IMPORTANT DATES COMING UP

December Monday 11th – 15th – Swimming Program Thursday 14th – Grade 6 Valedictory Dinner Monday 18thP&F Meeting in staffroom after assembly Wednesday 20th – Concert – 7.00pm Thursday – Triathlon – Note change of date Friday 22nd – Last day of Term 4 – Pool Party – Dismissal – 2.30pm January Wednesday 31st – 1st day Term 1 for students

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Transition Day: Yesterday our student population grew to over 140 students as we welcomed our new Prep students for their first full day of school. There was a wonderful atmosphere across the school, with our new Prep students settling into school routine seamlessly and our “veteran” students enjoying the excitement of stepping up a year. We were also very pleased to welcome Ms Barratt (our new Grade 3 /4 teacher) and she remarked upon how welcome she felt at our school. During the day, we held a multi-age tabloid sports event and our new Grade 5/6 students did a wonderful job in supporting our younger students throughout the event. It was great to see how nurturing and supportive our student culture is. All in all, it was great day and an exciting sneak peek into 2018.

Christmas Concert – Wednesday December 20th 7pm On Wednesday December 20th at 7pm, we will be hosting our end of year Christmas concert. This concert is an opportunity for us to recognize academic achievement, personal qualities and social skills through an award ceremony. Each grade level will also perform a Christmas related item on the night and the highlight of the night is, of course, the arrival of Santa on our oval. Over the years we have always had a great turn out on the night and seating is often at a premium; if you have a camp chair, it is probably a good idea to bring it along. I look forward to a great night and I can’t wait to see our students have their moment in the spotlight. Student Leadership Elections On Monday, our Grade 5/6 student elections were held. Our students showed great poise and preparation, dealing with nerves of delivering a formal speech to a large gathering. All of our students spoke exceptionally well and I would like to acknowledge the great work that our teachers have undertaken in preparing our students for their big moment. Congratulations to every student who stood up and delivered a speech – the courage that each individual showed had a profound effect on everyone and there were certainly tears of pride, joy and empathy amongst our audience. As I reinforced to our students, while the result may not have fallen in your favour on the day, you have certainly grown in the eyes of everyone who witnessed your speech. Congratulations to our new student leaders and I wish them the very best in their role in 2018. Our new student leaders are as follows:

School Captains: Darby O’Brien and Tess Walker School Vice Captains: Ely Reid and Charlotte Cotter House Captains Richardson: Lucas Black and Melissa Toy Vice House Captains Richardson: Angus Nash and Ebony Harper House Captains Hughes: Harry Shiner, Annie Goodman and Jorja Ferguson Vice House Captains Hughes: Larni Shiner and Micah Padgett

Grade 6 Valedictory – Thursday December 14th Tomorrow night we will be formally farewelling our Grade 6 students at their valedictory dinner. One of the special features of the night is that our Grade 6 students deliver a formal valedictory speech, during which they describe the attributes of one of their classmates. We look forward to a great evening of fond memories and shared reminiscences. Farewell Lorraine After 31 years of outstanding service, Lorraine Tebble will be retiring from the Business Manager role at Avenel Primary School at the conclusion of the 2017 school year. Over the years, Lorraine has been at the heart of Avenel Primary School and has worked with thousands of students, not to mention all of the principals, teachers and parents she has supported along the way. In my time working next to Lorraine, I have come to develop enormous respect for her “above and beyond the call of duty” approach to her role, not to mention the meticulousness she has exhibited to every facet of her position. On behalf of the Avenel Primary

School community, I would like to wish Lorraine the very best in her retirement. Business Manager Appointment: We are currently in the final stages of a selection process for our new Business Manager. An appointment will be made in the coming days and I will advise the community of the successful candidate in next week’s newsletter. New Building Today we have workmen on site erecting temporary fencing to establish the compound for our new building. Over the next few weeks, the building will be installed with the classrooms ready for the start of the 2018 school year. Grade 3 to 6 Triathlon – Change of Date Due to Extreme Heat. Next Monday, we are scheduled to hold our Grade 3 to 6 triathlon. Given the sudden rise in temperatures and a forecast of 40 degrees, we have made the decision to shift the triathlon to Thursday December 21st at 11am. Our triathlon is a wonderful opportunity for our students to get an experience of the triathlon format in a supportive team environment. Running the triathlon (with such a large field) is obviously a supervisory challenge and we need as many parents as possible to maximize student safety. At this point in time, we need another 5 parent volunteers to ensure the event can go ahead. If you can spare an hour of your time, please contact the office to register your help – the event will run from 11am to 12pm approximately. All the best, Neil

OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ….

SUBJECT CONTRIBUTION – Thank you to those families who have made payment, either in part or in full, of this year’s Subject Contribution. We remind those who have opted to pay by instalment that $42.50 per student is due by the end of term. The subject contribution payment covers the cost of subject expenses and class materials which have been purchased by the school

to be distributed to students throughout the year. Payments can be made either by cash or direct deposit to the school account BSB 063 545 Account No 10076513. Please insert ‘sub cont’ and family name in the reference field. LOST PROPERTY – The number of lost items in the ‘lost property’ tub is on the increase

again. Please make the effort to come in and have a look to see if any belong to your child. If they are not claimed by the end of the year they will be given to charity.

FOUND – Gold bangle. If it belongs to you please claim from the office. FOR YOUR INFORMATION- Term dates for 2018 Term 1 - Wednesday, January 31 2018 - Thursday, 29 March 2018 Term 2 - Monday, 16 April 2018 - Friday, 29 June 2018 Term 3 - Monday, 16 July 2018 - Friday, 21 September 2018 Term 4 - Monday, 8 October 2018 - Friday, 21 December 2018 and Public Holidays during the school year. Friday 30 March –Good Friday Sunday 1 April - Easter Sunday Monday 2 April - Easter Monday Wednesday 25 April - Anzac Day Monday 11 June - Queen's Birthday Fri day 28 September - AFL Grand Final Friday Tuesday 6 November - Melbourne Cup

PARENTS AND FRIENDS UPDATE Next Meeting – Monday 18th December in staffroom after assembly. All welcome. Thank you to those that have assisted us throughout the year. We appreciate your support. Have a safe and happy holiday period. We look forward to working with you again in 2018.

AROUND THE ROOMS To – No students this week, but if it is your birthday we hope you have a lovely day.

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK ….. Congratulations to Mae Goodman – for her accuracy when measuring items in maths. Lilli Fowles – for her ability to use topic specific vocabulary to locate information on a map in mathematics. Mason Dean – for his motivation and focus during independent reading time. Cale Robertson – for his persistence on tasks and accepting challenges in his learning. Erynn Wellington– for her increased confidence in contributing to class discussions. Darby O’Brien – for taking risks and having a go at things that take him out of his comfort zone. Alana Gunn – for encouraging others and celebrating their successes.

Frankie Eagles -For the kind and encouraging words she shares with her peers. Ashlee Hilbig - For her improved persistence when completing her literacy task. Oisin O’Sullivan-For his increased resilience when playing team games. Lucas Black-For taking on feedback to make improvements to his work.

AVENEL PRIMARY SCHOOL

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MONTH

DATE

EVENT Thursday 7th Prep Information Session – 6.00pm

December Monday 11th – 15th Swimming Program

Thursday 14th Gr 6 Valedictory Dinner

Monday 18th P&F Meeting – Staffroom – 9.30am all welcome

Wednesday 20th Concert

Thursday21st Gr 3 – 6 Triathlon Note change of date

Friday 22nd Last day of Term 4

January Wednesday 31st 1st day Term 1

COMMUNITY CORNER

SHOWING AT THE EUROA CINEMA OVER THE NEXT WEEKS 15th – The Polar Express – Family Fun Night 6.30pm 16th/17th – Murder on the Orient Express

Tickets $10 – Preschool children free. Ice-creams, popcorn etc available from the Kiosk. Screening times: 8.00pm Friday; 8.00pm Saturday and 4.00pm Sunday AVENEL TENNIS CLUB – CHRISTMAS RAFFLE

VicSwim will run at the Avenel Pool across the 3 weeks commencing 2nd January from 9.00am-

12.40pm

AVENEL GOLF CLUB TWILIGHT GOLF

Come along to Avenel Golf Club Friday evenings and join us for

9 holes of golf - $5.00. No handicap necessary.

BBQ following – sausages from Avenel

Meats. Meat Tray Raffle – thanks to Avenel Meats

drawn 7.30pm.

LEXILE & TAKE HOME READERS - Could parents please check your child’s favourite reading spots to see if there are any of our ‘take home readers’ or ‘lexile’ books hidden away. It would be appreciated if these could be returned before the end of term so that we can have our reading shelves up and running right from the start of term 1.

2.15 PM FINISH Friday 22nd DECEMBER – Please make appropriate arrangements to have your child picked up at 2.15pm if you are unable to do so on the last day of term. A reminder to parents of bus travelers that the bus will also be departing from school early on this day.

Make a Difference at Cancer Council’s Seymour Relay For Life

2018

You’re invited to take part in Seymour Relay For Life to be held at

Avenel Recreation Reserve, Anderson St, Avenel on Saturday 14 –

Sunday 15 April 2018. It is Seymour Relay For Life’s 10th Birthday

and we would love you to join us in celebrating this milestone.

What is Relay For Life? - Relay For Life is a community fundraising

festival, which brings together teams who camp overnight and walk

relay-style throughout the event to symbolise the cancer fight and

raise vital funds for Cancer Council Victoria’s research, prevention and

support services. Whether you stay for one hour or 18 hours, come along with your friends, family or colleagues and enjoy a night of fun,

all while supporting a cause close to many.

You can expect to enjoy local live entertainment, food, activities, and

special ceremonies throughout the duration of the event. Each Relay

commences with a special Survivors and Carers Lap to celebrate

cancer Survivors and their Carers. A Candlelight Ceremony held at

dusk is a chance to reflect and honour loved ones lost to cancer and

to celebrate our courageous survivors.

Saturday 3pm: Opening Ceremony

Saturday 8pm: Candlelight Ceremony

Sunday 10am: Closing Ceremony

Over the 10 years, Seymour Relay For Life has raised over $645,000

for Cancer Council Victoria. This year, we aim to raise another

$50,000 to support all of the the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters,

cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and colleagues affected by cancer in your community.

Supporting Relay For Life is easy!

There are a number of ways you can get involved with Seymour Relay

For Life:

Create a team or join an existing team and fundraise

Donate to an individual or team

Sponsorship of cash, goods or services

Throughout our online early-bird period, registration is $20 per person, which includes a Relay For Life T-shirt, access to the event

including all activities, food and entertainment, and your team will be

allocated a campsite to set up, decorate and get comfortable!

Visit http://fundraising.cancer.org.au/Seymour for further information

and to register a team. If you have any questions please don’t

hesitate to contact me on the below.

Kitty Howard

Relay For Life Event Coordinator

Cancer Council Victoria

M: 0477 346 810

E: kitty.howard@cancervic.org.au

Game On! Summer Reading Club.

Supercharge your reading this summer with Goulburn Valley Libraries and the Summer Reading Club. Registrations open from 1st December 2017 and the program runs until 31st January 2018. Registration is FREE for children of all ages. When participants register they receive a Summer Reading Club pack for a Pre-school, Primary or Secondary aged child. As children read they collect fun rewards, and for every book read children receive a token to enter into their branch draw to win a fantastic prize. Every child who registers with Goulburn Valley Libraries, and reads just one book can enter to win! National prizes are also up for grabs for those who participate in the online activities. Last year more than 400 children registered to participate at a GV Library. This is the seventh year as a national program, and we are hoping to make it bigger than ever. The theme for the 2017 Summer Reading Club is GAME ON. Readers will be encouraged to play, solve, participate and read in celebration of sports, games, technology and spirit. Go to www.gvlibraries.com.au for more information, or the Summer Reading Club website at www.summerreadingclub.org.au.

For bookings or more information:

Emma Kennedy, Children’s & Youth Services Librarian,

Goulburn Valley Libraries

Tel: 03 5832 1620 or 1300 374 765

Email: emmak@gvrlc.vic.gov.au