Colour Run approaches

We are on the home stretch for our Colour Run, due to take place this coming Monday, March 24th. 

We have just ticked over $20,000 raised so far which is a great effort, but we really want to get up to that magical $30,000 mark. To try to get that little bit more, the organisers have promised that of we do reach $30,000, that I, as principal, WILL BE SLIMED.

Now, there's still a long way to go to reach that mark, so I'm feeling pretty comfortable. But who knows? Maybe we could reach that mark! The only way it's going to happen and I'm going to end up with slime all through my hair is for people to get donors for the run! If you child hasn't made an account it's not too late, head over to https://www.schoolfundraising.com.au/ and start collecting!

We encourage you to come and watch the event on the oval. The rundown for times will be - 

2pm Grade 5/6 Runs 

2:25 pm Grade 3 / 4 Run 

2:50 pm Grade 1/ 2 Run 

3 pm Preps Run 

NAPLAN

Our two week block of NAPLAN testing concluded with Year 3 and 5 students completing the Conventions of Language and Numeracy tests this week. For many students, NAPLAN can be an exciting time where they enjoy the challenge of the adaptive tests. For others though, it can create feelings on anxiety and doubt. Our Year 3 and 5 teachers have a done a wonderful job in supporting all of our students over the last fortnight and I thank them for that. Also we thank Janet Lai who has been co ordinating NAPLAN across the school this year as she organised technology and timetables to ensure it all came together. 

Online Safety

Phones, tablets, and other tools that access the internet can be amazing tools for communicating and socialising but unfortunately, they can also present challenges for children and their peers. Especially, regarding children’s use when communicating with each other. 

It is up to you as parents to have this conversation with your child and to make a decision as to whether they’re ready for social media and messaging or not. Whether they are using Messenger, Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok or Whats App, it is important to speak to your child about the risks online, posting messages, chatting or responding to someone online, especially in anger or on impulse. Ask them to think before they post anything, accept a friend request or become part of a group chat. 

While much of the time it can function positively as a way for young people to interact, we have seen many instances when the comments can become aggressive, demeaning or inappropriate in a sexual manner. This is often the point that it is brought to our attention, and we need to intervene and contact families. 

While it is important for students to understand the issues and difficulties around social media use, it is just as important for you as parents to understand too. The ways you may use social media may be very different to how your child will interact online. With new sites and games gaining prominence each month, it is difficult to keep up. Resources such as https://www.commonsensemedia.org/social-media are useful tools to keep yourself educated. 

Having educated yourself and your child on the dangers and etiquette of the online world, it is important to continue to monitor how your child is interacting online. Supervision remains a vital part of ensuring your child's online safety and wellbeing.

It is extremely difficult for a school to manage incidents that may occur online when the it occurs outside of school hours. Yet we do understand there can be a flow on effect into school that we will need to manage as best we can. On the whole, school will continue to provide Cyber Safe information and lessons to students and families; ask students and parents to read through and sign our school’s Internet Agreement; refer to our ICT Matrix and adhere to the current Mobile Phone Policy.

Have a conversation with your child to ensure they know they have reporting pathways if something negative happens online. Make sure your child knows to come to you with a problem when it occurs, so you can help. Whether something is happening on their accounts, or on a friends’ account they need to know to report it to you and where else and who else they can report it to. 

The most important thing in this is communication. Together, we need to talk about how to treat others online with respect and what is and isn’t appropriate online behaviour. 

eSafety’s Top 5 online safety tips for kids and How to report cyberbullying material. The eSafety Parents pages on our website have more tips and resources about the use of digital technology at home.  

eSafety programs 

Explore the huge range of advice and resources at our national online safety hub, esafety.gov.au – we have programs tailored for all ages.

• eSafety Parents — Advice for parents and carers to help children have safe experiences online.
• eSafety Kids — A platform for kids to learn about online safety in a way they can relate to.

eSafety Young People — A platform for older children to learn about online safety in an environment that appeals to them. 

Justin Hone 

Principal

We received wonderful news this week from the Department of Education - we had, for the third year in a row, received Gold accreditation for our implementation of the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support! (read more about SWPBS here)This is continued testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, led by our Assistant Principal Rachel Roberts. 

Here's the message from the Department -

I am writing to congratulate your school on achieving Gold level of acknowledgement for your School-Wide Positive behaviour Support (SWPBS) implementation. 

The Gold level of acknowledgement recognises that your schools has sustained SWPBS Tier 1 foundations, classroom systems and met key fidelity measures. Gold level certificate is contingent upon the school having achieved Silver or Gold in the preceding year.    

We have let your senior education improvement leader (SEIL), area executive director (AED) and regional director (RD) know of your fantastic achievement.  

Implementing SWPBS is a multi-year journey, typically taking between 3 to 5 years. It is inspiring to see your dedication to creating a more positive and effective learning environment for your students. 

Well done to our team for this wonderful achievement.

Everything is in full swing in Year One and we are working hard each day! The last fortnight in the classroom has seen students:
- Learning to measure the length of different objects using comparisons and informal items.
- Writing procedural pieces and about the importance of giving clear directions when directing someone. 
-Learning to identify and use verbs and adverbs when writing.
-Learning about Place Value and how to position of the digits in a number determine the value.

-Practising addition strategies including counting on from the biggest number.

- Improving fluency and expression when reading, and ensuring we read at a good pace.

- Built up our handwriting and phonics skills for the sounds ‘d’ and ‘i’, including building words and rhyming words with these sounds.

- Learning about Neurodiversity and how everyone is unique!

We have also been practising our “I’m Going On A Bear Hunt” sound effects during Connected Learning. We hope you can come along to the Expo in a few weeks and watch the videos! 
 

Today, we are celebrated Harmony Day, a special day where we celebrate diversity, respect, and belonging.
It’s great to see so many of you wearing your cultural clothing or a touch of orange! Orange is the colour of Harmony Day, representing respect, inclusion, and working together.
Our school is made up of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and traditions. Harmony Day reminds us that no matter where we come from, we all belong.
Our differences make us stronger, and today is all about celebrating that! Remember that everyone deserves to feel included and respected. 

Here’s some designs that students entered in the Harmony Day poster competition.

Happy Harmony Day everyone!

We've only been running our Container Deposit Scheme for less than two weeks and we have already collected 616 containers! That means $61.60 for our Green Team to spend on programs like expanding our veggie garden near the Year 4 rooms. 

One house is clearly out in front - Gurrborra has been amazing at bringing in containers, so much so that they account for more than half of all the deposits! Come on other houses, let's see your efforts lifted!

Containers can be deposited into the marked wheelie bins at the very front of the school. We are looking for cans, plastic bottles and juice boxes. Remember, no alcoholic bottles, glass of any kind or containers smaller than 150ml. 

Kids Unlimited Term 2 Lunch time clubs

CHESS

Fridays at lunchtime

Starts May 2 (week 2)

Prep-Year 6

$190 for 8 sessions over the term

BOOK FOR A FREE TRIAL!

ROBOTICS

Fridays at lunchtime

Starts May 2 (week 2)

Year 1 -Year 6

$250 for 8 sessions over the term

BOOK FOR A FREE TRIAL!

For more info email info@kidsunlimited.com.au

Year 3 have shown outstanding resilience, persistence and flexibility over the past two weeks, adapting to timetable adjustments and NAPLAN schedules with smiles and ease. 

We are so very proud of the independence and maturity the students are developing as we come towards the end of Term 1. A fantastic goal for the Year 3 students in Term 2 would be to get themselves to and from their classrooms independently in the mornings and afternoons.

Over the past two weeks, Year 3 have been working hard on: 

• creating our obstacle course plans
• being inference detectives
• planning our information reports
• learning about different types of nouns
• creating our own surveys
• building fact fluency and practising mental strategies for addition and subtraction. This is a great skill to work on at home too!

Camberwell High School

Open Day 2025: Launch into a world of possibilities

 Tuesday 25 March

We invite you to experience our supportive and enriching co-educational school.

 Student-led tours run at the following times:

9:15am, 10am

Bookings essential. Visit https://camhigh.vic.edu.au/open-day/.

Our Grade 5s have had an exciting and productive start to the term! They’ve been fully engaged in their learning and continuing to build valuable skills.

Our focus over the last few weeks have been:

• Debating, which has been a highlight, with students gaining an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each speaker.
• Students have begun their rich assessment task about Australian Parliament Milestones. They will be creating a monument in Minecraft based on their historic topic.
• Students have been learning about credible sources, perspective, and bias in Reading.
• Mastering mental multiplication strategies and converting between 12-hour and 24-hour time has strengthened their maths skills. Also had a focus around prime and square numbers.
• Interschool sport has been a hit, with students showing great teamwork and enthusiasm.
• Connecting with their Prep Pals has been a heart warming experience, continuing to be good role models when teaching the preps the expected behaviours of Ashburton.

Also, NAPLAN is off to a strong start, with students showing focus and effort in both writing and reading. The grade 5s got to enjoy a footy workshop with former student and Hawthorn VFL player Jas Fleming. Which was a standout moment!

Would you like to access FREE dental care for your child(ren)?

Did you know the Victorian Government funds a free school dental program called Smile Squad? For more details about the program visit: https://www.health.vic.gov.au/smile-squad

Smile Squad isn’t visiting your school, but you can still access this high quality service, completely free of charge.

The Dental team from Access Health & Community are accepting students at their dental clinic in Ashburton.

This means ALL students can get a free dental check-up, preventive services, and treatment.

Access Health & Community

(Craig Centre)

7 Samarinda Ave

Ashburton VIC 3147

PH: 9810 3000 Option 1 then Option 4

Sign up to Smile Squad at: https://bit.ly/smilesquadvic 

You can visit Access Health at their community dental clinic. Please contact the team at any time to book an appointment. Just let them know you would like to book a Smile Squad appointment.