Launching Place Primary School

Newsletter Date 11th December 2014

Issue 41

Thursday Thoughts
Important Dates:
December
11th
Bush Xmas
6pm-7.30pm
12th
Grade 3-6 Bike Ride
18th
Grade 6 Graduation
19th
Last Day
School Ends 1.30pm

January 2015
23rd
Book Collection
9am-4pm
27th
Book Collection
9am-4pm
29th
Students Return
9am start

February2015
2nd
First Assembly for the
year

Victorian Super Site Award

The Australian
Governments Active Afterschool Communities
(AASC) program is run
successfully in around 3270
sites across the country
including in your electorate.
In Term 4, awards were
presented to outstanding
coaches and primary
schools/after-school care
centres (sites) to recognise
and celebrate their
achievements in delivering
the AASC program.
Launching Place Primary
won the Victorian Super
Site Award for outstanding
achievement in getting kids
active. This award
recognises the outstanding
contribution that Launching
Place Primary School has
made towards getting
children and the community
active through the AASC
program.

Mr Andrew DeVisser was

also presented with his 9
year service award,
showing an outstanding
commitment to the
program that has resulted
in huge benefits to our
school community.

Launch Website

Student Absent
Hot Line Number
5964 7783

Have you visited our school

website,
www.launchps.vic.edu.au,
recently? Thursday
Thoughts look great as they
are available to be accessed
in colour. We have also
added some links Look
under...
Parent Info --> Other
Links to find School A to
Z Practical Help For

Parents and 201

Literacy and maths tips to
help your child
Class Activities --> Cool
Links for Kids for a range
of great sites
The website is continually
changing so take the time
to have a look.

Launching Place Primary

School also received a
Super Site Award trophy
and a $500 voucher for
sporting equipment.

Page 2

Thursday Thoughts

School Council Thanks

Last Tuesday the school council
enjoyed an end of year get
together to celebrate another great
year at Launching Place PS.
Meeting once a month throughout
the year a great deal has been
achieved in 2014. Each of our
councillors has performed a very
important role in supporting our
school visions and in doing so, has
made an extremely valuable
contributions to the educational
outcomes of each of our students.
The broad scope of work by School

Council this year has included:

Communicating the broad
direction and vision of the school
within our community
Approving the annual budget and
monitoring expenditure
Acquiring feedback from the
school community to inform
decision making
Developing, reviewing and
updating school policies
Overseeing the maintenance of the
schools grounds and facilities
Reporting annually to the school
community and to the DEECD

Creating interest in our school in

this knowledge across to their own

writing and spelling. There are only
200 school days in a calendar year
and the upcoming Christmas holidays
are often our biggest challenge in
terms of developing students reading
skills. In teaching circles the
Christmas holidays are often called

the holiday slip as students who

don't have regular practice of reading
over the holiday period tend to
decline significantly and slip behind
their peers. We would encourage all
families to utilise any opportunities to
do some reading at home over the
holiday period- whether it is reading
Christmas Cards, letters to Santa or

the wider community

Contributing to the school selfevaluation process
On behalf of the school wed like to
sincerely thank our School Council
President, Andrew Smith, and all of
our school council parent
representatives - Amanda Pitts,
Janine Knight, Bianca Amore, Shane
Elliott, Jaimie Comer, Ilusia
Koronczewski and Deborah Norfolk.

Working Bee
A big thanks the following families
for their attendance and hard work at
the working bee last Friday.
Maryann, Ashlyn and Tanisha Elliott
Janine Knight, Kimberley and
Charlotte Divola
Rebecca, Isabella, Carley and Jackson
Cross
Simon and Archie Powell
Andrew, Bridie and Fergus Smith
Steven, Lola and Angus Leeves
Guo qaing and Anita Qin
Shelley, Hunter and Sophie Gray
Sharyn, Alyssa, Miranda and Andrew
Barrile
Anthony, Erin and Kate Packer

Holiday Reading
If you are looking for Christmas
ideas, have you considered books
for Christmas?
At this time of the year it is so
important to emphasise the value of
students spending time with their
heads in books. Students, who
spend time reading books and being
read to, are generally able to transfer

Launching Place Primary School Carter Street Launching Place 3139 Telephone 5964 7783 Fax 5964 6171 Email launching.place.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
ABN 96 199 518 803

Page 3

Cont from Page 2

family, instructions for new toys or
a read of the newspaper or a book or
magazine. As with any skill,
practice makes perfect!
Co-reading with an adult is also fun
and many of the old classic titles
have strong appeal; you might enjoy
rediscovering the excitement of
these stories, many made into
movies. Classic reading lists can be
Googled and books are available at
the Yarra Junction library. A few
suggestions are:
Frances Hodgson Burnett - The

Miss Gray is Married!!!

Secret Garden or The Little

Princess
Joy Adamson - Born Free
Walter Farley - The Black Stallion
Jack London - The Call of the Wild/
White Fang
Anna Sewell - Black Beauty
Robert Louis Stevenson - Treasure
Island
Daniel Defoe - Robinson Crusoe
C S Lewis - Narnia collection
Tolkien - The Hobbit
Jules Verne - Twenty Thousand

Leagues under the Sea.

And finally The year, whilst
quickly coming to a close, still has
many exciting things to come. These
include: 3-6 Warburton Bike Ride,
class end of year parties and Grade 6
graduation.
Regards,
Narelle Messerle and
Debbie Hobbis

Aussie of the Month

for November

Isabelle C (Junior)
Congratulations Brydie and Pete.
May your marriage be filled with all
the right ingredients: a heap of love,
a dash of humor, a touch of
romance, and a spoonful of
understanding. May your joy last
forever. Congratulations!!!

Will R

Aussie of the Month is a citizenship award where children are nominated

and voted for by the staff. It is designed to recognize students who
consistently display a positive attitude to their work and who relate to
staff, fellow students and the wider community in a respectful, caring
and co-operative way.

Please Note: That other advertisements and publications published in this newsletter do not imply school or Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development endorsement.

Page 4

Thursday Thoughts

Student Awards
Grade Prep F/A Oliver S
Justin T
Grade Prep K

Summer D

Grade 1/2 B

Liam I
Jake C

Grade 1/2 N

Ella A
Hudson K
Alex J
Zara D
Tahlia T

Grade 3/4 F

Carla C
Hunter L-H

Grade 3/4 M

Prep: Our CAF reading strategy

this week has been to make
connections with texts and
ourselves. In writing we have made
cards for our buddies and wrote a
story. We have worked on skip
counting and addition. We also drew
a map of our bedrooms. We enjoyed
starting our Christmas advent
calendar activities.
Grade 1/2: In 1/2 this week, we have
looked at punctuation to enhance
phrasing and skip the word then
come back in CAF. In writing we
are all looking at different genres
such as narratives and wish lists. In
Maths we have almost finished our
Maths groups on addition and
subtraction. For Integrated studies
we looked at celebrations around the
world.
Grade 3/4: In 3/4 this week we have
looked at using prior knowledge to

connect with texts, and inferring on

times tables and creating our
tessellations pictures. We have been
working on our I.S. projects and are
looking forward to our inventions
afternoon.
Grade 5/6: WOW what a busy week
in the 5/6 area. We have been
practising hard and preparing for
graduation. The grade 5s have been
completing their country projects. In
Maths we have been learning about
probability and chance.
Principal: The triathlon was a huge
success. Thanks to the families who
helped out during the working bee
last Friday. Teachers have finished
student report which go out this
Friday. Congratulations to Mr. D
and LPPS for being awarded the Vic
Active After School Award.

Jacob H
Jay H
Bree T
Chloe C
Jasmine P

Grade 3/4 N

School Captains Report

Emily D

From the Library

Hey kids, please look around at
home to see if you have any
school library books. If you have
any please return them as we are
wanting to tidy and organise the
library.

From the Office

Lost Property

Parents with young babies

needing to dispose of soiled
nappies,

We have accumulated a number of

items in lost property. Most of these
items are not named. If your child is
missing any items please feel free to
come to the office and have a look.

please could you use a bag

before disposing in the bin.

Lost
One Aerobics polo shirt (label is sewn into back of shirt with the name Bree T).
It has Aerobics team member printed on the shirt size 10. If found please return
to the office. Thank You

Items not collected before end of

term will be re used in our second
hand cupboard, non- school items
will be given to the op shop.
Thank you

Page 5

Visual Arts News

What wonderful artwork the
children in all levels have completed
to finish off the school year!

Just take a look at these wonderful

works of art this was their first
attempt at decorating with icing!

The Grade 5/6 children have just

finished their magnificent floodwork
icing pictures on real Christmas
cakes which will add to the festive
cheer of their homes this Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all Launch

families and a heartfelt thanks to all
for your support, encouragement,
container donations and the
enthusiasm you give to your children

when they bring home their

masterpieces to show you. The
holidays are an excellent time to
encourage your children to enjoy
creating some more artwork.
Heather Taylor (Visual Art Teacher).

Page 6

Public Notices

Services
Kristys Cleaning for all your domestic
cleaning needs for a cleaner home,
experienced with an eye for detail.
Please call Kristy on
0417 597 356

Thursday Thoughts