In our classrooms
Prep Breakfast
Our Preps enjoyed their first school camp experience last Friday with the annual Prep Breakfast. After a big breakfast of croissants, pikelets, fruit and juice, the children got themselves dressed and ready for school. What an amazing effort! Thank you to the team of parent volunteers who made this morning possible.
This Week in the Prep Classrooms
This week, the Preps planted seeds in our garden with Krista! We began by preparing the soil, then planted radish, basil and flowers. After giving the plants a good drink, we felt super excited to see how they would grow.
In PE
Welcome back to Term 4!
During the first few weeks of Term 4, Prep-2 students have been learning about Gymnastics. We have been practicing different shapes, ways to move our bodies, how to land safely and working on our balance. It has been great to see all students having a go and trying something new!
Grade 3-6 students have been revisiting hand-eye coordination and working as a team with a focus on strategies and how we can get the best out of ourselves and the team.
Divisional Athletics
On Monday 14th October, 19 GIPS students participated in Divisional Athletics at Tom Kelly Athletics Track. It was great to see the students coming early and staying past their event times to support each other in and around the track. Congratulations to all who competed and to those who represented GIPS at Regional Athletics on Thursday 24th October.
En Clase Español
In Spanish, Year 5/6 students have started working this week on a presentation about interesting places in Melbourne. Students will be preparing their presentations in class and will present to the rest of the class in two weeks.
Increasing Belonging and Connection and IT Skills
2GJ have been practising their computer skills by creating PowerPoints of their amazing holidays and sharing them with their classmates. We’re learning about many different states in Australia and countries in the world as we share our family adventures and show gratitude for the wonderful lives we live.
Building Fraction Thinking in Grade One
Our Grade 1 students are diving into the world of fractions! Recently, they’ve been using classroom manipulatives to explore fractions of a collection, making learning both fun and engaging. By working with various objects, students are developing a strong understanding of how to divide collections into equal parts. It’s wonderful to see their excitement as they grasp these important math concepts through hands-on activities.
A Very Busy Garden Club
Just before the Term 3 school holidays the garden club got their hands dirty planting snow peas, carrots, mint and broccoli. Over the past few weeks they have been growing and we are delighted to share that the snow peas are almost ready for harvesting! The carrots and broccoli are still growing strong and hopefully the pesky birds don't get to them before they are ready! Thank you to all our wonderful garden club helpers for their hard work. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our gardening journey!-Miss Wellington and the Garden Club
Grade 5/6 Surfing
Our grade 5/6 students continued their outdoor adventures and resilience building with a trip to the ocean for some surfing. This full day brought smiles whilst students learnt challenging skills of staying upright on a surfboard. Thank you to for all of our parent volunteers. Without your support, this event wouldn't have been possible.
In our staffroom
Our teaching staff continues to work on our improvement focus of building excellent writers. Our learning specialist Meagan and Assistant Principal Debbie led staff the past two weeks in different workshops focussed on building our writing program. Maddie and Debbie also attended a Berry Street Education Model Master Class this week.
2025 Grades
This term we are building grades for 2025. If you have a mandatory request, reach out to the Front Office via email at glen.iris.ps@education.vic.gov.au with attn: Grade Request in the subject line. Or, please email Maddie or Debbie. Please keep in mind that due to the very complex nature of creating class assignments, we cannot guarantee all requests. As shared previously, the deadline for requests is 25 October 2024 so we have time to create the classes in teams.
2024 World Teacher's Day
I want to extend my gratitude to our teachers and teacher aids who go over and beyond every day. Thank you to the families who showed their gratitude to our team today.
In our community
Recent and Upcoming Building Works
As reported, our school continues to focus on building works so that our environment is safe and beautiful for our learners. The Victorian School Building Authority, or VSBA, has been supervising several projects at our school.
- Led by the VSBA, the fireworks service upgrade is scheduled to be completed this week.
- Also led by the VSBA, we found out yesterday that our Inclusive School Playground tender has been granted. We look forward to hearing next steps.
- The VSBA is leading works to fix the damage done to the building by the fallen branch in 2023. We hope to hear soon from the VSBA regarding when these works will commence.
- The VSBA recently chopped down branches from many of our trees much to the delight of many of our students.
- We want to thank our program manager Andrew who has been leading the fire service upgrade. He cleared out our gardens that were home to many unwanted rodents. With the support of our School Council, we are now in the process of tidying them up.
- Thanks to your generous donations to our Building Fund at the start of the year, we were able to repaint the infills in the Grade 1/Spanish and Grade 3/4/STEM Portables.
- The net has fallen down behind the footy posts, and we are currently working out how to fix it.
Families Exiting at the End of 2024
If your child is not currently in grade 6 and exiting at the end of this year, please make sure to let our front office team know at glen.iris.ps@education.vic.gov.au (if you haven't done so already) so we can begin the necessary transfer paperwork.
Supporting AI Safety for our Students
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prevalent in education and daily life, it's crucial to ensure our children use these technologies safely and responsibly. Here are some practical ways you can support your child's safety with AI-assisted technology.
Understanding AI
AI encompasses a range of technologies that can process information, learn from data, and assist with various tasks. From virtual assistants like Siri and Google Assistant to educational tools such as language translators and adaptive learning platforms, AI is designed to enhance learning and streamline tasks. However, with these advancements come responsibilities.
The Importance of Digital Literacy
Teaching our children digital literacy is crucial. This involves understanding how AI works, recognising its limitations, and knowing how to use it responsibly. Here are some key points:
- Critical Thinking: Encourage your children to ask questions about the information they encounter online. Discuss the reliability of sources and the potential biases in AI-generated content.
- Privacy Awareness: Teach children the importance of protecting their personal information. Explain how AI applications often collect data and the implications this has for privacy.
- Online Etiquette: Reinforce the importance of respectful communication in digital environments. AI tools can sometimes foster misunderstandings; teaching empathy and kindness is vital.
Prioritise Privacy and Security
Personal information protection: Remind children never to share sensitive details like their full name, address, or school information with AI tools.
Privacy settings: Review and adjust privacy settings on AI platforms according to your comfort level.
Stay Informed and Involved
Familiarise yourself: Take time to understand the AI tools and applications your child uses. This includes chatbots, virtual assistants, and AI-powered educational platforms.
Open communication: Encourage your child to share their experiences with AI tools. This helps build trust and allows you to address any concerns promptly.
Educational Resources: Utilise age-appropriate AI educational platforms that promote critical thinking and creativity. Programs like Code.org and Scratch offer children the chance to learn coding fundamentals in a fun and engaging way.
Research Insights
Recent studies have shown that children who receive guidance from parents on AI use are more likely to develop healthy digital habits. Additionally, parental involvement in a child's online activities has been linked to increased digital literacy and better online safety practices. Remember, our school is here to support you. If you have any concerns about your child's wellbeing in relation to AI use, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's classroom teacher or our additional support staff. By working together, we can ensure our children benefit from the advantages of AI technology while staying safe in the digital world.
Best regards,
The Glen Iris Primary School Team
Tea Towel Fundraiser
GIPS will be offering a limited-edition Tea Towel just in time for Christmas! This 100% organic cotton tea towel (in a natural colour with black design) will feature self portraits of all our children and their teachers.
Not only will they love seeing their artwork in print, but it is also a great chance to fill the stockings. Christmas gifts sorted!
The price per tea towel is $20. You can order one, or as many as you like (this could include one for use now, but also one tucked away for your kids to have in years to come).
Final orders will close on Wednesday 6th November 2024.Tea Towels will arrive early December 2024.
Please follow this link to order:
https://www.trybooking.com/CWN...
All profits will go directly to GIPS, supporting our kids and amazing school.
Thanks for your support, today and always!
School Photos for Grade 6 Students, Absent Students, and New to GIPS Students- 28 Oct
GIPS will be holding another school photography session with SchoolPix on Monday 28 October.
This will only be for year six students for Graduation photos, for students who were absent from school on the photo day in April and students who commenced after photo day in April.
The running order on the day will be as follows:
9:00 am - Year six Graduation photos
9:25 am - Outdoor portraits of absent students and new students
The office has a list of absent/new students who will have their photo taken on the day.
Halloween Disco- 30 October
We would like to inform you of the upcoming Halloween Disco on the 30th of October.
Students will have the opportunity to wear and show their Halloween costumes. The costumes need to be school appropriate. We are encouraging students to have fun and dress up in their costumes to get in the Halloween spirit.
Please do not wear costumes that cover up your eyes or face because then it will be hard to learn and play. Please do not wear costumes with fake weapons.
Not sure what is school appropriate? Our best advice is not to be too scary as that might upset our preppies. If you prefer not to wear a costume, you can come in your school uniform, dress up as yourself, or wear a fun accessory in your hair. We will be presenting examples of what you can wear or not wear at assembly on Friday.
Session times:
Prep - 12:10pm - 12:40pm
Grades 1 and 2 - 2:00pm - 2:30pm
Grades 3 and 4 - 2:30pm - 3:00pm
Grades 5 and 6 - 3:00pm - 3:30pm
The Halloween disco will be a fun event that students can attend during school time. It will be in the Church Hall. We will have decorations put up around the hall.
Thank you very much,
The Performing Arts S.A.L.T. (Student Action Leadership Team)
Green Day- 1 November
On Friday, November 1st, we will be holding an environmental awareness day called Green Day. The goal of Green Day is to help students become more aware of the current state of the environment and to encourage them to help keep our school grounds clean.
There will be a Nude Food competition, where the class that brings the least number of wrappers will win a prize. We encourage you to limit the amount of packaging in your child’s lunch. Students will also take part in cleaning the school grounds and playing a game organised by the Environment SALT team.
Students are required to wear school uniforms but are encouraged to add a "touch of green" - this could be green socks, a hat, or a ribbon. If your child doesn’t have something green, don’t worry; it’s not essential.
Thank you,
The Environment S.A.L.T (Student Action Leadership Team)
Curriculum Day- 4 November
Monday 4th November is a student-free Curriculum Day.
Staff will be working on Report writing.
Team Kids are running a full-day program. Book online here!
School Hats for Sale
As we are now in term four, the second-hand uniform shop has brand new broad brimmed student GIPS hats for sale. Hats are $18 each and there are sixteen hats available. If you would like to purchase, please pick up a hat at the second-hand uniform shop and stop by the front office for payment.
Dogs on Campus
This is a friendly reminder that dogs are not permitted in the school yard.
GIPS Volunteer Morning Tea
We would like to celebrate and show our appreciation to our volunteers who have helped out at GIPS this year. If you have volunteered at GIPS this year, through an excursion, incursion, School Council, as a class rep, helping in the classroom, Working Bees, etc. etc. please join us for this special tea.
Save the dates- upcoming events
All students in Grade 6 and students who missed the earlier photo day this year will have their photos taken on 28 October. Details will be shared via Compass.
Students will be attending a Halloween Disco for thirty minutes during the school day hosted by the SALT Performing Arts Team. More details, including costume information, will be shared via Compass.
Our camping program continues with our annual Grade Two Camp. Details will be shared via Compass.
November 4th is a Pupil Free Day.
November 5th is a Pupil Free day.
Our Prep Take Off Program commences with our 2025 Prep students and families. Information has been sent home to all incoming Prep families via our front office.
Our Prep Take Off Program continues with our 2025 Prep students and families. Information has been sent home to all incoming Prep families via our front office.
School swimming week commences on this date. Please see Compass communication being sent home soon regarding which grades are going which days, what to bring, and information about the Swimming in Schools Program.
We are holding a morning tea for anyone who has volunteered at GIPS this year. We are so grateful for your support and we want to show our appreciation.
Our Prep Take Off Program continues with our 2025 Prep students and families. Information has been sent home to all incoming Prep families via our front office.
Our Prep Take Off Program concludes with our 2025 Prep students and families. Information has been sent home to all incoming Prep families via our front office.
Grade six families, please see Compass communication soon about our Grade 6 graduation.
20 December is our last day of 2024!
Another school year begins!