1. education
2. school

TERM 2– Week 1
April 16 2015
What’s Coming Up?
2015
Apr
Mon 20
Dear Parents, Students and Friends
Pre Service Teachers VU &
RMIT
Quantum excursions for whole
school commence.
Student Attitudes to School
surveys-Senior Students this
week
Tues 21
7.15pm SCHOOL COUNCIL
AGM
Wed 22
OPEN DAY 9.30-11.30
2016 Prep Information Night
7pm -8pm
Fri 24
ANZAC Service – Mont RSL
Year 6 students attending
May
Sat 23
From the Principal’s Desk
Change of scenery
Some of you will have noticed a few changes around here since the end of last
term. A number of projects were undertaken and completed. I thought you
may be interested if I detailed all of them for the newsletter.
TV Newsroom
Chris Cameron worked hard during the holiday break, to convert the old
Reading Recovery room into a TV news studio. It looks magnificent and
already it is being utilised. Chris and a number of our students are making a
video for our Prep Information night next Wednesday, 22 April. And we hope
to hold a weekly news report that will be broadcast to all classrooms on a
Monday afternoon.
School Working Bee
Wed 27 Pie Drive - final orders
Jun
Tues 2
Tues 9
Pie Drive – orders delivered
Curriculum Day
First Aid and Anaphylaxis
Update
Wed 24
Our Place in the World Expo
Fri 26
Term 2 finishes 2.30pm
Jul
Mon 13 Term 3 commences 9.00am
Wed 29 Parent-Student Reporting
conferences
May
Sat 23
School Working Bee
Sep
Fri 18
Term 3 finishes
Oct
Mon 5
Term 4 commences 9.00am
Nov
Mon 2
Report Writing Day
Dec
Thur 17 Last day of school year for
students
Fri 18
2016 Planning Day for Staff
Year 6 Portables
We are now officially in the portables and I am so thrilled with the quality of
the new buildings. I have included photos of Neil’s room but we are thrilled
with the space, the storage capacity, the environmental aspects and just being
able to have space to spread out again.
Birthdays
Line Marking
We have had various game designs and courts painted around the school.
Unfortunately, the marking at the front of the school, could not be completed as
the area has lots of dried mud and prevents the line paint from drying directly onto
the concrete. Steve, our cleaner is going to do some maintenance work for us and
pressure hose the area clean over the weekend, so that Gary from Brighter Lines
can come back and complete the job.
April 14- 23
14
Zahli Jimeno
15
Maddison Wright
Celine Rodwell
Lachlan Brown
18
Matthew Bridgeman
Ava McDonald
Kallen Walsh
19
Abbey Kostiw
20
James Thorn
Abi Crawford
Tiah Mercuri
Orson McLeay-Silk
22
Tim Macintosh
Liam O’Hehir
23
Madeline Carter
Interactive Devices
Eleven Displays’s have arrived and are distributed throughout classrooms. Every
classroom now has either an interactive whiteboard or a Display and with the
specialists they have access to one if needed. This has been a major budget item
this year along with the air conditioning units in the gym. We have leased the
Displays from the company whom we leased the iPads from initially. The children
have been thrilled to come back to school and see the Displays and many teachers
have started using them daily as a resource for their lessons. The level of
engagement has been quite impressive. Ask your child.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Best Birthday Wishes to
all of the above
students
Hall Air Conditioning
The installation of the air conditioners for the hall and Performing Arts area
has been completed by Air Fusion from Eltham. They were most professional
in their approach to the school and the way they have liaised with the school
and School Council. I can highly recommend them and assembly this week
was a much ‘cooler’ affair.
New Smoking Laws-Please don’t smoke here
From 13 April 2015, smoking will be banned at more areas in the community.
Under the Tobacco Act 1987 smoking will be banned:
• On the grounds of, and within four metres of an entrance to, all childcare centres, kindergartens and primary and secondary
schools;
• Within four metres of an entrance to public hospitals and registered community health centres;
• Within four metres of an entrance to certain Victorian Government buildings;
• Within four metres of an entrance to children’s indoor play centres.
The intention of the new ban is to stop people from smoking in outdoor public areas to protect everyone from the dangers of
second-hand smoke.
Banyule City Council is encouraging the community to be aware of the new bans (Victoria wide) and respect the right of
everyone to enjoy fresh air, by not smoking at these areas.
For further information
www.health.vic.gov.au/tobaccoreforms
www.banyule.vic.gov.au
We are really looking forward to having a wonderful relaxing break, starting Friday, as this week has been long with numerous
late nights for the staff. Many of you will be up and around the school over the holidays which we love as it helps keep our
school safe. If you are coming to the school grounds, I am just letting you know that there will be a certain amount of activity
happening.
Externally, we will be having our playground court lines re-marked and some new games (eg Snakes and Ladders) painted on.
Internally, the entrance to the school will also be painted as it is looking very drab and dreary and hasn’t been painted since
2000. And the air conditioner for the gym will be installed. Equipment wise, we will be purchasing the rest of the LFD’s (Large
Format Display) which we are using instead of interactive whiteboards.
Finally, CAMP Australia will be running their Holiday program in the gymnasium; so lots of movement and lots of people.
Ensemble Band and Violin
Gareth Voight has agreed to run the ensemble band as well as assist Tim Veldman in teaching strings.
He will be timetabled into the school on a Monday afternoon and he will commence next Monday 20
April.
If you are interested in either of these two activities for your child please contact us in the office.
Update on Liam Hall
We are over the moon with the progress from Liam over the recent weeks. Despite some theories
floating about Liam’s likely progress, he has continued to improve beyond expectations. He is
speaking and has taken some steps and loves having his mates visit him. He is still very much our
cheeky Liam and has that twinkle in his eye.
Easter Raffle Winners
Congratulations to the following Easter raffle winners. Again, thank you to our
Parents and Friends group and to all families who participated through
donations and the buying of tickets.
1st Jan Bishop
3rd Poynter family
5th Max De Petro
7th Lara Zefkic
9th Luca Maddison-Grey
11th Lucy Ward
13th Jade Pirie
15th Charlotte Watts
17th Angus Friend
19th Zack Khan
2nd
4th
6th
8th
10th
12th
14th
16th
18th
20th
Kate Hamilton
Ryker Salisbury
Bree Johnstone
Beverley
Chris Simpson
River Stojanovski-Simeon
Judith Walsh
Felix Winfield
Xavier Phillips
Oscar Henningsen
Easter Parade Winners
Most Creative
PC – Chanel
PC – Marlee
PG – Lee
PH – Zeke
PM – Genevieve
1H – Matilda
1J – Will
1M – Oscar
1W – Lachlan
2C- Alexander
2J – Karen
2R – Willow
2W - Spencer
Best Design
PC – Leah
PC – Jack
PG – Lenni
PH – Matthew
PM – Gabriel
1H – Otis
1J – Jayden
1M – Asher
1W – Audrey
2C- Will
2J – Sara
2R – Jessica
2W - Jensen
Most Colourful
PC – Eloise
PC – Amelia
PG – Sophie
PH – Zoe
PM – Emma
1H – Elijah
1J – Nikhita
1M – Sam
1W – Imogen
2C- James
2J – Angus
2R – Lilly
2W - Maya
Welcome Back and Goodbye
We are thrilled to have Austin and Darcy Chapman back from Bicheno in Tasmania. Whilst I am sure that it must be hard for
them to leave such a beautiful environment we are thrilled they are back as part of our school community.
And we say goodbye to Jensen Spencer who will be leaving us on Friday. We wish him, Naomi, Mark and Cole all the best for
the future.
Reminder: Annual General Meeting of School Council April 21
ALL parents of our school community are invited to the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday April 21 at 7:15 pm.
This is where the Annual Report will be shared with parents. The evening will consist of the presentation of our Annual Report
where our student achievement data, opinion data, attendance data as well as the School Council committee reports. This is a
celebration of how well we are achieving and how our hard working School Council committee contributions support the
students at MSPS. Please come along for an hour and support the School Councillors who contribute so much for our school
community.
AGM – 7:15 pm in School Library – Tuesday April 21
MSPS Achievers
Congratulations to Ashwin Siva who gained his Yellow Level in gymnastics at the Jets Gym. Ashwin
had to perform a series of tasks to gain the award which he did most successfully. Well done Ashwin!
Well done to Savannah Risstrom who completed her 4th and final Jelly Belies Triathlon recently. As she
explained at assembly, she had to swim, run and bike ride, so it isn’t a bad effort at all for a Year 3 student.
Great work Savvy.
Also, a very big thank you to Indy Newey, Alexis McIntosh, Cailey Noons and Ella Skerritt for the confident
manner with which they led the school in singing the National Anthem at assembly on Wednesday.
Have a great weekend
Leanne Sheean
Principal
PARENTS AND FRIENDS –
BRICK PAVER FUNDRAISER
Have you forgotten to order your paver?
Don’t panic – the Parents and Friends Group are still
accepting orders.
The pavers are not only a great way to acknowledge your presence at the
school but they will make our boat area look absolutely FANTASTIC.
Great Victorian Bike Ride
.
Getting to Know Our Prep Team
Amanda McDonald
I have been teaching at Monty South since 2003, making this my 13th year of teaching.
Currently I am teaching Prep and have the role of being the Prep Unit Leader. I live locally in
Eltham and enjoy going overseas for holidays, shopping with my friends (my favourite shop is
Mojo in Eltham) and spending time with my three beautiful nephews. I love teaching Prep, as
the year is full of so many amazing moments. I love it when the children realise that they can
read and write and the world of opportunities that open up for them.
Hi,
My name is Tegan Caldwell and this is my third year at Montmorency South Primary School. I
have been lucky enough to spend my time so far in the Foundation level, which I have loved! I
grew up locally in Eltham and attended Glen Katherine Primary School. Outside of work, I play
social beach volleyball and enjoy spending as much time as possible at the beach. I enjoy
traveling and have been on a number of overseas adventures, including a trip to Mexico and
the USA last year. I have a dog, Charlie, who unfortunately lives with my parents as I’m not
allowed pets in my apartment! When I’m rich and famous, and can afford a house, she will be
able to come and live with me!
My name is Amy Duckworth and this will be my 5th year teaching at Monty South.
When not at school, I enjoy being active and travelling to new and exciting places. My
favourite country so far would be Spain. It's colour, culture and energetic atmosphere
amazed me and I cannot wait to see more in the future!
I am an AFL lover and a proud Carlton supporter- GO BLUES!! I enjoy spending time at the
beach and making use of our family's boat and water skiing when it's not too choppy! I am a
member of the Dromana Bay Lifesaving Club where I began as a nipper in my primary school
years and competed in beach competitions all over the bay.
This year my goal is to learn sign language and convince my housemates that having a puppy in our house is a good
idea!
My Name is Keera Glass and this is my second year teaching prep at Monty South. I have come
from a childcare and kinder background and am really enjoying teaching prep!
I have a beautiful Chihuahua cross called Casper, who I adore! I also love horses and go horse
riding regularly. I enjoy being creative, drawing, doing crafts, playing team sports, being active,
the outdoors and going camping. I love travelling and my favourite destination so far have been
Portugal and New York.
My goals this year are to go to South America over Christmas holidays, to learn how to run 10
kilometres and to teach Casper new tricks.
Emma Hooper
Hi,
I was born and raised in New South Wales (hence no AFL team) and grew up in the small coastal
town of Lennox Head. I moved to Melbourne in 2009 where I attended Deakin University and
graduated in 2012. I was lucky enough to be offered a position at Monty South for the following
year. I spent two wonderful years in grade 3 and am now enjoying my new teaching journey in
prep. I got engaged to my partner Ben last year and I am in the process of planning our wedding,
which will be held next year. I love the beach, the snow, travelling and my little dog Mikey.
Student of the Week
Taylon Pham 1M
For being a kind friend and helpful class member
Alice Ryan
3R
For her improved focus in class and working very hard!
Jake Boyne 3R
For being an extremely motivated student and working hard on all class tasks.
April Hammond PH For her consistent hard work & dedication to all classroom tasks. Well done April.
Matthew Walsh PH For his fantastic start to term 2. Keep up the great work.
Mitchell Green 3J
For the fantastic work he did in the garden with the hammer.
Jasmine Donnini 6C For being a kind and caring classmate.
Oskar Man PG
For being a kind and thoughtful class member.
Amy Thomson PG
For sounding out tricky words when writing.
Leah Mathews PC
For being a wonderful friend to everyone in the grade and the prep cohort.
River Stojanovski-Simeon PC For listening attentively and contributing his great ideas with the grade.
Cooper Rae 3L
For his persistence when completing math tasks
Duncan and Jade collect the
weekly Sports Award for Strix.
Parent Helpers Training
Amy Duckworth and Monique Rankin will be running the Parent Helpers’ course on Tuesday 28th April
There will be one session in the afternoon and this will be repeated in the evening.
• Session 1 - 12.30-1:00
• Session 2 - 6-6.30
These sessions will be held in Room 9 (Amy’s classroom).
A note will be coming out next week.
YEAR 4 Classroom Clippings
Welcome back to term 2!
This week the Year 4s have been back and watching the My Place series again. We have also started
focusing on ANZAC Day and what it means. We have discussed the importance of this day and the
significant events that took place. We would like to invite all families to join us at the Eltham Dawn
Service on Saturday 25th April. This event will be held at 6am at Eltham’s War Memorial Hall. It would be
great to see lots of Montmorency South students, dressed in their school uniform, on the day.
We have also started a new science investigation about Minibeasts. We have to complete a number of
activities, using our iPads and a special wiki, to learn about minibeasts, their habitat and how people
endanger their environment.
P&F TERM 2 UPDATE
Welcome back to school for the start of Term 2! We hope everyone had an enjoyable break and received a visit
from the Easter Bunny. Thanks again to all Parents, Friends, Teachers, Staff and Students of Monty South for
your support of our Easter Raffle, Hot Cross Bun Drive, Icy Poles and Pavers Fundraiser in Term 1. So far this year
we have raised over $5,000.
Term 2 promises to be an exciting term with the following events coming up:
Second Hand Uniform Sale – Wednesday 29th April & Friday 1st May
We will be holding a second hand uniform sale on Wednesday 29th April & Friday 1st May in the foyer of the
gym. Further details will be sent next week however, in the meantime, please sort through any uniform items
you may wish to donate. Donations of clean, good quality clothing will be accepted from Friday 17th April –
please place donations in the box near the office. We will have a quantity of brand new items for sale at reduced
prices also. All monies raised will go directly back to MSPS.
Mother’s Day Stall – Tuesday 5th May
Our annual Mother’s Day stall will be held on Tuesday 5th May after lunch. Further information will be sent
home shortly and there will be display of items for sale near the office – don’t forget to have a look and get your
wish list sorted!
Pie Drive – Tuesday 2nd June
A returning favourite! The Pie Drive will be held on Tuesday 2nd June. This is always a great initiative. Pies
(savoury and sweet) can be purchased and will be delivered to school – they can be easily frozen for quick meals
once the cooler weather arrives.
Pavers Fundraiser
This fundraiser will be continuing this term. We need 200 pavers to be sold to enable us to pave addition areas
of the playground outside the BER where our boat is located. We are very close to hitting this target. If you have
not already done so, please purchase a paver ASAP – forms are available from the office.
Entertainment Books
Entertainment Books are now available for purchase – please see the advertisement in the newsletter for
details. This can also be purchased online which is proving to be very convenient and you can start taking
advantage of offers straight away.
School Banking
School banking continues each Wednesday. If you would like to set up an account for your child/ren, please
contact me at nicci.green75@gmail.com
P&F Committee Meetings
Our meetings will be held on Wednesday 20th May & Wednesday 17th June – all are welcome to attend!
Meetings are held in the Staffroom and commence at 7.30pm.
As always, thanks to our P&F Committee for their enthusiasm and assistance with our events. If you would like
to be involved or lend a hand at any of these events, please contact me at nicci.green75@gmail.com
Please also check our noticeboard for news and events – its located next to Milky South (our painted cow!) near
the office.
Nicci Green
President – 2015 P&F Committee
.
Park use and physical activity
Attention All Families - Deakin University Study (REVAMP)
Deakin University is conducting an important study to examine park use and physical activity. As part of
this study we are interested in your views about your local neighbourhood and your use of local parks.
In the next week you will be sent home a survey. We would like to invite the adult with the next birthday
to complete the survey. We would also like you to answer some questions for your child aged 2–15 years
with the next birthday.
We would like you to complete the survey even if you or your child do not currently visit parks or are not
highly active. You will still provide us with valuable information about your neighbourhood. All families
who complete the survey and return it to us using the reply paid envelope will go into a draw to win a
$500.00 voucher.
We greatly value your input to this important study.
For further information please contact Dr Jenny Veitch: revamp@deakin.edu.au
In 2015, every Premier’s Active April participant will receive:
• 10 free YMCA passes
• 15% off at Sportsmart in store and online
• one hour free tennis court hire at Melbourne Park or Albert Reserve
• a 2 for 1 ticket offer to SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
• a chance to win some great prizes including our major registration prizes of four tickets to the 2015
Toyota AFL Grand Final (GFAFL15/12), a $1,500 bike voucher or a GoPro camera
• a chance for your school to win sporting equipment and visits from high-profile sporting personalities
• weekly email tips on being active and healthy eating
For more information on joining the Premier’s Active April please visit
https://www.activeapril.vic.gov.au/.
ELTHAM WILDCATS
WINTER SEASON 2015
ENROLMENTS FOR ELTHAM WILDCATS DUE NOW
Enrolments for the winter season for the Eltham Wildcats Basketball Club are now due - age groups this
season for primary school aged children are U9 (born 2006 and later), U11 (2004, 2005) and U13 (2002,
2003).
If you are interested, please register ASAP as we are currently putting teams together. The season starts
the first Saturday of Term 2 and runs right through Terms 2 and 3.
To enrol, go to www.elthamwildcats.net.au and click on the link for Saturday Junior Winter Season
Registration on the right hand side of the main page.
For inquiries, email admin@elthamwildcats.net.au or call 9439 5686