NEWSLETTER N0.36
24TH NOVEMBER 2011
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT STAFFING UPDATE How quickly things can change! Since last week’s edition of our newsletter, Lucy Harding has secured a longer term teaching position at Berwick Fields Primary School, commencing next year. This has of course created a Grade 5 vacancy at our school. We wish Lucy all the very best in her new role at Berwick Fields next year and acknowledge her excellent contribution in her first year of teaching at our school. I anticipate that I will be in a position to announce Lucy’s replacement by this time next week. Insofar as the Grade 4 vacancy that I published in last week’s newsletter is concerned, I am really pleased to inform you that
Abbey Moussa has accepted my offer of this position for next year. Abbey has been employed at our school as a CRT during the year, most recently as David Ryan’s replacement in Grade 4 for term 4.
quite reasonable. In a few instances only parents have made requests that are a bit too demanding – making requests that involved up to 6 other children and nominating a preferred teacher as well. Having said this, we will take into serious GRADE PLACEMENT account your requests and I am PROCESS FOR 2012 confident that the outcome for The time to place a parent request everyone will be at least for grade placement with me has satisfactory. now closed. I will not be accepting any further late requests as I FREQUENTLY ASKED believe that I have more than QUESTIONS (FAQ’S adequately publicised this in our Q. Will we have a composite newsletter over the past month. Prep/1 next year if our Prep Teachers are now commencing the numbers for next year important and complex process of continue to rise? allocating children to their various A.The short answer is NO! I’ve grades for next year. heard on the grapevine that there I received a total of 81 individual is speculation on this issue. Over requests for grade placement for the next fortnight, which includes next year. The information that our Prep transition program, our parents provided in making their numbers for next year will become requests is very useful and mostly clearer. CONTINUED…..
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT C ONTINUED….. A. Some families enrol their Prep children in several schools and make a final decision during November/ December. Should our Prep numbers for next year be in the mid-high 70’s by the end of next week, then the option of creating a fourth Prep grade becomes highly likely. QUOTABLE QUOTE
‘Self-belief, or lack thereof is a great indicator of a person’s true potential –more so than what others tell us.’ HENRY GROSSEK
CANTEEN IS CLOSED ON TUESDAYS DIARY DATES Friday 25th November Tuesday 29th November Wednesday 30th November Thursday 1st December Tuesday 6th December
5/6 Interschool Summer Sport Second-hand Uniform Shop 2:30pm Prep Polly/Pete’s Day Show PFA Annual General Meeting 1:30pm 5/6 End of Year Excursion Casey Race Last Day for School Banking
Monday 28th November Tuesday 29th November Wednesday 30th November Monday 12th December Thursday 15th December
Prep Polly/Pete’s Day Show PFA Nominations 5/6 End of Year Excursion Casey Race Grade 6 2012 Windcheater/Tshirt Education Maintenance Allowance/School Start Bonus (Prep)
NOTICES DUE BACK BY
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) 2012 and School Start Bonus (SSB) Applications for the 2012 Education Maintenance Allowance and School Start Bonus are now available from the school office. If you have a child under 16, and hold a valid Health Care Card, Pension Card or be a foster parent you may be eligible to receive the EMA. Your Health Care / Pension Card must be valid on the 1st February 2012. The 2012 allowance of $235 is split evenly between the parent and the school and is paid in two instalments, one in March and one in August. The School Start Bonus is provided to assist low-income families with the costs associated with their child starting Prep or Year 7. If you hold a valid Health Care Card, Pension Card or be a foster parent, and have a child starting Prep at Berwick Lodge in 2012 you may be eligible to receive this one-off $300 payment. Closing Date: Parents/Guardians with Prep children commencing in 2012 need to lodge a School Start Bonus form before Thursday 15th December 2011. Education Maintenance Allowance applications must be lodged at Berwick Lodge before 29th February 2012. Please see the school office for application forms or if you have any queries.
A S S I S TA N T P R I N C I PA L S ’ R E P O RT STAFFING NEWS During the next two weeks Debbie Cusack will be taking sick leave with her expected return date being Wednesday 7th December 2011. In the interim Lois Smethurst has stepped into the role of Acting Assistant Principal to support the Principal Class in their work at this busy time of the year. Consequently Lois will not be available to operate her LEEP program until Debbie’s return.
request that families with overdue books have a good hunt around the house to help us in recovering all books. Thank you to all families for your cooperation.
RSL REMEMBRANCE DAY APPEAL Recently our students participated in the Remembrance Day Appeal, raising $467 through the sale of poppies. The Berwick Sub-Branch of the RSL has forwarded us a TRANSITION letter acknowledging and thanking This week we had the pleasure of our school for its support. Thank meeting our 2012 Prep students you to students, staff and families when they visited the school for the for purchasing the poppies, the first of their transition sessions. proceeds of which goes towards the The children took part in a tour of RSL Welfare Fund. the school with their parents and prep staff. It was great to see so SCHOOL CROSSING many happy students proudly SUPERIVSOR OF THE YEAR wearing their ‘I’m enrolled at AWARDS Berwick Lodge’ t-shirts. Our School Crossings Victoria together specialist teams are looking forward with the City of Casey is looking for to meeting our 2012 Preps over the the ‘Supervisor of the Year’ next two weeks. 2012/2013. They have requested that we ask our parent community END OF YEAR REPORTS to consider nominating a school Our teachers are currently crossing supervisor for this award. working on the students’ Semester There are seven regions across the Two reports. These reports will state, a winner will be selected in provide a comprehensive overview each region and the overall winner of the students’ progress. The will be selected reports will be sent home with your from the regional children on Friday 16th winners. If you are December 2011. If interested in parents have any nominating a queries about their Crossing Supervisor for this award child’s reports they are the nomination forms are available welcome to contact from the School Crossings the class teacher during the last Victoria website at week of Term 4. www.schoolcrossingsvictoria.com.au LIBRARY BOOKS All library books are now due back at the school library. Prompt return of the books is particularly important in preparing for our library move to the new building. Notices have been sent home for outstanding books and we are now issuing invoices for books that have not been returned. We
SCHOOL MAGAZINE/YEAR BOOK DVD This year we are trialling a new format for the school magazine. We are offering parents the option of buying a DVD with photos, slideshows, films and recordings of the students of 2011. The DVD has been professionally formatted by Time-Media and will showcase
considerably more work than was previously possible with the hard copy magazine or the school web page version. The Year Book DVD will have sections for each year level and specialist areas. Grade teachers have a sample copy that they are previewing with their students over the next few weeks. An order form will be sent home in the newsletter early in December 2011. The anticipated cost of the DVD is $20. We believe parents will be very pleased with the enhanced digital version of the Berwick Lodge Year Book. CRE CHRISTMAS PRESENTATION The CRE program will culminate in their annual Christmas Presentations to be held on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th November 2011. Families of children who attend the CRE Program are invited to come along and watch the Christmas celebration performance. The programs involving Preps (When Jesus was Born), Year 1 (The Greatest Present) and Year 2 (You Are Special) will take place on Tuesday 29th November 2011 between 2:15 and 3:30pm in the school gymnasium. The Years 3 and 4 performance (The Legend of the Three Christmas Trees) will take place on Wednesday 30th November 2011 between 2:15 and 3:30pm in the school gymnasium.
LYNNE BRENNER AND LOIS SMETHURST (ACTING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL)
POINT LEO BEACH - Grade 6 Water Safety Program Yesterday l had the privilege of being a parent helper on the Outdoor Education Water Safety Program with some of the Grade 5 and 6 students. We went to Point Leo which was just over an hour away. The children were placed into 5 groups and they completed the dry activities first, which were Water Safety, DRSABCD and a beach flag game. We ate lunch and then after 30 minutes began the water activities, which included nipper boards, bogey boards, life vest (PFD) safety, wave jumping and rescues. The children all enjoyed the day and l would say that if l had the opportunity next year to send my child again l would jump at it. As a parent l feel much better now that my child has experienced the surf and has gained valuable knowledge of how to spot rips and where is the safest place to swim or jump waves. The kids were a little cold during the water activities but showed excellent persistence on the day. I feel that this program outlines the dangers of a surf beach and the children have experienced being dumped by a wave and knowing what to do. They showed great resilience by getting up and giving it another go. The confidence in the students at the end of the day was fantastic and l strongly believe that all the students gained a lot more out of experiencing the surf under the supervision of life guards, than learning it in a classroom. A huge thank you needs to be given to Sue Naismith, Paul Whitehead, Belinda O’Sullivan and Sally Sango as without these people the day could not have happened. By Sue Weber
POINT LEO BEACH - WATER SAFETY REPORT Jake’s 6N and Samuall’s 6N interviews with the Grade 5 and 6 students who attended the Point Leo beach Water Safety Program on Wednesday 23rd November 2011: I learnt how to keep safe at a surf beach. I also learnt DR ABCD. By Con 5T. I learnt it’s good to get outside and have fun at the beach in the water. By Connor 5T I learnt that waves don’t break where there is a rip. When you are caught in a rip you swim parallel to the beach. By Matthew 5T. I learnt the dangers of the beach and how to avoid them. By Ben 5T I learnt that the surf beaches can be fun but dangerous at the same time. By Devon 5C. I learnt how to tell where a rip is because the waves are darker. By James 5C I learnt how to rescue people with the life saving tube. By Britney 5C. I learnt more about the beach flags, like the black and white flags and the emergency flag. By Mark 5W. I learnt CPR and DRABCD steps. By Josh 5W. I learnt how to follow the DRABCD steps. By Aaron 5W. I learnt how to be safe at the beach and how to do CPR. By Natalie 5H I learnt what type of animals live at the beach. Blue bottle Jellyfish live at beaches and Blue Ringed Octopi live in Rock pools. By Emma 5H I learnt how to jump over really big waves and how to catch a wave on a nipper board. By Ji-won 5H. I leant all the colours of the beach flags. By Liam. M 6P. I learnt how to detect a rip because the waves don’t break there. By Lachlan 6P I learnt what DR ABCD is. By Andrew 6K. I learnt how to ride a nipper board. By Rylie. C 6K. I learnt you need to wait 30 mins after a storm before you can go back in the water. By Alanah 6K. I learnt that a life guard is someone who gets paid to save lives and a life saver is a person who volunteers to save lives. By Jake 6N. I learnt that it is good to do something new even though you might not be good at it and that it is O.K. By Samuall 6N. I learnt how to identify a rip because the water is darker. By Renee 6N.
SCHOOL AWARDS
Congratulations to the following students who received awards over the last week: Zoe PC Jayda PC Charli PW Samudra PW Stevie PM Elia PM Brendan PL Malindu PL
2012 Grade 6 Windcheater/T-shirt Reminder there are still samples for the 2012 Grade 6 Windcheaters. If you would like to check your child's size, please come and see me before or after school on Friday 25th November 2011, in Room 20 Thank you Jackie SCHOOL BANKING Last day of School banking will be on Tuesday 6th December 2011. We will resume next year. Thank you to all the students that have participated in the school banking for 2011.
Parents & Friends Association NEXT MEETING: Thursday 1st December 2011 at 1.30pm in Room 16. Everyone is welcome, including toddlers. 2ND HAND UNIFORM SHOP: Our next 2nd hand uniform shop will be open in the school canteen on Tuesday 29th November 2011 from 2.30pm until 3.15pm.
PFA CAFÉ: Is open on Thursday afternoon’s from 2.45pm in Room 16, next to the grade two portables. As the weather gets warmer we will be providing cold drinks, for a gold coin donation. So don’t wait outside your child’s classroom in the heat, come in and grab a cool drink. We will still have tea & coffee available so make sure you drop in for a chat.
Upcoming events
DRIVE IN MOVIE NIGHT: In December we will be having another fun filled Drive In Movie Night at Akoonah Park. There will be a jumping castle, face painting, fairy floss, pop corn and a delicious sausage sizzle to cover all your dinner needs!! This is a great opportunity for advertising for your business. If you work for, or own a business, and would like to advertise on the night please email us at blps.pfa@hotmail.com We will be glad to offer any assistance in organising your advertisement.
WALK-A-THON WALK-A-THON: Just a quick reminder to all families to return their walkathon donations as soon as possible. There are great prizes to be won!! Thank you so much for all your support for these events.
BILLY G’S COOKIE DOUGH: Remember to ask your family, friends and neighbours to buy some delicious cookie dough. The dough can be defrosted and re-frozen several times and they are so easy to make and bake!! No mess and the kids can easily help!! Please remember that cookie dough forms are due Tuesday 29th November 2011 by 9:00am. Due to ordering constraints late forms will not be accepted.
AGM AGM - Thursday 1st December 2011 at 1.30pm: The Parents and Friends Association will be holding their Annual General Meeting at which Office Bearers for 2012 will be elected. Vacancies exist for all executive positions:
President Vice President Secretary Treasurer It is a condition of election to an office bearer position, and/or voting of these elections, that you register prior to the annual elections being conducted. Registration and Nomination forms are available from the school office.
BUSINESS ADVERTISING
COMMUNITY ADVERTISING
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COMMUNITY ADVERTISING NARRE WARREN-BERWICK BLUE LIGHT DISCO BERWICK LEISURE CENTRE, MANUKA ROAD, BERWICK SATURDAY 3rd December 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