Issue 28

Tuesday 20th September 2011

PRINCIPALS REPORT
TERM 3 SUMMARY: Term three finishes this Friday with an early finish time of 2.15. This term is a term where learning is particularly noticeable throughout the school. The Junior School, in particular the Preps, are really improving in their Literacy and Numeracy Skills. The Reading Recovery Program is really supporting the students in need with excellent results and improvement in their reading and writing skills. Thank you to Brian McKay who works diligently in supporting students with their literacy skills. NAPLAN: One of the measures of improvement for students is the NAPLAN test completed earlier in the year. Students in Grade 3 and Grade 5 participated in the tests. The NAPLAN tests take place on one day, have predominately multiple choice questions, are time restricted and totally independent. The test does however give an indication of the performance of students in Reading and Writing, Spelling Grammar and Punctuation and Mathematics. The results of these tests are used publically, and schools are compared with each other based on theses results. Ashby students in grade 3 and
Principal: Jenny Omachen

DATES TO REMEMBER
Wednesday 21st September Finance Sub - Committee Meeting at 6.30pm in the Staff room. Wednesday 21st September School Council Meeting at 7.00pm in the Staff Room Friday 23rd September Last Day Term 3. 2.15pm Finish.

grade 5 performed extremely well in Reading, and Grammar and Punctuation. In grade 3 and grade 5 performed well compared to the state in Writing and Mathematics. All children in grade 3 performed above the National Benchmarks in Reading Spelling, Writing, Grammar and Punctuation and Mathematics. In Grade 5 all students performed above the National Benchmarks in all areas, except one child who is receiving intervention support. This indicates that we have a strong and robust academic program at Ashby that develops strong foundation in both literacy and Numeracy. Next year we will continue to emphasize these aspects, and invest in intervention resources. Well done to all our teachers and students. PLANNING FOR 2012 The Getting Started Program is a transition program that supports kindergarten students commence school. It is an extended transition program that allows children to spend time in the new learning environment, learn to play outside with other school children and become familiar with other students that will be attending Ashby in 2012. Could parents who have children in the community that they intend to enrol at Ashby please do so as soon as possible as the continued on page 2

Term 4
Monday10th October to Friday 21st October Intensive Swimming Program for Preps, Years 1, 2 & 3. Getting Started Transition Program for Prep students 2012 3rd week in October Tuesday 25th October Instructional Round. Saturday 5th November School Market Day. Thursday 17th November School Concert. Thursday 8th December Bush Band in the Hall and parent invitation to attend at night.

www.ashbyps.vic.edu.au

School email - ashby.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

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PRINCIPALS REPORT CONTD

information for the Getting Started Program will be sent out this week. The program will commence the third week in Term 4. Whilst planning and introducing the new Prep students to school, the staff will now commence planning for grades in 2012. If families know that they are not attending Ashby in 2012 could you please contact the office. This information allows us to make better decisions about grade sizes and the structure of grades. When we plan the grades to take into consideration the learning styles of students, and the best learning environment we can develop so any information about families moving is really important to consider when planning. RERE-USE A SHOE Thank you to the families that donated to this program. Thank you to Mr. Holloway for the organisation and the Riley and Ryan who announced and supported the use of the program.

START SPREADING THE NEWS.

The Annual Art Show and Market Day on Saturday 5th November will be a wonderful day for the Ashby School community and the larger community. The day will feature student art from our award winning art program which is under the leadership of Kathy Hyland, a market with produce, handmade and vintage items and activities for the family including a giant slide, Harley rides and a BBQ. We hope you have placed this event on your calendar and invited your family and friends. To help us get the word out to the larger community about the event we have sent home today a flyer that you can hang up at your workplace, local caf or favourite local shop. If you would like more flyers to distribute just check in with the office or speak to Tracy Raby. And thanks for helping us get the word out!

LOST PROPERTY
Term 3 ends this Friday, so this is the last chance to claim any items of clothing or lunch boxes from the box situated opposite the Staffroom door. If items are named then they will find their owner, otherwise everything will be sorted in an appropriate manner and the box will be empty to start all over again next term!

WALKING SCHOOL BUS NEWS

We wish all students and their families a safe and active term break, and remember first day of term 4 is "SLIP on a shirt, SLOP on sunscreen, SLAP on a hat, SEEK shade and SLIDE on sunglasses". Definitely a hat for whenever you are outside. Enjoy the holiday and keep healthy, Walking School Bus Team.

JENNY OMACHEN Principal, Ashby Primary School

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FRIENDS OF ASHBY UPDATES

Visit the FOA Blog http://friendsofashby.blogspot.com/ for more updates! Next FOA Meeting The next FOA meeting will be Friday, October 14th at 9am in the Hall. Agenda items include the Annual Art Show and Market. All are welcome! Woolworths Earn and Learn Promotion Extended Until October 18th! Thank you to families for all the Woolworth Earn and Learn Points! Woolworths announced last week that this promotion will be extended until October 18th! So please keep bring in your dockets (or at least the bit at the bottom with your points and code); you can return your dockets to your childs teacher, the school office or place them in the collection box on the Friends of Ashby bulletin board just outside the staff room. You may also want to make a special place to save your dockets over the school holidays coming up. And dont forget to ask your family and friends for their dockets. The more points we have the more resources we can get for our school! Annual Art Show and Market Day Update The Art Show and Market Day event on Saturday, November 5th from 10am-3pm is shaping up nicely! We have some lovely stall holders and activities on board. You can stay up to date with the Market Day by checking out the FOA blog (www.friendsofashby.blogspot.com) or by liking the Ashby Primary School Market Day Facebook page (just search for Ashby Primary School Market Day). There are lots of ways you can still be involved:

We are still seeking stall holders (you can download the stall holders packets from www.friendsofashby.blogspot.com or contact Tracy Raby via mobile 0430 0276 688 or email rabytracy@hotmail.com.or get one from the office) Make something for the Cake Stall (flyer sent home last Friday, due this Friday, September 23rd) Share information on the event with family, friends and co-workers (use the flyer sent home today to post in your workplace, local caf or other local place you frequent) Help out on the day (stay tuned for lots of ways you can volunteer to help with set up for the Art Show and the Market and on the day)

Remember all proceeds from the day will support our music and arts program so any and all support is appreciated! McCAIN Veggie Patch program Ends September 30 The McCAIN Veggie Patch promotion is almost over! Through the program, McCAIN is giving away over $500,000 worth of veggie patch equipment to primary schools during 2011. To support our school simply collect barcodes from your McCAIN vegetable packs between now and September 30, 2011. You can give your barcodes to your childs teacher or place them collection box at the school office. As this promotion ends during the school holidays, please be sure to bring any barcodes in by Friday, October 14th. And dont forget to ask your family and friends for their McCain vegetable packs barcodes! Every barcode earns McCAIN Veggie Patch points for our school which can then be redeemed for gardening tools and seeds. Keep Collecting your Coles Sports for Schools Vouchers! We now have over 5500 Sports for Schools Vouchers and there is still one more month left in this promotion, so keep them coming in! Please return your Coles Vouchers to your childs teacher, the school office or place it in the collection box on the Friends of Ashby Bulletin Board just outside the staff room. The Coles promotion runs through October 18th.

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FRIENDS OF ASHBY UPDATES CONTD

Can You Help? There are many ways you can get involved at Ashby. Below are some current activities we are seeking assistance with: Cake Stall goods needed we will be having a Cake Stall at the upcoming Art Show and Market Day on Saturday, November 5th, so please sign up to bring something on the day for the stall. A flyer went home last Friday, or you can get one from the FOA blog (www.friendsofashby.blogspot.com ). And dont forget to ask your family or friends if they can make something. Forms are due this Friday, September 23rd. Trestle Tables needed - if you have a trestle table (the ones that are about 6 feet long) or two we are seeking some for use at the Art Show and Market Day event on Saturday, November 5th. These tables will be used to display art and for some of the stalls planned. If you have a trestle table we can borrow, please contact Cyndy Scherer at friendsofashby@gmail.com or 0438-172-949.

Invitation to stallholders! This year, on Saturday November 5th our school will be showcasing our children's work in our annual art show! Adding to the fun of the day, Friends of Ashby Primary will be holding a market to support our music and arts program. In the sustainable spirit of the school we are currently seeking stalls for the market which have items that are handmade, reuse or recycle vintage goods, have a positive environmental impact and offer good quality products.

If you are interested in having a stall or have talented friends or family members who would like to be involved please let us know! More information and a contact number for queries are in the registration pack available this week from the school office. It can also be downloaded from the Friends of Ashby Blog.(www.friendsofashby.blogspot.com) We hope you will consider joining us on Nov 5th to help raise much needed funds to support the music and arts program, build the school and community and just have some fun!

FRESH FRUIT FRIDAY

Just a reminder that there will be NO fresh fruit this Friday. A BIG thank you to everyone who has helped each week! It has been very much appreciated! Sonya Dalton & Heather Vine

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WANTED FOR AFTER GOOD-BYE SCHOOL CARE

If anyone has G-rated Xbox games they no longer need After School Care would be most grateful if you wished to donate them. Denise kindly donated an Xbox to After School Care and the kids love it. Thanks heaps Denise. We are still wanting old socks donated for future activities. Thank you to all parents who pay their account each week. It would be great if all parents could paid their outstanding accounts by the end of Term next Friday 23rd September. This is to let you know that I am finishing my school crossing duties in Pakington Street on the last morning of Term 3. Thank you to all my lovely children who crossed in the past 5 years. You are a credit to your school. Gwenda Donaldson (lolly-[op lady)

Ashby Primary School Art Show and Market Day Trestle Tables Needed We are seeking trestle tables (the ones that are about 6 feet/2m long) for use at the Art Show and Market day that will be held on Saturday, November 5th. All tables need to be at the school no later than Friday, November 4th. Please make sure to mark you table with your name on it. If you have a table we can borrow, please contact Cyndy Scherer via email at friendsofashby@gmail.com, mobile 0438-172-949 or fill out and turn in the form below to your childs teacher or the office. Art Show and Market Day Trestle Table Form Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Contact Info (phone or email): ____________________________________________________ I have ___________ (number of tables) that can be used for the Art Show and Market Day event)