2019 – TERM 1 – WEEK 5

Newsletters Each term three newsletters are published and uploaded to the SchoolEnews app. Week 1 – The term calendar, assembly dates and a report from the Principal. Weeks 5 and 10 – Updated calendar, reports from all classes, library news, sport news, award recipient names, community news and advertisements. Incidental news items and reminders will be posted as they occur on SchoolEnews.

2019 TERM 1 Friday 1 March Clean Up Australia Day (at school) Monday 11 March Zone Swimming Carnival Monday 11 March David Morgan-Mar (scientist in residence) Wednesday 13 March Interrelate Program Friday 15 March 9:30am Parent Tour Mon 18 – Friday 22 March Parent / Teacher Interviews Mon 18 / Tues 19 March NBLA Student Leaders’ Camp Thursday 21 March Harmony Day Tuesday 26 March 6:30pm P&C Annual General Meeting – all parents welcome Wednesday 27 March Interrelate Program Thursday 28 March Theatre Incursion – Stage 1 Friday 29 March Cross Country Carnival / Sponsored Run Monday 1 April School Photographer Wednesday 3 April Interrelate Program Friday 12 April Last Day of Term 1 11:00am-2:00pm Grandparents’ Day and Daytime Discos!

Term 2 Tuesday 30 April Students return to school

Communication

It’s very hard to believe that we are in Week 5 already, almost halfway through the term. We have had a very smooth start to the year, with all our new children settling quickly and easily into life at big school. It was great to see so many parents here at Parent Information Night recently, hearing about the year ahead and becoming informed about organisational routines in the classrooms. We have had one P&C meeting so far; the next one is the Annual General Meeting which will be held on Tuesday 26 March at 6:30pm. All parents are welcome and we would love to see some of our new families becoming involved. New Hall The major event for this year will be the construction of our new school hall and the back-conversion of the old hall into future-focussed learning spaces. The project is still in the planning stages – look out for community information sessions which will be held soon. This is an exciting time for our school, when the construction is completed we will then focus on improving the oval, the play equipment and landscaping. Parental Involvement at School Helping out at the canteen, or getting involved with class reading groups has far more value than you might realise.

• Kids become better learners when their parents get involved in their education. • Parental involvement encourages kids to pursue higher education. • Parental involvement makes kids happier.

As a parent, you are the most influential factor in how your child views school and the community they're part of. Your involvement with their learning goes a long way towards your child becoming a capable, resilient and happy adult. Never be afraid to ask teachers how you can get involved. In the eyes of our school, you are a valuable resource. Here's why: when parents are involved in their child's school life, it leads to a happy and well-adjusted child.

*****Research shows that kids do better at school when parents get involved.*****

They become better learners - research shows that kids do better at school when parents get involved – in Maths, English, their social relationships and their approaches to learning. It has also been proven that parental involvement leads to higher rates of children finishing school and higher aspirations toward further study. Some studies even state that a parent's involvement in their child's learning is the biggest factor influencing their academic outcome. Now while that possibility could be almost as terrifying as it is encouraging, it does make you realise that no effort you make is wasted. They are happier kids - when parents are involved in their child's school life, it leads to a happy and well-adjusted child, who has positive relationships with teachers and peers. They have better coping skills - resilience is the ability to bounce back from disappointments and traumas in life. Research shows that a sense of belonging to a community is a key factor in becoming resilient. Children are more resilient when they feel they are a valuable part of the community, and especially in their school community. Parents also develop greater resilience skills if they feel they are supported in their community. Ways to get involved at school:

• help at the canteen • help in the library • help out with reading groups • make costumes for school plays • help at P&C fundraisers • help in the grounds

Thank you to all our current volunteers – we really appreciate your help. Please make sure you have completed the Appendix 5 form for 2019 and provided 100 points of ID to the office. If you have provided 100 points of ID in the past, please sign the Appendix 5 form and the Confidentialty Agreement for 2019. Copies of these are on the notices stand outside the office.

From the Principal

Focus on Vocabulary and Comprehension In literacy this year, one of our major targets is to increase students’ vocabulary and strengthen their reading comprehension skills. This is something where your help is essential! We are asking you to read, read and read even more to your child at home, explain the meaning of unfamiliar words and ask them to re-tell the story to you and make predictions about the plot. If you are stuck for ideas, here are some recommended books to try. The first three titles are for younger readers, the last three for older primary students: Magic Beach - Alison Lester ‘Magic Beach’ is a much loved Australian classic, perfect for parents to read aloud at storytime. Magic and reality come together in this perfect day at the beach. A wonderful, imaginative book for those children who enjoy pictures and words equally. Lost and Found - Oliver Jeffers A lovely story about a little boy, a lost penguin and a misunderstanding. Children and adults will love the simple and evocative illustrations. Curl up and read this with your child and enjoy watching the friendship grow between penguin and human. Beautiful Oops! - Barney Saltzberg ‘Beautiful Oops!’ is a bright and fun board book to read with your kids. This sweet, interactive book celebrates mistakes and shows how they can lead to beautiful opportunities. Little fingers will love lifting the colourful flaps and interacting with the pop-ups on every page. Wonder - R J Palacio ‘Wonder’ tells the remarkable story of August, a 10-year-old boy with a facial anomaly. Told from multiple perspectives, the book delves into the lives of his family and classmates and the way that meeting Auggie has changed them. This is a great discussion starter on a range of topics, such as the impact of bullying and the value of empathy and kindness. Alice-Miranda series by Jacqueline Harvey Go to Paris, Japan, the sea and school with Alice-Miranda in this funny and fun series for primary school students. Alice-Miranda’s strong friendships and her positive outlook make these enjoyable reads. Everyone will love this smart, thoughtful problem solver. The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton This book is a laugh-out-loud delight. The ‘13-Storey Treehouse’ is a fun combination of text and drawings. Join Andy and Terry on their adventures through an incredible, and very distracting, treehouse!

Bev Maunder

Assembly Roster

Term 1

Week 5 – SRC Week 6 – Class Item: 2A Week 7 – Class Item: 4/5R Week 8 - CAPA Assembly / Harmony Day Week 9 – Combined Easter Service (TBC) Week 10 – SRC Week 11 - Gold, Silver, Bronze Awards & 100% Attendance Awards

RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY PERSONAL BEST Week 2 Tilly 1L Daniela 2A Tiger KM Week 3 Mosa 2A Harriet K/1J Isla 2A Week 4 Fynn 2A Tess 4/5R Clio K/1J

Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

KA Charlie & Kaylee Roya & Alessandro Phoebe & Archer KH Dylan & Harry Harley & Angela Sam & Reina KM Jasmine & William Christopher & Kaito Joshua & Eva K/1J Archie & Harriet Max & Clio Stella & Carter 1L Alec & Hannah Lukas & Chloe Mila & Lewis 1M Shahraan & Harmony Joshua & Ryder Jesper & Jackson 2A Bilal & Leorah Fynn & Zara Lian & Rachel 2KJ Nathan & Quinn Selina & Danielle Lucas & Akira 2T Lincoln & Cassia Moana & Markus Gage & Aarav 3G Austin & Maia Rama & Antonio Jaida & Harper 3T Daniela & Victor Ellie & Amelie Edward & Isla 4/5R Bethany & Izak Ashton & Lexus Courtney & Samantha 4/5G Cruz & Ariana Gwen & Olivia Zoey & Ethan 4/5K Jamie & Rosie Jaysha & Tess Aysha & Lhabu 6H Matthew & Daniel Erica & Mark Zara & Alex Junior Band Tess Noah Senior Band Jaydon Poppy Library Aysha Anna

Mathletics and Reading Eggs Awards

K-2 Reader K-2 Maths 3-6 Reader 3-6 Maths Week 3 Joshua Lucas Tenzin Yoon Kramel Week 4 Isla Fynn Ben Inari

Positive Behaviour, Engaging Learners (PBEL)

Merit Awards Weeks 2 – 4

Kindergarten Kindergarten has settled wonderfully into the New Year. We are making new friends and learning classroom and school routines. We have now begun our literacy and numeracy programs. This term in literacy we are looking at nursery rhymes, concentrating on rhyming words, sounds and basic letter formation. In numeracy, we are working on our basic number knowledge and practising these skills in our hands on Maths groups. Each group is working towards their own goals. It has been a fabulous start, and we are looking forward to a year of fun and learning! Here are a few happy snaps of us working and settled in our classes: Jennifer Richardson, Milly Goodearl, Tom Hurley and Allison Dixon Year 1 Year 1 has had a fabulous start to the year! Students and teachers have settled back nicely into school with lots of wonderful and exciting learning taking place. In Mathematics, we have been challenging ourselves with rich learning tasks. We have been learning all about numbers and patterns and discovered that patterns are all around us in both natural and man-made environments. We have also been learning all about coins. In week 4 we had a special visit from Start Smart to teach us how to save and spend money.

In Science, we are really enjoying our new unit on Recycling. We have collected, calculated and graphed how much waste we produce in a school day. We have been very surprised to learn how long it takes for some of our waste to break down and how this is impacting our environment! In Geography, we have been investigating where we live in relation to the rest of Australia and the world. Part of this has been tricky as we continue to learn our home addresses, finding them using Google Maps and how to write them on envelopes. We also planned and ventured out on an imaginary trip to Perth. We are looking forward to the adventures that await us for the rest of the term! Ms Lohr, Mr Murray and Mrs Richardson

Year 2 What a fabulous start to the year we are having! Year 2 students have settled into class routines and are enjoying the learning challenges the New Year has brought. We have had a wonderful time participating in sport activities, Maths investigations, science experiments and an incursion about money. We enjoyed writing a recount of Captain Cash and his visit to Planet Earth. Here’s Danielle’s informative and entertaining report using punctuation marks that we have been learning about. Space School Today I went through an invisible secret portal. I ended up in space! Then crash! Captain Cash came through the roof. Captain Cash is the master of money. We learnt that if there is something at three different stores you should get the one for less money. We had to sort Captain Cash’s money from lowest value to the greatest value. Arlia got the highest which was the $100 note. Poor Flynn, he got the 5c coin- you can’t buy much with that! But the most important thing is speed to your needs and wait for your wants. Some people got to go to pretend shops. Captain Cash is fake- he’s just from the Commonwealth bank. We are looking forward to more exciting learning opportunities this year. Ms Gilchrist, Mrs Jones, Mrs Kovacs and Mrs Tully

Year 3 The transition to Year 3 is always so exciting…. settling in to new classes, playing on the 3-6 equipment, participating in PSSA and combined Stage 2 and 3 sport on Friday afternoons.

Year 3 has been spending time building a sense of belonging, setting high expectations and assessing students to guide our teaching and learning programs. In English, we are focusing on developing reading and comprehension skills through explicit whole class teaching and differentiated small groups activities. Imaginative writing tasks are currently challenging students to improve sentence structure and vocabulary whilst orienting the reader to character and setting using descriptive language. In Mathematics, everyone is in the challenge zone improving fluency partitioning numbers, choosing and applying efficient strategies to solve number problems and understanding the inverse relationships between addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division. Thank you to all those people who are demonstrating responsibility, respect and striving to do their personal best! Miss Gregersen and Ms Thomson Years 4/5 Year 4 and 5 students are settling into their new classes and enjoying all the wonderful learning opportunities available this term. One highlight, so far, was the Swimming Carnival which was held on a gorgeous, sunny day. Students cheered the swimmers, singing and chanting to show support for their house. The students competing tried their personal best and there were some extremely tired swimmers by the end of the day! Year 4 and 5 also had a visit from Start Smart to teach them how to balance saving and spending money. Everyone is immersed in their learning and we are looking forward to an amazing year together. Mr Gray, Miss Kovacs and Mrs Roberts

Year 6 Wow! What an exciting start to Term 1! 6H has composed some acrostic poems on a range of different topics and events that we have been involved in: Thank you to Ella, Bella-Rose, Mele, Lile, Tiana for their work on these poems!

Library News

We had a fabulous Library Lovers’ Day on 14 February, so thank you to all who participated. Our school was a sea of red and we raised $376.70 for Heartkids!!! Some of our wonderful library monitors wrote, directed

and presented a shadow puppet play and we had queues going out the library door at lunch time. Parents! Now is the time to begin a conversation with your child about your favourite books. I loved The Little Prince when I was a girl. Share your favourite! Don’t forget to email a photo of your family with their favourite books. These will be placed on display in the library.

S izzing start T ry your hardest A mazing efforts G ood leaders E xcellent behaviour

L ook, Listen! E ffort A warding R eading N ever stop I nteresting N ervous! G oals

R egularly E every night A learning goal D on’t give up! I llustrations N on-fiction G ood reads

M athematics A lgebra T esting H ard work S uper sums

A bilities R ewarding T alented

S portsmanship P SSA O n the field R acing T rying hard

H istorical I n the past S ublime T alking points O rigin story R ecount

Just a reminder: All Kinders need to have a separate library bag to borrow a book. Drama Club

Our aim in Drama Club is to instil confidence and to pass on some drama skills in a safe supportive environment. This term we will be playing drama games to promote team building and spatial awareness. Drama Club is held in the library on Wednesdays. Annette Murphy-Haste Teacher Librarian

P&C News Brookvale Public School needs you! It was great to see so many parents and kids enjoying the recent Parent Information Night, disco and BBQ. Events like these need parent volunteers. In 2019 there will be a range of events occurring, all designed to help build a great school community and raise funds for school improvements. The below links is an easy way for parents to add their details to a dedicated list of volunteers. The list will be used to send targeted requests ahead of events such as election BBQs, Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day, Football parking and more! You might be able to offer 30 minutes only once or an hour every time - regardless we need your help! We want to make it as easy as possible for you to help us help our kids. All monies raised go to benefit our children’s school through investments in facilities, technology, playground equipment and more! Sign up now! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0b44afa92fabfc1-bpsvolunteers Ethics Teachers Needed! This year, the demand for a greater number of Ethics classes is very high. Unfortunately, with only one volunteer teacher, we can only offer one class to Year 4/5. To be able to meet the demand for other year groups, we are desperately seeking volunteer teachers. Without additional teachers we cannot offer places to students on waiting lists. If you or someone you know may be interested in volunteering, please contact Natalie Kovacs or Rachel Lohr. We would be happy to meet with you and discuss the process of becoming a volunteer. All lessons are provided for you with no planning required. We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for assisting us in providing Special Education in Ethics classes at Brookvale Public School. Natalie Kovacs Natalie.kovacs1@det.nsw.edu.au Rachel Lohr Rachel.lohr@det.nsw.edu.au

Community News