|
The Oak Leaf |
|
Address: Willett Avenue, Oak Park VIC 3046
T:(03) 9306 9182 E: [email protected] |
Issue 04
February 24th 2022 |
Oak Park Primary School will work collaboratively to provide a stimulating, safe and challenging learning environment that promotes resilient, innovative thinkers.
|
Calendar of Events
|
|
Principal's Column
COVID UPDATE - RATs Continue We want to thank parents and students for the great job they have done in keeping our school as safe as possible by following important COVIDSafe measures such as mask wearing, physical distancing, ventilation, getting vaccinated and rapid antigen testing. This has meant that our school has remained open and our students in class. This is a fantastic outcome and a testament to the hard work of parents, carers, students and school staff. To keep schools as safe as possible, the Victorian Government has now extended the COVIDSafe measures introduced for the beginning of Term 1. This includes extending the availability of free rapid antigen tests (RAT) for screening until the end of term. It is anticipated an additional 24 million RATs will be provided to schools and early childhood settings to continue to support early detection and prevent infection, for use at home. The need for this program will continue to be monitored and may end earlier based on health advice. This is great news and will mean we’re able to continue identifying COVID-19 cases as early as possible, reducing the impact on our school and individuals. We’ll provide an update to the community on the next distribution of rapid antigen tests, as soon as they arrive. As per recent announcements from the state government, QR-Code check-in is no longer required within schools. In Primary schools, masks are still required indoors, and following the current written advice, 'Parents/carers are required to show proof of vaccination to enter a school building'. If a staff member asks for you to demonstrate your vaccination status, please be obliging - all these steps are taken with the aim of keeping students, staff and community members safe. School Council Elections – Ballots sent home Thank you once again to all the parents that nominated for the three available places on School Council. Ballot papers and candidate statements have been sent home last Monday. To return your voting ballot, place the ballot paper in the provided envelopes with your name and address on the back and place it in the ballot box at the front office. Please note that voting ballots must returned by 4:00pm on Monday 28th February. We’re looking forward to the ballot being completed and counted so we can welcome and introduce our new school counsellors shortly. Gratitude Journals Our classes continue to use Gratitude Journals with children often starting their day with the opportunity to learn and write about being grateful, showing kindness, being a team player and many other important life skills and attributes. It was lovely to visit several 1/2 classrooms this week, hear from students and read their reflections on the beginning of school in 2022. Wellbeing and strategies like gratitude journals will continue to be a focus for the school in 2022 and will form a major part of our upcoming school review processes and strategic direction for the next four years. 
Kind regards,
Michael Gill Principal Student Absences
If your child is going to be absent from school for the day or is self-isolating, please note you can notify the school by using the Compass app. If you need any assistance using the app or understanding the absence categories, please check with the office, we’d be happy to support with understanding this process. If you will be dropping your child at school late or picking up early due to an appointment, you do not need to pre-advise via Compass. You just need to sign them in/out on arrival or departure on the actual day. By all means, you may email your childs teacher to give them notification your child will be attending an appointment and will be late to school or leaving early. Dropping off & Picking up students
Our teacher who is on yard duty near the drive through at drop off and pick up, has noted that there are families walking their children through the drive through when bringing them to school in the morning. We ask that when families are coming into school particularly from Summit Ave to please utilise the footpaths and gate entrances into the school yard. It is extremely dangerous to be walking students through the drive through between cars. Late Arrivals
We ask families again, that if you are dropping your child late to school, you need to bring them in via the office and sign them in. The first bell rings at 8.50 so students may place their bags in their classroom, then when the 9am bell rings all students are ready for class to start. Many students are arriving anything up to 15 min late and making their way directly to class. Other than being a matter of safety as there is no one in the school yard, this interrupts the teacher who has to then send them to the office to be signed in via Compass. We appreciate your effort to get your child to school on time, and if unavoidably late, to be signed in via the office. Thank you Premiers Reading Challenge
Well done to those students who completed the Premier's Reading Challenge in 2021. You have not been forgotten! Your special certificates have been delayed but will be posted out to the school in the coming weeks. We look forward to presenting them in assembly when we receive them. Watch this space if you'd like to be involved in the Premier's Reading Challenge for 2022. Information on how to do this will be shared when the challenge opens. Keep reading! 2022 Concert
The Oak Park Primary School Concert will be held over 2 nights, Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th September 2022. All students are required to attend both nights. Further information will be forthcoming closer to time. 
Rubbish-Free Lunches
Thank you Elliot (6D) for your article on Rubbish Free lunches. Elliot is our school Vice Captain and is keen to give new parents and students tips on how to reduce waste in our playgrounds. 
Visual Arts
Congratulations to the new Visual Arts Captains for 2022. Mia and Saraansh (6D) are looking forward to working towards making an even more engaging and exciting Visual Arts Program at OPPS throughout 2022. I look forward to what each of these students brings to inspire creativity in others. |
|
Grade 1/2 News
1/2F and 1/2B had a great "Twos-day" this week, exploring the exciting palindrome 22/02/22! They completed some fun activities exploring all the ways they could show "22"/ They went outside and played hopscotch and counting forwards and backwards from different numbers! Later on during the day, they went outside again and found as many "22s" as they could find - Bark, sticks, trees etc. They had fun with these hands-on engaging activities that showed that 22 is a number with real-world applications and is created with lots of different materials inside the classroom and beyond.
Grade 3/4 News
Grade 3/4 Writing This week, the Grade 3/4s created their first Writing piece for the year. They worked through the Writer’s Process of planning, drafting, editing, revising and publishing pieces based on the Wendy Ewald book ‘The Best Part of Me’. They were asked to write about their best feature and why it’s important to them. Grade 3/4H 
Grade 3/4P
Grade 3/4S
Library News
Library borrowing for students has commenced. Classes visit the Library once a week and students can borrow a book to enjoy at home. Students must have a Library bag to borrow. Please ensure books borrowed are returned promptly. Book Club
Thank you to all families who placed an order from Issue 1 of Book Club. As a result, the school has received $400 to purchase new books for the Library. All orders have now been delivered to classrooms, if you have not received your order, please see me asap. Thank you for your continued support of Book Club. Instrumental Music Program
EXISTING FAMILIES For existing families, including new sibling enrolments, please contact Amy or Belinda directly for any enrolment enquiries via email [email protected] or phone 0456 952 311 (call or text). NEW FAMILIES For new families wanting to enrol in the instrumental music program, please view information and fill in registration form via the following link: www.songbirds-studio.com/primary-schools Amy Di Giambattista Director Community News
Please note information below from one of our new parents who has recently moved to Oak Park from a regional area. Courtney’s school aged children are in Grade 1/2A and Foundation S and she is now in the process of moving her business from its regional location, to within our community. “I am a qualified eyelash technician, with 2 years experience within a home base salon set up, and we’ve just moved to the area and am having to build my client base from scratch! my website is www.hummingbirdlashes.com. Facebook is @hummingbirdlashes And Instagram is hummingbird_lashes, contact phone number is 0434606951,
Glenroy Lions FC
Footy Fun
School Contacts
|
