Reconciliation Week 27th May – 3rd June
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Reconciliation Week begins on the 27th of May and McKinnon Primary School wants to recognise, educate and celebrate the week with our students and community. This year, the theme for Reconciliation Week is “Now More Than Ever”. The theme is a reminder to all, that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must continue.
In preparation, students will be inquiring into what reconciliation means, making connections to past and current units of inquiry and building their own personal understanding. In addition to classroom learning experiences, all students will contribute to a collaborative artwork which will be displayed at school.
We will share stories of student learning in our next edition of the newsletter. You can investigate Reconciliation Week yourself at https://nrw.reconciliation.org.au/ .
IMPORTANT NEW ENROLMENT PROCESS AT ALL VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
New state-wide processes mean that a shorter application form with proof for evidence of address must be given to the school prior to being offered an enrolment form to complete. Families can only be given enrolment forms once sufficient evidence proves their address.
For families living within the McKinnon Primary School Zone, there is no change to the boundary for 2024/2025. Please see the school boundary on findmyschool.vic.gov.au
However, all Foundation 2025 application forms must be submitted to the school by Friday 26th July 2024. Please see our school website for further details. Enrolments | McKinnon Primary School (mckinnon-primary.vic.edu.au)
STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TO SCHOOL SURVEY (AtoSS)
The AtoSS is an annual online student survey completed by Year Four to Six students. It is offered by the Department of Education and Training to assist schools in gaining an understanding of students’ perceptions and experience of school. Students will be asked about their thoughts and feelings in relation to their school, their learning, peer and family relationships, resilience, bullying, mental health and wellbeing, physical activity, and life in general.
Participation in this survey this year is voluntary. Please look for a Compass post next week with further information on the survey and instructions on how to opt out if you do not wish for your child/ren to participate.
Student-Led Conferences and Open Afternoon
As part of Education Week this year, we held Student-Led Conferences.
It was wonderful to witness the independence and confidence last Tuesday as students led parents through their learning. A big thank you to the students, teachers and parents for making this afternoon possible. The SLC is a big highlight for our students who are always so excited to bring their parents and carers into the school.
Bike Racks – Travel to School
We have recently noticed an increase in students riding to school which is fantastic. Unfortunately, we have had to remind many students to hop off their bikes and walk them within the school grounds. It is also important to remind your child that the only place bikes should be stored during the day while at school is the bike racks/ inside the gates (across the road). A number of students have been leaving their bikes in places that cause an issue for others to use the bike racks properly. If your child rides to school please speak to them about storing their bikes carefully and correctly when they get to school.
Our Incredible Education Support Staff
On Thursday 16th May we celebrated our incredible, knowledgeable, friendly, patient, hard-working, creative, down-right fabulous Education Support Staff and the significant contributions they make to our community every single day!
We have twenty-two incredible ES staff who support our students and teachers in many ways across our school. They do an outstanding job whether it is in the classroom, the office/admin area, first-aid, the library, learning support or maintaining our school grounds. They are all extremely committed to our students and to the work they do. Many of their jobs are often unseen, however our school and students wouldn’t be the place it is without them.
Students were involved in filming short messages of thanks to share, acknowledging the different roles ES play across the school. Many students thanked them for:
“Keeping the library such a beautiful place”
“Helping us understand and solve our problems”
“Helping us outside in the year with our games”
“Pushing us with our work in class so that we work to our limit”
“Helping us with our reading”
“Helping us at the office to make phone calls or solve problems with lunch orders”
“Helping us in first aid with ice-packs and making us feel better if we are hurt”
Thank you, ES, from the bottom of our hearts for making this school such a tremendous place.
Learner Profile Award Winners – Principal Morning Tea
We held our regular learner profile award winners Principal morning tea this morning, where all of the students that have been recognised by staff recently with a learner profile award, were invited to the staffroom. There was a wide variety of snacks on offer and the children enjoyed the opportunity to have a conversation with the principal team. The bananas and popcorn were a big hit with all of our winners. It was fantastic to see so many of our students together celebrating their hard work and achievements.
Story Dogs – Begins in Year Two and Year Three
We have begun our first few sessions with story dogs visiting some of the students in Year Two and Year Three. This is a fantastic program that relies on volunteers to get it going in our school. For this reason, there are limited spots for students who are able to participate and they have been selected collectively by the teams of teachers in the Year Two and Three levels. Other students may see these dogs as they enter or exit the school, or possibly in common spaces like the learning centre. Please remind your children that these are working dogs, as they have vests on so it is best to look and not touch them without their handler’s permission. The handler may invite them to pat the dog and this would be OK.
Hope you all have a great weekend
David, Andrew and Amanda