Welcome back for our final Term of our second year as a school.  I have recently returned after having leave in Japan at the end of the 3rd term with my family.  It was a wonderful experience and I have been able to recharge my batteries for the busy term ahead.

Farm excursion

Our Prep students visited the Farm this week and were lucky to spend time getting to know about a whole range of animals from sheep to cows and chickens.  We thank the teachers for organising this wonderful excursion and to the parent helpers who came along and enabled the excursion to take place.

End of Year Raffle

We are looking for some big donations for our end of year raffle.  Last year we were able to offer things like a Nintendo Switch and a TV.  We are hoping to offer similar items or experiences from generous people in the community.  If you are linked to a business and can help with a donation, we would ask that you contact Jo in the office.  Families will have the opportunity to buy tickets later in the term.

Hats

Term 4 is a term where students need to wear hats.  It is important to ensure children are protecting their face and to prevent sunburn.  We would also suggest that you provide your children with a small tube of sunscreen to increase their protection against the sun.  We are unable to provide large bottles of sunscreen for student use.  Please ensure any uniform items have your child’s name on them and it is written clearly.

Grades for 2025

Grade lists are currently being created for 2025.  If you feel you have a compelling request for your child, please speak with myself, Mrs Pittman or Mr Bartlett.  We will not take requests to be with or not with specific teachers.  All requests that are made need to be about your child and their needs.  These requests need to be in by next Friday 25th October.

Melbourne Cup Weekend

We will be having a Curriculum Day on Monday 4th November and the Melbourne Cup Holiday will be on Tuesday 5th November.  Children are not required at school on those days.

Parking

People are still not following the parking rules at the front of our school and are often ignoring requests from staff members to do the right thing.  I would like to reiterate that this is a matter of safety and it is everyone’s responsibility in the community to do the right thing.

Have a wonderful weekend

Darryl Spiteri

Principal

Congratulations to 12D who achieved the highest attendance for the week ending 11th October.

Congratulations to 12E who achieved the highest attendance for the week ending 18^th October.

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.

Holidays

We have many families who are going on overseas holidays in the next few weeks and months. Please remember to send an email to the school office and your child’s teacher letting us know your child will be on extended leave.

Leaving/Exits

If your child will not be returning to Thornhill Park Primary School in Term 4, or in 2025, can you please make contact with the school via email Thornhill.park.ps@education.vic.gov.au with your child’s name, year level/class, their final day of attendance, and their destination school.
If you have any questions regarding exits, please contact the school office on 8764 3990.

Thunderstorm Asthma

Grass pollen season, which typically runs from October to December each year in Victoria, brings an increase in asthma and hay fever symptoms. It also increases the risk of thunderstorm asthma. For people with asthma or hay fever, especially those who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever, thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening.

Thornhill Park Primary School will implement a range of measures to keep our school community safe as the risk of thunderstorm asthma increases.
Many of our staff are trained in asthma first aid, and we will monitor the Vic Emergency app to receive thunderstorm warnings, and, where appropriate, keep students indoors when weather forecasts identify greater risk.
During the season, there are some things you can do to prepare and protect yourself and your family:

• If your child has ever had asthma, talk to your doctor about what you can do to help protect them from the risk of thunderstorm asthma this pollen season, including updating your asthma action plan. Taking an asthma preventer properly and regularly is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.
• If your child has hay fever, see your pharmacist or doctor for a hay fever treatment plan and check if you should have an asthma reliever puffer. These are available from a pharmacy without a prescription.
• If your child has hay fever and experiences wheezing and coughing, it is important to make sure they don’t also have asthma. Speak to your doctor about an asthma action plan.
• Where possible, avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October to December, especially during the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. If you have your air conditioning on, turn it to ‘recirculate’.
• Protect yourself this pollen season – managing asthma and allergies matters.

** If your child suffers from hay fever , it is advised that you give them their medication prior to attending school in the morning.

For more information, speak to your doctor. You can also visit the Better Health Channel website.

School Uniform Sale – Dobsons

**Prepare for the Upcoming Dobsons Annual Buy Early & Save Sale!**

We are delighted to announce our highly anticipated Dobsons Annual Buy Early & Save Sale, offering substantial savings on selected uniform items from September 1st to November 3rd, 2024.

Take advantage of this opportunity to avoid the back-to-school rush and benefit from discounts on a range of items, including:
– Blazers
– Pullovers
– Summer Dresses
– Summer Shirts
– Bags
– Sportswear

To ensure your satisfaction, we provide a hassle-free returns policy, making it the ideal time to plan ahead with confidence. Our streamlined returns process is designed for your convenience.

To participate in the sale, please visit our website at dobsons.com.au or visit us in-store. We also offer personalized fitting appointments during the sale period. You can book a 20-minute personalized fitting appointment online via your school page.
*Terms and conditions apply. The sale commences in store and online on September 1st, 2024.

Our Learning in Years 5 & 6

Term 4 is a busy and exciting time for our Grade 5/6 students, filled with learning, activities, and key milestones as we move closer to the end of the school year. We are proud of the growth and effort students have put into their work, and we are excited to share some highlights from the term.

Reading
Our focus this term is on visual techniques in reading. Students have been analysing how authors use visual elements to enhance meaning and engage the reader. This skill has not only deepened their comprehension but also sparked some fantastic discussions during our reading sessions.

Writing
In writing, students are currently working on writing biographies. They’ve been learning how to research, structure, and write informative and engaging pieces on various historical figures and inspirational people. We look forward to seeing their final works.

Transitioning to Secondary College – Yarrabing Incursion

A major highlight so far has been our incursion from teachers and students from Yarrabing Secondary College, who spoke to us about the transition from primary to secondary school. This session provided invaluable insights into what to expect in high school, answering many of our students’ questions and helping to ease any anxieties about the move.

Special Events for Grade 6 Students

As we approach the end of the year, there are several important dates for our Grade 6 students:

• Photo Day: 30th October – Grade 6s will have their photos taken.
• FunFields Excursion: 4th December – A fun-filled day out for the Grade 6s at FunFields.
• Graduation Ceremony: 12th December – A chance to celebrate all their hard work and achievements during their time at Thornhill Park Primary School.

Important Reminder for Parents of Grade 6 Students

For the Graduation Ceremony, we are requesting that each student brings in two special photos:

1. A photo of your child from when they were in Grade Prep.
2. A baby photo.

The photos can be given as a hard copy, or you can send a digital copy to your child’s classroom teacher on ClassDojo. These will be used during the ceremony to create a memorable and emotional tribute to their primary school journey. Please ensure these photos are brought in as soon as possible.

Visual Arts 

The students in Prep have been working on paper collage art. They have learnt to carefully rip paper into small pieces to include into their butterfly design. Some students have also included their own colour pattern into their art.

These vibrant butterflies will be flying into Dojo in the next couple of weeks for you to look at.

Mr Pody and Mrs Shoebridge.

Performing Arts

This week in Grade 3/4 Performing Arts, the students have enjoyed learning, how to perform a song from a musical; ‘Hakuna Matata’ from ‘The Lion King’. The students then assessed their own singing performances.

Physical Education

Year 5&6

In PE this term, students were asked to demonstrate an understanding of how to adjust the force and speed of an object to improve accuracy and control. By participating in the skill sessions based around the game of Ultimate Frisbee, students had plenty of opportunities to apply and refine their skill set.

STEM

In STEM, students in year 1/2 are learning about the engineering design process by completing a series of building challenges. This week students needed to work together to create a free standing tower.

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

Keep up the great work!

Students of the Week – Ending 13/09

Students of the Week – Ending 20/09

Students of the Week – Ending 11/10

Students of the Week – Ending 18/10

Respectful Relationships

Respectful Relationships education is a core component of the Victorian Curriculum from foundation to year 12. It is all about embedding a culture of respect and equality across the entire school community.

Program background

The Royal Commission into Family Violence identified the critical role that schools and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect to change the story of family violence for future generations.

In 2016, respectful relationships education became a core component of the Victorian Curriculum from foundation to year 12, and is being taught in all government and Catholic schools and many independent schools.

Everyone in our community deserves to be respected, valued and treated equally. We know that changes in attitudes and behaviours can be achieved when positive attitudes, behaviours and equality are embedded in our education settings.

Respectful Relationships is about embedding a culture of respect and equality across our entire community, from our classrooms to staffrooms, sporting fields, fetes and social events. This approach leads to positive impacts on student’s academic outcomes, their mental health, classroom behaviour, and relationships between teachers and students.

Together, we can lead the way in saying yes to respect and equality, and creating genuine and lasting change so that every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

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

We hope you had a lovely day!

Archer PB

Ali 34D

Chiqueeta 56C

Cyrus 56D

Alraav 34C

Jayda-Lee 12H

Robel 34C

Kamya 34C

Othniel PC

Jeremiah 12G

Dani 56C

Kush PE

Indiannah-Jade 34B

Madia 56A

Tianalia PD

Zoe 12F

Tasveer 34E

Saesha Krisha 34C

Navya 12B

Ishrat 56B

Prabhvir 12H

Ava 12A

Phoenix 34E

Iyra 12A

Japneet 12E

Rian 34C

Atsobel 56C

Ruya PG

Ryon PG

Vivaan PC

Jade 12F

Zayd 12D

Jane 34D

Zayden 34E

Connor 56A

2024 School Terms    

Term 1  Tuesday 30th January till Thursday 28th March

Term 2  Monday 15th April till 28th June

Term 3  Monday 15th July till 20th September

Term 4  Monday 7th October till Friday 20th December

Important Dates – Term 4

2025 Prep Transition (25th Oct, 31st Oct and 8th Nov)

Tuesday 22nd October – Regional Athletics

Friday 25th October – Year 3/4 Basketball

Thursday 30th October – Year 6 Graduation Photos

Monday 4th November – Curriculum Day (Student free day)

Tuesday 5th November – Melbourne Cup Day (Student free day)

Wednesday 6th November – Year 3/4 T20 Cricket

Thursday 14th November – Year 3/4 Soccer

20th – 22nd November  – Year 3 & 4 – Lady Northcote Discovery Camp

Tuesday 3rd December- Year 1/2 Cohort (End of year celebration Picnic @ school)

Wednesday 4th December – Year 6 Funfields

Tuesday 10th December – Whole School Transition

Thursday 12th December – Year 6 Graduation

Wednesday 18th December – Whole school performance and presentations

Term 4 – Ends Friday 20th December @ 12:30pm