Term 4 Week 5 Newsletter- November 4 2024

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the traditional owners, the Gunditjmara people, on whose land we learn, work and play. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their elders- past, present and emerging believing that we can walk together for a better future.

Principal's Message

How wonderful was it to see the Portland community buzzing over the weekend with the Upwelling Festival and 3 Bays Marathon events. It was even better that our school could be involved in these community events. We had 60+ children walk with us in the Upwelling parade on Saturday morning and then join in the 'Call to the Sea'. On Sunday morning we had 8 relay runners who did an amazing job completing the marathon course and coming in 1st place at the end to claim the trophy for the second year in a row.

I hope you have enjoyed your extra long weekend and found some time to do something special. Our teachers spent time on Monday working on assessments and reporting while our LSO team spent some time undertaking professional learning in Structured Literacy and its components. Hopefully everyone will enjoy a relaxing day on Tuesday for the Melbourne Cup public holiday, whether you follow the races or not have a great day.

We hope our Year 2 students have a wonderful time at their sleepover on Friday night. We wish them and their teachers good luck.

Please keep an eye out for information regarding our Bookfair which runs from November 11 until November 20.

Also keep your eye out for something new coming really soon!!

RESPECT YOURSELF, RESPECT OTHERS & RESPECT YOUR ENVIRONMENT!

Regards

Jamie  

Catholic School Culture

Remembrance Day November 11

School Information

Assembly Timetable

Assemblies commence at 2:30pm every second Friday afternoon.

Assemblies for Term 4

Week 6 - November 15 - FCL

Week 8 - November 29 - 5/6AD

Week 10 - December 13 - 3/4MS

Final Assembly - Wednesday December 18 - Jamie & 5/6 team

Important Dates

TERM 4

Week 5

Monday November 4 - STUDENT FREE DAY- Staff Report Preparation Day

Tuesday November 5 - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY - Melbourne Cup Day

Wednesday November 6 - State Athletics Carnival

Thursday November 7 - Division Cricket, Hamilton (senior girls)

Thursday November 7 - 5/6 Surfing Session 2

Friday November 8 - Year 2 Sleepover @ School

Week 6

PSG Meetings this week on Wednesday & Thursday

Monday November 11 - Wednesday November 20 - BOOKFAIR (3.30pm-4.00pm in library)

Monday November 11 - 2025 Foundation Transition Session 1

Monday November 11 - Remembrance Day

Wednesday November 13 - PSG Meetings

Thursday November 14 - PSG Meetings

Thursday November 14 - 5/6 Surfing Session 3

Week 7

Monday November 18 - 2025 Foundation Transition Session 2

Monday November 18 - Wednesday November 20 - BOOKFAIR (final days)

Monday November 18 - PSG Meetings

Tuesday November 19 - PSG Meetings

Wednesday November 20 - New Foundation playground installation begins

Week 8

Monday November 25 - 2025 Foundation Transition Session 3

Tuesday November 26 - Play Your Way Come and Try Day  Year 3/4 classes

Thursday November 28 - 5/6 Surfing Session 4

Friday November 29 - SZ Principals' Meeting in Warrnambool - Jamie away

Friday November 29 - Mini Fete

Week 9

Monday December 2 - 2025 Foundation Transition Session 4 - Parent Information Session

Monday December 2 - School Carols Night & Picnic Tea 5:30pm

Tuesday December 3 - Bayview Orientation Day for Yr 6 students attending Bayview in 2025

Friday December 6 - Yr 6 Fun Day @ Adventure Park in Geelong

Sunday December 8 - Community Carols @ Bayview College 5:00pm-7:00pm

Week 10

Monday December 9 - Yr 6 Big Day Out @ Bayview (for all Yr 6 students regardless of where they are going to school in 2025)

Tuesday December 10 - Orientation Day for all students

Wednesday December 11 - Harbourside Lodge and Seaview House Carols singing

Thursday December 12 - Yr 6 Graduation Ceremony 6:00pm-8:00pm @ All Saints School Hall

Friday December 13 - End of Year Mass @ All Saints Church 11:00am

Week 11

Wednesday December 18 - Final day for students - 3:25pm finish

Thursday December 19 - Final day for staff

Learning & Teaching

ICAS Results

The following students completed the ICAS Competitions throughout the year.

Yr 2 - Alexis Hawker, Lucas Kerr, Ayla Green

Yr 3 - Harriet Howman, Lance Chase, Nash Silva, Nestor Vassiliou,

Yr 4 - Grace Iddon, Felix Bell, Emmy Bicknell, Dolly Buchner, Edward Eichler, Charlotte Hawker, Zaiden Oswald

Yr 5 - Althea Howman. Alicia Iddon, Payton Buchner, Ilaria Toohey

Yr 6 - Zena Howman, Ebony Hawker, James Appleby

Well done to all students for your participation in these competitions.

 The following students received some excellent results in these competitions: 

Lance – Merit in Writing, Digital Technologies & Mathematics, Credit in Spelling, Distinction in Science,

Harriet – Credit in Science & English

Emmy – Credit in Spelling, Distinction English &Mathematics

Althea- Merit in Spelling, Credit in Science, Distinction in English & Digital Technologies

Payton -Merit in Spelling, Credit Mathematics

Ilaria – Credit in Mathematics, Distinction in English (top 2%)

James – Merit in Digital Technologies

Zena – Credit in Writing, Distinction in Science, Spelling, English Mathematics (top 3%) Digital Technologies (top 2%)

Students of the Week

Term 4 Week 4 Assembly

FCL: Austin Silva & Sammi Lyszczarz 

1/2YW: Ezra Nickless & Lola Ford

1/2DW: Jarvis Toohey & Willow Sutton

1/2ID: Kobey Newport & Amelia Burns

1/2MR: Noah Bourke & Lucy Barton 

3/4DL: Dolly Buchner & Violet Jones

3/4MS: Ayden Marra & Phoebe Boersma

3/4JS: Paige Vella & Emmy Bicknell

3/4MN: Lexi Stravrakis & Skye Holt

5/6AD: Dylan Holt & Ilaria Toohey

5/6BS: Amahlia Prasad & Kaylee Johnstone

5/6RV: Emma Gould & Payton Buchner

5/6DC: Olive Baker & Ashlynn Nickless

Science: Cooper Aitken & Olivia James

Indonesian: Winnie Foster & Charlotte Uebergang-Sandstrom

Physical Education: Millie Rogers, Bonnie Shipard & Indi Marshall

‘Never see a need without doing something about it!’

Congratulations to these students for the wonderful work and effort that others have seen from you. Keep inspiring and encouraging those around you.

Link to our school communication app

Please click the link below if you have not yet joined DoJo, our school and classroom communication tool.

Important school and classroom information is shared via this tool so we ask families to have ensure they have access to this app and notifications switched on.

Leadership & Stewardship

Safety at Drop Off & Pick Up Times

As many of our families are aware the traffic around the school area is very hectic at the beginning and end of each day. Often it can be challenging trying to access our fast pick up loop and the parent carpark. We ask that all of our families are patient on the roads but especially at these times of day. After the tragic events in Melbourne last week we need to be mindful of, and ensure the safety, of all in our school community and others who use the roads.  

Please remember the following when dropping off and picking up students each day:

*There is no overtaking in the fast pick up loop. Please wait patiently for the car/s in front of you to move on before you do.

*If you are in the fast pick up loop and your child/ren are not ready, you will be asked to move along and do another loop.

*If you need to hop out of your car to assist children in or out or with their bags then please use the parent carpark.

*Children must enter the car from the left hand (passenger) side in the fast pick up loop. It is too unsafe to have children walking to the other side of the car.

*Please do not block the Fawthrop/Must St roundabout. If you cannot get through the roundabout then you may need to drive on and try again. Sitting in the roundabout is dangerous and illegal. It also creates more congestion as other cars cannot move through either.

*If you are waiting on the road in Fawthrop St to enter the pick up loop please move on and try again as just sitting and waiting is dangerous and illegal. It also creates more congestion as other cars cannot move through either.

*When using the parent carpark please park safely in a space and come and collect your child from the duty teacher. It is too dangerous for children to be walking through the carpark without parent supervision.

Please be careful and patient to ensure the safety of our students and other road users.

Community Engagement

What a Wonderful (and Busy) Weekend in the Community!

All those at the Halloween Disco on Friday night had a fantastic time dancing the night away. There were some amazing (and very spooky) costumes! Well done on all the effort put into looking so good and supporting our disco committee to run this event and raise some funds towards school resources.

On Saturday there was perfect weather for the annual Upwelling Festival. We had great support from the 60+ students and families who joined in the street parade to represent All Saints. Dressed as Gannets, fish, crabs and other sea creatures it was wonderful to join the wider Portland community at this local celebration.

Then to finish off a lovely weekend, on Sunday morning our team completed and won the 8 person Primary Relay in the 3 Bays Marathon Running Festival. Our 8 runners were amazing! We couldn't be more proud of their effort and performance.

Thanks to all students who represented our school so wonderfully over the weekend, to the parents who committed to supporting our students and to all the staff who came along to these events. Enjoy a couple of days off school, we will see you all on Wednesday!

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The Salvation Army Reverse Advent Calendar

We have been invited to make a difference in our community in the lead up to Christmas and the holiday season by participating in the Salvation Army Reverse Advent Calendar.

As a school community we are hoping to collect items and then donate them to this cause. We will have a box in the foyer at school where items can be donated throughout the month of November.

We understand that there are families in our school community who are doing it tough at this time and may find it difficult to donate items. If you are able any donations would be greatly appreciated.

Portland Christmas Cheer 2024- The Salvation Army

For over 135 years, The Salvation Army Portland has continued to support our community members who have been experiencing hardship, and will continue to do so during this Christmas period.

As the celebration of the birth of Jesus draws near, it is important for us to remember those doing it tough and we are truly blessed to be able to support others during this time.

Enclosed is some information about this years Christmas Cheer. Please read it carefully and take note of the dates so you don’t miss out. If you have any questions please contact The Salvation Army Portland by email at corpsofficer.portland@salvationarmy.org.au or by phone on 03 5523 3749.

Have a wonderful Christmas and may you be Blessed,
Heather Stamp
Corps Officer- Portland Salvation Army 

School Advisory Council Vacancies

We have some vacancies on our SAC. If you are a parent who is interested or would like more information please contact me at school via email at principal@asportland.catholic.edu.au

Child Safety & Wellbeing

Online Safety Mighty Heroes - eSafety Commissioner

This series of four short video chapters is designed for children aged 5 to 8 years old. Each chapter features a Mighty Hero and their online safety superpower:

Wanda the echidna:  I am responsible – I protect my personal information.

River the sugar glider:  I show respect – I am kind and caring to others.

Dusty the frilled neck lizard:  I trust my feelings – I ask for help when something doesn’t feel right.

Billie the bilby:  I investigate – I question what I see, hear and do online. 

Watch the compilation video, which includes all four character chapters, or watch each chapter separately.

After watching one or all of the video chapters, use the conversation starters to talk with your child and encourage them to reflect on the online safety messages from each chapter.

You can access this excellent resource, and the conversation starter PDF, by clicking on the link below.

Webinars for parents and carers

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars 

Join one of our free webinars for parents and carers.

These live webinars give parents and carers the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe online experiences.

On this page:

• Supporting healthy tech use as your child transitions into high school
• eSafety 101: how eSafety can help you
• Download and share the Term 4 webinar schedule
• In case you missed it
  

Download the schedule

eSafety-Term-4-2024-Parent-carer-Webinar-Flyer (PDF, 93.84KB)

2024 parent and carer webinar schedule (PDF, 155.03KB)DownloadExternal link
Download

Download

Thunderstorm Asthma – be prepared this pollen season

What is Thunderstorm Asthma?

Thunderstorm asthma is a serious and potentially life-threatening phenomenon that can occur during specific weather conditions. It is common throughout all parts of Victoria, particularly during spring when thunderstorms coincide with high levels of pollen in the air.

This combination can trigger severe asthma symptoms, even in people who have not previously experienced asthma or allergies.

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma events are uncommon and don't occur every year. In south-east Australia they can happen during grass pollen season from October through December.

What Causes Thunderstorm Asthma?

During a thunderstorm, pollen grains can be swept up into the clouds, where they break into smaller particles due to moisture. These tiny particles then get blown down by the winds and spread across a wide area. Because they are so small, they can be easily inhaled, reaching deep into the lungs and triggering asthma symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.

SchoolTV - Wellbeing Platform

All Saints Parish School’s ‘School TV’ can be accessed using the following link: https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me 

In this edition of SchoolTV - Happiness & Gratitude

Happiness is a term that captures a huge variety of positive emotions such as humour, serenity, optimism, joy, pride, inspiration, love and hope. Happiness means different things, to different people and is essential to your understanding of emotional literacy. Throughout history, philosophers, religious writers and poets have pondered on the meaning of happiness and how it might be achieved. In the last few decades, scientists and psychologists have researched this further by studying a field of science called positive psychology.

The result of this research suggests there is a strong correlation between gratitude and greater happiness. Practising gratitude helps you shift your focus to positive memories or experiences, noticing the good in your life. Over time, this will re-wire your brain to create new neural pathways, increase your state of happiness and overall wellbeing.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents and care-givers will learn how to achieve happiness and the benefits of practising gratitude.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Happiness & Gratitude edition of SchoolTV
https://asportland.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/happiness-gratitude

Happy Birthday

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

STUDENTS: Zimi L, Layla S, Andee R, Axel O, Zane F, Torben K, Alexia S, Indie O, Violet J, Judd J, Mia P, Grace I, Hamish M, Zarlee L, Cassandra V, Seth H, Lexie E, Lara W, Kelsey T, Baylee P

STAFF:  Rochelle, Flint, Regien, Shelley, Mrs Kennedy

Praying With Children

Praying with Children resources offer an insight into the scripture readings from mass on the weekend. It is a wonderful opportunity for families to discuss the Gospel stories and complete some related activities if they wish.

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