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From The Principal’s Desk

Upcoming Events

Term 2 Welcome back from our recent Autumn break! We trust everyone enjoyed themselves and is ready for the term ahead. Term 2 is a ten week term taking us through to Friday 6 July.

There is lots happening this term, including school photos, Semester 1 student reports and our school athletics carnival just to name a few! The best way to stay informed is to read all newsletters and notes sent home. Download the school app too! (see download codes in this newsletter) This newsletter will come home every second week with the eldest/only child in the family. Check us out on Facebook too!

BERKELEY WEST PUBLIC SCHOOL Telephone: (02) 4271 1478 Nolan St, Berkeley 2506

Fax: (02) 4271 5334 P.O. Box 56 Berkeley

Email: berkeleyw-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Principal: Mr A. Attard

Website: berkeleyw-p.schools.nsw.edu.au Issue #6 - 9 May, 2018

Thurs 10 May- P&C Mother’s Day stall held at school– students can buy a gift for mum! Items on sale from $1- $6

Fri 11 May- District Cross country– selected students 8 yrs and up

Tues 15 May- 9.15am P&C meeting in Community Room– all welcome– child friendly!

Tues 15 May- NAPLAN test for Years 3 & 5– Writing

Wed 16 May- PaTCH training for parents involved in the program– session #2

Thurs 17 May- NAPLAN test for Years 3 & 5– Reading

Mon 21 May- NAPLAN test for Years 3 & 5– Language conventions

Wed 23 May- NAPLAN test for Years 3 & 5– Numeracy

4X4 Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) Challenge at Illawarra Sports High for selected Year 4 students– permission note required– no cost

2.10pm School assembly– all welcome!

Fri 25 May- Free STEPS vision screening program for Kindergarten students– permission note required

Mon 28 May- School photo day– full school winter uniform required

Wed 30 May- PaTCH training for parents involved in the program– session #3

4X4 Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) Challenge at Illawarra Sports High for selected Year 4 students– permission note required– no cost

Thurs 31 May- School athletics carnival– Myimbarr Oval, Blackbutt– permission note and payment for bus required– all welcome to come and watch

Fri 1 June- Regional Cross Country carnival for students who have made it through

Wed 6 June- 2.10pm School assembly– Classes KK & KG combined item– all welcome!

Fri 8 June- PSSA sport gala day for all Years 3-6 students who have nominated to take part and have returned permission notes and payment for bus ($7)

PLEASE RESPECT THE

HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF

OUR STUDENTS BY NOT

PACKING PEANUTS,

PRODUCTS CONTAINING

PEANUTS OR EGGS IN

YOUR CHILD’S LUNCHBOX!

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Mother’s Day stall Our wonderful P&C will be hosting a Mother’s Day stall tomorrow at school for all students to purchase a nice gift for mum or someone in their life who is just like a mum. Gifts range from $1 to $6.

Principal’s Award Congratulations to Layla G for receiving the Principal’s Award this week for being respectful, responsible and safe at school. As well as her certificate, Layla will enjoy a $3.00 food voucher to spend at the canteen and gets to sit on stage at the next school assembly.

Lovely work Layla!!

School Photos 2018 Students are required to wear our school winter uniform on photo day on Monday 28 May. Our school jacket can be worn but is not compulsory for the photo. A note outlining this year’s school photo organisation and an order envelope were sent home last week with each student. Please read all instructions carefully and return envelopes on or before Monday 28 May. If you would like a family/sibling photo (of children attending school only) you can collect an order envelope from our school office).

PBL Reward Day Congratulations to all the Berkeley West students who were eligible to take part in the end of Term 1 Reward Day at school on the last day of Term. The bouncy castle got a huge workout from some very excited students. Thanks to Mrs O’Callaghan for coordinating the day’s celebrations.

What will be the reward for all the students who are Respectful, Responsible and Safe for all of this term? Well that’s top secret …..just for now anyway! It’s simple, be Respectful, Responsible and Safe, stay away from detention and you’ll be there to enjoy!

Swearing Swearing may cause stress and conflict in the home, particularly if your child has not sworn before. Before dealing with it, both parents need to discuss their own values about swearing and what they think is acceptable. In some families one parent swears and the other does not, or one parent disapproves of swearing while the other does not – this gives mixed messages to the children. Some families think it is fine for adults to swear but not for children – this also gives mixed messages to the children.

Children will hear swearing around them at sporting events, parties and gatherings, on television and in movies. They need to learn that there are many unacceptable forms of language and that there are times and places when its use may cause distress to others.

Listed below are some suggestions for dealing with swearing at home:

Try to be matter of fact and say something like, “We don't use that word in our family and I don't want to hear it again.”

If children are experimenting with a word you could offer an alternative suggestion. For example if they are calling out a word you don't like, you could make up a fun word and suggest they try that instead. e.g. “I know a better word than that, what about saying 'ping'.”

If your children say a swear word when they are angry or distressed it is probably most helpful to show them how to say what they really mean, e.g. “I can see you feel really cross/upset/ disappointed ... “ rather than make a big fuss about the use of the word.

Set up a penalty box. If anyone swears or uses unacceptable language they are fined an agreed amount. Money collected in the box is donated to a worthy cause.

Try not to overreact if your children swear at home; sometimes that is their sole purpose! Make sure that they know you are not impressed with their choice or use of language.

Discuss the use of inappropriate language as a family. Set family rules.

Both children and adults may sometimes swear out of habit. If this is the case, help them to find new ways of expressing themselves.

Consider your own use of language. If there are words you do not want your children to use, remove them from your own language; remember that children learn best by example!

Swearing is not tolerated at Berkeley West Public School and will be dealt with immediately in accordance with our school welfare and discipline policy.

Unexplained Absence We are alarmed by the number of ‘days absent’ some of our students have had this year. The vast majority of students have very good attendance and this occurs because most of our parents realise the importance of regular school attendance and do not allow students to be absent for minor reasons. However, there are still a number of children who have unexplained absences for an unacceptable number of days across the year. A major concern is that some of these absences are ‘parent-condoned-absences.’ Things such as: a day off because of your birthday, aunty is visiting, thought we’d take the kids shopping, can’t be bothered having an argument to get them to school etc. are all unacceptable.

If children constantly miss a day here, a couple of days there, over a period of time they begin to feel disconnected from their class and their school work. One way to explain this is to imagine a jigsaw puzzle with a whole lot of pieces missing from it. Children who constantly miss ‘pieces’ of the ‘big picture’ are then forced to try and function back at school- something

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that is difficult for them to do, and it often becomes a pattern that sets children up for failure at school and affects their social relationships as well.

At school we understand that children do become ill and need time to recover or that occasionally there are situations where there is no alternative but to have time off school. A simple motto is: “Be at school: that’s the rule.” The important message here for parents is that every time your child is absent from school without a legitimate reason, it is costing him or her a learning experience.

Maths Tip! You can help your child at home by involving them in mathematical activities and talking to them about maths and its everyday use.

Take One or Take Two

Put out 11 blocks in a row between two players. In turn, remove one or two blocks at a time. The object of the game is to make your partner pick up the last block.

Staff Development Day On the staff development (Pupil Free) day last week, staff at Berkeley West Public School undertook several activities as part of their professional development. All staff participated in their annual face-to-face CPR and anaphylaxis update. Mrs Moore and Mrs Le Cerf also led a very informative session on building numeracy capacity in students.

Student Assistance If you require assistance meeting any expenses related to your child’s education e.g. excursions or uniforms, you are welcome to call the school and ask to speak with the Principal Mr Attard.

“Berkeley West Paint and Play” Playgroup A free playgroup for children 0-5 years and their parents/carers is open every Friday morning during school term from 9.00-10.45am at Berkeley West Public School in the preschool room. Absolutely free! All welcome! See you and your kids there!

Call 4272 1422 during school hours if you have any enquiries.

What Can You Do If Your Child Avoids Reading? Remember that each child is an individual and there is a wide range in reading development and ability. Never compare your children with others and certainly don’t make comparisons between your own children. Each one of us learnt to walk and talk in our own time, so it is with learning to read.

Children who dislike reading are generally those who are having difficulty with the task. They develop avoidance strategies to delay the activity. At home they will want to go to the toilet, or they’ll be hungry, thirsty,

tired, hot, cold, itchy or feeling unwell. Many children use television or other homework as an excuse. They even use other chores to avoid reading.

For many families, reading time can swiftly become battle time.

Try these strategies to help the struggling or reluctant reader at home:

Make reading time short, frequent, enjoyable and unavoidable. Draw up a contract with your child which includes dates, times and durations. Begin with 5 minutes a day, 5 times a week. Make sure you discuss the purpose of the contract and reassure them that you want to help and support them. Children need to know that adults sometimes avoid doing things they don’t like, but learning to read is far too important to ignore.

Try the ‘I read, you read, we read’ approach. When it is your turn to read, make sure you read with enthusiasm and expression so that your child sees it as a fun activity. Encourage your child to follow the words with their finger if it helps. You set the pace when you read with your child and this will help to develop confidence. When it is their turn to read be firm and encouraging, praising their efforts and rewarding persistence.

The parrot approach is a structured way of helping your child learn to read. You read a sentence or phrase and ask them to repeat it. Keep up this ‘my turn, your turn’ method throughout the book and continue until they reach a point where they want to read it to you.

Be confident that your child will learn to read, but remember that everyone learns to read at a different pace. Talk to them about being patient and persistent and let them know that it will eventually happen.

The single most important thing you can do to help your child is to READ TO AND WITH him or her regularly.

**Attendance Cup! Once again, the BWPS Attendance Cup will be awarded each week to the class whose students have had the best attendance rate for the week. The cup will stay in the classroom and is even big enough to be filled with some little rewards for the students!

Don’t let your class down, be at school every day as every absence counts!

Well done to all the students who finished Term 1 in the “94 Club”. These were students with a school attendance rate of 94% or better. They all received a Great Attendance at School (GAS) award before the holidays. A large number of students will also receive a Super Gas award for having 100% attendance for Term 1!

All students have returned back to 100% for the start of Term 2. Another award will be presented to those students in the ‘94 Club at the end of Term 2.

DID YOU KNOW!!!!!!!!

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147 Berkeley West students did not miss more than

3 days of school in Term 1!;

Of these, 65 students have not missed a single

day of school so far this year!

This is an absolutely outstanding effort and attitude by the majority of our students!

How much fluid do children need? The amount that children need varies between individual children. The older the child, the more fluid they need. As an approximate guide:-

4-7 years – at least 4 cups a day

8-11 years – at least 6 cups a day

12 years onwards – 6 to 8 cups a day

Children will need more when they are physically active and on hot and/or humid days. Water is the best drink – for both children and adults.

National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Starting next week, Year 3 & Year 5 students at Berkeley West Public School will complete the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests online.

This is the first year NAPLAN tests will transition from traditional paper tests to online tests. A school readiness test conducted in August and September 2017 helped inform the technical readiness of NSW schools for the move online. A small proportion of NSW schools will sit NAPLAN Online in 2018. Federal, state and territory education ministers have agreed to full participation over the next two to three years.

NAPLAN Online will create new benefits for teachers and students including faster results, greater student engagement and better assessment.

NAPLAN tests, both paper and online, will assess skills taught through NSW syllabus content and scored on the same NAPLAN assessment scale.

The results of the tests provide important information to schools about what each student can do, and will be used to support teaching and learning programs. Parents will receive a report indicating their child’s level of achievement. Each student’s level of achievement will be reported against the national minimum standard.

The NAPLAN Online tests will be conducted over two weeks from 15-25 May 2018.

Students may be withdrawn from NAPLAN by their parent or carer. This is a matter for consideration by parents in consultation with the school principal. If you wish to withdraw your child from the tests, a parent or carer consent form must be signed. Please make an appointment with the principal of the school your child attends if you would like to discuss your child’s participation in NAPLAN.

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) manages personal and health information in accordance with NSW privacy legislation. For further

details, please refer to NESA's Privacy Management Plan at: http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au

Additional information about NAPLAN Online can be found at: http://www.acara.edu.au/assessment/online-assessment

Please ensure that your child is at school on time in the mornings so that they do not miss out on important instructions given to complete the test.

School Uniform As winter fast approaches, a reminder to all students and parents that the winter uniform is-

Girls winter uniform

White long sleeved shirt, check tunic, maroon tie, maroon tights/stockings and black shoes. Maroon school jacket with emblem may be worn also.

Boys winter uniform

Grey long cargo style pants, blue polo shirt with emblem, Maroon school jacket with emblem, white socks, black shoes.

A number of uniform awards will be distributed at random during the term “catching” those who wear the uniform to school.

Remember, student assistance is available to assist you in the cost of a new or second hand uniform, contact the school for assistance.

Crunch and Sip “Crunch and Sip” breaks are happening regularly in all classes. Remember you can order crunch and sip items from the canteen.

School-age play and learning Playing games together helps school-age children learn about fair play, self-control, right and wrong, and getting on with others. It encourages and enhances your child’s development.

After a day at school, though, playtime is really just about having fun! Although TV can help your child rest and relax, current recommendations are to limit TV and computer time to one hour a day.

Ideas for after-school fun:

Dancing to music

Board games

Learning a musical instrument

Reading illustrated books

Visiting the library

Gardening

Helping with dinner

Playing an organised sport with a local team

Visiting the local playground

For more information, visit www.raisingchildren.net.au/play__learning/school_age_play_learning.html

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Helping your child with numeracy Children develop numeracy skills when they use mathematical ideas in their everyday situations. You can help your child start to understand these concepts by looking for opportunities where your child can:

sort, organise and count collections of things like clothes, toys, books, shells, rocks and birthday candles

choose from a variety of materials of different shapes and sizes to use for play and solving problems

be involved in making plans and designing their own constructions like cubby houses, robots and sand castles.

More tips at: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/numeracy_early_years_-_dest.html/context/246

School Website How many times have you visited our school website? It’s a great place to visit to check upcoming events, past newsletters or even visit the photo gallery!

Visit the school website now at-

http://www.berkeleyw-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

Smoking Snippets Did you know???

Children who are exposed to smoking are more likely to suffer from:

Coughs & colds, bronchitis, croup, asthma, pneumonia, ear infections, and SIDS.

Cigarette smoke reaches all areas in a home, even the rooms that are not being smoked in. Opening a window, or sitting in a separate room does not stop the smoke going through your home.

The poisons in cigarette smoke can remain in the air even though the smoke can no longer be seen. Dust, surfaces and furnishings in the homes of smokers are contaminated with toxins which can be inhaled and ingested.

Steps to make your home smoke-free:

1. Get everyone in your home to agree on a date for the home to become smoke free.

2. Remove all ashtrays and lighters from inside your home.

3. Put smoke free zone magnets or stickers on the kitchen fridge and in prominent places around the home.

4. Ask people who want to smoke to go outside.

5. Have an outdoor area for smokers and provide ashtrays that are out of reach to toddlers.

Smoke Free Cars It is an offence to smoke in a car if a child under 16 years is in the car. Police are able to issue an on the spot fine to drivers.

Smoking in a car can be much more toxic than in a house because it is a small, enclosed space. Opening a window is not an effective way to get rid of smoke.

To make your car smoke free:

- Make a rule that your car is smoke free for all family and friends.

- Clean out the ashtray and remove the cigarette lighter.

- Display 'no smoking' stickers on the dashboard or ashtray.

Do you reward unwanted behaviour? At Parent Line, our counselling team regularly take calls from parents who are perplexed about their child’s behaviour. Why do they continue with behaviour that is disruptive, non compliant and challenging? Parents often reflect on one child behaving and responding very differently from another child in the family. There is no simple answer for this and our counsellors approach parents by exploring a range of areas to help the parent uncover what might be going on for their child.

Children are rarely able to tell parents why they are behaving in a certain way. Even when they have the vocabulary they don’t have the insight to understand their behaviour. Often they have learnt how to manage challenging situations and strong feelings by behaving in a certain way. Many times families accidentally reward this behaviour without knowing it. How often have we all given in to a tantrum?

It is important for parents to honestly and openly reflect on what kind of a unique person their child is. Some children are highly strung, others are shy, others dislike change, others are socially motivated etc. There are so many variations on temperament and ability that it’s impossible to compare children in this way. Our challenge as parents is to understand and accept them as they are and to help them develop skills to manage the wide range of tasks that are required of them as they grow up.

Secondly a good analysis of the home environment is useful. Our view at Parent Line is that parents try to manage things in the best way they can. We all have blind spots in our parenting strategies. Our goal at Parent Line is to assist the parents to understand what their blind spots are and to look at other ways to tackle the issue. This is done without judgement about those blind spots, because we all have them, but as a way to develop a deeper understanding of the way we parent. We look at what happens when the behaviour escalates for both the child and the parent. We review some of the strategies that the parent has already used and particularly look for clues about what works for their child. Our simple mantra is if it isn’t working – let’s do something different. We look at what can be put in place to avert the behaviour occurring, in particular exploring family routines, and using strategies to prevent the behaviour from happening and take a good look at what happens when the behaviour does occur.

Some of the issues we reflect on are:

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Do you make the instructions about the behaviour you want to change clear and simple for the child?

How do you regulate your own emotional response when the behaviour occurs?

Are your expectations about what you want the child to do realistic?

And what happens as a result of the behaviour?

Many times, once we have uncovered what is actually happening around the behaviour we will find that parents unintentionally reward the behaviour by giving the unwanted behaviour lots of their attention. Also, parents may give in and let their child have what they wanted in the first place. Whilst it’s important to help children learn new skills so that they can function successfully in their world, it is important for us as parents to notice small attempts at change, success and effort. The most powerful parenting tool we have is to notice and appropriately praise positive behaviour. This does not mean doing a song and dance each time your child behaves well but to use small acknowledgements like shared signals or a few words of encouragement to help the child understand that you have noticed their attempts and efforts and are proud of them.

If you want to talk about your child’s behaviour with one of our professional counsellors, call 1300 1300 52 or visit our website for tips sheets and parenting stories.

Opportunity Class Placement 2019 Opportunity classes cater for highly achieving academically gifted students who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic and social level. These classes help gifted and talented students to learn by grouping them with other gifted and talented students, teaching them in specialised ways and providing educational materials at the appropriate level.

Applications for opportunity class placement are considered mainly on the combined results of the Opportunity Class Placement Test and school assessments. The Opportunity Class Placement Test will be held on Wednesday 1 August 2018.

If you would like to have your child considered for Year 5 opportunity class entry in 2019, you need to apply soon. You will need to apply on the internet using a valid email address (not the student’s email address).

Detailed instructions on how to apply online will be available from Tuesday 1 May 2018 at https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-5 . The application website opens on Tuesday 1 May 2018 and closes on Friday 18 May 2018. No late applications will be accepted.

There are no paper application forms. If you do not have internet access, you could apply at a public library. If you have a disability that prevents you from using a computer, you can contact the Unit for assistance after 1 May 2018.

You must submit only ONE application for each

student.

Have you installed the BWPS App on your Smartphone yet? Great News! Our school now has a FREE mobile phone and device app! What’s that? (you may ask), it is a little application that sits on your phone, tablet (iPad etc) and gives you instant access 24/7 to our school information when you click on it. The app gives parents the ability to instantly access newsletters without going to the website, or to send in a sick note because you forgot to write a paper note! You can now even order your child’s lunch with the app, but for now, download it to your smartphone by going to either the Apple App Store or Android Google Play Market and search for Berkeley West Public School. Once you have found it, press install or download.

If your clever enough, you can even scan the Apple or Android code below on your smart phone to get the app downloaded even faster!

This Mother's Day you can give the gift that keeps on giving and help BWPS raise money at the same time by purchasing an Entertainment Book. Head to http://www.entbook.com.au/orderbooks/28p1536 or order at school through Jade Gabriel! Don't forget, your Entertainment Book can always be on hand - just select the digital option and download the app.

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Class Student of the Fortnight

Reason

KG Chloe Richardson For excellent reading & writ-ing

KK Lillyana Najdovska Improved attendance and participation in classroom activities.

K/1H Jayden Moygannon For excellent reading & writ-ing

1/2J Jordan Weston Always trying his best and giving 100% effort.

2/3S Jacob Abbott For excellent improvement in spelling.

3/4DL Skylar Pearce Getting some very good spelling results.

3/4F Wyatt Ayers Always accepting and ap-plying teacher feedback to improve his work.

5/6G Ataya Clancy For always having a posi-tive attitude towards her work and striving to achieve her learning goals.

5/6H Shanay Fettes For trying to be more posi-tive in her approach to learning activities.

Term 2 - Parent Library Opening

Week Monday with K/1H &

5/6G

Tuesday 2nd Half

Lunch

Wednesday After School

Assembly

3 2:30-3:00pm 14/05/2018

11:30-

11:50pm 15/05/2018

4 2:30-3:00pm 21/05/2018

11:30-

11:50pm 22/05/2018

3:00-3:15pm 23/05/2018

5 2:30-3:00pm 28/05/2018

11:30-

11:50pm 29/05/2018

6 2:30-3:00pm 4/06/2018

11:30-

11:50pm 05/06/2018

3:00-3:15pm 06/06/2018

7 11/06/2018

Public Holiday

11:30-

11:50pm 12/06/2018

8 2:30-3:00pm 18/06/2018

11:30-

11:50pm 19/06/2018

3:00-3:15pm 20/06/2018

9 2:30-3:00pm 25/06/2018

11:30-

11:50pm 26/06/2018

10 2:30-3:00pm

2/07/2018 11:30-

11:50pm

03/07/2018

3:00-3:15pm 04/07/2018

PARENT LIBRARY

At Berkeley West Public School we have collected and

accessioned some useful parenting books (in the purple

section of the school library).

Parents/Caregivers be able to borrow ….

*Books on parenting, food and nutrition, Autism, ADHD

etc

*Student Fiction (Picture Books) and Non-Fiction books

If you would like to become a member, please fill in the

form and return it to the office as soon as possible.

Kind Regards, Mrs Haynes & Miss Murray

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Parent Line

Catholic Care's Parent Line is a free counselling ser-vice for Parents and Carers of children 0 – 18 across NSW 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our profession-al counsellors are available now to talk to parents about a wide range of issues.

Website for Parents At Parent Line, we know that the joys and rewards of parenting are many. We also know that sometimes issues can crop up that can challenge families. Some of these include challenges with adjusting to going to school, transitions from primary school to high school, issues around family breakdown, helping a child who is being bullied at school, the stress of supporting children through the HSC to name a few. At times parenting can be tough!

It’s during times like these, that we all need someone to listen to our story, help us remember and acknowledge our successes and strengths and help us find new ways of sorting through these challenges. Parent Line NSW provides exactly that.

Go to- www.parentline.org.au. This website is a great resource for parents and carers that is easy to read and access and gives parents and cares the facility to email us with enquiries.

Of course the best way to get the best help from Par-ent Line is to talk to one of our professional counsel-lors. They can listen to your issues and tailor some strategies that could assist your family.

Last year Parent Line Counsellors helped over 8,000 parents and carers across NSW with a wide range of parenting issues. We are lucky enough to have 5 male counsellors on our team, if there are Dad’s who prefer to speak to another male.

Concerned about any parenting issue? Ring Par-

ent Line NOW.

1300 1300 52

www.parentline.org.au

PRE-ORDER

You now can pre-order your herbs (Thyme, Mint, Purple Basil, Sage, Parsley, Shallots, Chili’s) & vegetables.

How to pre-order

Write your child’s name and class on an envelope

Add you order to the front or back of the envelope

Place estimated amount in the envelope ($1 a

bunch). Note you can get ½ a bunch of herbs.

Place it in the drop box.

Please beware that some products might not be available at the time and that due to wet weather or high temperatures we may not complete a garden harvest. If the products are unavailable, you will be re-funded.

Kind Regards, Mrs Haynes and Ms Stehr

Out and About in the Garden

The Pavers are here-Come and take a peek