Hello everyone and welcome to the first ever School Newsletter for the Thornhill Park Primary School Community.

We are nearing the end of the first term and we have a lot to be proud of.  We are establishing our school as a welcoming environment for all students, teachers and families and a place that will see the Thornhill Park Community thrive.

In this, my first Principal report at this brand new school, I will outline some of the wonderful things that have already been taking place at Thornhill Park.

NAPLAN

Over the last 2 weeks, our Year 3 and 5 students have been participating in NAPLAN testing.  Students were well prepared before the test in gaining an understanding of the format and what is expected.  NAPLAN is a snapshot of student ability at one point in time and should be viewed alongside teacher judgements and other assessments.  Students are tested in their ability to complete reading, writing, grammar, spelling and mathematics tasks.  All tasks are now completed on an online platform and the test is adapted to the student’s level of ability and the answers provided.  This is the earliest that NAPLAN has ever been conducted, so we expect the results soon.

School Council

Monday was the first meeting of our new School Council.  We thank all the parents and teachers who have put their hand up to be part of this very important committee.  We look forward to doing wonderful things as a group.

Harmony week

It was great to see so many students wearing orange last week for our Harmony Week celebration.  Students across the school completed activities in their classrooms and raised some money for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.  We raised just under $250 for this great cause.  It is fabulous to see just how inclusive our school community is.  We have student representatives from nearly 20 countries and there are over 25 different languages spoken by students and teachers across the school.  We love how diverse our population is because it enables us to all learn from each other and gain a greater level of tolerance and understanding as a community.

Pick Up and Drop Off Safety

Thank you to all parents who have been listening to our messages about student safety during pick up and drop off.  We would ask that you stay out of the staff car park in the morning and afternoons and observe all signage at the front of the school.  We would also encourage all families to use the supervised crossing.  It has been reported to me that parents have been doing dangerous U-Turns in front of the school crossing and parking in illegal areas.  This type of behaviour will attract a fine from the Police or Traffic Officers and we will not be able to help you get out of this sanction.  Please ensure you have the student’s and there safety as your priority during these busy times.

Lateness and absences

We aim to have all students at school and on time every day.  We have noticed that many students are coming to school late every morning and several are missing days on end.  It is very important to be at school to develop continuous learning habits.  It also helps students to connect previous learning and to help develop a clearer understanding of their expectations and goals, not to mention the social implications that can be felt with constant absence.

Homework

It is an expectation at Thornhill Park Primary School that all students read each night as a homework task.  It would also be a good idea to develop mathematics skills such as multiplication tables and automatic response as these are necessary skills.  We will not be providing regular homework that will be corrected by teachers as this is not a great use of time and research suggests that homework for Primary age students has no impact on learning.  However, we will provide links at various points throughout the year that will enable parents and students to complete optional homework tasks that reinforce the work completed in class.  Some of these will be via subscriptions that we are currently acquiring and others will be tasks that promote skills linked to school work.  These tasks will not be corrected by teachers, but you may be able to have a dialogue with your child’s teacher about whether some of these tasks might help to help your children make better connections in the learning that takes place each day in class.

Class Dojo

We have lots of families already using Class Dojo.  This is a wonderful way to keep up to date with what your child is doing in class and how they are working towards their goals.  It is also a way for parents to communicate with classroom teachers and for parents to receive school communication.  Students also receive points on Dojo that link directly to our school values of Respect, Integrity, Persistence and Wellbeing.  Please sign up to Class Dojo if you are yet to do so.

School Photos

We had School Photos last week.  The students were excellent for the photographers and we are now in the process of sorting these photos out.  They will be handed out early in Term 2.  Please contact MSP at https://www.msp.com.au/ if you have any questions about the photo process.

Year 6 tops

Our Year 6s have now chosen their desired sizes and payment has now closed.  Any students who are yet to purchase these limited edition polos or hoodies are no longer able to get them.  Tops will take 4-6 weeks to manufacture, so they should be available early in term 2.

PE clinics

Students have been having a wonderful time in PE with Mrs Payton as they take part in clinics in basketball, hockey and rugby.  We will have a number of other clinics taking place later in the year and we will also participate in Lightning Premiership days with our Year 5/6 students against other schools in Melton.

School Website

We have now launched our new school website at https://thornhillparkps.vic.edu.au/ It is another form of communication that will have the fortnightly newsletter and any forms or other information for prospective teachers, students or families.  Please let us know if there is something you would like on there or if you think we need to add a language to our language translator that would be helpful for you.  Our site is currently easily translated to Punjabi, Hindi, Vietnamese and other languages at the click of a button.  Thank you to Jade and Sharon for getting this website up and running.

Thank you for contributing to such a wonderful start to our school and I look forward to getting to know everyone as we grow as a community.

Darryl Spiteri

Thornhill Park Primary School Principal

Lost Property

A reminder that students are responsible for their own belongings. Please put name labels on all clothing items, jackets, lunchboxes and drink bottles to prevent loss and reduce waste.  Some important reminders to all parents regarding lost property:

• Please label all clothing that comes to school!  If items came labelled to school our mountain of lost property would be much more manageable.
• If your child doesn’t bring home an item of clothing, please ask their teacher or come to the office to check our lost property box.
• Any items that haven’t been claimed from lost property by (the last Monday of term) will be placed in our ‘second hand’ uniform box for sale.

Students Arriving Late

At the beginning of the day students are informed of the day’s program, events and important instructions are often given. Students arriving late to school (after 8.50am) also disrupt the class they are in, as they get organised and settled for the day. Your co-operation on this matter would be greatly appreciated. 8.50am is the cut off time for late arrivals. After 8.50am students will be recorded as being late for school.  A student arriving late to school must sign in at the office and their late arrival will be recorded on the daily attendance roll. Parents/Guardians must provide a reason for their child arriving late to school.

Absence Hotline

Please call 03 8764 3990 follow the prompts to record your child’s absence.  Please say their name clearly and class.  Alternatively, you can submit an absence through Compass. 

Students Leaving Early

If you need to collect a student from school early, can you please call the office to give us time to have the student at the office for when you arrive.

Compass

Have you lost your user name or password on Compass? Please contact the office so we can assist you on 03 8764 3990.

Traffic Safety

With many parents picking up their children after school, traffic can be quite dangerous at times. Please be aware of the safety of all pedestrians and cyclists (particularly young children) when driving near the school. Please be particularly aware of children crossing the road or walking out from between parked cars. For the safety of all students, please observe a safe speed limit and obey the directions of the school crossing guard, who manages the school crossing. Please ensure you park appropriately and observe all traffic laws while in the school traffic zone. Your help with improving the safety of all students would be greatly appreciated.

SCHOOL IS BETTER WHEN YOUR CHILD IS THERE

Why it’s important?

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day. If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes.

Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading.

Attendance patterns are established early – a child regularly missing days in kindergarten or in the early years of school will often continue to miss classes in the later years, and receive lower test scores than their classmates.

It’s vital that students go to school every day – even in the early years of primary school.

The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick. Developing good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.
Family holidays – It’s vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure you discuss your holiday plans with the Principal.

BEING AWAY FROM SCHOOL FOR ONE DAY A FORTNIGHT EQUALS MISSING 1.5 YEARS OVER 13 YEARS OF SCHOOL

If your child misses a lot of school

Your school will work with you if your child has more than 5 days of unapproved or unexplained days off in a school year.
If this does not work, your school might refer your child to a school attendance officer. The school attendance officer will monitor and investigate your child’s attendance. You might receive a warning, an attendance notice or a fine.
For more information, please visit Attendance and missing school | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)

Back to school is an exciting time for students and families. It can be a big step – particularly for those starting prep or moving to secondary school.

For advice in multiple languages on how parents can help their child have a positive start to school, refer to Tips for starting school.

Encourage families at your schools to contact you if they are having difficulty with school costs. Programs like Affordable School Uniforms and the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund can help with the cost of school uniforms and other essential school items as well as school activities for eligible students.

For more information for parents, refer to Help with school costs and fees.

Tissues Needed

We hope each family can provide at least one box of tissues to their class to assist in managing the spread of germs.

ANZAC Day

Coming up in April is ANZAC Day one of our Nation’s most important days. ANZAC Day goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day we remember all Australians who have served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

The spirit of ANZAC, with its human qualities of courage, mate ship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity.

ANZAC Day is on Tuesday 25th April 2023.

(Students are not required to attend school on this day.)

Music

This term in Music class, our students have been exploring the difference between beat and rhythm. They’ve been identifying different musical notes and their values and also composing their own rhythms.

Class Dojo

Class Dojo is our main platform to communicate with our families. It allows teachers to award points to students for work, effort, behaviour and social skills. Class Dojo is highly engaging and motivating for our students and compliments our School Wide Positive Behaviour Framework. Please note that Class Dojo is a positive system and not a forum to discuss concerns or issues.

If you have a concern please either call the school to make an appointment or see your child’s teacher. If you haven’t received your family code, please speak to your child’s teacher.

NAPLAN

Our Year 3 and 5 students participated in the National Literacy and Numeracy Testing Program in during this term. These tests took place over several days beginning 15/3 till the 27/3. The results of these tests provide information for students, parents, teachers and principals alike concerning the progress of our students, which can be used to support teaching and learning programs.

Individual student performance is shown on a national achievement scale for each assessment. This scale indicates whether the student is meeting expectations for the literacy and numeracy skills needed to participate fully in that year level.

A NAPLAN individual student report will be provided by your child’s school later in the year. If you do not receive a report, you should contact your child’s school.

Art

This semester in Art, the students have been learning about colour theory.

The students have had fun drawing, mixing, painting, and using clay, to understand how Primary colours make Secondary and Tertiary colours, and their relationship to each other on the colour wheel!

It has been messy and fun semester in Art!

Introducing the School Leaders

Hi! We are your School Captains for 2023

Yuvraj Banga

Hi, my name is Yuvraj Banga, but people know me as ‘Yuvi’. My favourite subjects in school are S.T.E.M, PE, Art, and Numeracy. My hobbies are drawing, listening to music, biking, and playing games. Being a school leader is exciting to me because I get to lead assembly’s and run special jobs. I also enjoy assisting staff and students in the school. Being a school captain encourages me to be a role model for others and allows me to make the community at Thornhill Park Primary School have a great time.

Aish Aravinthan

Hi, my name is Aish Aravinthan. One exciting thing about being School Captain is seeing happy kids coming up to get awards at assembly. I look forward to being a role model to younger kids and to create an awareness towards environmental sustainability. My interests at school are Art because I love painting and writing narratives, as it’s a way to calm myself.  My hobbies are playing basketball, drawing and painting. Have a good year at Thornhill Park Primary School everyone!

Congratulations to the following students who received awards during our assemblies! Keep up the great work!

Students of the Week 

Week Ending: 31st March

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

We hope you have a lovely day!

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Children’s mental health and wellbeing improves when schools and families work together. If you‘re concerned about your child’s wellbeing or if they have a mental illness diagnosis, tell their classroom teacher so we can work together to support your family.

Promoting Mental Health & Wellbeing at home.

Follow this link to unpack some positive mental health & wellbeing strategies and tips on how to support your child’s wellbeing at home.

Please click on this link for my information: https://www.vic.gov.au/promoting-mental-health-and-wellbeing-home

Student Wellbeing

Parents and carers – mental and wellbeing health toolkit

Guidance to help strengthen your child’s mental health and wellbeing at home, and how to work with your school and seek help if you have concerns.

Working together

Children and teens’ mental health and wellbeing improves when schools and families work together.

If you‘re concerned about your child’s wellbeing or if they have a mental illness diagnosis, tell their school so they can support your family.

For more information Parents and carers – mental and wellbeing health toolkit | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au) 

Autumn Holidays Are Here

Book in now for Big Childcare‘s Autumn Holiday Care Program today and make sure your kids have an amazing time this holiday season! Our program includes exciting activities, delicious food, and experienced staff who will make sure your children are safe and having fun. Don‘t wait – spaces are limited, so act now and give your children the best holiday experience ever!

Click on this link to book now:- https://bigholidaycare.com/program/#map

Click here for our ‘Holiday Brochure – Big ChildCare – Thornhill Park’

Auskick

Auskick is running at the Western Rams in Rockbank for anyone who is interested in playing footy. Register online via https://www.play.afl/play/auskick/

Martial Arts School

Specialising in kids karate classes for primary age children. Our aim is to increase personal confidence, and improve the physical and mental health of the children.

For more information:- https://artofdefence.com.au/karate/kids-karate/

School Term 1

Monday 30 January 2023 – Thursday 6 April 2023

(2:15pm early dismissal)

School Term 2

Monday 24 April 2023 – Friday 23 June 2023

Monday 24 April – Pupil Free Day 

Tuesday 25 April – ANZAC Day Public Holiday

School Term 3

Monday 10 July 2023 – Friday 15 September 2023

School Term 4

Monday 2 October 2023 – Wednesday 20 December 2023