Author: Education

The Torch

June 9th, 2016

ARARAT PRIMARY SCHOOL 800 PO Box 225 / 70 —78 Moore St Ararat VIC 3377 P: 03 5352 1253 F: 03 5352 4926 E: ararat.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au W: www.araratps.vic.edu.au

Principal’s Report

Dear families and friends of Ararat 800,
With only two weeks of term left, our school is an incredibly busy place, as teachers put the finishing touches to student reports, which are due to be distributed to families on Thursday, June 23rd. Please note that Three-Way Conferences are scheduled for Monday, August 29th (Years 3 to 6) and Tuesday, August 30th (Years Prep to 2). Our conferences give parents the opportunity to discuss mid-year reports, and student progress towards the achievement of personal learning goals, with teachers and their children. Please note that these days are not student-free - all children are expected to attend school as usual. As was the arrangement in Term 1, they will be withdrawn from their class to attend conferences with their parents.
Following on from our 2015 work to personalise student reports, we’ve done our best to avoid the use of “teacher-speak” technical language, and placed emphasis on student goals, learning attitudes and social development. This emphasis is the result of our work with Dr George Otero last year, which highlighted the importance of effective communication, and engaging parents and families in children’s learning journeys. One of George’s quotes still resonates strongly – “Schools help parents educate their children”. We’re hoping that families will take up our suggestions for support, detailed in the “What you can do at home” section. Our aim is to strengthen our school-home partnerships – for the benefit of all of our children. Please note that students are still assessed against the AusVELS standards, as required by the Department of Education.
Reading through draft student reports this week, it has also been reassuring to note the high degree of emphasis placed on the development of leadership skills in our children. This is in keeping with our belief that all members of our learning community are leaders, and that we all have a responsibility to be positive role models, supporting and nurturing high standards of effort and individualised growth. Our leadership priorities are behavioural, rather than outcome-based, with an emphasis on positivity, aspiration, and the development of a Growth Mindset – encouraging all members of our learning community to ‘be the best that they can be’!
Thank you, again, to families who have contributed to our “Community Conversations” feedback process. Your comments have been greatly appreciated, and will be included in the self-evaluation, as part of our 2016 School Review. There’s still time for you to contribute by responding to the following simple questions:
What is our school doing well?
What could we do better?
What is most important to you about our school?
Feedback forms are available at the front office.
Of particular interest have been the responses to the “What is most important …” question. Following are a few of the views expressed:
Safety, acceptance, diversity
That kids have the opportunity to learn, grow as people, and the chance to make the most of themselves. That they can achieve whatever they want in life and have ambitions and strive to get there
Sense of inclusiveness
Finding a balance between of the different aspects of our “School Life”; making sure we don’t lose sight of individuality and diverse cultures, backgrounds and opinions
Supporting and encouraging individuality, and the availability of staff to discuss my child at almost any time
That students are treated as individual learners; that learning is done with the bigger picture in mind and is always related to life; that the students have a sense that their voice counts
My children feel safe, confident, welcomed and valued as they learn.
Thank you for your sincere and genuine feedback.
2017 Prep Enrolments and Transition
Enrolments are currently being taken for 2017 Prep students. Children turning 5 years of age by April 30th are eligible to enrol to attend school in 2017. Our key Prep transition dates are as follows:
* Parent Information Session - Wednesday, July 20th at 5:30pm
* Buddy Kinder visits – November 7th to 11th
* Transition session one: Friday, November 18th - 2:20 to 3:20pm
* Transition session two – Friday, November 25th - 2:20 to 3:20pm
* Transition session three – Friday, December 2nd - 2:20 to 3:20pm
* Transition session four – Tuesday, December 6th – 9:30am to 2:20pm
Enrolment packs and information are available from the school office.
Finally, congratulations to Gretta Fennell and Hayley Manning, who represented us at the Regional Cross Country event in Warrnambool on Monday. The girls reported that the track and weather conditions were very challenging, but that they thoroughly enjoyed the experience, particularly the opportunity to race against familiar competitors from the Black Ranges Division. Well done, Gretta and Hayley!
Kind regards,
Jennifer Molan

School values: Respect Honesty Self Awareness Learning Belonging

Dates to remember in Term 2

Monday 13th June Queen’s Birthday - Public Holiday
Friday 17th June School Disco 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Friday 24th June End of term assembly 12:30pm

TERM DATES 2016 Term 2: 11th April - 24th June Term 3: 11th July - 16th September Term 4: 3rd October - 20th December

CIRCUS NEWS
It has been a very busy time in Circus this term. Students have been busy rehearsing with Tim, to prepare for the Art Is Festival, which was held on Monday in Horsham. What a great success it was!
We have also been busy preparing, and then presenting, our Circus Showcases. From my perspective, it was a wonderful success, as the students have given a lot of positive feedback about their experience.
Thank you to all the parents, family and friends who attended. I’d like to particularly thank all the parents who wrote feedback for their child/children—it is not too late if you didn’t do it. Also, a special thanks to those attendees who wrote feedback for students whose parents weren’t there. The children are always very excited to read their feedback in the following Circus sessions, so that will help make a lot of students happy!
I’d like to address the concerns of three people regarding the safety of acrobalance, as that was something that was written, or spoken about, as a concern. Our school is fortunate in that we have had lots of training from Circus professionals, either as visiting guest artists, such as Kyle Raftery and April Dawson, or through our visits to the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA). I’ve also spoken to a local physiotherapist, regarding acrobalance safety, who said that this type of activity can actually strengthen the joints involved. The therapist mentioned that sometimes clients have issues related to their joints, due to their past gymnastics. Contortionists can also have back trouble, possibly due to the range of motion they have in their vertebrae, or regularly rehearsing or performing contortion, or a combination of both.
With students, sometimes I think issues can result if they are practising at home, and parents are unaware of the correct technique. Over the last few years, some girls have loved the idea of going from a handstand to bridge pose. If you don’t have the correct technique through the lower back, you can cause the vertebrae to grind against each other. My suggestion would be that if you want your child to do this, and you’re unsure that they are doing it correctly, enrol them in gymnastics or seek professional advice.
At school, we minimise the risks in the following ways:
Students are instructed on where to correctly place their hands/feet, and the correct technique to use
Strengthening and flexibility exercises are an integral part of classes
Warm ups and warm downs are used to lessen the chance of injury
If you have any queries, please contact me.
Ms Fis

Specialists’ Report . . .

Student Family Occupation Reminder. . .

Newspapers for the Art Room
If you have any spare newspapers at home and you have finished reading them, please donate them to our Art room as we are running short.
All donations can be left in the Art room.

Families received a letter recently, requesting parents to update and confirm school information in relation to Student Family Occupation and Education (SFOE). This data is very important, as it determines the level of funding we receive to run school programs.
Thank you to all families who have returned their form already.
If you have not returned your form, please do so by Friday, 24th June.

Art Is . . . Excursion - Horsham

Art Is . . .

Term 2 School Disco
Friday June 17th, 2015 6:30pm to 8:00pm
$5.00 per person (pay at the door)
Ararat PS Learning Centre
Drinks and snacks available on the night
Students must be collected by parents

Items for sale on the night:
Glow sticks 3 for $1.00
Fruit Box $1.00
Water .50¢
Chips .50¢

June 3rd Chloe Nicholson
6th Toby McGrath Rhylan INterlandi Cherysh Bennett
June 8th Jakob Bonney Logan Cooper
9th Caleb Foster

MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI
	School Banking processed on Tuesdays		9th / Breakfast Club 8:30 - 8:50am / Production rehearsal - Scene 4 & 5 3:30pm to 5pm	10th LUNCH ORDERS / Sporting Schools Volleyball
13th / Queen’s Birthday Holiday	14th / Breakfast Club 8:30 - 8:50am / Gr 5-6 Showcase	15th / Bamboozle 3:30pm - 4:45pm	16th / Breakfast Club 8:30 - 8:50am / Production rehearsal - Scene 6 & 7 3:30pm to 5pm	17th LUNCH ORDERS / Sporting Schools Volleyball / Disco in the Learning Centre—6:30-8:00pm
20th Assembly	21st / Breakfast Club 8:30 - 8:50am / Prep World Expo	22nd / Gr1-2 Expo / Bamboozle 3:30pm - 4:45pm	23rd / Breakfast Club 8:30 - 8:50am Flinders College Band performance 9:30am Gr 3-4 Expo Production rehearsal - Scene 8 & 9 3:30pm to 5pm	24th NO LUNCH ORDERS / Last day of term— / 12:30 assembly in the Learning Centre

School Holidays Term 3 commences Monday July 11th, 2016

Stay up to date with all our news and events by following us on our website. All school notes sent home can be found in our virtual office. You can find us at: www.araratps.vic.edu.au