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. 

Dear parents and carers,

The winter weather has settled in across Aspendale. It’s been good to see students wearing warmer clothes and bringing a rain jacket or umbrella on the rainier days. I’m enjoying getting to don my beanie again.

Inclusive Education Practices

Next Tuesday, Aspendale Primary School has been asked by the Department of Education to host an international study delegation from Hong Kong to share the inclusive practices we have implemented. We are proud to be chosen and look forward to sharing our work so far and also to learn from the visitors to our school. They will arrive on Tuesday afternoon, listen to a presentation from our Inclusion Leading Teacher-Jess Johnston about our work so far and then tour the school to see our practice in action.

This builds on last week where members of our staff, including Jess and Amelia, presented to the Kingston Network Wellbeing and Engagement Community of Practice about our work in this space.

We have been privileged to work with Kristy Vryonis, an Inclusion Outreach Coach from the Department, since Term Three last year. In the presentation, our team shared our school’s work with Kristy and the benefits of this partnership. Kristy has supported us to capture our practices in the one document, to improve the consistency of our tier one (all students) classroom structures and protocols and has provided support to teachers across the school with their inclusive practices.

It was affirming to receive feedback at the end of our school’s presentation from our Senior Education Improvement Leader, Tim Wilson, where he highlighted that our school has a staff and school community that is engaged in continuing to improve, building on the high-level of practice that is already embedded at our school.

Student Led Conferences

Our Student led conferences will take place on Monday 24th June. This day is a curriculum day.

Students have been reflecting regularly on their learning progress throughout the semester and the conference is an opportunity for each student to share their reflections with their family.

In the conference, your child’s teacher will meet with you and your child for ten minutes. They will work with your child to celebrate their progress and to discuss areas to work on next.

An email will be sent to families advising that bookings are now open on the Sentral Parent Portal.

School Trivia Night

There is some fun for our parent and carer community planned for next term with a school trivia night to be held in the hall on Friday 26th July. With a vintage op shop dress up theme and some terrific silent auction items, the event will be great fun. Tickets are now on sale so please check out the information later in the newsletter to organise your seats or table.

Thanks to our dedicated team of parents and staff who are working together to organise this event.

Stay warm over the next few days,

Tom

At Courage to Care, they believe that ordinary people have the power to make a positive difference to the lives of others by being Upstanders.

As part of our inquiry into the challenges, risks and opportunities human migration brings, the Year 6 students had an incursion with  Courage to Care. 
This program is designed to educate students about racism, discrimination and prejudice. We were honoured to hear the stories of survivors from the Holocaust and their families.
It was a great experience for our students (and teachers!) 

Our students were captivated by the presenters and their stories. We continue to be impressed by the behaviour from the Year 6 students, well done crew. 

Judy and Bev - 6F 
Today we had an incursion, our class had two people come in from the holocaust museum. One of them was named Bev, and the other person's name Judy, Judy was a Holocaust survivor. She told us about her story and how she moved to Australia After World War Two. Before that, Beck told us about how the people who told us about how the people who sheltered Judy were called up upstanders, the people who were looking for Judy were called perpetrators, and the people who did nothing were called bystanders.

We did some activities at the start including pinpointing what racism is, what discrimination is, what stereotypes are, and what prejudice is. We also talked about the differences between them. All in all it was a great experience, I loved it.
- Written by Josh B



Jack and Mary - 6W 

In our class on Tuesday we had an incursion, we had Mary who ran the upstander slides and somebody named Jack came in and talked to us about his family’s experience during World War 2. 

Jack’s family was Jewish and they lived in a town with a lot of other Jewish people, Nazis and other German soldiers came in and captured and hurt a lot of Jews. Many lived through the Holocaust but sadly, some were killed.

He talked about what his family had to go through to survive, the risks, the sacrifices and how lucky his family was to survive, they had to dig a 200 meter long tunnel to get away from the Nazis, they ran to a family deep in the wood, (forest) that would protect them. It was really interesting and it was so mind blowing to see how lucky everyone had to be to survive.

By Harry D & Oliver F

Uniform Store Update:

We warmly welcome State Schools Relief as Aspendale Primary School’s new uniform supplier from the start of Term 3 (Monday 15^th July).

Items will be available for purchase in store or online.  Most uniform items will be available from the start of Term 3 . 

Store Address: Factory 1/8 Johnston Court, Dandenong South VIC 3175

Hours of Operation: 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday

Contact Phone Number: 03 8769 8400

Due to overwhelming support for our exciting and well over due Trivia Night of fun, auctions and raffle prizes, we have nearly sold out of tickets.  Get in quick to secure your spot. Invite your friends, neighbours or family (strictly adults only) along to this fabulous night.

A huge THANK YOU to those who have already purchased tickets, your support is greatly appreciated. 

 

We look forward to being able to provide new and updated equipment for our students (your children), including playground upgrades, with the proceeds from our Trivia Night.

 

Check out these incredible auction items available exclusively at our Trivia Night!

We would like to thank families who have paid for students to participate in their year level Enhancement Program.

This program (which includes incursions and excursions) is on a user pay basis and must be paid for the student to participate.

The office will shortly begin to contact any families who have not yet paid.

If you have not paid but wish for your student to participate in this program, please do so as soon as possible via Sentral or at the school office.

Students who are not participating in the program will have access to a free alternative activity when required.

Please note, that families that receive CSEF may request to have it applied to this fee.

Our business manager Amelia Mastorakos is available on 9580 3255 and at amelia.mastorakos@education.vic.gov.au if you wish a confidential discussion regarding payment assistance.

The Premiers’ Reading Challenge is again under way and already in the first few weeks we have had over 100 students register which is fantastic!

This program is a great way for students to share and record their reading experiences from both home and school. Once registered, students will be provided with their own login details to record the books they read online.

All students completing the challenge receive a certificate and book to encourage their continued love of reading. If you have not registered yet there is still plenty of time to do so by picking up a form from your classroom teacher and dropping it in to the box outside the office. If you have any queries please speak to Leanne Peterson (Year 5), Sarah Cornell (Year 5) or Caitlin Beer (Year 1).

APS - VIOLIN AND VIOLA LESSONS 2024!

Introducing Peter O’Shea

Aspendale Primary School has a new violin and viola teacher this year!

Our new violin teacher is Peter O’Shea. Peter is a vibrant local string teacher. Peter has experience in teaching both individuals and groups, and is currently working both in schools and home studio settings.

Peter has studied at Monash University and University of Melbourne. He enjoys playing a teaching a diverse range of World Music (Fiddle Music) AMEB, ANZCA and Suzuki repertoire and pedagogy.

He has produced is own Elementary Violin teaching Book “Violin Fever Volume 1”.

We look forward to having Peter become part of the Instrumental Teachers’ team at APS and part of the community.

Please contact Peter directly if you would like to find out further about our program run by Peter.

Peter O’Shea (B.A. Music, Grad Dip Music, Dip Music.)

Email: posheamusic@gmail.com

Phone: 0409193004