To download the recent newsletter please click on the link below or continue reading online. Current Newsletter Available for Translation.
2nd June 2020
News From the North
The return of students to Dandenong North Primary School on Tuesday 25th May was a very important “milestone”, and something children will probably remember for the rest of their lives. It was obvious that everyone was so happy to be back at school. Students were so keen to catch up with their friends and teachers. We are all looking forward to the return of the rest of our students on 9th June.
We have heard from a small number of parents who are still very, very worried about Coronavirus and who haven’t been able to make the decision to send their children back to school because of what they see as the risk of possible infection.
Every parent wants to make the best decision possible for their children and their extended families. Thinking about the ideas in the following list may help in making a decision to send your children back to school - if you haven’t already done so.
I really do understand the worry that goes along with making such a decision – especially when the family unit contains elderly folk who are more susceptible to more serious complications from the virus.
Within this ongoing period of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that we are vigilant to the key preventative measures of social distance for adults and sanitizing for everyone. However, we must do this within an atmosphere of positive determination and a happy disposition towards helping each other and working together to make our school, our home and our community better places.
At Dandenong North Primary School, we are working to set an example of reducing anxiety, worry and fear. It is only by this positive attitude that we will help to overcome these side effects of pandemic apprehension and worry.
Until the end of Term 2, I ask that any of our wonderful parents who want to speak with a teacher about their children’s progress make an appointment so that they can meet with the teacher in a meeting room away from the children’s teaching spaces. This is one of the ways we can all work to ensuring a safe environment for our students.
Normally, we welcome our parents into the teaching spaces without special appointments. But, right now, we need to be as cautious as possible and that means doing things differently until we can be sure that the “old normal” is in sight.
I want to thank all of our parents and our students and their dedicated teachers for the absolute support that has been going both ways during these difficult times. We are all very lucky to be in a country and a State whose citizens have worked so cooperatively to avoid the calamity that we have seen in some other countries. And I think we are even luckier to live in and around Dandenong at this time, too.
Kevin Mackay
Principal
29/5/2020
As from today, Parents will be able to walk their child to the main entrance of the building that houses their classroom. Staff will be at the main entrance of the building from 8:40am to provide hand sanitiser for children and ask parents not to enter the building. If parents would like to speak with their child’s teacher, they need to make an appointment with them via see saw or by contacting the school.
At the end of the day, children will be released from their classrooms to their parents waiting in either the Agora area or outside of the classroom as would normally occur prior to COVID19.
From Tuesday 9th June, all students will be able to walk to their classroom through the main doors of their building or straight to their classroom if it is a portable.
Prep – Year 4 children begin school at 9am. Year 5 and 6 students begin at 9:15.
At 3:15 - Children in Prep – Year 4 and any siblings of these children in Years 5 & 6 will be released from their classrooms to their parents waiting in the Agora or outside of the classroom.
All other children in Years 5 and 6 will be released at 3:30.
Thank you for your understanding with these new school arrangements that will continue for the remainder of Term 2.
Teachers are in the process of creating reports for students. These reports are going to look very different to those in previous years, due to the time spent with online learning. Staff have been unable to complete semester one testing so therefore there will be no assessment of learning provided. Instead there will be an English and Maths general overview of the concepts covered, along with an assessment of remote learning work habits. Students will also be provided with a short general comment.
These reports will be handed out to students on the last day of Term Two, Friday 26th June.
As a school, throughout remote learning, we loaned out to families 393 devices which allowed children access to their online lessons.
It was great to see many of the Prep, Year One and Year Two students returning their devices to their classroom teachers when they came to school last Tuesday.
The expectation is that all students in Years Three, Four, Five and Six will also return their borrowed device when they return to school on Tuesday June 9th.
Please remember to return any borrowed devices to school upon student return.
Last year Brave Archer Films created a wonderful documentary highlighting the EAL program at Dandenong North. This program looks at the importance of learning English for newly arrived refugees in Australia.
This documentary is heart warming and has been beautifully created - with a particular look at the lives of past students and the impact that the EAL team had on setting them up for a bright future.
This film was awarded Best Inspirational Film and Best Director at The new York Film Awards as well as an honourable mention in the documentary category at the Los Angeles Short Film Awards. Last term, it screened at the Melbourne Indie Film Festival which was held in St Kilda. The announcement of award winners for this festival have been delayed due to COVID19.
The EAL staff, along with members from the leadership team, attended this wonderful event - celebrating what is truly a magnificent look at what our school staff can achieve for children who are most vulnerable at our school. Congratulations to Amel Tresnjic the director and to all of those involved with this film. If you would like to view the trailer for this documentary follow this link
https://youtu.be/n7jsyJq6Sak.
Dear Parents / Guardians,
Every year students at Dandenong North Primary School are given the opportunity to participate in the ICAS Assessments (International Competitions and Assessments) run by UNSW Global.
ICAS is designed to target students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving. The subjects offered are English and Maths and it is open to Years 3,4, 5 & 6 if they wish to enter.
Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition. Every student will receive a printed certificate and an online result report. Top performers will be eligible for medals and are invited to attend special award ceremonies to have their academic excellence publicly recognised.
The assessments are suitable for students wishing to extend themselves academically and take up the personal challenge of competing in an international assessment. Your child will be presented with high-quality, expert-developed questions, allowing them to apply their learning without the need for prior study or revision.
ICAS Assessments are now online, a move that reflects a sector-wide transition to online assessments. This allows greater accessibility for students and faster delivery of results.
Learn more about ICAS here: unsw.global/ICAS
2020 Participation.
Online parent payment:
In 2020 students have the opportunity to participate in the following subjects:
Subject
Sitting date
ICAS English
Monday 24th August
ICAS Mathematics
Monday 31st August
Cost per test: $15.95 including GST
These assessments will take place during the day
If you would like your child to participate in any of the subjects listed above, please visit the new online Parent Payment System to make a direct payment to UNSW Global. The Parent Payment System is a simple and secure online payment service specifically for parents to purchase ICAS Assessments.
The web link is: https://shop.unswglobal.com.au/pages/pps
Our school’s unique access code is: RKH746
Online parent payment closes Friday, 17 July 2020.
IMPORTANT: Please enter your child’s name accurately into the System as it will appear on their ICAS certificate.
Privacy Collection Statement
To analyse your child’s progress effectively, our school conducts an ongoing assessment program. The assessment we are using is a product of our partner, UNSW Global Pty Limited (UNSW Global). In order to deliver the assessment, Dandenong North PS and UNSW Global (through our school) collect your child’s personal information (e.g. name, year level and school results) when you enrol your child to sit an assessment in the program. UNSW Global also stores, uses and modifies the personal Information in order to generate reports, conduct research and analysis, and improve its products and services. UNSW Global may share your child’s personal information with its subsidiary companies and subcontractors located overseas so it can provide the assessment products and services to our school. Most of these overseas recipients are located in the Asia-Pacific region. As the parent or guardian of a student who intends to sit an assessment, by enrolling your child into the assessment, you consent to our school and UNSW Global collecting and using your child’s personal information for the purposes outlined above. This includes the disclosure of your child’s personal information outside Australia consistent with the UNSW Global Privacy Policy at https://www.unswglobal.unsw.edu.au/our-company/policies/. By consenting, you acknowledge that UNSW Global is not required to ensure that overseas recipients handle your child’s personal information in accordance with Australian privacy laws. However, where practical in the circumstances, UNSW will take reasonable steps to ensure overseas recipients use and disclose personal information in accordance with the UNSW Global Privacy Policy. If you do not provide your child’s personal information to us or UNSW Global, we may not be able to deliver the assessment to your child. We and UNSW Global will deal with your child’s personal information in accordance with privacy laws. If you wish to access or correct your child’s personal information or to make a complaint about how we have handled your child’s personal information, please contact the school on 03 9794 7899 or UNSW Global Privacy Officer at legalandcompliance@unswglobal.unsw.edu.au or by writing to Legal and Compliance Team, UNSW Global Pty Ltd, 12-22 Rothschild Avenue ROSEBERY NSW 2018.
We are proud to partner with UNSW Global in offering the ICAS Assessments, and look forward to some fantastic results later in the year.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
If you come to school and are feeling hungry, please come passed the Breakfast Club and grab yourself some fruit and/or milk.
Time: Monday to Friday 8:15am - 8:50am.
Where: From our new portable - Next to the soccer pitch
GRAB & GO: Fruit in a tub and a small long life milk.
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are very excited to announce that our school app Updat-ed has been upgraded. The app is moving to a more robust, futureproof platform and will present some new features.
To access the new version of Updat-ed you will need to delete your current version of Updat-ed and install the new one. Please go to the App Store or Google Play and search for Updat-ed to download the new app. Alternatively, visit our school website at www.dandenongnorthps.vic.gov.au and select App Store or Google Play which links directly to the Updat-ed app.
If you have any queries please feel free to contact the school at dandenong.north.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au and address your email to Cathy Colaci.
Regards,
Cathy Colaci
Website & School App Co-ordinator
Past NewsletterTerm 1, 202018th Feburary 20204th Feburary 20203rd March 202017th March 2020
27th April 2020
Term 4, 201917th December 201910th December 20193rd December 201919th November 201912th November 201915th October 201929th October 2019Term 3, 201910th September 20193rd September 201920th August 20196th August 201923rd July 201917th September 2019Term 2, 201925th June 201918th June 20194th June 201921st May 20197th May 2019
