T1 W2 2014 - birchgrove-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

Birchgrove Buzz Newsletter of the Birchgrove Public School Ph: 02 9810 2469 A NSW Government School Fx: 02 9555 8653 Birchgrove Road, E: [email protected] Balmain NSW 2041 W: www.birchgrove-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

Term 1 Week 2 25th February 2013

Principal’s Report

Welcome back to 2014 at Birchgrove. It is great to see everyone and I have enjoyed starting to catch up on the holiday stories. Our 2013 office staffs have varied a little so the table below should help: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Rayleene Toni (Admin)

Rayleene Toni (Admin)

Rayleene Mel (Admin)

Rayleene Mel (Admin)

Rayleene Sylvia Mel (Admin)

I would like to welcome Rayleene to the staff at Birchgrove and know you will make her feel very welcome. I would also like to welcome Miss Carroll who has been appointed to our school and is teaching 4K. She is very excited to be here and is thrilled with her new class. There will also be some departures this term. Ms Baulch in the library will be finishing up her time at Birchgrove in week 5 and Toni in the office is retiring at the end of Term 1. Ms Brazier our assistant principal who looks after preschool and kindergarten will be leaving at the end of Term 1 to start an exciting new chapter of her life in America with her husband.

2013 Dates to Remember Parent Music Sport Student Parliament Coming Events 5/2 Instrument Handout 10/2 Music Year Commences 13/2 Swimming Carnival 18/2 Meet the Teacher 19/2 P&C Meeting 7pm 21/2 P&C Welcome Back BBQ 25/2 Music Committee Meeting 4/3 Balmain Zone Swimming 13/3 Interrelate 5/6 19/3 Sydney East Swimming 19/3 P&C Meeting 7pm 20/3 Interrelate 5/6 27/3 Interrelate 5/6 31/3 Young Leaders Day Year 6 9/5- 10/4

State Swimming

11/4 Easter Hat Parade 11/4 Last day of Term 1



Our new classes and staff are: Preschool: PC1- Mrs Cox PB1 & PB2- Ms Brazier AP PM2- MS Mitchell KS: Miss Shanahan KN: Mr Nguyen KM: Miss Sarina K/1C: Mrs Copping 1U : Miss Usher 1D: Miss Deans 2H: Ms Hicks 2G: Miss Gare 3D: Mr Dodds 3/4C: Ms Corliss 4K: Ms Carroll 4/5H: Ms Kanaros 5/6K: Miss Keating 6C: Mr Cormack Italian: Signora Scutts Support Teacher Learning: Ms Robinson, Ms Ford School Counsellor: Glenn McClymont Teachers Aide: Amanda Maglis Canteen: Karen Peters Our Assistant Principals are looking after and leading: Preschool & Kindergarten: Ms Brazier Years 1-4: Miss Ford Years 5 & 6: Mr Cormack

This term the children are enjoying Basket Ball with Got Game each week

Tracy Gray

Our new kindergarten students have got off to a fabulous start and the Year 6 buddies have been doing a fabulous job of looking after them.



Birchgrove Public School

INVITATION The Principal and teachers invite parents to our

MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT

on

Tuesday February 18th 2014

in your child’s classroom.

Times: Kindergarten & 1C 6.00 – 6.30 pm 1U, 1D, 2H and 2G 6.30 – 7.00 pm 3B, 3/4C, 4K & 4/5H 7.00 – 7.30 pm 5/6K, 6C 7.30 – 8.00 pm

Tea and coffee will be available in the staffroom between sessions.

The evening is not intended to provide opportunities for private interviews or for discussion about individual students.

If you need to discuss your child please make an appointment with your child’s teacher. A bell will be

rung at the end of each session to allow parents to go to other classrooms.

If at all possible please arrange babysitting. If children attend we ask that they sit quietly outside the classroom whilst the session is underway



Composite Classes

What are composite classes? Composite classes are classes where the children may be from two or more year groups/grades.

Why would we have them? For a variety of reasons including

Meeting social needs Meeting academic needs Allowing children to learn within a more effective group to meet their needs Matching children to teachers Maximising teacher strengths Minimising classroom sizes

What are the benefits? Composit Class Research shows:

Students in composite classes are socially more confident Can co-operate better as part of a group Are more assertive Become more independent learners and problem solvers

They also make friends outside of their standard age-groups. In later life, if we have a one year age difference with a friend it is of no consequence.

Australia rates as one of the best educational systems in the world. Teachers who are Australian trained are sought throughout the world. Why? They teach to a stage not an age! They teach what your child needs, not a Year or curriculum from a text book.

What are the negatives about composite classes? There are none according to the research and according to children once they get into them. Research in NZ, the UK and Australia shows that children in composite classes achieve outcomes no different to those in straight year group classes. Educational experts agree that Composite classes are not educationally detrimental for the acceleration of gifted students.Composite classes encourage more of a family or community atmosphere.

Don’t we have a curriculum for each year group? No . We never have. We have a curriculum separated into levels. The curriculum was designed in the knowledge that learning is not linear and children, regardless of their age have differing needs and learn at different paces.

Benefits of Composites Older students can benefit from helping younger students in co-operative learning situations

and increasing their skills in the subject. Younger students have the opportunity of enhanced learning experiences where they are

ready for it (just in time learning). Allows more flexibility in students grouping and learning styles. Encourage children to help each other and work collaboratively and cooperatively. Role models and leaders can come from both the younger and older children; the children who

excel at these traits do so irrespective of age.



Quality of the teaching/teacher quality The most important variable determining student success is the quality of the teaching (qualities of the teacher). Australian teachers are trained to teach in ability groups - the hall mark of good teaching is teaching to meet individual needs. Composite classes draw attention to individual needs and student development and facilitates learning programmes (personalised learning pathways). The quality of the teacher - student relationship has the most influence on student achievement. Kik messenger Does your child use Kik? Police have described it as ''the No.1 social media problem involving teenagers'', but most parents would barely have heard of messaging app Kik before last week.Find out what it is: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/technology/technology-az/-/technology_glossary/7w0F/5353/Kik+messenger Why cyber safety experts are concerned: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/experts-warn-of-apps-hidden-dangers-20131130-2yif3.html#ixzz2mYlkXFyd Choosing school shoes Are expensive school shoes the best option for happy feet? Let's face it. School shoes have never been at the cutting edge of fashion. In fact if you look at what your parents were wearing, the humble school shoe really hasn't evolved much at all. Tips for choosing shoes: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/health/choosing-the-right-school-shoes Teach your kids to be waterproof As temperatures rise, the risk of drowning increases too. Review these water-safety tips to help keep your family safe this summer. Find out more: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/health/water-safety-tips

Preschool to Year 6 need to wear their hats in the playground This is a part of our uniform policy. Please find a few minutes to read the uniform policy on the school website: http://www.birchgrove-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/caring-for-students/school-uniform and help us make our school community look fantastic in 2014



BIRCHGROVE PUBLIC SCHOOL

Birchgrove Road, BALMAIN, 2041 Ph: (02) 9810 2469 Fax: (02) 9555 8653 Email: [email protected] Dear Parents/Carers 29th January 2014 The annual fees for each child for 2014 are: Voluntary School Contribution $35.00 Italian Fees $45.00 Technology Levy $40.00 Sports Program $130.00 Total cost of Annual Fees: $250.00 Grade Requirements for 2014 are: KINDERGARTEN Home Reader Levy $15.00 Home Reading Diary $4.00

Scrapbooks x 2 $4.00 Paper Levy $20.00 Total cost: $43.00

Kindergarten Total including Annual Fees: $293.00

STAGE 1 - YEARS 1 AND 2 Home Reader Levy $15.00 Home Reading Diary $4.00

Scrapbooks x 2 $4.00 Paper Levy $20.00

Total cost: $43.00 Stage 1 Total including Annual Fees: $293.00

STAGE 2 - YEARS 3 AND 4 Paper Levy $20.00 School Magazine $15.00 Scrapbooks x 2 $4.00 Total cost: $39.00

Stage 2 Total including annual fees: $289.00 STAGE 3 – YEARS 5 AND 6 School Magazine $15.00 Scrapbooks x 2 $4.00 Paper Levy $20.00 Total cost of Books: $39.00

Stage 3 Total including annual fees: $289.00

Please pay by cash, cheque or direct deposit. For direct deposit please enter the child’s surname and initial as the reference. Westpac, Birchgrove Public School BSB: 032 001 A/C no: 117 071



Birchgrove Public School Rules I am in the right place at the right time when I: stay within the playground boundaries play quietly in the green area walk in all walking areas eat recess in the playground stay in the playground before school and during breaks ask for teacher permission and a green card to go into the building during breaks keep my school bag in the bag shelves

MUSIC PROGRAM 2014

Welcome back for another fun-filled year of music at Birchgrove Public School.

If you are new to the school, please note that we have a very comprehensive parent-run programme with individual lessons available on a wide variety of string and band instruments and group instruction in recorder and Kodaly (formerly known as Early Childhood Music).

Tuition slots are still available in 2014 on several instruments. For more information, pick up a music information handbook from the school office or contact [email protected] .

Lessons and rehearsals will commence in Week 3 (commencing 10 February) - rooms and times are currently being confirmed and will be posted on the Music Noticeboard (outside the school entrance) when available.

Hire instruments will be handed out on Friday, 7 February from 8.30am in the School Hall. If you have any enquiries about hire instruments, please contact [email protected] .

If you would like to register your child for Beginner Kodaly (available to Kindergarten students), Beginner Recorders (from Year 1) or our new Rock Guitar Ensemble, please fill out the relevant form below and hand it into the school office.

The Rock Guitar Ensemble is open to students who have been learning guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboard or a brass instrument for at least 12 months.

MUSICAL DATES FOR THE DIARY

Tuesday, 25th February – Music Committee meeting at 7pm in the staffroom



BIRCHGROVE MUSIC PROGRAMME

KODALY MUSIC - 2014 (formerly known as Early Childhood Music)

Kodaly (pronounced Koh-Die) is the ideal way to introduce your child to music. Based on the philosophy of the Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodály (1882-1967), the Kodaly Method is a practical, hands-on approach to learning music and one of the most successful ways of teaching children to sing in tune. Children learn rhythm reading, singing, musical concepts (such as pulse and dynamics) and explore musical instruments. They will be introduced to solfege (a method used to teach pitch and sight singing), hand signs and rhythmic time names to aid the development of early musical literacy. As children start to read and notate the music they are singing, clapping or playing they are learning the skills that provide a solid base for reading music and for learning an instrument. Our teacher, Nikki Coleman, is an accredited Kodaly Early Childhood Music teacher who has been running classes at Birchgrove Public School since 2006. She is a professional musician who is also the Music Teacher and Band Co-ordinator at the Inner City Montessori School in Balmain. Beginner Kodaly Classes at Birchgrove Public School will run on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8.30am-9.10am. Classes will begin in the week beginning February 10 (week 3 of the school calendar). Classes cost $100 a term. There is also a small charge for the purchase of a music book. To enrol your child in a Beginner Kodaly class, fill in the details below and hand into the school office. Please note: places are limited and we expect demand to exceed the places available. Alternatively, email Jacki Fortune: [email protected] and provide her with the details below. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….

BEGINNER KODALY MUSIC Child’s name: ………………………………………………………….……………………. Parent’s/Caregiver’s name: ………………………………………………………….. Contact phone number: ………………………………………………….. Email address: ………………………………………..……………………… Preferred Day for lesson (please circle):

Wednesday Friday No Preference

I would be willing to help as a parent contact for the class.



BIRCHGROVE MUSIC PROGRAM BEGINNER RECORDERS – 2014

Learning the recorder is a great way to start your child’s musical adventure. The recorder is very easy to learn and most children can play a tune within a few weeks. It is light, extremely robust, easy to carry and at about $12 is very reasonably priced. Many famous musicians have learned the recorder, including Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney. Classes are small (up to 10 children) and held at 8.30am in the mornings before school. Children learn to read music and perform in an ensemble. It also gives children a big advantage if they want to learn a band instrument when they are older (from year 3), as they will have already learned to read music, breathe correctly and articulate as well as the importance of practice. The cost is $60 per term for a half hourly weekly lesson. It is expected that children will practise regularly (ideally for 10 minutes a day up to 6 times per week). Recorder students perform at Music Night each year and at the celebration concert at St John’s Church at the end of the year. If they progress well, in their third year they have the opportunity to perform at the Opera House in the concerts of instrumental music. The thrill of playing with 600 other children on the Opera House stage is a memory they will always have. Alicia Crossley is our highly experienced and very popular recorder teacher. She holds a Masters in Recorder Performance and the children love her. If you are interested in your child learning the recorder this year, please fill in your details below and return it to the school office. For more information contact Jacki Fortune at [email protected] …………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………… Child’s name: ……………………………………… Class:………………………….. Parent’s/Caregiver’s name: ………………………………………………………….. Contact phone number: ………………………………………………….. Email address: ………………………………………..……………………… Preferred Day for lesson (please circle):

Monday Thursday No Preference

I would be willing to help as a parent contact for the class.



BIRCHGROVE MUSIC PROGRAM ROCK GUITAR ENSEMBLE – 2014

Calling all budding rock musicians! New to Birchgrove in 2014 is the Rock Guitar Ensemble. This will be a small group made up of 1-2 drummers, 1-4 bass guitarists, 2-4 guitarists, 1-2 keyboardists. We would also welcome singers and competent brass players. Participants need to be in Year 3 and up and have already been learning their instrument for at least a year. Our conductor, Mike Rix, is a highly experienced professional musician with a Bachelor of Music and Masters of Education. He plays both bass guitar and double bass and has been a popular guitar tutor here at Birchgrove for the past two years. The repertoire will be in guitar friendly keys (C, E, G) and students who aren't natural sight readers will still able to play a key role. Mike will be incorporating some lessons on scales, sight reading and aural skills while the group learns to play and improvise over well known rock and pop songs. Rehearsals will take place on Wednesday mornings from 8.00am-9.00am in the school hall. Rehearsals will begin in the week beginning February 10 (week 3 of the school calendar). The cost is $100 a term. There may also be a small charge for the purchase of a music book. If you are interested in your child joining the Rock Guitar Ensemble this year, please fill in your details below and return it to the school office. For more information contact Jacki Fortune at [email protected] ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. Child’s name: ……………………………………… Class:………………………….. Instrument played: ……………………………………………………………………….. Length of time learned: …………………………………………………………………. Parent’s/Caregiver’s name: …………………………………………………………… Contact phone number: ………………………………………………….. Email address: ………………………………………..………………………

I would be willing to help as a parent co-ordinator for the group.



Birchgrove Public School P & C Association Birchgrove Public School ABN:94 153 655 071 Dear Parents, Welcome to new families at the school and welcome back to returning families. Birchgrove Public School has an active P&C that aims to raise funds to enhance our children’s enjoyment of the school. It also runs social events for parents. Each year the funds the P&C provide to the school greatly benefit the children’s education. In 2013, the P&C allocated over $66,000 to the school for the following items:

Laptops for classrooms $24,800 New seating near entrance $2,000 WiFi $27,000 Mathletics subscriptions $3,341 Science Teaching Modules $8,700 Electric pencil sharpeners $836

Over the years, the P&C has been fortunate to have the generous support of parents, especially through their time and effort, and also their financial contributions. We would be grateful for your help in 2014. These fees are voluntary. However, they are a major source of the P&C’s fund-raising activities. Payment by every family would result in $30,000 before additional fundraising is considered. How to pay The P&C is now accepting fees for 2014. Payment can be made via direct deposit, by cash or cheque (box in the office) and there will be an EFTPOS machine available at school pick up on Tuesday to Thursday during week 3 and 4. The annual fee is $120 for the first child, $100 for the second and $80 thereafter. The annual fee for the preschool is $60 per child. Prompt payment of the levy helps significantly to fund priority items early in the year. There are already a number of projects on the wish list for 2014 so your help is needed! BPS Keyring This year parents who pay the P&C fees will receive a bonus BPS key ring as a small token of appreciation from the P&C in recognition of the contribution that Birchgrove Families make by paying their P&C fees each year. The key ring also allows Birchgrove Public School families access to special offers from local merchants. The offers will be published each month in the Birchgrove Buzz. All you need to do to take up any of the offers is show your key ring at select shops throughout the peninsular. Shop locally, show that you are a BPS family by showing the key ring and support the shops who support BPS. Yours sincerely, P&C Executive Chris O’Donnell, Angela Davis, Matthew Garvey, Tony Board, Anastasia Warden & Amy Large

______________________________________________________________________

Direct Debit Payment Details (refer to fee schedule below) Bank: CBA Account Name: Birchgrove P&C Account: 00900746 BSB: 062 110 Please include family name in reference section (key rings will be distributed shortly after payment is received)

Cash/Cheque Payments (place payment and completed form in the green box at the office) FAMILY NAME: __________________________ Cheques made payable to Birchgrove P&C K-6 Total First child: $120 $ _____ Keyrings will be distributed shortly Second child: $100 $ _____ after payment is received Third or more children: $80 each $ _____ Preschool $60 each child $ _____

Total P&C Levy Contribution: $ ____



School Banking will resume next Monday 10th Feb. Our parent co-ordinator is Melanie Alexander Her contact details are: mobile 0409045062 or email [email protected] with any enquiries.



Kinndergarten Budd ies

Kindergarten Buddies

T1 W2 2014 - birchgrove-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

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