PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

DIARY DATES

Tuesday 15th March You Be The Star Visit

Wednesday 16th March National Ride 2 School Day

Friday 25th March PFA Drive-In Movie Night

Tuesday 29th March 2nd Hand Uniform Shop

NEWSLETTER N0.06 10TH MARCH 2011

NOTICES DUE BACK BY

Friday 11th March You Be The Star Visit

National Ride 2 School Day

Gr 5/6 Premier‟s Reading

Challenge

Friday 18th March Prep–Gr 4 Premier‟s Reading

Challenge

Friday 1st April Singapore Trip 1st instalment

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

E-mail: berwick.lodge.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

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

Camp Australia/Out of School Hours Care: 9769 8251

SCHOOLCOUNCIL

ELECTIONS To date I have received a total of

two (2) nominations for the two (2)

DEECD Category vacancies on

school council.

I have also received two (2)

nominations for the Parent Category

vacancies on school

council. As there are a

total of four (4) Parent

Category vacancies for

school council, I still

require a further two

(2) nominations so as to

avoid the need to extend

nominations for a further week.

Please contact office staff by close of

business tomorrow if you are

interested and willing to nominate

for a parent Category vacancy.

BER UPDATE Last week I emailed Julie Alliston,

DEECD BER Team, with our request

for access to the $1 million

(approximately) balance of funds for

our BER project so that we could

manage the use of this money for our

BER companion project. Julie Alliston

responded, informing me of the

following:

(1) The DEECD BER Team

would work to achieve the

outcome that I indicated we

wanted

(2) That she would need up to

a fortnight to achieve this

result.

I indicated to Julie Alliston that, on

behalf of our school council, I was

satisfied with her response. This is a

very heartening development for our

school and I will keep you informed.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS (FAQ’s)

Q. What sense can be made of

the MySchool Website

information?

A. That‟s a very good question and

there are no simple answers. I would

say that the comparative school

financial details

that illustrates

the differences

between

government

and non-

government

schools is the most illuminating,

though not surprising. Insofar as

making judgements about which

schools provide better teaching and

learning opportunities, then I would

argue that the MySchool Website

provides little information that is of

great value. Of timely relevance is

the availability of a video of eminent

USA educationist and author, Diane

Ravitch, being interviewed recently

on the top-rating USA TV program,

The Daily Show, discussing testing in

schools, poverty and school reform. I

have added the video link for your

reference. I highly recommend it to

you.

http:scholasticadministrator.type

pad.comthisweekineducation/

2011/03/video-ravitchsreturn

-to-the-daily-show.html

QUOTABLE QUOTE ‘The windows through which we allow

others to view us are often more telling

than that which is seen.’

HENRY GROSSEK

CANTEEN IS NOT OPEN ON TUESDAYS

ASS I STANT PR INCIPALS ’ REPORT

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

Ella PC Stefan PL

Brooke PC Scarlett PL

Jayda PC Ryan PW

Joshua PM Hayley PM

NATIONAL RIDE 2 SCHOOL

DAY – WEDNESDAY 16TH

MARCH

National Ride2School Day is just

around the corner. Families are

reminded that on this day we will be

having the police

attend our school

from 11:30AM –

1:30PM. They will

be here to engrave

the children‟s bikes

with an

identification number to assist in the

location of their bicycle should it be

lost or stolen. Thank you to the

families who have already returned

their forms giving us the details of their

driver‟s licence as this will be used for

the identification. If you have not

returned your forms but still wish to

have your bike engraved please let the

office know and they will send home a

new form. All students on wheels

(including skaters and scooters are

required to wear helmets). Please

note that all scooters and bikes must

be secured in the bike shed.

EMERGENCY CONTACT

DETAILS

Parents are reminded of the

importance of ensuring their contact

details held at the school are current.

This is vital in cases of emergency

where immediate contact with the

parents is required. It is also advisable

for parents to check that the details for

alternative emergency contacts are

current. If details have changed, the

changes need to be forwarded to the

school office in writing at the earliest

opportunity. A change of details

proforma is available on request from

the office.

‘INSPIRE YOUR KIDS TO READ’

FORUM

The Melbourne Football Club in

conjunction with Casey Cardinia

Library Corporation invites you to the

„Inspire Your Kids to Read‟ Forum.

Authors Michael Wagner, one of

Australia‟s most original and successful

writers for children and Archie Fusillo,

a popular and most sought after

speaker in schools and literacy forums,

will provide tips on how to encourage

and motivate children and teens to

read.

The forum is aimed at parents and

teachers, providing an insight in how to

inspire and stimulate kids to both enjoy

and become involved in reading.

Melbourne footballers and Read Like a

Demon ambassadors Colin Garland

and Cale Morton will discuss the

impact that the Read Like

a Demon program will

discuss the impact that

the Read Like a Demon

Program has had on

students within the City

of Casey and share their

experiences.

This forum will take place on Tuesday

15th March 2011 from 7:00 to

9:00PM at the Cranbourne

Community Centre located at

Cranbourne Secondary College,

Brunt Street Cranbourne

(Mel Ref:133 K4) and is free of charge.

STUDENT SAFETY

This week we were alerted by some

members of our community regarding

children being approached or followed

by a person or persons unknown to

the child. We were also informed by

DEECD of a similar incident that

occurred locally. Whilst this did not

directly involve any students from our

school, it is a timely reminder of the

need for us to be alert and prepare our

students to deal with this situation

should it arise for them.

We suggest that parents discuss the

importance of leaving the school

promptly and travelling via the most

direct route with other students/adults

and that if the student has concerns

the safe options available to them

including local Safety Houses and

community services such as the local

shop, doctors surgery and

kindergarten. All students should be

encouraged to inform an adult (parent,

teacher, school crossing supervisor) if

they are feeling unsafe or have noticed

anything unusual whilst travelling to

and from school.

We would also suggest that children

do not arrive at school early, or remain

in the school grounds, outside of the

supervised times (8:45AM to 3:45PM).

For their own safety students who are

in the school grounds outside of these

hours should be enrolled in the OHSC

Program or under direct supervision of

their parent/guardian.

CONGRATULATIONS

As a school community we would like

to acknowledge the initiative shown by

Kaitlyn S of 4R who was responsible

for the school registering and

participating in the Clean

Up Australia Day last

Friday. It was great to

see so many students

and their buddies helping

to ensure our school

grounds were cleaned before the

weekend. Kaitlyn was acknowledged

by the Clean Up Australia Day

organisation with a certificate which

was presented at our school assembly

on Monday. Congratulations Kaitlyn!

LYNNE BRENNER & DEBBIE CUSACK

Introducing Our Specialist Teams Over the past few weeks each of our Specialist team have introduced themselves through a brief description in the

newsletter. We are very excited to have a new team this year with Miss Tahnee Planner, Miss Sarah Vine, Mr Nick Pryor and

Mrs Olivia Cook joining us.

Hi Everyone,

My name is Sarah Vine and after teaching in the classroom for eleven years (Lysterfield Primary School, Glendal Primary

School and at B.L.P.S) I have made the transition into the specialist team in 2011.

I am the new teacher in the Library and have a strong personal interest in Asian Literacy and

the language of Indonesian.

I am currently studying my Diploma of Languages in Indonesian at Deakin University part-time

and will finish at the conclusion of 2012. Learning about the culture and language of another

country, especially one so close to Australia, is such a fantastic opportunity.

This year students will be listening to and viewing Asian Literacy, as well as literacy from other

parts of the world. They will be engaging in role-plays, puppet shows, origami, construction

activities, wall stories, drawings, paintings, playing games and many other exciting tasks. The

Indonesian language will also be threaded through these activities, so you may just hear your child saying something in

Indonesian when they come home from school!

The Library is open during the second half of lunchtime in Term 1 for the Year 1 & 2 students on Monday‟s, Year 3 students

on Tuesday‟s and the year 4 students on Friday‟s. It is an opportunity for the students to play a quiet game, read quietly or

participate in a quiet craft activity.

Please feel free to come and say „hello‟ anytime. Our Library at B.L.P.S values your ongoing support and thanks all those who

have already offered their help.

Smiles

Miss Sarah Vine

You Can Schools Program

Working with Canteen and the Sony

Foundation, Berwick Lodge Primary School will

be collecting old mobile phones to be recycled.

The funds from these mobile phones will go to

much needed funds to build youth cancer

centres across Australia.

The more mobile phones we collect and

recycle the more educational tools Berwick

Lodge Primary School will receive. These could include video

cameras, laptops, and possibly Interactive Whiteboards

which will be a great addition to our school.

There is a collection bin in the front foyer, located outside

Mrs Cusack‟s office. Please hunt around at home, or ask your

friends, neighbours, work colleagues and local

community groups, to look for any old mobile

phones and place them in the collection bin

located in the school foyer.

Please help Berwick Lodge

Primary School support a

worthy cause.

Vanessa Porter

On behalf of the Junior School Council

WHAT IS CONFIDENCE

Definition of ‘Confidence’ Confidence means believing you

can do it. It means not being

afraid to make mistakes, to try

something new, or to express an

opinion.

Examples of Confident

Behaviour

Raising your hand in class to answer a hard question

Doing hard work without asking for help

Sharing a new idea with your teacher and class

Saying “hello” to someone new

Asking to play with others

Talking in a strong voice

Greeting adults with good eye contact and using their

names

Sharing your ideas with the family

Offering to take responsibility for organising as family

event (e.g. preparing a dish for a meal)

Volunteering to participate in a new activity or

experience

Saying “no” when being pressured to do something

wrong

YEAR 7 2012 Transition News

Berwick S.C High Achievers Program

Information Parents of students currently in Grade 6 who wish to apply

for Berwick S.C High Achievers Program are invited to

contact Mrs Sue Naismith for the brochure and application

form detailing all the information.

Closing dates for applications: Friday 25th March 2011

Selection Exam: Saturday 2nd April 2011

Application Fee: $60:00

Please don‟t hesitate to contact Sue Naismith on 9707 1766

for further details.

Fountain Gate High Achievers Program

Information Fountain Gate S.C High Achievers Program offers students a

program to maximise their learning potentials.

For further information regarding this program contact

Mrs. J Doble (Assistant Principal) on 8782 6839.

Applications for this program close on 27th March 2011.

School Tour Dates – Berwick S.C Bookings are essential, please call 8768 1000 to make a

booking. Parents who have made a booking are to meet in the

General Office on the morning of the tour.

Tuesday 15th March 9.30am

Monday 28th March 9.30 am

Saturday 2nd April 9.15am

Thursday 28th April 9.30am.

On Friday 4th March 2011 the 22 captains at our school went to National

Young Leaders Day at the Melbourne convention Centre.

There were over 4000 children from primary schools all over the state. Some

of the guest speakers were Matt Preston from Masterchef, Stevie Nicholson

and Tim Maddren from High 5 and Kate Leeming. Kate rode her bicycle from

the west coast to the east coast of Africa, crossing the equator twice in only 10

months. She spent many times struggling through very difficult conditions

including crossing countries in civil war. We were inspired by all of the guest

speakers because their messages gave us good ideas about how to persist and

be great leaders.

Michaela and Ethan (School Captains)

Take part in the School Banking

Rewards Program!

The Commonwealth Bank School Banking program includes

an exciting new Rewards Program designed to encourage

children to get into the habit of making regular savings.

Our school takes part in the Commonwealth Bank School

Banking program. We have a number of children who are

actively participating but also have a number of students who

have opened accounts but have not started banking each

week. We would like to invite these students to commence

their banking this term and start collecting tokens which can

be redeemed for exclusive Dollarmites reward items. All your

child needs to do is bring in their Dollarmites deposit wallet

(see picture) with a small

amount of money each

Tuesday.

Every time your child

makes a deposit they

receive a Dollarmites token, there will be five reward items all

worth 10 tokens. These tokens can then be exchanged for a

range of gifts. Students will have lots of fun saving their tokens

for these cool gifts, including money boxes, Dollarmite wallet,

water bottle, lunch box and watch. They will also be

rewarded with certificates.

School Banking helps develop some important behaviours

such as:

Creating regular savings habits

Settings goals and saving to achieve them

Being responsible by completing their own deposit slip

each week

The program is a fun and rewarding way to educate children

on how to save. If your child has opened an account please

remember to send their banking in each week on Tuesday.

If your child does not have a Youthsaver account and would

like to participate in the School Banking program, please

contact the Admin Office who will give your child a pack to

take home which includes an application form for you to

complete. If you are an existing Commonwealth Bank

customer with access to NetBank you can apply for your

child‟s Youthsaver account online. Simply log into NetBank,

click the “Offers and apply” tab, then select “Accounts” and

“Youthsaver”. Please have your child‟s birth certificate handy.

Parents & Friends Association NEXT MEETING: Thursday 7th April 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. We would also

like to offer a warm welcome to our new mums that attended our last meeting.

2ND HAND UNIFORM SHOP: Our next 2nd hand uniform shop will be open in the school canteen

on Tuesday 29th March 2011 from 2.30pm until 3.15pm.

We would like to send a huge thank you to all those families who have so kindly donated their old

uniforms to the shop to be sold. Your generosity has helped other families in our school community

Current Events DRIVE-IN MOVIE NIGHT - Friday 25th March 2011 from 5:00pm: Please come and invite your

friends and families. We hope that our extended school community will support this

great event. Extra forms for this wonderful evening are available at the office and

tickets will be sent out this week. Remember there will be loads of fun and

entertainment, including a jumping castle for $2.00 per session as well as free face

painting. Lots of delicious food will be available for purchase on the night including

sausages from our famous PFA sausage sizzle, popcorn, fairy floss, ice-cream, coffee,

slurpies, gelati and donuts !!

The PFA are looking for companies who are interested in advertising on the big screen for our drive-in

movie night. If you would like more information on what is involved please email us at

blps.pfa@hotmail.com

SUNSCREEN: We have roll-on sunscreen available for purchase at the front office for $6.00 per stick.

They are a great compact size and are very useful for all children to have in their bags now with our lovely

sunny weather!

MOBILE PHONE RECYCLING: Got any of those old mobile phones around? Don‟t let them clutter

up your desk or drawers, bring them up to the office at school and drop them into our Mobile Recycling

Bin. The Junior School Council is assisting Can Teen in their efforts to help young Australians survive

cancer. Every mobile phone that is recycled helps support this worthwhile cause and along the way with

the help of the Sony Foundation, schools that recycle a certain number of phones receive Sony products

as a reward. These products include Handycams, Notebooks and ActivBoards. We encourage everyone

to support our JSC and CanTeen.

Upcoming Events HOTDOG DAY – Tuesday 5th April 2011: forms will be sent out soon.

MOTHERS DAY STALL: We will also be holding our Mother‟s Day Stall next term, we have already

ordered in great presents that every mum will love!

PFA MARKET DAY: Please note that this event will sadly not be going ahead this year as advertised

on the school calendar due to a clash of dates with the Casey Kids Carnival.

The PFA would like to thank you for your continued

support.

COMMUNITY NEWS

BUSINESS ADVERTISING

Extending Literacy & Maths

Tutoring Program

Prep to Grade 6

Specialised Numeracy,

Literacy & Reading Programs

Private Lesson

Group Lessons

ASD, ESL & Koori students catered

for

0432 127 119

CRYSTAL CLEANING

SERVICES P/L

For all your carpet/upholstery and

general cleaning needs

Special Offer 3 rooms/3 seats

Professionally steamed cleaned for $77.00 incl. GST Free

deodorising Free stain treating

Other services: Vacate clean-up/ready for sale

For bookings & enquiries contact

Steve 0411 752 279

$1.00 from each booking goes

back to BLPS.

Plus $1.00 to Royal Children's

Hospital

NARRE WARREN-BERWICK BLUE LIGHT

DISCO

BERWICK LEISURE CENTRE,

MANUKA ROAD, BERWICK

SATURDAY 5th March 2011 & 2nd April

2011

For Students in years 5, 6, 7, & 8

only

Times 6:00pm to 10:00pm

COST: $10.00

Any enquires to Narre Warren

Police Station 9705 3111

- Mansfield St. Food Mart - Mansfield Street, Berwick

Monday – Saturday 6.30am – 9.00pm Sunday & Public Holidays 7.00am-9pm

FOR SALE

Second hand kitchen- pale grey laminate with „as new‟

benchtop in laminate „Urban Granite‟ pattern (black

background with earth tones through it). Includes:

Under bench & overhead cabinets

Breakfast bar

One & a half bowl S/S sink with taps

Westinghouse PXL698 Multifunction 5 fan

forced wall oven with drawer grill & 6 button

programmable timer (with manual)

Old Westinghaouse Rangehood (needs new

filters)

Old Dishlex Dishwasher (still works fine)

There is a few marks on the bottom of the doors but

will be fine with a touch of laminate paint. Asymmetrical

shape but benchtop

sections can be used

separately. Inspections

welcome. Assistance with

de-installation available.

Need to move a.s.a.p.

Please call Terryl on

0412 040 241