Hello everyone and welcome to the latest linkletter. Well, what a busy time it is at the Heights! As I’m sure it is in your own lives as we fast approach the end of the year and the related Christmas celebrations. With two weeks left of the school year there is no time to rest as the school has been a hive of activity over recent weeks. This will continue for the remainder of the school year. So please check the key dates attached to this newsletter for all the upcoming events and celebrations. 2017 School fees This week you will have received the 2017 School Fee payment documentation. Our school fees are kept at a minimum but do allow the school to continue to provide for your children. Our school based costs allow for all children to experience a full and rich learning experience and provide for a safe and vibrant learning environment. I appreciate your assistance in supporting your children to enjoy all that WHPS has to offer. 2016 School Fees All statements were sent home last week of any outstanding balances. It’s vital that these are paid asap as next year’s charges are about to be processed. Family fun night – 16th December A reminder of our upcoming Family Fun Night. This will be held on Friday 16th December from 5.30-7.30pm. We hope you can come along and enjoy the chance to catch up with all your WHPS friends! 2017 Looking ahead to next year please be aware of the curriculum day at the start of the year. 2017 Dates: Monday 30th January – Staff return Tuesday 31st January – Curriculum day no students Wednesday 1st February – Year 1-6 commence Thursday 2nd February – Prep student commence 9-1pm Friday 3rd February – Prep 9-1pm Reports Staff have been working extremely hard on their reports. These will be coming home on Wednesday 14th December. There has been lots of hours invested from staff in assessment and collation of such comprehensive reports. These reports will be coupled with your child’s portfolio (hard copy and/or digital). We seek your feedback on these portfolios and indeed the academic year at WHPS.

Watsonia Heights Primary School 61 Henry Street, Greensborough 3088 (03) 94354617 www.watsoniaheightsps.vic.gov.au Email- watsonia.heights.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

LINKLETTER PRINCIPAL – MICHAEL KENT

ISSUE 22 DATED – 2

nd December 2016 – Week 9 Term 4

Facebook page If you haven’t already logged on…please do so!! The school’s facebook page is now operational. This will be another way that you can keep abreast of all the happenings at WHPS! Soiree Well done to all the students whom participated in the musical Soiree today. It was fantastic to see the students showcasing their musical talents. We heard; the instrumental musical talents of our year 3-6 students (guitar, drums, keyboard); the school Mandarin choir and the school band. Thanks to our Instrumental tutors: Adam Roach, Andrew Horneman, Karen Doyle. Also to Mrs. Lanyon for her co-ordination of the program this year. Thanks also to Ms. Lee and her Mandarin choir, a very enjoyable experience. This is a wonderful extra curricular activity that adds so much value to our comprehensive learning program. Prep breakfast Our Prep students enjoyed the recent breakfast at school. This was a wonderful opportunity to come together and share in fun dining experience. This forms a part of the end of year celebrations for our Prep students as well as commencing our camping program. This is designed to sequentially develop; amongst other aspects; independence, risk taking and teamwork. Swimming Thanks to all the parents who supported our recent P-2 swimming program. We appreciate your time and effort to ensure such a positive aqua experience for the children. The students have thoroughly enjoyed the lessons. Watsonia Library This week all students had the opportunity to engage with our local Watsonia library. A big thank-you to the staff from the library for supporting and facilitating an engaging literacy experience. Our year 5/6 students travelled to the library for an interactive ‘scavenger hunt’ and the P-2 students were engaged via a reciprocal visit form the librarians to the WHPS library. Prep Zoo excursion Our Prep students thoroughly enjoyed their recent excursion to the Melbourne Zoo. This is always an exciting and engaging experience for the students and something that will hold fond memories for them all. Special food day A reminder that we will be conducting a special food day on Monday 5th December! I hope you place your orders!!! Prep orientation This week we welcomed eighty kindergarten children who will commence at WHPS in 2017. This was a great chance for them to meet their teacher and engage in some fun learning activities. We will host them again next Thursday for the second of three orientation mornings. Year 6-7 orientation day On December 6th our Year 6 students will spend a day in their school of choice for 2016. This is an important part of the transition in secondary life. We wish all our students the very best for a successful day and we are looking forward to a positive few weeks packed with lots of Watsonia Heights memories. The graduating students will also come together on Thursday 15th December to celebrate and commemorate their primary school years at their 2016 Graduation ceremony to be held at the Watsonia RSL.

Grade 5/6 camp Similarly, anticipation builds for the upcoming grade 5/6 camp. Students will be away for 3 nights from December 6th – 9th. The camping experience is a unique part of school and curriculum that cannot be emulated in other ways. The personal growth that is evident in students whom experience these opportunities is quite remarkable. For our year 6 students it will also provide a lasting memory of spending time with classmates prior to embarking on the exciting journey into secondary schooling. A reminder that due to the Year 6 orientation day, our year 6 students will be heading to camp on Tuesday afternoon at 4pm. The year 5 students will depart on Tuesday morning at 9am. Grade 2 camp On Monday 12th December our Year 2 students will head to Bacchus Marsh for their annual school camp. This is an adventure based camp that will challenge and engage the students. This is a wonderful opportunity to promote independence, risk taking, self esteem and teamwork skills! Volunteers dinner A reminder of the volunteers cheese and wine night scheduled for next Wednesday 7th December from 7.00 – 8.30pm. This will be held in the library for all of those wonderful parents who have helped us out throughout the year. Transition sessions We are continuing to provide our transition sessions for students in years P-5 (whilst our Year students prepare for their graduation!) each week. Whilst these are not the students’ classes or teachers for 2017, it does help to prepare them for the ensuing change. Reports home Grades for 2017 Students will find out their classes and teachers on Wednesday 14th December at our Step Up morning. This will provide all students the chance to spend two hours in their new classroom with their new teacher and new classmates. No Hat, No Play A reminder that term 1 is also a Sunsmart term and students are required to wear hats whilst outside. Final Day of School 2016 School concludes for 2016 on Tuesday December 20th at 1pm. We will conduct a final assembly at 12.45pm. Wishing you a wonderful week Michael

PATHS - Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies

FAIR, NOT FAIR and OPINION

Primary School students frequently judge situations in terms of fairness vs. unfairness and tend to be very concrete in the evaluations of right and wrong. Very young children usually evaluate “right” and “wrong” based on the consequences of what happened rather than on intentionality. As they get older and have a clearer conceptualisation of what is “right” and “wrong” based on intentionality, students begin to develop an understanding that there are degrees of rightness and wrongness in every situation and that “right” and “wrong” may depend on the perspectives of the individuals involved. This evaluation process can also greatly influence how an individual feels about a situation. As a result, guidance in judging circumstances can help students to better understand their emotional responses and to become better analytic thinkers. It is the guidance and understanding that is given by teachers and parents that can assist students to accept the solution to the problem. Students can better understand why people do things if they understand their thoughts and feelings. Our feelings about a situation or a decision will influence our thoughts that will in turn influence our behaviour in this situation. In our P.A.TH.S. classes, discussion and role play is used to examine the fairness and unfairness of decisions. With older students, teachers facilitate the development of abstract reasoning skills and the understanding of the cause and effect in these situations. These discussions can also lead to exploring student’s personal values of right and wrong, discussions of responsibility for intentional and unintentional behaviours, the role emotions play in behaviours and comparing and contrasting feelings of two people in different roles within the same interaction. Fairness and unfairness is a complex concept for students to understanding and it is the continuous discussion at home and at school, the link being made to real situations and the development of thought, behaviours and feelings that will assist students to effectively problem solve in particular situations and finally being accepting of the solution.

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WHPS 2016 Important Calendar Dates

December 2016

Monday 5th – Special Food Day – Hot Dog Day

Tuesday 6th – Gr 7 Orientation

Tuesday 6th – 9th – Gr 5/6 School Camp

Thursday 8th – Prep Orientation @ 9:30–10:45am

Monday 12th – 13th – Gr 2 School Camp

Tuesday 13th – Graduation rehearsal

Tuesday 13th – Last Day for School BANKING

Thursday 15th – Gr 6 Graduation Night @ 6-9pm

Friday 16th - Prep Orientation @ 9:30–10:45am

Friday 16th – Family Fun Night @ WHPS

Monday 19th – Gr 6 Fun Day

Tuesday 20th – Final day for the year – Assembly @ 12:45pm and SCHOOL

CONCLUDES @ 1:00pm

January 2017

Monday 30th – Staff Return

Tuesday 31st – Curriculum Day NO Students

February 2017

Wednesday 1st - Year 1-6 commence

Thursday 2nd – Prep Students commence 9-1pm

Friday 3rd – Prep 9-1pm

Tuesday 7th – 1st Day for School BANKING 2017

STUDENT BANKING

Every Tuesday. To open a student bank acct.

please collect a pack from the

office.

UNIFORM SHOP

Open Tuesday MORNING 8.30-9.00am and Thursday AFTERNOON 3–3.45pm.

Order forms need to be completed for stock take purposes, which is available from the office stand and the

schools website. You may also email your order request to Leah or Juanita

at watsonia.heights.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

WHPS STUDENT OF THE WEEK

For Week beginning 21 November 2016

Xander Oscar

PC For being a superstar at pack up time & keeping our room clean and tidy. Thanks mate! For his superstar dance moves at the Fete on Saturday. Go Oscar!

Quade Eli

PW For his enthusiasm, teamwork and leadership skills during Discovery Learning tasks. For showing amazing perseverance and courage during swimming lesson and school life in general. He’s combatted blood knees, scratches and a bee sting in the last few weeks like a soldier!

Ethan Darcie

1/2 E For his great teamwork at the Grade 1 dinner. For her fabulous discussion and behaviour at the Melbourne Museum.

Holly 1/2 T For her respectful and well-mannered attitude in all classes, as well as always putting in her best effort!

Dylan 3 R For working on using paragraphs and Level 4 connectives in his Big Write. Well done Dylan!

Meisje 3/4 G For always demonstrating excellent effort and being a cheerful class member.

Jack Tess

5/6 L For working well in Science on electric circuits. For your amazing poem written for our class.

WHPS STUDENT OF THE WEEK

For Week beginning 28 November 2016

Mae Mitchell

PC For putting in such a great effort with her writing. You are a superstar Mae! For being a great team member and always playing Maths & English games fairly.

Laily Ivy

PW For conscientiously applying herself to all areas of her learning, striving to achieve her best and always being kind to others. For her wonderful focus and perseverance in all learning tasks and always being so sell prepared for her Show + Tell!

Dakota & Courtney Zoe

1/2 E For her fabulous Genius Hour Project on France – complete with Parisian food, costumes, posters and an Eiffel Tower Model! For her wonderful Genius Hour Project on her solar car! We love the photos and demonstration Zoe!

Jaxson Elisha

1/2 S For writing a very interesting beginning to his Big Write. For her terrific writing and always trying her best.

Archie & Thomas Abby

1/2 T For their enthusiasm and persistence to design a river and Viking ship for their Genius Hour Project For her caring and helpful manner towards her peers.

Fox Taryn

3/4 A For his persistence to get himself out of the Learning Pit during a challenging Maths task. For her persistence to get herself out of the Learning Pit during a challenging Maths task.

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Kyan

This certificate recognizes Stargazers who have won the School Banking Prize Lights Competition by demonstrating spectacular savings behaviour.

Tanesha Ely

3/4 G For her excellent effort in Mathematics, particularly with her party planning activity. Keep up the great work Tanesha! For doing a great job with her reflection on our IMAX excursion. Well done Ely

Libby 3 R For always being a helpful person and ensuring that the class ran smoothly when Mrs Rancie was absent from class.

Shaylee Nick

5/6 L For her compelling Biography about her accomplished and well-travelled Grandmother. Excellent Big Write! For making excellent classroom learning suggestions that have resulted in students from 5/6L being able to produce a high standard in their writing.

Lexi Damon Jordan

5/6 M For your excellent skills as Scorer during our SEPEP finals. For your display of teamwork and excellent manners during class learning and library. For demonstrating a positive and mature disposition during graduation dance practice and your skills as umpire in the SEPEP finals.

To The Principle Watsonia Heights Primary 21/11/2016 Please forward this letter of Appreciation to those concerned for the collection off $91.00 for our Poppy Appeal. The appreciation of the Veterans and their families for the help that these donations, to help them in their welfare is very over whelming. Your schools help of the above amount helped the Watsonia R.S.L. Raise the amount off $60,000 this year. We look forward to your ongoing help with our Anzac Appeal in April 2017 and the next Poppy Appeal in November. Once again thank you Gary Higgs Assistant Appeals Officer Watsonia R.S.L

The Lost Dogs Home Blanket Appeal

Have you been doing some spring cleaning? Now might be a good time for us to help de-

clutter your cupboards. Who knows, you might have an old towel or blanket sitting in your

home which you haven’t used in months. To you it might be an old rag, but to a dog or cat in

need, old towels and blankets can bring the security and warmth they need while they are

waiting to find their forever home.

Hi our names are Ava, Amelia and Lylah from 1/2E, for our

Genius Hour Project we are running a blanket appeal for The

Lost Dogs Home, North Melbourne. We will be collecting any

old blankets or towels that you may no longer need. Any other

donations of dog or cat products such as food, toys or

accessories like leads or collars would be most welcome.

Donations can be placed in the marked bin provided at 1/2E’s

classroom. Also look out for the donation tin located at the front office where you can

donate any spare change. Every bit helps!

Together, we hope we can make a difference to some dogs and cats in need.

Thank-you,

Ava, Amelia & Lylah (1/2E)

“Since 1910, The Lost Dogs’ Home has provided care and compassion to animals without owners.

We are strong lobbyists for fair animal laws and advocates of compulsory desexing, continually

working at the front line to reduce the number of lost, abandoned and stray cats and dogs in

Australia”

(The Lost Dogs Home, North Melbourne, info@dogshome.com)

Located At

Watsonia RSL

6 Morwell Ave

Watsonia 3087

Telephone: 03 9435 4233

Facsimile: 03 9434 5429