Drysdale Primary School

Developing Parental Engagement

A key element of our four year strategic plan is to deepen the ties with our parent community. There is so much that we believe is good about our community and the partnership that exists between home and school. However, we believe that there is still more that we could do to improve this. Following discussion in our School Council meeting last week we are keen to create a small group of parents who are interested in developing a strategy that will identify continuing gaps in our engagement. The second step for the group is to devise solutions that ensure all parents feel they are properly engaged in their children’s learning. This is a group that will particularly appeal to those who enjoy finding solutions and creating change. If you are interested in finding out more about this group, please speak to Shane Kennedy or Tammy Burke. Both can be contacted through the school office.

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Teachers’ Professional Practice Days

The most recent Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) made between the teachers’ professional associations and the government included a new arrangement called Professional Practice Days. From the beginning of this school year each full time teacher is able to arrange one day per term when they are withdrawn from their class teaching responsibility to devote time to other aspects of their professional practice. This might include report writing, attending professional learning, updating assessment records or holding a more in depth meeting with another professional, e.g. educational psychologist. In making this arrangement the Education Department is mindful of the importance of balancing the need for children to be learning from their designated class teacher with the benefits for those same students from the teachers having extra time to complete really important jobs that ought not to be squeezed into evenings and weekends. Professional Practice Days can be taken individually or as whole year group team. Both the date when these days are taken and the work that is done on them must be agreed by the Principal in advance.

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Drysdale Community Market 

Homework  (Learning@Home)

As a school we have been reviewing our approach to homework. This is beginning with a new name: Learning@Home. Learning@Home does have an important place in primary education but care needs to be taken to ensure that the children’s time is spent positively and with a clear purpose taking into account the different circumstances that children experience. Our new approach to Learning@Home will be consistent across all year groups. Learning@Home will be set for a two week period. The first of these Learning@Home fortnights will begin next Monday, March 5th. The Learning@Home will be presented as a grid containing a few required activities and a range of optional activities. This is based on the research by Dr Ian Lillico. Required activities will include essential skills such as Reading and rote learning e.g. spelling, key words, times tables as set out on the grid. Optional activities will promote a range of learning and life skills and will include activities ranging from further research into an element of the term’s inquiry to helping at home (tidying a bedroom) to participation in an out of school activity e.g. sport, drama or playing a family game. We are requesting that Learning@Home sheets are returned at the end of the fortnight with a parent’s signature against each of the activities completed. We trust that you will enjoy supporting your children with their new look Learning@Home.

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School Council Update – February

Our School Council met last week, as they do in the third week of every month during term time. In an effort to keep our community informed, we have put together a brief overview of what was discussed at the meeting.

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Noone Uniform Shop 

Lunch Time Activities

At Drysdale Primary School we offer a range of extra activities for students to engage in during lunch breaks.

Many students love the option of being involved in a quiet activity such as yoga or Lego, whilst some students choose to participate in a particular area of interest, ie Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics.

We have attached the current lunch activity schedule which you may like to print off for your fridge at home!

DPS Lunch Clubs 2018

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Potato Fair Gold Sponsors 

Debbie Lee Dance

This week’s Business of the Week is the very well known Debbie Lee School of Dancing. Drysdale PS students have a long association with Debbie Lee and there are opportunities to enrol in 2018.

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Notes Home

The following notes have gone home;

Hoop Fusion (optional) – Now overdue

Division Swimming (select students) – Due back by 7th March

Canteen Special Lunch Order (all students) – Due back by 9th March

Colour Run (all students) – Due back by 13th March

Somers Camp (Year 6 students) – Due back by 27th February

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Second Hand Uniform Sale

Volunteers from our Parents Group will be holding a Second Hand Uniform Sale out the front of the Canteen, with everything costing a gold coin donation, on the following days;

Friday 2nd March from 3:15pm

Tuesday 6th March from 9:00am

 

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Multicultural Week 19th-23rd of March

Drysdale Primary School will be celebrating Multicultural Week as part of Harmony Week in the week beginning 19th March. There will be different activities throughout the week drawing attention to and celebrating cultural diversity. These activities will be also be reflected in classroom learning.

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Canteen Special Lunch Order – Tuesday 20th March

There will be a special canteen order available to all students on Tuesday 20th March. Orders need to be handed to the canteen no later then Friday 9th March. Please note that this is optional however normal canteen items are NOT available on this day.

Order forms are going home with all students today or alternatively please go to the following link for copy.

Term 1 Special Canteen Order

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Fresh Fruit Friday – Year 3

Each week we request parent volunteers from a year level to help cut up fresh fruit and distribute it to classes. If you have time to spare on a Friday morning we would love your help, regardless of what year level your child is in. Younger siblings are more than welcome to join you and play with the toys as long as they remain supervised. Please sign in at the office and make your way to the staff room from 9am.

This Friday, 2nd March, we are asking for parent volunteers of Year 3 students to help cut up fruit.

Thank you to the Bendigo Bank for sponsoring our school’s fresh fruit.

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Proud to Be Me

On Thursday 22nd February, the CARP Productions team came to visit our students at Drysdale Primary School. They performed an exciting and interactive play called “Proud to Be Me”. We saw the story of Phillip who was worried about finding new friends and scared of making mistakes and being a bit different. Through some fun songs, cool dance moves and role playing we all learnt that :

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Year 3 Excursion to Ecolinc

The Year 3’s had a fabulous experience at Ecolinc. The excursion covered many aspects of our Inquiry unit this term about ‘Living things’. The students learnt so much and had a great time.

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Camp Australia

Well, here we are, now in the second half of the term and things have been going great at Camp Australia Drysdale Primary School.

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Drysdale Primary School

School Council Members

President: Julie Penfold Vice President: Stephanie Davey
Treasurer: Seumas Spark Executive Officer: Glen Lauder
Secretary: Evan Wailes    
Members: Gary Absolom, Kate Lockhart, Miquel Trujillo Coll, Nic Alonso, Tara van Winckel, Rebecca Hoyne, Kate Wojcik
School Councillors can be contacted via the school office or school email