End of Term

I can’t believe it is the end of Term 3. When we return we will have daylight savings and hopefully some warmth in the air. Congratulations to all students for their hard work this term. I was very pleased with the student reflections from our conferences and we look forward to a busy and productive Term 4. Make sure you have a look at upcoming dates in the newsletter for the rest of the year and watch out for the level newsletters early next term.

Have a wonderful break and stay safe. Thank you to everyone for making our new staff in the office, Nadine and Shirley, welcome. See you at assembly tomorrow for our Footy Parade and good luck if your team is in the finals.

Prep Enrolments

It’s not too late to enrol for Prep 2024. Contact the office to organise a tour or ask any questions you may have. Transition dates have gone out to 2024 families.

Book Week Performance

Our book week performance was a great success and enjoyed by all Prep-6. Thank you to the literacy team for their organisation.

State Schools Spectacular

Last week our troupe performed at the State Schools Spectacular. It was a wonderful experience that provided opportunities for perseverance, collaboration and fun. Thank you to Natalie Blenheim for organising the program. We look forward to being involved again next year.

Divisional Athletics

Yesterday we had 12 students do their best at the divisional athletics. Congratulations to all on their participation and performances. Thank you to Louise Greening, Danelle Shuttleworth and Belinda Lane for being our transporters.

                                                      2023

Term 4

December

Monday 4th December: Christmas Concert 6.00pm-7.00pm (Please come along for a picnic celebration early if you would like to.  BYO rugs or chairs)

Monday 4th December - Thursday 7th December: P-4 Swimming Program

Friday 8th December: P-5 visit 2024 new classrooms and grades 10.45am

Tuesday 12th December: Prep Transition Session 4 9:30am-12:30pm (students meet their teacher and classmates for 2024) AND Government Schools Year 7 transition (whole day)

Wednesday 13th December: Special Assembly for Christmas raffle 2.50pm AND Last lunch order day - special Christmas lunch from The Basin Bakery

Friday 15th December: Year 6 Graduation (Students arrive back at school 4pm at Ellim Atta.  6.30 at the Knox Club)

Monday 18th December: Year 5/6 Movie and Arboretum Day and P-4 class parties and kris kringle

Tuesday 19th December: Goodbye 2023 Assembly 1.50pm; School Finishes for 2023 at 2:30pm

Wednesday 20th December: Curriculum day - no students at school

Monday 29th January: Curriculum day - no students at school

Tuesday 30th January: Year 1-6 start school

Thursday 1st February: Preps start school

Market Day is an opportunity for the 5/6 students to showcase their learning about Economics. Throughout term 3, students have learnt about entrepreneurship, understanding the needs and wants of customers and transforming an idea to product. 

Our learning across both Literacy and Numeracy has reinforced this understanding. Throughout Literacy, students have written proposal letters and donation requests, procedures detailing how their product is made and exploring effective advertising. They also surveyed potential consumers, analysed their results, created financial plans and explored rosters and tracking sales within Numeracy. 

On Tuesday 12th of September the 5/6 students had their opportunity to demonstrate their understanding by selling their product at our market. The students should be exceptionally proud of their efforts over the term in making the day such a success. This couldn't have been possible without the amazing support of the families of our senior students who have spent countless hours inside and outside of school planning, designing and creating their products. Thank you to the Ferntree Gully North parents and greater community for coming along and supporting our students to have a fantastic Market Day experience.

Year 5/6 Teachers


Market Day was a massive success and the the Year 5/6 students were very happy with how the day turned out. That you to all the parents and local businesses that donated to our stalls along with those that came along on the day to help us run our stalls. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you also to all of the members of our school community who came along to Market Day and supported our small businesses. All of the money we have raised will go towards sending us on an excursion to the movies at the end of the year. 

Noah S

Last week, the Preps, 3/4s and 5/6s were lucky enough to have their session with Lead the Way Therapy Dogs. This amazing session saw students interacting with the dogs, learning about how to greet dogs safely, how to read their body language and the importance of good traing. Each dog demonstrated a range of tricks including hoop jumping, tunnelling and ‘bed time’.

This opportunity was in addition to our ‘Wellbeing’ dog sessions that were provided to small groups throughout the term by The Unconditional Love Foundation.

We have loved having all of these gorgeous dogs at our school, and look forward to welcoming them back soon.

Hannah, Dakota and Mrs Keltie

‘Peace, Love, & Party’ Term 4 Disco


For a real groovy time, don’t miss the ‘Peace, Love & Party’ Spring Disco on Friday 6th of October!

- Grade P - 2 will groove from 5:00pm to 6:15pm

- Grade 3 - 6 will boogie from 6:30pm to 8:00pm

Cost is $6 which includes entry, a glowstick, and 1 snack (Please remember to bring a clearly NAMED water bottle to quench that disco thirst!)

Tickets sales are now open and will need to be pre-purchased via Compass as there will be NO ticket sales at the door. Wristbands will then be delivered to your child's classroom the day prior to the event.

Please note that mobile phones and large backpacks will not be allowed to be taken into the disco. Students are asked to leave all phones and large bags at home, or hand them to mum or dad prior to entering the room.

Parents will be able to say goodbye to their children at the entry point. Only pre-approved volunteers will be able to enter the room due to Working With Children regulations.

So dust off those cool disco outfits and start practising your favourite disco moves, as we can't wait to see you on the dance floor!


Referendum BBQ - Saturday 14th October

As you will have heard by now, the Federal Government has announced a referendum to be held across the nation on Saturday 14th October. Ferntree Gully North P.S. will once again host a polling booth on behalf of the Electoral Commission on this day. And what’s a polling booth without a good sausage sizzle to not only satisfy those hunger pangs but at the same time raise money for our school?! All funds raised will be put towards our school’s much-loved Enviro Centre!

We would love your help on the day, whether that be through volunteering an hour or two of your time on a shift, donating sauces, drinks or other bbq items, or else stopping by to purchase a bacon and egg roll or sausage in bread. Keep an eye out for the sign-up roster at the beginning of next term for further details!


School Holidays Clean-out

We would love to hear from families that might use the upcoming school holidays as an opportunity to clean out your children’s wardrobes. If you have any school uniform items that you would like to pass along, perhaps it no longer fits your child, or your child may be about to graduate at the end of the year, please consider donating these items to the GNPA Free Uniform stand coming in Term 4. A box will be placed at the Office at the start of next term for you to drop off any donations, and an announcement will be made with details on when families are able to avail of these items.

REMEMBER - HATS ON from the 1st of September!

How good is it to finally be able to enjoy some Spring sunshine?! With the increasing sunshine though comes increasing UV levels, which is why it is important for us all to be Sun Smart! Therefore, in accordance with our school’s Sun Protection Policy, from the 1st of September until the end of April, students are to wear a sun protective hat for all outdoor activities.



Next meeting

Please feel free to join in at the next GNPA meeting, new members are most welcome! It will be held in the staffroom at 9:10am on Tuesday 17th October. 

Play is the Way

Value #5 – Tolerance/Acceptance

“You learn to accept people for who they are.” – Angus, 5/6

“All people are different, so you don’t need to pick on them if they are.” – Eli, 5/6

Respectful Relationships

Throughout term 3 classes have been focussing on the Respectful Relationships Topic #3: Positive Coping.

Learning activities in this topic provide opportunities for students to identify and discuss different types of coping strategies. When children and young people develop a language around coping, they are more likely to be able to understand and deliberately utilise a range of productive coping strategies and diminish their use of unproductive coping strategies. Students learn to extend their repertoire of coping strategies and benefit from critical reflecting on their own choices and being exposed to alternative options.

“It helps to know when people are angry, stressed or upset. When our friends have strong emotions, we can help them. You could drink water if you are angry or squish a stress ball. You can also do the 5-finger breathing exercise.” - Isla, 3/4


Kimochis

The grade 1/2 students have spent the term learning the 5 keys of communication. There are posters up around the classrooms to remind them and teachers will work to embed these keys into the classroom culture. Ask your child what the keys are and how they can be used at home.

“We can smell the flower and blow out the candle.” – Riley, 1/2

“We learn all the Kimochi keys to help us make our body language calm and to be kind to each other.” – Tilda, 1/2

“We’ve learnt different coping strategies.” – Elliott, 1/2

Animal Assisted Wellbeing Program

Students have really enjoyed being a part of this Wellbeing Program throughout the term and getting to spend time with the dogs. We are grateful to the team at the Unconditional Love Foundation for this opportunity.

“I loved spending time with Scout and getting to know more about dogs. Dogs have different ways of showing how they are feeling, just like people.” – Daniel, 5/6

Wise Words of Wellbeing

“I like to draw” – Lulu, 1/2

“Sometimes I listen to a happy song and sing to it.” – Stella, 1/2

“Sometimes I do meditation or yoga to help me.” – Tilda, 1/2

“I sit outside and enjoy the rain or the sun.” – Levi, 1/2

Dear Families,

The Smile Squad team from EACH are coming to our school from 12^th October 2023.

Smile Squad is the Victorian Government free school dental program.

This means all students can get a free dental check-up, preventive services, and treatment at school.

How to access free dental care

We need your consent before we can provide services. Consent is usually provided by a parent or guardian.

Sign up to Smile Squad at: https://bit.ly/smilesquadvic

OR use the below QR code:

Please complete and submit the consent form, this will be sent directly to EACH.

Paper copies of the consent form are available. Please contact the school office if you would like to request one.

The electronic consent form can be translated into more than 100 languages, and the paper form is available in 13 languages.

Smile Squad dental packs

All children deserve a healthy smile, and the Smile Squad free school dental program is working hard to help make sure this happens.

Your child(ren) will soon receive a free dental pack to bring home. The dental pack contains a toothbrush, full sized toothpaste, and an oral health brochure.

Please take the time to read the brochure. It’s full of helpful hints and tips to help your whole family eat well, drink well and clean well – for life.

Smile Squad provides standard strength fluoride toothpaste that is generally used by ages six and over, unless recommended by a dental or trained health professional.

If your child is under six, please talk to a dental or trained health professional to find out if your child might benefit from using this toothpaste. You can also choose to put the toothpaste away until they turn six or give it to someone else in your family to use.

For more information: Smile Squad is coming to this school

Do I need to attend my child’s appointment?

No, you do not need to attend your child’s appointment. You can attend if you would like to, and you can take your child to the community dental clinic if you prefer.

EACH Smile Squad look forward to seeing you soon.

For those seeking social engagement and physical fitness opportunities without the financial burden, Mountain District Learning Centre (Ferntree Gully) and Coonara Community House (Upper Ferntree Gully) offers a range of free or low cost groups and clubs, including walking groups,  social groups, and a chance to borrow from the House’s book collection.

Coonara Community House - FREE Parents group to support families. https://www.coonarahouse.org.au/

Mountain District Learning Centre - Reconnect program (03) 9758 7859

The Reconnect Program is a free government funded service that aims to support people to engage in education and employment pathways.

It offers financial assistance to people needing support in these hard times.  It supports them to re-train and/or get back in to employment https://www.mdlc.org.au/reconnect/

Emergency Relief

THE SALVATION ARMY, FERNTREE GULLY CORPS
37 Wattletree Road, FERNTREE GULLY 3156 VIC
http://www.salvationarmy.org.au

Food relief in our local area:

Foothills Community Care
FERNTREE GULLY and UPWEY
Food Parcels, Community meals, Food Market
152 Underwood Road, FERNTREE GULLY 3156 VIC
http://www.foothillscare.org.au



Emergency Food Relief
WELLINGTON CARE CENTRE, ROWVILLE
6 Le John Street, ROWVILLE 3178 VIC

Ben’s Place Pantry - Local food Pantry
Local food Pantry operating Thursday- Saturday at the Elderly citizens Hall- The Basin, The Bain Primary School (Community house entry) Sunday’s 11-3pm.


EACH - Financial counselling for people affected by financial hardship living in Knox, Maroondah and Yarra Ranges.  
Call 1300 003 224.

Lifeline - 13 11 14

Head space 1800 650 890 Youth and their family’s support

Power Saving Bonus - Additionally, there is currently a $250 Power Saving Bonus available until

August 31st.  https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/psb-faq

Office Opening Hours

The School Office is staffed between the hours of 8:30am-4:00pm Monday to Friday. For all enquiries please contact us on 9758 1662 or via email ferntree.gully.north.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Student Medication

If you wish to keep medications in the sick bay for office staff to administer to your child when needed, please bring the medication (in its original packaging) to the office and complete a Medication Permission form.

Asthma
Students known to have Asthma have been given a 2023 Asthma Management Plan to be completed and returned to the office with the medication in the original packaging.

Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis Action Plans have been sent home at the end of Term 4. Please return them to the office once completed by your medical practitioner, along with your epipen and antihistamine. A Student Management Plan will be prepared once this has been received.

Allergy
Allergy Action Plans have been sent home to students known to be suffering from allergies. These plans need to be completed by your  medical practitioner and then returned to the office with your medication.

If you have received action plans from the school we would greatly appreciate it if these are the forms you take to your GP to be completed.  These forms not only have a space for a photograph of your child, they are the forms used in staff first aid training so they are familiar with where to find important information quickly when required

Borrowed Spare Clothing
If your child has come home in spare clothing supplied by the School, please wash and return these items as soon as possible. As you might imagine in these wetter days we can go through our limited supply very quickly!  A spare set of clothing in school bags would be greatly appreciated ‘just in case’.  It’s not just the younger students that might need a change after the breaks.

Late Arrivals
A reminder to all parents that if your child arrives late to school, parents/guardians must come into the office so that students can be signed in at school. We need to record the correct data for the absence.

If students arrive unattended there will be an unexplained absence entered in Compass and parents will be required to update with an explanation.

Lost Property
Just a reminder to ensure all items are clearly named so that if lost can be reunited with students.  If you have received a pre loved item please make sure the name is updated.

We also ask please that you check your child’s uniform from time to time to ensure they haven’t brought home someone else’s clothing by mistake in the excitement of the day.

Our school has partnered with an independent provider called TheirCare to provide exceptional Outside School Hours Care services for our school community.

Our school has partnered with an independent provider called TheirCare to provide exceptional Outside School Hours Care services for our school community.

The program is available for all children at Ferntree Gully North Primary School from 7:00am until 8:45am in the morning and from 3:30pm until 6:00pm each school day.  During Pupil Free Days the service will operate from 7:00am until 6:00pm.

Families wishing to use this service can visit the TheirCare website: www.theircare.com.au

Families are eligible for a Government Rebate called the Child Care Subsidy which can reduce the cost per session by up to 85%.

More information can be obtained by contacting the school or ringing TheirCare Support Team on 1300 072 410.

TheirCare provides a stimulating and safe environment for all children. During sessions, children develop life-skills, friendships, confidence and creativity through play-based programs.


For futher information on our Information session:   OSCH Information FTGN PS Nov 2022.pdf

Welcome Video YouTube Embed Link:YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIme1bzi_8w  

Information Flyer: TheirCare Program Information Flyer Ferntree Gully North Primary School_2023.pdf 

How to Register: TheirCare.com.au/how-to-register/ 

8 Macro Court 
Rowville 
Victoria, 3178 
Australia

 T:(03) 9763 0266

 E:info@kladsport.com.au

Please note School bags will now be available from Klad from the end of January 2022.

Uniform List Effective July 2023