Wesburn Primary School

Welcome back to Term 1, 2010.  I hope that you all had a happy and relaxing holiday season and are as excited to be back at school as we are.  It has certainly been a very busy start to the year and we are delighted to have had several new enrolments within the last couple of weeks.  Welcome to all our new families. 

Mrs Hanson

It is with regret that I tell everyone of Mrs Hanson’s resignation from teaching within the Education Department from the start of this year.  As you would be aware, she has extensive knowledge of teaching in general, and literacy in particular, and will be greatly missed for all that she has done at Wesburn.  However, it is exciting to know that she will still be available to tutor students and has many other activities planned for the future.  Students caught up with Mrs Hanson at lunchtime today.

 Bus Travellers

Those students who need to travel on the school bus will need to reapply again for 2010.  All students using either the school bus or public bus to travel home from school must make sure that they have a Wesburn school bus pass that is signed each day they will be using the bus.  Our bus coordinator, Mrs Walsh, will be happy to arrange this should you not have one  -  please let her know.  In the interests of student safety, no student will be permitted to travel on an after school bus without a signed bus pass.  Should an emergency occur, such as a fire, school buses may not be permitted to run.  Parents will be notified of this.  On Code Red (Catastrophic) days schools will be closed and therefore no school buses will operate, however the public buses will continue to run.

 Outstanding Achievements

We are always keen to follow the progress of past students and were extremely proud of the results some of them achieved at Upper Yarra Secondary College’s Evening of Excellence last year.  Below are just some of the wonderful results students achieved.

 Rhys                 -           High Achievement Award in Business Management, Design
                                         and Technology, Maths Methods, Physics 
                                         Year 12 Scholarship Holder
                                         Year 11 Top Points
                                        Warburton Branch of Bendigo Bank Maths Award
                                        Year 11 Outstanding Academic Achievement
                                        Year 11 Dux Award 

Nigel                -           High Achievement Award in Physical Education
                                       Year 12 Scholarship Holder 

Tim                  -           Fast Tracking in Units 3 & 4 Music 

Rachael            -           Year 10 Runner Up LOTE German Domain Award 

Melissa             -           Year 9 Scholarship Holder
                                         Year 8 Top Points
                                         Year 8 Outstanding Academic Achievement 

Tia                   -           2009 Student Representative Council 

Erin                  -           Year 10 Sports Champion 

Congratulations, we are so proud of your achievements.  We would also love to hear of other past students who have achieved success, not only academically, but in chosen careers, sport, music, etc. 

We are looking forward to another very interesting and exciting year in 2010.  Many of the activities that we have already planned will be detailed in the 2010 Yearly Planner that we anticipate will be sent home by the end of February.  Please look for this as it is a great way to plan ahead for special events such as camps and swimming.

A note will also shortly be sent home advising about Parent/Teacher meetings.  These are designed so that we can all share and determine how we can enable students to achieve at their best. 

Looking forward to a happy and successful 2010…

Anne

The oval was a sea of happy children digging in to a fantastic feast today. With a huge team of Parents & Friends, including past students, a sit-down al-fresco roast dinner for 120 was delivered with great skill, and much appreciated.

What does it take to serve such a hungry horde?

• 25 Roasted Chickens
• 16 Kg Pumpkin
• 12 Kg Potatoes
• 4Kg Peas
• 4Kg Carrots
• 6½ Litres of Gravy
• 11½ Doz. Bread Rolls
• 22 Litres Jelly
• Ice-cream and millions of “hundreds and thousands”

The Masterchef team would be proud of our fantastic cooks and helpers. Thank you!

Well Done Grade 5/6:

I would like to begin by congratulating grade 5/6 students who make a concerted effort to always be in school uniform.  They have taken on the importance of being good role models at our school and this is one of the many ways they achieve this. 

Volunteers:

Over the past few weeks there has been a lot of activity at our school.  It is mostly the same small group of people who give up their time willingly to ensure that all students have the best environment and opportunities.  Some readers may be tired of seeing my acknowledgements in this report each week but, without these families, our school would not be so successful.  And I know that these volunteers sometimes feel a little embarrassed when they see their name in the newsletter once again, but too bad!  We really do appreciate your efforts.  So, a big thank you to Megan, Sharon, Peter, Allison, Damien, Leigh, Anita, Tracey, Heather, Michael, Luke and Edwina.  This list doesn’t include all our volunteers who help in the kitchen garden programme, Breaky Burras, school lunches, Parents & Friends, and so on. 

Volunteers Morning Tea:

Talking about volunteers, on Thursday December 10 we will host our annual Volunteers Morning Tea at 11am.  Invitations will be sent home today and we really do hope that you can come along and enjoy the festive fare and enable us to show our gratitude. 

Student Insurance:

There are a number of companies that can provide student injury personal accident protection.  Recently I received information from JUA Underwriting Agency Pty Ltd.  If you are interested in purchasing insurance for your child please contact them on the internet at www.studenthealth.com.au or by phone on 1800 252 263. 

Building Programme:

Finally, stage 1 of our building works has commenced and should be finished by the end of the year.  Have a quick look at the progress as you drive down the highway. Painting will happen over the school holidays so that we can return to a lovely fresh start.  (I am hoping stage 2 building will commence early in the new year).   

Until next week …Anne

What a fantastic night we had last night, with a lot of laughs, some puzzled looks, and lots of head scratching as our collective brain-cells were stretched and challenged at the 2009 Trivia night at the Sam Knott Hotel.

Our congratulations and thanks go to  Michael, Heather & Matthew, for their magnificent work in organising and executing a wonderful night of fun and fundraising. Over $500  was raised from the evening, and we especially want to thank and honour the many sponsors of the evening who made the fantastic prizes and silent auctions available. Please consider supporting the businesses listed below, and thank them for their support of our school. Continue reading ‘Trivia Night Wrap-up’

On Monday and Tuesday (9^th and 10^th November) the students of 2/3B shared their Community Project with their parents and rest of the school in an exhibition. The students had completed fantastic reports, models, posters and PowerPoint presentations on many different areas of our community. They had also written fictional stories with the focus 100 Years Ago in Wesburn. Some of the topics they covered were: the location, geographical and ancient history of Wesburn; the history of Wesburn Primary School; local businesses such as the Sam Knott Hotel, Jillian’s Road House Café, Ride On Mower Sales, Terrie’s Hairhouse; the Upper Yarra SES; Wesburn-Millgrove C.F.A.; the Wesburn Football Club; the Upper Yarra Pony Club and the Yarra Junction Police. Many people were amazed by the colourful presentations with interesting special effects on the transitions between slides. Other students were fascinated to find out that Mrs Stenhouse’s office used to be a classroom and that the school used to be painted pink! Every visitor completed a feedback form and all of the forms were filled with positive comments. Some parents even stated that their child had better start to give them some IT lessons, as the children seemed to have more IT skills than them! The students have made their teacher very proud. A big thank you to all those wonderful people in the local community who provided us with information for our projects. Well done grade 2/3B.

On Tuesday 27^th October, approximately 50 people attended our Science Night. On entry each family was asked to complete the challenge of attempting five Science experiments. With rockets shooting into the air, talking on cup telephones, rising gases and completing electrical circuits, many families thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Adults were impressed with how old they would be if they lived on Jupiter whereas making a parachute or a rocket were big hits with the children. Sorry to Mrs Ward who ended up covered in vinegar and bicarbonate soda whilst firing rockets! A big thank you to all the teachers and aides, who stayed after school to assist with the experiments. Their dedication helped to ensure a successful event.

Ms Anne Beale

Trivia Night:

What a fun and entertaining night we had last night!  Four tables of staff and parents attempted to answer the most interesting and obscure questions  -  pure trivia!  There was good-hearted teasing and trickery, and even after all of this my table lost.  Congratulations to the winning table which had Pastor Luke, Juliet, Leigh, Anita and Regina on it.  They are certainly a very intelligent combination.  Over $500 was raised for the school to support a variety of programmes.  This is probably the last trivia night that the Michael, Heather and Matthew will run for our school as Matthew will be moving onto secondary college in 2010 (although we could keep him down in grade 6 for another two or three years!).  Thank you for such an enjoyable night and the effort you put in to make it this way.

 School Banking:

Good habits formed in your child’s early years can lead to greater opportunities in the future.  Through participation in the School Banking programme children can learn valuable lessons in financial literacy.  They develop an understanding of saving in order to purchase something special and therefore develop a sense of achievement when they have reached their financial target.  This habit, formed while they are young, makes it so much easier for them to achieve larger goals such as the purchase of a car or even a house when they become adults.  If you are interested, please ask at the office. 

How to help your children behave well…

Did you know that research shows children who eat more fatty, sugary and highly processed foods have more emotional and behavioural problems?  These children are more likely to play up at school and home, were more hyperactive and more likely to feel down.  Choosing unprocessed foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables and cooking them can help you ensure that your children are not eating problem-causing additives as well.     

Until next week …

Anne

We’ve been overwhelmed with the response to the challenge to the CRE Classes in Grades 2/3, 4 and 5/6.  A large box and four bags of non-perishable food were donated to assist the work of LinC Yarra Valley in helping families in need. We received a lovely thank-you from the Board of Management this week, that in part, read:

“… we would like to thank you for your generous donation of grocery items…. Your donation ensures that we can continue to make a difference in the lives of people in our community, especially with Christmas… We will be able to provide families with wonderful Christmas hampers due to your help. Thank you once again.”

Once again, my real thanks to all who participated and contributed.
Congratulations to the grade 5/6 class, who were able to donate the most.

Pastor Luke Whiteside
Chaplain

Thank You:

A very belated huge thank you to Allison and Damien who came up to school a couple of weekends ago and spent five hot and exhausting hours building the new U shaped garden ready for planting summer vegetables.  Students have been moving soil from the old garden areas and mixing in compost, while an order has been placed to top up with beautiful rich mountain soil.  Please look out in future weeks as students plant new vegetables.  

Talking about the kitchen gardens, the ones on Wylie Street are about to be tidied up in garden classes.  We have turned on our automatic watering system to ensure plants thrive in this extremely hot weather.   

Great News!

Last week we received some really exciting news.  We have been granted a large sum of money to implement a new maths programme called Quicksmart.  Students in grade 5/6 will particularly reap the benefits as they participate in the programme which is similar to Reading Recovery in grade 1.  We will commence in term 1, 2010 and I am really keen to see the improvements that will be made in numeracy by the end of that year. 

At the same time, Wesburn has been accepted as one of 18 schools in Eastern Metropolitan Region to participate in the Rewarding Teaching Excellence School Trials in 2010.  The staff are really excited to be involved as it provides many opportunities to enhance teaching and learning at the school and therefore to improve student outcomes.   

Future Building:

Within the next three weeks you will see the first stage of our building works commence.  This will begin with the redevelopment of the Warburton Highway side of the school, which should be finished before the end of this term, and culminate in the main building being repainted.  More details on stage two will be shared through this newsletter as they come to hand. 

Bushfire At-Risk Register:

Like many other local schools, we have been officially notified that the school is on the Bushfire At-Risk Register.  However, this is not a cause for people to panic  -  it simply means that emergency services and DEECD are particularly aware of our specific needs should a bushfire occur and that policies and procedures are continually being reviewed and revised where needed.  These include issues around bus transport, lines of communication and school closures.  Please note that schools will only be closed on Code Red (Catastrophic) Days.  It is absolutely imperative that the school has your most up-to-date contact details so, if this is not the case, please contact the school immediately to advise of the changes.  

Parent Opinion Survey:

We recently received the results of the annual Parent Opinion Survey.  Overall parent satisfaction with the school is well above the state median and predicted range, which is extremely pleasing for all of us. Results are also generally higher than for 2008.  We will, of course, take on board your feedback so that we can continually strive to improve any areas of concern.  Below are a couple of examples of the written feedback that we received: 

 Wesburn Primary School is a fantastic school with dedicated experienced staff who want the best for their students….Staff have many different issues to deal with and do so consistently, fairly and without giving up. 

Would just like to say what a wonderful caring school it is.  The staff are very supportive with both students and parents. 

Thanks to all the parents who responded to the survey. 

Please remember that our Trivia Night this year will be held at the Sam Knott Hotel at 7pm on Tuesday November 17.  Let me assure you that it will be a really fun night.  The cost is $5 per person and you can purchase drinks at bar prices at the hotel.  You might like to make up a group of 8 or so people or just join in with others when you arrive.  Heather and Michael are once again very organised, so hopefully we will see you there.    

Until next week …

Anne

Thank You:

This morning, as I write the newsletter, we have a very dedicated group of parents at the school once again doing some amazing ground and other maintenance work.  In spite of trees being removed and the school being somewhat messy as we await further action on our building projects, Wessie is really a lovely place to teach, learn and play.  Visitors always comment on our beautiful grounds and I must compliment Leigh, Anita, Allison, Assi, and Peter who make it this way.  We really appreciate your efforts. 

Thank you also to Rebecca, Liam and Callum’s mum, who gave us a $27 donation to our chook pen fund.   We now have over $1,100 and building should hopefully occur around second term 2010. 

Science Night:

Last night’s Science Night was a great success thanks to Ms Beale.  With 16 different experiments/activities to try, students and their parents had an interesting and relaxing afternoon.  I particularly enjoyed the activity called ‘Making Gravity’ as I saw a number of people, including Mrs Walsh, who ended up quite wet after it!  It was fun talking on the telephones that we made and working out how old we would be on different planets. It was lovely watching children and their parents discussing experiments and seeing groups of students making and then ‘lifting off’ their rockets. 

Coming up shortly are two great evenings for parents: 

Dads’ Night Out will be held on Tuesday November 10 between 6.30 and 8.30.  It promises to be a very relaxing evening for fathers or father-figures with a barbie tea and a couple of drinks while we enjoy each others’ company and listen to some interesting guest speakers.  It is vital that you advise the school that you will be attending to enable sufficient catering.  Please see further in the newsletter and your personal invitation which will be sent home this week.

Our Trivia Night this year will be held at the Sam Knott Hotel at 7pm on Tuesday November 17.  Let me assure you that it will be a fun night that anyone can win.  The cost is $5 only and you can purchase drinks at bar prices at the hotel.  You might like to make up a group of 8 or so people or just join in with others when you arrive.  Heather and Michael are once again very organised, so hopefully I will see you there. 

Stranger Danger:

Recently I was asked for information about the policies and processes we have at Wesburn to ensure that students are educated about Stranger Danger and how we go about protecting all students in a variety of situations.  At Monday night’s School Council meeting I presented detailed information on all that we do  -  far too much to present in this newsletter.  Should you want to find out more, please speak to a school councillor or come and see me directly so that we can give you a run down.     

Until next week …

Anne