Oakleigh South Primary School
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 12
1st May, 2025
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
IMPORTANT DATES
Issue 12 – 1st May 2025
Tuesday 6th May
• Bentleigh District Cross Country
• Year 4–6 Assembly (2:45PM)
Thursday 8th May
• VSSS Dance Rehearsal – Hall
• Interschool Winter Sport
• Senior Choir – Hall (3:45PM)
Saturday 10th May
• OSPS Family Fete (10:00AM–4:00PM)
Monday 12th May
• Karate Clinics
• TRP Connected Parenting Webinar (6:30PM)
Tuesday 13th May
• Prep–Year 3 Assembly (2:45PM)
Wednesday 14th May
• Prep – Reptile Incursion
Thursday 15th May
• Interschool Winter Sport
• Prep – Mother’s Day Afternoon (2:30PM)
• Senior Choir – Hall (3:45PM)
Friday 16th May
• Karate Clinics
Thursday 22nd May
• School Tour
Tuesday 27th May
• Beachside Division Cross Country
• Year 4–6 Assembly (2:45PM)
Thursday 29th May
• Interschool Winter Sport
• Senior Choir – Hall (3:45PM)
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
The teachers had a very successful Curriculum Day last Monday, with a focus on the Mathematics 2.0 curriculum and reporting. Staff collaborated in their year-level teams and worked on documentation in preparation for the upcoming mid-year reports.
Yesterday and today, our Parent Group is running the annual Mother’s Day Stall. Each class will have a turn to visit the stall and purchase a gift for their mum or special person. A big thank you to the Parent Group for providing this lovely opportunity for our students.
Next Tuesday, 6th May, OSPS will be proudly represented at the Bentleigh District Cross Country at Bald Hill Park. We wish our cross-country team the best of luck — we know they’ll give it their all and represent our school with pride!
This Tuesday, we hosted our third school tour for the year. Many interested families toured the school and explored the wonderful facilities we offer at OSPS. Two more school tours are scheduled for Thursday 22nd May and Tuesday 17th June.
The countdown is on for the OSPS Autumn Fete — only 8 sleeps to go! You will have already received plenty of information via your children and Compass. If you haven’t already, please consider volunteering some time to help on your child’s class stall. Many hands make light work!
Make your Fete day even more enjoyable and hassle-free with an Earlybird Wristband for unlimited access to rides from 10am to 3pm. Orders close at 4pm on Friday 9th May, and wristbands are NOT available for purchase on the day. Place your order though TryBooking here.
Fete Day is always a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together and enjoy a day full of fun for family and friends.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Warm regards,
Nikki Virtuoso
Acting Principal
SCHOOL MATTERS
ELECTION DAY – SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY!
Just a reminder that Oakleigh South Primary School is not a polling location for the federal election on Saturday, 3rd May. The nearest polling place is Huntingdale Primary School, and they’re making the most of it with a fantastic Election Day Bake Sale and Sausage Sizzle!
It’s a great chance to support another local school — now led by our former Assistant Principal, Mr Anthony Rowe, who is currently the Acting Principal at Huntingdale PS!
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
DONATE BAKED GOODS
Drop off your cupcakes, cookies, slices, or other treats with a full ingredients list at the Huntingdale PS office by 4pm, Friday 2nd May.
VOLUNTEER AT THE STALL
Election Day stalls are a fantastic way for schools to fundraise and bring the community together. Let’s support our neighbours and former staff by getting involved! Sign up by scanning the QR code on the flyer.
READY TO VOTE?
Voting is compulsory in Australia — make sure you’re prepared:
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Find your local polling place and check your enrolment at the AEC: https://aec.gov.au
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Build a Ballot is an online tool that allows you to create a personalised, printable how-to-vote card based on your views and values. It helps you navigate the complexities of voting and make informed choices. To create yours, visit: https://www.buildaballot.org.au
Thank you for supporting our wider school community — and don’t forget to stop by the stall if you’re voting at Huntingdale!
THIS MONTH ON SCHOOLTV – ONLINE GAMING
Games are an integral part of human behaviour. It is normal and healthy for young people to engage in play as a part of their daily lives, including playing games online. And like most activities, online gaming can have both positive and negative outcomes. It can be intimidating and confusing for carers trying to understand a young person’s online experiences with many considering that staring at a screen is an unhealthy habit. However, the World Health Organisation does believe that as well as the risks, there are also many positive benefits associated with online gaming and these could be key in nurturing bonds with others.
During the pandemic, there was an explosive growth of gaming as people sought much needed connection during isolation. In the media, gaming often gets bad publicity because most coverage tends to concentrate on the minority of gamers who play to such an extent that it compromises all other areas of their life. However, online gaming can teach young people many skills including teamwork, concentration, communication and problem-solving. It requires a level of interaction and skill from the player; unlike watching television, which is more passive.
Online communities provide opportunities for young people to feel socially connected and have a sense of belonging. At healthy levels, gaming can increase their self-esteem and social acceptance. However, any behaviour, when taken to extreme, can also have a negative impact on a young person’s everyday life. Understanding what your young person experiences online and knowing the warning signs if they are at risk, will help nurture a more positive relationship with online gaming and help your family find the right balance.
If you are concerned about your young person’s online gaming habits, it’s important to consider a number of factors. This edition will provide strategies in how to deal with any issues you may be experiencing.
Here is the link to the Online Gaming edition of SchoolTV:
https://oakleighsouthps.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/online-gaming
BOOK CLUB ISSUE 3
CONNECTED PARENT WEBINAR: LAEL STONE & THE RESILIENCE PROJECT – FREE EVENT
As part of our ongoing partnership with The Resilience Project, supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our school community, we are excited to offer a free parent webinar on Monday 12th May, 6:30–7:45pm with Lael Stone.
About Lael Stone:
Lael Stone is an author, TEDx speaker, counsellor, and parenting educator who specialises in helping families navigate trauma and disconnection. For nearly two decades, she has worked with families and delivered programs in secondary schools focusing on relationships and wellbeing. Lael is also the co-founder of Woodline Primary School, an innovative school dedicated to supporting children’s emotional intelligence, and a mother of three adult children.
Workshop topics:
Grounded in the latest research, this 75-minute workshop will provide parents and carers with practical strategies to raise resilient children. Lael will cover how to:
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Build stronger connections with your children
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Support them through challenging and frustrating situations
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Create a culture of cooperation in simple ways
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Manage your own triggers as a parent
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Understand and support big emotions to help children develop emotional resilience
To register for this free event, this link. Once registered, you will receive a Zoom link and a calendar invitation via email.
OSPS ANNUAL REPORT 2024
The OSPS Annual Report has been endorsed by school council and full attested by the Department of Education.
It can be located and viewed by parents on Compass by clicking on the ‘Community Tab’ (people icon) in the menu bar, ‘School Documentation’ and in the folder ‘Parent Info & Handbook’.
We look forward to sharing this with the school community at a later date in the school year.
THE RESILIENCE PROJECT
THE RESILIENCE PROJECT
Since 2022, OSPS has partnered with The Resilience Project to support student wellbeing from Foundation to Year 6 through the Inspire Program. The curriculum, designed by teachers for teachers, aligns with Victorian and Australian Curriculum standards in Personal and Social Capabilities and Health and Physical Education.
The program focuses on four key strategies to build resilience and happiness:
- Gratitude: The act of being thankful and appreciating what you have in life.
- Empathy: The capacity to understand and feel what another person is feeling.
- Mindfulness: The practice of attention regulation.
- Emotional Literacy: The ability to understand and express our feelings.
Each week, students participate in formal lessons and complete entries in their Resilience Student Journals. Activities include gratitude posters, mindfulness colouring, and emotion-matching exercises. As a Partnership School, OSPS integrates The Resilience Project’s wellbeing curriculum across the whole school community.
There are many ways to support your child’s mental health at home.
For more information, visit: The Resilience Project – At Home
Access the Parent Hub (no login required): Resilience Project Parent Hub
GEM AWARDS
Victoria G. – Prep AL – Empathy: For being kind to her classmates and always trying her best to help others. Well done!
Eleni G. – 1AN – Empathy: For consistently using beautiful manners throughout her school life and always being kind to others. Eleni is always looking out for 1AN and we are very lucky to have her in our class!
Charissa B. – 2AB – Empathy: For displaying kindness towards her classmates and teachers. Well done, Charissa!
Cooper C. – 3WC – Empathy: For demonstrating kindness towards his peers, inside and outside of the classroom.
Troy H. – 4WW – Empathy: For consistently showing care, kindness, and gratitude in our classroom. Troy’s thoughtful words, positive attitude, and appreciation for others help create a warm and welcoming environment where everyone feels valued.
Luka M. – 5MP – Empathy: For always looking out for others and having a heart of gold that is contagious.
Jake S. – 6SM – Empathy: For displaying empathy towards not just his classmates, but teachers as well by seeing what needs to be done and doing it! Thanks, Jake!
GEM CHATS
GEM Chats are daily conversation starters provided by TRP that encourage reflection on the GEM values: being grateful, empathetic, and mindful. We encourage parents to ask their child the prompt and engage in a discussion about these values. By making GEM Chats a part of your routine, you can help reinforce these positive habits and support your child’s ongoing wellbeing and emotional literacy.
PARENT GROUP
LUNCH ORDER PROVIDERS
We are pleased to confirm the following lunch order options for our school community in 2025: TK Tuckshop and Classroom Cuisine will be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while Subway will be available on Tuesday and Thursday.
CLASSROOM CUISINE: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Register and order at www.classroomcuisine.com.au
All orders must be placed by 8:30am the morning of delivery.
TK TUCKSHOP: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Register at https://app.spriggyschools.com.au/login
Download the Spriggy Schools app from your app store.
All orders need to be placed by 7pm for the full menu or 8:00am the morning of delivery for a restricted menu.
SUBWAY: Tuesday and Thursday
Register and place your order at https://app.canteenhub.com.au
All orders need to be placed by 8.00am the day of delivery.
PARENT CORNER
OSPS FETE SPONSORS
COMMUNITY EVENTS
COMMUNITY NEWS
Disclaimer: The organisations advertised in this newsletter are not affiliated with and have no relationship to Oakleigh South Primary School. The publishing of these advertisements does not imply endorsement or recommendation of these products or services by the school. They are provided as a community service.
