PRINCIPAL’S REPORT NEWSLETTER N0.7 15TH MARCH 2012

UPGRADE OF OUR PHONE SYSTEM

Earlier this year we upgraded our telephone system to a modern digital system with more lines and better recording and monitoring features. In all probability you may not noticed any changes – that’s because our staff, the operators, are very professional and maintain an excellent standard. From a management perspective, the new system provides us with greater flexibility and greatly improved data collection and interpretation capabilities.

ICONOCLAST PUSHES NEW SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

Professor John Hattie, one of the world’s most respected educational researchers was profiled in Monday’s The Age. Not only is Professor Hattie’s work highly valued, it is also controversial. Many of his research findings challenge many popular views on education. In short, his evidence-based work can be challenging to digest. Nonetheless, it is well worth taking seriously. I have taken the liberty of providing school council members with a copy of The Age piece on him. Two of his recent books (he has 14 published books on education), Visible Learning & Visible Teaching – emphasise the importance of teacher feedback to students but, more importantly, student feedback to

teachers about what they learnt. Professor Hattie is well worth checking out on Google.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS Q. Who decides what staff do on curriculum days? A. We do. Considerable thought is given to our curriculum day activities – with many DEECD and school-based priorities competing for time. In short, there are always far more professional development activities that we would like to do than time to do them.

QUOTABLE QUOTE ‘Charisma opens doors, but

can break hearts’

Henry Grossek

STUDENT WELLBEING

NEWS –

LIFE EDUCATION VAN As part of our unit on health/

drug education the Life Education

mobile classroom will be visiting

our school from Wednesday 2nd

May until Friday 11th May 2012.

Life Education has been visiting

schools for many years and is

always a highlight of the children’s

year and helps to facilitate the

development of life skills in

students to prevent and minimise the harm of drug misuse.

Lessons are always age

appropriate and the children will

be covering a wide range of

health and drug related topics

during these sessions ranging

from the human body and how it

works, healthy eating and

nutrition, medicines and drugs,

bullying, resilience and social

skills.

Healthy Harold,

the well loved

LIFE education

giraffe

mascot, is always

a much

anticipated

element of the

Life Education visit.

The Life Education sessions are

always fun, interactive and really

extend and develop the children’s

understanding of the topics

covered.

Further information about the

Life Education van visit will be

forwarded to families at the

beginning of next term.

STUDENT SAFETY This week we were alerted by a

member of our community

regarding a student being

approached by a person

unknown to the child. We feel

that 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 travelling to

and from the school via the most

direct route with other students/

adults. If the student has concerns the safe options

available to them include 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.

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

form is available on request from

the office.

Lynne Brenner & Debbie Cusack

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS’ REPORT

DIARY DATES Tuesday 20th March Hospital Dress Up Day

Wednesday 21st March House Athletics Carnival

Friday 23rd March Grade 5/6 Bigbuzz Productions: Our Story

Easter Disco

Tuesday 27th March Hot Dog Lunch

NOTICES DUE BACK Monday 19th March Grade 5/6 Bigbuzz Productions: Our Story

House Athletics Carnival Parent Helper Form

Thursday 22nd March Easter Disco

Monday 26th March 5/6 Interschool Winter Sport - Code of Conduct/Medical Form

5/6 Camp Sovereign Hill Deposit

Year 7 2013 Transition News Parents of Grade 6

children are

invited to attend a

Parent Information

Evening at the

Berwick Secondary

College

Performing Arts Centre on

Tuesday 24th April 2012 at 7pm.

Information will be provided on the

Berwick Secondary College

programs, pathways, transition

process and the BSC school zone.

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

SCHOOL AWARDS

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

Ben PK

Elizabeth PW

Aaron PW

Oliver PM

Maddylin PW

Ronan PW

Holly PK

Aleacia PM

Hayley PS

Jordan PS

Emelia PK

Judd PK

Alice PS Harrison PS

Rune PM

Jackson PM

Miscellaneous Group Photos

Order envelopes were sent home yesterday for the miscellaneous group photos (e.g. school leaders, sport teams) These photos are on display in the office window of Grade 5C, room 20, adjacent to the front door of the Grade 5/6 building. All completed photo orders need to be returned to your class teacher no later than Wednesday 28th March 2012.

Junior School Council

Hospital Day On Tuesday 20th March 2012 we will be

having a Hospital Day to raise money for the

Good Friday Appeal.

Children can come dressed

as a doctor, nurse or

patient (in their pyjamas).

If children dress up they

can donate a gold coin.

Grade 5/6 Camp Parent Helpers

If you're interested in being a parent helper on camp, please come and collect a form from me (in room 23) or ask your child to come and see me. These forms are due back by Wednesday 21st March 2012.

Thanks, Jackie Pope

BUSINESS ADVERTISING

The Parents & Friends Association Present:

The BLPS Easter Disco

Friday 23rd March 2012 Preps — Grade 2 4.30pm—6.00pm

Grade 3 — Grade 6 6.30pm—8.30pm

Prizes for best costume & best dancer

Only $2.00 entry! Payment forms are being sent home with the newsletter today, or are available at the office

Confidence means believing you can do it. It

means not being afraid to make mistakes, to try

something new, or to express an opinion

FOR SALE

Hewlett Packard Laptop

DV6-3031 First generation i7 processor

8GB Ram

640GB Hard Drive

1GB Graphics Card

15.6” Screen

DVD Drive

Windows 7 home premium pre loaded

Microsoft Office home & student

pre loaded

Current internet security till 2013

Genuine Harvey Norman warranty unit

2015

*BONUS - Internet security to last till 2014

Condition – As good as new original

stickers still on unit

Flexible on price of $798 or nearest offer.

Please contact Tara if

interested on

0411 824 199