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- NEWS | From The Principal
- NEWS | From The Office
- NEWS | School Council
- NEWS | French (Bonjour!)
- NEWS | From the Garden - National Tree Day
- NEWS | Camps
- NEWS | From the Sports Field
- NEWS | Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program
- NEWS | Major Fundraisers
- WELLBEING | The World Village Cafe & Building Children's Resilience
- STUDENTS OF THE WEEK
- EVENTS | Father's/Special Friends Day Stall
- EVENTS | School Run4Fun Colour Explosion
- EVENTS | Family Friendly Socks
- EVENTS | Plant a Tomato
- OUR SCHOOL DAY
- REMINDERS
- COMMUNITY EVENTS
The coming weeks will bring some interesting experiences for the children at our school...
Book Week
Next Monday 27th August the Student Curriculum Leadership team are inviting everyone to come dressed as a book or film character to celebrate Book Week 2018. Hubs groups on that afternoon will also have a book theme.
Reminder - HATS HATS HATS
All children are required to wear a wide brimmed hat from September 1st. Please make sure your child has their hat and that it is clearly marked with their name. Hats are available for purchase from the school office at a cost of $14.00.
Student-Led Conferences
In Term 3 each year we report to families through Student-Led Conferences. This is a child-centered approach to sharing student learning with families. This is not an interview time with teachers, however, you are welcome to arrange a separate interview with your classroom teacher if required.
No need to book a time… you can come into the rooms at any stage during the conference and stay for as long as you like. The art room will also be open on the Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday 5th September: 3:30-5:30pm.
Thursday 6th September: 8:15-8:55am.
Singing and Vocal Workshops at Winters Flat PS – Peter Flatz
Come Along and Sing!!!!
This Wednesday, after school at Creekview.
Parents are encouraged to bring the kids to come and sing together and learn some vocal techniques in a fun and relaxed session run by Peter Flatz – parent and vocal coach.
Please RSVP to let us know numbers, or just turn up!
Session times:
4.30pm – 5.30pm Wed 22nd August
4.30pm – 5.30pm Thurs 30th August
4.30pm – 5.30pm Wed 5th September
4.30pm – 5.30pm Wed 12th September
4.30pm – 5.30pm Wed 19th September
Parent Opinion Survey
If you’ve been selected please complete the survey by Sunday 26th August.
Stargazing
We’re not going for a world record this time but there’s potentially a great opportunity to see some interesting things in the skies above Winters Flat Primary School on Wednesday 19th September. Time TBC – most likely from 6.45pm. We will probably serve popcorn again. As this is a school-based event we will definitely NOT go ahead if the weather is wet or overcast. A great opportunity to dust off those telescopes and once again there will be experts on hand to help us navigate.
Photographers in our midst?
We are keen to update the photos on our website and are seeking volunteers who have some photographic expertise to help us out. Please contact us if you are able to help.
Working Bee 8th September 9.00am – 12.00pm
Each term we ask our community to help out with building and grounds work. Trailers are always handy for transporting cuttings to the tip. If you can’t come along, please consider sending morning tea on Friday 7th September or making a tax-deductible donation to the school Building Fund.
Click here to complete the Working Bee form online
Michael Grose – Parenting Ideas
This week’s article: Let Consequences do the talking
Suzanne Kinnersly,
Principal.
Read LessImportant Dates
Final Day Term 3 | Friday 21st September | Dismissal 2:30pm
Curriculum Day | PUPIL FREE - Friday 7th December, 2018
Bus Travel
Putting the call out to parents of students that are living in the Yapeen, Vaughan, Irishtown, Fryerstown, Chewton and Wesley Hill areas.
If you are interested in giving your child the option to catch the Fryerstown bus to and/or from school, please get in contact with Georgina Bright and she can see about putting an application in to Public Transport Victoria to request that a new stop at Winters Flat be added to the Fryerstown bus route.
We need a minimum of 3 students before they will consider the application.
Georgina can be reached on 0400 720 481 or email georgina.bright@hotmail.com
Did You Know...
You can find all our school events on the school calendar, either on the school website, or on the app, so you'll never miss another important date.
All permission and excursion forms are now available on our website, in the School Community section under forms.
Read LessSchool Council Meeting held on Monday August 20th 2018: Summary of Meeting
Our last School Council meeting was held on Monday August 20th 2018. As a group, we reflected on what has worked well since our last meeting, including the much anticipated move into the new building, the Penhall Project organised by Juliet, the Prep/1’s participation in National Tree Day, and school football team’s trip to the MCG to see the AFL blockbuster between Richmond and Collingwood.
Reports were presented by each of the School Council subcommittees. These subcommittees are: Finance; Student Leadership; Wellbeing; Community Engagement; Buildings and Grounds, Sustainability, and Fundraising. Suzanne reported on the Regional Leadership Conference, which she recently attended with Jeanette and Heather Blakey (Master of Social Work student). Here the emphasis was on empowering students through voice, leadership and agency.
Our new class rep system is gaining momentum and the first morning tea was a great success. Our dedicated parent/carer volunteers continue to work hard at making our grounds look amazing. The Council thanked all of them, and the families who sponsored a tree for our green space. There were also reports on the Penhall project, two recent grant submissions led by Kim Collins, and the collaborative story writing project that Heather has completed with Peta Firth’s grade.
We encourage all parents/carers to support our Pick My Project by voting for it online (see https://pickmyproject.vic.gov.au). We are working towards our major fundraisers for the year: The Paul Bangay Open Garden and the Twilight Christmas Market. We are seeking support with raffle items and other produce/items to sell at these events.
The next school council meeting is scheduled for Monday 17th September 2018.
Katie Wilson
School Council President
Read LessBonjour!
Our term goal is to be able to talk about the weather. Students will be learning the phrases:
‘Quel temps fait-il ?’ (What is the weather?) and ‘Quel temps fait-il aujourd’hui ?’ (What is the weather today?).
I’m trying to build opportunities for spontaneous language use and the weather is a great place to start. I’ll move on to classroom objects after this. Here’s a link to a song we’ll be learning.
Last term Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 started reading our play “La Poule Maboule’ as a class group. They all did an excellent job and were able to read the script at a moderate speed with me. This term we will work towards reading in small groups with decreasing assistance and eventually memorising the play using the words and gestures. We will start using the phrases and characters from the play to write simple sentences with alternative meanings to those found in the play.
This term Prep, 1, 2, 3 will begin to read along with me using an illustrated script. We begin writing and illustrating simple sentences that relate to the script.
Katie Kilgour
French Teacher
Read LessREMINDER
All camp forms and payments (unless prior payment arrangments have been made) are due no later than this Friday, 7th September.
Grade 3/4 Camp
The Grade 3/4 students will be attending the Cave Hill Camp on the 12th and 13th September.
Information and permission forms are available on our website - please click here.
Grade 5/6 Camp
The Grade 5/6 students will be attending the Marysville Camp on the 19th to 21st September.
Information and permission forms are available on our website - please click here.
Read LessHot Shots Tennis
This coming Friday, 24th August we will be participating in the Hot Shots Tennis carnival at the Castlemaine Lawn Tennis Club.
Grade 5/6 students from 10am until midday and 3/4 students from 12.30pm until 2.30 pm.
It's our first District Tennis event. It will be cool, inclusive and fun.
Sam Milner
Physical Education Teacher
Read LessNEWS | Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program
What's cooking in the kitchen...
- Vegetable Stock
- Broccoli Carbonara
- Egg Drop Soup
- Winter Vegetable Stack.
Copies of the recipes above are available on the website - click here.
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden – Chefs
Grade 5/6F - Salina C.
Grade 5/6B - Whole Class.
Grade 4/56O - Chaz H & Ksyena W.
Grade 3/4B - Whole Class.
Grade 1/2M - Amelia B & Loretta P.
Grade 2/3W - Sally P, Levi M, Teekah M, Felix M, Sasha N, Ellie C, Byron P & Mia F.
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden – Gardeners
Grade – 3/4BM - Milly K S.
Grade – 1/2M - Whole class.
Grade – 2/3W - Tully S, Felix M, Sylvie H-H, Jasper R , Arki S & Abi E.
Grade – 5/6B - Isa V O & Meg O'S.
Grade – 4/5/6O - Chaz H, Sarah McL, Chloe B & Olivia H.
Read LessThe School Council Fundraising Subcommittee is working on fundraisers that are fast approaching….
The Paul Bangay Open Garden - 17th and 18th November 2018
State Election - 24th November
The Twilight Christmas Market - 14th December 2018
We are seeking your support with donations for the raffle.
WHAT CAN YOU DONATE?
- Christmas goods (e.g., food items, decorations, gifts, etc.)
- Groceries
- Soaps
- Anything else that could go in a hamper.
- Vouchers
- A service (e.g., gardening, massage, mowing, painting, etc.)
We are looking for keen and enthusiastic parents to help make items for these events. Please tell us if you have a particular talent or interest with crafts, preserves, baking, plants or sewing talents. Gather your ideas and let us know how you would like to be involved.
Please leave any donations at the school office
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
Fiona Johnston, Karen Mahoney, David Tobin, Suzanne Kinnersly, and Katie Wilson
Fundraising Subcommittee
Read LessWELLBEING | The World Village Cafe & Building Children's Resilience
The Listening Post...
Hi Everyone,
There are two exciting grants we have applied for at Winters Flat
- Pick My Project: World Food Village Café. See the Winters Flat Website for details and a little video of the project – then if you like our idea, please tell friends and family to vote for our project here...
- The second grant we have applied for is the Building Children’s Resilience, which is through the Maldon Community Bank. This is the third year we have applied for the grant, so as they say, ‘third time lucky’. This project is to provide reflective practice to Early Years teachers (pre-school to prep/one) in the region and Middle Years teachers in the transitional years (grade five to year seven). The other part of the project is funding for forums such as Kathy Walker and the value of Play-based-learning.
Mental Health specialist Jenna Bilmes states that the six life skills Children need to thrive in today’s world are:
- Attachment – ‘I have a grown-up who cherishes me and keeps me safe’
- Affiliation – ‘I can have a friend and be a friend’
- Self-Regulation – ‘I can manage my strong emotions and am in control of my behaviour’
- Initiative – ‘I am growing and changing and learning new things’
- Problem Solving – ‘I can solve problems and resolve conflicts’
- Respect – ‘I have unique gifts and challenges and so do others’
I will be running a small groups this term and next term on Tuesday lunchtimes for children in the younger grades who need some extra support with friendships and/or self-regulation. If you think your child could benefit from this kind of support, please let me know.
Warm regards,
Kim
Student Well-being
Read LessP/1J
Latisha J - caring for self by working co-0peratively in Maths activities and asking questions. Great effort on addition 'turn arounds' Latisha.
Amaya M - caring for self by taking care with her handwriting and having-a-go at writing independently. Super effort!
P/1 L
Braxton J – Caring for Self by trying his best during our writing sessions and producing some beautiful work. Well done Brax.
Otto L – Caring for Others by working well in his reading group to make sure everyone stays on task. Great job Otto.
1/2M
Loretta L - caring for others by making a wonderful start at WFPS, and always including others and having lots of fun!
Arjun S - caring for the environment by always bringing nude food and sharing his knowledge of animals.
2/3W
Ben C - caring for self by working so hard at your reading at home and at school. You have made great progress and have caught the reading bug!! We're all really proud of you Ben.
Ellie C - caring for others by always being aware of those around her. Thank you for being a consistent worker and helper.
3/4B
Grade 3/4 - caring for others by doing such an amazing job researching, preparing and presenting your group projects. Seriously you've just blown me away!! What a great way for us all to learn - teachers and students learning from each other - an awesome reciprocity! Congratulations, so proud of you all.
Naomi C – caring for self by achieving your 100 night Reading Goal. What a great effort and persistence in increasing your reading kilometres. It is GREAT to see your increasing confidence and developing skills, and I'm so happy that you feel able to read aloud and share your skills with others in class. Keep up your amazing effort. Congratulations!
4/5/6O
Leonard P - caring for others by always working co-operatively and efficiently with all classmates. You make all feel welcome and valued with your calm and c0-operative nature, especially in reading buddies.
William H - caring for self by always being a willing class participant. You take every opportunity to learn and share and complete all assigned tasks to a high standard. Your critical thinking skills bring a fresh perspective to class discussion.
5/6B
Meg O'S - caring for self by improving your learning behaviours.
Inny S - caring for the environment by consistently showing responsibility and participating fully during gardening and always bringing 'Nude Food'.
5/6F
Molly K-McC – caring for others by being a great help in and round the classroom. Thanks Molly.
Zander C – caring for others by doing an amazing job in the kitchen, being organised and well prepared. Great work Zander.
French
Loretta L – caring for self by making the most of class time to try activities and presenting excellent book work.
Seth B – caring for self by making an excellent effort in finishing work and asking for extension activities.
CUMALONG CUP WINNERS:
Grade P/1L.
Read LessEVENTS | Father's/Special Friends Day Stall
Thursday 30th August 2018 – lunchtime recess (1:35pm).
Friday 31st August 2018 – before school (8:30am) and lunchtime recess (1:35pm).
There will be some great items available for students to purchase, ranging in price from 50c to $5.50.
If any parents/caregivers are able to donate any goods towards the stall, it would be very much appreciated. These may be left at the school office.
Helpers will also be required on both days to assist the children with their purchases, so please contact us with your preferred day/time.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Read LessEVENTS | School Run4Fun Colour Explosion
7
Fri
07 Sep 2018
2:30 PM to 3:15 PM
7
Fri
07 Sep 2018
2:30 PM to 3:15 PM
Location: Winters Flat Primary School
Address: Roberts Avenue, Castlemaine, 3450, VIC
We’re turning our event from bland to GRAND this year by adding an explosion of colour. The more money we raise the more we can provide for the students through vital school projects, in particular window tinting or blinds, for the new building.
The School Run4Fun Colour Explosion will be held on Friday 7th September starting at 2.30pm. We do ask that you bring a spare change of clothes to school, most importantly a plain white shirt as the students will be covered in powder from head to toe. The day’s focus is on fun and fitness with the added benefit of raising funds for our school.
7
Fri
07 Sep 2018
2:30 PM to 3:15 PM
Location: Winters Flat Primary School
Address: Roberts Avenue, Castlemaine, 3450, VIC
EVENTS | Family Friendly Socks
Get your socks on!
Please support our fundraiser by grabbing a box of socks to sell to family and friends.
The boxes contain 14 pairs of coloured mixed sizes - XS to Large cotton blend socks, which cost $4.00 pair ($56.00 a box).
Boxes are available from the office.
Thank you to the families and staff who have purchased socks.
Read LessYou say tomato - I say...
We need 12 families to take home a germinating kit.
Your job will be:
- plant the tomato seeds,
- care for the seedlings,
- re-pot 25 seedlings into tube stock pots,
- drop them back at school ready for sale.
Kits need to be collected on Sept 5th, term 3 and returned by Nov 5th, term 4.
You will be given everything you need plus clear instructions.
If you are interested in helping us by raising some tomatoes, please contact us.
Read Less