Mansfield Primary School Newsletter

Dear Families,

What a great start to 2021.  Students are settling in really well, particularly our new Preps.  Thank you to our Grade 4 Big Buddies who are helping their Prep buddies out each day.  It is great to see their leadership and kindness.  

Some new advice this morning regarding COVID-19.  Staff (when not teaching) and visitors are required to wear masks when indoors at Mansfield Primary School.

A few things from me this week...  

Welcome New Staff

Welcome to our new staff for 2021.  Jess Miller is teaching Prep B, Emilie Wilson is teaching 5A, Marylaure Farnault is teaching French on Mondays and Tuesdays, Kathryn Hewitt is teaching Physical Education on Fridays and Dean Bush is our new Assistant Principal in charge of Teaching and Learning.  It is great to have them all on board.  If you see someone in the yard with a staff badge on who you don’t recognise, please introduce yourself.

Welcome New Families

Welcome to our new families, it is great to see your kids making friends and settling into Mansfield Primary School.  The New Families Pizza Night is a great chance for new families to meet each other.  If you are a new family to MPS please come to the Shade Tree at 5:30pm on Wednesday March 3rd and join us for some pizza and a chat.

Parent Teacher Meet and Greet – Week 4

This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, have a chat with them and set up for a great year.  Meetings are 10min each and are held at your child’s classroom.  Teachers will be asking ‘What do you want me to know about your child?’  Instructions on how to book will be sent out on Monday 8th February.  If you need any help booking a meeting time, please contact the front office.

Communication

Yesterday afternoon staff were involved in some professional learning around communication with families.  The values that I would like all staff and families to base their communication on are:

· Listen

· Be kind, everyone is doing their best.

· Communicate early and often

· In person is best, then phone, then email.

One piece of communication that families appreciated from remote learning was weekly messages letting you know what is happening in your child’s class each week.  We will continue to send these out in 2021.  All teachers will be sending out a message on a Friday apart from the 5/6 teachers who will send it out on Monday.  This is because our 5 and 6 teachers plan together on a Monday.

Tutor Learning Initiative

The Department of Education has funded a Tutor Learning Program across Victorian government schools.  This will allow us to employ two teachers for Semester 1 to support those students whose learning has been significantly impacted by remote learning in 2020. 

Library 

Thank you to the families and staff who helped us with the huge job of moving our library over to the Nobian during the holidays.  Mr Steele and 6C now have a classroom and we are hoping to have the new library up and running in the next couple of weeks.  A special mention to Narelle Stevenson and Elspeth Wagstaff who have been working with Robyn Robinson to get everything working as smoothly as possible when we open the new library.

Arriving at School

Please be aware that Students are not able to be at school prior to 8:30am.  Staff are on Yard Duty from 8:30am until the start of school.  Students who arrive earlier than this will be asked to wait in the office until 8:30am and parents will be called as a reminder.

COVID-19: Assemblies, Social Distancing and Drop Off/Pick Up

School assemblies can go ahead but only with staff and students at this stage.  Adults need to be aware of social distancing when at school.  Keeping 1.5m apart, not shaking hands or hugging and staying away if you are unwell will help us limit any potential spreading. Families are allowed on site for drop off and pick up this term.  If you are coming to school for any reason other than pick up or drop off, we need you to sign in at the front office.

Like always, please get in touch with us with any questions or concerns.  You can call or email your classroom teacher, call the front office or email me: tom.macmunn@education.vic.gov.au

Have a lovely weekend.

Take Care,

Tom 

February 9th&11th - Gds 4&6 swimming

February 16th&18th and 23rd& 25th - Gds 3&5 swimming

February 5th - Buddy Afternoon at school

February 10th - District Swim Trials

February 12th - Assembly

February 12th - Scholastic Book Club orders due - order through LOOP (NO cash orders)

February 19th - Buddy Afternoon at school

February 24th - Division swimming - Seymour

February 26th - Assembly

March 1st - Gd1/2 - Dinosaur Incursion

March 3rd - Regional Swimming - Shepparton

March 3rd - New Families Pizza Night 530-7pm

March 5th - Curriculum Day - Student Free Day

March 8th - Labour Day HOLIDAY

March 10th - School Photos 

March 11th - World's Greatest Shave

March 12th - Whole School Buddy Day

March 15th - School Council

March 19th - Bully No Way Day / Ride to School Day / Assembly

March 25th - 28th - MacRob Camp

April 1st - Last Day Term 1 / Assembly

UNIFORM 

Uniform orders can be made on the pink forms at the front office. They will be filled and sent home with your child or we can text you when the order is ready to pick up.

If you have any second hand uniform items you no longer need,  especially red short sleeve polo shirts, consider donating back to school for our spare clothes draw in sick bay or our second hand clothes items available from the uniform shop.

Please also remember to pack spare uniform in your child's school bag if you suspect they might have an accident whilst at school, especially if you have a PREP student at school.

PARENT PAYMENTS 2021

A reminder that parent payments (fees) for 2021 are due NOW. These can be paid by BPay at anytime using your reference & biller code found on your family statement (check your emails for a copy). If you would like to set up a payment plan please call into the office or call 5775 2325.

UPDATE STUDENT/FAMILY DETAILS

Don't forget to update STUDENT and FAMILY DETAILS - this includes phone numbers / addresses / emergency contacts / student medication or medical conditions. Just call the office on 5775 2325 or email:  mansfield.ps@education.vic.gov.au

STUDENT MEDICATION

All parents have been sent text messages to notify them about medication stored for their child in the sick bay at school that has expired. Please replace medication ASAP. If it is no longer required please let us know.

MESSAGES TO STUDENTS

Please try to get all messages that need to get to students eg. changes to pick up arrangements or altered bus arrangements to the office by 2pm. Discuss going home arrangements with your child each morning before school so that they know what is happening. Some parents also have a bus tag or other note in/on their child's school bag to remind them or their teacher - this especially helps younger students.  

Ukulele fun!

The years 1 & years 2 students are excited about starting Ukulele in Music classes this week. Here are 2C students sharing what they could remember from last year. 

 SHOW Choir! 

The new MPS SHOW Choir had their first sing together this week. There was a lot of kids excited about singing new songs together. We are singing at START OF FIRST LUNCH EACH DAY so come along if you want to sing! 

Harvest is in full swing in the Gardening Club. The berries and cucumbers have done very well over the summer and are delicious! The cherry tomatoes are ripening slowly and are almost ready. The potatoes are almost ready for the preps to harvest. The weeds have also done very well and 6C and 2A have been working at pulling them out.

The big news from the garden this week is the establishment of the worm farm. Last year, 3C won an award for their upcycling projects. Their prize was $100 which they donated to the Gardening Club. We used this prize money to buy the worm farm.  These students (along with Mrs Allan) were invited to come and help set up the worm farm. The students learnt about worms and worm farming and examined the worms before setting up the worm farm. We finished off by sampling the berries in the garden.

The photos show Dakota, Blake and John examining the worms, and Banjo adding the worms to the worm farm. The worms will break down some of the garden waste, and produce fertiliser to improve the soil.

The compost worms for the farm were generously donated by High Country Worms. This Bonnie Doon based business sells worms for worm farming, and all-natural fertiliser that the worms produce. Their fertiliser is available at Oakbank Produce, and you can call 5775 1710 for worm based enquiries or check their website.

At Mansfield PS we like to encourage parents and carers to become involved in all aspects of the school & their child's education. You can participate through becoming a School Council Representative, joining Parents and Friends (also known as the Parents Club), at working bees, assisting in the classroom, camps and excursions, sport, performing arts, art activities & events, Library, School Events and in other ways.

If you would like to volunteer at MPS in any capacity you will need to have a current working with children check (WCCC). It is free and you can apply by following this link http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

You will also need to complete a Volunteer Induction process; this is not onerous and mainly ensures that you are aware of our OHS & Working with Children Policies and that you understand the sign in and sign out procedures when you volunteer at school.

We have a Volunteer Induction Session planned for Thursday 11th February 230 - 330pm at school. If you are interested in attending please call the office on 5775 2325 or email: mansfield.ps@education.vic.gov.au to register. If you can't make it next Thursday contact the office to make alternative arrangements.