1. Parent Information Session 2016 Foundation K

2. Healthy Snack - Students can have a healthy snack twice a day at around 10am and 12.30pm. - Only fresh fruit and vegetables are allowed during healthy snack time. - Students are usually working during this time so please ensure that nothing messy is provided for healthy snack. - Water bottles can be left on tables during the day. Please ensure that water bottles are the pop top type and do not leak.

3. Hot Lunches - Students need to put their hot lunch in the basket in the classroom. This should be done as soon as they get to school. - Food is to be wrapped in foil and clearly labelled with student name and grade. - Please provide knives, forks and spoons that are required for eating.

4. Sun Smart  Hats are required for all of term 1 and some of term 2.  Sunscreen is also recommended.  If the weather forecast (Channel 7 news) for the following day is 35 degrees or above, school the following day will end earlier at 3:00. Lunch play is reduced on these day so that students are not out in the heat. No class time is lost.

5. End of Day Pick Up  Due to traffic in our car park, we have staggered dismissal times.  You can nominate to collect your child at either the early pick up (3:15) or late pick-up (3:30) time.  All students finish classes at the same time, with late pick up students being supervised in the yard from 3:15 to 3:30.  We also have a bus option. See the office for more information.  To minimise traffic through the office, please make sure that if you pick your child up from their classroom, that you collect them from outside their classroom door.

6. Homework - Foundation students are expected to practise their reading at home. This includes reading short texts and ‘hot words’.

7. Homework: Reading - To get the most out of this, students should read every weeknight for about 10 mins. - The book they have read and a short comment on their reading should be recorded in their reading diary each night. - Please send this diary back to school every day in their reading satchel (available from the uniform shop). - To begin with, you can read to your child, with them tracking the words and repeating it back to you. They can then gradually take control of the reading.

8. Homework: Spelling  Foundation students practise the ‘hot words’.  These are lists of high frequency words, usually with some common spelling patterns.  The goal is for students to be able to recognise these words on sight. They therefore need short, regular practise of these.  Your role will be to support your child to learn these words by reading the words with your child on a regular basis and playing games together. Eg. memory, snap or go fish.  Once a student can read a list independently, they are moved onto the next list. Each class is looking for a parent helper to test students on the lists each week. Please see Mrs Phillips or Miss K if you can help.

9. Classroom Helpers  Parent Helpers need to complete the Parent Helpers course with Sue and have a current working with children check. These are free and you can find the forms at Australia Post.  Parents may be assigned a group of children to work with or individual children.  Mrs Phillips and Miss K will send a timetable home shortly for you to place your names against if you are interested.

10. Parent Helpers You may also like to help at…  Canteen  Special events  Odd jobs (see the newsletter)  Lunchtime options programs  Working bees  FAF  Excursions  Foundation dinner

11. Blogging  Each grade has it’s own class blog.  Checking the blog is a great way to keep up to date with what’s happening in the classroom.  We post on these regularly so please subscribe to the relevant blog using the link on the site. You will receive an email notification when we add a new post and can unsubscribe at any time if needed.  Our blog addresses are…http://kenny.global2.vic.edu.auhttp://kenny.global2.vic.edu.au http://kotlarewski.global2.vic.edu.au  The addresses also located inside the front cover of the reading diaries.  We will be posting each unit newsletter on the blog, as well as this presentation.

12. Specialists ArtIndonesianPEScience 9:00-10:00 Tuesday 10:30- 11:00 Tuesday 2:15- 3:15 Tuesday 12:30- 1:30 Thursday Rotations Rotations are still in house groups and will take place on Fridays. Throughout the year students will participate in… Creative writing Performing Arts Sport

13. Foundation Dinner - In term 4, Foundation students attend a dinner at school. - The night also includes a movie and scavenger hunt around the school yard.

14. Communication  Thursday Newsletter  Avoid lost newsletters and sign up to get newsletters emailed to you, just see Melissa  www.upper-plenty-ps.vic.edu.au www.upper-plenty-ps.vic.edu.au  Become a friend of UPPS on Facebook  Unit newsletters  Class blog  You can see us after school Tuesday or Thursdays.

15. Questions?

16. Thank you for coming.  Parents play an important role in their children’s education