EPS Newsletter Term 2 Week 8
FROM THE PRINCIPAL Term 2 Week 8
12/6/2022
Term 2 SWPBS Focus - Respect
Kindness, Responsibility, Resilience.
School Vision:
Our school’s vision is to prepare young people to become active, engaged and responsible citizens of the local and global community.
- We will provide a safe, calm and welcoming learning environment where every child is treated as an individual.
- We will develop children who have a strong relationship to school and their community. The children will have a sense of self & understand how they learn.
- We will build and support an open, healthy and welcoming community that is visible in its practical support for the learning and wellbeing of each child. Children will be encouraged to embrace and celebrate difference and they will experience positive interactions with adults.
- We aim to foster a love of and for our natural environment and nurture a strong sense of stewardship within our students. Eppalock PS prioritises environmental sustainability.
What’s been happening at Eppalock PS this week?
We have had a couple of special events this week at school. On Monday Earth Ed visited the school for an incursion. It is fantastic to have these educational groups come into the school so that we don’t always have to travel. Earth Ed did some coding and robotics with all of our classes. Spheros are always a favourite in the senior classes, but I hadn’t seen the devices used in the P-3 activities before, they looked pretty cool. I did overhear the educator in the 456 class say that they were one of the most knowledgeable sphero groups they had taught before. No doubt thanks to the great work Lydia has done in the past with our students using this technology in STEM sessions at school.
On Thursday we had our big excursion to Ballarat to visit Sovereign Hill. Despite the rain and cold weather the students seemed to have a great day. I was super impressed with the group I walked around with on the day from 456. They were very engaged and interested in acquiring knowledge from the many workers at Sovereign Hill and asked many great questions. We learnt about olden day photographs and why you don’t see people smiling in them. We learnt about rope making and the use of coloured materials and flags as olden day street identification. We learnt about the doctor on the gold fields and his many ‘unorthodox’ methods of treating patients. We also got to watch some gold being melted down into a gold bar. These were just some of the learnings from the day for this group. A couple of other highlights were the gold panning activity along the creek and the underground walking tour of the Red Hill mine. 
A huge thanks to Mr Mc for organising the day, all staff for attending, our students for being awesome and to Sal for attending with us, transporting some students and sharing your knowledge. Did you know Sal had worked at Sovereign Hill at one stage?
Reminders
- Monday 13th June is Queens Birthday public holiday.
- Staff duty of care operates from 8:45am-9:00am in the mornings and from 3:15pm-3:30pm at the end of the school day.
- Breakfast club this week will be on Thursday 16th Operating from 8:15am-8:45am.
- After school care operates every day from 3:15pm-6:00pm and can be booked through Ourpatch
- This Wednesday we have our 456 soccer tournament. This is a voluntary sports day for students in the 456 class.
- This Thursday 16th June, we have the Koala fundraising day, organised by our student leaders. Again, participation and contributions to this day are voluntary. Please do not feel any obligation to contribute, donate or participate. Items for sale and activities will take place at break times. Our leaders will be working from a list of permission forms to ensure students are only able to purchase what they have permission for. Items may also be sold out on the day as student leaders have taken on all responsibility for providing them. It will be a learning experience for them, so please keep this in mind. The leaders have shown some excellent organisational skills and consideration for others during the planning of this event. Well done all involved and to the parent support from home.
- Tuesday 21st June is our Melbourne Museum Excursion. We will again leave school at 8:00am and be back at approx. 4:00pm.
- Pie Warmer takes place every Wednesday this term. Students can bring along a food item that can be warmed up in a pie warmer to eat for lunch. Please make sure it is clearly named and students know what they have.
Student Voice and Action
I just wanted to bring to light another great example of student voice and action happening in the 456 classroom. Mr Mc is leading the students through an inquiry project task about the Goldfields. As part of this process, students have been given more ownership and responsibility over their project task and how they will present it as a final product. Some are presenting by making a model, some through writing and some with technology. They have been given the challenge, of, what is the most effective way of showing my learning? We look forward to seeing what they come up with.
How are you all going? Come in for a hot drink and a chat on Wednesday 22nd June.
This time of year, with cold weather around we can all start to get a bit tired and down. How are you all going out there? It was great for me to be able to walk around to cars before the bus got back on Thursday and have a quick chat to a few people, sorry for intruding into your personal space. Please reach out if you need anything, even just for a chat. We do have some professional links on our website if you are struggling at the moment.
This time last year I suggested getting back into nature as a good way to refresh and rebalance ourselves. I have been going into the local bush area for my weekend run again, which certainly helps to refresh my wellbeing. What are your anchors, the things you do when you are feeling good? Our anchors are the things that we sometimes let go when things get busy or we are feeling a bit down. It is important to remember our anchors and get back to them when we can. Mine are spending time with family at home or watching Carlton win, running in the bush and watching my kids play sport.
If anyone would like to drop into the old school building on Wednesday 22nd June from 8:45am you are most welcome. Come in for a chat and a hot drink. It won’t be coffee storm, but hopefully we get a few along and we can catch up and say hi.
Student problem solving steps
I am just leaving this in the newsletter again this week as a reminder.
We refer to a 5 step process which you will see up in classrooms.
- Speak kindly.
- Respectfully state how you feel.
- Use strategies discussed in Respectful Relationships such as, ignore, negotiate, walk away etc
- Give choices – if this keeps happening I will need to speak with an adult.
- Speak with an adult to get some help to solve the problem.
If your child does have some concerns at school, encourage them to speak with their classroom teacher when required so that staff can help work out a positive plan to help solve it.
End of term
Term 2 reports will be sent home on Thursday the 23rd June with the last day of term 2 on Friday 24th June. The last day of term will finish at 1:30pm. Students can wear casual clothes on the final day of term.
Household Contacts & Illness
A reminder that if students are household contacts but are testing negative they can come to school, however MUST wear a mask. It is important to inform the school of this as well so that we can monitor mask wearing. Please explain this requirement to your children at home as well.
With lots of flu and illness going around this year, if students are showing symptoms, please keep them at home, even if a RA test is negative, until the symptoms have gone. This is for the health of our whole school community, including staff.
IMPORTANT DATES Term 2 Week 8
Monday 13th - Queens B'day Public holiday
Tuesday 21st - Melb Museum Excursion P-6 (Leave 8am Return 4pm)
Friday 24th - Last day of Term 2 - 1.30pm finish
JULY
Monday 11th - First day TERM 3
PARENT COMMUNITY NEWS - Term 2 Week 8
Get in contact to let us know what you are thinking.
Contact Kelly Nunns, Nikki Mannes or Alicia Nunns or email knunnseps@outlook.com
Term 2 Social Events
Bus Tour (parents only) organizing for Saturday June 25th
We are out & about again to see what the region around us has to offer.
Bring a partner or friend along & get to know some of the Parent community at Eppalock.
One of the reasons we offer some "grown ups only" social event is to give you the chance to chat & make some connections without being on parent duty.
See the flyer for all the details on cost & some of the stops.
If your interested & would like to come along let Kelly Nunns, Alicia Martin or Nikki Mannes know & we'll save you a seat .
A majority of people wanted to be contacted via email followed by facebook & educate us.
If you chose email, could you please send an email from your preferred account to knunnseps@outlook.com
Parent Community MeetingsThe next meeting will be Friday 17th June (This Friday)
I'd say we may do a friday pub lunch for the next meeting if anyone is interested, let Kelly Nunns know, in person, via face book or e-mail.
Agenda: Term 3 Fundraiser & Social Events
Fundraiser for term 3 will be the Mango Drive - Lydia Ferring has offered to be our farm contact again & create the flyer. Thank you, Lydia!
We are looking for one or two volunteers for this one please.
- Someone to manage the orders, which involves the use of the Mango Drive e-mail account & a spread sheet.
- The other to manage the face book page, pretty much adding the flyer on the page & updating with a post once a week, recipes, a countdown closer to the pick-up date etc.
Social Event - do you have any great ideas for a social gathering, we are looking for one family orientated & one adults gathering.
Some past term 3 events have been Social fire at school, Trivia night & dinner at the Golden Vine etc. We were looking at 10 pin bowling for one of them.
If you have some input, or feedback please message me on face book or email knunnseps@outlook.com
What’s Parent Community all about?
The best news is you don't have to join, if you have children at the school, you are already part of our Parent Community.
Basically, once a month we meet up & look at what social events & fundraisers we would like to achieve throughout the year.
Simple tasks like showing up or being the contact for a gathering, to booking the bowling club or organizing sausages or bread are typically as hard as it gets.
Meetings are held in the old school building, staff room or at the pub & always involve a chat & either a cuppa or lunch depending on time or location.
For more information talk to Kelly Nunns (Lexi and Ethan's Mum) or Alicia Martin (Connor, Jacob & Max's Mum) or Nikki in the office (Charlie's Mum).
Parent Community Reminders & Dates to Remember
Social Events
P.C catch up / meeting - Friday 17th June
Regional Bus Tour - Sturday 25th June - Grown ups only
Fundraiser
Done for the term
Regional Bus Tour
Only 2 seats left!!!
When - Saturday 25th June
Cost - $20 per person to cover the transport for the day.
Additional cost for food & drinks along the way as you choose.
Time
Start - 10:30am at the Axedale Tavern (morning tea - departing Axedale about 11am)
Finish - Bus returning to Axedale for dinner (drop off is available at the end of day)
We will be starting the day with a morning tea at the Axedale Tavern.
From there we'll be venturing out to the beautiful Heathcote region, stopping for lunch at the award winning Palling Bros Brewery.
After that a short ride to the very popular Juniper Lounge, to sample some Gin cocktails, before heading to the Shiraz Republic for some live music & wood fired pizza if you choose.
The Bus will land back at the Axedale for dinner. We can drop you home or in town at the end of the day.
Check out the links
https://www.pallingbros.beer/home
https://www.facebook.com/HeathcoteJuniperLounge/menu/?ref=page_internal
https://www.shirazrepublic.com.au/events/
Some of the strongest bonds in the community have been forged on a grownups only social day.
We'd love you to come along for the day to get to know you & really build the community spirit we hold dear at Eppalock Primary.
Of course if you can't make the whole day you are very welcome to come for morning tea or meet us along the way.
If you would like to come, contact Kelly Nunns in person, via messenger or
e.mail - knunnseps@outlook.com, or let Nikki in the office know.
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