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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 25
August 24th 2023 |
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
CERES Schools for Wildlife Project. The CERES Schools for Wildlife Project, led by Bella (Ceres) and Steph our Science Teacher, brings nature closer to our students. This initiative fosters appreciation for native flora and fauna. Through multiple engaging sessions, a select group of Year 5/6 students discover the importance of native planting for local animals. Notably, the garden's strategic location, visible from Willett Ave, showcases students' dedication to creating a haven for wildlife. As it flourishes, the garden embodies our commitment to environmental stewardship. The garden has been planted at our recent incursion, which was enjoyed by students and CERES staff and myself. We’ve got some mulching and growing ahead before the space will open up for enjoyment for Junior classes during their eating times. Students were keen to get their hands dirty and showcase their new knowledge around indigenous flora. 
Planned Power Outage – Great resilience from staff and students
Thanks to all staff and students during the recent power outage on Wednesday from 8am till around 3:30pm. Everyone showed great resilience and flexibility on the day. It was wonderful to see more classes working outside to write, read and complete some mathematics tasks. It was quiet day without technology and many students commented how much they enjoyed a very different day at school. Great job around and well done for showcasing one of our school values, resilience. Kind regards, Michael Gill Principal Assembly Timetable - Term 3
Book Week
2023 Book parade assembly at 9:15am - Friday 25 August Is your child unsure what to dress up as? Here’s an option- join the teachers! This year all the teachers are dressing up from the childrens classic book- 101 Dalamatians and we would love some additional puppies to join us! It’s an easy dress up (white t-shirt with black spots) and the more of us the better! Can you imagine if we actually reached 101 puppies on the day! 
Premier's Reading Challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge finishes on Friday 8th September (end of next week). Well done to those students that took on the challenge and signed up. Sally will be visiting classes to ensure all books are verified by the closing date. Until then, happy reading!
Wellbeing Lunchtime Clubs
Our school runs free daily lunchtime clubs for students who would like to attend. Clubs vary from quiet relaxing activities such as gardening or library, to full energy clubs like karaoke or student-run sports clubs. Students can start in a club any week and there is no pressure to attend the club regularly. Your child can change clubs each week until they find one that suits them! Please discuss the Lunchtime Club timetable with your child. Daily announcements are made so students know which clubs are running every day. 
Wellbeing in the Middle Years
In our grade 3/4 classes, we prioritize wellbeing by using evidenced based social and emotional learning curriculum. Following on from the wonderful sessions we had with Juliette in Term Two, we are using the ‘Bounce Back’ program by Helen McGrath and Toni Noble to continue to develop resilience, social-emotional learning, and positive wellbeing. This program uses cooperative learning, thinking tools, Circle Time, high quality educational games and peer support to help children develop the skills they need to ‘Bounce Back’ from sadness, difficulties, frustration and challenging times. 
Most recently, we have used circle time to share and grow our understanding around the core values of Honesty, Fairness, and Responsibility. It has been wonderful to see and hear the collaborative discussion taking place in each classroom. We also investigated Social Justice by unpacking the text ‘For Every Child’. This text features 14 rights from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. After reflecting on this text, the children wrote thank you letters to organizations and individuals who they feel support the rights of children. Some children chose to acknowledge the Start Light foundation, a coach at their football club, or their dance teacher.
As we move forward, we will be using the mentor text, ‘Something Else’ to look into the importance of personal differences. Acknowledging and emphasizing the positive aspects of differences and thinking about what it truly means to be inclusive. As well as continuing ‘Bounce Back’ in term 4, we are looking forward to our camp at Waratah Beach, where the children will be able to put their resilience to the test! 
Friday 18th August was Bullying No Way! Day and it is a good opportunity to discuss preventing bullying in our school. The focus this year is on community connections and feeling connection prevents bullying from the beginning.
The official website for ‘Bullying No Way!’ states “When someone has many connections to people and places, they feel safe, happy and supported. The more connections they have, the better they are at coping with challenging situations in their life. Being connected and having people to talk to or to ask for help are great ways to prevent bullying.” In class, students discussed the connections they have in their life. These connections can be at different levels: family, school, community, etc. You may like to start conversations with your child reinforcing the positive messages from school. Suggested questions: • When your friends say hello or ask you to join their activities, how does that make you feel? • When teachers welcome you to the class, how does that make you feel? • When you are feeling happy (connected/relaxed/calm), how does that influence how you behave at school and with your friends? • Does everyone always agree or have the same opinion? Why/why not? • Does everyone communicate in the same way at your school? • How could you support someone that was involved in bullying/going through a tough time? • How can you make a new connection in your life? For more information, please see the Bullying- No Way! Website: https://bullyingnoway.gov.au Footy Colours Day
We will be celebrating the end of term (Friday 15th September) with a Footy Colours Day. Students can wear sports team colour of their choice, regardless of the day being called Footy Colours Day.
On this day, the canteen will not be running, but we will be having a pie day. Orders will be sent home tomorrow, Friday 25th August and collected by Friday 8th September. Options available are: Beef Pie (Hahal certified), Vegie Pastie, Sausage Roll. Orders will not be through the canteen app, they will be cash only and collected by the classroom teacher. Please note: Team photos will be taken on the day. We acknowledge that some students do not have permission to have their photo taken, but this is challenging to police at a whole-school event. Teachers will do their best to remind students of their permission status. If you would like to ensure your child is NOT in the photo, please have a discussion with them before the day. The photos will be for school use only. 
Lost Property
This purse was handed in to the Office on Wednesday. It contains money. We have made an announcement but no one has come to claim it. This may have been bought to school for the book day? If this is yours please come to the office and see Fran. 
P.F.A
This year the PFA’s Father’s Day Stall is scheduled for Thursday 31st August and Friday 1st September, and we are looking for donations from the school community to augment the stock for the stall. Gifts are usually sold for between $1 and $6, so items such as key rings, socks or other small, simple handmade goodies are ideal. If you are able to make or otherwise have something to donate, please email us at [email protected] to let us know what you would like to give and to organise drop-off details. We will need to receive donations by Friday 25 August. Thank you for your support! The PFA Footy Report
Specialist
Physical Education In this week’s PE news, I’d like to start off by congratulating the Under 10 and Under 12 at Oak Park Footy Club for winning both of their premierships over the weekend. It was a tremendous show of support from the Oak Park Community that helped will the boys over the line. For some this is their second premiership in as many years, and for some it was their first taste of glory. We are so proud of you! In other news, we have our first round of interschool athletics competition next Tuesday 29th at Meadowglen International Athletics stadium. All students who qualified for their events at our local carnival will compete against the best of the best in the Glenroy District. We wish you the best of luck. 
Performing Arts
Book Parade Assembly Song
Students have enjoyed learning a song which we will sing as a whole school for our Book Week Parade assembly this Friday at 9:15am. The song is called ‘Words Make the World Go Round” by Justine Clarke and Josh Pyke. It is a particularly fitting song as all proceeds from this song go towards the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, the same foundation we are raising money for with our school ‘Great Book Swap’ which will also be held next week. Here is a link to the song if your child would like to practise singing it at home- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUhvx_f6u2Q Cultural Dance- Bollywood Senior students have loved Mexican Hat Dancing and now we have travelled to India and are immersing ourselves in Bollywood dance! These energetic and intricate steps are by far the most complicated we have learnt during our “Dancing Around the World” unit and the students loved the colour and flair of dancing with silk scarves. We are discussing traditional costumes and cultural dress, if any families have a sari I could hang up for the students to look up I would be very grateful! The sari would be a displayed on a mannequin and not touched by students. Next week we will be learning about Bharatanatyam dancing which is an Indian classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu. 
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Visual Arts
Our talented Grade 3/4 students have recently created Aluminium Foil Humanoid Sculptures! These sculptures showcase the creativity and craftsmanship of OPPS students, with some even including accessories such as sports equipment, clothing, trees, and animals. To add an extra touch of artistry, our students also experimented with shadows by incorporating a light source such as the sun or a lamp. It has been truly amazing to witness their imaginations come to life through these sculptures. Most of the students managed to complete their foil sculptures, which was a testament to their determination and perseverance during this series of Art Lessons. It was truly gratifying to see their hard work pay off, and they should be very proud of their achievements for this series art of lessons. Let’s take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of the Grade 3/4 students. Below is just a small sample of the foil sculptures made. 
Science
This week in the Science room our Senior Scientists have continued their learning about interesting animal adaptations. We went into further detail about how and why different organisms adapt to their habitat in particular ways. We learnt about Mountain Wetas that live in New Zealand’s mountain regions. Wetas can freeze during artic storms and then unfreeze and bring themselves “back to life”. We discovered how a giraffes distinctive pattern helps to regulate its body temperature in a hot climate, and how it’s dark blue tongue acts as a sunscreen and allows the giraffe to eat during the hottest parts of the day. Students have now also begun their mini project for the term - inventing their own new creature. They are doing this by selecting an existing animal and then imagining moving it from its natural habitat to a totally different one. They are having to consider which adaptations their animal will need to successfully survive in its new habitat. Students are being very creative and showing their understanding of adaptations and requirements for survival. Great job this week seniors! 
Japanese
In Japanese students have been doing an amazing job learning how to say, recognize and write Kanji numbers up to 10. Everyone has been very keen to try a range of activities to help them remember the Kanji numbers and learn how to write them. Some of the activities students have enjoyed so far have been singing songs, tracing characters, making posters, creating Kanji caterpillars, playing board games and card games and creating pictures from Kanji characters. Here are some examples of the wonderful learning that has been happening.
Community News
KELLY SPORTS September Holiday Sports Program….enrol now 
Penola Saints - Spring Season
School Contacts
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