Welcome to our first newsletter for Term 4. It seems crazy to think we are already halfway through October!!! This term our Grade 5/6s and 1/2s will go to Ecolinc, our Grade 3/4s will have a visit from the Cosmodome, our Preps – Grade 2s will go swimming, we will welcome next year’s Preps during transition and our Grade 6s will prepare for secondary college. We will also have a visit from the Dental Van and many other fun activities.
Please use the translation feature on this website or install it on your device so you can read everything in our Newsletters. If a grandparent or carer drops off or picks up your child, please be sure they read our messages.
VTLM:
Our staff have commenced professional learning to become familiar with the expectations of the updated Victorian Teaching & Learning Model (VTLM). Through these sessions we are refreshing our understanding of how our brains learn new information and the factors that may impact the rate and quality of learning. This year we have focussed on two Elements of Learning: Attention, focus & regulation and Knowledge & memory.
Attention, focus & regulation – We know that many children are easily distracted and that this loss of focus impacts their ability to learn and apply their knowledge to complex tasks. At MPS we provide tools to support our children who may find it difficult to focus, such as wobble stools that allow the user to move gently whilst attending to their learning. The VTLM also refers to the strategies teachers use to actively engage children in their learning.
Knowledge & memory – It has been long understood that learning happens more quickly and efficiently when we connect new information with something already in our memory. At MPS our children learn about schema and activating their prior knowledge – to help them hold onto new information. The VTLM focusses teachers on planning to train children to develop strategies to increase both their working memory and long-term memory. Interestingly, it has been found that with the increased reliance on technology, we are in fact decreasing the number of items we can hold in our memory. This is a daily challenge for teachers as we compete with the bells and whistles of technology.
You can help your child with both of these Elements of Learning by asking specific questions such as:
Preps – Term 4 topic – Australian Animals – What animals have you learned about? Tell me two things you learned about that animal.
Grade 1/2 – Term 4 topic – Dinosaurs – Tell me three facts you learned about dinosaurs. What is something you thought you knew but have changed your mind.
Grade 3/4 – Term 4 topic – Night & Day – What does rotation of the earth mean? How does it cause night and day? What causes shadows?
Grade 5/6 – Term 4 topic – Animal adaptions – Pick an animal and tell me about how it has adapted to its environment. What are some ways that the adaptations help animals to survive? How have humans impacted animals? Give me an example of a structural adaptation and a behavioural adaptation.
ROAD SAFETY:
Road crossing –There are many, many trucks, cement mixers and work vehicles around the school all day. They are travelling too fast and are too heavy to stop quickly and they cannot see little people from up in their cabins. I am not sure what else I can do to keep your children safe. I am outside the school gate every day trying to get you to help your children make safe choices. Please:
DO NOT CROSS THE ROAD ANYWHERE EXCEPT THE CROSSING
DO NOT PUT YOUR CHILDREN IN THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
I can hardly believe I need to say these things, but every day I am calling out to people to stop and be safer. As a school, our responsibility should stop at the gate, where you as parents take over that responsibility. I am scared of what might happen if we stop keeping watch over the children.
Roundabout – Please do your best to keep the roundabout clear so that other vehicles can move along both roads. This will avoid the need for the truck drivers to get angry and blast their horns at you.
Parking – Please use the whole area at the front of the school when dropping off and picking up. The builder’s vehicles at the houses under construction have reduced the number of spaces available for you to use so we need to be fast and efficient. Your children are capable of walking the full length of the fence line to get through the gate.
Please be courteous to each other. I have had several parents speak to me about being verbally abused by other parents. This goes against everything we are trying to promote amongst our children and does not reflect our school value of RESPECT. Your children are watching and listening to how you behave. Please be kind to each other, you all have somewhere to be.
Speed – I have reached out to the Craigieburn Police and Fawkner Highway Patrol to help with the speed of the trucks and through vehicles and general driver behaviour. Based on what I witness every day, many of our families will also be caught up in this if/when the Police arrive. To avoid a fine and loss of points, please drive slowly.
LOST PROPERTY:
We have a small mountain of UNNAMED uniform pieces that we will display next Wednesday along the wall of the Office. If your child is missing an item of uniform, please come and look through the pile of clothes. After Wednesday, we will sell items at $2 each.
HEALTH CHECKS:
It is very normal at this time of the year to experience an increase in the number of children with head lice. We cannot and do not conduct head lice checks, but sometimes we can see the lice or eggs. We will let you know so you can get treatment started quickly. Please do regular checks yourselves at home.
It is also very common around this time for many people to start sneezing, coughing and experience itchy eyes. It is unfortunately hay fever season! Please treat your child for this and send them to school. We need to know if they are taking an antihistamine as it may impact their balance and reflexes on the playground etc. All medication to be given to your child during the day, must go through the office.
