BERWICK LODGE PRIMARY SCHOOL Phone: 9707 1766 Fax: 9796 2198 E-mail: berwick.lodge.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Visit our Websites : http:// www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au, Camp Australia/Out of School Hours Care: 9769 8251
19TH MAY 2011
NEWSLETTER N0.14
NOTICES DUE BACK BY
DIARY DATES Friday 20th May Monday 23rd May Friday 27th May Monday 6th-Wednesday 8th June Wednesday 8th-Friday 10th June
Interschool Winter Sport (away Maramba PS) District Cross Country Interschool Winter Sport (away Berwick PS) Preps - Basil Safety House 5/6 Camp1 (5T, 5C, 6K, 6N) 5/6 Camp 2 (5H, 5W, 6P, 6N)
Friday 20th May Tuesday 24th May Tuesday 24th May Friday 27th May Friday 3rd June
5/6 Camp Coolamatong Forms District Cross Country Preps - Basil Safety House Interschool Winter Sport (away Berwick PS) 5/6 Camp Coolamatong Final Payment Prep, Grade 1&2 Swimming Program
CANTEEN IS NOT OPEN ON TUESDAYS
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT EDUCATION WEEK OPEN NIGHT What a wonderful night it was! Open Night is one of many special occasions at our school that I really enjoy. It was great to see so many parents and families visit Berwick Lodge and enjoy the hospitality of their children and staff. One of the more gratifying aspects of the night for me is to see the delight and pride in our children as they show their parents their work. I know our staff are also thrilled to have you visit and chat with them as they all take great pride in their work and in the achievements of their students. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the wonderful work of our student leaders who acted as tour guides for visitors. A number of parents have contacted us this morning to express their gratitude and admiration for our student tour guides last evening. Thank you to all for attending.
on an impasse. Those in attendance were Julie Alliston, DEECD BER Manager, Tony Scurrah Whitton, ARUP Representative, Andrew Wood, Project Manager, APP, Sean Hamilton, Director, Hamilton Design (our industry consultant), Jodie Norton, School Council President, Lynne Brenner, Assistant Principal and me. Julie Alliston presented us with a cost analysis summary for our project and invited questions from us. Over two hours many questions were raised, some were answered to our satisfaction, many were not. The clear impression we gained from Julie Alliston was that the meeting was a forum for the DEECD to present a cost summary budget for our project and for her, Tony Scurrah Whitton and Andrew Wood to answer our questions followed by discussion on our companion project. The fact that we were not satisfied with the funds BER UPDATE available for our companion project, in Our meeting yesterday with our view, was ultimately irrelevant to representatives of the DEECD BER their agenda. This we found to be Team and the project managers ended most unsatisfactory in light of the
discussions that took place. The meeting ended with no agreement between the parties on the funds available for our companion project. Later today I am meeting with David Chandler, Deputy Chairman of the Orgill BER Taskforce as he is seeking regular updates on the progress of our project. Tony Scurrah Whitton (ARUP) will be in attendance at this meeting. Summary points from yesterday‟s meeting: (1) The DEECD have offered us a total of $604,063 for our companion project on the basis that our notional $2 million template building has actually cost $2,451,119. This represents $451,119 over spending on the budget – almost 25%! The sum of $604, 063 available for our companion project is arrived at by deducting the total cost of our template building from our notional allocation of $3 million, remembering that we voluntarily downsized our template building to a $2 million building Continued….
because the larger building would has been that our project costs are have meant that we would have now $95,000 dearer just on that lost our $70,000 junior playground single item. equipment with no recompense (5) Our template building, on the and the cost of fitting out the figures provided by the DEECD larger building to a satisfactory yesterday makes it one of the most standard would have been at a expensive of such template buildings prohibitive cost for our school managed by APP. The DEECD (almost $200,000 of our money). provided the Australian (2) We asked for a detailed breakdown Government with a cost analysis of the summary costs, but were per square metre for all standard denied this on the grounds of template buildings. Their figures “commercial –in-confidence” state that the upper limit average grounds, despite the fact that the cost per square metre for the former Minister for Education, building we are receiving is $3,306, Bronwyn Pike, gave an undertaking making for an average total cost of in 2010 that all project details $2,168,954. Our building however, would be made public following the DEECD argues, completion of the tendering is costing $3,888 process. per square metre at (3) The cost summary that we were a total cost of given, in the view of Sean Hamilton, $2, 451,119. We is in the order of $300,000 above are certainly what he would expect. No bemused by the fact satisfactory explanation was given at that our template the meeting to address this building has proven to be one of the concern. most expensive to build. (4) We noted that the redirection (6) Our unique project costs - one of costs for the stormwater and the main areas in which costs can sewage pipes, was quoted as being vary for standard template buildings, $155,000. This represents $95,000 is a bone of contention for us. above the estimate of $60,000 According to the documentation provided to us by KLM Spatial in we received yesterday, our costs November 2009, when we (for such things as contamination, challenged APP‟s contractor demolition, power and utility estimate of the cost being in the upgrade, redirection of services) is order of $203,000. APP did not $247,642. In comparing this with draw on the advice of KLM Spatial the amount the DEECD have in their tendering process, a point allocated in their submission to the of issue at yesterday‟s meeting Parliamentary Inquiry, that being considering that the consequence $175,300, there is a difference of $72,342, which is a far cry from the $282,165 that our project is claimed to cost more than the average cost for such a template as quoted by the DEECD. This of
course does not take into account our view that the DEECD refused to split the tender for our service redirection or subsequently did not have APP at least make contact with KLM Spatial to get the best deal on this aspect – the cost being $95,000 or thereabouts to our final balance. We will bring our continuing concerns to the attention of David Chandler later today and I will keep you informed. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’s) Q. What happens if a child leaves the school grounds during school hours without permission? A. We regard this as very serious and fortunately it does not happen often. Firstly we speak with any witnesses to gain as much information as possible as to why the child left the school grounds and where they may be heading. We send staff out to see if they can spot the child and/or hopefully convince them to return. This is all done very quickly as matter of urgent priority. We also call the child‟s parents and the local police as well as the DEECD Emergency Management Team. QUOTABLE QUOTE ‘Bureaucracies and precedent-setting are like oil and water .’
HENRY GROSSEK
SCHOOL AWARDS Congratulations to the following students who received awards over the last week: Aris PL
Cooper PC Stevan PL
Zubair PW Judy PC
Zeke PM Molly PM
Jamison PW
Kemea PW
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS’ REPORT OPEN NIGHT Thank you to all families who attended our Open Night last night. The positive feedback received from families indicated that everyone enjoyed the opportunity to visit classrooms and specialist areas and view the results of our students‟ efforts. Thanks must also go to our hard working staff for the preparation of displays and activities and their attendance throughout the evening. Our student leaders did a magnificent job in showing prospective families around the school and supporting specialist teachers in their programs. Congratulations to all involved!
‘STEP INTO PREP’ This week families will be receiving a flyer about our Step Into Prep evening that we are running on Wednesday 1st June for families of students commencing school in 2012. This evening will incorporate a guest speaker, Dot Deviny, who will address the issue of how parents can best support their child‟s transition into primary school. The prep classrooms will be open so that families can see the classroom environment and our Prep Staff will also be present to talk about the early days of school and answer parent queries. The evening will commence at 6:00pm and is an excellent opportunity for families who have CARERS MAKE A not yet made their final decision DIFFERENCE regarding school enrolment. „Life Without Barriers‟ is seeking Existing families with preschool compassionate people willing to children enrolling for 2012 are share their home with children also welcome to attend. So that and adults, who may have a we can accommodate all disability, that require their interested families we request that support and care. Carers can be bookings are made by calling the single, living with a partner or have school on 9707 1766. their own children. They offer excellent training, support and WINTER CLOTHING financial reimbursement to assist With the onset of the cooler carers in enhancing a child or weather this adults quality of life. For more week we information contact thought it hostfamilyvic@lwb.org.au or timely to telephone 5990 3200. You can remind all also visit their website at families of the www.lwb.org.au need for
students to wear appropriate clothing to school. Although the children may be warm in the comforts of their home, car and classroom they need to be rugged up when going outside to play. A warm, cosy jumper or jacket and named, weather proof coat are strongly recommended at this time of the year. There is currently an overabundance of lost property and this raises two concerns. Firstly, as most of the clothing items are not clearly named, they cannot be returned promptly to their rightful owners. We understand clothing is expensive and it is difficult to distinguish individual ownership of similar items and so we are asking you to please ensure all clothing is clearly named. Secondly, we are concerned with the large number of lost items that are not being collected and ask for your assistance in checking whether your children are missing items of clothing. Lost property is located in the corridor halfway down the main building and is accessible during school hours.
LYNNE BRENNER & DEBBIE CUSACK
EMA 1st INSTALLMENT ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE BETWEEN 8:30AM - 4:00PM
HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER? Please ensure you let the school office know if you have changed address or updated mobile phones with new numbers. This information alleviates stressful situations on students when they are ill and we cannot contact parents
Dear Parents/Guardians, This year all Grades 3 to 6 children will be participating in the Fantastic Fridays Program in Term 2. This program will run on Friday afternoons (2:30pm to 3:30pm) starting from Week 2 and will run for approximately 8 weeks. It is an elective program where students will be mixed with their peers to learn a variety of different subjects outside the normal curriculum areas of Literacy and Numeracy. The elective programs on offer are:
Gymnastics J-Rock Lego Cooking Art / Craft Construction Billycarts County Fair Fashion / Jewellery Making Science and Technology We have a number of teachers allocated to the various programs but are asking our school community for some support. If you have any expertise in any of the following areas and would like to participate in the program we would greatly appreciate your time and experience. These activities require different materials and resources and we would greatly appreciate any donations to support our Fantastic Fridays Program. These could includeconstruction materials such as wood, screws, wheels, art supplies, foam cups etc. Please see Traceye Rapinett for information or details about the program.
WHAT IS GETTING ALONG? Things to Say to Encourage Getting Along Behaviour When you catch the young person getting along, say:
“You get along well.” “When you help others with their work, you learn more yourself.” “You are sensitive to others.” “Sharing a book is a sign of being a friend.” “You really worked well to solve the problem.” “You made the new student feel welcome.” “You work well in a group. You listen to what others say.” “You encourage others. You want the best for them.” “Arthur has benefited from your help. You are a helpful person.” “Cooperation allows people to contribute equally to tasks. You cooperate well with each other.” “Thanks, Jake, for waiting until she finished talking.” “You seem to want to make your class a better place to live.” “Members of this group must really respect each other.”
BLOSHC NEWS Despite the cold weather and being restricted to the OSHC room or Gym we are still having fun at Camp Australia OSHC. This week we are all having a go at making things that work with wind. We look forward to having even more fun this week, with working with food. M: T: W: T: F:
Fruit & Veggie Stamping Cooking Decoration Freddy Five Food Groups Bread Art Fruit Faces
Star of the Week: Seth 2Z: For always being polite, caring and for using his creativity to complete projects.
Interest Forms need to returned NO LATER than 3rd June 2011.
New Enrolments/Bookings & Cancellations: All new enrolments/Bookings & Cancellations are completed online at www.campaustralia.com.au OSHC Hours: Before School Care 6:45am - 8:45am After School Care 3:30pm - 6:30pm Our direct line is 9769 8251 or you can call the Camp Australia Admin on 1300 105 343
Thank you Dorien and the OSHC Team
A friendly reminder that Curriculum Day is Tuesday 14th June 2011 is coming up and we have an Expression of Interest Form, so please fill one in if you think youâ€&#x;ll need care for this day. The session will run from 6:45am - 6:30pm. However, we need a minimum of 20 children to run a program on this day and Expression of
PYJAMA DAY! Recently Berwick Lodge Primary School had our netball rings vandalised. These rings are an important part of our schoolâ€&#x;s sporting equipment. Some students have grouped together to plan a fundraiser to help cover the cost of replacement rings. This will be in the form of a Pyjama Day. All students are welcome to come dressed in pyjamas. You can even bring a pillow or your favourite teddy! Pyjama Day will be held on Tuesday the 24th May 2011. Please bring a gold coin donation on the day. If you wear a nightie please wear leggings or pants underneath it and remember to wear appropriate footwear (e.g. NO THONGS OR SANDLES).
Art Donations! The Art room is looking for some donations. If anyone has small yoghurt containers that are cleaned and washed we would be grateful for donations! Also cardboard rolls (such as cling wrap, foil rolls) would be appreciated.
Thank you Jo Zammit and Julie Mcleod Visual Arts Teacher
FANTASTIC FRIDAYS Billy cart Making
Thank you so much to the Wilkinson (4R) and Robertson (6P) families for their kind donations of materials to our Billy Cart making projects. More donations of timber and wheels would by gratefully received by Mr. Whitehead in Room 24. If you have an hour to spare on Fridays from 2:15pm - 3:30pm, you assistance in helping the children to make their billy carts would be most welcome.
Parents & Friends Association NEXT MEETING: Thursday 2nd June 2011 at 1.30pm in Room 16. Everyone is welcome, including toddlers. The PFA welcomes anyone wanting to join the fun and help make a difference. 2ND HAND UNIFORM SHOP: Our next 2nd hand uniform shop will be open in the school canteen on Tuesday 28th June 2011 from 2.30pm until 3.15pm. We would like to thank all those families who have donated as they have assisted other families in our community. There will be a table with $1.00 items. Get in quick!!
News PFA CAFÉ: Starting today, every Thursday afternoon, the PFA will be offering tea, coffee and milo for a gold coin donation. If you arrive at school early to get that car park close by, or you want to come and keep warm on our cold wintery days, we invite you to come along to Room 16 from 2.45pm We will also have the days papers to read and there will be toys to keep the little ones amused. Currently, we are opening on Thursday afternoons only, however we welcome feedback as to whether other days would be appreciated as well. We look forward to seeing you there ! We would like to thank Impra Tea who has donated some speciality tea. You can contact them on their website: www.impratea.com.au ICY-POLES: A big thank you to Jason Miller and Aldi Eden Rise (located at Eden Rise Shopping Centre, 1 Oâ€&#x;Shea Road, Berwick) who have donated a huge amount of icy poles to us. To support our senior students, who had the fantastic idea of fundraising to fix our netball rings, we will be handing out the icy-poles to all students on Pyjama Day, on Tuesday 24th May 2011. If your child has any allergies or you do not wish for them to receive an icy-pole, please see your class teacher. FUNDRAISING ASSISTANCE: For our Clover Cottage evening and our Walkathon, we are looking for some assistance with donations and prizes. Do you own or work for a company that would be willing to donate a product or gift voucher? If you do we would love to hear from you. Any company who donates will receive promotion for their business in our newsletter. Please contact Sarah via our email below or leave your details at the office. Your PFA are always looking for new ideas and assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact us by email on blps.pfa@hotmail.com or via the school office.
The PFA would like to thank you for your continued support.
BUSINESS ADVERTISING Lotus Wellbeing Ladies Massage and Beauty Therapy Studio 10 Jomary Court, Berwick Massage Therapy 1 hour an affordable $45 Hygenic affordable waxing and junior prices available too. By appointment only call Suzanna 0400990100 see website www.lotus.id.au for details
COMMUNITY NEWS
Advertisements published by the school are accepted in good faith and should not be regarded as an endorsement of any product or service. Parents and members of the school community are advised to investigate any service or product to determine its suitability to meet their family's needs prior to accessing it.
COMMUNITY NEWS
NARRE WARREN-BERWICK BLUE LIGHT DISCO BERWICK LEISURE CENTRE, MANUKA ROAD, BERWICK SATURDAY 4th June 2011
For Students in years 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 only Times 6:00pm to 10:00pm COST: $10.00 Any enquires to Narre Warren Police Station 9705 3111