1. education
2. school

YARRALUMLA PRIMARY SCHOOL
24 Loftus Street, Yarralumla ACT 2600
Phone: 6142 3250 Fax: 6142 3265
Email: info@yarralumlaps.act.edu.au
Website: www.yarralumlaps.act.edu.au
"Certamen Praeter Palman" - "The endeavour is more important than the prize."
NEWSLETTER NO. 5 5 MARCH 2015
NOTES HOME THIS WEEK
School Photo Envelopes
PARENTS’ CHECKLIST
(Reminder of things to DO)
*Please pay your child’s
S.E.P. (Student Educational
Pack) for this year.
* raffle tickets and money
due 16/3/15.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Monday 9 March
Friday 13 March
Wednesday 16 March
Sunday 22 March
Wed 25 – Fri 27 March
Friday 3 April
Monday 6 April
Wednesday 8 April
Friday 10 April
Tuesday 28 April
Canberra Day
Assembly hosted by Year 2/3 2.10pm
Parent Reading Information Night
P&C School Fete 11am-3pm
Camp at Coastlife – Year 5/6
Good Friday
Easter Monday
World of Maths at school
Last Day of Term 1
First Day of Term 2
TOMORROW IS A UNIFORM FREE DAY TO FUNDRAISE FOR THE FETE – BYO GOLD COIN OR CHOCOLATE BAR
DONATION FOR THE CHOCOLATE TRAILER STALL!
P&C SCHOOL FETE – SUNDAY 22 March Please don’t forget to put your name on the roster for your child’s
class stall. It is posted in the Piazza foyer or you can email Renée Shuttleworth –rshuttle@nla.gov.au
Cari genitori,
What a great day was had by all who participated in the Water Fun Day last Thursday at CISAC. The positive
feedback about the day was testament to the organisational skills and hard work of our coordinator, maestra
Katherine Fielding and her team - maestro Dave Matthews and maestra Cheryl Couch. The day ran like
clockwork thanks also to the the commitment by our talented 100m swimmers to do their big races early in
the morning before the arrival of the rest of the school, the 25 metre races being conducted before the 50m
races and the excellent activities organised for our Junior school students. Of course such an event cannot run
smoothly without our volunteer parents who were everywhere on the day whether as junior class rotation
helpers, timekeepers, judges, scorers and ribbon writers. Huge bouquets to them all!
Instrumental Music Program
It was terrific to see so many families at school early on Tuesday morning for the Instrumental Music Program
Information Session. The advantage of the growth in our enrolments is that we are now eligible to have two
IMP bands - a Year 4 Fife and Drum Band and this year a combined Years 5 and 6 Woodwind Band. These will
morph next year into a Year 5 Woodwind Band and a Year 6 Woodwind Band. The session was hosted by the
IMP teacher allocated to our school – Ms Jane Rayner and maestra Sarah Veitch who is our band coordinator
/conductor and also a graduate of the IMP program having played clarinet and tenor saxaphone in her primary
and high school years. Both teachers bring a wealth of musical experience to their roles including their own
expertise with woodwind instruments and in Sarah’s case, also as a member of the 2000 Olympics Marching
Band.
SCHOOL BOARD
Deb Hicks (Board Chair)
Phone: 0412 237 519
Email: debhicks@deloitte.com.au
P&C
PRINCIPAL
Lea Chapuis (Principal)
Phone: 6142 3250
Email: lea.chapuis@ed.act.edu.au
Our Year 5 students’ mouths and fingers are now being assessed for their suitability for particular instruments
and within a fortnight will be able to take their instruments home and start practising! Fife and drum band
members already have their instruments. We are really looking forward to seeing both bands perform at
assemblies and school functions as the year progresses. No pressure of course!
For your information, Band tuition times are as follows:
Fife and Drum: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11.50 – 12.35 with a Tuesday lunch time rehearsal
Woodwind: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12.35 – 1.20pm with a Thursday lunch rehearsal.
Teacher Professional Learning
Today our school hosted two educational associations’ professional learning events for other ACT schools. The
first was an all day workshop conducted by PETAA – the Primary English Teachers’ Association Australia on
strategies to enhance inferential and interpretive comprehension skills, presented by Margery Hertzberg. The
second one after school was the Promethean Interactive White Board ACT Users’ Group meeting which
enabled teachers to share best practice using an IWB.
Hosting events of this nature enables a greater number of our staff to participate in cost free, quality
professional learning in the areas we have prioritised in the three priorities of our Strategic Plan – to improve
student learning outcomes in English and Italian literacy and numeracy, to build teacher capacity and to
enhance student engagement in their learning. Those staff who enrol in these courses then share their
learning with colleagues through our weekly team and PC (planning cohort) meetings and by observing one
another in action in the classroom. We are all committed to being individually and collectively responsible for
changes in practice that are required to achieve our school’s priorities.
And the results are starting to show:
Today in the Canberra Times, YARRALUMLA PRIMARY is identified by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment
and Reporting Authority (ACARA) as one of 20 ACT Schools that demonstrated above-average gain for students
in the 2014 NAPLAN numeracy results. This list is not a league table that attempts to compare schools, but far
more importantly demonstrates which schools are value adding to students’ results between Years 3 and 5.
Yarralumla PS has been identified for our significant growth in numeracy but we also had gains in our students’
reading results. A big congratulations to our Year 5 students on their achievement and particularly to their
teachers for their commitment to teaching practices that make a difference to our students’ learning.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK – what we aim to do at Yarralumla and how we try and make that difference!
‘If we are going to get better at what we do, constructive feedback and an open mindset are needed. The
easiest starting point is watching others and allowing others to watch us in the real-non staged environment of
the classroom.’ Peter Smith – AP at East Berghold HS from the UK Guardian’s Teacher Network
BOUQUETS
Students: To the hardworking house captains and vice captains, Slim – Lola Archibald and Sam Ferguson
captains, Myles Johns and Amanda Vunipola vice captains, McKell – Oliver Lockey and Olivia Castle captains,
Alec Wilson and Alice Collins vice captains, Menzies – Gaius Frezza and Isabella Buchanan captians, Daragh
Hayes and Eliza Coggan vice captains for their organisation of their house members in races and in cheer
squads at the Water Fun Day.
To Henry Lezaich for being the only student left in the stands to cheer for SLIM house when all the other year 3
to 6 students were participating in the fun activities on the slide etc.
Staff: To Maestri Fielding, Couch and Matthews for their superb organisation of the Water Fun Day.
To maestra Veitch for her organisation and liaison with IMP to facilitate two bands this year.
Parents: To all the following parents for their valuable assistance at the CISAC Water Fun Day:
Travis Hicks, Zoltan Backsai, Andy Castle, Nim Hehir, Alex and Mark Snow, Andrew Willis, Bernadette
Mihaljevic, Colette Harkin, Lanie Stephens, Raeleigh Rogers, Roberta Ruffulo, Giovanna Mazzoli, Scott Lockey,
Zyanna Fuery, Josephine Calalbria, Suzy Geelan, Helen Eastly, Suzie Piani, Melinda Jamieson, Lizzie
Christiansen, Felicity Moharam, Emilia Stanojcic, Constanza Napoli, Madeline Denham, Marina McDonald, Lex
Vaccarella, Renee Shuttleworth, Annaliese Tozzi and Daniela Origa.
Swimming anecdote from the CISAC front line:
Nervous Year 2 student waiting on a chair for her first 25 metre race ever!
‘What race is this please Signora Chapuis?’
Signora Chapuis: ‘25 metre freestyle G…….’
Student: ‘Oh!!! what’s freestyle?’
Signora Chapuis: knowing words on this occasion aren’t going to work, does a quick demo with her arms!
Student: ‘Oh, OK! I think I know that one!’
YPS students are up for anything! This student went onto to get third place in her age group!
COMMUNITY TRIP TO BERGAMO 2015
Dear families,
Please contact me if you are interested in taking part in the school Community Trip to Bergamo this year in
September/October. If you are intending to take part in the school trip, it is important that you inform me no
later than Friday 27 March. We are aiming for a maximum of 10 families per year to take part in the trip. So far
we have five families that have expressed interest so there is still time to register! Svelti, svelti!!!
Maestra Brissoni
Sharon.brissoni@ed.act.edu.au
P&C News
Non-Uniform Day – Friday 6 March
Come in non-uniform and bring a large block of
chocolate or a $2 coin donation on Friday 6
March. Your donations will support our great
Lob-a-choc stall at the YPS fete. We are after
large family size blocks of chocolate or boxes of
chocolates. Volunteers will collect your donations
at the front of the school.
This stall will help raise funds to be used in our
school. Save up your 50c pieces and at the fete
try your luck at landing a coin on a block of
chocolate at the Lob-a-Choc Stall. Even if you
miss you still get a prize.
CALLING ALL COOKS
We need volunteers to help for the school fete's
Italian Trattoria hosted by Oro Class (but you
don’t have to be an Oro parent to volunteer or
make a sauce!)
How you can help:
1) You volunteer to help us on the day
Just one hour of your time will make a huge
contribution. There is a sign up sheet at the
school or just ring Felicity Moharam.
2) You can cook up a storm
We need the following types of sauces:
- plain tomato (i.e. vegan and gluten free)
- pesto
Please put all sauces in takeaway plastic
containers that can be frozen.
Alternatively if you have a little more time
available you may wish to consider making
vegetarian lasagne or pizza that can be reheated
on the day.
Sauces can be pre-made and frozen or prepared
for the day of the fete (Sunday 22March).
3) You can donate raw ingredients
We need bottles of red and white wine, canned
tomatoes, fresh basil, herbs, pine nuts, almonds,
lemon barley cordial, apple juice, dried pasta,
plastic cutlery and serviettes
A big thank you to Rosalba, Natasha, Alex and
again to Pina also to our year 6 helpers Alice, Alec
and Alyssa for volunteering last week, we seem
to be getting busier every week! Please check the
roster to find out when your class is scheduled to
provide volunteers and email me at
This week's special is a selection of nachos, next
week is chicken nuggets. Please keep the orders
coming via Flexischools, you can order for weeks
in advance! To register or order please go
to www.flexischools.com.au
Thanks and regards
Raeleigh and Sarah
Canteen Volunteer Roster Term 1 2015
Week 5
Date
Class
Year
6-Mar
Rosa
1
Corallo
1
Scarlatto
1
Rosso
Kinder
Blu
Kinder
Verde
Kinder
Platino
6
Oro
4/5/6
Avorio
SLSU
Marino
2/3
Verdolino
2/3
JLSU
If you are able to assist with any of the above
please contact Felicity Moharam
(f_moharam@hotmail.com or Tel: 0439470775)
or sign up on the boards in the piazza.
Please label the ingredients of your sauces - and
no meat (for health reasons we aren’t allowed
to serve meat sauces that were not cooked on
site)
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Week 6
Week 7
13-Mar
20-Mar
Claire, Susie, Anna, Felicity
The Trattoria team
Canteen News
HELP! We REALLY need volunteers for
tomorrow! Year 1 Rosa, Scarlatto
and Corallo are rostered to provide help
tomorrow, please contact me asap if you are
available. Next week, Kindergarten - are rostered
to help, and have already provided 2 helpers
THANK YOU!
We do not have ANY helpers for the remainder of
the term please check the roster and email me if
you can help: canteen@ypspandc.com
The canteen can only operate with help from
volunteers.
Week 8
27-Mar
Week 9
3-Apr
Perla
Good
Friday
Week 10
10-Apr
Sausage
Sizzle
Week 6:
Week 8:
Week10 :
N/A
Everyone!
Assembly Roster
Yr 2/3
Yr 2/3+JLSU
ANZAC Assembly – Yr 1
BOOK CLUB
Book Club will be going home
today with all the children.
Please read the information sheet attached,
this will explain how to order and pay.
DUE DATE: Friday 13 March
Kindergarten
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
Four weeks are behind us, and here is our
summary expressed in numbers. Three classes of
enthusiastic students are taught by five
enthusiastic teachers.
Students are learning in two languages about
what it means to be an individual and how to
build relationships with new people and in new
settings. This big idea is covered through nine
learning areas and supports seven general
capabilities which will shape our students’ skills
to prepare them for life. You have received the
Unit overview to help you monitor how we do
this, and you can always consult the Australian
National Curriculum to see in more detail what
we expect to achieve.
We had one Nuts and Bolts night with parents. At
every assembly six students receive an award for
their outstanding achievement and behaviour.
Eight out of ten is our mark to parents so far for
bringing their child to school on time, for
preparing their child’s lunch box with healthy
food, for leaving their toys at home, for letting us
know when their child is sick, and for collecting
their child on time from school.
Ten out of ten is our mark to students for being
friendly, independent, curious and engaged.
Who would argue that being a teacher in
Foundation (Kindergarten) class is not as easy as
counting from one to ten?
For the Kindergarten Team
maestra Meri
SCHOOL PHOTOS
School Photos are on Monday 16 March .
Envelopes were given to each student this week.
Please place correct cash, cheque or credit card
(place your credit card details inside envelope) in
the sealed envelope and return to child’s class
teacher on photo day.
Family photo order forms are available from the
Front Office. A discount applies for families with
3 or more children. After purchasing individual
packs for each child a siblings presentation pack
of your choice will be free.
Only children who present a siblings presentation
order form to the photographer on photo day
will have their Family/Siblings photo taken.
CONGRATULATONS EXTRA BOUQUET THIS
WEEK
Charlie represented the ACT at the National
Super 10s tennis championships during the
second week of the 2015 Australian Open.
Four of the best 10/U players from each of the 8
states and territories competed for 5 days in both
singles and doubles. Charlie won against WA, lost
to QLD and drew against no 1 seeded players
from VIC, NT and TAS in a 50 minute timed event.
He was also lucky enough to present the Davis
Cup flag to Australian team member Lleyton
Hewitt and toss the coin for the mixed doubles
final on Rod Laver Arena between Martina
Hingis/Leander Paes and Kristina
Mladenovic/Daniel Nestor.
Community News
Italian Language School for Children
School Banking
Yarralumla Primary School offers the
Commonwealth Bank School Banking program
to all students.
The School Banking program provides children
with an opportunity to make deposits into their
personal Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver
account at school each week during school terms.
The program is about how often your child makes
deposits, not how much they deposit.
To encourage regular savings behaviour the
program offers an exciting Rewards Program.
Every deposit earns your child a Dollarmites
token, and once they’ve collected 10 tokens they
can redeem them for a reward.
The curriculum promotes the Italian Language,
Heritage and Culture through Song, dance and
other forms of art for all children from 5 to 15
years of age.
When:
Every Saturday 1.30pm to 4pm
during the ACT School Term
Venue:
Gambarri Annex
Yarralumla Primary School
Loftus St. Yarralumla
Cost:
$150 per child per term includes
workbook (sibling discounts apply).
1 free trial lesson available.
Find us on the web:
www.italianlanguageschool.org.au
Or Facebook:
www.facebook.com/ItalianLanguageSchoolCanberra
For further information
Phone: Giuliana on 0414 269 335
or email giuliana1@iprimus.com.au
Throughout the year there are ongoing
competitions for students and schools to enter,
not to mention the commission paid to the
school by the Commonwealth Bank for
participating in the program.
CREATIVE COMMUNITIES PROJECT
Please note from next week School Banking day
is Thursday.
In September last year, Majura and North Ainslie
Primary Schools established a new, creative
partnership with artists within their local
communities including writers, musicians,
dancers, visual artists, and theatre directors.
Our school Co-ordinators are Colette Harkin and
Lousie Rawlings. For any enquiries or assistance
please email colette353535@gmail.com
The Commonwealth Bank will be holding an
account opening day at 8.30am on Monday 16th
March 2015 at the School. If you are interested
in opening a Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver
account for your child please bring along your
driver’s licence or another form of photographic
identification. Alternatively, you can open an
account at any branch, by calling 13 22 21 or
online if you are an existing Commonwealth
Bank customer.
You might be able to assist with bringing more
creativity, self-expression, fulfillment, and joy to
your child and other children at our school.
This partnership resulted in bringing to those
schools new, exciting projects benefiting all
involved – the students, the artists, and the
broader community (Canberra Times article
Bringing Artists to Schools, 22 November 2014,
Panorama section)
Do you know any artists in our community, or are
you perhaps an artist yourself? If so, please let us
know, as we wish to organise a meeting with
local artists to talk about all possible creative
ideas that our school community might consider.
More detailed information about the project can
be obtained by contacting Dr Jolanta Gallagher
on 6262 8689 or jolantagallagher26@gmail.com
North Canberra
Free autism workshop for families in North
Canberra
Like all school-age students, children with autism
spectrum disorder benefit from strong, positive
relationships between the home and school.
Positive Partnerships uses evidence based
materials and practical resources to help support
these relationships by facilitating workshops for
parents and carers in your local community.
Details for the upcoming one day workshop
Dates: 18th March 2015
Venue: Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club, Cnr Gundaroo
and Gungahlin Drives, Nicholls
Cost: Free - including resources, lunch,
morning tea and refreshments
Full details and online registration at
www.positivepartnerships.com.au
The workshop is funded as part of an Australian
Government Department of Education initiative
to support school-age children with ASD across
Australia.
South Canberra)
Free autism workshop for families in South
Canberra
Like all school-age students, children with autism
spectrum disorder benefit from strong, positive
relationships between the home and school.
Positive Partnerships uses evidence based
materials and practical resources to help support
these relationships by facilitating workshops for
parents and carers in your local community.
Details for the upcoming one day workshop
Dates: 25th March 2015
Venue: Southern Cross Club, 92 – 96 Corinna
Street, Woden ACT 2606
Cost: Free - including resources, lunch,
morning tea and refreshments
Full details and online registration at
www.positivepartnerships.com.au
The workshop is funded as part of an Australian
Government Department of Education initiative
to support school-age children with ASD across
Australia.
Canberra Balloon Spectacular
The Canberra Balloon Spectacular returns for the
29th year this Saturday. More than 30 giant hot
air balloons will participate in this year’s event
including Yoda from Star Wars and an Angry Birds
balloon. Please note ballooning is weather
dependent and the decision to fly will be made at
6am daily and posted on the website, as well as
Events ACT’s on Facebook and Twitter pages.
Date: Saturday 7 March – Sunday 15 March
Time: Balloons launch from 6.15am daily
Location: Lawns of Old Parliament House
Website: www.balloonspectacular.com.au
Lights! Canberra! Action!
On Friday night a piece of Hollywood will come to
Canberra as the annual Lights! Canberra! Action!
short film festival is screened at the Senate Rose
Gardens outside Old Parliament House. Bring
your own chair or a beanbag, pack a picnic and
enjoy a fun night out with friends and family.
Date: Friday 6 March
Time: From 7pm
Location: Senate Rose Gardens, Old Parliament
House
Website: www.enlightencanberra.com
Yarralumla Primary
School P&C
Dear Parents / Guardians,
Generally, the response to the Hamilton Island Holiday Raffle has been positive, but only
25 of the total 300 books of raffle tickets have been sold and returned. We would be
grateful if you sold each raffle ticket supplied as all monies raised will assist in providing
resources for the education of our children. If you are able to sell more than one book of
tickets, you can get additional books from the front office, from
bernadette.mihaljevic@hotmail.com or 0404 061 201.
Legally we need to account for each raffle ticket issued. Please return all monies and
tickets (including unsold tickets) to the front office by Monday 16 March.
As well as the major prize of the family holiday to Hamilton Island including a $1500
Virgin Australia voucher, there is a second prize of $500 cash.
Also on offer are the following incentive prizes:
BOOK SELLER’S PRIZE
Each family/member who sells or purchases a complete book of raffle tickets will be
placed into a draw to win an iPod Shuffle 2GB.
INDIVIDUAL PRIZES
Each family/member who sells or purchases a complete book of raffle tickets will receive
a motivational support wristband.
BALI FAMILY HOLIDAY PRIZE
We are offering our family/members who sell or purchase a complete book of raffle
tickets an opportunity to win a holiday to Bali. Accommodation is at the Holiday Inn
Resort, Bali, Benoa for two (2) adults and 3 (children 0-12 years) in a Family Connection
Room including a $2,000 Virgin Australia airfare voucher and $1,000 spending money.
Please go to www.australianfundraising.com.au/online, click onto the Raffle Fundraiser
icon, and in 25 words or less tell us why fundraising is important to our school/club. A
lucky winner, based on the most creative response wins! Full T&C’s online.
Thank you for your assistance.
Bernadette Mihaljevic
P&C Treasurer
LOLLY DONTATIONS REQUIRED!!!
Dear Parents
This year the Kindergarten classes are hosting the ‘Old Fashioned Lolly Pick &
Mix' stall at the Fete on the 22nd of March 2015.
As the stall contact, I am calling on volunteers, and lolly donations!
I will need at least 2 parents on the stall at any one time, plus additional helpers
for set up and pack up. A volunteer roster has been put up on the 'Fete wall' just
near the front office.
There will be a box at the front desk for a collection of lollies. Below is a list of
lollies that we are asking to be donated as part of the ‘Pick and Mix’.
Snakes
Strawberry and Cream
Milk bottles
Jersey Caramels
Lollipops
Sherbet straws
Musk Sticks
Teeth
Banks Street, Weston Park
YARRALUMLA ACT 2600
Ph:
Fax:
(02) 6281 7373
(02) 6281 7400
Dear School Principal
This weekend (7th and 8th March) over 100 Garden Centres Australia-wide have teamed up in a massive
fund-raiser for
Beyond Blue, raising awareness and supporting people suffering from anxiety and depression.
We have planned various activities over the weekend. Participation for each event/activity requires a $2
Gold Coin
Donation (which goes directly to Beyond Blue):
-Children may pot up a Blue Pansy/Viola into a Terracotta Pot 2-4pm Saturday and Sunday
(and take home).
-“Guess how many Blue Dutch Iris Bulbs in the Glass” – Prize is a Blue Birdbath or
XL Blueberry Plant.
-Huge Blue Plant, Blue Pot and Debco Premium Potting Mix sale.
-Purchase a Blue Paper Flower to hang on our Wishing Tree. Write words of hope, or
dedicate your flower to someone who has been affected by anxiety/depression.
-Purchase a Blueberry Muffin, freshly baked by Peter at Café D’Lish, Deakin.
-Attend talk given by Canberra Urban Honey 2-4pm Saturday and Sunday.
-$2 for all Gift Wrapping.
We are hoping that you will inform your teachers of this awesome community fund-raiser, and pass it on to
children
and parents, so all can come along and have a great weekend of fun and excitement, in support of Beyond
Blue.
Yours sincerely
Bruno Zimmermann
(Proprietor)
YPS Canteen Menu Term 1, 2015
Week
Date
Item
5
6/3
Nachos
6
13/3
Chicken Nuggets
7
20/3
Pizza
8
27/3
Wedges
9
3/4
Good Friday – No Canteen
10
10/4
Sausage Sizzle
Notes
Price
Meat or vege tomato based
sauce. Grated cheese/sour
cream
5 Nuggets per serve, choice
of sweet chilli/tomato
sauces.
Hawaiian, meat lovers or
vegetarian
Choice of sour cream, sweet
chilli/tomato sauces.
$3 bowl
Standard Beef and Halal
sausages available
TBA
$3 ea
$3 large
slice
$3 bowl