Newsletter rr - Mount View Primary School

14 May 2015
 www.mountviewps.vic.edu.au
 mount.view.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
Newsletter
rr
 9560 0471
 9560 8750
May
15
15
18 – 22
18 – 22
18
18
19
19
19
20
21
Prep Alphabet Dress Up Day
InterschoolSports (ISS) Winter- Round 2 from 1:30pm
Year 6 Camp – The Summit, Trafalgar
Education Week
Pyjama Day for whole school – Nepal disaster fundraising day
Whole School Assembly at 2:40pm
Education Week – Open School Event from 2:30 – 5:30pm
ICAS Digital Technologies (Computer Skills) – Years 3 – 5
Kim Lardner – Preps (5) 11:30 – 12:30pm
Kim Lardner – Year 1s - 9:30 – 10:30am ,Year 2s - 11:30 – 12:30pm
Kim Lardner – Year 3 & 4DO 9:30 – 10:30am, Year 4s – 11:30 – 12:30pm
2:00 – 3:00pm - Remaining classes in Prep, Years 1, 2 & 3
From the Principal – Colin Dobson
ISSE Thank You
I would like to thank all staff members, children and the host families for being so involved in the International School
to School Experience (ISSE) over the past 3 weeks. Hosting the delegation from Angevine Middle School, Boulder,
Colorado was such a pleasure and we now look forward to the Mount View delegation travelling to the USA in
September. I would also like to thank the coordinators of the program: Mr Adam Foster and Ms Kate Baxter for
organising such an exciting and comprehensive program. This program would not happen if it were not for the
generosity of the Mount View host families and staff. Once again I would like to acknowledge the following families for
their generosity and kindness: Bharadwaj, Eitzen, Griffin, Leach, Loni, Papenfus, Petterson, Smith, Srinivas and
Watson families as well as Joanna Meehan, Avril McKenna and Adam Foster.
I have enclosed the speech that Hayley (Angevine Middle School student) made at the farewell assembly.
“Coming here has been wonderful and one of the great things that I noticed was the way Australians get
along. Somehow, with that special way you have, you can take cultures from all around the world and come out with
the collaborating, creative community that takes all of the best from each culture. This is something that is inspiring to
everyone and if countries from around the world were as accepting as Australia, the world would be a better place. It
has also inspired me and helped me be a better person than I was before.
The ISSE program is a great way for students to connect with the world around and get an understanding about how
people around the world live. It’s one thing to go on a trip to a country as a tourist, but quite a different thing to live
with someone who will show you the way people in the country live and this is what the true meaning of being an
exchange student is. Doing this at 11 or 12 years old is even more amazing, an opportunity that rarely comes along. I
feel blessed to be able to take part in this program and hope that other kids will realize the uniqueness and opportunity
that ISSE has to offer”.
The two Angevine Middle School chaperones also wrote this lovely message to our community.
1
14 May 2015
Dear Mount View,
We have enjoyed every minute here at Mount View Primary School. It has been such a pleasure getting to know all of
you, seeing your classrooms, meeting your students, and being a part of this wonderful school. You are an impressive
team of outstanding leaders, teachers, and staff. You have all been so warm and welcoming and we want you to
know how appreciative we are.
Special thanks to your outstanding ISSE team! Adam, Kate and all of the other ISSE team members have done a
fantastic job of organizing this amazing experience for us. We've enjoyed all of the activities that you planned for us
and we have learned so much. You have taken care of us so very well and we look forward to reciprocating when Avril
and Eamon and their team of delegates come to Colorado. You are an exemplary team and a model for the ISSE
program.
With Warm Appreciation,
Susan and Patty
History of Mount View
I was interested to read the following press release from the Progress Press dated 8 July 1969. This article captures
the philosophy of the school that I believe is still an essential part our school today.
School Aided in Unprecedented Move. Praise from the Minister.
Mount View State School’s parents’ organisation has donated $150 to an inner-suburban school in what is believed to
be an unprecedented move by a school to financially assist another school. The Minister for Education, Mr. Lindsay
Thompson, has praised the parents for their ‘public spirited approach to education’.
The money was raised through a dinner and presented to the North Richmond State School which has a high
proportion of migrant children.
Mount View is situated at Gallaghers Road, Glen Waverley, in a beautiful setting overlooking the Dandenongs and,
being less than four years old, still provides a lot of work for parents. Mr. Keith Carson, the president of the Mount
View School Committee, who attended the dinner, had this to say later to Progress Press:
“Because of the number of different nationalities, together with low incomes, we could see that the Committee and
Mothers’ Club of such schools as North Richmond have very little chance of raising funds to bring their library up to
standard. I commend this type of function to support inner suburban schools”.
Commenting on the Mount View parent decision to assist North Richmond State School, the Minister for Education,
Mr. Thompson, said:
“My personal thanks and congratulations go to the parents for their public spirited approach to the problems of
education. I am delighted to hear of the valuable assistance being offered to North Richmond State School”. The
article continued with other noteworthy actions that Mount View had put in place.
Nepal Fund Raising Day – Monday 18 May
Every once in a while a disaster occurs and we see massive loss of life, infrastructure decimated and families and
communities torn apart. As a world community we come together to assist our fellow humans. The disaster in Nepal,
due to the earthquakes, is an example of this. In true Mount View fashion, we want to raise funds for the children of
Nepal to assist with the rebuilding of schools and to provide urgent medical facilities. The Junior School Council along
with all students and staff members want to make a difference and so we are going to have a fundraising day on
Monday 18 May. Children and staff members are encouraged to come to school in pyjamas (symbol for the only
clothes they may be left with when disaster struck). Children are encouraged to bring along a gold coin or silent money
(notes don’t make a noise when you drop them in a fundraising bucket!) We will be sending home a flyer about this
fundraising day as well as a small piece of cloth (symbol of the Nepalese prayer flags that are found all over the
country). We ask that as a family you write a message on this flag and we will hang all of these at the school. Please
2
14 May 2015
support this day that has been organised by our Junior School Council. We acknowledge that the Year 6 students will
be heading to camp on this day but the Junior School Council representatives wanted to tie this in with an assembly
scheduled day.
New Student Management System – Compass
For over 12 months the school has been using the Compass Management System to carry out electronic roll marking
(internal). We are now ready to incorporate many more Compass modules which will see our entire system moving
away from paper to a management system that works entirely electronically. This system will allow you to inform the
school of student absences, permission forms will be sent and received online, payments will sent and paid
electronically, school newsletters will be online along with specific year level news feeds, parent teacher conferences
will be booked online etc. Please ensure that the office has your latest email address and that all your contact details
are accurate. We will be rolling out different modules over the next few months. You will receive a letter in the next few
weeks with your personalised username and password. This is a major initiative but one that we feel is overdue and
will assist us in streamlining the communication between home and school. Compass is used by most of our
surrounding secondary schools as their student management system and it is also being used by an ever growing
number of primary schools. Please note that the Konnective app will still be used as a major communication tool for
the Parents’ Association and also a way of getting urgent messages to you.
3 Way and Student-led Conferences – Tuesday 23 June
At Mount View, parents, teachers and students are all viewed as partners in learning. Students throughout the school
are actively encouraged to take part in productive self and peer assessments. This is considered a vital part in
developing essential learning habits for life. Parents are encouraged to play an active role in supporting their child’s
learning and have the opportunity to review the progress of their child/ren through:

having ongoing conversations with teachers

attending class presentations which share student learning

attending scheduled meetings and conferences involving the teacher

reviewing and discussing student work, reflections and assessments in their child’s personal portfolio, which
documents academic growth and conceptual development throughout the year

attending a 3 Way and Student-Led conference once a year (where students take the initiative to demonstrate
and discuss their learning in real classroom contexts)

receiving two comprehensive, formal, written reports per year where student learning is recorded against
Australian
Curriculum
and
Victorian
Essential
Learning
Standards
(AusVELS)
What are 3 Way and Student-Led Conferences?
3 Way and Student-Led Conferences are excellent forms of assessment and reporting to parents. They include all the
participants in the learning process and provide an opportunity for students, teachers and parents to celebrate the
achievements.
Why does Mount View value 3 Way and Student-Led Conferences?
For Mount View students it’s the next step in encouraging students to take greater responsibility for their own learning.
We believe that student involvement in the conferences makes learning active, provides opportunities for students to
evaluate their performance and encourages students to accept responsibility for their learning. Having students take
charge of the conference makes them more accountable for what they are learning. In addition, this form of
conferencing creates a partnership between the home and the school that is hard to get in any other way. Both
research and experience have demonstrated that 3 Way and Student-Led conferences offer many benefits, including
the following:

stronger sense of accountability among students

stronger sense of pride in achievement among students

more productive student-teacher relationships

development of leadership skills among students
3
14 May 2015

greater parental participation in conferences and

increased teacher focus on standards.
What does a 3 Way and Student-Led Conferences look like?
3 Way Conferences
Simply put – it’s a student, his/her parents and his/her teacher sitting together at a table celebrating the student’s
learning through work samples in the student’s portfolio and setting learning goals for the remainder of the year. At
Mount View in 2015, this will be the type of conference in which all students in Prep – Year 3 take part.
Student-Led Conferences
In student-led conferences, the student takes the central role during discussions. The teacher is involved, but is not
necessarily sitting with the student and parents all of the time. There might be two or three groupings of parents and
students discussing their work in a classroom, and the teacher acts as the facilitator and prompter where
necessary. Select specialist teachers are also involved in this type of conference. In 2015 this is the type of
conference that Year 4, 5 & 6 students will do.
The 3 Way Conferences (Prep to Year 3) and Student-led Conferences (Year 4 to Year 6) will be held on Tuesday 23
June and run from 9:00am to 6:30pm. The decision to hold the conferences on this one day was made after
discussions at School Council and a survey of parents. Children from Prep to Year 3 will only attend school for their 3
Way Conference time while the Year 4 to Year 6 students will attend for their Student-Led Conference designated time
as well as visit specialist areas. This is a celebration of the children’s learning and we look forward to the children
sharing their achievements with you.
It is our aim to have an online booking system in place to book your particular 3 Way or Student-Led Conference/s for
your child/ren. More information about the online booking system will be available soon. We will ensure that Camp
Australia is running a program on this day.
Tennis Australia – Exciting News
On Friday 15 May we are fortunate to have John Fitzgerald (Australian tennis legend) coming to school to present the
Preps with their brand new tennis rackets. This initiative is a part of the Hot Shots Tennis program that we run as a
part of our physical education program across the entire school. Every Friday afternoon at 3:00pm the Year 5 & 6
students have a sport meeting and the various captains give a sport report to the other students. This week the Preps
are going to join the big children and will be presented with a tennis racket from John Fitzgerald. All parents are most
welcome to attend this presentation in the gymnasium at 3:00pm on Friday.
Mount View Art Show Sponsors
Enclosed within this newsletter is a page acknowledging our 2015 Art Show sponsors. These organisations have been
extremely generous in their support of this event. They are committed to supporting the education of the children at
Mount View Primary School and it is my hope that you will in turn support them.
Car Park Issue and Year 5 Classrooms
It has been brought to my attention that there are parents dropping children off in the car park by the gymnasium.
Please note that this is a staff car park only and no parents should be entering this car park. There are also reports
that children are walking through the car park to access the courts and Year 5 classrooms. This is extremely
dangerous. Children should enter via the pathway between the GP room and gymnasium. We place child safety as our
number one priority. Please do not enter (by car or on foot) the staff car park by the gymnasium.
Disco – Friday Night – 29 May
The junior and senior disco will be held on Friday 29 May. The junior disco is for children in Prep to Year 3 and the
senior disco is for students from Year 4 to Year 6. A flyer was sent home with every child this week. The disco will be
held in the gymnasium.
Junior Disco: 5:00 – 6:30pm
Senior Disco: 6:45 – 8:15pm
4
14 May 2015
Parents’ Association – Entertainment Books
Change to Entertainment Book ordering!
Following feedback about confusion of the model of Entertainment Book Opt Out, the PA is reverting to our usual
method of sales as an OPT IN method. This means if you are interested in purchasing an Entertainment book, you can
purchase through the usual channels of www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/187j863 or contacting Priya on
priyasmith78@gmail.com.
If you would like to see an example of the Entertainment Book please check it out online or a physical copy is available
in the school office for your review. Thank you for your patience and understanding, we tried something new that has
been successfully used at other schools but are acting on the feedback that it was too confusing and encourage our
community to take the time to review the book and consider purchasing. It is a great fundraiser for the School and a
good resource for your home. Thanks from the Parents’ Association
NAPLAN
This week the children in Years 3 and 5 have completed the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy
(NAPLAN). I hope the children felt proud of their effort and achievement.
Education Week
Please remember that you are most welcome to come along to school next week on Tuesday 19 May from 2:30am to
5:30pm. You are encouraged to attend classes between 2:30 and 3:30pm and also tour the school, visit specialist and
homeroom classrooms areas from 3:30 to 5:30pm.
Year 6 Camp
All the best to the Year 6 students, teachers, ESOs and parent helpers as they make their way to the Summit Camp
located in Trafalgar. The students are away from Monday to Friday next week.
Visitors to our School
Every year we open our doors to hundreds of other educators from Victoria, Australia and overseas. Last week we had
visitors from Redhill Consolidated School. The Redhill Principal wrote these lovey sentiments about the visit.
Thank you so very much for the time afforded to our staff on Monday as part of a tour of your school. The concept of a
school tours day was planned out 18 months ago and we have been delighted with the feedback from our staff and the
valuable inspiration the day has provided to so many. The team that visited Mount View were extremely keen to
share their experience with the rest of our staff and the conversations have continued throughout the week. Our team
would particularly like to thank you for giving so much of your time to them and for your insightful professional
discussion.
Please congratulate your staff on the inspiring learning and incredibly focused students that our staff observed
throughout their tour. Mount View has an outstanding reputation and our staff have not stopped sharing examples of
this with me over the past four days. I have included a couple of our staff reflections that you may like to share with
your team.
“I really enjoyed the school visit to Mount View Primary. It helped reinforce my understanding of inquiry in the
classroom. I now feel more confident about giving it a go. I also took on board a few tips and tricks for student centred
and question driven learning which I am looking forward to using in my classroom.”
“I found today extremely valuable as it was great to see teams collaborating on units of work together. “
“I found the discussion with the Principal and Assistant Principal and school tour most interesting. The high level of
commitment and organisation throughout the school was evident. We were also free to visit areas of particular interest
to us within the school. Jana and I visited a year 3 teacher who was able to answer so many of our questions, she was
inspiring. I liked her wonder wall (colour coding questions and answers) and online question wiki in particular.”
5
14 May 2015
Once again, we genuinely appreciate your collegiality; if at any time you would like to visit Red Hill Consolidated,
please don’t hesitate to contact me.
From the Assistant Principal – Alison Rees
Mount View PS Celebrating Education Week 2015
Open School Event
Tuesday May 19 between 2:30 and 5:30pm
Education Week is celebrated by kindergartens and Victorian government schools from the 17 – 23 May 2015. During
that week kindergartens and government schools throughout Victoria will open their doors to parents and their
broader communities. At Mount View PS we will be showcasing our programs and achievements by holding an Open
School Event on Tuesday May 19 between 2:30 and 5:30pm.
This year at Mount View we’re doing things a little differently. We’re opening our classrooms earlier so that parents
and families can come along and join in on the learning that their child is doing.
So from 2:30 – 3:30pm, you are invited into your child’s classroom and have the chance to join in on the last session
of the day with your child.
After that, from 3:30 – 5:30pm, all Prep to Year 5 classrooms will be open for students to share their learning
environment with their family.
More specific information about this event, particularly the student performances and special events happening in
our specialist rooms, has already been sent home in a separate flyer.
NAPLAN
Congratulations to all our Year 3 and 5 students who took part in NAPLAN testing this week. We know they tried
their very best and we’ll be proud of their achievements.
As you can imagine with all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students across Australia taking part in NAPLAN, processing of the tests
and sending out results will take time. We do send them away – they are not marked at school. We normally
receive student results in late Term 3 or early Term 4, so parents of Year 3 and 5 students will be notified when they
arrive.
6
14 May 2015
2015 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) – Years 3 to 6
Entries for ALL ICAS competitions have now CLOSED. NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
A number of parents have been inquiring as to whether ICAS English dates will change for students attending camps,
etc. Dates have already been moved to either end of the week to accommodate attendance at camp. Please see the
dates below.
Competition
2015 Competition Date
Digital Technologies (formally
Computer Skills)
Year 6 only – Thursday May 14 (Moved to accommodate Year 6 camp)
Years 3 – 5 – Tuesday May 19
Science
Wednesday June 3
Spelling
Thursday June 18
Writing
Thursday June 18
English
Tuesday July 28
Mathematics
Friday August 14
Upcoming Events – Write these dates in your calendar
Term 2 Parent Forums
*** Separate flyers for all of these events will be sent home in Term 2.
Intro to 3 Way & Student-Led Conferences – Presenters: Colin Dobson & Alison Rees
Thursday June 4 between 7:00 and 8:30pm
Understanding our Curriculum – AusVELS – Presenters: Colin Dobson & Alison Rees
Wednesday June 17 between 7:00 and 8:30pm
7
14 May 2015
I.T Hero….
Zoe J.
Congratulations and great thanks go to
Zoe J in Year 5.
Recently, the Mount View Art Show committee was in need of a website co-ordinator. Zoe’s mum, Annabel had setup
and taken care of the website for many years but was unable to continue the role.
Zoe easily stepped up to the challenge. With guidance from Mum, Zoe has updated, added, transformed and
monitored the Mount View Art Show website with professional aplomb.
Thank you, Zoe. We truly appreciate all the hard work you have put into the site.
To see Zoe’s incredible work go to….
www.mountviewartshow.org.
Don’t forget the…
Spectrum Opening Night
– Thursday 11 June 7pm.
Tickets at the door - just $20 each. Includes all nibbles, drinks, entertainment and first chance to see the
show.
A great night out for the adults whilst supporting your school.
8
14 May 2015
Round 1 Winter Interschool Sport
At Inter school sport last Friday, Mount View Gold played Mount View Blue. There were 11 losses, 10 wins and 2 ties.
Overall, we had a great game, everyone worked as a team. We were all encouraging each other during the game and
we all had awesome games.
By Grace
ATTENTION: YEAR 5 & 6 STUDENTS AND PARENTS
Year 5 Camp: 3 – 5 August
Year 6 Camp: 5 – 7 August
Please note this is NOT an alternative to the compulsory Year 6 camp. All Year 6 students are expected to
attend Year 6 camp and may participate in ski camp as an additional activity only. REMINDER students may
only attend if all school fees are up to date.
Students and Parents: Come and join the fun on Mount View’s Annual Ski Camp! The PE and Year 5 & 6 teams have
conducted very successful annual ski camps since 2005 and initial planning is well underway for this year’s camp!
Price : Students & Adults $600
All inclusive:
 Mount Buller 3 Day Lift, Hire & Lesson Package
 On mountain accommodation
 Full Bus and 4WD Taxi Transfer
 All meals, food, drinks and snacks
$100 deposit required to confirm place by 3 June (cash or credit only please) – Balance due on 15 July
An email will be sent home this week confirming your child’s place on ski camp – if you believe you have enrolled
and do not receive an email this week, please contact Lesley immediately on Shipston.lesley.j@edumail.vic.gov.au
9
14 May 2015
An Important Message from the
Health Centre
In order for the Health Centre to provide the best care for
your child in 2015, we require current information regarding
your child’s medical conditions.
You can access all the medical forms on the school website.
Please fill in the necessary forms and drop them off to the
office or Health Centre.
Please be aware that the Department of Education requires
us to have updated Asthma action plans and Anaphylactic
action plans each year.
If you have not yet made us aware of any medical conditions
your child may have, for example: Anaphylaxis, Allergies,
Asthma please inform us as soon as possible.
Kind Regards
Carol Pickford and Alison Tong
School Nurses
Student Insurance Cover
Parents/guardians are reminded that the Department does not
provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for
students. Parents and guardians of students who do not have
student accident insurance/ambulance cover are responsible
for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students,
including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and
any other transport costs.
Student accident insurance/ambulance cover policies are
available from some commercial insurers, and can be
obtained by parents/guardians for individual students.
If you would like further information please go to
www.studentcover.com.au.
10
14 May 2015
11
14 May 2015
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) does not endorse the
products or services of any private advertiser. No responsibility is accepted by the DEECD or
Mount View Primary School Council for accuracy of information contained in advertisements or
claims made by them.
Waverley Gymnastics Centre
JUNIOR GYM
Waverley’s Junior Gym program is a fun &
challenging gymnastics experience for pre-school
children aged 2-5 years old. Children will use a
range of gymnastics equipment & teaching aids to
learn gymnastics skills leading to increased
balance coordination,
strength and confidence!
Book a FREE Junior Gym trial class during May!!
All classes are taken by qualified and registered
coaches and run on Mondays, Wednesdays,
Thursdays, Fridays & Sundays.
7 Dorrington Drive, Mt Waverley (Melways 70 G1)
For enquiries or a trial class, please call the office
on
9887-9611 or visit
www.waverley.gymnastics.org.au
John Sugden Swim School
For children aged 3-16years
Sunday Mornings: 10:00-12:30pm
Wesley College Pool
Glen Waverley
Term 2 Starts Sunday 19 April 2015
BOOK NOW
FREE Assessment
Phone/Fax 9890 5451
Email: john@jsss.com.au
Website: www.jsss.com.au
12