Miners Rest Primary School “With Knowledge We Grow”

www.minersrestps.vic.edu.au

Wednesday December 13 2017

Newsletter No: 39 Term 4

The best thing about Transition Day was getting to know my new class - Zach M

The best thing about Transition Day was meeting new friends and

having a new teacher – Milla H

From the Classroom - Room 12

The best thing about Transition Day was seeing my new classmates and having a new teacher – Remmy W

The best thing about Transition Day was that there is a couch in my new classroom and I can sit right next to it – Mitchell E

This is how we all felt about

our tran-sition day :)

Page 2 Miners Rest Primary School

Handouts

Dates to Remember

Receipts (some students)

OSHC Statement (OSHC Families)

Kinder Christmas BBQ fundraiser flyer

Assembly Performance This week’s performance will be by Room 13 (Mr. Mitchell’s class)

Next week’s performance will be by Room 8 (Miss Manson’s class)

December

Thursday December 14 Final swimming classes for Foundation, Year 1/2

Friday December 15 PFA Meeting - 9:00am in school staffroom

Student End of Year Reports sent home

Monday December 18 Final swimming classes for Year 3/4

Year 6 Graduation - 6:00pm Miners Rest Community Hall

Wednesday December 20 Presentation Night - K-6 School Oval

Christmas raffle drawn

Friday December 22 Last Day for 2017 - School finishes at 1:30pm

2018

January

Monday January 29 Staff resume for 2018

Tuesday January 30 Student Testing

Wednesday January 31 Student Testing

February

Thursday February 1 Classes begin for 2018

Page 3 Miners Rest Primary School

National Transition Day

Thank you to our wonderful school community for their understanding and support in allowing the National Transition Day to unfold without the presence of parents in the

grounds. It was ‘new’ for us to approach it in such a way, but necessary given the sheer volume of students we now have at our growing school.

Again, we truly appreciate all of you placing trust in the school’s professionalism and

consideration of all students and their needs. We don’t proclaim to be perfect, but we certainly do our best for each and every student.

Remembering Belinda

This Friday we are holding a special beginning to our assembly alongside our decking area, to remember Belinda Scott, a former staff team member, colleague and much loved

friend at our school who sadly passed two years ago.

Students and staff will hold a short ceremony, plant a tree and place a commemorative

plaque in honour of Belinda. We will welcome her husband Ben and boys Archie and Harvey as well, who are travelling inter-state for the service.

Normal assembly in the Blue Hall will follow at 2:45pm as usual.

Joke of the Week: who remembers…?

“Laugh, and the class laughs with you!”

“But you get detention alone…”

Dale’s Dribble:

“Tis the season…”

It is a time for celebration, prosperity and optimism. This time of year brings out the

best in people, who reflect, acknowledge and thank those who have had a significant impact on their year.

Today we celebrated a wonderful Morning Tea, to acknowledge the huge number of volunteers who frequent our site throughout the year and selflessly give of themselves,

skills and time to our staff and students.

I would like to personally thank those who couldn’t attend the morning tea today, for being such important contributors to our school community.

No matter the size or frequency of your contribution in 2017, thank you, on behalf of our staff and students and we look forward to further growing our relationships in 2018. You

help make our good school GREAT!!

Across the Principals Desk - Dale Power

Page 4 Miners Rest Primary School

Did You Know? Staffing for 201 8 has been finalised. Please see our staffing list below, including Year Levels and roles.

Principal: Dale Power

Assistant Principal: Kylie Nissen

Operations & Well-Being: Liz Hay

School Improvement: Rick Andrews – PE & Specialist Leader

Business Manager: Tammy Hansford

Administration Officers: Alison Major and Simone Drabsch

Teaching Staff 2018: Room 1 (Foundation) Lyndal Brown

Room 2 (Foundation) Kyra Ives – Jnr School Leader

Room 3 (Foundation) Claire Smith

Room 4 (Yr 1/2) Deirdre Bleicher

Room 5 (Yr 1/2) Kirsty Johnston

Room 6 (Yr 1/2) Bek Russell

Room 7 (Library) N/A

Room 8 (Vis&Perf Arts) Megan Manson & Emily Faneco

Room 9 (Yr 1/2) Louie Franc

Room 10 (Yr 1/2) Matthew Gilbert

Room 11 (Food Tech) Claire Cosgriff

Room 12 (ES & Intervention Space) Vacant

Room 13 (Yr 5/6) Ben Mitchell & Emily Faneco

Room 14 (Yr 5/6) Michael Searl – Snr School Leader

Room 15 (Yr 5/6) Casey Johnstone

Room 16 (Yr 3/4) Kylie Riddoch

Room 17 (Yr 3/4) Emily Pellegrino

Room 18 (Yr 3/4) Sarah Bigmore

Room 19 (Yr 3/4) Hollie Frew

Room 20 (Korean) April Choi

Integration Aides: Julie Oxlade & Bek Buckley

Specialist Teachers: Physical Education (F-6) & Sport (5-6) – Rick Andrews

Music & Perf. Arts & Visual Arts–Megan Manson & Emily Faneco

Asian Studies – April Choi

Additional Staff: IT – Phil Kalluri

Handyman – Steve Schulz

School Welfare – Kerrie Gunsser

Cleaners – Kerri & Brad Maisey

Kindergarten Teachers: Elly McCarthy, Rebecca Bray & Jodi Dorney

Co-Educators: Dionne Deverall, Abby Spencer, Emma Jeffrey & Lindelle Sinclair

Out of School Hours Care Co-ordinator: Anneliese Swan

Across the Principals Desk - Dale Power

Page 5 Miners Rest Primary School

This week we thank our wonderful volunteers from across the school community for all their support this year. A morning tea was held today to thank the many volunteers who assisted with program delivery, classroom assistance, fundraising, working bees, governance and much more during this year. Every member of the school council sincerely thanks you for your commitment and work, well done! The school council would also like to thank our Parents and Friends Association and our Kindergarten Committee, both of these teams have contributed so much to our school and kinder. Without their support we could not afford to run many of the additional programs we offer, nor could we afford to purchase many additional learning resources that government funding does not cover.

Congratulations to all of our Year 6 students who will hold their graduation dinner next Monday night, it is an exciting time for these young people and we wish them all the best for their very bright futures! Next week we will also hold the end of year presentation night. Once again the school council looks forward to celebrating the end of school year and the festive season with our school community! Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all!

The school council meeting and end of year dinner was held on 11 December 2017 with sub-committees starting at 5:30pm and a General Meeting at 6:00pm. The key items discussed were:

Master Planning Sub-committee - New buildings and toilets are ahead of schedule. Seeking some support to pick up additional furniture and resources from Bannockburn PS next Thursday. Work still ongoing with contractors regarding water tanks.

Publicity Sub-committee - Reviewed school communications survey results. Will ar-range to develop a healthy eating/nude food policy with policy sub-committee in 2018.

Policy Sub-committee - Reviewed the Part Time Staff Policy.

Finance Sub-committee - Financial reports for November were reviewed and passed.

Kindergarten Committee - Additional staffing for kindergarten confirmed for 2018. Kindergarten Committee will run BBQ during presentation night. Projected enrolment of 67 four year olds and 35 three year olds for 2018, an overall increase of around 20% on this year.

School Council - School council reviewed and endorsed the School Fees Structure for 2018, Workforce Plan for 2018 and the 2018 Annual Implementation Plan. Working party has continued to advocate for improved additional infrastructure/facilities at school, with more meetings to be held with local and state government representatives this week. Continuing to work with City of Ballarat on Traffic Management improvements, however no schedule for works has been confirmed.

David Harris

President

School Council Presidents Report

Page 6 Miners Rest Primary School

Kindergarten News

Key Dates Thursday 14th December—Pizza Day (Red and Green Groups)/ Final day of Kinder for Green Group

Tuesday 19th December—Final day of Kinder for Blue and Red Groups

Wednesday 20th December— Final day of Kinder for Yellow Group

Wednesday 20th December— Presentation Night

Thursday 21st December– Clean up day

Friday 22nd December— Clean up day

Last week the children from Blue Group went on an excursion to the Regent Multiplex Cinema. How exciting to be going on another trip and catching a bus again. We saw the

movie Paddington 2. The children in Blue Group have had such a fun couple of weeks celebrating their kindergarten year.

School and Kindergarten PFA Meeting

We would like to invite all parents to come along, partake in coffee and cake, meet some

new friends and share your ideas at the next PFA Meeting on Friday 15th December,

9:00am in the staffroom.

Friday Lunch Roster

Christmas Raffle

Tickets are $1 each, 3 for $2 or $10 per sheet. Please ensure these are returned to

school by Friday 15th December.

Thank you for your donations to date!

Our Christmas Raffle is always a huge success with fantastic prizes donated from our community. Prizes usually include but are not limited to toys, homewares, stationary, vouchers, movie passes, food items, books and Christmas decorations.

Please bring your donations into the office right up until the 15th December.

Wrapping of Christmas Raffle Prizes

Monday 18th December, 9:00am

The PFA is asking for volunteers to help wrap the Christmas Raffle prizes from 9am in the yellow shed. Any help, even for 30 minutes, will be appreciated.

Bakers Delight Wendouree Christmas Tart Drive

Thursday 14th December

Orders can be collected from the multipurpose shed from 3:00pm on Thursday 14th

December.

Cookbook – Christmas Special

The Miners Rest Primary School and Kindergarten Cookbook makes a wonderful Christmas

present. For a limited time, the cookbook is available from the school office at a special Christmas price of $15 each.

DATE 11.30am 12.30pm

15th December Lana King Kristy Paizis

Lisa Mackay

Page 7 Miners Rest Primary School From Parents and Friends (PFA) PFA News

Page 8 Miners Rest Primary School

Ryan P For a fantastic year at MRPS (Mrs Brown)

Caius B For giving writing a red-hot go! (Miss Russell)

Ruby H For showing kindness (Miss Russell)

Alice R For a great transition morning (Kyra)

Brody G For reading very fluently to the whole class (From all of us in Room 10)

Paddy W For being a caring and helpful classmate (Mrs Johnston)

Malachi B For working hard to understand graphs in maths (Mrs Johnston)

Tahlia J For speaking beautifully during Show and Tell (Mrs Bleicher)

Ryan O For being a great leader in the classroom (Claire S)

Jake R For using great listening skills (Claire S)

Nicholas L For being a great friend (Miss Bigmore)

Phoebe R For having a heart of gold (Miss Bigmore)

Jayme-Lee L For always showing kindness to others (Emily)

Claire M For earning the title of the Year 3/4 Masterchef (Mrs Cosgriff)

Joshua W For earning the title of the Year 3/4 Masterchef (Mrs Cosgriff)

Jimmy M For Foundation Sportsmanship! (Miss Frew)

Mackenzie V For Year 1/2 Sportsmanship! (Miss Frew)

Tristian W For Year 3/4 Sportsmanship! (Miss Frew)

Axel C For Year 5/6 Sportsmanship Award (Miss Frew)

Stars of the Week Stars of the Week

Page 9 Miners Rest Primary School Stars of the Week

Korean Award recipients for 2017

Multi-Lit Fun

Communication Survey

Thanks to all families who took a few minutes of their time to complete the communication survey.

Overall most families are happy with the newsletter as it stands. We will take on board some suggestions for improvement next year.

Flexibuzz

99% of respondants have downloaded and 85% have used it to communicate with the school in some form.

Newsletter

82% of respondants regularly read the entire newsletter

95% of respondants believe newsletter should be published weekly

65% of respondants prefer the newsletter emailed

75% of respondants are happy with the newsletter in its current format including the contents and length.

Dates to remember was overwhelmingly deemed the most relevant section of the newsletter.

Reports

We will review and inform the school community of any changes regarding distribution of student reports.

Publicity Committee.

Page 10 Miners Rest Primary School School News

Page 11 Miners Rest Primary School

BASKETBALL

Congratulations to Lachlan, Josh, Crystal and Aislinn for

representing Ballarat Miners boys and Ballarat Rush girls in the

Castlemaine Basketball Tournament on the weekend.

Josh & Crystal’s teams both were runners up in their under 12

grand finals.

Lachlan & Aislinn made a super effort in playing the under 14s.

A great achievement for these Miners Rest superstars!

School News

Don’t forget you can still pick up a MRPS cookbook in time for Christmas for just $15.00

Page 12 Miners Rest Primary School

School News

Library News

Reminder: ALL school

library books are now OVERDUE!!

Reminder notes have been sent home today.

Please return books to the school office ASAP thankyou!

Community News