PPoorrtt MMeellbboouurrnnee PPrriimmaarryy SScchhooooll Graham Street, Port Melbourne 3207

Tel: 96461001 Fax: 96453537

email: port.melbourne.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

Newsletter No. 17 June 4th 2015

School Council TreaSchool Council TreaSchool Council TreaSchool Council Treasurer’s Reportsurer’s Reportsurer’s Reportsurer’s Report

Voluntary Contributions

Your Voluntary Contribution – Why we need it! If you were like me, you would have enrolled your children in the local primary school assuming that the government has got most of the costs covered. Sure, there would be a need for fund raising from the PFA for special projects and new equipment, but these proceeds would cover items on the school’s wish list rather than items desperately needed. That view changed completely when I joined the School Council. I have subsequently realised that the Government funds the teachers and provides a Student Learning Allocation of $350-400 per student. This funding, plus some additional grants provides the school with ~$375k. This might sound like a lot, but not when you consider some of the school’s basic operating costs: - $170k per year to clean and maintain the school buildings/toilet and grounds; and - $130k to fund the administration requirements of the school (which largely consists of $60k in utility expenses); So given these operating costs, how do we fund our Computer/Information Technology requirements ($50k pa)? Who pays for the Maths curriculum ($23k)? What about the $34k we need to spend to provide a decent English program? Or the $14k we spend on the Arts? How do we stump up the $7k for PE and Health or the $40k on ICT? What about the $10k we spend on Student Welfare or the $10k we spend on subsidising camps and excursions for needy families? Yes, we have a wonderful PFA team who raise ~$80k each year via a range of wonderful events/activities. These funds are invaluable and have helped fund numerous initiatives, including the regressing of the oval, laying

synthetic turf, providing electronic white boards, etc… , but what about our Key Learning Programs?

How do we fund these? Answer - The Voluntary Contribution. The Voluntary Contributions provide our teachers with the educational materials and technology to help our children learn. It is that simple. We rely heavily on this source of funding. For instance, this year we are budgeting $155k from the Voluntary Contribution. It is the single largest component of locally raised funds. Without it we would have to scale back a number of learning programs within the school. We don’t expect every family to pay this levy. However, for families with the financial resources, we think the levy is reasonable. In fact, we think it is about the best value investment you can make in your child’s education.

If you are one of the non-Health Card families that have yet to pay at least part of the recommended Voluntary Contribution of $400 per student ($550 for two students or $600 for three or more students), please do so now! In January, the Federal government provided all families in receipt of Family Tax Benefit A with a $211 per child “Schoolkids Bonus” payment. You may receive a second instalment of $211 in July, depending on when the Senate passes the new budget which will eliminate this payment. If you receive it, you may wish to use this payment to assist you in making a Voluntary Contribution to the school.

Library & Building Trust Funds Our librarian, Margaret Whitford, is in the process of purchasing books to stock the library, using monies from our Library Trust fund. As any donations to this fund are tax deductable,

families may wish to make a donation to the fund before June 30th. You will be provided with a receipt as evidence of your donation. This will greatly assist us in restocking the library. Our Building Trust Fund allows us to invest in new facilities for our students, or upgrade existing ones. Donations to this fund are also tax deductible, and you will be provided with a receipt as evidence of your donation

Dave Roberts

School Council Treasurer

Principal’s ReporPrincipal’s ReporPrincipal’s ReporPrincipal’s Report t t t

Grant Us Some Shade Sails! The Victorian International Container Terminal (VICT) has provided a grant of $20,000 to the school for the installation of shade sails and outdoor furniture for the area between the Hub and the new Mod 10. This will enable the area to be used as an outdoor learning area during class time, as well as shaded passive play space at other times. Buildings & Grounds is currently developing a design plan for the area, and will seek input from the Junior School Council and staff before seeking School Council approval for the design. I thank the VICT for their generosity and acknowledge the efforts of Council President Michele Williams and Ann Turner-Calleri in developing the successful submission for the grant.

Reconciliation Week Two of our School Vice-Captains, Hannah and Jayden, recognised Reconciliation Week at assembly on Monday with a short speech.

Hannah explained about important dates in the recent history of Australia. These include May 27th –which is the anniversary of 1967 where over 90 per cent of Australians voted to give the Federal Government the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to count them in the national census. Previous to this each state made laws regarding Aboriginal people. These varied widely from state to state but more importantly, Aboriginal people did not have equal rights compared to non-indigenous Australians. The ‘yes’ vote was a momentous occasion in Australia’s history.

The other key date was 3rd June, 1992 when the High Court of Australia delivered what is today

called its ‘Mabo’ decision. Eddie Mabo an Aboriginal man, lived on the Murray Islands, where his ancestors had lived for generations. He discovered that they had no rights to the land, rather it belonged to the state. He took the question of Aboriginal land rights to the High Court. After ten years, it legally recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples do have a special relationship to the land. They recognised that this existed before James Cook arrived in 1770, claiming the land for the British and declaring the land ‘terra nullius’, meaning empty land. The High Court said the land should never have been declared empty and gave back the Aboriginal people’s rights to the land. It is called Native Title.

Jayden explained the meaning behind the acknowledgement of country that is spoken at the start of every assembly. For millennia, when Indigenous people visited the country of others, there would be rituals of welcoming to country. Today, these rituals have a legacy in formal ‘Welcome to Country’ and ‘Acknowledgment of Country’ protocols.

Student Reports & Parent Teacher

Interviews Reports will be sent home on Thursday 16th July and Parent/Teacher interviews will be held for Years Prep-2 on Tuesday 21st July and for Years 3-6 on Wednesday 22nd July. Detailed information about the interviews will be sent home on the first day of term 3.

Year 4 Production Thank you to the 161 community members who responded to the School Production survey last month. There was overwhelming support for the concept of a Year 4 production, involving all students at Year 4, and with principal cast members being selected by an audition process. This year’s production, The Time Machine, will take place on Tuesday 15th September at the Phoenix Theatre, Glenhuntly Rd Elwood, with a 1.30pm dress rehearsal (half price admission) and a 7pm performance. All cast members will be required to attend rehearsals at the Phoenix Theatre on Monday 14th September. Auditions for lead parts will be conducted later this term with backing singers selected in July. The selected students will be expected to be

available for all rehearsals during term 3. Choreography workshops will take place on Thursday 30th July and Friday 31st July. Bastille Day The whole school will celebrate Bastille Day on Tuesday 14th July with a Francophonie (French speaking countries) themed Casual Clothes Day, a special assembly and a range of Francophonie themed activities run in multi-age groups during the day.

ICAS Testing These annual tests provide both families and the school with detailed information on student achievement in English and Maths, as well as information on how individual student performance compares with the performance of the other Victorian students who sat the tests. Families of selected students will be contacted in about ten days with an invitation to participate, at a cost of $8 per test. Students will be identified by being at or above the expected level in Reading or Number. However, any parents may also nominate his/her child to complete either or both tests. If you would like further information about the tests or wish your child to participate, please contact Craig Harrison, Ann Turner-Calleri or myself at school by Friday 19th June. Tommy Lahiff Cup Our annual football round-robin for students in Years 5-6 will take place on Thursday 25th June at the North Port Oval. Trials and training will continue at lunchtime next Thursday at Murphy Reserve before we select the boys and mixed sides that will represent us this year. If you are able to help out at training or on the day, please notify Miss Dervla or Peter Martin.

Book Fair Thanks It was another incredibly successful Book Fair thanks to all those families that came along and purchased books from the Fair. A very special thank you to our volunteer parent helpers, Alison Bacon, Lisa Burdett, Christen Dell, Jennifer Gregory, Anna Heerey, Lizzie Johnson, Thea Kogler, Hailey Lawrence, Sarah Mattenson, Susan McBride, Sarah Moss, Dave

Nicholas, Simon O'Kelly, Clare Rutledge, Claire Scott, Justin White, Renata Younger, Liz Zamanis-Robinson and co-ordinator Jenny Barton. The School Library has already received many books as a result of your generous support. All books on order from the Fair should be distributed this week.

Library Borrowing There will be no borrowing of books in the last week of term and all books on loan should be returned by Monday 22nd June, to allow the Library staff to conduct their mid-year stock-take.

Friday Afternoon Assemblies

Our next 3pm Level Assembly is for our Year 5/6 students led by 5ABC tomorrow. Other forthcoming assemblies include: June 12 Year 3/4 (led by 3AB) June 19 Preps (led by Prep AB) Division Cross Country

Congratulations to the seven students (pictured) who represented us at Bald Hill Park on Tuesday and particular congratulations to Aljaz De Gleria Cade who won the 11 Year old Boys race and will now represent us at the Zone Finals.

Shrewd Brass Visits Year 2

2D report that: “Shrewd Brass came and performed at Port Melbourne Primary School. There were five performers who played French horn, tuba, trumpets and slide trombone. They were really well-trained musicians who explained to us that brass instruments are very versatile. Our favourite song was Jericho Rock. We were surprised when they made fake instruments that really worked!”

Holiday Program

Camp Australia will be running a Vacation

Care program at Port Melbourne PS during

the term holidays. An overview of the

program is attached to this Newsletter. For

more information, contact Ben at our

AfterCare program on 0431 682 747. Winter Health – Beating the Bugs In Australia, our influenza 'flu' season typically runs from May to October, usually peaking in August. It is just not possible to stop all bugs from spreading at school, however, a lot of illnesses can be prevented and controlled simply by practicing good hygiene. Handy hygiene tips for you and your family: -Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing -Throw used tissues in plastic-lined rubbish bins -Wash your hands with soap and water, preferably warm water if available -Reduce the spread of germs by avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth The three main ways of preventing the spread of infection are: 1. Remind your child of effective hygiene methods. 2. Keep your child home when they are unwell. Your doctor will let you know if your child has an 'excludable' condition. You will need to advise the school as soon as possible and keep your child home for the length of time that your doctor advises. 3. Ensure your child's immunisations are up to date. Do you know when you should keep your child home from school?

The Department of Health and Human Services outline the minimum period of exclusion from school for various infectious diseases. To find out more about the minimum period of exclusion for infectious diseases, visit http://ideas.health.vic.gov.au/guidelines/school-exclusion-table.asp End of Term Arrangements School breaks up at 1.30pm on Friday 26th

June. There will be no formal lunchbreak, and recess will be from 11.15 to 11.45. There will then be an assembly at 1.15pm. You may wish to provide a larger snack than usual as children may not eat lunch until they get home. There will be no lunch orders on 26th June. After School Care will operate from 1.30pm onwards. If your child is attending After Care, you are requested to provide a cut lunch. Please notify Ben on 0431 682 747 if your child will be using the program on that afternoon. School resumes on Monday 13

th July.

Weekly Staff Profile

This week, we feature our 2B and 2C teachers, Emma Hockey and Maddy Reid.

Emma joined our staff this year from Thomas Chirnside Primary School (Werribee) where she taught grade 1/2. As well as her teaching qualification, Emma is a qualified Netball Coach and has just moved to Melbourne this year after growing up in Lara. Outside school, Emma loves running, horse racing and the Richmond Tigers. Last year she won her BFL Netball Grand Final for Geelong Amateurs and is passionate about junior netball coaching. She loves travelling and is looking forward to visiting America over

the summer holidays. Emma is pleased she made the move to Port Melbourne Primary School and loves the friendly staff, her teaching team and most importantly her students in 2B.

Maddy is one of our many new staff members

at Port Melbourne Primary School this year.

Being raised in the Gold Rush town of Ballarat,

Maddy decided to make the move to the big

city in 2014 after the completion of her

Bachelors Degree of Education (Primary) at the

Australian Catholic University. She worked for a

year at Williamstown Primary School as a grade

1/2 teacher before making the move across the

bridge to Port Melbourne this year.

Outside school, Maddy loves cooking, playing

netball and shopping to her heart’s content.

Maddy still travels back to Ballarat to visit her

family and friends but on Saturdays you’ll find

her at the football cheering on her partner and

the University Blues football team. Maddy is

loving Port Melbourne Primary, the supportive

staff, team teaching and her bubbly grade, 2C.

Term 2 Dates June 8 Queens Birthday Holiday June 14 Working Bee 10am-2pm June 16 Education Committee 5.15 Buildings & Grounds 5.15 June 23 School Council 6.30pm June 26 Term ends (1.30pm)

Peter Martin

Student WellStudent WellStudent WellStudent Well----being Update being Update being Update being Update

Please read the Newsletter attachment explaining how you can work with the school to improve our students’ mental health and well-being. There will be a whole school assembly at 9am on Monday 22nd June to launch our new KidsMatter initiative. All community members are welcome to attend. Deb Kirkham is a parent member of our KidsMatter Action Team. She is sharing her thoughts on our new well-being program with our school community.

I am excited to be a member of the KidsMatter Action Team because I am passionate about

wellbeing in all members of our school

community, particularly our children.

My interest in wellbeing stems from experiences

with my two daughters and the many families we

know. I have seen the negative impact that social

issues can have on children when they can’t

articulate their feelings and don’t know that help

is available at home or school. In addition,

research clearly shows that children who are

mentally healthy are better learners and form

stronger relationships – these are outcomes we

all desire for our children.

Through KidsMatter, the Action Team aims to

bring together the many positive things we do at

PMPS with some exciting new initiatives such as

dedicated wellbeing coordinators, increased

social and emotional learning for students, and

parent information sessions.

I look forward to the opportunity to discuss any

questions you may have about KidsMatter at

PMPS and making changes that will benefit our

community.

Parents & Friends Parents & Friends Parents & Friends Parents & Friends

PMPS Trivia Night Friday 7th

August

Tickets will be on sale Friday 19th June. Our venue is larger, but tickets will still be limited. Information regarding ticket sales will be distributed via Konnective, the newsletter and your class reps. Start planning your tables now.

Cupcake Stall Thank you to Bre McGrath, her team and the

bakers for hosting the cupcake stall in Monday. They are delighted to announce that they raised in excess of $1,000, which will go towards upgrading the covered areas in the playground.

PFA Meeting Thank you to those who attended Tuesday's PFA meeting. It’s great to see some new faces. We will be having our next meeting on Thursday 23rd July at a venue to be advised.

Thea and Sim

Thea: 0438 084 186

Simone: 0419 559 410

Email: PMPSparentsandfriends@gmail.com