Hello everyone,

We are getting very close to the end of the term, with only two full weeks left. Our teachers have been working extremely hard to conduct assessments, collate data, and write reports about our students, all while ensuring they continue to teach the curriculum.

Student Support Group Meetings (SSG Meeting)

Over the course of the next week, many parents will meet with our staff to conduct SSG Meetings. These meetings ensure that our students with diverse learning needs have their successes and future goals communicated to their parents or guardians. Having parents involved in this process ensures that students have the best chance of success. A significant amount of time is invested in organising these meetings, so if you need to reschedule, please notify the office staff in advance.

Reports

As I have mentioned previously, our teachers have been working tirelessly to assess, collate data and write reports. You will be able to access these reports on Compass on the last day of this term. Please read these reports and make a time to meet with your child’s classroom teacher during Term Three.

House Spirit Day

On Wednesday, the 2nd of July, we will be having a House Spirit Day, where all students across prep to 6 will participate in 4 activities to help launch our Houses, the mascots, the names of each of the houses and learn about the new reward system we would like to implement for out in the yard.

Last Day of Term

A reminder that the final day of school this term is Friday, the 4th of July. Students will need to be collected at 2:30pm on this day.

Holidays

The holidays are an excellent time for you and your child to complete some activities together. Not all activities come with a price tag, and a short drive to the You Yangs or the Werribee Gorge is a great way to get your child into the outdoors and away from technology.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Mr Smith and his partner Freya, who have welcomed their second child, Alira, into the world.

Scott Bartlett

Assistant Principal

Nude Food Day – Friday 4th July

Get ready for Nude Food Day! Help us reduce waste by packing rubbish-free lunches — no plastic, no paper, no foil. The class with the least amount of rubbish in their bin will be crowned our Waste Warriors and win free icy poles!

We’re also collecting a gold coin donation, with all money raised going to Foodbank Australia to support families in need. Let’s work together to keep our school clean and our future green!

New e-scooter rules

Please be aware that new e-scooter rules have come into affect in Victoria and that children under the age of 16 are not permitted to ride them. They are also not permitted to be ridden on footpaths.

Because of this e-scooters will not be permitted to be ridden to or from school by students, and not on schoolgrounds by anyone.

Please check all the requirements on the Vicroads website.

https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/e-scooters-in-victoria

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)

Applications are open for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) to help eligible families cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

Schools must submit completed application forms through the CSEF system by the end of Term 2, 2025 (Monday 30th June 2025).

Congratulations to 1B who achieved the highest attendance

for the week ending 13th June

Congratulations to 56C who achieved the highest attendance

for the week ending 30th June

PRIMARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.

If your child is sick or absent, you are required to notify school as soon as possible on the day of absence using one of the following methods:

1. Online: log the absence directly using Compass.
2. Telephone: the school office and let the staff know your child’s name, class, date of absences and reason.

Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfil your legal responsibility.

Why do I need to notify the school if my child is absent?

Schools need to know when and why a child is absent and you need to know if your child isn’t at school.

If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained.

This system also promotes daily school attendance. Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education, they learn new things every day – missing school puts them behind.

What is your responsibility?

You are legally required to ensure your child attends school every day or you must provide an explanation for their absence. You should let the school know in advance of any upcoming absences or let them know in the morning if your child won’t be at school. Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term.

Recognising great attendance and punctuality.

Our attendance target is 96%.  Each week, we reward the class with the highest attendance (which includes getting to school on time!), with our school mascot, Ripwell in their classroom for the week.

Child and Cyber Safety

The Child Safe Standards are compulsory minimum standards for all Victorian schools to ensure they are well prepared to keep children and young people safe and protect them from abuse.

The Child Safe Standards include requirements to keep children, young people and students safe, including:

• involvement of families and students in child safety
• schools’ focus on safety for Aboriginal students
• better management of child abuse risks in online environments
• governance, systems and processes for keeping students safe.
• The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority is responsible for regulating the compliance of schools with the Standards. Schools are required to comply with the Standards as part of the prescribed minimum standards for registration.

Useful Services

There are services that you can contact to access more information, and in some cases, to speak to somebody about your concerns.

National Child Abuse Hotline (Child Wise)

Phone: 1800 991 099

A toll-free number with access to expert advice from trained counsellors and an opportunity to speak up about child abuse.

Kids Helpline

Phone: 1800 551 800

For any time and for any reason – free, private and confidential phone and online counselling 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.

Headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation)

Phone: 1800 650 890

Headspace can help if you are aged 12 or over and you are going through a tough time. You can talk to someone at Headspace on the phone, online or in person. They also have a lot of information on their website.

Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault

Phone: 1800 806 292

Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault provide services to child and adult victims/survivors of sexual assault. The assault may have occurred recently or in the past.

Create Foundation

Phone: 1800 655 105

Creating a better life for children and young people in care.

Youthlaw

Phone: 03 9611 2412

Free and confidential legal advice.

Our Learning in Prep

Literacy: In our Literacy lessons, the Preps have been learning to show our understanding of stories through talking, drawing and writing. They have been exploring different traditional tales, such as The Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and more. Students have been able to talk about the characters, settings, beginning, middle and end of the story, through role play and sequencing. In our Handwriting lessons, students have been practicing their letter formations, writing on a line and the use of finger spaces between words.

Grammar: In our Grammar lessons, the students have been learning how to create sentences with Who/What? Doing What? Where? and When? Preps have made the most of opportunities to practice their speaking and listening skills within these sessions as they use visual cues to create full sentences. 

UFLI: During our UFLI lessons, Preps have been building strong foundational reading skills by learning and practicing their letter recognition, formation and sounds. Utilising those new sounds and blending them together to read simple words. We’ve also introduced a range of new high-frequency words such as ask, said, and fast, which students are learning to read and use with confidence. To support this learning, the Preps have been engaging in a variety of hands-on and interactive activities. These include reading decodable passages that allow preps to employ their new knowledge of words and sounds to unpack texts, and playing ‘Roll and Read’ a fun game where students roll a dice and read the corresponding words. 

Buddies: Our Prep students have been enjoying some wonderful Buddy sessions this term! Students have had the opportunity to build connections with their Grade 5/6 and 3/4 buddies during lunchtime catch-ups and collaborative learning activities. These sessions have supported our youngest learners as they become more confident and independent using technology. With guidance from their buddies, the Preps have learnt how to log in to the school laptops, navigate their logins, and begin exploring Reading Egg and Matifics – Engaging programs that support early reading and numeracy development. It’s been heartwarming to see the friendships forming and the confidence growing as our older students take on leadership roles and support their Prep buddies in such a caring and patient way.

Numeracy: We’ve been having so much fun in Numeracy over the past few weeks! Our little mathematicians have been busy learning all about addition, in particular developing their understanding of part-part-whole and tens facts. They have been using lots of hands-on materials to model and solve addition problems. We’ve also been learning about Australian coins—identifying, naming, and ordering them by value. The classrooms have been busy with mini shopkeepers and clever customers as students have practised using money in playful, real-life scenarios.

Incursion: 

Our Prep students participated in the RACV Road Safety Incursion which covered various aspects of road safety, such as:

• Safe pedestrian behavior, including crossing the road and being aware of surroundings. 
• Safe practices around schools, including understanding crossing signals and pedestrian zones. 
• The importance of wearing helmets when cycling. 
• Being a safe passenger in vehicles. 

Multimedia

Last week, our Year 3/4 students used their iPad cameras to capture the exciting action of water bursting from balloons in motion photography. This week, they built on that experience by using toy cars, dice and spinners to create dynamic movement for their photographs. These fun and creative activities are helping students develop their observation skills and explore new ways of capturing the world in motion!

Physical Education

On Wednesday 11^th June, our Mixed and Girls Year 5 soccer teams ventured to Macpherson Park for an interschool event, whereby they played against other schools in our Melton district.

Both teams conducted themselves very well and played with positive spirit. Although they didn’t win the day, well done for following our school values.

Congratulations to the following students who are celebrating a birthday in June!

We hope you had a lovely day!

Ulrich 34G

Charlie 1F

Grace PG

Aryan 56C

Simon PE

Puha 1B

Aviannah 1C

Prabhjee 2A

Perez 34F

Hassnain 34A

Muhammad 56F

Dua 1B

Zoya 1C

Monty 34B

Saroop 2C

Adelise 34A

Inayat Kaur PA

Agamjot PD

Sierra PE

Fabian 1A

Ishaan 1F

Avneet 1A

Prabhraj 2B

Ali 34H

Aishneer PB

Mila 1C

Keerat 1D

Gayansa 56B

Fateh 56C

Azalea 1E

Aarsh 56B

Keileb 56C

*Please note that birthdays are only published up until the date of publication.  

Congratulations to the following students who received awards during our assemblies!

Keep up the great work!

Students of the Week – Ending 13th June

Students of the Week – Ending 30th June

Important Dates – Term 2

• Monday 23rd June – 2026 Prep Tours & Information Session
• Wednesday 2nd July – House Spirit Day
• Friday 4th July – Nude Food Day
• Friday 4th July –  Term 2 ends @ 2.30pm

Come along and try Karate! Increase your confidence, learn new physical skills and have FUN in a safe and nurturing environment.

THORNHILL PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL GYM – WEDNESDAYS 4PM (AGES 4+)

To register for 2 FREE SESSIONS, please call 0407320333 or visit our website www.artofdefence.com.au

As our club continues to grow, we’re exploring new ways to encourage participation in local sport. To help support families and attract new players to the game, we are offering free registration for all Under-12 players joining our club for the 2025 season.

This initiative presents a great opportunity for children who are new to the sport or those looking for a fresh start at a welcoming, community-focused club—all while easing the financial pressure on families.

Please contact: 0493 514 000

www.aintreefc.com.au