Thank you to everyone who has already booked a time to meet your child’s new teacher on Monday 14th or Tuesday 15th February, next week!

This is a new arrangement for Drysdale Primary but one that we think is important after two years in which parents/carers have only been allowed restricted access to the school site. These will replace the Student Led Conferences normally held towards the end of term 1.

The main purpose of the meetings is to allow parents and teachers to make contact with each other. This is an opportunity for parents/carers to ask questions about arrangements in class or to provide important information to the teachers. Bookings are open and can be made through the Sentral Portal/app. Bookings close at 8.00am on Monday 14th February.

Families attending in person will need to follow current COVID requirements – check in with a QR code, show your child’s teacher proof of vaccination, wear a mask inside and maintain appropriate distancing.

Any parents/carers who prefer to arrange an on-line meeting are welcome to do so. Please contact your child’s teacher who can set up a WebEx invitation.

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We have had just a few positive cases over these first few days of school. Please continue to monitor your children for symptoms and complete the Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) twice each week.

Please remember that children with symptoms must not come to school. If your child tests positive, please let the school know as well as reporting the result through the Department of Health website.

We are expecting a further delivery of RATs to allow families to complete their testing for the last couple of weeks this month. We will send these tests home once they have been delivered. Please only use these for the twice weekly routine tests. We do not have any spare tests. If you need to do other tests, you will need to buy test kits or go to a test centre for a PCR test.

Just a reminder that students in Years 3-6 are required to wear a face mask unless they have an official exemption. We have had to remind quite a large number of students of this. Please can you check with your child that they have their mask before they come to school.

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It is great to see so many children in the correct uniform. There is a new range of uniform available from Noone in Geelong. Parents can order uniform through the Geelong store on Moorabool Street or on-line through the Noone website Drysdale PS – Noone Bellarine Uniforms .

Noone will be opening a uniform shop at school shortly. Noone can supply items in a wider range of sizes as well as some items that were harder to source such as brown tights.

Apart from the Noone uniform, children can wear plain gold tops with plain brown pants or shorts.

Hawks tops, other non-school sweatshirts, and items in other colours are not permitted.

Jewellery other than stud earrings and not permitted. Necklaces, rings, hooped or dangling ear rings, can become caught in fingers and clothes. This is a risk to the child wearing the jewellery as well as other children.

 

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Our Year 6 children have headed off this week for their delayed Year 5 camp in Maldon. It seems strange to have children at camp so early in the year.

But in the context of everything that has happened in the last couple of years, nothing seems that strange these days. We are grateful to the children’s parents/careers and the senior school staff for embracing the changes and keeping up with last minute requirements for extra paperwork.

I am heading up for a visit on Thursday to take in a lengthy bike ride and adventurous activities. We are looking to arrange a range of camps for children in the middle and senior classes to run in term 4. Information about these will be sent home later this term.

Please see read more for some photos of what they have been up to. Looks like fun!!!

Read more…

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At the beginning of each school year, we elect members of the School Council. Members hold their position for two years meaning that each year half the council positions fall vacant.

Thank you to a number of parents who have asked for self-nominations forms. If anyone else is interested in becoming a member of our School Council, please ask for a form by contacting the office in person or by phone 52512272 or by sending me an email: philip.dunlop-moore@education.vic.gov.au .

Completed forms need to have been returned to me by the end of this week.

 

 

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For the next four weeks we will not be holding our whole school assembly as per DET COVID guidelines. These assemblies would normally be on Friday afternoons beginning at 2.45 pm.

 

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Students are still working through our ‘Start Right’ program, learning all about the expectations and routines for their classes this year.

The Inclusion team have been busy supporting students and classes, making visual timetables for each room, as well as some smaller individual timetables for students that have needed that level of support.

Students have also been hard at work, showing our RAISE values and earning tokens. They have been coming up with suggestions on what these tokens can earn them through the year. These incentives will be finalised in the coming week, so students can start setting a target for that they are wanting to achieve with their tokens this term.

We have already had some students popping into share some fabulous learning and we look forward to this continuing throughout the year!

Some of our Senior students are away at camp and from all reports it has been hot but enjoyable! None of the teachers have fallen off their bikes….yet!

Our Family Dance Night is scheduled to happen on Thursday 10th March. As we get closer, we will confirm the protocols etc related to COVID and cross everything that we can all gather as a community to welcome in 2022.

Please find attached the Term 1 Regional Parenting Service Calendar, and also information on the upcoming Dr Michael  Carr-Gregg Forum to be held on Tuesday 1 March 2022. These are great opportunities from the Community Life element of the Geelong City Council.

2022 Term 1 Regional Parenting Calendar

Managing Mental Health Issues in our Young People

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The next issue of Book club has now been sent home. Orders will close on Monday 21st February. Please have your form and money returned prior to this date.

Orders can also be made online. If making an online order there is no need to return your order form or return anything to school. Your order will be electronically linked to our school.

Please visit: scholastic.com.au/LOOP

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Did you know that many of the upgrades to the school grounds rely on fundraising? Over the past 5 years the Parents and Friends Group (P&FG) have contributed over $125, 000 toward school upgrades.

Contributions include the Prep playground, Gaga pits, terracing and shade between the Prep building and canteen, the bike shed and bike track, sports equipment (and the shipping storage container), toilet upgrades, funding towards the new sand pit and much much more!

P&FG need to rebuild numbers after the past couple of years. P&FG fundraise through events such as Mini Mudder, Bogan Bingo, Pie Drives, Parents Day/Superhero stalls, BBQs and raffles.

Everyone is welcome – new and established families, families available during and/or after school hours. Involvement includes preparing for events or helping out on the day. There is something to suit everyone.

If you are interested in joining the P&FG, having input or assisting in any upcoming events, or even just want to come along and make some new friends, please contact P&FG on dpsparentsandfriendsgroup@gmail.com

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We have been lucky enough to be allocated a sausage sizzle fundraiser at Bunnings Leopold for our school on Saturday February 26th between 8.00am – 4.30pm.

We are seeking family volunteers from all year levels and encourage parents from Prep and our Junior classes to volunteer and get to know other families in your child’s class and across the DPS community.

Please use the online sign up sheet to volunteer an hour or two https://signup.com/go/RUiMXwD.

Partners are welcome. Children under 18 are not permitted as per Bunnings protocols. Please support this great opportunity to raise funds for our school!

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Disability Sports Australia and Variety – The Children’s Charity are delighted to announce Activate Inclusion Sports Days are coming to Victoria.
This program is designed for students aged 5 – 18 years with a physical, sensory or intellectual disability to come along and experience a range of adaptive sporting activities in a fun and inclusive environment.

Read more…

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Join Camp Australia for their free virual information sessions to find out how Outside School Hours Care can help your family.

These virtual, informative, and interactive sessions will provide insight into how OSHC at Camp Australia operates. The team presenting will discuss programs that are offered, registration and booking process, billing, Child Care Subsidy and more.

To register free for a Virtual Information session, visit www.campaustralia.com.au/virtual-info-sessions

For more information, dates and times please see the attached flyer.

Virtual Information Sessions

 

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It has been a fairly smooth first week back at OSHC for everyone, with the children settling back into their normal routine, and our new preps getting to know the service, the educators, and the other children. We would like to extend all of our new families a very special welcome.

Read more…

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Saver Plus is a free financial education and matched savings program offered to lower-income families to help them budget and save for education costs. In the 10-month program, participants gain financial knowledge, learn healthy savings habits by saving $50 a month, and have their savings matched up to $500 to be used towards school costs such as uniforms, books, laptops, and sports fees.

It’s a wonderful community program that has helped over 50K Australians save $26 million since 2003, on top of that ANZ has also provided $21 million in matching for spending on education costs.

Please see the attached flyer on how to sign up.

SaverPlus information

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2022 Pako Festa – Poster To Colour

The reimagined Pako Festa is on Saturday 26th February. Please find attached a poster your child/children can colour in and return to the school by Thursday 17th February. All returned posters will be displayed at the reimagined Pako Festa.

Pako Festa 2022 40th Birthday Colouring Poster

Please see read more for all the information and times for the reimaged Pako Festa.

Read more…

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