Congratulations to all KPS students, staff, and families for contributing to a very successful second and third week of first term.  Class and specialist teachers report that students:

• have settled into the school routine very well
• are engaging with class and specialist programs with passion and commitment
• are re-establishing and building relationships with other students both within and beyond their class group
• with delegated responsibilities and leadership roles are taking these up effectively

Over the last few Friday mornings, we have come together to hold a short whole school assembly to build the collective culture of the school, acknowledge the different levels within our school and highlight some of the stories that make the teachers proud of actions undertaken by individual, groups, classes, and levels within the school. 

Some of these stores centred around:

• our student school leaders Willy H, Louie L, Eloise R and Alice K who went off to the GRIP Student Leadership Conference in the city with Lauren to experience a unique conference aimed at training student leaders for their role as School Leaders. The day provides a great balance between practical leadership strategies and fun activities that were highly engaging and motivating for those involved.
• the 20 year 3 – 6 students who have been meeting Sam, Lorey and myself at the VU swimming centre at 7am over the last two weeks, each Tuesday and Thursday, to train and trial for the school swimming team to compete at the district swimming sports. A huge commitment for both students and parents! We would like to acknowledge the support provided by Elite Swimming Yarraville whose expertise added additional layers to the sessions for all the students involved.

It was also wonderful to welcome 2024 Foundation parents / carers to an Information Evening last Monday. From a school leadership, Foundation and staff perspective, our love and appreciation regarding attendance was certainly expressed.

I would like to thank –

• Beatrix S and Liam O’S both from 6AW who recorded an acknowledgment to country to be played at the event. There rendition was eloquent and meaningful
• Foundation teachers Frances Waugh, Mike Carey, Megan Chen and Rosemary Talbot, who provided a great deal of information regarding the all-important first year of primary school.
• Carla Rosi and Leila Shehan who introduced themselves to the group and spoke about their roles as the Mental Health and Wellbeing leader and Inclusion coordinator of the school
• leadership staff Sam Eason and Blagma Veljanoska, who contributed to the evening and answered questions put from both new and current parents

There have been significant communications to the community outlining the election ballot for Parent Member to the 2024 school council, including through Compass posts, the school website and posters around the school in support of awareness raising for this significant event.  

The ballot opened on Wednesday 14th February at 8am and will close Wednesday 21st of February at 4pm.

Voting rights: parent electorate – who can vote.

Is the person:

• a parent of a student attending the school
• a guardian or a person who is liable to maintain or has the actual custody of a student at the school
• a parent and Department employee at the school their child is enrolled in

A ballot ‘pack’ with regard to the parent election to school council was sent home to all parents/carers on Tuesday 13th February with the eldest student in each family. Each individual ‘person’ should have received a pack containing a document with general information including instructions for voting, a ballot form, return envelope and the statements from candidates.

I thank all the parents/carers for declaring their candidacy for an elected position as a parent member on the Kingsville Primary School, School Council. Your interest is greatly appreciated, I look forward to a successful election process.

When your child is absent from school due to illness, providing specific details isn't obligatory, unless the illness is medically diagnosed as contagious. In such cases, parents must inform the school directly. Without this information, the school cannot identify patterns or take necessary actions.

Certain illnesses are classified as reportable infectious diseases, triggering immediate action in line with health regulations. Additionally, other infectious diseases prompt advice based on minimum exclusion periods outlined in regulations.

Parents are encouraged to consider the various environments their child frequents beyond school when investigating sources of infection. This may include time spent at home, with friends, or participating in extracurricular activities.

School procedures prioritize hygiene, with staff modelling proper handwashing techniques and engaging approved cleaning contractors to maintain cleanliness across the campus.

Parents are asked to:

• Keep contagious children home based on medical advice.
• Notify the school of any contagious diagnoses and adhere to given exclusions or advice.
• Allow the school to communicate information, refraining from sharing details on social media.
• Educate children on proper handwashing techniques and maintain personal hygiene.
• Ensure children have clean, trimmed fingernails.
• Refrain from volunteering if unwell or if a family member accompanying them is unwell.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter. For any concerns or queries, parents are encouraged to reach out to the school administration. The following links provide additional information relating to this article.

Infectious Diseases: Policy | education.vic.gov.au

Better Health Channel - Better Health Channel

Our second student free day of 2024 is fast approaching on Tuesday 12th March. At KPS, student free days offer us the opportunity to unite as a staff and focus on whole school improvement. 

On Tuesday 12th March, KPS will officially begin our partnership with Real Schools (https://realschools.com.au/). Real Schools exists to build partnerships and experiences to help your school achieve its potential in three key areas: 

• Committed teachers 
• Caring students 
• Connected communities 

The focus of the Real Schools partnership is in continuing to develop and embed KPS’ restorative approach within and outside of our classrooms. Whilst we begin this journey with Real Schools, we draw on our learning from last year, and the significant work already undertaken by all KPS staff. More information about this partnership will be shared as we move into the year. 

Sam Eason 
Assistant Principal 

At KPS we have prioritised supporting collaborative planning across and between levels through a number of means, one of which is our semesterly Planning Week. By resourcing this through timetabling and the employment of relief teachers, specialist and classroom teachers are able to come together to map curriculum, plan authentic and meaningful learning experiences, and develop high-quality sequences of teaching and learning.  

Over the next week, we will share our updated Programme of Inquiry with the community, highlighting the big ideas and concepts each level with be exploring through the Transdisciplinary themes this year. More information about the PYP Transdisciplinary themes can be found here: https://www.ibo.org/programmes/primary-years-programme/how-the-pyp-works/  



Taken from https://thinkchat2020.weebly.com/blog/c35-transdisciplinary-learning-101  

Sam Eason 
Assistant Principal 

Coming up Wednesday 28th February - 1.50pm - 6.50pm 

Parent Teacher meetings are a valuable opportunity to connect and develop the working relationships between parents/carers and teachers. This meeting is an opportunity to reflect and highlight the child’s strengths, discuss any academic and or/social challenges or successes, and share other vital information.

Parent support and involvement in the education of their child/ren is a critical factor which impacts on their engagement and achievement.

Creating a true partnership between home and school establishes shared expectations and a common language as for the child, supporting them in achieving their full potential. We encourage all parents to take the time to attend these meetings.

More information regarding parent teacher meetings, including how to book a slot via Compass, will be shared in the coming days.

Strong relationships built on respect are at the heart of a thriving school community. At Kingsville Primary School, we believe in the power of collaboration between parents, carers, and educators to enhance a child's learning, health, and overall well-being.

As a school, we are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all staff members. We kindly request that parents, carers, and visitors also contribute to this positive atmosphere by demonstrating appropriate and respectful behaviour towards our staff at all times.

Effective communication is key to maintaining these positive relationships. In moments of emotional intensity, it's especially important to communicate with politeness and courtesy, ensuring that we are valuing and respecting each other's perspectives.

At Kingsville Primary School, we deeply value the input and opinions of our parents and carers. We understand that issues may arise that can cause frustration, but it is vital that we approach these challenges with respect and open-mindedness in our interactions with one another.

No staff member should ever feel threatened or unsafe in their workplace. If a situation arises where a parent or carer behaves in an unacceptable manner, the school principal may need to address the issue with them directly, and there may be consequences as outlined in our school policy.

Unacceptable behaviours include, but are not limited to:

• being violent or threatening violence of any kind, including being physically intimidating, aggressive hand gestures or invading another person's personal space
• speaking or behaving in a rude, aggressive or threatening way, either in person, via email, social media, or over the telephone
• sending demanding, rude, confronting, or threatening letters, emails or text messages
• discriminatory or derogatory comments
• the use of social media or public forums to make inappropriate or threatening remarks about the school, staff or students.

We understand that when parents and carers engage in unacceptable behaviours towards staff members, it can impact their health, safety, and overall well-being.

The partnership between our school and parents/carers is of utmost importance, and we believe it is best achieved through respectful and appropriate interactions. For more information, please refer to our school policy,  KPS Statement of Values and School Philosophy.pdf (kingsvilleps.vic.edu.au)

On Monday 12 February, the four Kingsville PS student leaders – Eloise, Alice, Willy and Louis - took part in the GRIP Leadership Conference at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre. We met leaders from primary schools all over Melbourne and together learnt about the characteristics of a good leader and the sacrifices they often need to make. It took us determination and courage to step up and voice our ideas to some of the 4,000 other school leaders. Together we learnt the importance of taking every step seriously, one by one. We represented Kingsville PS proudly and showed everyone what a great school we are. After attending the Conference, we are more excited than ever for the leadership journey ahead.

Eloise R. and Alice K.
Kingsville PS Student Leaders

Great news, with Friday morning assemblies with items and award presentations are back and we look forward to parents /carers attending these special whole school events.

The assembly items and awards are a long-standing tradition at our school. The items provide an opportunity for joyous participation by the students in sharing something significant from the learning and engagement with school community members in attendance. While the awards are a chance to shine the light on individual students, celebrate their successes and allowing us all to be pleased for the success of others by hearing that they are doing great things.

Whilst we hope to have a Friday morning assembly every Friday of the school year, there are occasions when other school events impact the planning for this whole school event. These impacts may mean that the parts of the assembly don’t take place, some levels are not in attendance, or the assembly is not occurring at all. The calendar below outlines the plan for term 1 of 2024.

As you may know, KPS participated in Breathe Melbourne over the past two years. More detail about this partnership and work can be found here: Breathe Melbourne at KPS

To support this significant work, we’d appreciate if the community could spare 5 minutes to complete a final Breathe Melbourne Survey. Link here: https://redcap.link/kingsville

The survey supports Breathe Melbourne team to understand if, and how, the project made an impact at our school.

The results can be found here: Breathe Melbourne results

Thank you!

Sam Eason
Assistant Principal

Please see below the list of children who will be presented with their award at assembly on Friday 23^rd February:

Happy Birthday to Aiden B, Henry G, Zoe C, Winnie W, Spencer N, Nick P, Frida C, Alex G, Charlotte W-V, Bella D, Isobel T, Scarlett P, Ava C, Mitchell G, Poppy P.

2024 Student Free Days

Term 1 - Tuesday 12th March
Term 2 - Friday 7th June
Term 4 - Monday 18th November


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


Roster for Assembly Items - Term 1

23rd Feb - 5CH Sam/Lucy
1st Mar - 34H Susan
8th Mar - 6LA Lauren
15th Mar - No assembly
22nd Mar - No assemlby
28th Mar - Last day of Term 1 - Easter Hat Parade

Grab your tickets TODAY for the HOTTEST night of the school year!   

We've got amazing food, awesome tunes, craft beer and wines and treats for the children - it is going to be a fantastic night for everyone.

Pack your picnic blanket, grab the camp chairs and join our KPS community.

FREE ENTRY FOR KIDS (MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT) – ADULTS $15 each.

Buy your tickets via Try Booking here or via the QR code



Come along to enjoy:

• Delicious pizzas (pre-order via TryBooking only), Kransky sausages and BBQ on the night
• Amazing music including a stellar line up of KPS parent talent – local rock band 12 Bar None, the fabulous Katie Pryce and special guests the Glee West Choir and Serge the Magician!
• Children’s activities – Lob-a-Choc, Children’s book Stall, Childrens Ice-Cream & Sweet Shop. Bring along your gold coins for non-stop fun!
• Quench your thirst with local craft beer from Barbarian Brewery, premium wines and bubbles from Seddon Wine Store! ($6 glass/$25 bottle pre-order via TryBooking or $7 glass/$30 bottle on the night)
• Free Kids face painting (generously donated by Camp Australia)

Things to BYO

• Chairs, picnic rugs
• Picnic food (strictly no BYO alcoholic drinks) Drinks to be either purchased through TryBooking or on the night.
• Cups for Wine/Gin 

We need your help – Volunteer Call Out

To make the night a success with all the fun we have planned we need about 100 volunteers. If you can help, please put your name down for a short volunteer shift via the HMN Volunteer Sign Up Sheet

Donations Needed

To bring some of the activities to life we need some donations please

• Blocks of chocolate – standard 180g or party size packaged chocolate
• Children’s books ages 5-12 in good to great condition
• Prizes for a raffle/spin the wheel game. Anything you have at home that you don’t need and are happy to donate that will make a good prize. Food and booze welcome

Donations can be dropped to the school office.

Books can also be dropped in the tub on the porch at 84 Wales St.