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The Oak Leaf |
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Address: Willett Avenue, Oak Park VIC 3046
T:(03) 9306 9182 E: [email protected] |
Issue 35
November 17th 2022 |
Oak Park Primary School will work collaboratively to provide a stimulating, safe and challenging learning environment that promotes resilient, innovative thinkers.
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Calendar of Events
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Principal's Column
Curriculum Day Reminder – Final Day of Term Tuesday - December 20th. I hope families enjoyed the opportunity for a 4-day weekend, last Monday (31st) was a Curriculum Day to assist teachers in preparation for Semester 2 reports. We have one final Curriculum Day this year, on Tuesday December 20th, so please flag this in your calendars. Our final day of the school year will be Monday the 19th of December with an early finish at 1:30pm. 1:30pm Early Finish - Monday the 19th of December The new Victorian Government School Agreement requires that time in lieu be paid to teaching and ES staff for any commitment outside of their regular hours. From 2023 this will be include camps and any event outside school hours when staff are required to attend. For example, from our recent musical, we needed to provide 8 hours of time in lieu to staff. The time in lieu must be ‘meaningful’ to staff aim to repay their time. Our upcoming Carols Picnic is a wonderful community event we’d like staff to attend, but this will attract 2 hours of time in lieu very late in the school year. School Council has supported staff and the school by moving the early (1:30pm finish) to December 19th the final Monday of the school year, as the 20th is already a Curriculum Day. This is a fantastic, flexible outcome to ensure we can still plan for community events and provide the well-deserved time in lieu to our staff. Class Placements for 2023 As we begin to draft our new classes for 2023, there are several factors that will be carefully considered. In each new class, teachers will aim to ensure that there is a balance of academic capabilities, social competencies, behavioural traits & special needs, so that the classes at each level have an almost identical profile. In addition to these factors, our teachers also take into account each child’s nominated peers to ensure that every child is matched to at least one friend that supports their learning (Please note that the peers/friends are not listed in any preferential order and it is explained to all students). As you can appreciate this is a very complex task, especially considering our total school enrolment of around 390 students. To this end, please be assured that all of these factors are carefully considered. Like you, we want to ensure that we establish the best learning opportunities for all of our students. Given the rigour in this process, we ask that parents refrain from requesting friendship groupings and teacher preferences, unless there are extenuating circumstances that we may not be aware of which may potentially impact on a child’s placement. If you believe that extenuating circumstances exist in regards to your child’s placement in 2023. please provide these details via email at [email protected]. Kind regards, Michael Gill Principal Dogs Connect
Staff Car Park
We would once again ask parents/guardians to not park in the staff car park at any time, particularly in the morning when dropping off your child to Before Care. Staff are arriving to school from 8am onwards and it can be quite difficult to access a car park. This also includes during the day when picking up or dropping off students. We realise that car parking around the school is at a premium before and after school, but staff need to be able to access their own car park. We thank you for your consideration. Book Club
LAST BOOK CLUB FOR 2022! Book Club catalogues were distributed to classes last week. Orders need to be submitted no later than Wednesday 23rd November. It is the perfect opportunity to start Christmas shopping! If you are purchasing for a surprise gift under the tree, please let me know and I can hold the order and arrange a suitable collection time. Either contact me by email or see me in the library. Thank you all for your support of Book Club this year. Michelle Grade 6 Graduation
Grade 6 Graduation will be happening on Thursday 15th December. More details will follow in the coming weeks. Uniform Swap & Sale
Next Friday 18 November from 3 to 4 pm the PFA will be holding a Second-hand Uniform Swap & Sale in the classroom in the gym building. This gives families at our school an opportunity to bring in any uniforms that are no longer used and swap them for other sizes available, as well as purchase second-hand any uniform items that they need. All funds raised from the second-hand uniform sale go to the school. All items handed in must be in good condition and clean. Items brought in will be inspected before swapping, and can only be swapped for a different size of that same item. Please aim to bring in items towards the beginning of the stall so we can have them available to others. If two or more people want the same item, the host or representative will referee a match of scissors, paper, rock or other game. The PFA are happy to accept any unwanted uniforms that do not require swapping, such as from Grade 6 students leaving the school, at any time during the meet, or in the days leading up to the stall (please feel free drop these donations at the office). Thanks and see you there, The PFA Lost Property
A ‘Smiggle’ brand bag/purse has been found on the back of the oval a while ago. If your child has lost this, please call in to the office. The purse contains money. 
Somers Camp
Some of our Grade 6’s have headed off to the annual Somers Camp. Here they are about to board the bus this week. I’m sure they’ll have a fabulous time. 
Grade 1/2 News
T-Shirt Designs 
Swimming Day
Carols & Family Picnic Night
We are only a few short weeks away from our Family Picnic Night and we are hoping the weather will warm up for this special night! Students are beginning to rehearse their songs and lots of students have commented that they really love this performance because it’s fun and casual and they are there just to have fun. The song chosen are for the festive season and well known, below are the songs that will be sung (your child may like to practise at home!). Also don’t forget to bring cash for the sausage sizzle and Zooper Doopers! Do you have large Christmas decorations? If you have any simple large Christmas decorations that you could lend for the night please see Melanie. We have large hanging Christmas baubles but I am looking for something to sit near the poles, large candy canes or similar? Please let me know! 
Physical Education
In PE this week we are beginning to wrap up our Net/Wall Games assessments for term 4. All students across each year level will be revisiting all of our favourite activities from over the year. Some of the popular games being played at the moment are tag games, basketball, futsal and dodgeball- the key word for the rest of the year is “Choice”. In other news, six of our Grade 6 students have ventured to Somers Camp for the biannual event for students in Grades 5-6. This is a special camp by the Department of Education- their mission is to provide an inspiring residential program for Victorian Government School Students. They facilitate opportunities for every child to develop their personal and social capabilities, to progress their understanding of sustainable practices and to enhance their ability to meet challenge and change by encouraging resilience. The next opportunity for Somers camp will be in 2024, for more information please have a look at their website https://www.somersschoolcamp.org/. We hope Oliver, Alessio, Connor, Sophie, Mia and Lexie enjoy this fun adventure! CRICKET: We have been invited to compete in a friendly local cricket tournament with some other schools in area. I am looking to create 2x teams of 8 to play on the day. P If your child is interested in playing, could you please let me know asap! If we have more than 16 students interested in total, the first preference will go to any student in grade 6 (sorry grade 5s!). 
Thanks from Liam
Visual Arts
Over the past few weeks in Visual Arts, students in Grade 1/2 have been working on creating some artworks based on Australian Aboriginal Art (dot painting or pointillism as it’s known in the Art World). Students have also learnt about some Dreamtime stories such as ‘How the Kangaroo got it Pouch’, ‘Why the Koala has a Stumpy Tail’ and ‘How the Turtle got its Shell’.
Below are some examples of the artworks produced by the Grade 1/2 students using acrylic paint and cotton buds. Some Aboriginal symbols and designs of student choice were included in the designs. The students found this to be a very satisfying activity and had lots of fun creating uniquely Australian animal dot paintings. Stay tuned for what the Foundation students have been up to in next week’s newsletter. 
Sustainability
Sustainability Activities Last week the students engaged in Sustainability activities to promote the learning of the process of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Students made a t-shirt design. One of the t shirt designs will be chosen to be printed on unused shirts that can be bought in by students later in the school year. This process is to promote reusing articles of clothing instead of them ending up in land fill. Students were also involved in making and planting seeds into newspaper pots. We asked for students to recycle newspapers so they could make their own pot and then they added soil to the pots and planted a seed. Here is a recount and some photos showing the activities that we did. 
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Community News
-- INVITATION -- TAG: The Adaptation Game - BREAKING NEWS We're writing to announce the first TAG game will be played in Merri bek this December 3rd. TAG will see Merri bek residents play scenarios of disasters caused by climate changeset in their neighborhoods. They will test their own and their community’s preparedness, test out realistic preparations for the uncertain future. This first session is for Merri bek residents, especially people connecting to specific cultural and diverse groups in the community. If you live or work in the community, register here now. You’re invited to play The Adaptation Game A Merri-bek Climate Drill Have fun, meet others and prepare for climate change in our community Saturday December 3rd, 2022 10am to 2pm, lunch provided Glenroy Community Hub 50 Wheatsheaf Rd, Glenroy VIC 3046 Register now: https://events.humanitix.com/tag-merri-bek TAG will be documented, and the results shared with you and the broader TAG community. Oak Park Scout Group
Penola Saints
Ace Tennis School
School Contacts
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