It has been another busy period at Thornhill Park over the past couple of weeks and we are accelerating towards the middle of the year.

Prep Enrolment Process

We have started taking pre-enrolment forms for people who will be bringing Prep students to us in 2025.  The Department of education introduced a new process in 2023 that means that we are unable to collect enrolments until the closing date for collection of pre-enrolment forms, which is the end of July.  We ask that if you have or know of a child starting school next year that you come in and get a pre-enrolment form.  Those who live within our Designated Neighbourhood Zone for 2025 will be most likely accepted and asked to fill out an official enrolment form.  Those who are out of zone will most likely need to apply to their Designated Neighbourhood school as we need to provide enough spaces for those who live in our area.  Appeals can then be lodged after this time with The Department of Education, however we are under clear instruction to only take new enrolments from within our zone.

Year 6 Uniforms

The Year 6 Uniforms have finally arrived.  Year 6 students can wear these for the rest of the year.  We apologise for the delay in getting these to you, however once the order is placed, the speed in which these are returned to us is out of our hands.  For 2025 we aim to have this process start around October, so that the tops are ready at the start of the year.

Year 3/4 Excursion to the Immigration Museum

Our Year 3/4 students attended the Immigration Museum last week.  We had 19 adults in attendance to supervise as we travelled to the city on the train.  By using the train, we were able to minimise the costs for the excursion as buses have become very expensive and this excursion was important to teach about Migration to Australia from other countries.  Thank you to Mr Cassano for organising this excursion and to the parent helpers who came along.

Prep Incursions – Important People in Our Community

Our Prep students have been experiencing some wonderful incursions highlighting the roles that local services provide for our community.  They have met a Surgeon (Miss Tedesco’s sister), Fire Fighters and Paramedics.  It has been a great way for our students to gain an understanding of who helps us in our community and how to access these services if required.  Thank you to the Prep teachers for organising this experience for our students.

Parent Meetings

Teachers may have contacted you recently to participate in parent meetings.  Parent meetings are a vital part of our reporting process as we are able to speak to you about your child’s progress and show you some of the work they have completed.  We are also able to speak with you about how we will help your child to achieve success and how you can help.  These meetings are throughout the year and should be looked at in conjunction with the Class Dojo comments and photos as they paint a picture of progress throughout the year.  We encourage all parents to speak with their child’s teacher whenever you need clarification or an update on your child’s academic and social progress.

Baby Soumbassis

Congratulations to Mr Soumbassis and his partner Rose on the birth of Theodore.  We wish them every happiness as they watch their child grow and learn.

Have a wonderful weekend

Darryl Spiteri

Principal

Year 5/6 Water Safety Swimming Program

Consent and Payment Due Date: Friday 31^st May, 2024
(Please note: CSEF is available for this event. Please contact the front office to check on your CSEF balance before consent.)

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB – ISSUE 4

Congratulations to Prep D who achieved the highest attendance 24th May

Congratulations to 12E who achieved the highest attendance 17th May

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.

Our Learning in Years 1 & 2

Literacy

This term, we have been focusing on writing procedural texts, specifically on writing step-by-step instructions. For example, this term we have been focusing on ‘How to Make

Fairy Bread.’ Our students have been following the writing process, from brainstorming and drafting to revising and editing, with an emphasis on the use of verbs and precise language.

Students were given an opportunity to publish their procedural texts. We are thrilled with their progress and look forward to sharing their accomplishments with you! For the rest of

the term, we will be exploring persuasive writing where students will write to convince their audience. We will learn the difference between facts and opinions and how to justify our

reasons with specific examples.

In reading, we are learning about making connections when reading. We are exploring text to self, text to text and text to world connections. Students are encouraged to talk about and record the connections they make and find evidence to support their thinking.

Numeracy

In our 1/2 classes, we have been getting excited about numeracy! This term, we have been learning about collecting data and representing it in

graphs. Students have asked questions, recorded tallies, created bar and picture graphs and interpreted the information shown on these.

We have been working on developing students’ mental strategies in solving addition and subtraction problems, through looking at counting

on, counting back, doubles and near doubles. Students have enjoyed hands-on activities and games to help them consolidate their skills.

Take Home Reading

We would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank you for your dedication to supporting your child’s reading at home. Reading together not only strengthens your child’s literacy skills but also fosters a love for reading that will last a lifetime. The time and effort you invest in encouraging your child to read and engage with their Take Home

Readers is invaluable and has a significant impact on their progress and confidence as readers.

We understand that life can be busy, and we truly appreciate the commitment you have shown in making reading a priority in your family’s routine. Your partnership in your child’s education is vital, and we are grateful for your continued support.

Your Sincerely

The Grade 1/2 Team

Visual Arts 

During Visual Art this week, the students at our school have been creating some amazing Claude Monet inspired Water Lilies. The students painted the backgrounds focusing on colour choice and blends. They created 3D water lilies using tissue paper and cupcake holders. These beautiful masterpieces will be on display at our Art Show on the 6th September.

Smile Squad

We are very lucky to have the friendly team at Smile Squad start this week! They will be with our school for the remainder of Term 2 to provide a wide range of dental care to meet each students’ individual needs. Students will be seen by Smile Squad during school hours, saving families time and money. If you missed out on enrolling your child into Smile Squad, you can always book an appointment at the Melton Health Hub, where the team are based out of. We look forward to seeing more smiling faces in our community 😄

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

Keep up the great work!

Students of the Week – Ending 17/05

Students of the Week – Ending 24/05

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 2

Term 2 – Commences on Monday 15th April

Monday 3rd June – Friday 7th June – Year 5/6 Swimming

Monday 10th June – King’s Birthday (Public Holiday)

Monday 27th May – Rugby League Incursion for Year 1 & 2

Wednesday 29th May – Rugby League Incursion for Year 1 & 2

Friday 31st May – Rugby League Incursion for Year 3 & 4

Wednesday 12th June – Years 5 & 6 – Interschool Soccer

Friday 21st June – Year 5 & 6 – Winter Sport Lightning Cup

Tuesday 25th June – Athletics Day Years 3-6

Friday 28th June – End of Term 2

Cricket Star Academy

Cricket Star Academy is delighted to announce that they will be hosting Cricket programs at Thornhill Primary School from Term 2, 2024.

To determine which days/times are the most convenient for you, please kindly complete the online EOI form below by 5pm Friday 10th May 2024 to register your child’s interest in joining any of our programs. 📝 
https://forms.gle/P9ACGAvf3VdycrXeA 

Please note:
These programs will be open to any of your children – students and siblings! 😊 
All enquiries about cost and program inclusions etc. should be directed to Cricket Star Academy, not the school. 

Cricket Star Academy is part of Sport Star Academy (SSA), a leading provider of sporting programs in schools across Australia and we are delighted to support Thornhill Primary School in being able to develop a connected, inspirational and supported learning community in a dynamic and stimulating environment where children achieve their potential and become confident and contributing citizens.

At SSA, we believe in setting children up for success, today, tomorrow and in the future. Our driven, all-star team does this by providing a professional and nurturing learning environment that builds a child’s confidence, teaches them skills, creates lifelong memories, and gives the parent back time.

We understand that each child has a different pathway. Whether that’s from beginner to elite, shy to confident or solo player to team player, these programs are a child’s pathway to thrive. 🌱

We look forward to having you join in on the fun! 😊