Volume 18 Issue 1

4 February, 2015

CALENDAR

Mon 9 Feb 3.35 After school Circus & Drama Monday class starts

Tues 10 Feb 3.35 After school Circus & Drama Tuesday class starts

Sat 14 Feb 10-2 Working Bee

Mon 16 Feb 7.30 Fete Occupational Health & Safety Training Briefing

Mon 16 Feb 7.30 School Council Meeting

Tues 16 Feb 3.30 Parent Teacher Sharetime 3.30—7pm

Wed 17 Feb 3.30 Parent Teacher Sharetime 3.30-7pm

Fri 27 Feb 3.30 Twilight Fete

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT Dear Parents and Friends of BSW, Best wishes to you all for a healthy, interesting and fulfilling 2015. The school year is wonderfully self-renewing; everyone has a fresh start, a new year level, perhaps teacher, class group, books with crisp pages, adventures to relate . . . Energy levels are high and the air sizzles with excitement. It’s intoxicating! Welcome to our 67 preps, 4 students at other year levels and 47 families who have joined our school community. I look forward to getting to know you and to catching up with parents of returning students.

You, all staff and I have a common interest your child’s wellbeing and development. Confidence in each other and effective communication are essential to our relationship. Please, if you feel uneasy or anxious about anything related to your child’s schooling, see the class teacher or me. Don’t wait! An early word often saves many hours of worry. If the matter is small, it will be resolved all the sooner! The school phone number is 9387 6886. Please, remember this throughout your child’s time at BSW. School Strategic Plan 2015 – 2017 (SSP) I’m excited about our new SSP which is based on the 2014 Peer School Review; this document is on the website. The SSP will be

TWILIGHT FETE—FRIDAY, 27th FEBRUARY

Brunswick South West Primary School

Newsletter

Page 2

uploaded in the next few weeks. Without delay I want to mention two of its improvement projects: Communication between home and school and between parents. The yellow notice which went home yesterday is part of this initiative. Each teacher is seeking a class rep to help with disseminating information, eg, excursion reminders. You were asked if you would be willing to share your contact details with the parents in your child’s class. This is particularly helpful for parents who are infrequently at school. Highly regarded Education Consultant, Kathryn Palmer, will support our work to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics. She’ll be working in Junior School (JS) classrooms next week. Staffing Welcome and best wishes to teachers new to Brunswick South-West (BSW), Emily Benson and Tom Hillbrich, our returnees from Family Leave Jacqui Lucas and Lucy Williams and returnee from work as a sustainability teacher, Cathy Jessop. Special Activities during February This month will be particularly busy with three important activities, the working bee, share time and the fete. For each of these to be as successful as possible, our school needs your help. Working Bee, 14

th February This once-a-

term event provides maintenance and care to BSW’s grounds and buildings. Come in old clothes, for whatever time you can spare between 10 am and 2 pm. Bring gardening tools, wheelbarrows and gloves, if you have them. Sign in at the School Hall and meet one of the organisers. The task list will include weeding, pruning, upkeep of the kitchen garden, clearing drains . . . so that BSW will be at its best at the fete. Lunch, with produce from the kitchen garden, will be provided. As amazing as this may sound, the working bee is an enjoyable social occasion. See next week’s newsletter for more information.

The class that attracts the most parents will win the Golden Gardening Trophy and a class prize which is often a special gardening or cooking activity. Parent Teacher Sharetime Yesterday you should have received a form from your child’s teacher asking you to nominate a time for Parent Teacher Share Time on either Tuesday or Wednesday, 17

th or 18

th February. This is a

formal occasion for you to tell the teacher about your child. The form needs to be returned by next Monday, the 9

th February, at

the latest. Next Wednesday your appointment time will be sent home with your child. Our Fete is soon, Friday, 27

th February! This

wonderful community event is the year’s major fundraiser. Please, make sure to read the Fete Buzz. The Fete Committee needs the support of everyone to make the event a great success. Retirement After fifteen years our wonderful school cleaners, Georgia and Spyro Markopoulos, are retiring this week, the former somewhat reluctantly. Spyro is looking forward to tending his 8 hives, (which produced 500 Kg honey last year), numerous fruit trees, (4 plum, 2 fig, 3 lemon, 1 orange, 1 mandarin, 3 olive – Spanish & Kalamata), and grape vines, (for red and white wine), in his large garden in East Doncaster. On behalf of students and staff, I thank them for their outstanding work. Our new cleaner has a very hard act to follow! Yours sincerely, Louise Chocholis Principal

Page 3 Brunswick South West Primary School

Newsletter

Anaphylaxis is a severe, rapidly progressive allergic reaction. It is potentially life threatening, and requires an emergency response. The reaction can begin within minutes of exposure and continue for two hours or more.

Our school has students who have these severe allergic reactions to one or more of the following: nuts, dairy, (milk, yoghurt, cheese), eggs, sesame seeds, soy and kiwi fruit. Consequently, BSW has risk minimization practices. All parents, but particularly parents of children in Carly’s & Chrissy’s, Anya’s & Tom’s, Sharon’s & Ashley’s, Damien’s & Meg’s & Mathew’s rooms, can help by not sending foods such as peanut butter and nutella sandwiches. I encourage all families to exclude nuts as a school snack.

Attendance In order for your child to gain the maximum benefit from instruction time, she/he needs to arrive punctually and to attend school at all times, unless sick.

Calendar Check the school website and School News calendars to know dates of class and school events.

Forms & notices Copies of forms are available on the school website.

Meetings All teaching staff are required to attend meetings which start directly after school on Tuesdays and Wednesday. Consequently, they are unavailable to meet with you at this time on these days.

Out of School Hours Care The Out of School Hours Care Program provides for students who arrive before 8.45am or leave after 3.45pm. Places must be booked through Camp Australia, Ph:1300 105 343.

Road Safety South Daly Street is probably the most dangerous thoroughfare that your child encounters. Around 9 am and 3:30 pm the volume of traffic is very high. On a daily basis, drivers ignore the road rules, putting their own and other children at risk. Cars double park, stop on the crossing, park indefinitely in the 5 minute zone . . . children get in/out of cars from the middle of the road. Please, make the roads around our school safe.

Parking officers and the police periodically patrol around the school and, without warning, issue fines for traffic infringements.

School News will be published weekly on Wednesdays except when the school days are three or less.

Student Accident Insurance I’m obliged to inform you that:

the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development does not provide personal accident insurance for students.

Parents are generally responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including any transport costs.

Reasonable, low cost accident insurance policies are available from the commercial insurance sector.

Personal goods brought to school at owner’s risk Personal property is often brought to school by students. Please note that the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools. Consequently, students should not bring any unnecessary or valuable items to school.

REMINDERS

Page 4 Brunswick South West Primary School

Newsletter

ENGLISH NEWS

EDUCATION MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE (EMA)

Parents will not be able to apply for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in 2015. The money will be allocated to eligible schools through schools’ core operational funding mechanism, with the neediest schools receiving the most funding. Not all schools will be receiving funding in 2015. The end of the EMA direct payment to parents will not affect any other payment you may be receiving such as the Schoolkids Bonus, which is provided directly to eligible parents to assist with education costs. For more information, see: SchoolKids Bonus (http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/benefits-payments/schoolkids-bonus)

LOST PROPERTY Lost Property is kept near the very back entrance of the Red Brick building. Please come and check regularly as all unclaimed items are sent to a charity shop at the end of each term. Small items are kept in the school office. Please do not bring anything precious to school. All hats & items of clothing should be marked with student name.

ART ROOM Welcome back. I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable break. I would like to introduce myself. I am the new art teacher taking over from Sue Graefe, who retired at the end of 2014. I am very excited about the year ahead. I am enjoying meeting all the new students and reconnecting with many students I have taught previously in my various teaching roles at the school. I have planned a year full of exciting and engaging art experiences for the students to get stuck into! This year, we also have the Brunswick South West Art Show in October. A big calendar event at our school! I'll have more details as the year progresses. House Keeping I am always in need of containers (with lids if they have them) Yoghurt, ice-cream and butter containers are great. Boxes and packaging are wonderful for construction activities. ( Please note: No containers or boxes that have contained nuts or nut products) Wrapping paper, ribbons, bottle tops and small wood off cuts are useful. If you think you have a material that I could use please, don't hesitate to contact me as we can “get creative” with most things!! Art Smocks I encourage children to wear smocks when we do some of the more messy activities. An added precaution would be that children don't wear their favourite clothes on the day they have Art. I look forward to meeting new parents and catching up with others. Get ready for a busy year in the Art Room. Felicity Kingsford This year there are some exciting events and

activities happening all through the year. Prepare to be amazed, confounded and delighted!! Watch this space.

Page 5 Brunswick South West Primary School

Newsletter

Late arrivals & early release - Please come and sign in or out at the office when bringing your child late, or collecting your child early. If your child is absent, please let the teacher or office know by telephone or email.

ATTENDANCE

PREP PARENTS Please leave a spare pair of pants and underwear in your child’s bag. Sometimes the very young students have accidents and it will save a trip to the school!

HATS & WATER BOTTLES Navy blue school hats are available at the office for $10.00. Water bottles are available for $3.00.

CHANGE OF DETAILS If you have changed address, telephone or email, please remember to keep the school informed.

CIRCUS & DRAMA We have a couple of spaces available for the after school Circus & Drama class on Tuesday’s if anyone is interested. Students must be 8 years old to attend. Lessons run from 3.35—5.05pm in the hall. Cost is $16.00 per lesson, payable in advance. Please see Heather in the office if you are interested.

REMINDER

Twilight Fete 2015

Donations for Hampers and Lucky Bags

We are collecting items for hampers and lucky bags for our fabulous fete this year. There are donation boxes in the office for you to leave any donated goods. Please remember, all items must be new or sealed (if food items). Things for hampers include preserves, books, sporting goods, toiletries, ceramics (bowls, mugs) - the sky's the limit! Just remember the item should be new (or sealed, in the case of food). Great ideas for Lucky bags include small toys, stationery (erasers, sharpeners, coloured pens and pencils), accessories, hair bands, books and other fun items. Why not pick up something extra while you're doing your Christmas shopping and pop into the box! Please contact Elly Davis at elly@edsm.com.au or 0434 530 249 if you have any questions about donations.

Page 6 Brunswick South West Primary School

Newsletter

BOOK CLUB At the end of last year our wonderful book club organiser left the school and we’re looking for a replacement. If anyone is interested, please see Judy Harrington.

Page 7 Brunswick South West Primary School

Newsletter

PARENT / TEACHER COMMUNICATION

If you have missed seeing your child’s teacher in the morning or after school and need to

contact them, please do so via their preferred method of contact, listed below:

P/1/2 team Anya Latham latham.anya.r@edumail.vic.gov.au

Tom Hillbrich hillbrich.tom.t@edumail.vic.gov.au Carly Rilen rilen.carly.e@edumail.vic.gov.au

Chrissy Temple temple.christine.j@edumail.vic.gov.au Kay Reading reading.kay.e@edumail.vic.gov.au

Maurice Ryan ryan.maurice.g@edumail.vic.gov.au

Cathy Jessop 9389 3317 Jacqui Lucas 9389 3317

Chantel Scrimshaw

scrimshaw.chantel.k@edumail.vic.gov.au

Caroline Wignell wignell.caroline.m@edumail.vic.gov.au Lucy Williams williams.lucy.m@edumail.vic.gov.au

3/4 team Emily Benson benson.emily.k@edumail.vic.gov.au Barb Smith smith.barbara.bt@edumail.vic.gov.au

Sharon Goldfinch goldfinch.sharon.s@edumail.vic.gov.au

Ashley Whitehead

whitehead.ashley.a@edumail.vic.gov.au

5/6 team Damien Collins 9389 3302 Meg Densley 9389 3302

Mathew Quivooy 9389 3304 SPECIALIST TEACHERS

Maria Lyon (3-6 Italian)

lyon.maria.m@edumail.vic.gov.au

Chris Goss (P-2 Library)

9389 3321

Judy Harrington (3-6 Library)

9387 6886

Felicity Kingsford (P-6 Art)

kingsford.felicity.j@edumail.vic.gov.au

Shar Dickinson (P.E & Gr 5/6)

dickinson.sharron.m@edumail.vic.gov.au

INSIGHTSBuilding parent-school partnerships

parentingideas.com.au

Stay one step ahead of your kids with great ideas & expert advice from Michael Grose. Join

Michael’s NEW Parentingideas Club today at parentingideasclub.com.au. You’ll be so glad you did.

WORDS Michael Grose

© 2015 Michael Grose

One way to help your child achieve at school is to work together with your child’s teacher. The parent-teacher partnership takes work

from both sides to become a reality. Here are some ideas that will help.

Help your child ACHIEVE!

There’s no doubt that the best outcomes for kids happen when teachers and parents work together to support children’s learning. Here are 10 ways you can work with your child’s teacher to maximise your child’s chances of school success.

1 Know what your child’s teacher is trying to achieveLike children, every teacher is diff erent with their own specifi c expectations, goals and interests. Get to know your child’s teacher and gain an understanding of their approach and aspirations for your child’s class.

2 Keep your expectations reasonable and positiveIf your expectations are too high your teacher may give up. Too low and they will meet them! The trick is to keep your aspirations for your child in line with their ability and their interests. Also be realistic about what your child’s school can deliver. Sometimes our expectations of schools are not in line with their capabilities or their roles.

3 Support your teacher’s expectations & activities at homeOne practical way of supporting your child is to take a real interest in their home-based learning tasks and follow the guidelines laid out by teachers.

4 Send kids to school ready to learn and on timeMaximise your child’s chances of success by sending them to school in a good frame

of mind, with plenty of sleep and a good

breakfast. Also make sure they get to school

on time. It’s estimated that many kids miss up

to two weeks of school a year when they are

routinely late by just fi ve minutes a day.

5 Inform teachers of your child’s challenges and changesLife’s not always smooth sailing for kids.

Family circumstances can alter. Friends move

away. Illness happens. These changes aff ect

learning. Make sure you keep your child’s

teacher up-to-date with signifi cant changes or

diffi culties your child experiences, so he or she

can accommodate their emotional and learning

needs at school.

6 Skill children to work with othersSchools are social places requiring children

to work and play with each other much of

the time. Teaching manners to kids, as well as

encouraging them to share their time, space

and things with others are practical ways to

help kids with their social skills. Talk through

any social challenges they may have, helping

them develop their own strategies to get on

with others.

7 Respectfully seek joint solutions to problems and diffi cultiesResist the temptation to solve all your children’s

problems or think you have the only solution.

Most learning and social problems can be

resolved when teachers and parents work

together in the best interests of the child.

8 Participate in class & school activitiesThere is a huge body of research that points to the correlation between parent involvement in a child’s schooling and their educational success. Quite simply, if you want your child to improve his learning then take an interest in his learning, attend as many school functions as you can, and follow the lead provided by your child’s teacher. This simple strategy will have a massive, long-term impact.

9 Trust your teacher’s knowledge, professionalism and experienceYour child’s teachers are your greatest allies. Their training, their experience around kids, and their objective professionalism puts them in a strong position to make judgement calls about your child.

Talk up what happens at schoolYour child will take their cues from you about how they see their school. If you want your child to value learning, and enjoy their time at school then you need to support your school and make sure he or she hears positive messages about learning, teachers and the school itself. You can set a strong educational agenda at home by talking up your school.

This type of 10-point plan is easy to read but hard to put into practice, particularly when you get busy or your child has signifi cant diffi culties. Choose two or three ideas from this list to really focus on in the coming year and you’ll fi nd that the rest will fall into place. Good luck and nurture the partnerships you have with your child’s teachers.

10

WORDS

from both sides to become a reality. Here are some ideas that will help.