Term 4

Thursday 15^th October – 2027 Foundation 1^st Transition Day

Friday 16^th October - Hume Regional Athletics

Tuesday 20^th October – Pupil Free Day (Staff Professional Development)

Friday 23^rd October – Book Club Closes

Thursday 29^th October - 2027 Foundation 2^nd Transition Day

Wednesday 28^th October – BSC half day transition

Wednesday 28^th October – Hot Shots

Monday 2^nd November – Pupil Free Day (Curriculum Development)

Tuesday 3^rd November– Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

Monday 9^th November – Cultural Performance, Dance for the fun of it!

Thursday 12^th November - 2027 Foundation 3^rd Transition Day

Thursday 26^th November - 2027 Foundation 4^th  Transition Day

Wednesday 2^nd December – BSC information night 6-7pm

Thursday 3^rd December – School Concert

Monday 7^th – 9^th December – BSC 3 full-day transition

Tuesday 8^th December – Statewide Transition

Wednesday 16^th December – Year 6 Graduation

Thursday 17^th December – Year 6 Assembly

Friday 18^th December – Pupil Free Day (2027 Preparation)

Welcome back to Term Four at Yackandandah Primary School. Congratulations to the students who have made a strong, calm and focused start to the term. With the recent daylight savings change and the longer, lighter evenings tiredness can be a factor for children (and staff). It is important that we all keep good sleep routines as fatigue can creep up on us without realising it.

Transition from Kindergarten to school begins Thursday next week. Our Yr. 5 students have met their junior buddies for next year and have started developing strong relationships already. Yr. 6 students will be doing their transition programs to their chosen secondary school beginning later in the term.

Pupil Free Days

Please remember that we have pupil free days this term. They are Tuesday October 20^th (staff professional development) and Monday November 2^nd (2027 curriculum development). Their Care will be providing OSHC on those days.

Michael Edwards
Acting Principal

Second Hand Uniforms
Our second-hand uniform collection is available in the staff room for families to browse through and take any items they may need, free of charge.

We are always grateful for donations of clean, good-quality, pre-loved school uniforms. If you have uniforms your family has outgrown, we would love for you to pass them on so another family can make good use of them.

A few things to keep in mind when donating:

• Please ensure items are in good, used condition with no holes or tears.
• We can only accept the current school uniform. Unfortunately, we are unable to take old-style uniforms.
• When browsing, please help us keep the collection organised by returning items to the correct size and placing them back neatly.

Keeping everything tidy and organised makes it much easier for everyone to find what they are looking for. Thank you for helping us make this a useful and welcoming resource for all our families!

This week:  Sara Davison and Willis Hogg

Next Week:  Evie Burston and Will Boddenberg

Congratulations to all our award recipients.

WE ARE FAIR

Dara Freeman – For demonstrating respectful listening, excellent focus and a positive attitude towards getting the job done.

Renn Thompson - for always being one of the first to help out in the classroom, often without being asked. Renn, you’re a great team player.

Briana Wingard- Parking your car on a 45-degree angle! Thank you and well done!

WE ARE LEARNERS

Hazel Arnott - for her wonderful contributions to our co constructed Sun poem. You have a wonderful way with words when doing poetry. 

Sunday Makin - for her excellent fluency work when working on her number facts. Well done Sunday, you are working so well in maths!

Audrey Costenaro - For dancing with confidence, enthusiasm and joy during our sport lesson. Your fabulous dance outfit helped your personality shine through. Keep it up, Audrey! 

Frankie Kelly – For bringing creativity and enthusiasm to our dance lessons through your careful choice of outfits and fantastic sense of fun. 

Mia Lockett – For improving her reading fluency through greater attentiveness, focus and self-correction.

Jono Shepherd - for creating an engaging information text about the Black Death by using some wonderful paraphrasing to put research into his own words. 

Alfie Boucher -  a dedicated approach to all learning and a willingness to take on the most challenging of tasks!

Darcy Kelly – for continuing to set a wonderful example to her peers of what it means to be a learner at Yackandandah Primary School. 

Cobie Flower – for demonstrating a strong understanding of chance and probability while building and interpreting spinners on Polypad.

Paddy Grogan- For starting the term with a mature attitude towards your learning. You approach tasks with focus and show a willingness to challenge yourself and share ideas.Fantastic work!

Maisie Smith - for your dedication to your reading, both at home and at school. Your hard work is paying off, you are absolutely flying in your reading and understanding!

WE SHOW RESPECT

Ella Murphy - always bringing a warm smile and positive attitude to her learning and friendships.

Chelsea McNicol - displaying excellent listening skills during floor time and confidence with sharing your ideas and your learning with the class.

Ed Hogan- For consistently demonstrating respect by listening attentively, staying organised and treating others with kindness and consideration, but always with a touch of “Ed” humour.

Freddie Boucher - for careful listening during our Sounds-Write lessons. You have been doing a great job working on learning the differences between some tricky sounds!

Welcome back to Term 4. I hope your children had a lovely Spring break.

This term, students will continue their learning through the Resilience, Rights & Respectful Relationships (RRRR) program, focusing on Topic 8: Positive, Respectful Relationships. In fact, this term sees our school completing a full cycle of this program in SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) with 8 topics over 2 years.

Over the coming weeks, our students will explore how to maintain respectful relationships, fairness and equality, personal boundaries, respectful communication, and ways to respond when something just doesn’t feel right.

This learning supports students' mental health and wellbeing by building social and emotional skills, resilience, confidence and healthy relationships. Research underpinning the program shows that school-based learning can positively influence students’ attitudes, knowledge and skills, while helping create a culture where respect, equality and safety are valued.

A key feature of this topic also sees students' strengthening their help-seeking skills, including recognising concerns, identifying trusted adults and understanding that asking for help is a strength. These skills empower students to speak up, seek support and contribute to safer, more respectful communities.

I continue to be very proud of our staff, students and families for the strong commitment to social and emotional learning. Moving about our school, you can see that that commitment is paying off. 

Well, done, Yackandandah Primary School!

Stacey Hogan
Leading Teacher

On Wednesday, seven students travelled to Shepparton to take part in either an English or Mathematics Masterclass at the Victorian Academy. Nate, Jim, Hugo, Renn, Ewan, Richie and Ned spent the day working under the guidance of teachers from the Victorian High Ability Program (VHAP), alongside students from across the region.

The mathematics students spent much of the day decoding a series of ciphers in order to unlock a final code and open a “treasure chest”. The task required persistence, problem-solving and plenty of collaboration. At the end of the session, the Yackandandah students were given the honour of explaining their process to the wider group, having demonstrated outstanding tenacity and drive throughout the day.

The English students explored the idea of the “shadow” in narrative, considering both external and internal challenges within the Hero’s Journey. Their learning culminated in the creation of an original board game designed to demonstrate a character’s strengths and weaknesses.

Across both masterclasses, the day was filled with exploration, collaboration, discussion and the chance to work with other high-ability students from across the region.

A big thank you to Bridget for helping drive students to and from the event. The day was made possible through State Government funding provided through the Student Excellence Program.

SECONDHAND BOOK SALE
On the last day of Term 3, we held a secondhand book sale to raise money for the school library. I'm happy to report we made $90! That's pretty good considering the majority of books sold were only 20c each! We got rid of lots of old and rarely-borrowed books, to make shelf space for new ones. Thank you to all the students and families who supported the stall.

NEW SHELVES IN THE LIBRARY
Speaking of making room for new books- last term I engaged Neil Padbury and the Men's Shed to reconstruct some existing shelves in the library, in order to better suit our growing collection of junior fiction, and allow better use of dead space. You'll see from the before and after pictures below what a fantastic job he's done- with minimal new materials, and cost to the school. I'd like to thank Neil for the wonderful job he's done remaking the shelves using the existing materials. 

HELP NEEDED IN THE LIBRARY
A big thank you must go to Ruth Raymond and Carolyn Doyne who regularly sneak into the school library and work their magic tidying shelves, cataloguing and covering books. The library can't function without the dedication of parent volunteers, like Ruth and Carolyn  who give a little bit of time consistently each week.

If you are able to give just one hour of your time each week, or once a fortnight, to undertake tasks in the library, please get in touch: sarah.mcalister@education.vic.gov.au

Many hands make light work, and we are looking for a few more helpers to make this happen.

Sarah McAlister

Our Artworks of the Week proudly feature our talented Year 5/6 students, who have put their own creative spin on the colourful and sculptural works of Australian artist Stephen Ormandy! Inspired by his bold shapes, playful forms and vibrant use of colour, students explored their own ideas to create unique artworks that reflect their individual styles and imaginations. We love seeing the many different interpretations and creative flair shining through in these fantastic pieces. Well, done, Year 5/6!

Hot Lunch Orders Are Now Closed!

A big thank you to all our families who have placed their Hot Lunch orders for Term 4! Ordering is now officially closed, and we’re looking forward to getting our Hot Lunch program underway next week.

Our first Hot Lunch will be Bacon & Egg Rolls or Haloumi Rolls – a delicious way to kick off the term!

Sign up to volunteer next term using the link below.

Term 4 volunteer sign up: https://forms.gle/ch35fRgHBRVNyuMu6

Our last cultural performance for the year is fast approaching. Monday 9th November at 2:30pm we welcome -Dance For The Fun Of It!
This performance looks at a multitude of different dance genres. Permission forms will be sent out closer to the date.

Some dance styles like Hip Hop, Melbourne Shuffle, Conga, The Sailor’s Hornpipe, Ballroom, Ballet and its beginnings in the French Royal Court in the sixteen hundreds, are explored in some depth.

In three fun mash-ups (medleys), dances like the Macarena, Hokey Pokey and The Chicken Dance are danced for only a few seconds, while others including Disco, Nut Bush City Limits, Popping and the finale, a dance routine choreographed to the 1970’s hit Kung Fu Fighting are given more time.

Students are shown that with most dance styles it is as much about the clothing worn as the dance. Melbourne shufflers love their phat pants (jeans with metre wide legs) decorated with outrageous designs that reflect the light on the dance floor.

Ballroom dancers are more formal in their fashion and as Alistair relives his first dance lesson, everyone has a laugh at his first gangly foray into the world of Classical Ballet.

Some may be surprised to learn that Hip Hop is much more than the dance, music and fashion as Alistair demonstrates its several other elements.

Dance For The Fun Of It combines humour, audience participation, surprise, costume and of course dance in this most enjoyable look at dance through the centuries and most importantly today.

Regional Athletics – Friday 16^th October

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder that next Friday, 16^th October, is the Regional Athletics event at the Les O’Brien Athletics Precinct, Albury.

Please note that parents are responsible for transporting and supervising their child/ren throughout the day.

Could you please refer to the event table that I emailed you on Tuesday, which shows the event your child/ren will be competing in. I have also emailed you the timetable for the day to help you plan accordingly.

A few other things to note:

• There is no cost for this event.
• Boost Juice and Cloud 9 Coffee vans will be in attendance.
• Staff don’t usually attend this event; however, I will be attending this year to support and watch our Yackandandah students compete.
• Parents will remain responsible for supervising their child/ren throughout the event.
• Some families may like to arrange carpooling for the day, so please feel free to contact other families if this would be helpful.

I look forward to seeing everyone next Friday and watching your child/ren compete at Regionals.

Good luck to all of our athletes!

ALL GIRLS CRICKET PROGRAM
Please refer to the community notices and flyer for more information to register for the ‘All Girls Cricket Program’. It is FREE to join!

AUSKICK
Please refer to the community notices and flyer for more information to register for Auskick. It is FREE to join! Dates: 19^th November to 10^th December.

9^th October                           Mim

9^th October                           Kayden

10^th October                         Noah

10^th October                         Grace

11^th October                         Macklan

15^th October                         Will

Welcome Back to TheirCare for Term 4!
Welcome back to TheirCare! We hope all of our families had a wonderful break and are ready for another exciting term.

What a crazy and fun-filled two weeks we had during our Spring Holiday Program! It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces, as well as welcome some new children into our service. We enjoyed plenty of creative, messy and exciting experiences together and made some wonderful memories along the way.

Spring Holiday Program Highlights

Some of our favourite moments from the holidays included:

• Making popcorn slime
• Watching The Incredibles on Hero Academy Day
• Making our own energy balls
• Designing and testing crash cars
• Creating playdough sports balls

A huge thank you to all of the children who joined us over the holidays and helped make our Spring Holiday Program so much fun!

A Look Back at Book Week
Before we said goodbye to Term 3, we celebrated Book Week with lots of activities inspired by some familiar stories and characters.

Some of our Book Week fun included:

• Taking on our We’re Going on a Bear Hunt obstacle course
• Decorating our book corner with creations inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Rainbow Fish
• Making our very own Matilda-inspired chocolate cake
• Designing and creating bookmarks

It was a great way to celebrate stories, creativity and some of our favourite books before finishing Term 3!

This Week – Spring Week!
We’re kicking off Term 4 with a bright and colourful Spring Week! Children will be celebrating the new season through cooking, creativity and active play.

Some of the experiences happening this week include:

• Making flower biscuits
• Decorating flower pots
• Creating pressed-flower bookmarks
• Participating in Spring-themed sport and outdoor activities

It’s shaping up to be a colourful and exciting start to Term 4!

Next Week at TheirCare – Around the World!

Get your passports ready! Next week, we’re taking a trip Around the World, exploring a different continent each day through craft, cooking, games, STEM and plenty of hands-on fun!

Monday – Asia
 Cherry blossom painting
 Panda mask making
 Chopstick pick-up challenge
 Create a giant collaborative Chinese dragon 

 Menu:
Breakfast: To be announced
Afternoon Tea: Spring rolls & fried rice

 Tuesday – Europe
 Create royal crowns
 Make pasta necklaces
Make and decorate our own pizzas
 Create European-inspired mosaic art 

 Menu:
Breakfast: French toast & fresh fruit
Afternoon Tea: Toasted ham & cheese croissants

 Wednesday – Africa

 Explore our African wildlife craft station
 Test our knowledge with Africa Bingo
More activities to be revealed!

 Menu:
Breakfast: To be announced
Afternoon Tea: To be announced

 Thursday – The Americas
Create our own Hollywood Walk of Fame stars
Make and decorate Mexican-inspired maracas
Take on our Canadian Beaver Dam STEM Challenge
Finish with a Brazilian-inspired soccer game 

 Menu:
Breakfast: Canadian maple pancakes
Afternoon Tea: Nachos

 Friday – Oceania & the Pacific
 Decorate our own boomerangs
 Create an erupting volcano experiment
 Relax with a Moana movie afternoon
 Plus another activity still to be revealed!

 Menu:
Breakfast: Vegemite & cheese toasties 
Afternoon Tea: Party pies

 Important Updates & Reminders

 Enrolments & Bookings
Families wishing to enrol their children at TheirCare can do so through the TheirCare website. Once your enrolment has been completed, you will be able to make bookings for our service through FullyBooked.

If you need assistance with the enrolment process or navigating FullyBooked, please get in touch with Bri.

 Staffing
Bri returned from leave during the final week of Term 3 and will be with us throughout Term 4.

This will also be Bri’s final term with TheirCare and Yackandandah Primary School. We are looking forward to making it a fantastic final term together!

 Medical Conditions & Medication
If your child has a medical condition listed on their enrolment, you may receive communication from us regarding required medical documentation. Please ensure all requested paperwork is completed before your child attends the service.

Where medication is required while attending TheirCare, please ensure it is provided in its original packaging, clearly labelled and within its expiry date.

Food at TheirCare
Breakfast is provided during Before School Care and afternoon tea is provided during After School Care. Our menus include a variety of foods and regularly connect with our weekly themes and activities.

Please ensure all allergies, intolerances and dietary requirements are kept up to date on your child’s enrolment so we can safely cater for their needs.

 Mobile Phones at TheirCare
As an Outside School Hours Care service, TheirCare operates under similar requirements to other childcare services. To help protect the privacy and safety of all children, the use of personal mobile phones is not permitted within our service area.

We kindly ask that parents and visitors keep their phones away while inside the service, including during drop-off and collection.

 Collection of Children
Children can only be collected by a person who is authorised on their enrolment.

If somebody different will be collecting your child, please ensure they have been added as an authorised person prior to collection. If you are unsure, please contact us before pickup so we can assist.

 Lost Property
Our lost property is currently very full! Please take a moment at drop-off or collection to check whether any of your child’s belongings are waiting to be collected.

We also recommend clearly labelling hats, drink bottles, jumpers and other belongings with your child’s name to help us return lost items to the correct family.

 Friendly Reminders

• Hats: Children need a hat to participate in outdoor activities. We recommend bringing a separate hat for TheirCare where possible, as school hats can easily be misplaced.
• Sign in/out: Parents and authorised persons must be physically present when signing children in and out at drop-off and collection.
•  Cancellations: Bookings may still be charged unless adequate cancellation notice is provided. Cancellations can be completed through the FullyBooked app.
•  Service hours: Before School Care operates 6:40am–8:40am, After School Care operates 3:30pm–6:00pm, and Holiday Programs/Pupil Free Days operate 7:00am–6:00pm.
•  Pupil Free Days: We are open for all upcoming pupil-free days.

 Who Do I Contact?

 Yackandandah TheirCare Service

 0481 246 468
Available 6:30am–9:00am & 2:30pm–6:00pm

 yackandandahps@theircare.com.au
Monitored during the same service hours.

 Bri – Service Coordinator

? Briana.wingard@theircare.edu.au

Please contact Bri or the Yackandandah service for:

• General enquiries
• Questions specific to the Yackandandah service
• Adding or cancelling bookings
• Enrolment enquiries and assistance with FullyBooked
• Child-specific questions or information
• Medical, behavioural or other documentation enquiries

 TheirCare Head Office

 1300 072 410
Available 6:30am–6:30pm

Please contact TheirCare Head Office for:

• Finance and account enquiries
• Fees, payments and billing
• Complaints or concerns requiring Head Office assistance