Little Bendigo P.S. Newsletter 8 Monte St, Nerrina 3350 Phone: (03) 53326317 little.bendigo.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au www.littlebendigops.vic.edu.au 2/2/2017 Term 1, Week 1 WELCOME BACK Welcome back everyone and welcome to our new families. It was great to see so many parents at our first assembly once again making it a special first event for the year. We pride ourselves on being a community school and value the powerful impact of close working relationships with parents. We are lucky to have parents who enjoy coming in and helping, from listening to children read in the mornings, providing us with ideas and thoughts and doing jobs around the school. We look forward to working together again this year, doing our very best for your child or children. Sometimes though, not everything is smooth sailing so if you have any concerns or are worried for some reason, please see your classroom teacher or Karolina. If you don t have time to come in then please just give us a call. It is important to share, not only the great things that are happening but those things that we need to work on together. New Preps for 2017 All our prep students have now had three full days at school. There were many excited, anxious and eager children starting on Tuesday. The children settled very well into their class and had a wonderful first day at school. 2017 Term Dates Term One 31 st January - 31 st March Term Two 18 th April - 30 th June Term Three 17 th July - 22 nd September Term Four 9 th October - 22 nd December
Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) 2017 Reminder re CSEF forms were sent home last year but are available at the office. Eligible families who apply, will receive $125 per student, paid into their family account at Little Bendigo Primary School commencing from March 2017. These funds can then be allocated to school charges, according to the policy and parent preferences. Parents/students holding a means-tested concession card valid on Monday 30th January 2017 or Tuesday 18th April 2017 may be eligible. CSEF Application Form 2017 are available from the Office or Department website www.education.vic.gov.au/csef. For further online information, please visit: www.education.vic.gov.au/csef. Completed forms, with a copy of your Centrelink Card, should be submitted to the Office. We encourage parents to take advantage of this funding opportunity. Payments Our preferred payment method is BPay rather than cash. Please see your invoice or statement for your Bpay details. Enrolment details update Enrolment detail update forms have been sent home, please update and return ASAP. This will ensure the school has the correct details for emergency contacts. LITTLE GIGGLE What do frogs drink? Croak-a-cola Why does a frog have more lives than a cat? Because it croaks every night! Newsletter Process Sometimes our newsletter can become quite large and as many parents know have newsletters emailed to them. We would like to know if you would prefer. 1. Just receive the newsletter link to download from our website. 2. Receive newsletter by email 3. Receive newsletter by hard copy. Please email little.bendigo.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Or send a note with your child to let us know your preference. Thank you. 2
TREES Last year the Department of Education did a bushfire inspection report on the administration/ library building as it is our evacuation building. As a result of this unfortunately we had to take down the tree at the front of the admin building as it was within 10m of the building. As part of our management of the trees we have an arborist Lachlan, report on our trees and then we do the work that he recommends. A different arborist Paddy, was contracted by the Department to take down the tree outside the admin building. When he started the work he looked at our other two major trees and recommended that these, in particular the one in the bottom playground should also come down. We are currently seeking funds to do this work. It is extremely sad to see these huge beautiful trees be taken down but the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and parents comes first. For the last couple of years we have been creating different ideas of ways to improve our grounds, such as an outdoor learning centre, vegetable garden, sound garden, mindfulness area, new playground equipment etc. We are creating a whole school plan so all the ideas should flow. A major emphasis will be to bring back some of the inspiration that we have lost through the loss of our wonderful tree which, will include re-planting. If you have any ideas or would like to help with our grounds work then please let us know. PLANNING In this year s initial planning we had a major focus on pedagogy which is how we teach and how students learn. This involved major discussions in relation to best practice in the classroom and how we can get the most out of each day. A very important part of our curriculum is to enable the students to use and apply what they have learnt. To do this more effectively we have decided to conduct each specialist program for two hours per week rather than one. So in this time we will provide the students with learning opportunities to use and apply their literacy and numeracy skills, knowledge and understandings through Chinese, Art, Physical education, Music and Environmental Education. In effect, this means that students will be developing their literacy and numeracy skills all day long. Sorry we haven t got to the planning around key dates and other events happening in the school, but will do that during Monday s staff meeting and will get those to you next week. 3
Welcome back everyone it is fantastic to see the students all smiling and engaged with their learning. I am so proud of the students, from day one they have come in as a really cohesive group having some amazing conversations about learning. Wow!! I am looking forward to a fantastic year to watch what these students are capable of achieving! Tammy A huge welcome back to all the students and families of the Blue Gums studio. It is great to see everyone after a relaxing break. All students have received their reader records. A minimum of three nights per week is required. If parents can support their child with reading, that would be great. Reader recorders will be collected Mondays, please ensure your child has one in their bag. I will be holding a studio information session in the next week or so, all Blue Gums parents are invited. More information will be sent home soon with details. Welcome back to all children and families involved in the Peppermint Gums classroom. The children have all arrived safely back with no casts which is pleasing to see. Whilst we have only been back for a few days the room has a great feel to it and the children are getting along nicely. At the moment we are completing our initial testing whilst setting up important structures and procedures for the classroom to function smoothly. Children have received their reader books, I encourage all children to be reading at home and getting it signed by an adult. I will look at all readers on Monday mornings. Once all testing has been completed the children will be given their individually assigned homework.
Sun Smart Children will need to wear a broad brimmed summer hat or they will be asked to play in the shade. When there is a UV Alert (from Sept - April in Victoria) please use the sun smart steps. 1. Slip on covering clothes 2. Slop on SPF 30+ sunscreen 3. Slap on a wide brimmed hat 4. Seek shade 5. Slide on sunglasses if practical. TENNIS LESSONS TERM 1 2017 A reminder form has been sent home with the children today. It is a great program that I encourage all to involve themselves in. Please return the form promptly if your child wants to participate. For more information come and see Mr Smith. FUTSAL Looking for new players to join!!!!!!! Stingers A Coach Position Available Kale Tuaine Lockie O Keefe Angus O keefe Mikala Lund Rayne Seamons Stingers B Coach Position Available Angus Calder Issac Rawlings Finn McDonald Will Webb-Pepi Mac Calder Blake Wilkinson Stingers C Coach Position Available Alec Humphrey Christopher Greenwood Taleah Irving Sam Lund Dakota Seamons Max Middleton Nic Chappell
SWIMMING Please let Mr Smith know ASAP if your child is interested in competing in these competitions. Thanks to the children who have already responded. PRIMARY SCHOOLS ENCOURAGEMENT SWIMMING SPORTS Primary 9/U 25m Events - Wednesday, 8 th March, 2017. BALLARAT AQUATIC CENTRE 25m POOL: DOORS OPEN AT 6.30pm via entrance crèche end for a 7.00pm start. Hosted by Midlands District Amateur Swimming Association. ABN: 32 809 542 422 Spectators Entry Fee: $2.00 Pay at the door, Swimmers Free, Programs Available AGE OF SWIMMER AS AT 31 st DECEMBER, 2017, FOR ALL 25m EVENTS BOYS GIRLS AGE GROUP STROKE 1 2 7/U 25m Freestyle 3 4 8 Years 25m Freestyle 5 6 9 Years 25m Freestyle 7 8 7/U 25m Backstroke 9 10 8 Years 25m Backstroke 11 12 9 Years 25m Backstroke PLEASE NOTE: EACH SWIMMER MUST BE ABLE TO SWIM 25 METRES All events will be started in the water. Ribbons will be awarded to first three places in each heat. Medals will be awarded to the first three placings, in each age group at the end of the swim program. Swimmers who compete in the 25m events cannot compete in the same stroke for 10/U 50m events on (Friday 3 rd March 2017) Entry $4 per swimmer per event, closing Friday 15th February 2017 at 5pm. All entries must be paid at the time of entry either via cheque or direct debit. No late or unpaid entries will be accepted, no invoices will issued. Acc.No: 110213287 Reference: School name25mevents Entries to be submitted by 5pm Friday 15 th February via; A spreadsheet -please email for spreadsheet mdasa_entries@yahoo.com.au Email - mdasa_entries@yahoo.com.au Mail - Att: Marcus, MDASA Inc, PO Box 1153 Ballarat Mail Centre 3354 Commands for starting are as follows : WHISTLE: To get into the water. TAKE YOUR MARK: Take up a starting position. BEEP: Go SECOND BEEP: False start, return to start. Cheques payable to: MDASA Direct debit : MDASA: BSB 633 000
SOVEREIGN AND EUREKA DIVISION SWIMMING SPORTS 50M EVENTS- FRIDAY, 3 RD MARCH, 2017. BALLARAT AQUATIC CENTRE 50M POOL: DOORS OPEN AT 8:45am via group 50m pool entrance for a 9:30am start Hosted by School Sport Victoria with the support of the Midlands District Amateur Swimming Association. AGE OF SWIMMER AS AT 31 st DECEMBER, 2017, FOR ALL EVENTS Girls Boys Age Event 1 2 12/13 year old 50m Freestyle 3 4 11 year old 50m Freestyle 5 6 9/10 year old 50m Freestyle 7 8 12/13 year old 50m Breaststroke 9 10 11 year old 50m Breaststroke 11 12 9/10 year old 50m Breaststroke 13 14 12/13 year old 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 15 16 11 year old 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 17 18 9/10 year old 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay Proposed Lunch break approx. 20 minutes 19 20 12/13 year old 50m Butterfly 21 22 11 year old 50m Butterfly 23 24 9/10 year old 50m Butterfly 25 26 12/13 year old 50m Backstroke 27 28 11 year old 50m Backstroke 29 30 9/10 year old 50m Backstroke 31 32 9 13 year old 4 x 50m Medley Relay PLEASE NOTE: EACH SWIMMER MUST BE ABLE TO SWIM 50 METRES Entry is $10 per swimmer which allows swimmers to compete in a maximum of 2 individual events, 1 Freestyle relay and 1 Medley relay Programs will be available for purchase upon entry. Entries must be submitted to dew.chloe.c@edumail.vic.gov.au by school sport coordinators on the school spreadsheet file attached (no family entries will be accepted) Invoices will be sent directly to schools and must be paid by the 1 st of March 2017 NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED The first two swimmers from each individual event and the first two relay teams in each event will progress through to the Regional Swimming to be held at the Ballarat Aquatic Centre on Friday the 24 th of March.