We acknowledge the traditional Aboriginal custodians of the lands, waterways and skies of the Bunurong Peoples of the Kulin Nation where we gather, learn and grow at Aspendale Primary School.

We pay our respects to past and present Traditional Custodians and Elders of all nations,  and their ongoing cultural, spiritual and educational practices.  

We extend this respect to all Torres Strait Islanders and any First Nations peoples who learn or visit these grounds. We thank you for sharing and caring for the land we are learning on.

New version of the Acknowedgement of Country
Above is an updated Acknowledgment of Country that has been written in consultation with staff, students and members of our community. We recieved positive feedback and approval from our friends at the Bunurong Land Council in 2023. 



Aspendale Primary School commemorated Reconciliation Week.
We understand that for many members of the APS community, this is a challenging time.

Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Now more than ever, these conversations are important to be having. 

As a school, we commemorated the week by focusing on developing our sense of community and connections with a whole school event. 

Our School Captains made a video during camp to commemorate the week. It starts with our school's Acknowledgement of Country. You can watch the video here. 


Thank you to Gus, Surina, Warren & Edie for helping create the video. You all did an amazing job understanding the purpose of the week. 

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2025 Calendar 

Event	Date
NAPLAN testing for Years 3 & 5	12th March 13th March
Leadership Assembly - Year 6 badges	14th March
Harmony Week  Whole school Picnic/Cultural Dress or Orange attire on Wednesday	17-21st March 19th March
NAPLAN testing for Years 3 & 5 continues	17th March 18th March
Lightning Premiership	21st March
World Maths Day	26th March
Years 3 & 4 Swimming Program	24 - 28th March
Year Foundation, 1 & 2 Swimming Program	31-4th April
Last day of Term 1	4th April
Easter Monday	21st April
Term 2 commences	22nd April

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Hello everyone,
Today’s newsletter is coming from Enchanted Adventure Garden in Arthurs Seat.

The year 2 students, teachers, support staff and parent/carers have been delighted with today’s excursion. The squeals of laughter and fun could be heard across the hills as the children came down the tube slide, along with many words of encouragement to those high in the trees from their peers down below. Everyone managed to make their way out of each of the mazes too! The students have demonstrated many key attributes including persistence, courage, camaraderie, and personal goal setting. It has been the perfect way to prepare for their first camp next year as grade 3s.

Nate said “The tree surfing was pretty cool because we got to go up so high. The tube slide was fun because it sprayed us with water!”

Maddy said “The tree surfing was my favourite, it was a little scary, but so much fun! I’m proud of giving it a go!”

Yet again, our students demonstrated our school values as they moved through the beautiful grounds here. They should all be very proud of their effort and achievements today.

On Tuesday we held our final School Council meeting for 2024. We would like to thank all the councilors for their contribution to the council and the broader school community. We will meet again in 2025 where we will be looking for a few more councilors to join. If this is something that you are interested in, please see Tom, myself or any member of school council for some more information.

 

Today was also the final Foundation 2025 transition morning. The current foundation teachers have had a great time getting to know the students across the four sessions. We look forward to welcoming them into their classes with their teachers on Tuesday 10^th December!

 

Next week, we will host the sensational Art Show. Please join us next Tuesday 3:30-6:00pm for a great showcase of the student art work. We would like to thank the community for their help and support in getting ready to the show!

We would like families to remind their children that once they arrive at school (whether this is dropped off, walking, riding or coming from before school care) that they are required to stay within the school grounds.  With the milk bar re-opening some students are feeling enticed to pop in for a quick visit before school time.

The year 4 students have been upskilling their bike riding skills this week with the commencement of Bike Education. Thanks to the year 4 teaching staff and parent/carers for their support to implement this valuable program. A reminder that all students are expected to walk their bikes or scooters within the school grounds when arriving or departing, this keeps the community safe while moving through the school.

Enjoy the weather this weekend!

Amelia.

 

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As the end of term draws near, Year 6 has begun their reflection work! PYPX
You might believe that the Exhibition is the end to the PYPX journey, but it's not! In the days since last weeks amazing Exhibition - we have been riding the high of sharing our learning and reflecting. Students have all spent time thinking about what experiences they enjoyed, what they would change and how proud they are of their independent learning.
Canva has become a fan favourite amongst the students and even during our reflection stage, we have continued to work on our IT skills to create pages. 
There have been a lot of thank you cards shared accross the community!



WHO WE ARE INQUIRY



Year 6 returned to their Who We Are inquiry this week.
Beginning in Term 1, this inquiry allows students to explore different types of transitions from starting Year 6, to becoming leaders and now, to entering new Secondary Schools.
Students have begun creating social stories to answer questions about next year.... 'How will I get used to so many teachers?' 'What happens if I am going to a school without my friends?" and the classic, 'How do I complete all the homework?' and 'How do I open a lock?' 


Leadership reflection

As speeches draw near for the Year 5 students, the Year 6 students have spent time this week reflecting on their roles as student leaders. We have talked a lot about how they approached the role at the start of the year and what the students would have liked to know- they are now creating short how to guides for the 2025 Leaders. 
These will be shared with the new leaders when they start the year!

  

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A reflection from the Marine Ambassadors 2024

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Parent and carer School Saving Bonus code distribution.
The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus – a one-off $400 support for government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.
From Tuesday 26 November 2024, you will receive an email from the Department of Education with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code.
The School Saving Bonus will help families cover the cost of uniforms, textbooks, excursions, activities and more.
If you have multiple children enrolled in Victorian government schools for 2025, you will receive one School Saving Bonus code email per child. These emails might arrive on different days. Please make sure to check your spam/junk email folder.
Parents and carers can use the School Saving Bonus code in store at school-nominated suppliers.
Parents and carers can also choose to access the School Saving Bonus online system, where they can allocate part or all the $400 bonus to use at school nominated-online suppliers or for school activities. 


To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, visit School Saving Bonus | vic.gov.au
(www.vic.gov.au). A step-by-step user guide will be available on the webpage on 26 November.  

If you have not received your School Saving Bonus code via email by Friday 29 November, please
contact the Department of Education by emailing school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au

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Enquire Now!

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