28-Oct-2022
Dear Families
When our students and families next gather onsite it will be November. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun, and the term is flying by. There are still a little over 7 weeks of great learning opportunities in front of us, and as we head towards the end of the year there are some great activities and excursions to come. A list of key dates can be found below and an updated Calendar is on our website Term 4 Calendar 2022 (edithvaleps.vic.edu.au)
A new addition to the calendar is the Community Christmas Picnic Concert.
We are eager to celebrate the festive season with our school community with a Christmas Picnic Concert on Friday December 9th from 4pm – 6pm.
All Year levels will be represented by students who will lead you through some Christmas singing from a stage at the back of the oval and we hope that you can bring your singing voices and a picnic.
There will be a raffle held with money raised being directly reinvested into purchasing a Defibrillator and new Shade sails.
We hope that you can join us for plenty of singing and laughter and possibly even a visit from a special guest
Families are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket, snacks and refreshments
World Teachers’ Day Friday 28 October 2022.
Today we celebrated the teaching profession – World Teachers’ Day – and this year’s theme was “Hats off to teachers.” It was wonderful to see so many students and staff in their hats to acknowledge the incredible work of not only our teachers, but the entire education sector. Educators throughout the country have shown great resilience during challenging times and, like our students, risen to the occasion to give our children the best future possible.
It is a privilege to work for and with such talented staff at Edithvale Primary. Our teaching, Education Support and Office staff are thoughtful, kind, caring, skilful and terrific role models who take great pride in their work and care deeply for each and every child in our great school.
Coffee Van is BACK
Next Friday we will have a coffee van back onsite for the first time this year. Jackson ‘The Coffee Chef’ is a local and has offered to serve our school community coffees and other hot drinks from 8:30- 9:30 am. It is a great opportunity to catch up and connect with other families and we’re hoping that this can become a regular feature on Friday mornings and at other school events in the weeks and months to come. Jackson will be set up on the basketball courts.
Student Free Day
A gentle reminder that Monday October 31 is a Student Free Day and that staff will be working in teams off-site to complete professional learning on ‘Effective Writing Instruction’.
Student Preferences in 2023
Determining the composition of classes for 2023 is a comprehensive process undertaken by our teaching team each year. It involves many hours of consideration, and the overriding goal is to achieve a balance of competencies across each class at each Year level. The factors that are analysed to achieve this balance include a spread of academic abilities as well as a mixture of social skills and behavioural characteristics.
Parents and carers may like to request that their child be placed with a particular friend or in a particular class. Please appreciate that we rely on our professional judgements, our knowledge of students’ educational needs and observations of student interactions inside classrooms and in the school yard to create balanced classes that we believe will support your child along their school journey.
Edithvale Primary School recognises the importance of fostering and maintaining friendship groups. We also understand that it is equally important for students to mix and learn with peers who have different interests. However, in some cases friendship preferences of students may not be facilitated if teachers feel that it is in the best interests of a student to separate him/her from another student. This is to help us ensure all students maximise the stimulating and engaging learning opportunities that we provide at school.
Students are guaranteed ONE friend. It may not be their ‘best’ friend, but it will certainly be one the student has indicated that they would like to work with next year.
If you would like to request that your child, be placed in a class with a particular friend or friends, please ensure that you make this request by Friday November 11 so that we can consider your request in organising our classes for the following year.
Requests for class placements need be made in writing each year, noting that circumstances/friendships change, outlining who you would like your child to be placed with and why. Requests can be addressed to James Whitla and Hayley Grindley via the school’s email edithvale.ps@education.vic.gov.au We will not always be able to accommodate class placement requests but will endeavour to take your wishes into consideration where possible.
In previous years, though rarely, we have received conflicting requests from families where some families have requested students to be placed in class together while at the same time the same family has requested students to be apart. Our professional judgement will ultimately be used to decide the best composition of classes.
Requests for placement with certain teachers
All teachers at Edithvale Primary School are caring and committed educators and Edithvale Primary School strives to ensure that all students are provided with a high-quality education.
Whilst we appreciate that you may wish that your child would benefit from being placed in a class with a particular teacher, we are generally unable to accommodate all these requests. Our school’s leadership team has an in-depth understanding of each teacher’s strengths and will always endeavour to place our students with teachers who are best placed to suit their needs. We do not re-allocate students to different classes during the school year unless exceptional circumstances arise. Parents will be advised of the situation if it arises.
Another consideration, when working through this process, is our school’s focus on student resilience. While every effort will be made to ensure the smooth transition into the new year for all students, we will continue to build a community of resilient learners with a positive outlook and a ‘growth mindset’. This will accompany our School Wide Positive Behaviour work. We encourage parents and guardians to use similar language when working with your child throughout this process.
Please take a moment to read the attached letter that includes further details about our philosophy and process.
School Values
We are Edithvale Primary and we are Respectful, Kind and Determined.
At Edithvale Primary School the community is committed to working together to ensure a learning environment where respectful relationships and interactions are valued and developed.
This week have focussed a little more on Determination and sought to acknowledge students’ efforts in this space.
DETERMINED includes –
- working hard each day and to the best of your ability
- displaying personal and academic grit to do your best, always.
- displaying a growth mindset: positive actions, behaviours, words and choices
Working Bee
If you can spend an hour or two at our School working Bee to help us complete a few tasks next Friday November 4, it will make a huge difference to our students and other families. We aim to finish off a new sandpit at the back of the oval, spread some mulch on play areas, plant a few trees and shrubs and create a new look garden outside our Science lab- among other things.
There will be refreshments and some food provided by our School Council from 5:30 pm.
Kind regards,
James Whitla
Key dates:
- October 31 – Student Free day, TeamKids in operation
- November 1 – Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
- November 4 – School Working Bee (postponed from October 21)
- November 7 – Foundation 2023 Information evening
- November 15 to 18 – Year 5 Bike Education
- November 24 – Melbourne United Basketball Clinic- whole school
- November 25 – Foundation to Year 2 Athletics Fun Day
- December 1 and 8 – Year 5 and 6 Life Saving
- December 2 and 9 – Year 3 and 4 Life saving
- December 9 – Community Christmas Picnic 4 – 6 pm
- December 15 – Year 6 Graduation
- December 16 – Welcome to Country and Smoking ceremony at 9:15 am Assembly
- December 16 – Class parties and School Colour Fun Run
- December 19 – Students’ final day of school and dismissal after a 1:30 pm Assembly
- December 20 – Student Free day, TeamKids in operation
I wish to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet, the Bunurong- members of the eastern
Kulin Nations – and pay my respects to elders past present and emerging. I wish to acknowledge all First Nations
people in the room and pay respects to them. I note further that these lands were never ceded and are, and always
will be, Aboriginal Lands.