AXEDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

“Excellence Through Endeavour”

High Street, Axedale 3551

Ph. (03) 5439 7232 Fax. (03) 5439 7575

Principal – Lex Johnstone

Email: axedale.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

NEWSLETTER No. 38 December 4th

2014

Important dates:

December 4th

– Finance Meeting

5th

– Prep/1 Hot Dog Night

5th

– Choir – Lighting of Christmas

Tree

9th

– Orientation Day – 9am-12.30pm

9th

– School Council Dinner Meeting

10th

– Helpers Morning Tea - 11am

12th

– RE Combined Service – 1.45pm

December

January

2015

16th

– Gr 6 Graduation Dinner

18th

– School Christmas Concert &

Picnic Tea

19th

– Last day of school 2.30pm finish

27th

– Booklist pick up day

28th

– Teachers resume

29th

– Students first day of school

AWARD WINNERS

Congratulations to our award

winners this week.

Prep/1 – Ava – for completing

an excellent project and model

about the Monarch Butterfly.

2/3 – Alex – for creating a

fantastic model of a spider for

his project.

2/3 – Jaeyln – for being a very

caring and thoughtful member

of the classroom.

4/5/6 – Ben – for always trying

his best and showing great

improvement with his spelling.

GOLDEN BRUSH

The Golden Brush for last week was won by

4/5/6.

HOUSE TROPHY

The House Trophy this week was won by

Campaspe.

SPELLING & READING AWARDS

Well done to the students who advanced another

level with their spelling and reading words this

week.

PREMIER’S READING

CHALLENGE

Well done to our nine students

who completed the Premier’s

Reading Challenge this year.

To complete the challenge,

students had to read 30 books for

Prep-Gr 2 & 15 books for Gr 3-6.

Congratulations Meg, Callum,

Alex, Josh, Evie, Ben, Cameron,

Rhianna and Skyla.

Well done to our Oxford and Magic Word Award winners this week.

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

2015

Upon confirmation of a number of aspects, we are in a position to announce, grades, rooms and teachers for

2015.

GRADE TEACHER GRADE

NUMBERS

WHOLE

CLASS

NUMBERS

2015 ROOM

Prep Ms. Gaye Saunders Prep – 20 20 Mr. C’s current room

Gr. 1/2 Miss Michelle Blume Gr. 1 – 10

Gr. 2 – 12

22 Miss Blume’s current room

Gr. 3 Miss Michelle Mannes Gr. 3 – 12 12 Ms. Saunders current room.

Gr. 4/5/6 Mr. Steve Christensen Gr. 4 – 10

Gr. 5 – 7

Gr. 6 – 7

24 Brick building

ORIENTATION DAY

Next Tuesday is Orientation Day across Victoria. We will welcome all of new 2015 preps to school for half

a day. This will be their fourth transition session at our school.

Our students will be working in their 2015 classes from 9.00 – 12.30 on this day. After lunchtime,

student will be returning to normal classrooms and teachers.

For Orientation Day, 2015 Gr. 3 will be working in Mr. C’s room and the 2015 Gr. 4/5/6 will be

working in the brick building.

A free BBQ will be held at 12.30 for all students and parents attending.

Please ensure your children have play lunch.

A Parent Information Session for new Prep parents will be held from 11.45 – 12.30 in the Staffroom.

Families new to the school are also welcome and may find the session quite useful.

We are looking for some volunteers who don’t have new Preps to cook the BBQ for us. Cooking will

need to start around 11.15am. Please contact the school if you can help.

2015 BOOKLISTS

An envelope with information about 2015, including booklists, excursion levy and family payments was sent

home on Monday. Booklists need to be returned by Thursday 11th

December.

BRICK BUILDING WORKS Work on the brick building is almost completed.

A new split system has been installed today (Golf Day funds) and work has begun preparing and

undercoating the walls in readiness for a new coat of paint. Thanks to Julie Liersch, Jocelyn Davies and

Robyn Sherman for beginning this work.

2015 PREP TRANSITION

Today we welcomed our 2015 Preps to school for their third of four transition sessions.

A reminder to 2015 Prep parents that an Information Session will be held from 11.45 -12.30 on Orientation

Day, next Tuesday 9th

December. At this session I will cover some general whole school information and

then Ms. Saunders will cover some more specific classroom information.

For families new to the school next year but not with children in Preps, these sessions will cover a range of

useful information.

P/1 PREP/1 HOT DOG NIGHT

Tomorrow, Friday 5th

December is our Prep/1 Hot Dog Night which we are really looking forward to. Notes

were attached to the newsletter last week and should be returned as soon as possible. Pick up time on the

evening is 7pm at the front of the school.

END OF YEAR EVENING

Our end of year Christmas Concert will be held at school on Thursday 18th

December. Please put this date

into your calendar. From 6.15pm to start the evening, we will have a picnic basket tea or for those who

wish to cook, the BBQ will be available.

Concert items will start from 7.00pm. Awards and acknowledgements will follow the concert from

approximately 8.00pm.

School finishes on Friday 19th

December at 2.30pm.

The School Bus will be dropping students off an hour earlier than normal on this day.

AXEDALE CWA AWARD

If any students are planning to submit an application for the Axedale CWA Youth Award, it does require a

reference from the Principal. Applications are due in on December 5th

. Please contact me asap if a reference

is required.

SCHOOL HELPERS – THANK YOU MORNING TEA

On Wednesday 10th

December at 11.00am, staff will be hosting a Morning Tea for all those who have

volunteered their time this year to help out. We appreciate the amazing amount of support that parents

and community members put in to help our students develop all the academic, personal and social

skills that are required to be successful in life. It takes a village to raise a child!

Please spread the word and we hope to see you here on the 10th

.

SCHOOL CHOIR – LIGHTING OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Tomorrow Friday 5th

December our choir will be singing at the Lighting of the Christmas Tree in Rosalind

Park. The choir will be performing with the Reserve Bendigo Youth Choir for this concert. The concert

starts at 7pm and we are due to perform at 7.10pm. Students need to meet on the fenced off grass area near

the back of the stage at 6.45pm. Choir students have a map attached to the newsletter today.

GRADE SIX GRADUATION - Tuesday 16th

December As per previous years, our Grade 6 Graduation Evening will involve a friendly game of ten pin bowling at

the Bendigo Dragon City Lanes venue before moving to La Porchetta for tea.

Parents are encouraged to be a part of the bowling as well as joining us for tea. School will cover the cost of

all the bowling and the Gr. 6 student meals.

The students are asked to begin working on a speech about their time at Axedale including good/funny

memories, highlights, things they will miss and things they are looking forward to. Students have

traditionally presented this speech to their fellow Gr. 6’s and the parents on the night.

Parents are asked to complete the slip at the end of the Newsletter with probable adult numbers attending so

that bookings can be confirmed.

PLAYGROUP

Our Playgroup completed their last session for the year yesterday.

I would like to pass on a big thank you to Jocelyn who has co-ordinated our Playgroup for the year. It has

been a big commitment each week that is much appreciated by the school and those who are involved.

Playgroup will resume again next year.

BREKKY CLUB

Thursday 18th

December will be our last Brekky Club. Pancakes will be on the menu for the 16th

and 18th

of

December for a special finishing treat. Thanks to Ricky for coordinating the program and collecting items

from Bendigo Foodshare.

Thanks to Ryan, Nathan, Josh, Cameron, Jack and Keely for their help in setting up over the last two terms.

PARENTS, VOLUNTEERS AND FUNDRAISING

Families are asked to contribute a non-perishable item to our Christmas Hampers (a box is in the

assembly space.) Tickets were sent home last week and are due back on Thursday 18th

December.

ACTIVE AFTER SCHOOL COMMUNITIES

Our AASC Program for 2014 finished last night with our final cricket session. I would like to thank all of

our providers for their efforts over the year and the opportunities that have been provided for the students.

AASC will not be continuing next year as Federal Government funding is no longer provided.

In particular I would like to thank Deb Tuohey for her contribution to the AASC Program over many years.

Deb has provided many activity sessions for the students as well as purchasing and cutting up fruit each

week for the students. A quiet, but very important contribution. Thanks Deb.

RELIGOIUS EDUCATION – CHRISTMAS SERVICE

On Friday 12th

December at 1.45pm, we will be holding our annual combined faiths Christmas Service

conducted by Jenny McWilliam, our Religious Education provider. Students in Prep - Gr. 3 who normally

do Religious Education will be involved in the Service, which will be conducted at school.

Grade 4/5/6 students who would like to be involved are most welcome and are encouraged to attend.

Students wishing to attend will need to bring the signed slip included with the newsletter back to school by

Thursday 11th

December.

VEGGIE PATCH

The veggie patch is looking very lush at the moment thanks to beautiful soaking rain and Alan Monti’s

watering. If you would like to pick some lettuce leaves and radishes for a salad help yourself.

AXEDALE QUICKSHEAR

The Axedale Quick Shear competition will be on again next year in the Axedale Park.

We will be seeking volunteers to help out on the day, remembering that part of the profits from the day are

given back to the school. With the event being on at the end of the holidays, we will need to do some

organising of volunteers over the next few weeks. This was a great community event last year, bringing

many new people into our town. Keep an eye out for further details.

BOOK FAIR

Thank you to families who supported the Book Fair last week and took advantage of some great offers. We

trust the opportunity was appreciated by families.

Many thanks to Deb Tuohey for co-ordinating the Book Fair once again.

OUTSTANDING MONEY

Family financial statements with outstanding money owing to the school have been sent home. Can these

amounts please be finalised in the next few weeks to allow us to complete our school budget for next year.

Our EFTPOS machine is available for these payments using credit or debit card.

FRESH FRUIT FRIDAY

Friday 5th

December – Marli Meerman

Friday 12th

December – Susie McGrath

TERM DATES 2014 TERM DATES 2015

Term 4: 6th

October to 19th

December

Term 1: 28th

January (Teachers resume)

29th

January (Students) to 27th

March

Term 2: 13th

April to 26th

June

Term 3: 13th

July to 18th

September

Term 4: 5th

October to 18th

December

MICHAEL GROSS PARENTING RESOURCES

Our school is a member of www.parentingideas.com.au

This week’s attached article is “Kids with two homes”.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you

did do.

–Mark Twain

Lex Johnstone

Principal

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grade 6 Graduation Evening

Family Name: __________________________________________________________

We will / will not be attending the Grade 6 Graduation Evening on Tuesday 16th

December at the Dragon

City Bowling Alley and afterwards for tea at La Porchetta.

Number of adults attending with Grade 6 child.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RELIGOIUS EDUCATION – CHRISTMAS SERVICE – GRADE 4/5/6 STUDENTS

Family Name: _______________________________________________________

I give permission for my child/ren to attend the annual combined faiths Christmas Service on Friday 12th

December at 1.45pm to be held at school.

Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________________________________

CLASSROOMS

GRADE 2/3 MINI-BEAST PROJECTS

The Grade 2/3 students have been presenting their mini-beast projects this week. As a part of their projects

they had to create a model of their mini-beast. Everyone has done a fantastic job.

CONGRATULATIONS KEELY

Earlier in the year, the Grade 6s attended a

Leadership Conference in Melbourne. Students

listened to successful business men and women who

gave our Grade 6 students some tips on starting a

business. Keely was immediately interested. We

contacted ‘Club Kidpreneur’ (an organisation that

assists young people with their entrepreneur skills)

and started her business idea of selling jewellery.

Keely and her friend/business partner, Laura

Hipwell, were sent two starter kits and their business

‘StoosH” was underway. Many lunch times were

spent by the girls making jewellery and setting up

stalls. Keely sold her products before and after

school and at the Axedale market over a period of a

few months. After repaying her initial debt of $100 (starter kits purchased by the school) Keely and Laura

raised over $50 profit for the school which she donated to buy Kinetic Sand for the Prep/1 room.

Keely says “I learnt lots about responsibility and how to run a successful business. You need lots of patience

and have to concentrate hard to make jewellery. I also had to know I could rely on my business partner.”

Keely is planning to continue her business – well done!

KRIS KRINGLE

Grades 2-6 will be holding their Kris Kringle on the second last day of term, Thursday 18th

December.

Children will be drawing a classmates’ name from a hat next Monday 8th

December.

Kris Kringle limit is $5.

PASSION PROJECTS TERM 4 2014 GRADE 4/5/6

Laura Hip and Rachael showing some of their Passion Project work. Students are still working hard in the

classroom and at home to complete their movies, posters, models, etc. Thanks to those parents who have

aassisted with their child’s project. Mr C.

Jaidyn – Building (Doll’s House)

Laura Hig – Her Pet Pigs (Bacon and Babe)

Hannah – Pink (The singer)

Rachael – Reptiles and Birds

Bridgit – Ned Kelly

Nathan – Gaming

Zayne – Golf (designing a golf course)

Kat – Her Pet Horse (Indi)

Cody – His Pet Cat (Toots)

Laura Hip – Her Pet Cow (Blossom)

Ben – Minecraft

Zara – Paramedics

Josh – Cricket

Keely – Teaching

Maliqua – Pop Music/Ariana Grande

Jack – Geelong FC

Ryan – Building (a chair)

COMMUNITY

HELPING THE ANXIOUS CHILD

TRANSITION TO SCHOOL Thursday 11

th December

7.30pm – 9pm

$45

Bendigo Psychology Pty Ltd

Limited places available

Phone Irene or Alicia 5443 2284 or email

admin@bendigopsychology.com.au to

secure your place with a payment