Karoo News

Term 2 Week 6 Wednesday 29th May, 2019

MAY 2019

Wednesday 29th May Chocolate Drive begins (boxes sent

home with eldest child)

Thursday 30th May Prep Casey Safety Village

excursion

JUNE 2019

Tuesday 4th June Division Cross Country

Thursday 6th June Year 1 Hands On Science incursion

Year 4 Polly Woodside excursion

Friday 7th June Year 6 District Sport Day 1 School Assembly—2:40pm

Monday 10th June Queens birthday—no school

Friday 14th June Year 6 District Sport Day 2

Monday 17th June School Council meeting

Wednesday 19th June Year 3 Murrindindi incursion Year 5 Rowville Sec College

Production

Thursday 20th June Prep/Year 5 Buddies Pizza Night

Year 6 Bingo night (staffroom)

Friday 21st June Division Girls Football

Biggest Afternoon Tea 2:15pm School Assembly—2:40pm

Wednesday 26th June Curriculum Day : Parent/Teacher

interviews

Thursday 27th June NAIDOC Celebration Day

Year 5 Zart Gallery Exhibition opening (4:30pm—Box Hill)

Friday 28th June Last day of Term

Term Dates 2019

Term 2 23 Apr—28 Jun Term 3 15 Jul—20 Sept Term 4 7 Oct—20 Dec

Respect Responsibility Excellence Honesty & Fairness

Tolerance & Understanding

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL

All visitors to the school must sign in and out at the office, and collect a green visitor’s badge. These badges help the students and staff identify you as an ‘authorised visitor’.

Please remember to return the

badge when you sign out.

Karoo Calendar Principal’s Comments

Staffing Update On Monday 20

th May we welcomed Miss Marina Gajdos to our school. Marina has already

demonstrated her commitment to teaching 3C for the remainder of the year. She keenly volunteered for several days prior to her commencement date, and has created a vibrant and welcoming learning environment for the students in her class. To ensure Marina has ongoing support from the Year 3 team leader, Mrs Robyn Mowat, we relocated 3C from Room 3 to Room 1. This was not a simple move as it required Ms Libby Hands to move her classroom displays and resources too. Libby spent a considerable amount of her own time to ensure her class, 3H had a seamless and successful move. Thanks to the Year 3 team for their commitment and hard work. Attitudes to School Survey 2019 We want our students in Years 4, 5 and 6 to tell us how they feel about being at school and what ‘learning’ means to them. We value student voice as a means to improving student engagement, wellbeing and quality learning. The ATS (Attitude to School Survey) is an annual student survey developed by the Department of Education to assist schools in gaining an understanding of students’ perceptions and experience of school. Students in Years 4. 5 and 6 will participate in the online survey during school hours under the supervision of their classroom teacher. It is important to note that this is not a ‘test’. Our school will use the survey results (usually available at the beginning of Term 3) to plan programs and activities to improve their schooling experiences. The results will also be shared with our students. All survey data that is made available in reports are for groups of students only so that no individual student can be identified. If you would like more information please speak to your child’s teacher, myself or visit: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/management/improvement/Pages/performsurveyat.aspx Naplan I would like to congratulate our Year 3 and 5 students for the effort they gave during the Naplan assessments. While this test will provide you, your parents, teachers and the school with some valuable information about student performance in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (Spelling and Grammar) and Numeracy there are certain things that can’t be measured on a test such as your persistence, leadership and creativity. Thanks also to our Year 3 and 5 teachers who prepared and supported the students prior to and during the assessments. School Accountability This month we have successfully proven to be a high performing school. Our OSHC (Out of School Hours Care Program) and our School Council (Financial and Governance) were both reviewed and audited by governing bodies. While we are still waiting for the formal reports I would like to acknowledge the outstanding work and commitment of Melissa, Michelle and our Out of School Care staff. Also congratulations and thanks to Sue (Business Manager) and office staff, Anna, Karen, Sally, Kerry and Jayne for their continued efficient work. Curriculum Day—Wednesday 26th June Our next Curriculum Day is planned for the last week of Term 2, when we will be conducting parent/teacher interviews. Further details regarding bookings will be out on Compass shortly. Out of School Hours Care will again be running a curriculum day program on this day for families who require this service (more details later in this newsletter).

Principal comments continued overleaf ..

Phone: 9759-6222 Fax: 9759-6211 Email: karoo.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Web: http://www.karoops.vic.edu.au

Next Curriculum Day:

Wednesday 26th June 2019

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT continued … Student behaviour Student behaviour at school is paramount to Karoo’s Values, I addressed the students at assembly about inappropriate use of toilet facilities. I would like to ensure that parents support myself and the staff by discussing health, hygiene, student safety and taking responsibility for school property. As a result of inappropriate and disrespectful behaviour we have had toilet cisterns and seats damaged, the plumber has been called on many occasions to fix the damage. As we know the cisterns are the source of water flow, and due to the student behaviour the buttons have been broken resulting in a significant loss of water. We have monitors to check daily water – on one occasion we lost 1200 litres of water every hour over a 16 hour period.

Unfortunately I spent several hours on Monday and Tuesday talking to individual students and contacted parents, not a role I enjoy doing. To some student’s credit they have been honest and spoken about their behaviour, however there are other students who have not yet admitted to their behaviour. During my chats to the students across many year levels I had a few inform me that they witnessed students’ behaviour in the toilets but were warned to ‘not dob’. This aspect is a concern to me; the staff met yesterday afternoon to discuss strategies to address this in the classroom. Again I would appreciate parent support.

Celebrating Careers at Karoo - Open Night Many thanks to the school community for supporting our Education Week open afternoon last week. Students participated in age appropriate activities in their classrooms to explore the vast array of careers they might like to follow in the future. For many students their choice included the aspect of wearing a uniform, working with animals, caring and looking after others, showcasing their creativity and exploring talents and interests. I would like to acknowledge the teaching staff who supported the Open Night, I appreciate your time during a busy time of the year (Report Writing).

The afternoon also provided an opportunity to showcase the Specialist Programs we provide at Karoo. The Art and Music rooms provided the students and their families opportunity to explore their talents, learn new skills and importantly have fun. The art work created by students is on display in the art room- a great community event. Thanks to Mrs Main and Ms Cole for the activity. To conclude the afternoon the newly formed Karoo Singing Group (Years 3- 6 students) performed in the gym, they were capably led by Mr Kenneth Mills. His strengths and passion for providing a great variety of musical experiences for the Karoo students was clearly demonstrated by the performance. Well done to all the students!

Year 4 and 5 Maths Challenge Today Miss Mollica and and two teams of students (one team from Year 4 and one team from Year 5) attended Boronia K-12 to participate in a Maths Challenge Day. We are fortunate that our students have the opportunity to be included in programs such as this, aimed at enhancing their knowledge, skills and learning in the maths area.

Leanne Vines Acting Principal

Collaborative Art Project made by our very creative Karoo families at Open night … now on display in the school foyer! Come on in and have a look.

If you have a child starting Prep (now known as

Foundation) next year, please come into the office

and collect an enrolment form.

School Tours for prospective families :

Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30am

Bookings—9759 6222

OFFICE NEWS…

LOST PROPERTY Are your jumpers named correctly?

Jumpers often come into the office that are named, but with names of students who no longer attend this school. If you have purchased items from the second hand uniform sale, or received a ‘hand me down’ from someone else, please ensure it has the correct name on it so it can be given back to the right student.

Thank you, Office Staff

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Attendance Arriving on time for school is very important for your child's learning and social development. The Department of Education gathers infor-mation about late arrivals and absences, as frequent lateness and absence directly relates to student outcomes both academically and socially. If students have a high number of absences and late arrivals they are flagged for tracking. We are fortunate at Karoo that the vast majority of students enter their classrooms at 9am and settle quickly ready to start the day. Below is a table that puts lost minutes and hours into a longer term perspective.

If you are having difficulties in getting your child to school, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher, Leanne Vines or myself. Languages Other Than English (LOTE) As part of my role as Acting Assistant Principal, I have the pleasure of taking prospective parents on tours of Karoo. Many questions are asked but recently one parent asked a different one, being “Why do you teach LOTE?”.

So why do we teach LOTE? There are many reasons why learning a language other than English is important to a child’s development. Learning another language:

develops an understanding of how languages work which leads to improved literacy skills, including English literacy. What

we learn in one language helps us with any other language.

helps students develop critical thinking, analysis and problem solving skills.

teaches students about other peoples, their ideas and ways of thinking, inspiring interest in and respect for other cultures

contributes to social cohesiveness through better communication and understanding

contributes to economic, diplomatic and strategic development

enhances employment and career prospects

Fiona Marker

Acting Assistant Principal

Every Minute Counts …

Lost minutes means lost learning!

WHEN YOUR CHILD

MISSES JUST …

That equals … Which is … And therefore, from

Foundation to Year

12, that is …

10 MINUTES A DAY 50 minutes of

learning time each

week

Nearly 1 ½ weeks

per year

Nearly ½ a year of

school missed

20 MINUTES A DAY 1 hour and 40

minutes of learning

each week

Nearly 2 ½ weeks

per year

Nearly 1 year of

school missed

30 MINUTES A DAY ½ a day of learning

each week

4 weeks a year Nearly 1 ½ years of

school missed

1 HOUR A DAY 1 day of learning

each week

8 weeks per year or

nearly a term a

year

Over 2 ½ years of

school missed

LOST PROPERTY—COMMUNITY CENTRE

Open at the following times:

Mon & Tues: 8:45-9:00am , 12:50-1:00pm & 3:30-3:45pm

Fri: 8:45-9:00am and 12:50-1:00pm

No Visitors during class time please!

UNIFORM SUPPLIER

Klad Sport 2/8 Macro Court, Rowville / Ph: 9763 0266

Open: Monday - Friday : 8:30am-4:30pm / Saturday: 9:00am-1:00pm

Uniform List available from office.

COMPASS UPDATE

Check in regularly to your parent portal

to keep up to date with all school news ...

Reminders All families must be on Compass to access school information such

as notifications, newsletters, attendance data, events (excursions, camps, etc), parent/teacher conferences and school reports.

All absences must be entered on Compass by parents—please check for any outstanding absences needing explanation.

Make sure you have notifications turned on for Compass in your phone settings.

Full access to Compass parent portal on your phone or ipad can only be achieved by opening in your browser. To do this, open the Compass app on your device and click into the 3 horizontal lines that appear in the top left hand corner. Click on 'Open in Brows-er'. The Event alert should now be visible in your newsfeed. This is not an issue when using a desktop computer or laptop.

Events currently uploaded for parent attention:

Year 3: Murrindindi Visit DUE: 12/6/19 Year 3: Camp Deposit DUE: 14/6/19 Year 4: Polly Woodside DUE: 30/5/19 Year 5: Victorian State School Spec DUE: 23/8/19 Year 6: District Sport–Winter DUE: 3/6/19 Year 6: Bingo Night DUE: 12/6/19

CLASS AWARDS

Week Ending - 24th May, 2019

Prep—Year 2

Prep: Lucy T—0B, Joelle L—0M, Alisha S—0J, Fatima—0E

Year 1: Brock S & Layla F—1M, Jack H & Chloe J –1N, Mitchell H & Lilian T—1W

Year 2: Jack D—2F, Raymond L & Aaliayah B—2D

Years 3—6

Year 3: Zara H, Noah P & Zahli S—3C, Ivan S & Isabelle C—3M, Ryley C & Olivia M—3H

Year 4: Macy S & Lucas D—4RD, Sarah L & Nathan W—4D, Jack & Jasmine—4K

Year 5: Indi B & Emily B—5B, Toby C & Bridget H—5T, Riley H & Wilson W—5M. Year 6: Brianna E & Ian K—6D, Lachlan N & Maia R—6L, Sophie D & Ashton R—6V Toe by Toe: Lachlan B (6V) & Olivia K (6V)

Elect ion Day Sausage S izz le / Cake Sta l l

The Karoo Community came together on Saturday 18th May and held a very successful Election Day Sausage Sizzle/Cake Stall. We had a fabulous selection of cakes, biscuits and slices generously donated by our families for which we are very grateful.

The Fundraising Committee and KPA would like to extend a big thank to the following families for their help on the Election Day Sausage Sizzle/Cake Stall:

* Li Lingling * Paul and Mandy McLean * James Lancaster * Mercedes Ellis * Sally Cowan * Amy Jackson-Sharma * Brett Taylor * Craig Brownlie * Erin Tucker Thank you also to the following families who set up stalls as well … Toh family, May family and Andrea Haley’s mum and dad.

We raised a total of $1,782.16.

Thank you to the Karoo Community for your support!

Have you cleared all unexplained Absences for your

child? If not, please do so before the end of term.

Kristy Ackland * Sarah Edwards * Sharon Flecknoe * Lisa Gillespie * Ben * Liz Andrea and David Haley Nikki Michas Bec Young

Neither Karoo Primary School nor the Department of Education endorses the product or services of any private advertiser. No responsibility is accepted by Karoo Primary School or Department of Education for accuracy of information contained in advertisements or claims made by them.

CANTEEN NEWS …

Canteen is open for lunch orders & recess counter sales every

day. Please make sure you use the latest menu (Winter 2019

out now) when ordering. Orders must be handed in by 9:20am.

We are proud and excited to have some of our Year 5 students participating in the 2019 Victorian State Schools Spectacular: Made of Stars. The Spectacular brings together government school communities from across Victoria. Fittingly, this year’s theme, Made of Stars, will feature a galaxy of out-of-this-world performances showing that these students are made of star stuff. Talented Victorian students will feature on stage, while many other students will work behind the scenes, gaining unique, on-the-job, professional experience. The three-hour live show – involving music, dance, skateboarding and circus arts – will be performed to an audience of around 12,000 people at Melbourne Arena on Saturday 14 September over two shows at 1pm and 6:30pm. The Spectacular is a creative vision of industry professionals including Creative Director Neill Gladwin, Musical Director Chong Lim AM, Dance Director Deon Nuku, (Scooby Doo, Happy Feet, Moulin Rouge) and Associate Dance Director Yvette Lee, (Dancing with the Stars, X-Factor Australia, Australia’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance). For a fun, family entertainment experience, and to cheer on our students from the audience, be quick to secure tickets when they go on sale at 9am Wednesday 12 June via www.ticketek.com.au/spectacular

The best place to view Karoo Primary School Students is from

Sections: 7, 8, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31

We hope to see lots of you there supporting our students!

CIRCUS ROYALE—SCHOOL CHILDREN SUPER PASS ($15 per child)Coming to Stud Park Shopping Centre (Cnr Stud and Fulham Roads) from 22nd May to 10th June. Super Pass voucher available from the school office—entitles each child to grandstand seating plus free poster and free popcorn for the cost of $15. Conditions apply.

COMMUNITY NEWS

OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE

CURRICULUM DAY PROGRAM

Wednesday 26th june 2019

7:00am-6:00pm

Legoland discovery centre

Notices will be sent home today for this Curriculum Day program Please note this is not a school excursion but an Out of School Hours Care program running for Curriculum Day. Bookings are essential.

They will be visiting Legoland Discovery Centre, leaving Karoo 10:00am sharp and returning approx. 2:30pm. Once back at school, activities include outside play, drawing, colouring, dressing up, home corner, board games and lego. Breakfast will not be offered on this day.

Permission forms and payment of $50 due back by Friday 7th June. This program will only go ahead if sufficient numbers book. Parents will be notified via Compass whether or not the program will run.

If your child is attending this Curriculum Day program please ensure they are currently enrolled in Outside School Hours Care. If you require an enrolment form, please go to this link and apply here: www.smartcentral.net/v2/service_profile/show/409 A $10 registration fee will be charged. CCS applies for Curricilum Day (ensure your Centrelink account is up to date through myGov)

TICKETS: Adult: $40 Child Under 15: $20 Concession: $30

Buy 10 tickets and get one adult ticket free (the 11th ticket is free) by calling Group Bookings on 1300 364 001.

SATURDAY

14 SEPTEMBER 2019

—For further information contact St Simons OSHC on 0478 746 473 or email shavan-a@zubees.com.au

Meet our 2019 School Councillors ...

Leanne Vines My role on School Council is as Executive Officer. This role includes informing the Council on educational matters relating to the Department of Education and the progress of the school’s Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan. As Principal it is my role to lead curriculum development and implementation; appoint and manage staff; manage student wellbeing, discipline and academic progress; oversee maintenance and improvement of facilities. I meet regularly with our School Council President and members of sub committees to ensure ongoing communication is maintained. I am enjoying my role as Acting Principal, and will continue to work towards making Karoo the best it can be for students, staff and parents. This is my

eleventh year at Karoo, I have seen significant changes during these years to improve and maintain the facilities. In regards to student learning I am passionate about ensuring every student is supported, encouraged and provided with every opportunity to be a successful learner. Ultimately of great importance to student learning is their wellbeing; the emotional and social needs of students are of great interest to me.

Fiona Marker My name is Fiona Marker and I’m currently in the position of Acting Assistant Principal. I’m interested in student wellbeing and supporting all students through their educational journey. Developing curriculum and practice so that students can be the best they can be is one of my priorities. Being on School Council gives the opportunity to further discuss and act on issues and ideas that will have a positive influence on all students’ learning and wellbeing. As I started in Karoo in 2004, I have seen many changes but one thing that has remained constant is the desire for all students to reach their potential.

Andrea Haley I’m Andrea Haley, mum to Bridget in 5J. It’s my fifth year on School Council - the first two as Treasurer, and then as President. School Council members are here to represent everyone in the school community, and to help provide the environment for our children to love learning, and to be the best they can be. As President, I chair the School Council meetings and meet regularly with the School Principal. I enjoy being involved in the oversight of the school and hope that my business and finance background adds another skill set to the diverse group who sit on School Council.

Kim Davidson My name is Kim Davidson and I’m thrilled to be on school council this year. This is my second time being on School Council at Karoo Primary School, and I look forward to getting to know everyone who is on School Council this

year. I enjoy working with Karoo staff, teachers, parents and the community to help support and enhance student learning. This year I’m on the Finance Committee.

Matt Leeson My name is Matt Leeson and I am currently a Year 6 teacher at Karoo Primary School. This is my second year of being a staff member at the school and I am delighted to be a part of the 2019 School Council. I nominated to become a member of School Council in 2018 as I am passionate about being involved in the direction and vision of the school. I

believe this opportunity allows me to better understand the needs of students and parents involved in the school, as well as the local community. To assist the work of School Council I have become a member of the Fundraising and Buildings and Grounds sub-committees.

Fiona Robinson My name is Fiona Robinson and this is my family’s 12th year at Karoo with my son now in year 11 and daughter in year 8. I currently have Ashlee in grade 4. I have seen many changes at Karoo over the years but it continues to be a happy, safe environment for our children to learn and grow. This is my third year on School Council and it has given me a new found appreciation for the amazing work our staff do every day.

Mel Siddans My name is Melanie Siddans and I am one of the Year One teachers at Karoo. I chose to become involved with School Council this year because I believe it allows parents and teachers to work together to develop the learning and wellbeing of students whilst enhancing the caring and community minded culture that exists here at Karoo. I am a member of the

Fundraising Sub-committee and look forward to working with the other members of School Council to create opportunities for Karoo students to shine. Stacey Parnaby

My name is Stacey Parnaby and I have 2 children at Karoo,one in Grade 2 and one in Prep. Last year I filled in for the last term but have enjoyed being part of the progression at

Karoo and as a result have stayed on to continue with the Council for 2019. This year I will be helping with the development of policies and grounds.

Danielle Macleod Hi I’m Danielle MacLeod. I have a son in 5B and daughter in 3H. Being a part of School Council is my way of contributing to the growth and enrichment of a positive school culture, and that Karoo has the best possible learning environment for our

children.

Kitrina Taylor My name is Kitrina Taylor. I have 2 children- a son in Grade 4 and a daughter in Grade 2. My husband and I moved over to Melbourne from New Zealand in 2015. Being part of the school community has been a great way to get to know people and build relationships. I have been on the KPA for the past 3

years and have had fun being an active part of the school community. I chose to go on school council as I thought it would be interesting to learn more about how the school functions, and become involved in the decision making process.

Rebecca Young My name is Rebecca (Bec) Young. I have 2 daughters—

Taylah in 5B at Karoo and Dakota in Year 8. There have

been many changes within the school over my time at Karoo,

but the children’s education is still first priority as we keep up

with the ever-changing education system and continue to be a safe

environment for our children to learn and grow. This is my fifth year on

School Council and I hope to continue as a School Council member until

my Karoo journey ends.

Kylie May My name is Kylie May. I have two daughters currently at Karoo - Olivia in Grade 5 and Georgia in Grade 2. This will be my first year on School Council and I will be involved in the Outside School Hours Care Sub Committee and the Marketing and Grants Sub Committee. I've spent several years contributing to

the school by my involvement in the Karoo Parent Association and I'm now looking forward to working with the School Council to continue to provide an outstanding learning environment for our children.

Mark Oudshoorn Hi, I’m Mark, father of Bethany in Year 4 and Luke in Year 1. I’ve enjoyed being involved in community organisations in the past and look forward to contributing to Karoo Primary School via being a part of School Council. Karoo is a great place for our kids to learn and form friendships and I look forward to working with my fellow council members and the community in general to

ensure this continues into the future.

Simon Cowan Simonis the Vice President and has one son in 4RD, and two that are now at secondary school.

Nikki Michas My name is Nikki Michas. I have 2 little humans at Karoo – Noah in Year 2 and Mason in Prep. I have been involved in the KPA for the past two years. As of last year I became the President of the KPA, and will continue my role in KPA as

well as joining School Council. I am very excited to join forces with the School Council and look forward to a great year for Karoo Primary.