The Beacon

DIARY DATES

Friday 21 August

Book Fair: 8.30—9.00 am and 3.00—3.45

Monday 24 August

SRC Superhero Fundraiser for Bear Cottage

Book Fair: 8.30—9.00 am and 3.00—3.45 LAST DAY

Tuesday 25 August

Year 4 Botanical Gardens Excursion

Wednesday 26 August

3R & 3G Botanical Gardens Excursion

Thursday 27 August

Phil Kettle—Author Visit

Celebrating 60 Years in Education A Publication of Beacon Hill Public School Tristram Road, Beacon Hill, 2100 Tel: 02 9451 6328 Fax: 02 9975 4631 Email: beaconhill-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: www.beaconhill-p.schools.nsw.edu.au Term 3 - Week 6 Thursday 20 August 2015

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Welcome Back Mrs Thomas

We warmly welcome back Mrs Laura Thomas to Beacon Hill on Monday 24 August

as her maternity leave comes to an end. Mrs Thomas will be teaching KT on

Monday and Tuesday. We look forward to having her back with us! Please be sure

to say hello as I know she would be so appreciative.

Congratulations to Our PSSA Champions

Congratulations again to all our Winter PSSA teams and coaches on your effort,

team work and sportsmanship this season. Special congratulations to our Senior

Rugby League and Junior Girls’ Soccer teams who were both successful in last

Friday’s PSSA District Grand Finals, finishing the season as champions. Well done

to our Junior and Senior Boys’ Soccer teams who finished their very successful

season as runners up. Our coaches have done a great job inspiring and training all

the teams this season and I would like to sincerely thank them: Mrs O’Sullivan, Mrs

King, Mrs Ford, Mr Norman, Mr Browne and Mr Matthewson. Our sincere thanks

also go to Rick Angelo, our wonderful volunteer trainer of the rugby league teams,

for so generously giving his time to support our school again this year.

Well Done to Our Zone Athletics Team

Congratulations to our wonderful athletes for their fantastic efforts this week at the

Zone Athletics Carnival. Our students were well behaved and gave their best effort

in all events. I commend them all on their enthusiasm and the level of commitment

demonstrated on the day. Many thanks to our wonderful parent helpers, Nic

Herrmann and Sandy Hoy for their invaluable assistance on the day and the many

parents who attended and supported our children. Special mention and thank you

to Mr Norman and Mr Browne for their hard work organising and preparing our

students for the carnival. Results from the carnival will be in next week’s Beacon.

Year 5 v Year 6 Debate

Congratulations to our year 5 and 6 debating teams! I was privileged to watch

some of the year 5 and 6 debate held at school this week around banning contact

sports. I was most impressed by the level of skill displayed by our students and

congratulate them on their efforts. Well done year 6 on your victory! Thank you to

Mrs Howland for mentoring our debaters this year and sharing your expertise and

enthusiasm with our students.

The Beacon

NAPLAN

NAPLAN results have been sent home with our students in years 3 and 5 TODAY! Please be sure

to check for them in school bags! An initial review of results is so pleasing. I look forward to

presenting a more detailed analysis with staff and at upcoming P&C meetings.

NAPLAN tests the sorts of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life,

such as reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. It is important to remember that NAPLAN

tests are not pass/fail tests. NAPLAN tests provide very valuable information, but there are no

consequences for individual students for poor or good performance. At the classroom level it is one

of a number of important tools used by teachers to measure student progress.

How is NAPLAN performance measured?

NAPLAN is not a pass or fail type test, and is designed to illustrate the range of student performance

across the country. It is not expected that all students will be able to answer all questions correctly.

Individual student performance is shown on a national achievement scale for each test. The

performance of individual students can be compared to the average performance of all students in

Australia.

How are NAPLAN test results used?

*Schools use results to identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching programs and to set goals in

literacy and numeracy.

*School systems use results to review programs and support offered to schools.

*Students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.

*Teachers use results to help them better identify students who require greater challenges or

additional support.

*The community can see average school NAPLAN results on the My School website:

www.myschool.edu.au

Uniform

We are extremely proud of our students and our school. Wearing school uniform fosters a sense of

pride and belonging in the school and assists in the development of positive tone and wellbeing.

Thank you to those parents who have made every effort to ensure that our students attend school in

the full school uniform every day. Over recent weeks, however, we have noticed a number of

children coming to school in incorrect uniform. Please help us to ensure students are wearing the

correct uniform at all times. Your support and assistance with this is very much appreciated.

Have a wonderful week,

Peta Hanson

Principal

The Beacon

SRC Fundraiser

The SRC are planning a “Superhero” fundraiser day next Monday 24th August to raise funds for Bear

Cottage. Bear Cottage is the only children’s hospice in NSW - a very special place that’s dedicated

to caring for children with life-limiting conditions. Families who care for a child with a life-limiting

condition often do so around the clock for many years. Bear Cottage’s vision is to be as far removed

from a hospital environment as possible. They are located in Manly and are set up to provide

excellence in paediatric palliative care 24 hours a day, and are affiliated with The Sydney Children's

Hospitals Network. Students are encouraged to dress up as a superhero and to bring in a gold coin

donation in support of Bear Cottage on Monday 24th August.

The Partners in Learning parent feedback survey - Survey now open

Our school will also be participating in the Partners in Learning parent survey, another part of the Tell

Them From Me suite of surveys (student, teacher and parent surveys) on student engagement. The

survey asks parents and carers questions about different factors that are known to impact on student

wellbeing and engagement.

Running this survey will help our school understand parents’ and carers’ perspectives on their child’s

experience at school. These include: communication between parents/carers and staff, activities

and practices at home and parent/carer views on the school's support of learning and behaviour.

This valuable feedback will help our school make practical improvements.

The survey is conducted entirely online at home or on public computers. The survey typically takes

15 minutes or less to complete and is completely confidential. The parent survey will be conducted

between 17 August and 16 October. Participating in the survey is entirely voluntary, however, your

responses are very much appreciated.

You can participate in the survey through the following link:

https://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/j_acegi_security_check?

j_username=parent17749&j_password=Bea3971

More information about the survey is available at: http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au/information-for-

parents

Thank you to those parents who have already provided feedback. If you are having difficulty

accessing the survey please copy and paste the URL into the address bar. Thanks for your support.

Jane Stanley Deputy Principal

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

The Beacon

We have had a reported case of slapped cheek, which is a common viral infection in children.

SLAPPED CHEEK Time from exposure to illness 1 to 2 weeks. Symptoms Mild fever, red cheeks, itchy lace-like rash, and possibly cough, sore throat or runny nose. Can cause foetal disease in pregnant women if they have not been previously infected. Do I need to keep my child home? No as it is most infectious before the rash appears. How can I prevent spread? Hygiene etiquette: Careful hand washing; avoid sharing drinks.

.

Date Awards Performance

Week 8 – 31/8/2015 Writer of the Month Year 5 performance

Week 10 – 14/9/2015 Aussie of the Month -

Democracy

5&6 Choirs and String Group

FROM THE ADMINISTRATION OFFICE

UPCOMING ASSEMBLY DATES

The Beacon

Assembly Awards Due to the Zone Athletics Carnival on the 17th of August, several students missed out on receiving awards at our MPC assembly. These awards will be handed out at the next K-6 MPC assembly on Monday the 31st of August. Cassie King Classroom Teacher

AWARDS

KB Joshua Jacobsen, helpfulness in class

KB Jamie Monk, keen participation with clocks

KB Gabriel Lee , star of the week

KB Long Vuong, maths award

KB William Tartonne, writer of the week

KC Heidi Platzer, improved home reading

KC Agustina Escribano, excellent journal writ-ing

KC Shayna Smith, maths award

KC Lucas Greenhalgh, writer of the week

KC Emmanuel Smallwood, star of the week

KG Eli Saunders, maths award

KG Cameron Parker, writer of the week

KG Dimity Mulders, star of the week

KG Joss Colling, great reading

KG Hunter Sasikin, great reading

KT James Tilson, star of the week

KT Christian Clarkson, maths award

KT Sienna Eyre, writer of the week

KT Zac Ottery, fantastic writing

KT Sammy Burns, great dancing

2B Amelia Loko, setting great work habits

2B Charlie McDonald, maths award

2KA Presley Adlam, working well in class

2KA Estelle Walsh, maths award

2N Jai Knibb-Mann, trying hard to complete set tasks

2N Audrie Tabone, maths award

2W Sienna Shortland, being an amazingly kind and

considerate friend

2W Bryce Newsome, maths awards

The Beacon

AWARDS (Cont’d)

5B Carli Martin, wonderful manners

5B Hannah Sheridan, amazing handwriting

5B Matt Adam, trying hard in class

5B Bree Poe, wonderful spelling results

5B Sarah Lang, good problem solving in Maths

5K Chloe Ibarburu, beautiful bookwork and a great attitude towards learning

5K Kendra Wheatley, always working to achieve personal bests

5K Nate MacPherson, fantastic work in spelling

5K Madeline Jackson, outstanding poetry and great overall effort

5K Clio Hawke, excellent extension maths work

5M Hamish Finlayson, keeping up when we work as a class

5M Sam Gledhill, trying hard to achieve

5M Aston Walsh, making good personal decisions

5M Emily Callaghan, doing her best at all times

5M Beth Battista, constant high marks in mentals

6H Georgia Walker, fabulous effort in mathematics

6H Jasmine Wickings, her shining honesty and kindness

6H Joshua Hatfield, outstanding good humour and manners

6H Jay Tinsley, enthusiasm and a wonderful, helpful attitude

6H Tom Copping, great work in mathematics

6O Alyssa Consentino, for always working well in class

6O Oscar Lepastrier, for improvement in bookwork

6O Noah Kasmar, for always working to the best of his ability

6O Maddie Williams, for doing everything with enthusiasm and a smile

6O Chloe Chominsky, for making a great improvements

5/6D Ashlyn Johnson, exceptional standard of homework

5/6D Harry Webster, great improvement in all subjects

5/6D Izaak Cerneaz, excellent effort in all areas

5/6D Charli Owers, an improved effort in reading

5/6D Charli Whitehead, great results in the Maths Olympiad

The Beacon

Thank you to all the amazing Mums and Dads who helped count bounces at the Sponsored Bounce

last Friday. A great day was had by all with many of the fabulous teachers joining their classes for a

bounce this year!

Please can we ask all the children who have collected sponsorship and donations to bring their

money in an envelope marked with their name and class and Sponsored Bounce, and pop it into the

P & C box in the office.

SPONSORED BOUNCE

The Beacon

BOOK FAIR WEDNESDAY 19TH - MONDAY 24TH

CANTEEN ROSTER

Book Fair began this Wednesday and finishes Monday next week. It will be a very exciting time in the Library! Books can be bought before and after school. We are open from 8:30am - 9:00 am and then from 3:00pm - 3:45 pm. Your child may also bring home their 'Wish List' so you can pay online or give them the money so they can collect their purchase during Book Fair hours. We are hoping for a great Fair so we can raise enough money to boost Beacon Hill's Library stock. Thanks to all the willing helpers too. It wouldn't be a Book Fair without you. Happy reading

Rosemary Malone Relieving Librarian

Term 3

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week 6 Tani Mazza Deb Kasmar Lesley Weir Sharon Kemp Kim Gorman

17/08/15 Tanya Younan Keiryn Osbourne Nicole Holicky

Week 7 Pip Sercombe Anne Wehr Kate Nott Sheridan Femia Caroline Clarkson

24/08/15 Serene O'Young Doris Heidi Tetz/Abbie N

Week 8 Helen Gompels Selena Buko Juliet Stokes Sally Bate Gabrielle Sheridan

31/08/15 Marianne Hardy Doris Merry Dickson

Week 9 Tani Mazza Yvonne McAllan Kylie McManus Sheridan Femia Belinda Foster

07/09/15 Sonya Shelton Kirsten Simpson

Week 10 Annette Ryan Zoe Monk Amanda Davies Abbie N

14/09/15 Maree Ishac Karen Pritchard

The Beacon

Commonwealth Bank School Banking Update – PLEASE

READ

Concerns have been raised regarding the ‘Cosmic Light Beam

Torch’ reward item due to the inclusion of four button batteries that

can be accessed by unscrewing the back of the torch.

Whilst this reward has been independently tested and deemed to meet relevant product standards

the Commonwealth Bank have made the decision to proactively withdraw this item from the School

Banking Rewards Program.

Parents/Guardians are requested to dispose of any ‘Cosmic Light Beam Torches’ their child may

have already received as part of the Rewards Program. Students who have previously received a

‘Cosmic Light Beam Torch’ are welcome to redeem an alternative reward item.

Father’s Day Stall Our annual Father’s Day Stall will be held on Wednesday 2nd September. This is a chance for the children to purchase some lovely gifts for Dads, Pops and the other important men in their life. All gifts are $5 and all proceeds go towards our fundraising efforts for the school.

Helpers Needed GIFT WRAPPING: Monday 31st August in the MPC. If you have any time to spare between 9am and 1pm approximately your help would be sincerely appreciated. HELPING ON THE STALL: Wednesday 2nd September in the MPC. This is one of the most fun events that you can help out on! Watching and helping the kids select their gifts can be interesting, heart-warming and occasionally hilarious!!! Helpers are needed between 8:45am to approximately 1pm. Any amount of time that you can assist would be fantastic. Please use this link to volunteer to help with either event https://signup.zone/XucGAkqDgQsMMGEZD

Roster 26 August 2015 Kate Nott Hannah Chominsky

SCHOOL BANKING

P & C UPDATE

UNIFORM SHOP

OPEN MORNING Thursday, 10 September 2015

9.30am – 11.30am

Address by Principal and performances by students 9.30 – 10.30am Tours of the school 10.30 – 11.30am

Leading Girls’ Education in NSW Outstanding academic achievement

Broad development of each child

Debating Music Drama Creativity Leadership Technology Duke of Edinburgh Sport

RESILIENT CONNECTED INNOVATIVE Please note – there is no parking in the school grounds Enquiries: Mrs Jenni Cooper, Telephone 9922 6666 ext 104

Cricket for Beacon Hill Primary School children with Beacon Hill Cricket Club

You are invited to play Australia’s favourite sport with Beacon Hill Cricket Club. For 4 to 7 year olds, MILO in2CRICKET is Australian Cricket’s entry level program for boys and girls. It teaches kids basic cricket skills. This is being held at Tristram Road Oval on Friday afternoons in Term 4 from 5pm to 6pm, starting 9 October 2015.

For kids ready to play matches, there is Under 7-8 (Kangas), generally for 6 and 7 year olds. Age groups are based on age at 31 August 2015. We also have places available in U/9 and up to U/16-18. The younger kids play modified cricket with a softer ball and bat in pairs for a set period so there is equal participation.

There is also a Friday afternoon Milo T20 Blast for 8 to 12 year olds. For the girls, there is a new all-girls Sixers Girls Cricket League on Saturday afternoons for 11 to 18 year olds. ACT NOW, the season starts on 12 September, register at http://beaconhillcricket.com. Contact Peter Horton on 8854 5110, 0407 012 538, or peter.horton@rhdhv.com for further information.