The Kingsville Primary School Community currently in 2023 consists of 358 families, 487 students and 40 school staff.  This of course is only the immediate community. Any school community, particularly one of such an historic school as Kingsville, includes generations of families, past students and family members.

As Principal of KPS for a significant period of time I have had both the honour and privilege to know, engage and share a great deal with hundreds of current, past and extended family members.

Whilst I have composed well over a thousand Principal Messages for the school newsletter during my long term as Principal of KPS this one is of considerable personal significance.

I have mentioned to various groups over the last couple of years that 2023 would be my last full year as Principal. Now at this stage of 2023, it is important to state this in a formal manner and provide more detail to all members of the school community.

The information provided below has been determined in partnership with Department of Education specifically at the Regional level.

Details have been provided to the –

• KPS School Council on Monday 16^th
• Parents / guardians/ community members who attended the PRM (Public Reporting Meeting) for the 2022 School Council year - also held on Monday October 16^th
• to all current staff on October 17^th
• to all school community members via school newsletter October 20^th

School Leadership details for the remainder of 2023 and moving forward into 2024

The time has finally arrived – “well almost”.

IT’S TIME – to use a couple of famous words from a political campaign way back in 1972

IT’S TIME – for me to depart from the role as Principal of KPS – “after quite a long stint” to say the least

The schedule for this will begin with –

• leave for some orthopaedic surgery from November 2^nd this term
• I will be back to begin Term 1 2024, a 9 week term - the number of weeks I will be returning for, is yet to be determined
• I will then be taking Long Service Leave for all of Term 2 and not be returning after that
• I will be formally relinquishing my position as Principal of KPS on July 12^th which is the last Friday of the term break

Acting Principal Arrangements –

• November 2^nd until the end of the 2023 school year, Jeff McDonald Senior Assistant Principal AP 2, will capably take up the role as Acting Principal
• for any period after that up until the appointment and “start date” for the new Principal the Department of Education will determine what the Acting Principal arrangements will be

The processes involved in advertising and filling a Principal Class vacancy are organised by the Department of Education.

There have been 19 Principals of this wonderful school in the 105 years it has provided for families and students on this site. As the longest serving and only female Principal, I am confident that the Department of Education and the 2024 KPS School Council, will work together effectively in a recruitment process to determine who the 20^th KPS Principal will be.

School Council news

The Public Reporting Meeting 2023 for the 2022 School Council year took place on Monday October 16^th.

School Council determined the date and time of this meeting and details were provided in the last two newsletters. The information provided was (see below) -

The meeting went ahead as planned and I along with Glen Yates, School Council President, and all members of the school council were very pleased with the attendance level.

The compliances relating to a PRM in a government primary school were adhered to and in addition the larger audience and high level of engagement allowed for additional valuable interaction which included -  

• questions put by parents /cares / community members relating to –
  • the Annual Report 2022
  • a number of other aspects of overall provision for students at Kingsville
  • areas relating to parent engagement
  • a focus on information relating to student engagement and student mental health & wellbeing – as well as ongoing planning, provision and recruitment
  • answers and information were provided by members of the school council
  • school council clarified the process for lodging questions that were not answered on the night moving forward

Suggestions, feedback and ideas for improvement in specific areas e.g., communication and parent engagement were recorded and this information will be provided to the current school council and in turn school leadership teams.

It is acknowledged from feedback both at and following the PRM, that there was a level of confusion regarding components of the advertised meeting and the agenda for a PRM. The school council responded on the night and did take on board questions and acknowledged misunderstandings.

Ultimately a significant amount of parent opinion and feedback was gained at the meeting which school council and leadership will have access to.

Moving forward into 2024 it is important to note that the PRM can take place at any time during the year. It can be solely for the purpose of DE compliance and many schools do run it prior to a scheduled school council meeting.

However, there are a range of options and in 2024 the school council may consider a different model.

So again, thank you to the parents who did come along and were able to stay for all or most of the meeting and contribute enthusiastically.

Kath Ginnane
Principal

World Teachers' Day is celebrated in Australia on Friday 27 October. This day is held officially in other parts of the World on October 5th but no matter when it is held, it is a moment to celebrate the essential role of teachers in providing quality education at all levels. This day is held annually and was first introduced on October 5th, 1994, by UNESCO, to commemorate a recommendation regarding the status of teachers. The day is of course all about acknowledging the efforts of teachers every day in an increasingly complex society and the contributions they make to their community.

The 2023 theme is “Hats off to teachers” celebrate Australia’s teachers for their skilled work in educating, inspiring and supporting our student.

At Kingsville, this is a great opportunity to celebrate and recognise the work of all our wonderful educators – both teaching and support staff.  When we reflect on our own schooling, I’m sure we can all recall a teacher who had a significant impact on you. The teachers that we remember well, are often those who challenged and pushed us to achieve while appreciating us as individuals.

All of us will have different stories and memories, but there will be recurring themes. Those being; teachers who ensured they had deep knowledge of how children learn, planned engaging experiences that brought learning alive, and had high expectations of us and our individual worth. These teachers are remembered for their passion and for taking the time to form meaningful relationships that left an enduring legacy, long after our school days were over. “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.” - Japanese proverb.

So, thank you to the world’s greatest teachers – who all just happen to work at KPS. The SRC will be doing something special at the Friday morning assembly on Friday 27^th October to acknowledge the teachers at our school.

Jeff McDonald
Assistant Principal

The Exhibition represents a significant event in the life of a PYP student by providing a culminating learning experience of each student’s engagement with the Primary Years Programme (PYP). The are many opportunities for the community to see this significant element of a student’s engagement in the PYP at Kingsville

The transdisciplinary theme explored during this year’s Exhibition is Sharing the planet: An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

We encourage all parents and carers from across the school to take this opportunity to visit our Exhibition in the BER Building and talk with our grade 6 students about their Exhibition Journey.

As the audience, we hope that as you engage with the students you notice that:

• discovering a passion gives rise to a real need to inquire, potentially leading to the desire to make a difference to their own lives and the lives of others
• the learning journey is messy, it is not linear
• powerful inquiry is not just about what we learn but how we learn
• powerful inquiry inevitably involves some failure, wrong turns and the need to re-route
• because students are given agency to manage their time and their personal inquiry, the journey progresses at a different pace for each student
• the way the students communicate their experiences is dictated by each student’s decision to decide what they believe is the best way to share

The Exhibition is open to the school community at the following times:

• Tuesday 24 October 2023, 2:45 – 4:00pm
• Wednesday 25 October 2023, 9:15am – 10:00am
• Wednesday 25 October 2023, 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Please enter the School via the Bishop Street gate.

Congratulations to the 2023 Maths Olympiad and Maths Explorer Teams

This year Kingsville Primary School had two teams participate in the Maths Olympiad (Years 5 and 6), and the Maths Explorer Program (Years 3 and 4). These teams competed in 4 challenges over the year.

Some of the aims of these programs are to:

• introduce effective problem-solving strategies and develop flexibility for problem solving
• foster creativity and ingenuity and strengthen intuition
• stimulate enthusiasm and enjoyment of mathematics
• provide for the satisfaction, joy and thrill of meeting challenges.

Kingsville Primary School is proud to announce that, for the first time, our Maths Olympiad team received a Certificate of High Team Achievement for achieving a score in the Top 20% of team scores in the Junior Division Maths Olympiad.

Well done to Reuben F, Tahmid, H, Jospeh B and Sasha N for being Kingsville Primary School’s equal highest achievers in the Maths Olympiad.

Congratulations to Elliot M, Jonas H, Sonny F, Quinn K, Angus J and Luka N being Kingsville Primary School’s highest achievers in the Maths Explorer Program.

Certificates and awards will be presented to these great mathematicians at the school assembly on Friday 27^th October.

Year 3 and 4 Maths Explorer Team

Year 5 and 6 Maths Olympiad Team

Jennifer Duckworth and Christie Miller

Learning Specialist and High Ability Practice Leader

Locally raised funds SC project initiative

School Council would like to thank those individuals and groups who have submitted a Project Nomination Form, as part of the initiative to determine the use the money gained through local raised fundraising in 2023.

The School Council received 27 project suggestions by the due date. This new process is now entering its next phase with Council establishing a Working Party to evaluate the projects and provide recommendations to the Council in mid-November. These recommended project/projects will be discussed by Council and details of approved projects will be communicated to the community at the end of the term and delivered as soon as possible.

KPS Uniform Working Party update

The KPS Uniform Working Party wanted to thank all those who took time to share their perspective and feedback on our current uniform supplier, and the current dress code. The information and feedback shared has provided insight into community perspective on this and identified areas for growth in the provision of KPS School Uniform.

We are now working through the next steps in this space, working with the Department of Education Procurement Branch to achieve a positive result for KPS in terms of our uniform supplier. We will keep you updated as we move through this process.

Second hand Uniform Sales

A 2nd hand uniform sale will be set up to align with the three Friday Foundation transition dates outlined below. A pop-up shop will be set up in room 3, next to the Performing Arts’ room.  Most of the items are of small sizes, and items start from $2.

• 17 November
• 24 November
• 1 December

Hours strictly between 8:15 -10:00am

Thanks for all involved with the Referendum BBQ

Thanking and celebrating the FOKPS Working Party, volunteers and the community for all the donations for the bake sale, along with the time for making a successful event at last Saturday’s referendum. It was a huge success with just over $4,500 raised.

School council, FOKPS and the students of Kingsville thank all the parent volunteers, and appreciates the time, effort and contributions parents and carers make to help out on such occasions.

Zooper Dooper Sales

Zooper Dooper sales were a huge hit on the last day of term 3.  We made $300! FOKPS will be again selling Zooper Doopers on the deck/quiet play area on the following Friday afternoons:

• 10 November
• 1 December
• 15 December

Many thanks,
KPS School Council Members

On Wednesday, 12E and 5CH joined together to enjoy the sun on a stroll around Cruickshank Park. As part of the MEG Global Ambassador Program, some Grade 5 students have been working tirelessly to get their very own global initiative program, ‘Little Litter’, running within the school.

The goal of ‘Little Litter’ is to raise awareness of how litter from KPS can end up in Cruickshank Park and Stony Creek and negatively affect the water quality. They also aim to create discussion around how lucky we are to have Cruickshank behind our school.

On Wednesday, Sophie, Aizah, and Alice from 5CH delivered a presentation outlining the goals of ‘Little Litter’, then led 12E on a walk around Cruickshank where they were tasked with spotting interesting things in the park. We stopped at various spots along to route to discuss important questions such as “Why is Cruickshank Park special to you?” and “Why do you think some people don’t pick up their dog poop?” (Noah summed it up wisely – “because they’re lazy!”)

Over the next few weeks, the Grade 5 students will be leading many classes on many walks around Cruickshank. If you have the time and would like to join your child’s class on their walk, just get in touch with your child’s teacher.

Thank you to Olivia for working closely with the Grade 5 students, and the other parents who made time to join us this morning.

Caileb Harrison and MEG Ambassadors

Congratulations to the 8 Kingsville PS students who competed at Western Metropolitan Region Athletics on Tuesday. It is a great achievement to qualify for a regional event and competition at this level is always of a high standard. Alexander G (9-10B long jump), Ellissa M (11G 800m), Hazel M (11G 1500m), Chase G (9-10B 1500m), Levi G (12-13B 1500m), Heidi L (11G shot put & discus) and Caitlin W (12-13G 100m & 200m) all performed to a high standard with many of them recording personal bests in their event/s.

Special congratulations to Liam B-K (9-10B shot put) who recorded a 1.5m personal best to throw 9.50m and finish second in his event. Liam has now qualified to compete at the State Championships on Wednesday 1 November. 

Glenn Garland
Physical Education Teacher

Please see below the list of children who will be presented with their award at assembly on Friday 27^th October:

Please see below the list of children who were presented with their award at assembly today, Friday 20^th October:

Happy Birthday to Jimmy Dainton, Beatrix MacGregor, Eloise Richardson, Susan Tang, Riley Nolan, Quinn Karunanayake, Beatrix Strachan, Shahad Bushra, Ella McRae, Mae Serpell, Reese Huang, Charlie Robson, Eliza Drew, Charlie Kienhuis, Ally Arnott, Violeta Crouch Caralt, Amelia Tagg, Angus Jensen, Ryan Ly.

Term 4 Friday Assembly Roster

27th October - FRT
3rd November - 5CH
10th November - No Assembly Item (Tues 7th Nov - Public Holiday)
17th November - 3/4H
24th November - No Assembly Item (Mon 20th Nov - Student Free Day)
1st December - 1/2E
8th December - FMC
15th December - No Assembly Item


2023 Term Dates
          
Term 1            Monday 30 January to Thursday 6 April
Term 2            Monday 24 April to Friday 23 June
Term 3            Monday 10 July to Friday 15 September
Term 4            Monday 2 October to Wednesday 20 December


2024 Term Dates

Term 1            Tuesday 30th January to Thursday 28th March
Term 2            Monday 15th April to Friday 28th June
Term 3            Monday 15th July to Friday 20th September
Term 4            Monday 7th October to Friday 20th December