Macedon Primary School Newsletter

1 December 2021

School Values: Respect, Responsibility, Creativity, Integrity, Teamwork

Principal's Report

Dear parents and carers,

The school has been a busy and exciting place over the last week with many outdoor activities, camps, orienteering, Wild Action Zoo visits, fishing, bike riding and the Year Five and Six Amazing Race around Macedon.

While we will continue to run the academic program right up until the final week, we also acknowledge the importance of engaging the students in these different school experiences after the last two years of disrupted learning.  These opportunities support a range of skill development that is unique and important.  The students will have been socialising, negotiating group work, their resilience will have been tested through physical challenges and managing fatigue from sleeping (or not sleeping) in tents in Middle Gully.  A big thank you must go to all the parent helpers and the teachers for the support of these programs.

Carolyn Pain Retirement

After 12 years as the art teacher at Macedon Primary School Carolyn Pain is retiring from her role here.  We would like to thank Carolyn for her dedication and contribution to Macedon Primary School and teaching and promoting the arts in the local area.  Through Carolyn’s role she frequently supported our students to create and exhibit art at the Woodend Art Show and often led the Macedon Show Day art exhibition.  I wish Carolyn all the very best in retirement.

We are currently in the process of appointing and new art teacher, and I will inform the community via the newsletter when the appointment is made.

Preparation for the Bushfire Season

With summer arriving today, and our status as a “bushfire at risk” school I am sharing with you our processes and plans in the event of high bushfire danger in our local government area.  Please refer to the two process flow charts attached to the newsletter.  The first flow chart outlines the pre-emptive process for high fire danger in the area. On a code red day the school is completely closed and on an the extreme fire danger rating day the school students and staff are relocated to Sunbury West PS on buses.  The second flow chart outlines our process for when there is fire activity in the area, this is a reactive process to a fire situation that arises after the students arrive at school.  In this situation, if it is safety to do so we will evacuate the school to either Gisborne Secondary College or Kyneton High School.  In a last reason where evacuation is not possible, we shelter in place in the John Curtin Building. 

Please familiarise yourself with the processes and discuss them with your children.  We will be completing one of our termly evacuation drills next week and this will include relocating the whole school to the John Curtin Building to practise our Shelter in Place evacuation.  The building has recently had upgrades to improve its fire rating such as having a sprinkler system installed (2020), the addition of screens surrounding the ventilation points and screens installed on the floor to ceiling windows.  There will also be shutters fitted to the serving windows and there will be some fire risk reduction treatment, such as fire-retardant paint, applied to the grandstand and retaining walls in the area.

COVID reminders

Visitors Onsite

Parents and visitors are now allowed back on site at school. All parents who enter the school building are required to wear a facemask and check in using the QR codes and visitor’s book. Facemasks do not need to be worn outside, however people must adhere to physical distancing requirements.

Vaccination Requirements for Parent Helpers

Any visitor or volunteer performing work in schools are required to be fully vaccinated by 29 November (unless a medical exemption applies) to attend on site.

Under the COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Specified Facilities) directions issued by the Victorian Chief Health Officer, schools must ensure that all visitors and volunteers who attend the school comply with vaccination requirements.

Parents that wish to volunteer on camp, excursions or school activities must supply vaccination information to the school indicating their vaccination status. This can be in the form of the following;

·         a letter from a medical practitioner confirming the person’s vaccination status or confirming a person is medically exempt.

·         A certificate of immunisation

·         An immunisation history statement obtained from the Australian Immunisation Register.

The school will maintain a vaccination register for visitors and volunteers.

 A visitor or volunteer attending a school site as a parent or carer for the purposes of collecting or dropping off children is not considered to be attending for work purposes and will be subject to the same requirements as all other parents collecting and dropping off children.

 Masks

Face masks will still be required for staff, visitors and Year 3 to 6 students in an indoor space at school.

The wearing of masks remains recommended for Prep to Grade 2 students and in circumstances where physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Finally, we ask that if your child is not well, please do not send them to school. If your child is unwell at school, you will be contacted to collect them.

Kind regards and Sampai jumpa (until next time)

Matt Forrest

Principal

Lunch orders - IMPORTANT!

Please note that late lunch orders will no longer be collected by Red Door. The cut off time is 10am.  Please make sure you have bags clearly marked with your child's name and class.

Important Dates

1 & 2 December - Yr 5 & 6 Camp at Middle Gully

2 December - Yr 3 & 4 - excursion to Hanging Rock

6 December - Numeracy Step Up Day - 10am

6 December - Foundation Parent Info Session - 7pm 

8 December - Tabloid Sports 9:00am - 11:00am (parent help welcome)

9 December - Macedon Primary Billy cart races - 2pm start. (new date)

10 December - Foundation - Yr 2 Zoo Excursion (new date)

14 December - Grade 6 Graduation Dinner

16 December - Year 6 excursion to the city

17 December - Last day of year (1:30pm dismissal)

Grade 6 Billy cart Race Day - Thursday 9th December, 2:00pm

Notes sent home

Please click on the links to find the notes that have been sent home recently. 

Year 6 Graduation Dinner - due back on 1st December 

Year 6 Billycart Race Day  https://macedonps.vic.edu.au/?post_type=ajde_events&p=1524&preview=true

Year 6 Melbourne city excursion - due back 6th December https://macedonps.vic.edu.au/?post_type=ajde_events&p=1526&preview=true 

Year 5 & 6 Bike Ed - forms due by 15th November https://macedonps.vic.edu.au/?post_type=ajde_events&p=1528&preview=true

Year 3 & 4 Middle Gully Camp - due 26th November https://macedonps.vic.edu.au/?post_type=ajde_events&p=1531&preview=true

Year 5 & 6 Middle Gully Camp - due 26th November https://macedonps.vic.edu.au/?post_type=ajde_events&p=1533&preview=true 

Foundation, Year 1 & 2 Zoo Excursion - due 3rd December https://macedonps.vic.edu.au/events/foundation-year-1-2-zoo-excursion/


From the office

*Important* Money Owed to Families / Outstanding Charges

Due to the cancellation of several events this year, many families have monies sitting in their account. Thank you to those families who returned the note indicating how these funds were to be processed (i.e. donated to MPS, refunded or credited to the family account). If you have not already done so, please advise in writing ASAP how you would like your money processed. Statements were emailed to families last week, however if you are unsure whether you have money owed to you, please don't hesitate to contact Julie in the office to discuss.

Also, some families have charges still outstanding which we request are paid by the end of the school year (e.g. Essential Learning Items, the 3/4 and 5/6 camps held this week, prior sports events, etc). Again, if you are unsure if this relates to you, please contact Julie.

Lunch Orders

We encourage students to put their lunch orders in the tubs at school. If parents do put the lunch orders in directly at Red Door, can you please ensure the bag is clearly marked "Macedon Primary" and the correct class is written. The cut off time to drop lunch orders at Red Door is 10:00am. 

Collection of Students

If you need to collect your child from school early, can you please email macedon.ps@education.vic.gov.au or call the office on 5426 1518 to advise. With the children participating in outdoor education and possibly being over at Middle Gully it is a great help to have advance notice. Our recess starts at 11:00am - 11:30am and lunchtime is 1:00pm to 2:00pm, if you can endeavour to pick up at these times, it limits the interruption to class time.

Facemasks in the school

Visitors are now allowed back in the school buildings, we ask that all visitors people sign in using the QR code and wear a mask inside. Masks are no longer required outside.

It has been great to see the students wearing their facemasks to school.  We encourage students to bring their own facemasks to school, however, if their mask becomes damaged or lost we do have some supplies here in the office.

Students feeling unwell

Students are required to stay at home if they are feeling unwell. Even the mildest of flu-like symptoms should be followed up with a COVID19 test. Students who present with or develop flu-like symptoms at school will be isolated at school and sent home. If your child vomits at, they must stay at home for at least 24 hours.

Julie  and Emma

Library News

As the year comes to an end we are asking you to check your bookshelves for any library books that may have made there way into your homes.  If you can please return library books this week so our staff can have them back on our shelves for next year.

Thank you to Narelle, Melissa and Astrid for looking after the library, they do a fantastic job!

Miss Glassey

Fish Release at Macedon Reservoir - 25th November

On Thursday November 25th, grade 3 to 6 students enjoyed a fish stocking event at Nursery Reservoir in conjunction with the launch of their Landcare fishing program. The students were involved in helping release 250 catchable Rainbow trout and some ex-brood stock trout, called stonkers! They were educated by Fisheries Officers along with a special guest visit by Mr Brian Mottram (Director - Victorian Fisheries Authority).

One of our parents, Cara Cummings, approached the school to help create this program. The program is designed to teach students the importance of healthy waterways (citizen science), learn the rules and regulations of recreational fishing and engage in fish care. The school has incorporated this topic as part of their Landcare program.

We had representatives from each of the classes to help release the fish into the Reservoir. The fish were jumping around in the buckets before being released. The fisheries officers talked about how to hold a fish if the students catch one, then the students tried their hand at fishing. The school has been gifted a class set of fishing rods to use as part of our Landcare program and school camps, as the grade 5/6 classes will do this week.

The tally for the day was:

-          10 rainbow trout caught by students 

-          1 stonker trout dropped at the bank 

-          1 turtle 

-          1 tennis ball 

The fishing event was a follow up to an incursion 2 weeks ago with Fish Care, which focused on sustainable, educational fishing. They were taught how to identify fish, learnt about size and bag limits, and practised tying a basic fishing knot!

It was a fantastic day, and a huge thanks to Cara and Dean Cummings for helping to organise and run the event for the students.

 Mr Oxworth

Uniform Shop News

Remember to be SunSmart

With the change of seasons we remind all students to please wear their hats when they are outside. UV radiation cannot be seen or felt , can be reflected off surfaces, can pass through light clouds and varies in intensity across the year (it is highest in Victoria from mid-August to the end of April). 

At lunchtime and recess we ask that children seek shade, slip on protective clothing, slap on a sun protective hat, slop on some sunscreen and slide on some sunglasses!

Hats are available to purchase from the Beleza Store in Gisborne

Outside School Hours Care

Enrolments for 2022 are filling fast, if you need OSHC next year please let us know.

Spaces are filling up for OSHC.  Most spaces are taken up by permanent bookings and we are unable to book casuals in (they will have to be placed on a waiting list).  If you have a permanent booking and do not need the service for After School please advise the program as soon as you know, preferably before 11.00am on the day so we are able to give that space to another child.  For Before School, please call before 6.30pm the day before or email the service on oshp@macedonps.vic.edu.au

Late cancellation fees apply if your child’s place is cancelled after 11.00am.  Further, if you do not cancel your child and they do not attend, fees may still apply.

Our rates are: $15.00 for Before School Care (7:00am - 8:45am) and $22.00 for After School Care (3:30pm - 6:30pm). All you need to do is call the school 5426 1518 or email oshp@macedonps.vic.edu.au to book.  If the unexpected happens and a casual booking is required within 24 hours, please contact the school via phone, we cannot accept walk-ins after school.  Please note that enrolment forms need to be completed at least one business day before the first session of care.

Please pay through the school via Direct Deposit, using the following details (not BPay):

Account name: Macedon Primary School

BSB: 063-840

Account: 1003 4330

Vicki, Helen, Karen & Marie.

Community News

Macedon Primary School

Macedon Primary School acknowledges the Wurundjeri people as the traditional owners of the country upon which we learn and work. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community and pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.