Now in its 77th year, Education Week aims to positively profile and celebrate the strengths and achievements of Victoria’s government education sector.

In 2021, Education Week is an opportunity for all education settings to showcase how they are building (or rebuilding) connections with the community. After the long period of visitor restrictions, we've resumed some of the activities that offer opportunities to connect with our families, community groups and services, including:

• Blackburn RSL with our JSC students
• Sporting clubs, through Australian Sporting Schools Grants. We've been involved in this program for three years. In 2021, so far we've welcomed:
  
  
  • AFL AusKick clinics, organised through Blackburn Football Club
  • Tennis, through Blackburn Tennis Club
• Deakin University - LPS has had a long relationship with Deakin Science and Deakin students returned to LPS this term to work with Year 6 students
• Box Hill High School - Year 6 visited the school this week to view a dress rehearsal of their 2021 production
• Prep teachers resume visits to our feeder preschools in Term 3
• Parent helpers - Claire has returned to support Green Team and our String ensemble and, with parent assistance, Lost Property and Second Hand Uniform shop services have resumed.
  As excursions have been held and more are planned, we're also grateful for the support of parent helpers that enables us to finally take students beyond the school gates.
  Thanks to those parents who have already updated their Working with Children Check to accompany these classes.

We've also welcomed back Laburnum Netball Club and Vikings Basketball Club, who can again use our facilities every week.

And, at last, our committees can meet face to face: School Council and Parents Group have already returned to onsite meetings. As School Council subcommittee meetings welcome parent participation, please let us know if you would like to join our Finance, Buildings and Grounds or Engagement and Wellbeing meetings.

Although we're not back to 'normal' yet, we are well on the way. Read more about Education Week at LPS on the 'What's Happening?' page.

NAPLAN and Assessment
Surprisingly, my mother kept my 'Grade 6 test book'. In a small exercise book, I had completed every test for that year, with plenty of pages left blank. How things have changed from that very simplistic view of learning!

Without contemporary assessments, we could still be teaching everyone in a year level the same thing at the same time across Victoria (like when I was in Grade 6), or guessing about students' learning needs.

Instead, Laburnum Primary School has an Assessment Schedule that is reviewed and updated every year. For our teachers, it details the assessment tools used at each year level in every term from Prep - Year 6 in English and Mathematics, in addition to the informal notes and observations taken by teachers.

LPS teachers plan and analyse our agreed assessments with their PLC teams, to:

• identify what students can already do and the next steps in their learning
• evaluate students' learning against the curriculum or their individual goals
• identify learning gaps, or student mastery of learning (pre-tests and post-tests)
• compare and rank students in relation to one another.
  
  

NAPLAN is a High Stakes assessment, which enables us to compare LPS students’ skills against a sample of other Australian students in the same year level. We use NAPLAN information to determine areas that are being learned well at LPS, or those that need more focus. 

You will often hear commentary that NAPLAN is a single test on a single day and sometimes individual results seem unreliable. That’s true of many assessments, but this is why teachers 'triangulate data', or use multiple sources of evidence of learning. When combined and compared with each other, all our assessments form a complete picture of student learning, for individuals and cohorts.

In 2019, LPS students had outstanding results in NAPLAN. Last year, as well as having reduced opportunities for other assessments, there was no NAPLAN due to COVID-19. We are looking forward to resuming High Stakes testing as one important and useful piece of the Assessment, teaching and learning jigsaw.

Year 3 and 5 parents should have received a letter about NAPLAN this week via email. Your children will complete this assessment as part of our usual Assessment schedule this term.

We encourage parents to moderate their messaging to children about NAPLAN, as test anxiety is counter-productive. I remember the conversations with my parents every year about my test book and results. Always positive, brief and encouraging. Let's hope every family's NAPLAN conversations are just like that. 

Student-free days
School Council has approved our final Student-free Days for 2021 as follows: Monday 12 July (the first day of Term 3) and Friday 20 August. 
Please contact OSHClub if you need child care.

Happy Mother's Day!
Finally, thank you to Parents Group and everyone who helped with the stall this week. What a year mums have had! We hope you are all spoiled with a relaxing, special day on Sunday.

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute

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From the Assistant Principals, Kathy and Jo

This year Education Week runs from 23 - 29 May. The theme ‘Building Connections’ focuses on how the community can act as a support network, support students’ learning and development and enhance social inclusion.

Laburnum will be celebrating Education Week by inviting our parent community to various outdoor opportunities throughout the school day on Tuesday 25 May and Wednesday 26 May. More details, including a timetable of events, will be shared in our next eNews so please make sure that you check this out.

Engagement and Wellbeing Committee Meeting

Our first Engagement & Wellbeing Committee Meeting for the year will be held onsite in the Staff Community Centre on Tuesday 11 May at 7pm. We are looking forward to sitting together (socially distanced of course!) and discussing our draft updated LPS Engagement & Wellbeing policy.

If you are interested in joining us for this meeting, please email the school so that we can keep track of attendees and maintain current DET requirements on density ratios.

We look forward to finally engaging with you with this face to face opportunity!

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute 

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Junior School Council (JSC) News

Our first meeting for the term began with acknowledging and thanking the level six reps for selling Anzac Day badges. This is an annual event in partnership with the Blackburn RSL and coincides with the whole school commemorating this day.

Two activities from the JSC suggestion boxes were discussed, decided and launched for the term:

Wear Your House Colour to School Day

When: Friday 14 May (updated date!)

Your child’s teacher can confirm your child's house colour.

No gold coin donation will be needed for this event
                                      

                        

        Laburnum's Got Talent

Students in all levels are being invited to share their skills and talents in the Laburnum’s Got Talent Extravaganza.

• Sign-up sheets will be in classrooms this week for solo or small group acts to perform.
• Categories include: Dance, Instrument, Singing, Magic, Comedy, Art Display and Other.

The category for 'other' has been included as there are special skills amongst our students, such as being able to lift one eyebrow up and down without using any other face muscles!       

• Performances will take place at lunch times with dates to be confirmed.
• A gold coin donation will be required per student on the day of performance.
• There will be no judging, prizes or gold buzzers. It was decided that the purpose of JSC hosting this extravaganza is to celebrate and discover the many talents that our students have.

Acts needs to begin preparing now!

School Captains

                

Welcome to Term 2!

We have been really enjoying our roles as School Captains for 2021.

In preparation for Anzac Day we led special assemblies across the school. Thankyou to all of the students at LPS for demonstrating respect during these services.

We have also continued to attend level assemblies on Friday afternoons, announcing ‘Student of the Week’ awards. It is pleasing to see so many students displaying and living the school values.

Year 6 students have been enjoying reading and drawing with, and getting to know, their Prep buddies.

On Tuesday, they also attended the whole school production, ‘She stoops to conquer!’ Act 1 at Box Hill High School. It was great to see the many familiar faces of ex-LPS students performing.

Finally, a big Thank You to our Parents Group for all their work behind the scenes to organise the Mother’s Day stall this week.

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute 

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This week the Prep students went on their first excursion to Blacks Walk to help us with our inquiry question, 'How do we look after important places in our environment?' Thank you to our parent helpers for their assistance.

We found a lot of amazing things, such as rainbow lorikeets, trees with holes, a bee hive, mushrooms and logs.

The Prep students enjoyed exploring this special place, which we can see from some of our classrooms. They demonstrated many of our school values during our excursion, especially respect.

During the week the students will be writing about this experience and discussing what actions we can take to maintain this beautiful park next to our school.

   

 

Curiosity  •   Respect  •  Integrity  •  Resilience

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3D Printing Club

Many students in Year 5 & 6 have voluntarily signed up to the LPS 3D Printing Club that is run on Tuesdays at lunchtime. The Club uses TinkerCAD online to cater for students of all 3D designing levels. It has been excellent to see the level of commitment from the students displayed while at the club. Our creative tech-designer students have also continued their work and refined their digital technology designing skills at home, using their same TinkerCAD details.

Many thanks to the families who helped their child sign up and create their accounts in readiness for the club’s second session.

In our Tuesday sessions, students have been using TinkerCAD to work through sample lessons and online tutorials that follow steps to recreate 3D objects. They have also explored the program to create their own items on the digital platform. We are sure the enthusiasm will continue as the sessions continue and students are shown how the printers work.

Here are some photos of our 3D Printing Club students working hard on their 3D designs in the LPS Lab!

Maths

The Year 5 students have been out and about collecting length and perimeter measurements. We were using measuring tools such as trundle wheels, measuring tapes and rulers. We have started to order these measurements, collate them in tallies and graphs and convert them to and from millimetres, centimetres and meters. Here are some photos of students collecting their measurements.


      


Inquiry

The Year 5 and 6 students recently concluded their studies on ‘How can we improve our own health and wellbeing’. The students researched topics they were passionate about that could be offered by our school, local community or the Whitehorse City Council. Some of these services included physical and mental health services.

This research was then presented to their peers, where students could share, discuss and imagine how these services could improve the health and wellbeing of themselves and others. Here are some photos of work samples and student presentations in front of their peers.

    

Curiosity  •   Respect  •  Integrity  •  Resilience

 

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from Wendy Keogh and Señora Jami Richards

Library

National Simultaneous Story time (NSS) is held annually. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator is read simultaneously in libraries and schools all around Australia. NSS aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book and promoting an Australian writer.

This year this exciting event will be held on Wednesday 19 May 2021 at 12.00 pm. Laburnum Primary School will simultaneously read Philip Bunting’s fabulous book ‘Give Me Some Space!’

NSS is also ‘over the moon’ that ‘Give Me Some Space!’ will also be read by astronaut Dr Shannon Walker from the International Space Station.

To listen to other stories from ‘Story time From Space’ click here (A note from Dr Dray - this website is fabulous)


Spanish
¿Qué pasa?         

“¡Hola!”

This year in Spanish, the overarching goal is for the students to be excited about learning and communicating in a new/different language. The students are involved in producing purposeful Spanish and building their own Spanish Toolkit to aid them in building vocabulary and making conversation.

I hope your households have been filled with some conversation around Spanish (even in Spanish!). I have been excited to hear the great curiosity surrounding the culture of Spanish speaking countries and the language spill out onto the playground through conversations, greetings, numbers and song. 

Qué pasa? (What’s Going On?)

Term 1

Prep - Introductions, Greetings and Farm Animals

Years 1 and 2 - Feelings and Happy Healthy Me

Years 3 and 4 - Classroom Vocabulary and Location

Years 5 and 6 -Famous Artists -Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Daniel Gordillo, Joaquim Sunyer and their artwork - Adjectives, Giving Opinions and Reasons

Term 2

Prep -Colours, Foods, Days of the Week with support from The Very Hungry Caterpillar/La Oruga Muy Hambrienta by, Eric Carle

Years 1 and 2 - Body Parts and Mexican Culture through the folk art Alebrijes

Years 3 and 4 - Homes and Geography of Spanish Speaking Countries

Years 5 and 6 - Shapes with famous artist Joan Miró, Animal Body Parts and Creation of Mexican folk art Alebrijes*

*We hope to provide a ‘Walk and Talk’ Gallery around the school for all to enjoy - watch this space. 

Muchas Gracias!

Curiosity  •   Respect  •  Integrity  •  Resilience

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Parents Group News:

Mother's Day Stall
Hopefully everyone enjoyed our Mother’s Day stall today. If your child forgot their money, they will have an opportunity to make a purchase after school on Friday 7th May from 3.30-3.45pm near the ramp outside the school office. 

List of LPS family businesses
Parents Group are looking at putting together a list of businesses owned by LPS families so we can share with the school community as well as possibly reaching out if there are any social or fundraising events that might be able to utilise these businesses. If you own a business and would like to be included please fill out this survey https://forms.gle/RL6kR7dwz949eAxn7.  

Umbrellas
For anyone that wants to purchase a school umbrella they are $25 and can be purchased at the office. Get one before winter starts!

Entertainment Book
Raise money for the school by purchasing the digital Entertainment Book! 20% of every Entertainment Membership sold goes to the school. With thousands of incredible offers of dining, activities, travel & shopping and loads of 50% off and 2 for 1 deals in Melbourne and across Australia. The membership is instantly available and valid all year. Sign up using the link www.entbook.com.au/185r982.

Joining Parents Group
Do you want to be more involved in the school community? Then come and join Parents’ Group! We are a friendly and supportive group that focus on fundraising and community events that in the past have included the Colour Run, Mother’s Day stall, Father’s Day breakfast, the Fete & Barefoot Bowls (just to name a few!). Past fundraising efforts have helped provide great facilities such as the Laburnum Lab. We'd love new members to join and there is no expectation as to how much time you spend assisting on activities. Join a fantastic group of parents committed to ensuring Laburnum is not just a school, but a community. For more information please email parentsgroup.lps@gmail.com. 

Click on these links for Community News or information:                     

Click on the OSHClub logo (left) to read this week's OSHClub news.   OSHClub - please register your child - it's free to register and you'll always have that option for childcare, even in unexpected circumstances.

ICAS tests for Years 4 - 6: The International Competitions and Assessments for Schools, or ICAS for short, is an independent, skills-based assessment program, designed to match and test skills that are learned in the school classroom.  Every year Laburnum Primary School participates in the ICAS competition in English, Mathematics and Science. ICAS is a wonderful opportunity for students to challenge themselves academically. Entry is available to students in Years 4, 5 and 6 ONLY. The tests will be held before school, at school, on the following dates: English ICAS test – Thursday 19th August  Science ICAS test – Tuesday 24th August Maths ICAS test – Monday 30th August This year, entry is through the ICAS Parent Payment System. To enter follow the link below, and use the school access code to enrol your child. Parent payment is required for participation. Access details for parents: Laburnum Primary School access code: RET186 Your parent page link is: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps More information will be provided closer to the test dates. Thank you, Matthew Appleby and Chris Rodgers

Please click on the link here for information on Laburnum Chess Club

 

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute 

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Parents and teachers influence children most during their first twelve years of life. We have less influence over teens as they become increasingly independent and look to their peers for guidance and approval.

The following strategies will help ensure that you have a positive influence on children at any age.

1. Be available

Nothing says “You matter” more than a busy parent giving a child undivided attention. Research has established that children whose parents are emotionally present for their kids have better social, academic, and wellbeing outcomes than those whose parents aren’t available.

2. Be warm

Sometimes we can forget that our children are people too – particularly when they’re irritable, tired and obnoxious. By responding to kids warmly (even when you don’t feel like it), you show that you value them as people. A gentle touch, a smile, or soft words bring warmth to a relationship, and increase the likelihood that you’ll be listened to and be a positive influence on their lives.

3. Listen, but don’t fix

Parents can fix sore knees, broken hearts, messy friendships, and even some difficult homework projects. But kids generally don’t need adults to fix them. They just want us to ‘get’ what they’re going through. When you see the world through their eyes, you are more understanding – and more likely to be listened to when they need us.

4. Set limits

Nothing says “I love you” more than a firm and clear “No!” from mum or dad. “No, you can’t say that to your sister. How can you make things right?”
“No, it’s not ok for you to stay out until midnight. You’re 14.”
“No, I don’t feel right about you having your smartphone/tablet/laptop in your bedroom. Ever!”

Children and young people will often argue with you, but setting limits means that you are having a positive influence on your children. The trick is to not become too authoritarian or you’ll simply drive unwanted behaviour underground.

5. Play

Playing games and laughing together binds us close to our kids. Through play you build a relationship of trust with your child that facilitates our ongoing positive influence.

6. Be grateful

Grateful people are happier, healthier, have better relationships, sleep better, have more income, are less materialistic, achieve better academic outcomes and are more energetic. By being grateful you’ll be a positive influence in the lives of your children.
Say thanks often – and mean it.

7. Love them and show it every day

We’re always correcting our kids or telling them what to do. Pick this up, put that away, get off the computer, pack your bag, tidy up your room, and so on… and that’s before 7.30 in the morning! Our ratio of negative to positive statements can often be the wrong way round. So find opportunities to tell your kids such things as:

• “You really make a positive difference around here.”
• “I am amazed at the exceptional effort you make at…”
• “I love you – no matter what.”

Your time with kids is short. By setting a positive example, you can be a positive and lasting influence in your children’s lives.

Dr Justin Coulson helps families be happier. His Goalcast and TEDx positive parenting videos have been viewed by more than 100 million people. He is the author of 6 books about creating flourishing families and raising resilient children. Justin and his wife, Kylie, are the parents of 6 daughters. Find the Dr Justin Coulson’s Happy Families podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. For further details visit www.happyfamilies.com.au

 

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute 

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