Hello families!

There are so many things that I come across daily that I think ‘oh this would make a great newsletter article’ but there is no way I would be able to fit it all in without writing a thesis! So today I have chosen to write about a quote that has really stuck with me this week and one that I am wanting to explore further.

On Monday, Jeff and I had the privilege of time to attend the State Government Schools Principal Conference which is held every year. I acknowledge the work it takes back at school to allow the both of us to be out on the same day and are grateful to all the staff for making this happen. At the conference, I attended a workshop facilitated by Emily Unity on ‘Co-leadership: principles for principals on consultation to codesign.’ It was a very practical workshop that has given me many things to ponder, however what stuck with me is a quote she displayed stemming back to some protest action from the 1970’s. The placard read “Nothing about us – without us”. In 5 words this sums up the type of leader that I aspire to be. Whist in schools decisions need to be made and actions taken, it is my endeavour to do this work alongside our school community – whether it be our teaching staff, our students and our families. To give opportunities for voice, lived experience and perception is what I believe will keep our school going from strength to strength. I am so excited to take this journey with you all! I am always open to your thoughts and ideas, so please feel free to come in and see me with anything you might have.

In saying that, please don’t forget that the Department Parent Opinion survey portal is now open. We would really appreciate you taking the time to fill this in – your feedback is invaluable!

For those of you who have managed to wrap up the winter sports season – enjoy your sleep in this weekend! For those who might be venturing into a finals campaign – good luck! But whatever you are doing this weekend, I hope it is restful and enjoyable.

Emma 

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We are pleased to share some exciting news that could significantly benefit your child’s support services. Starting this term, NDIS providers are now able to book therapy sessions to be delivered at school in school hours. This new option aims to provide more flexibility and convenience for you and ensure that your child receives the support they need in a familiar and comfortable environment.

Our aim is to assist families to access crucial supports, as well as to strengthen the team around the leaner.  Therapy sessions can be integrated into your child's school day, reducing the need for additional travel and making it easier to manage appointments as well as allowing for better coordination with the educational environment, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of the support.

If this is something that you would like to explore, please firstly contact your NDIS provider to express interest in scheduling therapy sessions at school. They will guide you through the process and discuss how this can be integrated into your child’s school schedule. Then make an appointment to see Emma to discuss the plan and get the paperwork started.

If you have any questions or would like to explore this option further, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to assist you every step of the way. Please note, this is for NDIS providers only, we are not able to accommodate tutors in this way.

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Eloise and Alice Reporting for Duty! This week we are talking OLYMPICS! As you all probably know the Olympics started on the 26th of July in Paris.
Here at Kingsville, we have been working “very” hard to prepare for the event of the year. We have made opening speeches with cool mascots, played professional sports against other “countries” at lunchtime, and have even created our very own Sphero-lympics! The students and staff alike are immensely looking forward to watching the Aussies take home the gold!

Although we love our home team, our students will support all the countries as they compete in an exciting, exhilarating, and enjoyable Olympic games.

Alice: My favourite part of the Olympics is the opening ceremony; it is absolutely beautiful how each hosting country expresses themselves through dance, colour and music. My favourite sports to watch are Fencing (Watching people whack other people), diving, and cycling.

Eloise: My favourite part of the Olympics is when Australia gets on the podium (but the best bit is when we win gold)! It makes me feel like I can achieve anything when the Aussies break a record. My favourite sports to watch are diving (like Alice), swimming and pole vault (I like watching people fly!).

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie

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We are going to begin our school policy review cycle for policies that are up for renew and consultation. The Department of Education provides school with policy templates that have been vetted by both community and legal branches, however it is up to schools to ensure that the policy fits their school context appropriately. The first policy that is up for review is our Complaints Policy. Please find it attached for you to have a look at.

If you have any feedback, please direct it straight to Emma and emma.vasilevski@education.vic.gov.au

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Welcome

This semester we welcome new staff members, Rachel and James, to our KPS Wellbeing team.

Rachel is a Speech Pathologist and works with us every Friday supporting students who may have language (understanding, talking, vocabulary, grammar etc.), articulation (speech sounds) or social communication (navigating peer relationships, problem solving etc.) challenges. The referral process is initiated by school-based staff and Rachel has been busy screening and grouping students with common needs.

James is a Provisional Psychologist who is employed through Psychs In Schools. James works at KPS on Mondays and Tuesdays. Our KPS Wellbeing team are involved in the referral process and James has been in contact with families to obtain additional information. James will be offering sessions to a small number of students who may be experiencing anxiety, challenges with school attendance and social-emotional concerns.

We look forward to utilising Rachel and James’ knowledge to strengthen our inclusive practice.

 

Online learning opportunity

Positive Partnerships are offering a free online workshop for parents, carers and grandparents titled ‘Diversity of Autism’ on Tuesday 17^th of September 12-1:30pm. More information can be found on the link below. Please feel free to share with others who may be interested.

https://www.positivepartnerships.com.au/workshop/?eventtemplate=173-online-parent-carer-workshop-session-diversity-of-autism&event=1752

 

 

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A Hundred Percent Milestone

On Tuesday, we had a heartwarming celebration of joy and pride as our 69 Foundation students of 2024, along with their teachers and families, marked a significant milestone.

Mid to late July signals the halfway point of the academic year in Victoria. This year, Tuesday, 30th July, was the day calculated by staff to mark the 100th day of school for our Foundation students.

The acknowledgment of this milestone has gained prominence in primary schools over recent years. Records show that it has been celebrated in various ways for over 40 years in Victorian schools. At Kingsville, this day has been recognized and celebrated for many years, and this year was no exception. Dressing up added to the fun, and it was delightful to see some lively ‘centenarians’ among the group, living their best lives. The wonderful performance on the deck featured a song and dance to the tune of the Adams Family, which was a huge hit, with everyone joining in on the chorus. The ‘celebration of 100’ continued in the hall, where students and families explored different ways to represent the number 100. Activities included biscuit decoration, fruit-loop necklaces, 10 x 10 exercises on the deck, and building 100-block towers, among other creative endeavours.

Kudos to everyone involved in organizing the event, to those who participated and celebrated, including:

• Foundation teachers
• Teachers across other levels, specialists, and support staff
• Foundation families, members, and friends

And, of course, our 69 ‘forever young’ Foundation students.

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Kingsville Primary School is thrilled to invite the community to our upcoming Arts Spectacular! This exciting event will showcase both visual and performing arts, highlighting the incredible talents of our students.

Monica and the students have been working diligently over the year, exploring and creating amazing pieces of art. On display form each child will be one piece that they believe is important to share.

We are especially excited to welcome Dean and Ezra from Dance Curriculum to our school. Starting the week of August 26, each year level will participate in daily 30-minute hip hop dance lessons. These sessions will culminate in an impressive performance at our Arts Spectacular evening. A Compass event for this incursion will be sent out.

We look forward to seeing our students shine in this celebration of the arts on Thursday 29^th August between 5 – 6.30pm! Please save the date and watch for further communication from the school.

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Every year, we celebrate the anniversary of the opening of our wonderful school. For both new and long-standing families, it’s always valuable to revisit the history of Kingsville Primary School and its early days.

Kingsville Primary School first opened its doors on August 1st, 1919. On August 1st, 2024, it will have been providing an outstanding learning environment for the children of Kingsville and surrounding areas for 105 years.

Over the decades, the “large red brick school,” as it has often been referred to, has stood the test of time, witnessing many changes. Back in 1919, the main building featured eleven classrooms, a staffroom, one storeroom, an office, and a foyer area. A photograph from that time shows the significant two-storey structure dominating the physical landscape of the area. Even now, amidst built-up housing and the adjacent large greenbelt, it remains a local landmark visible from quite a distance.

On its opening day, 280 children were enrolled. All records were entered by hand, and history tells us that a long line of prospective students stretched out the door and around the corner. Within a week, another 59 students had joined the school. By the end of August, the total enrolment was 387, and by December, it had grown to 410 students. Clearly, the word spread quickly from the early days that Kingsville was a great school.

Only 45 more years now until our Sesquicentennial, the 150th anniversary of Kingsville's opening, where we will uncover the stories and treasures sealed in our time capsule in 2019.

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Kingsville Primary School will celebrate Book Week from Saturday, 17 August – Friday, 23 August.

Since 1945, the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has brought together children and books to celebrate Book Week and shine a light on Australian authors and illustrators.

With our 2024 Children's Book Week theme; Reading is Magic, we're celebrating reading stories and their amazing power to transport minds. We are encouraging children to be curious about the wonders in our world. It is a positive and affirming message for our young people. The magic of reading also lies in its power of enticement; a good story provokes conversations. Talking about the stories with others connects the reader with other readers. Wrapped around all of this are the "tricks" and skills of our amazing writers and illustrators, as they use all their powers of language and illustration to engage the reader in this world they are building.



Click on the link https://youtu.be/kMokHCyJsjk  to watch as feature artist Jess Racklyeft as she introduces her new artwork and shares the story of why she created these images.

I absolutely love that non-fiction gets a special mention in the video and is the reason the artwork is set in space. What a great time to celebrate and promote our non-fiction collections. Fiction is represented by the fantasy elements in the design.

Jess explores three parts to the theme.

• Reading can take you to other worlds;
• Reading helps you explore new ideas;
• Reading helps you to understand a different person.

I think this again ties in perfectly with celebrating both fiction and non-fiction and the benefits of reading.

All week the children will be completing a variety of activities in connection to the CBCA shortlisted books and the Children’s Book Council award winning book. Winners will be announced on Friday, August 16^th.

On Thursday 22^nd August the students are invited to come to school dressed as a character from their favourite book. If we have fine weather: The parade will be held outside on the Assembly area at 9.15. Parents and families are cordially invited to attend the parade. If weather does not permit: The parade will be split into a F-2 at 9.15 and 3-6 at 10.00 Parade in the Hall.

Please be on the look out for a follow up Compass post with the tile ‘BOOK CHARACTER PARADE: EASY COSTUME IDEAS FROM THINGS IN YOUR WARDROBE’ to provide ideas for consumes for the parade.

Alison Michetti

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Volunteer Induction Form

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We’re running out of food. Yes, really.

Foodbank’s shelves are dangerously empty so we’re asking the most generous people we know to help us find food.

How did our shelves get so empty? The cost of living is not only hitting families hard – it’s also impacting us being able to get enough food through our network at a time when demand is the highest we’ve ever seen it.

So, we’re holding an Emergency Food Drive on August 10-11 to help re-stock our shelves. With 65,000 people to feed every day, no matter how hard we work, we can’t keep enough food on our shelves.

Every organisation, every sporting club, every community group, every family and every household in Victoria is invited to come together to donate food and help feed your own community through Foodbank.
Healthy food is always the focus, so we’re looking for these eight staple items you’d find in your own pantry:



Hit the supermarkets and come on down to the Foodbank Warehouse at 4/2 Somerville Road, Yarraville on August 10 and 11 between 10am and 3pm.
Rock up by car, scooter, hot air balloon or on foot – whatever works. Open the boot or hand over your basket and our volunteers will empty it for you.
We hope to see you there!

If you can’t get to the warehouse, you can fill a virtual trolley through the Virtual Food Drive.

If you have any questions, please call 03 9362 8300 or email partnerships@foodbankvictoria.org.au

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Please see below the list of children who will be presented with their award at assembly on Friday 9^th August:  

FFW	Tilly P
FMC	Essie G
FMJ	Cash B
1/2M	Logan C
1/2C	Ari M
3/4S	Archer M
3/4H	Myra R
3/4A	Zelda D
5CH	Hestan H
5DS	Maggie W
6EH	Judah M & Hattie F
6LA	Flynn A & Seb M

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AUGUST 2024
Sat 17th August	Teen Idol Trivia Night
Mon 19th - Fri 23rd August	Book Week
Wed 28th August	Summer Gala Day
Thurs 29th August	Arts Spectacular - 5pm - 6.30pm
SEPTEMBER 2024
Fri 20th Sept	Last Day of Term 3 - 2.30pm dismissal

2024 Student Free Days

Term 4 - Monday 18th November

2024 Term Dates

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 3

9th Aug - Assembly Item - 1/2C

16th Aug - Assembly Item - 6AW

23rd Aug - Assembly Item - 5DS

30th Aug - Assembly Item - FFW

6th Sept - Assembly Item - 3/4S

13th Sept - Assembly Item FMC

20th Sept - No item - Last day of Term 3

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Happy Birthday to Patrick P, Leah W, Liam M, Ivy L, Will M, Luca B, Aidan K, Adeline F, Heidi K, Aizah F, Mia K, Henry F, Elise P, Phoebe W, Nicky R, Alycia V, Archie S, Beau H, Zian T.

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For more information or to book, please click HERE

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