Address: Willett Avenue, Oak Park VIC 3046
T:(03) 9306 9182 E: [email protected] |
Issue 36
November 25th 2021 |
Oak Park Primary School will work collaboratively to provide a stimulating, safe and challenging learning environment that promotes resilient, innovative thinkers.
Calendar of Events
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Principal's Column
Carols Night – Tuesday December 14th We are excited to take the first steps towards rebuilding our community engagement, with our proposed ‘Carols Picnic’. We are looking forward to Tuesday 14th December for an outdoors event. If the heavens are kind to us, we hope to have a lovely summer’s evening whereby parents could bring along a picnic dinner from 5:00-7:00 pm with carols commencing from around 5:30. We are still hoping for further flexibility from the Department of Education and the school will continue to monitor operational guidelines and government restrictions to ensure the event can proceed with a strong COVID safe plan. We will provide further details through the newsletter as our planning unfolds. COVID-19 Update With the further easing of restrictions last week across Victoria, it’s certainly a relief to feel that things are starting to head toward normal. Sadly however, schools continue to operate under a continued raft of restrictions, given that most students in primary schools are unvaccinated. We’ll continue to use our playground plan to separate student cohorts and students in Years 3 to 6 are still mandated to wear a face mask whilst inside the classroom (unless otherwise exempt). Please note, staggered arrangements for the start and end of the school day will also remain in place for the time being. As new operational guidelines are forwarded to schools from the Department of education & Training (DET), we’ll continue to provide updates through the newsletter. Shade Sail Grant and Installation We were successful in receiving a $25,000 shade sail grant from the VSBA to support the creation of further outdoor teaching spaces. The shade sail could not be placed over any existing playground or between any portable building, so the best location was the bench seating located near the Gym. Greenline was company with the successful quote that also met the requirements from the DET. We’re currently aiming to have this completed during January. Some pictures of the site and an example below. Student Agency
Our student leaders are currently undertaking the process of updating all the songs played via the PA at the end of recess and lunchtimes. Leaders have surveyed classrooms for song suggestions are currently vetting the songs for any explicit content to then prepare the new CD for a rotating playlist. As a homage to Bryan our former Principal, we’re keeping ‘Here comes to the Sun’ as his favourite Beatles track. Kind regards, Michael Gill Principal COVID-19
The Victorian Government has announced important changes to the management of COVID-19 cases and close contacts in schools and other settings as we reach the 90% double dose milestone for eligible people in the coming days. Please note, we have not had an COVID-19 exposure on-site at Oak Park Primary School. In the event of a positive case on-site, exposed persons (previously identified as close contacts in education settings) from an exposure at school, no longer have to quarantine for between 7 and 14 days. They can instead return immediately to school after providing evidence of a negative result from a standard PCR test to our school. Testing centres will also provide teachers and students with at-home RAT (Rapid Antigen Tests) for five days to test prior to coming to school. Rapid antigen tests are strongly recommended for those students who have returned a negative PCR result and return to school. They are a great tool for families to use to keep our school safe and ensure that positive cases are identified at the earliest possible time. You will get a pack of five tests and you should use them each day before your child attends school until you run out. In exceptional circumstances the Department of Health may determine that close contacts in significant school outbreaks are still required to quarantine for seven days. In this scenario, students will be notified directly of any additional quarantine arrangements. Thank you for supporting this important approach, which will help keep our school safe and reduce the disruption to the entire school community. Zoopers Doopers
Bring $1 to buy a Zooper Dooper on Friday. Help the Grade 6s raise money to make their Graduation a memorable and wonderful evening. Grade 6 Graduation
The Grade 6 Graduation Ceremony is taking place on Thursday 9th December. As part of the evening, a light supper is provided to parents of graduating students after the ceremony. The PFA have asked for around 5 volunteers to help on the night with serving food and drinks and then packing up afterwards (around 6pm – 9pm). Many of the current Grade 6 parents volunteered last year, so this is a great way to pay it forward. If you can help out, please contact Eugenie Baulch on [email protected]) as soon as possible. Your help is greatly appreciated. Grade 6 Uniforms
Thank you all for your placing your orders for the Grade 6 uniforms. This message is to inform you that the students will receive their polo tops at the beginning of Term 1, 2022. However, due to a delay in the manufacturer receiving fabric from overseas and the time needed to embroider individual names on this garment, hooded windcheaters will not be available until mid-Term 1 2022. Another unfortunate side-effect of the pandemic! Thank you for your understanding in this matter, Sheryl Hamilton & Grade 5 Teaching Team Grade 4 News
GRADE 4 COLOUR POEMS Aanya
Ihsan
Diya
Maeve
Zayden
Grade 3 News
The Grade 3 students have been writing an explanation report on “How does popcorn work?’ We also made popcorn to show how the popcorn kernel turns into white fluffy popcorn. |
Grade 3 students have been learning about chance and data. They were given a box of smarties where they had to discuss what colour smarties could be in their smarties box. They then graphed the results and discussed the different combinations of colours that they had. The best was eating the smarties at the end of the lesson!
Breakfast Club
Our Breakfast Club is every Monday, Wednesday & Thursday from 8.30am - 8.50am in The Agora. Please enter via the Library not the staffroom. Lost Property
I’m sure this precious bracelet and earring belongs to someone, and they would be missing it. If this is yours, please see Alyssa or Fran in the Office. Kids Artwork
Kids Artwork is available to order online now: Families can now order some beautiful items featuring your child’s artwork, whilst raising some funds for our school. Orders close 9am December 5th. To order, just follow the instructions below:
Please email the PFA at: [email protected] if you have any queries. We thank you all for your patience. PFA SPECIALIST NEWS
Sustainability OUR SOLAR PANELS Our solar panels are chugging along nicely and making a massive difference to our school’s energy bills and environmental footprint. In the last week we have produced almost 900kWh. Put into perspective, this is enough to power the average home for 53 days! Or, put another way, enough to dry around 800kg of washing in a clothes dryer! HOLIDAY CARE FOR OUR PETS With the holidays fast approaching I am looking for people who might be interested, willing and capable of looking after some of our pets over the holidays. We have blue tongue lizards, turtles and stick insects. Care is quite easy for each, but they do require almost daily feeding and care. If you feel you can help out, I’d be keen to hear from you ([email protected]). If you are going away for more than a couple of days on the holidays it probablyis not for you. BOTTLE TOPS FOR MURAL – ORANGE WANTED DESPERATELY! Thank you to everyone who has helped with bottle tops for our Indigenous mural. Dave and I are determined to complete this by the end of the year. We have all the tops we need now with the exception of orange – we still have a section we are unable to fill just yet due to a lack of these tops. If you are able to collect them and forward them to Dave or John at school, we would be forever grateful, and your bottle tops will be up on display in our Indigenous tribute mural for years to come. Community News
Rock climbing, Tennis, Inclusive sport and Hip Hop. Please see advertisements below for everything inclusive. Wild at Hearts Inkrewsive Hip Hop crew have been working collaboratively with Hip Hop artists and students with disabilities in India to write a track and produce a music video. With the support of the City of Melbourne, their new song Lockdown e Bondoho, will be launched on December 3rd.
School Contacts
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