Berwick Lodge Primary School, Newsletter, May 2011

DIARY DATES

Friday 13th May Interschool Winter Sport

Tuesday 17th May House Cross Country

Wednesday 18th may OPEN NIGHT

Friday 20th May Interschool Winter Sport (away

Maramba PS)

Monday 6th-Wednesday 8th June 5/6 Camp1 (5T, 5C, 6K,

6N)

Wednesday 8th-Friday 10th June 5/6 Camp 2 (5H, 5W, 6P, 6N)

NEWSLETTER N0.13 12TH MAY 2011

NOTICES DUE BACK BY Friday 13th May Grade 6 Transition Forms for

Year 7

Monday 16th May J-Rock Performance Permission

forms for Open Night

Tuesday 17th May Interschool Winter Sport (away

Maramba PS)

Friday 20th May 5/6 Camp Coolamatong Forms

Tuesday 24th May Preps - Basil Safety House

Friday 27th May 5/6 Camp Coolamatong Final

Payment

Friday 3rd June Prep, Grade 1&2 Swimming

Program

BERWICK LODGE PRIMARY SCHOOL Phone: 9707 1766 Fax: 9796 2198

E-mail: [email protected]

Visit our Websites : http:// www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au,

Camp Australia/Out of School Hours Care: 9769 8251

CANTEEN IS NOT OPEN ON TUESDAYS

NAPLAN TESTS

People often ask me what I think is

the value of the NAPLAN tests.

These days the tests have assumed

an increased importance, primarily

because the

federal

government has

decided to use

the results to

create what is

commonly called

‘league tables of

schools’ via the My School website.

Consequently we can’t ignore

NAPLAN tests and all the more so

because the Prime Minister has

decided to link NAPLAN results to a

new initiative, ‘Performance Bonuses’

for the ‘top 10%’ of teachers on an

annual basis.

Personally, I believe that the

NAPLAN tests are a useful

diagnostic tool for teachers that

provide some valuable information

about how students are learning in

areas of literacy and numeracy in

Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The information

that the tests provide can help

teachers plan some specific work for

both individual and groups of

children to either help them improve

or capitalise on what they already

know and the skills they possess.

Beyond that, the results become

problematic when aggregated in ways

that lead to comparing school

performance or deciding which

teachers deserve an annual bonus of

up to $10,000.

Interestingly, countries such as the

USA and the UK are moving away

from such an approach to improving

student learning outcomes. Indeed,

high performing countries in school

education, such as Finland do not

have national tests nor do they have

performance bonuses for teachers.

There should be a lesson in this for

us. Other reasons for concern

include the fact that the NAPLAN

tests cover only a small fraction of all

that is taught and learnt in our

schools, yet none of this is included

in the ranking of schools. Insofar as

ranking teachers goes, our culture is

one of teamwork. Many aspects of

our work require a high degree of

collegiality and mutual support and

planning. Awarding 10% of teachers

substantial bonuses each year works

in opposition to the teamwork ethic

that is crucial in our profession.

There a number of other concerns

that I have on this issue, yet the most

compelling concern of all is that

precious little international evidence

exists that creating league tables of

school performance or paying

teachers performance bonuses

actually improves student learning.

Surely research evidence should be

guiding our policies in education.

BER UPDATE

On Monday Jodie Norton, our

school council president, Lynne

Brenner and I met with Andrew

Wood our APP project manager for

our BER building. Our meeting with

Andrew resulted in the following

outcomes:

(1) Andrew has taken on board our

desire to have the seven internal

sliding doors be changed to cavity

doors. This will be both safer and

provide more wall space in the

classrooms for displays, as well as

being more aesthetically appealing.

Most likely this request will be acted

on.

(2) We will have 4 interactive

whiteboards for

installation in the

building and we

can have them

placed where we

like, provided

that they are in

practical

locations.

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

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

EMA 1st INSTALLMENT ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION FROM THE

SCHOOL OFFICE BETWEEN 8:30AM - 4:00PM

YEAR 7 TRANSITION

JUST A REMINDER THAT ALL GRADE 6 STUDENTS ARE TO

RETURN THEIR YEAR 7 APPLICATION TO SECONDARY

SCHOOL FORM TO MRS NAISMITH

BY FRIDAY 13TH MAY 2011.

SCHOOL AWARDS Congratulations to the following students who received awards over the last

week:

Elia PM

Olivia PM

Stephanie PW Hayley PL

Stevie PM Kayjen PC

Lachlan PC Charli PW Ruairi PL

Darcy PC

(3) Extra water taps and electrical

points will be installed.

(4) We have a choice of a small

gravel car park for staff being

constructed at the front of the

building or having the area

landscaped with trees, shrubs and

seats for children. There is no

provision for a bitumen car park. A

decision on this is being held over

(5) The expected completion date is

early September this year.

(6) Extra attention is being given to

the detail of the building to ensure

that we have a ‘top quality facility’

upon completion (David Chandler,

Orgill BER Implementation Taskforce

has given an undertaking that he will

personally oversee the quality of

workmanship on our building).

Earlier this week Julie Alliston,

DEECD BER Manager, contacted me

with what she described as a ‘great

outcome’ for us with respect to the

amount of money available to us for

our companion project. The figure

she cited to me was $570,000. I did

not share her enthusiasm, drawing

her attention to the fact that if this

figure was indeed correct then there

has been a

$430,000 overrun

on the budget!

That amounts to

almost 25% on a

$2 million project,

hardly a great

outcome and not

a figure on which any self-respecting

building company could stay in

business. Julie Alliston agreed to

meet with us next Wednesday at

2.00pm and will provide a detailed

cost breakdown for our project. I

advised her that we would have our

own professional experts analyse the

figures that she will be providing. We

should be entitled to $1 million for

our companion project and that is

what we will be seeking.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS (FAQ’s)

Q. What medical qualifications do

our staff have to treat sick and

injured children at school?

A. Level 2 First Aid Training. This

level is quite adequate for the level of

first aid care that staff can reasonably

be expected to have for their first aid

work. All staff undergo regular

training updates in asthma diagnosis

and treatment, treating children

suffering from an anaphylactic

reaction, epileptic seizures and

performing CPR.

QUOTABLE QUOTE

‘If you don’t believe in yourself then

you’re hardly likely to embrace the

accolades of others.’

HENRY GROSSEK

ASS I STANT PR INCIPALS ’ REPORT

ENERGY DRINKS

Recently we have become aware that

a number of our senior students are

bringing high energy drinks

(eg: Mother, Red Bull, V) to school or

buying and consuming these drinks on

their way to school. Teachers are

concerned that the consumption of

these drinks is impacting on the

learning and behaviour of some

students. Parents may be interested

in the following information with

regard to the effects of these drinks

on children.

‘Most energy drinks contain the

stimulant caffeine, which is what

causes the most concern. Instant

coffee has a caffeine content of about

60-80 milligrams per 250 millilitres,

Coca Cola 36mg per 375ml and

energy drinks such as Red Bull contain

80mg per 250ml. High amounts of

caffeine are known to result in

increased anxiety, reduced

concentration, dehydration and

insomnia. Although moderate

amounts of caffeine appear to have

few health risks for adults, this might

not be the case for children. Little is

known about the potential harmful

effects of long-term caffeine

consumption by children. In the past

it was illegal in Australia to

manufacture drinks with high

concentrations of caffeine. However,

the Australia New Zealand Food

Authority changed the standards for

the manufacture of energy drinks,

requiring them to be labelled: This

food contains caffeine and is not

recommended for children, pregnant

or lactating women and individuals

sensitive to caffeine.’

While we are able to

discourage students

from consuming

these drinks at

school as we have a

‘no canned drinks/

soft drinks’ policy, it is difficult for us

to address the issue of children

drinking high energy beverages on

their way to school. We ask that

parents discuss with their children the

ill effects of these drinks and support

us in ensuring that students are not

having these drinks on their way to

school.

STUDENT ENROLMENT

DETAILS

The office staff are in the process of

completing an update of enrolment

details for all students to ensure that

they are current and accurate. This

will mean that families will receive the

information we currently have for

their children and will be required to

review and amend the details for each

child separately. This process is

necessary as some of the enrolment

information is student

specific. The

information will be

distributed to families

by grade level between

now and the end of

this term. Families are

asked to be prompt in

returning this

information to facilitate

the process. As the

data entry is an enormous task it may

take our administrative staff a few

weeks to complete the update and

ensure that the new information is

active on the system.

Please note that all forms should

be returned to school whether

there are any changes or not.

We thank you for your support

in this matter.

EDUCATION WEEK OPEN

NIGHT – WEDNESDAY 18TH

MAY

All families are invited to attend our

Open Night on Wednesday 18th May

from 6:00 to 8:00PM. A program

outlining activities and displays will be

sent home next week. Prospective

families are also most welcome to

attend. The Student Leaders and

some of our other senior students

will be conducting guided tours for

first time visitors. If you know of any

families who may be interested in

attending our Open Night please

extend an invitation to them.

PARENTS VICTORIA ONLINE

CONFERENCE

Parents of primary and secondary

students are warmly invited to take

part in the fifth annual online

conference to be held by Parents

Victoria. The conference will be held

non-stop on the internet during

Education Week (Sunday 15th May to

Saturday 21st May). No special

software is needed, other than an

internet-connected computer and a

browser. The online discussions will

be very easy to join in, and guidelines

about how to participate will be

provided. Join in for all days, just

some days, or even a few hours,

depending on your lifestyle and other

commitments.

The conference will discuss the

following topical issues:

Cost of Schooling, Communication,

Parents as Volunteers, Fundraising,

Parent engagement in their child’s

education, training and pathways

planning, Homework and Student

Safety.

To access the conference all

participants must be registered. The

registration page can be found at

http://www.cybertext.net.au/pv/

pv2011registration.php

After submitting the form, registrants

will be directed to a

confirmation page and

will also receive an

email confirming their

registration.

The Parents Victoria

Online Conference 2011 website will

open from 6am on Sunday 15th May

and finish at 12 midnight on Saturday

20th May. We encourage families to

take up this opportunity!

BEDWETTING

Childhood bedwetting is a common

dilemma faced by families. We have

recently received some information

from the Bedwetting Institute of

Australia that we felt may be of some

use to families struggling with this

problem.

‘A new DVD based program, Bedwetting

Cured, has been developed by Dr Mark

Condon and Physiotherapist, Margaret

O’Donovan. It outlines a successful

program for parents to implement at

home with their children For information

and a free Bedwetting Fact Sheet please

visit the website:

www.bedwettinginstitute.com.au or phone

1300 135 796.’

We hope that this information will be

of some value to you.

LYNNE BRENNER & DEBBIE CUSACK

ASS I STANT PR INCIPALS ’ REPORT

SCHOOL COUNCIL PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Welcome everyone to my first School Council President’s Report.

I thought it might be of interest to summarise the role of your School Council and our purpose in the school community.

WHAT ARE WE

A school council is a legally formed body that is the major governing body of the school. It plays an important role in school

accountability and improvement processes as well as endorsing key school planning, evaluation and reporting documents.

It is important to note that a school council does not manage the running of the school. The Principal and his team manage

this area of operations.

WHO WE ARE

Our school council consists of seven parent members, four DEECD (staff) members and a PFA Co-Optee.

The team is:

President: Jodie Norton Principal: Henry Grossek

Vice-President: Michelle Sarjeant Staff: Lynne Brenner

Minute Secretary: Lois Smethurst Sue Naismith

Correspondence: Michael Tabone PFA: Samantha Cline

Parents: Prashah Sujenthiran

Craig Benedick

Carolyn Mehr

Lesley Lees

WHAT WE DO

Establish the broad direction and vision of the school

Develop, review and update school policies

Approve the annual budget and monitor expenditure

Maintain the school’s grounds and facilities

Report annually to the school community and DEECD

WHAT WE DON’T DO

Manage the school

Employ ongoing teaching staff

Represent personal interests

Determine class allocations

Discuss individual issues between staff, students and/or parents

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU

Over the next few weeks, I will introduce you to the people who make up our school council. We hope that if you have any

issues or concerns, you will then be able to contact any one of us.

Please feel free to contact me directly via the school office or you can email me on [email protected]

Jodie Norton School Council President

SCHOOL COUNCIL DIRECTORY

President: Jodie Norton Principal: Henry Grossek

Vice-President: Michelle Sarjeant DEECD Members: Lynne Brenner

Minute Secretary: Lois Smethurst Sue Naismith

Correspondence Sec.: Michael Tabone

Parent Members: Prashad Sujenthiran PFA Co-Optee: Samantha Cline

Craig Benedick

Carolyn Mehr

Lesley Lees

Contact Details: Phone: 9707 1766 Fax: 9796 2198

Email: [email protected]

WHAT IS GETTING ALONG?

Types of Thinking That Build Getting Along

Being Tolerant of Others - means that when someone is mean to you or is different from you,

accepting that he or she is not a totally bad person. It means thinking that you may need to find out more

about the person and to respect differences.

Playing by the Rules - means thinking that by following

important school, home and community rules, your

community will be a better place to live and learn and you

will stay out of trouble and be more successful.

Thinking First - means that when someone acts badly or

unfairly or you want something, before you take action, you:

a) think of alternative courses of action; b) think of the

consequences of different actions you can take; and c) predict

the impact your actions may have on the feelings of the other

person.

Social Responsibility - means thinking that it is

important to be a good citizen and to help build a world with fairness and justice for all where

everyone feels safe and secure. It means being sensitive to the feelings of others, acting

honestly, and treating others (especially those who come from different backgrounds) with

respect, caring and reaching out to people in need, and working towards protecting the

environment.

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 include-

construction materials such as wood, screws, wheels, art supplies, foam cups etc.

Please see Traceye Rapinett for information or details about the program.

We believe everyone is settling in well with the new coordinator and a few changes. At Camp Australia we aim to

make kids Smile and so far we are doing just that!

Curriculum Day : Tuesday14th June is coming up and we have an Expression of Interest form, so please fill one in if

you think you’ll need care for this day. The session would run from 6:45am - 6:30pm. However, we need a mini-

mum of 20 children to run a program on this day. Expression of interest forms need to be returned no later than

Friday 3rd June.

Reminder: Parents please go through the OSHC rules with your child/ren and return the slip on the second page.

So far at BLOSHC we made beautiful things to give to that special mum in our lives, including a beaded key ring

and a hand painted calico shopping bag. This week we will be focusing on thinkgs that work with the wind.

M: Pin Wheel

T: Beaded Wind Charm

W: Wind Mill

T: Wind Spinner

F: Wind Sock

Our Star of the week:

Hayley 5T for being most helpful and always having fantastic manners.

Congratulations Hayley.

Our operating 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 admin team at Camp Australia on 8851 4160.

Thank you

Dorien and the OSHC Team

BLOSHC NEWS

Library News

The Library Program at Berwick Lodge Primary School for 2011 has received many positive comments, both

from the students and parents. Olivia and myself would like to thank those who have provided us with feedback

and welcome your continued support.

This term the Library is open during the second half of lunch time on a Monday, Tuesday and

Friday for those students who would like to do some quiet reading or participate in a quiet

game/activity. It is open for all students in Years 1-6.

On Friday 13th May a BIG order of new and exciting books will be arriving for the library!

Over the coming weeks our two Library Captains, Selma and Lizzy, will be featuring some of

these books in our school newsletter and at our assemblies.

The Gruffalo is a children’s book by writer/playwright Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel

Scheffler, telling the story of a mouse taking a walk through a deep, dark wood. The book

has sold over 3.5 million copies, has won several prizes for children’s literature, and has

been made into a play. This wonderful book has been adapted to the stage by London’s Tall

Stories Theatre Company and has played sell out seasons throughout the world including the

West End and Broadway. After winning the 2009 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production

for Children, The Gruffalo played to packed houses throughout Australia and New Zealand last year, including

here in Melbourne, and we’re delighted to bring the show back. The Gruffalo is ideal for children aged 3-8, and

so for students from Prep to Year 2, many of whom will be familiar with – and love – the book.

The Gruffalo is playing from 28th June - 2nd July, 2011 at the Arts Centre. Please see the Arts Centre website

for more details if you are interested in taking your children along to see a wonderful play!

Smiles Miss Sarah Vine

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 28 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!!

Current events

CHOCOLATE DRIVE: Thursday 12th May 2011. Our major fundraiser this term is our chocolate

drive. Chocolate carry packs will be distributed today. We hope that as many families as possible support

our fundraiser. We have great individual prize program for everyone who sells a box. There are also prizes

for the family who sells the most box, and prizes for the child in each grade that sells the most boxes.

This year we have made it so you can pay by BPay, credit card, cheque or cash.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Family Portrait Event: We will be holding a Family Portrait event. Further details will be announced

soon.

News

As of next week, every Thursday from 2.45pm, for a gold coin donation the PFA will be offering Tea,

Coffee or Hot Milo in Room 16. Everyone is welcome.

The PFA page on the Berwick Lodge Primary School Website has been updated. You will find a listing of all

our meeting dates and 2nd Hand Uniform Shops as well as all the major fundraising events for this year.

If you have any ideas or suggestions to help the PFA in any way please contact us via the school office or by

email on [email protected].

The PFA would like to thank you for your

continued support.

Adult Disco

Yes I would like to participate in the Adult Disco

Parent/Guardian’s Name: ___________________________________________

Child’s Name: Grade:

Contact Phone Number:

BUSINESS ADVERTISING

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