Issue No: 32 5th November 2015

THE DORSET EDITION INSPIRE ACHIEVE SUCCEED

From the Principal’s Desk Rescorla Avenue, Croydon 3136 phone: 9725 5038 www.dorsetps.vic.edu.au dorset.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

Diary Dates

Nov

Fri 6th Prep Healesville Sanctuary Excursion

9th - 13th Swimming Seniors Grade 3-6 (Croydon Memorial Pool)

Tue 10th Prep 2016 Parent Information Evening 7-8pm

Fri 13th Grade 1 and 2 Healesville Sanctuary Excursion

16th - 20th Swimming Juniors Prep- Grade 2 (Croydon Aquahub)

Tue 24th Grade 3/4 Fizzics Incursion

Fri 27th Grade 2 Sleepover (new date)

Dec

Thu 10th Christmas Carols Evening

Tue 15th Grade 6 Graduation

Wed 16th Grade 6 Big Day Out

Thu 17th Last Day of year (1.30pm early dismissal)

Fri 18th Curriculum Day (Pupil free day)

Grade Structures for 2016 PA 5/6A PB 5/6B PC 5/6C PD 5/6D 1A 1B Specialist Programs 1C 1D L.O.T.E 2A Physical Education 2B Music/Drama 2C Reading Recovery 3A SAKG 3B Science 3/4C Art 4A 4B 4C Next year there will be 21 grades (an extra grade in the 1/2 area and Science will be introduced as a specialist program/subject. Structuring the grades to ensure that the numbers in each grade are functional has been a complex task. The Leadership team and staff have considered the structures and have discussed in length the great potential and success of the structures for 2016. Please see me if there are any concerns. Secondary School Experience Over the next few days the 5/6 children will experience schooling life at a secondary level. Justin and his team have carefully planned these days for our senior students to prepare them for the next couple of years. These sessions have been very successful in the past and have provided the children with an extensive insight into schooling in Year 7 and beyond. Discuss these days with your child to ensure your child is experiencing success with the sessions and gaining confidence to tackle Secondary School. Restorative Justice/Practice Nicole Bell and I attended two very enlightening session on Restorative Practices & culture in our school. We have formed a partnership with the ‘Real Schools Group’ and look forward to further enhancing our skills at Dorset Primary School. ‘Real Schools’ exists to build partnerships and experiences to help the school achieve it’s potential in three key areas:

Committed Teachers - When you study great teachers… you will learn much more from their caring and hard work than from their style. (William Glasser)

Caring Students - Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Connected Communities - Where there is not community - trust, respect & ethical behaviour are difficult for the young to learn and for the old to maintain. (Robert K Greenleaf)

If you would like further information on ‘Real Schools’ the web address is www.realschool.com.au. I am really excited to forge this partnership with the Real Schools team and look forward to enhancing our school.

Science/Arts Next year 2 ’new’ programs will be available at Dorset Primary School; Science and Arts . Science will be introduced in 6 month blocks senior first half of the year and Juniors second half. The children will have a one hour hands on learning session weekly for 6 months. Science is a very engaging subject and I look forward to the children experiencing it a little differently. Arts (Art, Music, Drama) will also be made available next year. Steve Lynch will be leading the Arts Committee which will be integrating the Arts into as many areas as possible. I am currently investigating the possibility of building an Art/Science room. Quotes are in and with careful budgeting I may be able to provide another amazing learning space for the children.

Senior Swimming As per Department Regulations a ‘walking map’ should be provided for parents so they are aware of the route to be used when walking. The Walking Map is as follows: Depart Dorset PS from the staff car park exit. Turn left on to Fredrick Road. Turn left on to Jesmond Road. Take the school crossing and turn back right, on to Jesmond Road. Continue on to Norton Road. Take a left turn through Fred Geale Reserve and on to Civic Square. Continue on Civic Square to Mount Dandenong Road. Cross at the traffic lights and go through Croydon Park to the pool. Return trip: The same route but in reverse. Regards, Palma Coppa Principal

Don’t forget to check

lost property if you are

missing any items

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Menu

Silverbeet & warrigal greens pizza

Broad Bean salad

Garlic Bread

Five minute strawberry ice-cream

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Garden News

November garden activities underway now include clearing beds for sowing summer crops such as corn, tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, cucumbers, beans, pumpkins, melons, chilli, squash, zucchini..... Students are harvesting plenty of strawberries and the blackberries should be ready next month also. This photo of a brassica was a hidden gem in our garden recently. Look for the spiral emerging.... "Patterns in nature" will be a topic for discussion this month. Anna Clarkson

Chaplain’s Chat with Dave Concrete Thoughts We humans are like concrete. As adults, set in our ways, change is difficult. A reformation of character takes a near death experience, relationship breakdown or some other personal crisis. Changing solid concrete is possible but it takes a jackhammer. Children, on the other hand, are like wet concrete. They are being poured and shaped with every conversation, relationship and example. They are open to ideas, practices and new realities – trusting that the adults in their world have it all together and know where they are heading. In childhood, the spout is spewing wet ready-mix in any direction the adults around us care to direct it. Because children spend the majority of their time with Mum and Dad, character and values formation primarily happens in the home. Until approximately age 10, children receive and replicate what they see and hear. They, literally, become what surrounds them. Dad laughs at a joke, I laugh. Mum bakes a cake, I bake. They care, I do. The maxim, “Do what I say, not what I do” never really works. I watch, I try, I become. The four steps of practical teaching – I do, you watch; we do, I teach; you do, I watch; you do, I go – is active in every home on the planet, intentional or not. The great news is that children are very malleable. If we change, they will too. If we become something new, so will they. But, we don’t like change, do we? Jackhammers are scary. Between the ages of 10 and 12 the concrete is setting. The core moral and spiritual identity of a child has been established but they are still open to detailing and shaping. The questions asked in this stage combine physical reality with heart stuff. What does honesty have to do with homework? What does respect have to do with playing sport? Why do I have to wear a helmet? As a child moves through upper primary school, they are ready for more responsibility and authority because they are starting to understand the why at the centre of most of life’s whats. Reasons are important. Friends are becoming barometers of other-worldly realities. My friends’ families are not like mine. He can do whatever he wants – nobody cares. She tells rude jokes – everybody laughs. His Dad is never home. Her Mum yells at her across the carpark. When I visit, they don’t eat together. My friend is scared of his Dad and says mine is weird. I think I know why. I’m different. I’m special. I’m valuable. I am loved. While emotional fine-tuning and experiential learning is lifelong,

most of the values integrated deep in my character and yours

were formed in childhood. Wet concrete is easier to pour and

shape. Make your parenting intentional and instructional. It’ll

save a lot of jackhammering in a few years!

Maths-A-Thon Don’t forget that the Maths-A-Thon

sponsorship form and money are due back to

the office ASAP. If you need a sponsorship form,

please collect one from the office.

SSSENIORENIORENIOR SSSWIMMINGWIMMINGWIMMING TTTIMETABLEIMETABLEIMETABLE Croydon Memorial Pool

Corner of Hewish Road and Springfield Avenue,

Croydon

SESSION 1 5/6 B & & 4C Depart -9-00 Return – 11-30 * in water – 9 45 – 10 45

SESSION 2 5/6E & 3A Depart -10-00 Return – 12-30 * in water – 10 45 – 11 45

SESSION 3 5/6C & 3/4A Depart -11-00 Return – 1-30 * in water – 11 45 – 12 45

SESSION 4 5/6A & 3B Depart -12-00 Return – 2-30 * in water – 12 45 – 1 45

SESSION 5 5/6D & 3/4B Depart -1-00 Return – 3-30 * in water – 1 45 – 2 45

POPPY APPEAL Students will be visiting the classrooms to sell items for Remembrance Day! Items range from $1.00 to $4.00 each.

Uniform Shop School uniforms can be purchased from our PSW Uniform Shop located near the Prep rooms. It is open: Every Wednesday from 2.45pm to 3.45pm Order forms are available at the office if you can’t make it on Wednesday.

Chocolates There are still some families that have not yet paid for their box of chocolates. If you have finished selling your box of chocolates, could you please return the money to the office. Thank you to all the families that have sold chocolates for our major fundraiser this year! We do still have more chocolates to sell if you would like another box. Please come and see Cynthia or Nicole in the office.

Chirnside Park Shopping Centre School Rewards Program

We are pleased to be part of the Chirnside Park Shopping Centre School Rewards Program again this year. It is running from the 21st September to 8th November. You can donate your points at the customer service desk at Chirnside Park Shopping Centre by presenting your receipts from purchases made in the centre dated during the promotional period.

School Prizes (School Grants)

· 1st Prize: $5,000

· 2nd Prize: $3,000

· 3rd Prize: $2,000

Customer Prizes

· Weekly $100 Chirnside Park gift card

· $2,000 Chirnside Park gift card (Grand prize for the customer who

donates the most points during the competition).

Customer Service Office Hours: Monday – Wednesday: 9am – 5.30pm Thursday – Friday: 9am – 9pm Saturday: 9am – 5pm Sunday: 10am – 5pm

Notices sent home Notices sent home Recipient Healesville Excursion Notice Prep to Grade 2 (Due ASAP) Swimming Notice Whole School (Due ASAP) Fizzics Incursion Notice Grade 3/4 (Due 6th Nov) Sleepover Form Grade 2 (Due 9th Nov) Graduation Notice Grade 6 Due 23rd Nov) Tea Towel Notice Whole School (Due 30th Oct) Math-a-thon Notice Whole School (Due ASAP) Notebook November Instalment Notice Grade 3 (Due 13th Nov) Notebook Lease Info Night & Contract Grade 2

BASKETBALL Last week Dorset sent a basketball team to play in The Grade

3&4 Hoop-time Finals. This was The All-star team who played in

the district round robin competition earlier in the year and

qualified to compete at this very high level of competition. This

was a great achievement for this team to make it through to

the finals. The boys had a number of training sessions taken by

Mr Sullivan and Kelly Bendall. Mr Sullivan also coached the

boys. The team performed well in this competition and it was

great experience for them, often being up against whole teams

of boys who played at a representative level (the highest level).

Great work boys.

The team: Joel Burch, Hunter Bendall, Flynn Davies, Oliver

Phillips, Remy Maclean, Liam Walker, Declan Williamson and

Josh Kirwan.

SWIMMING NEXT WEEK Next week children from grades 3-6 are going swimming. All

children should bring a coat each day in

case it is wet when walking to or from the

pool. They should also bring bathers, towel

and any other gear in a waterproof bag.

On the last day of the program they will be doing water safety

and will need to bring old clothes to go over their bathers. We

are looking forward to this experience.

Communicating With Our Parent Community

Our school is using an App to send instant messages, newsletters and notices. The Tiqbiz app will help our school keep parents fully informed and up-to-date with newsletters, notices, news and events. It’s easy to use and also has the benefit of helping reduce our paper consumption by printing less.

The first step is to download tiqbiz to your phone, tablet, computer … or all of them.

Search for : tiqbiz

Remember to click “allow” notifications when asked. This will allow us to send you important alert notices. For technical information please see the school for a flyer.

Camp Australia Dorset OSHC Phone: 0417 604 663 Customer Service: 1300 105 343 www.campaustralia.com.au Dorset P.S. Camp Australia hours: Before School Hours: Mon - Fri 7:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. After School Hours: Mon – Fri: 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Camp Australia Staff.

GET YOUR FRESH FRUIT AND VEG AND HELP US RAISE MONEY! This year, we have joined forces with Tessa’s Harvest Box for a major, ongoing fundraiser. Not only is this a great opportunity for us to raise a large amount of money over the year, but a fantastic opportunity for you too. You can have your fruit and vegetables delivered right here to school every Tuesday.

This is how it works…

Fill in the order form and attach payment

Hand it in to the office by 9am Monday morning

Your box of fresh produce will be delivered here for you to pick up on

Tuesday after 1pm $5 from every order will be donated to us for every cash payment. $3 from every order will be donated to us for every credit card payment. We need a minimum of 10 orders per week to get the full donation.

Apple Man The apple man will be delivering apples to the school on:

Friday 6th November He only has available at this stage:

Granny Smiths $10.00

Pink Lady $10.00

Fuji $10.00

Please place orders with Cynthia in the office by Thursday!