DIARY DATES
NUMBER 41 – 18 December 2014
Fri 19 Dec End of Term 4 - 1.30pm dismissal time
Tues 27 Jan
2015
Uniform Sales Day 10am - 1pm
Thur 29 Jan Yr 1 - Yr 6 Students return to school 9am
Preps 9.30am - 12pm or 1pm - 3.30pm
Fri 30 Jan Preps 9.30am - 12pm or 1pm - 3.30pm
Mon 2 Feb Prep 2015 Parents/Carers Morning Tea in
the Staffroom 9am
Wed 4 Feb Prep 2015 Testing Day - No Preps at
school today.
Yr 4 BBQ to Roy Dore Reserve
Fri 6 Feb Yrs 3 - 6 Swimming Carnival at the Pines
Pool in Frankston 9am. Parent Helpers
Required - Please see Michelle Conway
Wed 11 Feb Prep 2015 Testing Day - No Preps at
school today
Thur 12 Feb Runners Club Returns for 2015. Runners
to meet at 8.10am on the school oval.
Fri 13 Feb Yr 6 Interschool Sport
Yr 3 Roy Dore Reserve BBQ 9am
ACTING PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
ACTING PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Thanks to the many parent volunteers who were involved in our Classroom Helpers program, Camps, Excursions, Sports, Enrichment for All, School Council, Parents and Friends and Fundraising.
Thanks to the staff for their professionalism and continued commitment to the students and parents at Patto. l would like to acknowledge the proactive work of School Council, its subcommittees and working parties. Their leadership in a number of areas has been a key to our continued school improvement this year.
Finally, l would like to extend my appreciation for the strong support and endorsement of parents to the many initiatives implemented at Patterson Lakes Primary School during 2014. We look forward to your continued support in 2015.
FINAL DAY OF SCHOOL
School will conclude at 1.30pm on Friday, 19th December, 2014. A special school assembly will be held in the courtyard at 1.00pm to farewell our Year 6 students and announce our 2015 School Captains, Junior School Councillors, House Captains and Environmental Leaders.
STAFF LEAVING PATTO
At the end of the week we will be saying farewell to Danny Wilkins, Cecile Danne, Belinda Mercuri, Elise De Lany and Debbie Beasley. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours and thank them for their most valued contributions to the school during the time that they have been with us.
FAREWELL TO YEAR 6 STUDENTS
The school celebrated the success of our graduating Year 6 students at Monday’s Graduation Ceremony which was held in the Hall. On behalf of staff, I wish all Year 6 students every success and happiness at their new secondary school next year. I am confident that every student will uphold the values of Integrity, Respect and Excellence, and will make us feel proud of their achievements in future years.
FAMILIES LEAVING PATTO
I wish all families who are moving to new locations, or whose youngest child is finishing Year 6, every happiness for the future. We thank you for your support of the school during your time at Patterson Lakes Primary School.
These families include: Ajnas, Bedingfield, Bratsos, Gittos, Hubbard, Kampmann, Lobb, Martin, McLeod, Nikolaidis, Petterwood, Stamatis, Anderson, Bashir, Cheung-Chin, Inavolu, Jarman, Macek, Marchmont, Martin, Matthews, Murray, Rouse, Saks, Tider, Unsworth, Carter, Cassels, Connor, Cook, Corcoran, Duncan, Edwards, Goodridge, Harkin, King-Watts, Lawrence, Perez-Elizalde, Simpson, Symeonidis, Walker, Woolard, Ardiana, Burton, Carmody, Carter, Dillon, Hansen, Hanssen, Hawkins, Lappin and Nayna.
On behalf of staff, l wish all members of the school community a safe and happy festive season.
The school has completed another very successful year. Some achievements worth noting include above state averages for Years 3 and 5 in NAPLAN. The school’s representation at State and Region in Athletics and Basketball. The completion of our new Science and Staff Rooms. The upgrading of our basketball courts through the use of fundraising money. Two of our Year 1 classes were finalists in the STAV Science Drama Awards. A successful application for a South East Water grant of $3000 to install a solar plant driven watering system in the Vegetable Garden. 3rd place in the State Finals for Dance Theatre in Robotics. A very successful Fete and a fabulous Christmas Concert.
NAME BIRTHDAY
Hunter H 18 December
Keanu C 19 December
James N 19 December
Kayla B 23 December
Justine L 24 December
Jazz S 25 December
Kyla S 26 December
Alyssa C 27 December
Madison M 27 December
Isaiah B 27 December
Avantika S 28 December
Steffani S 29 December
Trent M 29 December
Hannah U 30 December
Raymond Z 31 December
Aaron G 31 December
Tyler L 1 January
Jake B 1 January
Victoria G 1 January
Jack B 1 January
Ryder T 2 January
Matthew S 3 January
Aden S 4 January
Laura S 5 January
Jade B 5 January
Charli D 6 January
Jack M 6 January
Isabelle N 7 January
Mikayla G 7 January
Jack L 7 January
Sarah B 8 January
Sophie B 8 January
Madeleine L 9 January
Nyah L 9 January
Sosemans A 10 January
Hunter S 11 January
Ryder S 11 January
Ryan T 11 January
Madeleine C 12 January
Allegra P 12 January
Taj R 12 January
Matthew B 12 January
Ahllia D 13 January
Lily W 13 January
Kalila E 13 January
ACTING PRINCIPAL’S REPORT HAPPY BIRTHDAY
STUDENT REPORTS
Student reports were sent home on Monday. Please remember to return the comment section of the report to your child’s class teacher if you haven’t already done so. It will be photocopied and returned to you. Also, the Physical Education page provided by our specialist teachers has been confusing for some due to the wording in the graph. Even though it says ‘Health and Physical Education’ under the heading of ‘Learning Area’, the rating on the graph is for Physical Education only. I have contacted the provider of the reporting program regarding this concern but due to the directives from the Department of Education this cannot be changed to Physical Education at this stage.
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
Congratulations to the following six students who have not had a late arrival or an absence for the whole school year in 2014: Ryan H (Prep B), Haydn S (4D), Katie H (5C), Will A (6A), Zac K P (6A) and Harrison L (6C). Harrison (6C) has had a perfect attendance rate for the last 3 years. An amazing effort! 4D won the award for the class with the best attendance rate for 2014. Prep E won the award for the class which was the best to arrive at school on time this year. Overall, it is pleasing to report that there has been a significant improvement in students arriving at school on time for 2014 and we will achieve our goal of reducing lateness to less than 2.5 days per student. Our attendance rate has also continued to improve in comparison to 2013 and previous years. CONGRATULATIONS Nikita D (4A) competed at the State Relay Little Athletics competition at Lake Side Stadium in Albert Park on 13/12/2014. His team won the GOLD medal in the Mixed U10 - 4x100 Metre Relay. Well done Nikita!
HOLIDAY WORKS
Over the holidays some of the major works that will take place are: A new auto flushing device and new flooring will be installed in the Senior Boys’ Toilet. The carpet in Room 28 will be replaced and another section of covered walkway will be installed near the Library.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Happy Birthday to the following students who are celebrating
their birthday in the coming week and over the Christmas
school holidays. We hope you have a lovely day.
NAME BIRTHDAY
Aaron C 14 January
Caitlyn O 14 January
Georgia D 15 January
Lachlan L 15 January
Samuel S 15 January
Ashley F 17 January
Baily P 17 January
Madi T 17 January
Jayda E 20 January
Charlotte W 20 January
Amy M 20 January
Lauren M 20 January
Emma B 21 January
Jayden W 22 January
Brodie K 22 January
Kasha E 23 January
Jessica L 23 January
Cameron W 23 January
Mitchell W 23 January
Keely M 24 January
Malia F 24 January
Sommer F 25 January
Dior D 25 January
Trinity H 25 January
Mackenzie V 26 January
Jarryd H 27 January
Aaron J 27 January
Charlie A 27 January
Keira D 28 January
Zac F 28 January
Kayra K 28 January
Sara S 29 January
Austin M 31 January
Jasmine M 31 January
Chloe L 1 February
Mackenzie M 1 February
Alexander M 2 February
Lily B 2 February
Charli M 2 February
Xavier B 3 February
Audrey B 4 February
Austin M 4 February
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIQBIZ
For those of you who are yet to install our School App, we
have attached the following brochure explaining the
installation process. Please remember over the holidays
to “untick” your children’s current Year Level and then
“find and tick” the new one for next year.
RUNNERS CLUB REPORT FOR 2014
Congratulations to all the 179 students who participated in the 2014 Runners Club Program. This year
has been overwhelming with the number of students who have walked, jogged or ran in this social
weekly sports program. Well done to the students below who ran the most amount of laps for their age
group. We look forward to Runners Club Program continuing next year on Thursday mornings at
8:10am (commencing Thursday 12th February). All students in all year levels are most welcome.
Runners Club program will commence in 2015 in Week 3.
PLPS 2015 Swimming Carnival (Years 3 - 6)
Students in Years 3 - 6 will be participating in the 2015 Swimming Carnival at the Pines Pool in
Frankston North on Friday February 6th 2015.
Buses will leave school at approximately 9.10am and return at approximately 3.00pm for a normal
3.30pm dismissal.
Students are to wear their house polo shirts with their bathers underneath and bring the following:
Towel
Hat
Sunscreen
Goggles
Lunch and snacks
Large drink bottle
Change of underwear
Plastic bag for wet clothes and towel
Optional money for canteen ($5 max)
Students will be provided with a house coloured swimming cap to compete in as they arrive.
Pines Pool is a 50m outdoor pool. Students will be able to compete in the following 50m events:
Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly. If time permits, students who were not confident to
participate in a 50m event will have the chance to participate in a shorter ‘noodle race’ with the
assistance of school staff in the pool.
Students will get the chance to have free play in the small ‘toddlers’ swimming pool during the day.
School staff will be supervising at the carnival as well as carrying out particular roles for the day.
Lifeguards will be on duty and St Johns First Aid has been booked for the event.
When students are not competing they are expected to sit under the shade cloth area and be wearing
their house polo shirts and hats at all times.
Students will compete in their age groups. If students are turning 11 in 2015 they are in the 11 year old
age group and so on. Our school’s District Swimming Team will be selected using the results from this
carnival and announced at school during the following week.
Unfortunately Year 6 students will be on camp when the District Swimming event is held (Monday 2nd
March). Our successful Year 6 student’s times from our school’s carnival will be passed on to the District
Sports Coordinator to be used at the District Swimming event, therefore all Year 6 students must try their
very best at our carnival!
Parent helpers are required to help record student swimming times on the day. If you can help
please email [email protected]
Golf Sessions in P.E Last week in P.E, some of our senior students had the pleasure of learning some golf skills from Paul
Boxall. Paul is from Sandhurst Golf Club and would love to see some more students get involved in the
sport. For details of his Golf Summer Holiday Program, refer to the following details.
School Swimming Lessons 2015 In 2015 students at Patterson Lakes PS will be participating in a Learn to Swim Program at the new Peninsula
Aquatic Recreation Centre (PARC) in Frankston. Students are expected to participate in the program offered in
order to meet curriculum standards for Health and P.E.
Permission forms will be handed out to students in the first week back at school in 2015 and are to be returned by
6/2/15.
The first year levels to begin their program are the Year 3/4’s on 17/2/15. Other year levels are to follow in Terms 1
and 2.
Parent helpers will be required, particularly for the junior year levels. Please see your child’s
classroom teacher in 2015 to offer your assistance.
Please read the parent information sheet provided by PARC on the next page.
Any queries contact [email protected]
School Swimming Parent Information Notice
Dear Parents,
Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre (PARC) would like to welcome you into our School’s Learn to Swim Program.
We pride ourselves on our unique program which includes beginner to advanced techniques and water safety skills.
Water Safety and learning to swim are essential life skills that provide learners with the confidence and skills to enjoy aquatic environments and activities.
At PARC, we are committed to providing the foundation that we believe is necessary for your child to build solid and sound aquatic skills.
The following briefly outlines some of what we’ll be providing in our school’s learn to swim program:
A fun and exciting learning environment
Quality and innovative programs, including a strong focus on water safety
A dedicated team of AUSTSWIM qualified teachers
World class facilities
Children participating in our program will grow in confidence, improve their swimming technique and gain valuable experiences through fun and exciting lessons. All our classes are well prepared and all of our swim school instructors are AUSTSWIM qualified.
Parent participation is always encouraged, and to ensure that our program runs smoothly and efficiently, we ask that you read and appreciate the following guidelines:
If you have any queries regarding your child’s swimming lessons, please speak directly to the swimming coordinator at your school who will contact us with your concerns.
All enquiries are dealt with as a matter of importance and we’ll ensure feedback is provided to the swimming coordinator who will then contact you
Please avoid attending your child’s swimming lessons until day 2. This allows us to re-assess all children and to ensure they are placed in their correct classes
Any special requests regarding your child’s lesson needs to be in writing and forwarded to your swimming coordinator at your school prior to lessons commencing
PARC does not issue refunds or credits. If you know in advance that your child will not be attending all lessons, and you still choose to enrol, your child will be charged for the lessons missed
The parent assessment letter that you are asked to complete is a guide for us only. This is to ensure that your child receives lessons from day one. Re-assessments are conducted as part of the first two lessons. Therefore, any questions regarding your child's level after the second lesson can be referred back to your swimming coordinator at your school
Swim caps are highly recommended during lessons. By wearing swim caps the children can swim more efficiently without hair in their mouths or on their faces as well as the water quality is maintained and filters are kept cleaner. Swim caps provided free of charge for all students in 2015.
For hygiene reasons children are unable to borrow swimming caps
Please note that if your child’s assessment letter is not received prior to the commencement of lessons, then unfortunately he/she will be unable to participate in lessons
All children will receive a participation certificate and PARC information on other services on offer.
I would like to thank you for your support in your child’s swimming lessons here at PARC.
Kind Regards
PARC Schools Swimming Team
Beat the Brain Slump these Holidays
Help your child beat the brain slump these holidays
Summer holidays are a great time to get your child reading for relaxation.
Most children are pleased to have a break from the rigours of school work over the summer holidays, but many will not open a book again until the beginning of the next school year. Not only does this make it difficult to get back into the swing of study when the time arises, it also means a valuable opportunity is missed.
And that is the opportunity to discover the joy of reading for pleasure.
Reading for pleasure is a wonderful way for your child to escape and unwind. It's also a great way to keep their brain active.
Studies have shown that children who stop reading over the school holidays experience something American researchers call the "summer slide" - a term used to refer to students' learning losses over the summer break.
Researchers used the analogy of a 'tap' to provide some insight into their findings, saying that while children are at school there is a flow of information, and all children have the same opportunities to learn.
When they are not at school, however that 'tap' is turned off, unless there is some active engagement with books or other resources. Children whose 'tap' stays on throughout the summer holidays return to school with an advantage over those whose 'tap' may have been turned off for the past two months.
Over time, that advantage accumulates, and becomes a reason why some children are more successful at school than others.
Success aside, there is a world of enjoyment waiting to be discovered inside the pages of picture books and novels. Books are perfect for the sofa, the back lawn and the beach – all the places your child is most likely to be lounging these school holidays.
The Department has even compiled book lists for children of different ages – making it easy to find something for your pre-schooler, Preppy, eight-year-old or teenager.
The book lists, which are refreshed every year by reading experts to include popular new releases, form part of the Premiers' Reading Challenge – an annual event that inspires young people of all ages to read more books.
So while their textbooks may be closed for the summer, their brains certainly shouldn't be. Make sure your children have a ready supply of books that appeal to their age and interests these school holidays, and help them discover the joy of reading for fun.
To download a copy of the Premiers' Reading Challenge booklists, visit:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/events/prc/Pages/booklist.aspx