Year Level Information Evenings
A reminder that each Year level will be holding an information session online next week at 6:00pm. A link to the meeting will be sent out to families prior to the session.
Monday 14th February – Prep
Tuesday 15th February – Year 1/2
Wednesday 16th February – Year 3/4
Thursday 17th February – Year 5/6
Parent Teacher Interviews – Years 1-6
Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Tuesday 22nd and Thursday 24th February for parents/carers of students in Years 1-6. Booking for a 10 minute appointment time are now open in Compass. All interviews will be held online via Google Meet.
Bonbeach Farmers’ Market
The Farmers’ Market not only helps establish a connection to the wider community, it is also an important fundraiser for the school. It has provided funds for projects around the school that we would otherwise not been able to afford.
The Ga Ga Pit, footy and soccer goals, Shelter near the BER, paving around the school, the special Prep T shirts and the concrete slab for the bike shed are examples of projects funded by the Farmers’ Market. This year we are installing stage lighting for the hall to enable the school to hold productions without the need for hiring.
We cannot successfully run the market without volunteers.
We are extremely grateful to the parent volunteers on the Farmers’ Market Committee and our Market Manager, Amy, for their hard work in ensuring the market is such a success but we need more help on the gates, set up and pack up, etc. This is generally for no more than 2 hours on the Sunday morning.
It is a great way to help the school, meet more parents and, more importantly, raise money for your child’s grade level.
Each grade level takes turns being responsible for the volunteers for a market. In return, that grade level receives $500 towards excursions, equipment, resources, basically anything the level feels is needed at the time.
If you can spare some time when it is your grade level’s turn, we would love to see you there.
Lost Property
At the beginning of the year, many students often have new school clothes. A reminder to please make sure all items of clothing including hats and drink bottles are clearly named. We have lost property boxes located in the BER and Learning Centre which are checked every Friday afternoon. All named items in lost property will be returned to the student.
Yard Supervision
The yard is supervised by school staff before school from 8:45-9:00am and after school from 3:30-3:45pm. Students should not be arriving to school unsupervised by a parent/carer prior to 8:45am. Parents of students who have not been collected by 3:45pm will be contacted and the children taken to after school care.
Student Mobile Phones
In accordance with the Department’s Mobile Phones Policy, issued by the Minister for Education, personal mobile phones must not be used by students at Bonbeach Primary School during school hours, including lunchtime and recess, unless an exception has been granted.
Where a student has been granted an exception, the student must use their mobile phone for the purpose for which the exception was granted, and in a safe, ethical and responsible manner.
Mobile phones owned by students are considered valuable items and are brought to school at the owner’s (student’s or parent/carer’s) risk. Students are encouraged not to bring a mobile phone to school unless there is a compelling reason to do so.
Students who do need to bring their mobile phone to school and do not have an exception, are required to hand in their phone to the office when they arrive at school. This will be stored securely in the office for the day until it is collected by the student at the end of the day.
For more information, please see our Mobile Phones Student Use Policy and Personal Property Policy.
Kiss and Go Parking Zones
To assist with parking during drop off and pick up times, two ‘Kiss and Go’ zones are located in the parking bays around the school. One is located on Cirrus Street near the main entrance and the other on Coast Banksia Drive near the Junior Playground. We ask all families to please observe the Kiss & Go zone rules to ensure safe and efficient student drop off. If you need to walk your child in or be in the grounds to pick them up, please do not park in the Kiss& Go zone.
Kiss & Go Rules:
Helping kids settle back into school
by Shona Hendley
The start of the new school year brings a variety of challenges – from teacher and class changes, through to the transition from holiday mode back into the routine of school. This can make settling back into school difficult for some children and young people, especially after the extended summer break.
Naturally, as a parent you want to help your child settle back into school as seamlessly as possible, but it can often be hard to know where to start. So, we’ve asked the experts- primary and secondary school teachers – for their top tips.
Get kids involved in the organisation process
Being organised for school isn’t a parent-only activity. Involve your kids as fully as practical in the process. By doing this, you will be encouraging them to take responsibility for and ownership of their schooling, not to mention reducing your workload.
Specific tasks include:
Use positive language
It’s critical to use positive language when discussing school because children who hear their parents discuss education in a negative way typically model that behaviour. This is especially important in the first few weeks back. Sharing your own positive school memories is an authentic and relatable way to do this.
Add a personal touch
If your child is struggling being away from you, consider giving them a bit of you to take with them can help the transition. Whether it’s a personal item of yours that they carry with them, or even a positive note that you leave in their lunchbox, a personal touch is a helpful way for your child to stay connected with you throughout the school day. It’s a great reminder that it will be okay.
Trust and communicate with your child’s teacher
Trust your child’s teachers as they have their best interest at heart and know children well! Couple this trust with regular communication, which is particularly helpful at the start of the year when back to school worries are identified and addressed. Continue this communication throughout the years, especially if any issues or concerns arise.
It may be beneficial to arrange a meeting between you, the previous teacher and the current teacher to enable a smooth transition, particularly if problems emerge. It’s a team effort, so working together is key.
Talk about how they are feeling
It is important to discuss with your child how they are feeling about being back at school. So be prepared to listen and be guided by your child’s responses.
Avoid shutting them down if they are feeling unsettled, nervous or scared and validate their emotions and work through them. This is especially important with the added complexity of the pandemic. Ensure you offer problem solving advice about what they can control, such as washing their hands regularly, or wearing a mask if this is a school requirement. Provide some time after school for your kids to talk with you about their day. This also provides an opportunity for them to decompress.
Maintain a consistent routine at home
Moving from holiday mode into a more structured school mode is one of the biggest struggles for many kids. One way to reduce the impact of this transition is the maintenance of consistent routines at home over the weekends, especially in the first term.
Some specific ways include:
Using a visual ‘back to school’ schedule board or weekly planner can also assist in reminding kids what is coming up each week.
Limit after school activities in Term 1
As kids readjust to being back at school, they will probably be tired. So, limiting after school activities such as sport and music, at least in the first term, helps them maintain a sense of balance.
Avoid overloading the weekends with activities so they can really use that time to relax and prepare for the week ahead.
In closing
It is normal for every child to settle back into school differently. Some kids will be excited, and some may feel unmotivated or even anxious.
As parents, there is a variety of ways you can support your child as they transition back into the school routine. A critical first step is to work with your child and their teachers as a team and to keep those lines of communication open. This will also be beneficial throughout the school year as well, especially if any issues arise.
Year Level Information Evenings
A reminder that each Year level will be holding an information session online next week at 6:00pm. A link to the meeting will be sent out to families prior to the session.
Monday 14th February – Prep
Tuesday 15th February – Year 1/2
Wednesday 16th February – Year 3/4
Thursday 17th February – Year 5/6
Parent Teacher Interviews – Years 1-6
Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Tuesday 22nd and Thursday 24th February for parents/carers of students in Years 1-6. Booking for a 10 minute appointment time are now open in Compass. All interviews will be held online via Google Meet.
Bonbeach Farmers’ Market
The Farmers’ Market not only helps establish a connection to the wider community, it is also an important fundraiser for the school. It has provided funds for projects around the school that we would otherwise not been able to afford.
The Spider’s Web, Ga Ga Pit, Shelter near the BER, paving around the school, the special Prep T shirts and the concrete slab for the bike shed are examples of projects funded by the Farmers’ Market. This year we are installing stage lighting for the hall to enable the school to hold productions without the need for hiring.
We cannot successfully run the market without volunteers.
We are extremely grateful to the parent volunteers on the Farmers’ Market Committee and our Market Manager, Amy, for their hard work in ensuring the market is such a success but we need more help on the gates, set up and pack up, etc. This is generally for no more than 2 hours on the Sunday morning.
It is a great way to help the school, meet more parents and, more importantly, raise money for your child’s grade level.
Each grade level takes turns being responsible for the volunteers for a market. In return, that grade level receives $500 towards excursions, equipment, resources, basically anything the level feels is needed at the time.
If you can spare some time when it is your grade level’s turn, we would love to see you there.
Lost Property
At the beginning of the year, many students often have new school clothes. A reminder to please make sure all items of clothing including hats and drink bottles are clearly named. We have lost property boxes located in the BER and Learning Centre which are checked every Friday afternoon. All named items in lost property will be returned to the student.
Yard Supervision
The yard is supervised by school staff before school from 8:45-9:00am and after school from 3:30-3:45pm. Students should not be arriving to school unsupervised by a parent/carer prior to 8:45am. Parents of students who have not been collected by 3:45pm will be contacted and the children taken to after school care.
Student Mobile Phones
In accordance with the Department’s Mobile Phones Policy, issued by the Minister for Education, personal mobile phones must not be used by students at Bonbeach Primary School during school hours, including lunchtime and recess, unless an exception has been granted.
Where a student has been granted an exception, the student must use their mobile phone for the purpose for which the exception was granted, and in a safe, ethical and responsible manner.
Mobile phones owned by students are considered valuable items and are brought to school at the owner’s (student’s or parent/carer’s) risk. Students are encouraged not to bring a mobile phone to school unless there is a compelling reason to do so.
Students who do need to bring their mobile phone to school and do not have an exception, are required to hand in their phone to the office when they arrive at school. This will be stored securely in the office for the day until it is collected by the student at the end of the day.
For more information, please see our Mobile Phones Student Use Policy and Personal Property Policy.
Kiss and Go Parking Zones
To assist with parking during drop off and pick up times, two ‘Kiss and Go’ zones are located in the parking bays around the school. One is located on Cirrus Street near the main entrance and the other on Coast Banksia Drive near the Junior Playground. We ask all families to please observe the Kiss & Go zone rules to ensure safe and efficient student drop off. If you need to walk your child in or be in the grounds to pick them up, please do not park in the Kiss& Go zone.
Kiss & Go Rules:
Helping kids settle back into school
by Shona Hendley
The start of the new school year brings a variety of challenges – from teacher and class changes, through to the transition from holiday mode back into the routine of school. This can make settling back into school difficult for some children and young people, especially after the extended summer break.
Naturally, as a parent you want to help your child settle back into school as seamlessly as possible, but it can often be hard to know where to start. So, we’ve asked the experts- primary and secondary school teachers – for their top tips.
Get kids involved in the organisation process
Being organised for school isn’t a parent-only activity. Involve your kids as fully as practical in the process. By doing this, you will be encouraging them to take responsibility for and ownership of their schooling, not to mention reducing your workload.
Specific tasks include:
Use positive language
It’s critical to use positive language when discussing school because children who hear their parents discuss education in a negative way typically model that behaviour. This is especially important in the first few weeks back. Sharing your own positive school memories is an authentic and relatable way to do this.
Add a personal touch
If your child is struggling being away from you, consider giving them a bit of you to take with them can help the transition. Whether it’s a personal item of yours that they carry with them, or even a positive note that you leave in their lunchbox, a personal touch is a helpful way for your child to stay connected with you throughout the school day. It’s a great reminder that it will be okay.
Trust and communicate with your child’s teacher
Trust your child’s teachers as they have their best interest at heart and know children well! Couple this trust with regular communication, which is particularly helpful at the start of the year when back to school worries are identified and addressed. Continue this communication throughout the years, especially if any issues or concerns arise.
It may be beneficial to arrange a meeting between you, the previous teacher and the current teacher to enable a smooth transition, particularly if problems emerge. It’s a team effort, so working together is key.
Talk about how they are feeling
It is important to discuss with your child how they are feeling about being back at school. So be prepared to listen and be guided by your child’s responses.
Avoid shutting them down if they are feeling unsettled, nervous or scared and validate their emotions and work through them. This is especially important with the added complexity of the pandemic. Ensure you offer problem solving advice about what they can control, such as washing their hands regularly, or wearing a mask if this is a school requirement. Provide some time after school for your kids to talk with you about their day. This also provides an opportunity for them to decompress.
Maintain a consistent routine at home
Moving from holiday mode into a more structured school mode is one of the biggest struggles for many kids. One way to reduce the impact of this transition is the maintenance of consistent routines at home over the weekends, especially in the first term.
Some specific ways include:
Using a visual ‘back to school’ schedule board or weekly planner can also assist in reminding kids what is coming up each week.
Limit after school activities in Term 1
As kids readjust to being back at school, they will probably be tired. So, limiting after school activities such as sport and music, at least in the first term, helps them maintain a sense of balance.
Avoid overloading the weekends with activities so they can really use that time to relax and prepare for the week ahead.
In closing
It is normal for every child to settle back into school differently. Some kids will be excited, and some may feel unmotivated or even anxious.
As parents, there is a variety of ways you can support your child as they transition back into the school routine. A critical first step is to work with your child and their teachers as a team and to keep those lines of communication open. This will also be beneficial throughout the school year as well, especially if any issues arise.
regards
Ken & Lisa
How long have you worked at Bonbeach?
I have worked at Bonbeach PS as the PE teacher for 6 and a half years!
What is your role at the school?
I am the Physical Education teacher.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Seeing the progression students make from Prep, when they are just learning the basic fundamental motor skills to all the way into grade 6 when their knowledge of different sport skills, rules and game play comes to fruition.
What book / tv series / podcasts are you right into at the moment?
Book: I have a few that I’ve started but none that I am close to finishing. One I recently finished was 28 by Brandon Jack.
TV series: I’m currently watching The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+, if you’re a Star Wars fan I highly recommended checking it out.
Podcast: I enjoy listening to a lot of sport ones like The Howie games or Dyl and Friends.
What is your favourite sport to watch or play?
No surprises here but I love footy! A tragic Collingwood supporter all my life, my favourite player to ever watch was Nathan Buckley. I still (try to) play footy at Skye Football Club as a playing coach.
Do you have any pets?
I have a Kelpie dog called Murphy. He is almost 2 and loves going for walks and playing fetch with a ball.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If I could only eat one meal for the rest of my life it would have to be Garlic Chicken Kiev with hot chips and salad.
Do you collect anything?
I collect vinyl records. I love music and use to buy and collect CD’s growing up, but a few years ago I bought a second hand vinyl player and my obsession started. I reckon I’d have close to 100 vinyls now and I have everything from David Bowie to Amy Winehouse to Queen.
How long have you worked at Bonbeach?
I have worked at Bonbeach Primary School since 2018.
What is your role at the school?
I am a grade 5/6 classroom teacher, Health and Safety Representative and the AEU Sub Branch President.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is interacting with the students each day and seeing them smile, laugh and enjoy their days at school. When they remark that the day has gone so quickly, I have a smile on my face!
What is your ideal way to unwind and relax?
I love to go on bushwalks with my wife Gurpal or play guitar.
When you were little what did you aspire to be?
When I was younger, I wanted to own my own Milk Bar and sell all sorts of goodies.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If I could eat one meal for the rest of my life it would be Chicken Schnitzel, Creamed Spinach and Mashed Potatoes.
What’s your favourite holiday destination?
My favourite holiday destination is Barra Da Lagoa in Southern Brazil – very, very tranquil.
Do you collect anything?
Yes, I collect Percussion instruments and guitars.
How long have you worked at Bonbeach?
I have been at Bonbeach for nearly 3 years now.
What is your role at the school?
This year I am in Year 5/6 doing Education Support and Literacy Support.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I loved PE - athletics carnivals were my favourite and I loved the fun of house teams/colours.
What skill would you like to master?
One day I would love to learn to play the guitar, even just a song or 2 :)
What is your favourite food?
If i was to choose a cuisine for going out for dinner I would choose Thai.
But, I LOVE chocolate and chai lattes!!!!!!!
Do you have any pets?
I have a crazy dog fun dog named ‘Olly’.
He loves walks on the river and snuggles with the kids on the couch.
If you could choose to be anything for a day, what would it be?
Definitely a dolphin swimming free in the ocean!
What’s your favourite holiday destination?
I love Summer so anywhere warm and sunny!
Fiji has been my favourite family holiday and I love staying at SeaWorld with the kids.
How long have you worked at Bonbeach?
This my first year teaching at Bonbeach Primary.
What is your role at the school?
I am teaching the beautiful Prep JC with the lovely Ms Jennings.
What is your ideal way to unwind and relax?
I enjoy spending time and planning caravan weekends away with my family, walking the dog, catching up with friends and watching Netflix!
What is your favourite sport to watch or play?
I love playing netball and watching my son play basketball.
When you were little, what did you aspire to be?
When I was young, I wanted to be a vet because I love animals.
Do you have any pets?
I have a 9-year-old cavoodle named Eddie.
Whole School
Bus costs for 2022
As per the last couple of years, the school will again be charging a fee of $5-$10 per student to travel to most school sport events. This includes Inter-school Sport away games, Lightning Premierships and House/District events off school grounds, such as Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics. This will need to be paid via Compass before the consent date (swimming lessons bus cost will be included in the total price of the program).
Swimming
Term One: Swimming trials for the District Swimming Sports are being held next week on Thursday 17th February (week 3) for grades 3-6. This is NOT COMPULSORY and only students who can confidently and competitively swim 50m should attend. I have spoken to a few students who have already obtained consent and payment, but didn’t know they were going. Please only pay and consent after talking to your child about trying out.
District swimming sports will be held at the Pines Aquatic Centre on Friday 4th March (week 5), for selected grade 3-6 students. Once trials have been completed, students who are successful will be notified ASAP, with a Compass notice to follow.
House Cross Country
The School House Cross Country will be taking place at the end of this term. The day takes place at school with the Prep to Year 2’s running a smaller course within the school grounds. They will run in their classes and then have the opportunity to watch the grade 3-6s run, and cheer on their house.
The grade 3-6’s will run a longer course around the perimeter of the school (u9/10 to do 3 laps, u11 and u12/13 to do 4 laps).
Teachers and parent helpers will be spread out around the perimeter to guide students. This also doubles as try-outs for the district cross-country team. Students will be selected on times, not top 10.
All students on the day are encouraged to come dressed up in their house colours. Reminders and alerts will be on Compass and Facebook leading up to the day. Closer to the date, we will be putting out a notice requesting parent volunteers to assist with supporting students around the perimeter of the course.
Grade 5/6
18th Feb: Away v Cornish Primary School
25th Feb: Home v Chelsea Primary School
4th Mar: District Swimming Sports (Pines Aquatic Centre)
11th Mar: Home v Seaford Primary School
18th Mar: Away v Cornish Primary School
25th Mar: Summer Lightning Premiership (Springers Leisure centre)
Grade 3/4
Grade 1/2
Prep
Mr Mac.
Physical Education Teacher.
corey.mccormack@education.vic.gov.au
We are looking forward to our first Farmers Market for the year this Sunday. If you have a spare hour or two it would be great if you could assist on the day as we are still a few volunteers short. By volunteering your time you not only have a great opportunity to meet some new school families you also help with the success of our school farmers market which generates significant funding for additional resources for our school.
We are looking for a few mor volunteers for the 10:15am-12:30pm gate shift and pack up shift from 12:15-1:30pm. If you are available to help out, please fill in the Google form - https://forms.gle/wncwcW8sNbifXVot9
With Valentine’s Day this coming Monday it’s the perfect opportunity to buy that special someone a beautiful bunch of flowers, some sparkling bubbles or a sweet treat.
The Aspendale Scouts will be running the Egg and Bacon stall and Jasz this month’s busker will be playing some acoustic guitar. So grab a coffee, cold drink and some nibbles from one of over 50 stalls, don’t forget to bring your picnic rug for a relaxing morning.
Looking forward to seeing many school families this Sunday, between 8.30am and 12.30pm. $2 gold coin per adult (no card facilities on the gate), children free.
Farmers Market Committee
Hello! I thought I might introduce myself and my role here at Bonbeach Primary School. My name is Bethea Fregon and I have taken on the new role of Inclusion Coordinator. My role is part of the new reforms to inclusive education introduced by the Department of Education and Training.
This year our school will begin introducing some changes to help us strengthen support for students with disability and additional learning needs. One of these changes is the introduction of my role, Inclusion Coordinator, to oversee and support our school to better understand what our students need to help them learn and participate at school. I will be working closely with teachers and education support staff to identify the diverse learning needs within our school and determine how we can continue to improve accessibility for our students so that everyone can participate in school on the same basis as their peers.
Part of the changes include a new tiered funding model known as Disability Inclusion to strengthen support for students with disability, which will be rolled out state-wide over the next 5 years. Bonbeach Primary School is one of the schools involved in the first roll out of this model which began this year. We will use new school funding to provide more training and professional development for our teachers and school staff and for resources to support learning. The new model also involves the Disability Inclusion Profile which we will use to help us identify the strengths, needs, and educational adjustments we can make to assist students with disability and additional learning needs. It will replace the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) application process. Over the coming years, we will invite families of students who are currently part of the PSD, and other students with disability and additional learning needs, to participate in a meeting to complete a Disability Inclusion Profile.
I am excited to take on the role of Inclusion Coordinator. Since starting At Bonbeach in 2012, I have taught almost every year level and more recently Visual Arts. I have a background in Occupational Therapy and am currently completing my Master of Inclusion and Diversity. It feels like the right fit for me. Bonbeach Primary School is a wonderfully caring community with excellent teachers and Education Support staff who work tirelessly each day to support their students and cater for the diverse learning needs within their classes. This new approach to inclusive education will help our school to do even more to support students with disability and additional learning needs.
If you have any questions about your child’s learning or the new approach to inclusive education you can contact me at school on 9772 3471 Monday to Wednesday or via email at Bethea.fregon@education.vic.gov.au.