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JASON’S JOURNAL – The Principal’s Message
Earlier this week I walked to the Morton Park Cenotaph with the children of Grades 5 and 6. In the community ceremony to mark Remembrance Day I was most proud of the respectful manner in which our senior students conducted themselves – not only walking to and from Blackburn, also in appropriately acknowledging and showing a genuine interest in the occasion. This continued afterwards when a smaller group joined me in a visit to the Blackburn RSL, where our students attentively listened to stories by “the diggers” – not to mention enjoyed some morning tea! With the numbers of those who fought in war diminishing, it is pleasing to know that “the spirit of the ANZAC” is in safe hands with our students. Indeed, the students noticed an item from our school - a wreath (from 2010) a key feature of the memorabilia on display.
50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS Our plans to acknowledge the school’s 50th Anniversary on Friday 5th December continue to build, with celebrations for this afternoon and evening intended to involve our current students and families, former students and families, and past and present staff:
Back To School (1:00 – 3:30pm) afternoon tea, school tour and special assembly
50th Party Picnic (3:45 – 6:00pm) BYO picnic with live band and other light food options available
Stage Show (6:00 – 7:30pm) Christmas Carols, School Choir and other musical items
In celebrating our 50th anniversary we have also arranged a fundraiser with our own especially labelled wines for those wishing to grab their own memento of this special milestone! Make sure you place your order online via www.oakroomwines.com.au (selecting ‘Blackburn Lake’ under the fundraising link at the top of the page). PLANNING FOR 2015 In recent weeks teachers have worked on the challenging task of getting class formations right for 2015, creating groups that are well balanced with regard to academic abilities, social compatibility and gender. Teachers do an amazing job when working with their teams and this task is no different. I have recently been a part of some expert and energetic conversations in regards to student placement and rest assured that each teacher brings a wealth of knowledge when advocating for the children in their care and best meeting their future needs. I once again thank parents who trust our decision-making, and also those who took the opportunity for input, writing to me about their child’s educational needs for next year. Due to the complex constraints on many of the wishes we will not be able to grant all requests, with current drafts catering for the majority of the requests. As we cross check all information we have and to respect the amount of discussion and drafts, we will be unable to receive any more requests from parents regarding their child’s placement next year (and furthermore, once students are notified of their teacher on Friday 12th December, changes cannot be made due to the impact one change can have on many children and possibly on other grades). PREP 2015
Tomorrow afternoon we build upon our successful term three Launchpad Program, by inviting new Prep children to enjoy our Orientation Program with aspects of our Specialist Programs (Art, Italian, Music and Physical Education). Whilst the children participate in these activities (over the next three Fridays) new prep parents will meet in the Library for information sessions – this Friday’s focus being ‘Wellbeing’.
No 36
13 November 2014
Next Tuesday night we also invite parents of 2015 Prep children to a Parent Information night beginning at 6:30pm, with selected staff presenting information to parents about what to expect as their child begins their school life here at Blackburn Lake Primary.
CHILDREN UNWELL AT SCHOOL If your child has been unwell overnight or in the morning before school, please consider giving them a day off to recover and reduce risk of cross infection to other children and staff. We appreciate this can be difficult with work and other commitments but it is sometimes a necessity to aid in a child’s recovery and to prevent further illness in the school community. If a child is unwell or tired, they are not going to be in the best frame of mind to learn.
We do have a “Sick Bay” and a First Aid Officer (Gay Burnett) employed between 11am - 3pm, but this is primarily for children who become unwell at school, advising and waiting for a parent or guardian to collect children, dealing with accidents that occur at school and to assist in managing asthma, anaphylaxis and other medical conditions. If your child is not well or has an injury sustained at home or at sport outside of school hours and you are unsure how to manage this, we would advise that you see your GP. At tomorrow’s whole School Assembly @ 3pm we will acknowledge our ‘Students of the Week’, enjoy an item from the Prep children, and celebrate November birthdays. Regards, Jason Walker - Principal [email protected]
Term 1 2015 commences for students @ 9.00am Thursday 29 January
BOOK CLUB All orders and payments need to be returned to the ‘Book Club’ Box in the school foyer by THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2014. NOTE: No late orders can be processed.
DIARY DATES FOR TERM FOUR
Friday 14 November 2.30pm – 3.30pm ‘Prep 2015 Orientation’ Afternoon #1 Sofcrosse Tournament
Tuesday 18 November 6.30pm – 7.30pm 6.30pm – 7.30pm 7.30pm – 8.30pm
‘Prep 2015 Parent Information Night’ Education Subcommittee Meeting School Council Meeting
Friday 21 November 2.30pm – 3.30pm ‘Prep 2015 Orientation’ Afternoon #2
Tuesday 25 November 7:30pm – 8:30pm Parents Association AGM Meeting
Thursday 27 November 11:00 – 11:30am Parent Helpers Morning Tea
Friday 28 November 2.30pm – 3.30pm ‘Prep 2015 Orientation’ Afternoon #3
Friday 28 November 3.30pm – 6.30pm Working Bee
Saturday 29 November All day State Election - Voting in DJC PA Sausage Sizzle & Cake Stall
Sunday 30 November 1.00pm – 5.00pm Whole School invitation to ‘Bounce’
Monday 1 December 1:00 – 3:30pm 50th anniversary celebrations (for kids)
Wednesday 3 December Level 3 Maroondah Indoor Sports Centre Excursion
Friday 5 December 1:00 – 3:30pm 3:45 – 6:00pm 6:00 - 7:30pm
‘Back to School ‘ celebration for former students/staff 50th celebration afternoon on school oval Christmas Carols and Stage Show
Thursday 11 December am ‘CHRISTMAS STALL’ in DJC Foyer
Monday 15 December Grade 6’s Bounce
Thursday 18 December 6.00pm Year 6 Graduation
Friday 19 December 1:00 – 1:30pm Assembly 1pm
Last day of 2014 - 1.30pm early dismissal
STUDENTS OF THE WEEK We congratulate the following ‘Students of the Week’ – to be presented at Friday’s School Assembly
MAGICAL MUSIC NOTES We have a very busy term with musical events. Keep reading to keep up with the activities that we will be getting up to this term, and how you can be involved.
Classroom Spotlight
This term we will be exploring different celebrations in all of our classes. Grade 3 & 4 We are off to a wedding. Not just any wedding, an Irish wedding. Though this journey, we will explore the culture of weddings, investigate what folk music is and continue to consolidate our knowledge of many musical
elements. Make sure you come ready to have a good time at Mairi’s Wedding.
Ensemble News
String Stars
Don’t forget that there will be rehearsing on Wednesday morning at 8.15am.
Marimba Group Due to a Professional Development session running this week, we have been unable to have Marimba again. We will be all back on deck next week. Choir
Principal’s Award Megan A – 4A Researching a celebration & teaching classmates as the ‘expert’ on Origami
Assistant Principal
Prep A Hannah M Adding detail to her Information Report ‘All About Me
Prep E Isabel M Writing a well thought out recount of her weekend – well done!
Prep L Charlotte Y Using effective strategies to monitor her Reading – keep it up Charlotte
Prep S Isaac E Writing a fabulous recount of his weekend experiences
1D Noah S Displaying outstanding leadership qualities as ‘Team Leader’
1J Layla H Her hard work in improving her Reading – what a star!
1L Holly T Showing kindness towards her friends – you’re a star!!
2C Issey W His enthusiasm & fabulous input into our discussions about Remembrance Day – well done Issey!
2D Ned J Hard work in class & a great attitude towards his learning
2S Luke H Being an excellent role model by always making sensible choices
3A Jagger M Writing an outstanding information report on Blackburn Lake Primary School
3J Rachel W The absolute enthusiasm applied to every Writing task
4A Liam C His work in Maths in the area of measurement – impressive Liam!
4E Will M Showing an enthusiastic attitude towards all tasks & developing his protractor skills during Angles this week
4N Talyssa E Finding new & interesting words when Reading
4S Ryland E-S A great effort on your information report about ‘World War I’ – well done Ryland!
5/6D Nathan C Working hard on developing great Reading strategies & as a result jumping 7 levels – brilliant effort
5/6K Olivia C Showing persistence & great tinking when completing her Literature Study Project
5/6M Olivia McA Consistently presenting a high level of detail when completing her homework – well done!
5/6N Natasha C Representing BLPS with much maturity & grace at the Remembrance Service
5/6T Luc B Always contributing thoughtful responses in class discussions
Art Isabella W – P-S Listening carefully to instructions & painting a beautiful self portrait
Italian (LOTE) Cushla McD – 3J Responding intelligently in Italian
Music
Phys Ed
Phys Ed
The Year 4 - 6 Choir is on this week at 2.30pm. Remember to get marked off by your teacher before you make your way down to rehearsals. Make sure you attend all rehearsals from now as we prepare for the Christmas Concert only 3 weeks away!
Congratulations
A number of our instrumental students sit external exams on their chosen instruments. These provide them with motivation and focus in their lessons, and for their practice at home. It also gives them a great sense of achievement when they receive their special certificate. Angus C 3A Violin Preliminary A
Congratulations to this student for their dedication and hard work!
If your student has sat an exam recently, I would love to hear about their achievements. Please email me their results so that we can all celebrate their success.
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent” - Victor Hugo
You’re Invited
Christmas Carols at BLPS are on again. We would love to see you all to celebrate
both the 50th Anniversary of our school, but also the fantastic year that we have had. It will be
held on Friday 5th December. See ‘Diary Dates’ above for times & mark it in your diaries! Sam Collins Music Coordinator ([email protected])
Make a Tornado in a Bottle
Learn how to make a tornado in a bottle with this fun science experiment for kids. Using easy to find items such as dish washing liquid, water, glitter and a bottle you can make your own mini tornado that’s a lot safer than one you might see on the weather channel. Follow the instructions and enjoy the cool water vortex you create! What you'll need:
Water
A clear plastic bottle with a cap (that won't leak)
Glitter
Dish washing liquid Instructions:
1. Fill the plastic bottle with water until it reaches around three quarters full. 2. Add a few drops of dish washing liquid. 3. Sprinkle in a few pinches of glitter (this will make your tornado easier to see). 4. Put the cap on tightly. 5. Turn the bottle upside down and hold it by the neck. Quickly spin the bottle in a circular motion for a few seconds,
stop and look inside to see if you can see a mini tornado forming in the water. You might need to try it a few times before you get it working properly
SUPER SPORTS REPORT SOFCROSSE Our District Sofcrosse Round Robin will be held tomorrow, Friday 14 November (weather permitting) at Kingswood College. Good luck to those representing BLPS!!
GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL FINAL – WEDNESDAY 19 NOVEMBER State Volleyball Centre, Dandenong North. The girls have been practising very hard for this event by turning up and training before school on most mornings. Thanks to Ian A and Theo L for their coaching. The girls’ skills have really developed. Go Lakers!! Please return forms and money by next Monday 17 November.
Have you ordered your 50
th Anniversary Wine yet?
Orders close next Friday 21st November.
To order simply jump online at:
www.oakroomwines.com.au
selecting ‘Blackburn Lake’ under the wine fundraising link at the top of the page or via the form sent home to each family (spare copies can be found outside Loisia’s office). Help us celebrate 50 years, raise money for our school and grab your own little memento of this great milestone!
All wine ordered will be available for collection from school from 3:00pm on Wednesday 3rd December just in time for the festive season!
HOOPTIME – JUNIOR ALL STARS STATE FINALS Notices went out yesterday!! Please return forms and money to Ewan McAllister by the due date. Fixtures will be sent home when we receive them. SOMERS CAMP – 17 – 25 FEBRUARY 2015 Expressions of Interest notices should have come home yesterday, Wed 11th November with all current Grade 4 and 5 students. Places will be very limited so please return the form no later than Monday 17 November. Those who will be attending will be notified next week. SCHOOL SWIMMING PROGRAM In 2015, we will again be swimming during week 1 and week 2 of Term 3. Our program will again run for 9 days – finishing on the second Thursday.
Phil Lumsden Sports Coordinator
PARENT HELPERS MORNING TEA Dear Parents, We value and encourage Parental assistance and participation in Blacky Lake school life and would like to take this opportunity to extend to you a warm invitation to our Parent Helpers Morning Tea. This will be held on Thursday 27th November, as this provides the staff of Blackburn Lake Primary School with the opportunity to show you our appreciation of your ongoing assistance with the day to day running of our great school. The Parent Helpers Morning Tea will be held from 11:00am – 11:30am in the David Jewell Centre Foyer where tea, coffee and catering will be provided. For catering purposes we ask that you please RSVP to your child’s classroom teacher by Thursday 20th November via the slip on the notice sent home on Wednesday 12th November. We look forward to seeing you there, sharing a cuppa and saying thanks for all that you do! Yours sincerely, The Staff of Blackburn Lake Primary School
PARENTS ASSOCIATION
Show your support for the PA and like us on Facebook (Blackburn Lake Primary School PA Committee) or drop us a line via the PA Mailbox in the School Foyer or
send us an email @ [email protected]
KEY DIARY DATES FOR NOVEMBER
Wednesday 19 November 11.00am Milk Shakes @ morning recess
Saturday 29 November am Election Day Sausage Sizzle & Cake Stall
Sunday 30 November 1 – 5.00pm Whole School invitation to ‘Bounce’
MILKSHAKES & BUNLET MORNING TEA WEDNESDAY 19 NOVEMBER
On Wednesday 19 November we will be holding a Foodie Day at snack time. Small Milkshake (220ml cup) $2.00 Choc, strawberry or caramel (made with milk and ice cream) Large Milkshake (450ml cup) $4.00 Choc, strawberry or caramel (made with milk and ice cream) Soy Milkshake (220ml cup) $2.00 Choc, strawberry or caramel (made with soy milk, no ice cream) Jam Bunlet $1.00 Freshly made by Bakers Delight, white roll with jam and sugar dusting! An order bag has been sent home with every child along with this notice. Please complete a separate Order Bag for EACH child in your family. Include your child’s name and class on the bag. Completed Order bags with correct money (no cheques, staples or sticky tape please) are to be returned to your child’s classroom no later than Friday 14th November.
Late orders are not guaranteed to be filled as Bunlets are pre-purchased to order. We will need some parent helpers to help prepare milkshakes and serve on the day. If you are able to help out for an hour or so, please contact Nicola on [email protected]. All monies raised will directly benefit the school.
Election Day Cake Stall Calling all Blackburn Lake ‘MASTERCHEFS’. We need biscuits, cakes and muffins to sell to raise money for the school. All you need to do is bake something delicious and drop it in to our school Canteen in the DJ Centre on Friday 28 November between 3pm – 3.45pm or on the morning of Election Day between the hours of 8am – 10am. BONUS HOUSE POINTS will be awarded for each contribution! Watch your kid’s school-bags for a Cake Stall notice along with a plate and plastic bag for your goodies. Any questions please contact Lisa on 0409 773 849.
Election Day Sausage Sizzle – Call for volunteers On Saturday 29 November, BLPS is a polling station for the State Election. We will be running a Sausage Sizzle, as well as selling drinks and icy poles. Historically this has been a very lucrative fundraiser for the school. We are looking for volunteers to assist from 8am to 4pm in the following jobs:
Set Up Cooking Serving Runner Pack Up
Shifts will be 8 – 10am, 10 – 12noon, 12 – 2pm and 2 - closing (4pm or earlier). If you are able to assist (even for part of a shift), please email [email protected] to nominate the time(s) that suits you best and your preferred job. If we get sufficient volunteers, we will shorten the shifts/add additional numbers to each shift to make for an easier day for all. Thank you very much for your support and please do not hesitate to contact Nicola if you have any queries.
UNIFORM SHOP OPENING HOURS in MPR
Monday Afternoon 3.30pm – 4.00pm Thursday Morning 9.00am – 9.30am
***Don’t forget everyone will need their hats in term 4***
Update on our 50year celebrations
Do you know anyone who was once a
student or teacher at Blackburn Lake
Primary School? If so, invite them
‘Back to School’ for a school tour and
afternoon tea on Friday 5th
December
(1pm – 3.30pm). Contact the school
office for bookings.
Did you know that BLPS lost its entire
archives in a fire during the late 1990s?
As a result we are hunting for any old
school memorabilia that our community
may have and is happy to share with
us… Old photos, uniforms, artworks,
school notices, it doesn’t matter what it
is – we would love to see it.
Keen to get involved planning and
delivering the 50 year activities? Call
Wendy on 0407 797 774 or email [email protected].
SCHOOL BANKING - Every WEDNESDAY is School Banking Day
PREP 2015 - ACCOUNT OPENING DAY FRIDAY 21 November 2014 from 2.30 – 3.20pm
For new students starting in 2015, the Commonwealth Bank Officer will be at Blacky Lake on Friday 21 November 2014 during Orientation to accept any applications to open a Youthsaver Account so that you can begin banking at school next year. All you need to bring along is a photo ID (parent) and you will complete the application on the spot. For more information about school banking or the account opening day, please contact Vickie on 0419 773335 or visit commbank.com.au/schoolbanking.
ACHIEVEMENT CERTIFICATES As a school banker you will receive a Dollarmite Achievement Certificate when you reach 10, 20 and 30 deposits in the year. Congratulations to the following school bankers for receiving their certificates this week:
BRONZE Certificate for making 10 deposits:
Amelie H, Gabrielle H, Tabitha R
SILVER Certificate for making 20 deposits:
Matthew McG GOLD Certificate for making 30 deposits:
James B, Peter C, Ka Mon F, Lachlan H Your certificates will be passed to you through your classroom teacher.
REWARD ITEMS For every deposit you make, you earn 1 Dollarmite token. When you have saved 10 tokens, you may redeem them for one of the following rewards:
** NEW ** Projector Cup ** NEW ** Sea Streamers Swimming bag Money tin Handball Set of 4 scented pencils Shark plush Key Ring Light blue wallet - 2013 item Knuckles game - 2013 item Headphones - 2013 item Pat, Pru or Spen moneybox - 2013 item (please specify).
TERM 4 COMPETITION As we move towards the end of the year, we want to ensure students are keeping up their good savings habits. So we’re rewarding regular savings by sharing the Dollarmites' latest find, precious prizes from the ancient Clam of Fortune. All you need to do for a chance to win is make a deposit of any amount through School Banking between 20th October - 30th November 2014 and you automatically receive one entry into the competition. So the more you save, the more chances you have to win a prize (up to a maximum of 6 entries). You could win a GoPro camera or Slip N Slide Double Wave Rider!! Thanks everyone for supporting the School Banking Program. Regards, Vickie Liew, School Banking Coordinator M: 0419 773 335
COMMUNITY NOTICES Any advertisements in this Newsletter are in no way endorsed by Blackburn Lake Primary School
OUT OF STOCK WHALE SHARK PENCIL CASE
PENGUIN KEYRING
Juniors Field Naturalists
of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Inc. November Meeting 28th November Sean Dooley is obsessed with birds! He is a comedy
script writer, author of The Big Twitch, Editor of Australian Birdlife magazine and holder of the Australian
Big Year twitching record 2002-12.
December Excursion 7th December Visit Kinglake with ranger, Tony Fitzgerald
December Christmas Party 13th December FNCV Christmas Party evening. More details to come.
Blackburn Cricket Club Junior T20 Blast 2014\15
Friday's at Morton Park Starts 19th December
Finishes 7th March 2015 6pm-7.30pm Cost $99
T20 Blast is an exciting new development in junior cricket. It allows the kids to
participate in short, fast paced and modified games of cricket. Each kid gets a
pack with a shirt, cap and other Big Bash Goodies. Each match each kid gets to
bowl 2 overs, keep 2 overs and bat for 2 overs. With the music playing and the
shorter boundaries enabling boundary hitting, the kids will feel like Cameron
White and Aaron Finch in the T20 Big Bash. Get registered and we will be having
our launch night on Friday the 19th of December, with hopefully a visit from
Starman and/or Red Renegade Any questions and queries can be made to [email protected]
Contact In2Cricket / T20Blast Coordinator Luke Gibson 0413 871 106 Registrations for all programs are now open. Follow the links at
WWW.BLACKBURN.ORG.AU
