staff;!and!• comply!with!laws!that!impose!specific!obligations!regarding!the!handling!of!personal!information.!
The! School! aims! to! keep! personal! information! it! holds! accurate,! complete! and! upKtoKdate.! Families! can!update!their!personal!information!at!the!School!Office.!
16!!
School$nursing$program$
Each!year! the! school!nurse!visits! the! school! to! check! the! sight!and!hearing!of!Prep!children.!This! requires!parents!to!complete!a!School!Entrant!Health!Questionnaire.!Older!children!can!also!be!referred!for!observed!health!problems.!!
Toileting$
Children!are!required!to!go!to!the!toilet!independently.!During!class!time,!children!do!not!go!to!the!toilet!by!themselves,!but!are!accompanied!by!another!child.!If!your!child!is!prone!to!“toilet!accidents”,!a!spare!set!of!clothes!in!the!school!bag!is!appreciated.!!
12. Safety Absence$or$early$departure/late$arrival$
It!is!the!family’s!responsibility!to!ensure!their!child/ren!attend!school!on!all!school!days.!A!roll!call!is!taken!in!every!class,!every!day;!and!student!absences!are!logged.!If!your!child!is!going!to!be!absent!please!contact!the!school!to!let!us!know.!!Parents/guardians!may!phone,!email!or!write!a!note!explaining!the!reason!for!their!child’s!absence.!!
Parents!or! guardians!who!wish! to! collect! their! children!before! the!official! time!of!dismissal!must! sign! the!child! out! at! the! School! Office.! Likewise,! children! who! arrive! at! school! late,! or! return! to! school! after! an!absence!during!the!day,!must!be!signed!in!at!the!School!Office.!
Custody$and$access$
If!a!parent!or!guardian!is!having!problems!associated!with!custody!and!access,!please!discuss!this!with!the!Principal!or!Assistant!Principal.!A!copy!of!any!current!custody!orders!and!any!other!court!orders!is!required!for!our!file,!so!that!we!can!give!the!appropriate!care!to!your!child.!
Emergency$procedures$
The! school! has! emergency! management! plans! and! procedures.! They! provide! guidelines! and! outline! the!response!to!incidents!that!may!put!the!school!community!at!risk.!Set!drills!are!planned!and!executed!during!the!year!to!ensure!that!everyone!is!familiar!with!signals,!movements!and!responsibilities.!
Food$
The!school!day!has!two!main!breaks:!11.00–11.30am!and!1.40–2.30pm.!!For!ten!minutes!before!each!break!teachers!will!supervise!children!as!they!eat!their!food.!!
Food!should!be!brought!to!school! in!a! lunch!box!with!the!name!of!the!child!clearly!visible.!Children!MUST!NOT!bring!any!food!or!drink!in!glass!containers.!Food!is!eaten!inside!or!outside!the!room!(depending!on!the!weather).!
Children!will! require! food! for!both!breaks.!Children! should!have!at! least! two!pieces!of! food! to!eat!during!both!the!morning!and!afternoon!breaks.!!Children!will!be!encouraged!to!eat!what!they!have!been!given.!!
YWPS! encourages! healthy! eating.! This! might! include! a! sandwich,! fresh! fruit,! dried! fruit,! yoghurt,! cheese!sticks!and!a!drink.!!
All!families!are!asked!to!be!mindful!of!children!with!anaphylaxis!or!allergies!and!the!common!triggers!(nuts,!eggs,!dairy)!when!preparing!and!sending!food!to!school!in!order!to!help!keep!all!the!kids!safe.!!!
YWPS!encourages!using!reusable!containers!to!reduce!the!amount!of!rubbish!around!the!school.!
Canteen$$
The!canteen!is!run!under!licence!by!Shirley!Moore,!and!complies!with!the!National!Healthy!School!Canteens!Guidelines.!It!operates!daily!at!break!times.!!
17!!
Lunch!orders!should!be!written!on!a!paper!bag!clearly!labelled!with!the!child’s!name,!room!number!and!sent!with!the!correct!money.!Orders!are!placed!in!the!lunch!basket!in!the!classroom!each!morning.!Lunch!orders!will!be!ready!at!1.30pm!in!time!for!the!eating!break.!!
The!canteen!price!list!is!available!from!the!school!office!or!the!website.!
School$grounds$supervision$
A!staff!member!will!be!on!duty!in!the!playground!from!8.45–9.00am!and!between!3.30–3.45pm!after!school.!Six!staff!members!are!on!duty!at!recess!and!lunchtimes.!Each!of!the!three!playground!areas!is!covered,!as!is!the!oval!which!is!usually!is!open!for!use!during!recess!and!lunchtimes.!
Valuables$
Students!should!not!bring!valuable!items!or!things!that!are!precious!to!them!to!school!due!to!the!risk!of!loss!or!damage.!Mobile!phones!are!discouraged,!and! if!brought!to!school,!must!be!turned!off!and!securely!put!away!during!school!hours.!
Visitors$onFsite$
During!school!hours,!parents!or!guardians!can!only!access!the!school!through!the!front!door.!All!other!gates!and!doors!are!locked.!All!visitors!must!report!to!the!office!on!entering!the!school.!Visitors!are!given!“visitor”!badges!for!identification!purposes.!
Working$with$Children$check$
The!Working!with! Children!Act! introduced!minimum! suitability! standards! for! certain! people!who!work! or!volunteer!with!children.!All!YWPS!staff!have!WWC!(or!equivalent)!checks,! including!teaching!staff,!support!staff,! administrative! staff,! staff! from! outsourced! companies! and! school! maintenance! staff.! Volunteers!working! with! individuals/groups! of! children! directly! under! a! teacher’s! supervision! are! exempted! from!requiring!a!WWC!check.!
13. Travelling to School The!way! students! travel! to! and! from! school! can! have! a! big! impact! on! safety! and! congestion! around! the!school,!on!the!environment,!and!on!the!health!and!wellbeing!of!students!and!families.!
YWPS! is! a! strong! advocate! of! sustainable! transport,! and! encourages! walking! and! wheeling! to! and! from!school.!
YWPS! supports! a! range! of! sustainable! transport! events,! such! as! Walktober,! Walk2School! Day! and!Ride2School!Day.!The!school!also!has!a!Walking!Wheeling!Wednesdays!program,!and!every!year!a!student!Active!Travel!Monitor!conducts!‘Hands!Up!’!surveys,!and!present!a!monthly!Walking!Wheeling!Trophy!to!the!class!that!has!the!most!students!riding,!walking,!skating!and!scooting!to!school.!
Walking$
Most!families!live!within!one!kilometre!of!the!school,!so!walking!to!or!from!school!K!at!least!some!of!the!time!K!should!be!an!option!for!everyone.!
Why!walk?!• walking!is!great!exercise;!• it!is!a!good!time!to!talk!with!your!child;!• younger!children!walking!with!others!learn!about!safety!in!the!street!and!how!to!navigate!traffic;!• older!children!walking!by!themselves!learn!to!negotiate!the!world!on!their!own;!and!• walking!is!better!for!the!environment!than!driving!
If!walking!all!the!way!is!not!an!option,!‘Part!Way!is!OK’.!Families!can!park!or!drop!students!further!away!from!the!school.!Good!drop!off!points!close!to!the!school!include!Beaton!Reserve!off!Powell!Street!to!the!south!of!the!school,!or!at!the!corners!of!Fehon!Street!and!Blanche!Street,!or!Fehon!and!Cuming!Street!to!the!east.!
18!!
Families!should!use!school!crossings.!There!are!three!school!crossings!with!crossing!supervisors!around!the!school.!Remember,!keep!between!the!white!lines,!do!not!step!onto!the!road!until!the!whistle!is!blown!TWICE!and!STOP!IMMEDIATELY!if!the!whistle!is!blown!once.!
There! is! a! school! crossing! in! Powell! Street! directly! in! front! of! the! school’s! main! entrance.! Families! are!strongly!encouraged!to!cross!Powell!Street!at!this!point,!and!all!students!crossing!without!adults!should!cross!at!the!school!crossing.!
There!is!a!school!crossing!on!Anderson!Street!to!the!south!of!the!school.!Families!are!strongly!encouraged!to!cross!Anderson!Street!at!this!point.!If!you!need!to!cross!Anderson!Street,!please!DO!NOT!cross!Powell!Street!first!and!then!cross!Anderson!Street!on!the!other!side!of!the!roundabout.!This!is!a!very!dangerous!crossing!point.!
There!is!a!signalised!pedestrian!crossing!on!Somerville!Road!directly!to!the!north!of!the!school.!Students!and!families!must!wait!for!the!crossing!supervisor!to!indicate!that!it!is!safe!before!crossing.!
It!is!important!that!adults!model!good!road!safety!practices!around!the!school,!even!when!they!are!walking!without!their!children.!
Wheeling$–$bikes,$scooters$and$skateboards$
Many!of!our!families!and!students!ride!bikes!to!school.!Families!are!encouraged!to!use!the!bike!racks!at!the!front!of!the!school!and!leave!their!bikes!outside!to!help!ease!congestion!within!the!school.!Students!can!lock!their!bikes! in!one!of! the! two!bicycle!parking!areas! inside! the!school!grounds.!There! is!one!bicycle!parking!area!at!the!rear!of!the!hall!and!another!behind!a!classroom!in!the!junior!end!of!the!school.!
Scooters!are!also!a!popular!way!of!getting!to!and!from!school.!Scooters!can!be! left! in!either!of!the!bicycle!parking!areas.!
Bikes!and!scooters!must!be!wheeled!inside!the!school!grounds,!and!people!on!bikes!and!scooters!should!be!considerate!of!pedestrians!on!footpaths!around!the!school.!
Some!students!use!skateboards!to!get!to!and!from!school.!Skateboards!must!not!be!ridden!inside!the!school!grounds,!and!skaters!should!be!considerate!of!pedestrians!on!footpaths!around!the!school.!
Families!and!students!who!ride!bikes!to!and!from!school!must!wear!helmets.!
Students!who!scoot!and!skate!to!and!from!school!are!strongly!encouraged!to!wear!helmets.!
Parking$
Families!who!must!drive!to!school!are!encouraged!to!park!away!from!the! front!gate!to!reduce!congestion!around!the!school,!and!walk!the!last!park!of!the!journey.!Those!that!need!a!quick!pick!up!and!drop!off!can!use!the!dropKoff!bays!in!Powell!Street!or!Anderson!St.!Families!are!encouraged!not!to!use!the!allKday!parking!zones!in!the!vicinity!of!the!school!for!dropKoffs,!as!the!increased!parking!restrictions!in!the!area!have!made!allKday!parking!very!challenging!for!teachers!and!staff!at!the!school.!
At!peak!times!(8–9am!and!3–4!pm,!Monday!to!Friday),!the!dropKoff!bay!in!Powell!St!is!a!‘No!Parking’!zone.!You! can! stop! in! a! ‘No! Parking’! zone! for! up! to! 2!minutes! and! drivers! need! to! stay!within! 3!metres! of! the!vehicle.!The!dropKoff!zone!in!Anderson!St!is!a!5!minute!parking!zone,!to!enable!parents!to!accompany!their!children! to! and! from! the! Out! of! School! Hours! Care! program! or! (very! quickly)! their! classroom.! Note! that!Maribyrnong!City!Council!do!regularly!patrol!the!area!and!fine!drivers!who!do!not!follow!these!rules.!
Drivers!must!take!responsibility!for!parking!safely!around!the!school.!A!moment’s!convenience!is!not!worth!threatening!the!safety!of!our!children.!Double!parking,!stopping!in!a!‘No!Stopping’!zone,!parking!on!nature!strips,!or!blocking!driveways!and!gates!are!all!illegal,!and!when!you!park!illegally!near!a!school!K!even!if!it!is!‘just!for!a!second’!K!you!are!endangering!lives.!
Local! Laws! and! Parking! Inspectors! from! Maribyrnong! City! Council! enforce! all! of! these! restrictions,! and!drivers!who!park!illegally!around!the!school!may!be!fined.!Consider!these!tips!for!safer!parking:!
19!!
• teach!your!children!to!get!in!and!out!of!the!car!on!the!kerb!side!only;!• never!call!your!children!across!the!road;!• never! double! park! as! this! blocks! drivers’! and! pedestrians’! sightlines! causing! congestion! and!
endangering!our!children;!• be!patient.!Stress!and!frustration!cause!accidents;!• expect!the!unexpected.!Children!are!spontaneous!and!don’t!always!know!the!dangers!around!them;!• ‘I’ll!only!be!a!few!seconds’!is!not!an!excuse.!There!is!no!acceptable!time!frame!for!dangerous!parking.!
14. School Uniform Dress$code$
All! children! are! expected! to! wear! our! school! uniform.! Uniforms! must! be! worn! when! children! go! on!excursions!or!are!representing!the!school!in!any!capacity.%All!items!should!be!labelled!with!the!child’s!name.!
The! YWPS! uniform! can! be! ordered! online! (http://ywps.vic.edu.au/YWPS/Documents_Notes.html! ‘2016!Uniform! Orders’! or! http://rhsports.com.au/shop/product/apparel/school_wear/yarraville_west_ps).! Items!can!be!purchased!and!delivered!to!your!home!within!5!days.!Orders!over!$100!have!free!delivery.!A!limited!stock! of! uniform! is! kept! at! the! office! to! check! sizes.! Hats! and! the! ‘Great! Kids,! Great! Sports’! shirts! are!available!at!anytime!from!the!office.!!
Footwear!should!be!comfortable!and!appropriate! for! indoor!and!outdoor!activities.!Sport!shoes! (not!black!soled)!should!be!worn!on!days!when!children!are!involved!in!Physical!Education!or!sporting!activities.!Thongs!and!openKtoed!shoes!are!not!permitted!at!school!for!safety!reasons.!
YWPS!is!a!Sunsmart!school!and,!as!such,!has!a!policy!which!includes!sun!protection!(wideKbrimmed!hat!and!shade)!for!all!students.!Children!must!wear!the!school!uniform!hat!between!September!1!and!April!30!(see!http://ywps.vic.edu.au/YWPS/Documents_Notes.html).!
Lost$property$$
Lost! clothing! and!other!property! is! often! found! lying! around! the! yard!or!hanging!up! in! specialist! areas.! If!named,! it! is!more! likely! to! find! its!way!back!to! its!owner.!Lost!property! is!gathered!at! the!school!office!or!school!hall,!but!may!also!be!found!outside!classrooms.!
PreFloved$Uniform$and$Changes$$
There!are!some!occasions!when!a!child!needs!a!change!of!clothes.!If!your!child!has!come!home!in!changed!clothes!could!you!please!send!them!back!to!school!washed!and!dried!so!we!have!spares!for!next!time.!
If!you!have!any!items!that!you!no!longer!use!and!are!still!ok!to!wear,!feel!free!to!donate!them!so!we!can!use!them!for!spares!or!pass!on!to!families!that!need!them.!
15. Prospective Students Enrolment$process$
Enrolments!at!Yarraville!West!Primary!School!are!currently!limited!to!students!living!within!the!zone!defined!by!DET! (the!current!zone!map! is!available!on!the!school!website).!To!start!primary!school!your!child!must!have!turned!five!years!of!age,!or!older,!by!30!April!of!the!year!that!they!start!school.!You!can!enrol!your!child!at!YWPS!at!any!time!during!the!year,!and!Prep!enrolments!are!taken!as!early!as!May!the!year!before!your!child!is!due!to!start!school.!Early!enrolments!help!the!school!with!planning,!and!YWPS!prefers!enrolments!to!be!finalised!by!the!end!of!Term!3,!if!possible.!Enrolment!forms!are!provided!at!the!information!night!and!at!tours,! or! are! available! from! the! School!Office.! Completed! forms!must! be! returned! to! the! school! for! your!child/ren!to!be!enrolled.!
20!!
Open$night$
An! information! night! is! held! in! May! each! year! to! help! prospective! families! find! out! about! the! YWPS!curriculum,!visit!prep!classrooms,!meet!the!Principal!or!Assistant!Principal!and!teachers,!have!your!questions!answered!and!collect!an!information!pack.!
School$tours$
School! tours! are! conducted! on! a! number! of! days! in! terms! 2! and! 3! (June! to! August)! to! give! families! that!missed!the!information!night!or!wish!to!see!more!an!opportunity!to!see!the!school!in!action.!Tour!dates!are!available!on!the!school!website!and!bookings!are!required!(through!the!School!Office).!
16. Transition Programs Prep$program$
YWPS!runs!a!comprehensive!program!to!help!incoming!prep!children!and!their!families!settle!into!the!school.!!An!Information!Night!is!held!in!Term!2!for!the!families!of!the!next!year's!prep!children.!!A!Prep!Information!pack! is! provided! to! families.! ! Children! attend! three! transition! sessions! at! school! and! in! late! November! a!family!BBQ!is!held!at!the!school!for!enrolled!students.! !At!the!BBQ!children!find!out!what!class!they!are!in!and!meet!their!Prep!teacher!for!the!next!year.!To!help!them!adjust!to!their!new!routine,!preps!do!not!attend!school! on!Wednesdays! for! the! month! of! February.! Information! about! Prep! transition! is! included! on! the!school!website.!!
IntraFclass$transitions$
A! program! to! help! children! progress! from! class! to! class! through! the! school! has! been! developed.! ! The!program! aims! to! give! children! a! sense! of!what! the! next! year's! class!will! be! like! to! reduce! anxiety! and! to!answer!any!questions!the!children!may!have.!!This!program!has!two!sessions.!!The!first!will!involve!working!in!the!next!class!level!with!one!of!the!current!teachers.!!The!second!session!is!held!on!the!last!day!of!school!when!children!find!out!their!new!class!and!teacher!for!the!next!year.!
Year$six$to$seven$
Local! secondary! schools! organise! information! sessions! (usually! in! Term!1!or! 2)! and! transition! sessions! for!prospective!students.!!Grade!6!students!usually!are!invited!to!spend!a!morning!at!the!local!secondary!school!accompanied!by!their!class!teachers.!!These!visits!are!to!show!students!around!the!college!and!to!give!them!an!idea!of!what!programs!the!school!has!to!offer.!!!
A!staff!member!at!YWPS!coordinates!the!Year!6!to!7!transition!program!and!will!keep!parents!informed!of!the!timeline!for!the!program!throughout!the!year.!An!Orientation!Day!is!usually!held!on!a!Tuesday!early!in!December!for!Government!schools.!!All!Grade!6!students!spend!this!day!at!their!new!school.!
21!!
F. SCHOOL DATES 17. Term dates and holidays – 2016 (note(that(students(are(dismissed(early(on(the(last(day(of(term;(at(2:30pm(in(Terms(1,2(and(3;(and(at(1:30pm(in(Term(4)(
Term%1:%January!29!(10:00am!for!Preps)!to!March!24!
! March(14(–(Labour(Day(Holiday(
Term%2:%April!11!to!June!24!
April(25(–(ANZAC(Day(holiday(
June(13(–(Queen’s(Birthday(holiday(
Term%3:%July!11!to!September!16!
Term%4:%October!3!to!December!20!
November(1(–(Melbourne(Cup(holiday!
StudentFfree$days$
Two!student!free!days!will!be!scheduled!as!curriculum!days.!Dates!will!be!published!in!the!Newsletter!and!on!the!website!as!soon!as!they!are!known.!
Preps%have%no%school%on%Wednesdays%in%February.%
Other$important$dates$$(please(check(Newsletters(and(website(for(current(information)
Semester%one%
February(! School!Water!Safety!Program!! District!Swimming!Carnival!
March(! Divisional!and!Regional!Swimming!! Gr!5–6!Summer!Sports!Gala!Day!!! School!Photos!! Gr!5–6!Camp!
April(
May(! District!Cross!Country!! NAPLAN!testing(!!! Education!Week!!
June(! Gr!5–6!Winter!Sports!Gala!Day!!! Regional!Cross!Country!
Semester%two%
July(
August(! Science!Week!!! Literacy!&!Numeracy!Week!!! School!Athletics!Day!! District!Athletics!
September(! Arts!Week!!
October(! Prep!Water!Safety!Program!! Regional!Athletics!! Model!Solar!Boat!Challenge!
November(! Gr!3–4!Camp!! Gr!2!Keyboards!Concert!! Gr!1!Night!of!Fun!
December(!! Gr!2!Camp!!! Prep!Night!of!Fun!!! School!Concert!! Gr!6!Graduation(