Newport Lakes Primary School T H U R S D A Y 1 1 T H M A Y , 2 0 1 7

9391 8942 www.newportlakesps.vic.edu.au

Important Dates to put in the diary

Thursday 11th May 2018 Prep Information Evening 6.30pm—7.30pm

Friday 12th May Mother’s Day Breakfast 7.30am—8.45 am

Final day to submit Yr 7 transition forms

Grade 5/6 Winter Sports - Away v Williamstown Primary

Tuesday 16th May District Cross Country

Thursday 17th May Family Life Sessions

Friday 19th May Grade 5/6 Winter Sports—Away v Newport Gardens

Final day for 5/6 camp payment

22nd - 26th May Education Week

Monday 22nd May School Council Meeting 6.30pm

Tuesday 23rd May Education Week Opening Morning

Thursday 25th May Biggest Morning Tea

Twilight Soiree—6.30pm

Friday 26th May Grade 5/6 Winter Sports—Home v Williamstown North

2017

Term 2 18th April

- 30th June

Term 3 17th July

- 22nd September

Term 4

9th October -

22nd December

Pupil Free Day

8th June 18th August

6th November

Yard Duty Supervision

8.45 to 9.00am and 3.30 to 3.45pm

We would like to wish the following students a very happy birthday. Stella, Prep N Veer, Prep S Lincoln, 1C Ibrahim, 4H Darcie, 4M Lola, Prep S Zara, 1R Maya, 5/6L Harvey, 5/6B Mohammed, Prep L Raff, Prep S Weam, 2O Lennon, 5/6J Shea, 5/6M Chloe, 3W Leni, 5/6M Lexie, 1C Griff, 5/6B Hamish, 3G Thomas, 1C Isaiah, 2M Tilde, 5/6M Saja, 4M Ned, 5/6B

AWARDS

Congratulations to the following award winners.

Ramiz, Prep L All of Prep N Sienna, prep S Laila, 1C Chloe, 1C Charlie, 1R Maddy, 2M Surya, 2S Jasmine, 2S Aston, 3G Charlie, 3W Cara, 4H Grace, 4M Maddie, 5/6J Max, 5/6L Alex, 5/6M

OFFICE REMINDERS : - Parent are reminded that the final instalment of school levies is due and pay-

able by Friday 30th June. Family Statements will be sent home next week. Could all 5/6 families please ensure camp payments are finalised by Friday

19th May.

From the Principal ....

Dear Parents/Carers, School Planning and Feedback Forum - Wednesday 14

thJune at 6.30-8.30 pm

Parents and teachers are invited to participate in a school planning and feedback forum on Wednesday 14

th June from 6.30 – 8.30pm in the Multipurpose Hall. We would like to invite parents and

teachers to come together as a community and plan for the future of our school. An online survey will be available for completion before the forum so even those unable to attend can have their ideas heard. Details of the survey will be distributed soon. Parents and teachers will be asked to contribute ideas and feedback during the forum. The results of the survey and the forum will be used to shape our school's new strategic plan. Topics will include:

What are we doing well as a school? What can we build on? What can we do better? What do we want our school to look and feel like in the future?

The evening will be an interactive, discussion based workshop - not a one-way information session. It will be a fantastic chance to interact with other parents, discuss key issues and help shape the kind of school we want for our children in the future. Please mark the date in your diary and watch out for details of the online survey to be distributed soon. Staff Professional Learning The students and community of Newport Lakes Primary School are very fortunate to have a staff that are not only passionate and professional teachers but also committed and dedicated to the belief and undertaking of continual learning. Every week all the teachers participate in an after school professional learning session to ensure that they are continuously updating their knowledge on teaching and keeping abreast of the latest in Educational research and studies. This week we invited Kate Coleman from Melbourne University Graduate School of Education to present to our staff on ‘Design Thinking.’ During the session, teachers referenced the article by Vicki Drozdowski entitled ‘8 way framework for Aboriginal Pedagogy’ as the foundation for our planning units of work and lessons to be used in our Indigenous Week program to be conducted in November. The school’s ‘Indigenous Week’ is always a very important time in the school’s calendar where we celebrate and learn about our indigenous culture throughout all areas and grades of the school. The article (8 way framework for Aboriginal Pedagogy) looks at the characteristics of aboriginal learning, the difference and similarities between western and indigenous pedagogy and how the overlap and similarities of these two learning styles can be used to improve the learning outcomes of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. We look forward to sharing our week of indigenous celebration with all our school community later this year. Our Community School As I reflect back upon the last 2 weeks, I see how our school parent community is such an important part of the school’s culture. I begin with the school’s 80’s Trivia Night – what a fantastic night and such a wonderful community atmosphere. On the following Monday morning I see the group of parents cutting up and distributing a plate of fresh fruit to the classrooms. That same day another group of parents have given up their evening to attend a school council build-ings sub committee meeting. The following week, more parents and staff meet as part of the school council community and fundraising committee.

From the Principal (continued)....

The next day there are not only parents and grandparents assisting in the classrooms but there is an-other group that have given up their entire day to attend and assist on their child’s grade excursion. During the week-end we see the Bunnings BBQ with a full days roster of parents operating the stall in support of the school, another parent painting the school logo on the footpath and then tomorrow we have our wonderful Parents Club conducting our annual ‘Mothers Day Breakfast’. A big thank you to each and every one of our wonderful parents that give to our school in so many ways to make Newport Lakes a special place for our children. School Uniform Additions In response to parental and student requests, two new additions have been made to the school uniform list. Just in time for the chilly winter months are the Polar Fleece Jumper ($30) and the Polar Fleece Vest ($27.50). Both the jumper and vest are in Navy Blue with the embroided school logo. Now available in all sizes on the School Uniform Website: http://www.dcsuniforms.com.au/newport-lakes-primary-school/ A reminder to parents to PLEASE CLEARLY LABEL all articles of children’s clothing (especially cloth-ing that can be taken off during the day) to assist in return of clothing when mislaid in the school ground. Ramadan The holy month of Ramadan will begin on the evening of Friday 26 May and will con-tinue until the evening of Saturday 24 June. Some students will be fasting for the 4 weeks of Rama-dan which means they will abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset. Although fasting is not obligatory until one reaches adolescence, many children as young as 7 get re-ally excited and into the spirit of Ramadan and will try to fast for half a day or even a full day. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and one of the main types of Islamic worship. Each day dur-ing this month, Muslims all over the world abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, as well as participat-ing in anything that is ill-natured or excessive; from dawn until the sun sets. But Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking; it is a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-discipline and sacrifice, humility and patience. It is a time to cleanse the soul and put into practice selflessness by giving to charity and feeding the poor. The physical effects of the fast are felt by Muslims as a reminder of those who suffer throughout the year. Those who are poor, homeless, refugees and those who cannot meet their basic needs. It reminds Muslims not to be wasteful and to feel empathy for those who face hunger on a daily basis. If your child is participating in Ramadan, please ensure that your child’s teacher is aware and can ac-commodate the needs of your child. All classrooms will discuss Ramadan to gain a greater under-standing of this important time for Muslins and to respect any of their class friends that may be fasting. Newport Lakes PS 2016 Annual Report to the Community The 2016 Annual Report to the Community will be presented at the next school council meeting to be conducted on the evening of Monday May 22

nd, 2017. The Annual Report provides a means for the school council to inform the

community of what has been achieved and how the school is performing. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the school’s achievements during the past year and use this as a basis for future planning. Parents and members of the school community are most welcome to attend this school council meet-ing for the public presentation of the 2016 Annual Report. The meeting will begin at 6.30pm and will be conducted in the staff room. Looking forward to seeing you all at Mothers Day Breakfast in the morning. David Moss Principal

Better Hearing Through Wood, Part 1

Do you know how to make even the lightest taps of your finger sound loud? YOU NEED: A wooden table or desktop WHAT TO DO: Sit at the table or desk. Place your ear flat on top like this:

Tap your finger on the surface of the table about a foot away from your ear. Tap hard. Then tap softly. WHAT HAPPENS: The sound of your tapping finger is much louder than when you listen to the same tapping with your head not touching the table. Check right now to be sure this is true. WHY: Sound waves don’t travel only through air. They also travel through solids. Many solids—such as wood—carry sound waves better than air. That’s why your tapping finger sounds louder when you hear it through wood than through air.

Grade 6

Activities you can try at home: Explore the night sky together! With your child, make observations of the stars and planets at different times, from different places. Ask your child to pick their favourite constellation and practice finding it together. A lightning strike generates sound and light, but they travel at different speeds. A great way to illustrate this is during a thunderstorm. With your child, count the seconds in between the flash of lightning and the following clap of thunder. Multiply this number by the speed of sound (330 metres per second) to find out the distance between you and the lightning strike. Watch the nightly news for reports of natural events and discuss them with your child. Discuss how we man-age and recover from events like these. Resources Books: A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson The Pebble in my Pocket: A History of our Earth by Meredith Hooper Apps:

NASA App (Apple and Android) Wilder Quest (Apple)

Disaster Alert (Android) Circuit Board Link The Signs (Android)

Science- Grade 5 Activities you can try at home: Explain that a hypothesis is an answer to a ‘what if’ question. Have fun asking a lot of ‘what if’ questions and coming up with different hypotheses. Practise simple experiments at home with your child, such as boiling eggs for different periods of time. Com-pare your child’s predictions to the outcomes. Scientific discoveries often improve our lives in ways we don’t expect. Get online with your child and look up the greatest scientific discoveries from different centuries. Check the Museum Victoria website for holiday programs with a science focus. Resources Books: One Small Island by Alison Lester The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm Apps: Off the Rails (Apple and Android) 1001 Famous Inventions (Apple)

Inventioneers (Apple)

NLPS Parents Club Update

IRSTLY, our appreciation and gratitude is extended to the Newport community of families,

volunteers and businesses who made our 2 recent events a success; the Trivia Night Fundraiser and the Bunnings BBQ. The Trivia Night was fully subscribed and an enjoyable evening was had by all that attended – thank you to the Trivia Committee and School for organising all the details that go into hosting such an event and making it a success. Also, our annual Bunnings BBQ was held on Saturday 6th May, a big thank you to school dad

Dave Child for coordinating and running the day. Around 50kgs of sausages were cooked and sold by a strong team of volunteers who put their hand up to work a 2 hour shift on the Saturday. The roster was filled a week before the BBQ which made organising the day that bit easier – Thanks to all those that signed themselves or were signed up! Also it was wonderful to see so many school faces at Bunnings on the Saturday buying a sausage and supporting our school.

If you were lucky enough to grab a ticket to the recent trivia night, you know how much fun was had…. It was great to see so many people make the effort in dressing up, (or for some, just getting that winter knitted snowball jumper or dusting off the blue taffeta shoulder padded dress out of the wardrobe!!) Along with all the fun, we also raised just under $3,500 for the school! What a great night! Congratulations to the Teachers Table, (Art Attack) for the overall team winners! – at least we can say our teachers are very intelligent!! As always, these events just don’t happen. Apart from our wonderful sponsors (see logo’s below), a big thank you to the Parents Club and the Trivia Committee (Steve H, Imogen T, Veronica B, Nicole M, John A) who not only made sure the evening went smoothly, but also spent the last few months planning and organising the event. Thank you to Denis O’Dowd (teacher Amy O’Dowd’s Dad) who donated his time and Quiz Master material, the MC on the night, Nathan Johnson (dad and auctioneer extraordinaire….. that case of red wine was superbly auctioned off!!) David, Janet and the wonderful staff who worked on the bar, thanks to Jackie’s Pizza for making 50 pizzas in one hit, to all the families who donated gifts and items for the silent auction and raffle prizes. And the event could not have been so successful without the support of the school community who bought tickets to the event, placed a bid on the silent auction items or bought raffle tickets.

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also … Eddie The Butcher and Merlino’s Fruit & Vegies

Coming up next.. Mother’s Day Breakfast! Make sure you have your sparkle on and come along to our

Muesli and Mingle Breakfast this Friday to celebrate Mums. If you’re not yet booked in and still want to attend make

sure you drop into the office with your form, QKR app has closed.

REP DANCE PARTY for all prep students and their families is taking place on Sunday 21st May from

2-3.30pm in the School Multipurpose Room. RSVP by Friday 19th May. See later in newsletter for information flyer and RSVP slip.

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ANCER COUNCIL Fundraising Morning Tea – Thursday 25th May 2017

AMILY LIFE VICTORIA has been booked again this year to conduct a Sexuality Education Program

at Newport Lakes Primary School on the evening of Thursday 17th August. The optional program is conducted by trained educators with the aim of supporting parents teaching children about health and sexuality in an age appropriate way. The schedule of the program is as follows: Years 1 and 2: Thursday 17th August, 2017 at 5.00pm - 6.00pm

Years 3 and 4: Thursday 17th August, 2017 at 6.15pm - 7.15pm Years 5 and 6: Thursday 17th August, 2017 at 7.30pm - 8.30pm

Cost for one session is $20 per family, 2 or more sessions $25 per family. An information flyer is attached for you to consider.

ERM 3 & 4 UPCOMING EVENTS...

Family Life Sessions – Thursday 17th August 2017 Father’s Day Breakfast – Fri 1st September Aver & Line Family Portraits – Sunday 15th October World Teacher’s Day – Fri 27th October

EXT PARENTS CLUB MEETING: Wednesday 31st May 2017 – 7.30pm Newport Bowls Club – Market Street

Parents Club nlpsparentsclub@gmail.com Cath Grant, Emma Bollen, Jo Sutton, Dave Child

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On Thursday 25th May, Newport Lakes Primary School will support the Cancer Council’s national fundraising event Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. We will again be providing children with a teacup biscuit (pictured) for a gold coin donation. If your child has allergies, please send a suitable treat along for them on the day. Over the past 6 years our amazing school has raised $2371.70 to help the Cancer continue its vital work in cancer research, prevention and support services. We are seeking 28 parent volunteers to make teacup biscuits or a cake/slice for the teachers' morning tea. We don’t yet have enough volunteers so if you are available to help out in any way please contact Rachel Leonard on 0409 850 997 or rachies06@hotmail.com

SCHOOL CAPTAINS/JUNIOR SCHOOL COUNCIL PHOTOS

Group photos of School Captains and Junior School Council are now on display in the

office area. These photos can be purchased for $10.00 each. If you would like to pur-

chase any of these group photos, please either pay at the office or use the QKR app.

If using the app please ensure you state which photo you require.

We are aware that some of our students and their sibling or friends may have been viewing the television series ‘13 Reasons Why’. If you would like some tips or support to talk to your child/ren about this series here is the link to ‘headspace’ National Youth mental Health Foundation.

Headspace

Headspace fact sheet

FOSTER CARERS NEEDED

If you have thought about foster care, please get in touch and

ask the questions you have always wanted to. Ring: Key Assets 1800 932 237 or 1800 WE CARE

Email: info@keyassets.com.au

Web: canifoster.com.au or keyassets.com.au

Interested families would receive a brochure, information and no pressure! I have also attached a graphic if space allows.

Please call if you require any additional information and/or would like a Key Assets representative to visit and talk to your school community.