THE BEACON
A Publication of Beacon Hill Primary School
Tristram Road, Beacon Hill, 2100
Tel: 02 9451 6328
Fax: 02 9975 4631
Email: [email protected] Website: www.beaconhill-p.schools.nsw.edu.au
Term 4—Week 6
Thursday 13 November 2014
DIARY DATES
NIGHT MARKETS TONIGHT 5pm—8pm Monday 17 November Year 3 Surf Awareness Book online for Kinder fi ngs. Bookings open 9am Tuesday 18 November Year 4 Surf Awareness Wednesday 19 November Year 5 Surf Awareness Thursday 20 November Year 6 Surf Awareness FROM THE RELIEVING PRINCIPAL
Remembrance Day Our Remembrance Day service on Tuesday was very special and memorable. Our sincere thanks go to Mrs Cady who coordinated the assembly, Lizzie Player and Wanita Leatherby our Year 5 students who sang “The Last Anzac” beau fully and Mr Watson who played the last post and reveille. All the students proudly wore their red poppies and were extremely respec ul during the one minute silence to acknowledge those that that may have sacrificed their lives for us. Lest we forget. Night Markets Please support our community and bring your family and friends along to our annual Beacon Hill PS Night Markets this evening from 5‐8pm. The Night Markets are a wonderful community event and fundraiser for our school, with fabulous food, gi stalls, raﬄes and ac vi es for the children. Our choirs and bands will also feature, crea ng a wonderful ambience as they per‐
form outdoors for our wider community. Thank you to the hardworking and dedicated team of volunteers led by Alison Watson for coordina ng this fundraising event. Student Leaders for 2015 As explained in last week’s Beacon, vo ng for the 2015 student leadership team took place earlier this week, with the outcome being announced today to all students. Congratula ons to the following students who have been selected as student leaders for 2015. School Captains: Tom Copping and Tamar Thompson Vice Captains: Maddison Williams, Noah Kasmar, Sophie Dary and Izaak Cerneaz Student Representa ve Council leaders: Thomas Hall, Ally Simpson, Inan Asif and Millie Brooks Dance captains: Lily Harrop and Wanita Leatherby Band captains: Terence Chernishov and Cameron No Cook house captains: Charli Owers and Josh Ha ield Phillip house captains: Chloe Chominsky and Ma hew van Brugge Warringah house captains: Ashley Morgan and Saxon Wood Mackellar house captains: Amelia Bates and Zach Vera All 22 Student Leaders will be presented at the Presenta on of Awards Ceremony in December. THE BEACON
Feedback on consulta on for school planning 2015‐2017 As part of our consulta on process with the community for school planning for 2015‐2017 we invited our parents, students and staﬀ for feedback via surveys to iden fy our school’s strengths, areas for improvement and vision for our school. Thank you to the parents who responded to the survey last term. Working par es consis ng of staﬀ and parent reps were formulated to analyse the results and iden fy the common themes. These results were presented at the recent School Council mee ng and again at the P and C mee ng. We have also included a summary in this week’s Beacon for your informa on. The common themes iden fied through these surveys as well as data gathered from NAPLAN and other external and inter‐
nal assessments will inform our strategic direc ons for 2015‐2017. More informa on about our three year plan will be communicated early in Term 1, 2015. NAPLAN The Na onal Assessment Program‐Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses the literacy and numeracy learning of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in all Australian schools. Our school’s NAPLAN results were pleasing again this year. In 2014, 86 Year 3 students and 66 Year 5 students par cipated in the Na onal Assessment Program for Literacy and Nu‐
meracy. The results across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10. The achievement scale represents increasing levels of skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments. Year 3: from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6 (highest for Year 3) Year 5: from Band 3 (lowest) to Band 8 (highest for Year 5), Year 7: from Band 4 (lowest) to Band 9 (highest for Year 7), Year 9: from Band 5 (lowest) to Band 10 (highest for Year 9). Year 3 students’ performance was a b o v e s t a t e l e v e l i n t h e t o p t w o b a n d s o f a l l a r e a s o f l i t e r a c y a n d n u m e r a c y . 64% of students achieving in the top two bands in reading which is 15% above state level, 62% of students achieving in the top two bands of wri ng which is 14% above state level. 55% of students achieving in the top two bands of spelling, 63% in the top two bands of grammar and punctua on and 50% in the top two bands of numeracy. Year 5 students’ performance was a b o v e s t a t e l e v e l i n t h e t o p t w o b a n d s o f a l l a r e a s o f l i t e r a c y a n d n u m e r a c y . 4 3 % of students achieving in the top two bands in reading which is 8% above state level, 59% achieving in the top two bands of grammar and punctua on which is 14% above state level, 47% achieving in the top two bands of spelling, 21% of students achieving in the top two bands of wri ng, and 38% in the top two bands of numeracy which is 10% above state lev‐
el. In summary, the school trend data for 2013‐2014 shows the school performed above state level in all areas. Par cular areas where the school performed well and showed a significant upward trend were iden fied in Year 3 reading and numeracy. Year 5 grammar and punctua on and reading also showed a slight upward trend. The school trend data for 2013‐2014 shows the school performance in comparison to similar school groups was on par in all areas except reading and spelling. Therefore our focus areas for further development in Literacy will be reading and spelling with a par cular emphasis on the comprehension skills of ‘reading for meaning’, ‘finding the main idea in a text’ and ‘making inferences’. As in previous years, the NAPLAN results will be reported more fully in the 2014 Annual School Report which will be dissemi‐
nated in Term 1 next year. Summer PSSA Finalists Congratula ons to the volleyball, Newcombe ball, senior boys eagle tag and tee ball teams who competed in the finals last Friday. It was a pleasure to see these teams in ac on along with the enthusiasm, coopera on and teamwork that they dis‐
played on the day. Congratula ons to the tee ball team who were crowned overall champions! The banners and trophy will be presented by our coaches at our next K‐6 assembly. Thank you to the coaches of these teams, Mrs Healy, Mr Ma hewson and Mr Browne along with Mr Norman and Mr Wat‐
son who coached the cricket and girls’ eagle tag teams for your dedica on and commitment with coaching the summer PSSA teams this year. THE BEACON
Jane Stanley Relieving Principal Student survey summary results 2014
Q1 Best things about our school




















Year 2
Ovals,
Ausplay/ adventure
playground
Art
Teachers/Principal
Year 3
Playground
Teachers
Art
Sport
Ovals
Year 4
Art
PSSA
Sport
Year 5
Ovals
Playground
Teachers
Sport
Year 6
Sport
Teachers
Ovals
Playground
Q2: One thing you could
change
Year 2




More laptops/ipads
Another Ausplay area
Science room
Tables in Year 1
seating area
Q3: What would make
BHPS best school ever?
Year 2



Year 3




Upgraded bathrooms
Upgraded Ausplay
Class set of laptops
(like lab)
More playtime
Year 4


Longer recess
More eating time
Year 5




Toilets
Another Ausplay 3-6
More technology
Longer eating time
Year 3


More sport
Longer playtime
Better toilets
Laptops for
classrooms
Better toilets
Year 4


More sport
3-6 play equipment
Year 5





Computer room
More sport
Science room
More/ clean toilets
3-6 play equipment
Year 6
Year 6



More computers/
Ipads
Science room
Shade cloth over 1-2
eating area



More sport
Improved toilets
3-6 Playground
upgrade
Staff Survey Summary 2014
75% of staff responded to the staff survey and the results are summarised below.
BHPS’ Greatest Strengths






Top 5 issues facing BHPS

Staff morale/ teamwork/
unity 42
Student engagement +
achievement 25
Happy/ well rounded
students/ student
satisfaction 23
Parent satisfaction 16
Professional learning
opportunities12
Other: Grounds, extracurricular opportunities,
playground







Staff welfare/morale
(fairness, equity etc) 21
Pedagogy
(differentiation, ,
collaborative
teaching)12
Technology (resource
management and TPL)
11
Professional
development 10
Learning support
(accessibility and
meeting students’
needs) 7
Whole school approach
and vision 6
Curriculum
implementation 6
Other: Student welfare
Top areas for improvement





TPL/ Curriculum
development 7
Learning Support/
Differentiation/
Resourcing 7
Student achievement 7
Student enjoyment/ high
expectations 7
Staff networking/ sharing
4
Influences on achieving our
goals (Q2)





Resources and money
19
Collaboration/
communication by staff
16
Time constraints 15
Teacher values and
commitment 12
Student wellbeing/
expectations/
recognition 9
School vision
School
 Staff collaboration/
collegiality and cohesion
16
 Values/ dedicated/
committed staff 6
 Positive approach 6
 Quality pedagogy 5
 Open communication 5
 Whole school approach/
shared vision 4
 Student engagement 4
Students
 Quality curriculum
delivery- in National
Literacy and Numeracy
and technology. 18
 Learning as 21st Century
Learners-technology 11
 Innovative, enquiry based,
project learning and extracurricular opportunities. 7
 Resilient- social and life
skills 5
 Values-respect and
kindness 5
When you look at your
students what do you see
as a result of their time at
BHPS




Happy 18
Confident 15
Citizenship (respect,
willingness to learn,
community, global
awareness) 12
Engaged students 6
How students learn best






Support and environment 16
Differentiation/ meeting
individual needs 13
Engagement 13
Discovery/ hands on/
practical/ fun learning 9
Teacher
planning/organisation for
student learning 5
Teacher quality 4
Parent Survey Summary 2014
Parents were invited to respond via the online survey tool, Survey Monkey. 54 responses to the parent survey were received. The response rate was 12% of the 440 families with one or more students attending the school. BHPS’ Greatest Strengths (Q2)
Top 5 issues facing BHPS (Q3)
and areas for improvement (Q5)

Dedicated and professional
teachers/ staff/ leadership 59

Community/friendly/families 52

School philosophies/ principles,
ethos 33

Attractive grounds/ open space 32





Wide range of programs/ activities
20






Increasing school size 15
Sports programs and facilities 15
Lack of government funding for facilities and
activities 7
Insufficient parent and volunteer participation 7
Communication with parents 7
Lack of opportunity to learn languages 7
Keeping up with and adapting to changes in
teaching practice and curriculum 6
Technology 6
Limited extra-curricular activities outside of
school hours 6
Food sold at the canteen 6
School vision (Q 1)
When you look at your child
what do you see as a result of
their time at BHPS(Q4)

Maintain
community/warm/friendly
feel 15

Well-rounded education
(social/
academic/interests/talents) 19

Opportunities for all to
participate in a range of
educational and extracurricular activities 10
Inclusive, nurturing
environment 8

Social confidence, skills,
friendships 18


Children receive a good
education at a school which
achieves academically and
in art and sport 7

Progressive/ leading edge
education for the 21st
Century 6

Caring/ supportive,
enthusiastic, motivated staff
6

Children are happy to be at
school and have a love of
learning 5

Self-confidence, self-esteem
and independence 15

Happy at school 14

Love coming to school 10

A love of learning and skill
development 10
Other comments/
feedback Common
threads (Q8)

Positive reaction to
recent leadership
changes within the
school.

Consultation with
community for
feedback is
appreciated

Parent community keen
to be more involved

Ensure equal
opportunities for all

Parents are happy with
Beacon Hill and see it
as a lovely, friendly,
community school
which can build upon
its current strengths

Students love coming
to school

Concerns regarding
sibling enrolment for
out of area students.
THE BEACON
FROM THE RELIEVING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
2016 Year 7 Selec ve High School Placements Applica ons for those students in Year 5 wishing to apply for selec ve high school in 2016 will be closing on Monday 17th November. An informa on booklet ‐ Informa on about applying for Year 7 entry to selec ve high schools in 2016 – is available from the schools oﬃce. Please note that all applica ons must be completed online and that there are no paper applica ons. Please go to www.schools.nsw.edu.au/shsplacement to complete your applica on. CYBER SAFETY New social networks, apps and games are popping up every week. Your children are most likely networking online, but how much do you really know about the platforms they are using and the age restrictions of each site? ‐ See more at: http://
www.cybersmart.gov.au/Parents.aspx#sthash.XOuIV4Sy.dpuf The cyber smart program provides a range of cyber safety materials for parents and their children. For more information, resources, advice and tips, visit the Cyber smart website at www.cybersmart.gov.au . Encourage your children and teens to take a look around the website. If you have young children, you may like to explore it together to help them understand how to protect themselves against online risks and make the most of their experiences online. SRC ACTS AS A TASTE TESTING PANEL FOR OUR CANTEEN On Tuesday 11th November the SRC were tasked with tas ng some new items that the canteen are looking at add to their current menu. The students’ taste‐buds were tempted with a variety of delicious morsels. They were given the chance to taste mini pizza pockets, macaroni & cheese, spaghe bolognaise and a yummy ‘magic’ chocolate cake. The vote from the students to in‐
clude these yummy items on the canteen menu was overwhelmingly a unanimous YES vote! This was a great ini a ve that the students were most happy to be involved with. Thank you to Kellie Alexandratos and Jenny Harrison for organising the tas ng extravaganza. The SRC thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Kirsty Rayner Relieving Deputy Principal ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY
Our Annual Awards Ceremony is a very special event held at the end of the school year. It is a me to congratulate all students for trying to do their best and in par cular, we acknowledge those children who have excelled in their class work, and also those who have represented our school with pride and dis nc on. We congratulate our Gradua ng Kindergarten & Year 6 students and formally introduce our Student Leaders for 2015. This year, the ceremony will be held on Thursday 11 December com‐
mencing at 9.15am in the MPC and concluding at approximately 11am. Please pop these details in your diary. We look forward to this celebra on of awards. THE BEACON
LIBRARY NEWS
What a busy term this has been for the library! We have been enjoying lots of new books from our very successful Book Fair. End of year arrangements for the library: Next week is the final week for borrowing from our library. All books must be returned during library classes in the following week, beginning Monday 24 November. Please assist us by loca ng all books and returning them. If you receive a no ce for payment, please se le this promptly. All the children look forward to being the first class to return all their books and receive an icypole treat. The library will be closed in December for stocktake. Volunteers needed: We have purchased some new Home Readers and need some assistance with the prepara on of these. If you can spare a half hour at the beginning or end of the day, can you please see me in the library to measure and cut some contact to fit these books. They will then be ready to take home for covering. If you have me for either job, please see me in the library before or a er school. Thank you to the many, many helpers this year that have given me covering books and/or helping out at Grandparents Day and the Book Fair. Your contribu ons are very much appreciated. Happy Reading! Cathy Burns, Teacher Librarian SURF LIFE SAVING
Next week, children in years 3‐6 will be par cipa ng in a surf life saving program run by the Sydney Surf Lifesaving School. The students will be travelling to Dee Why Beach where they will par cipate in a Surf Awareness Program. This is followed by beach and water ac vi es that increase skills and awareness of the aqua c environment. By taking students onto the beach they get to visually iden fy and dis nguish between the safe and dangerous areas. Stu‐
dents will be issued with a coloured surf/rash vest to protect them from the sun and also to dis nguish their groups. There are covered sun shade tents for extra protec on but, children must bring a hat and sunscreen. Students need to wear swimmers under their casual clothes and bring a jumper. They will need to bring a towel, morning tea and lunch with plen‐
ty of drinks. This ac vity does involve children being at the beach, in the sun for the majority of the day. If your child cannot apply sun‐
screen and you are concerned about sunburn, then you are advised to send your child to school where alterna ve lessons will be provided. We look forward to a fun packed day at the beach! PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE RETURNED THE GREEN SURF LIFE SAVING PERMISSION NOTE TO YOUR CLASS TEACHER THE BEACON
P & C UPDATES
Last P&C Mee ng & Treasurer Elec on As you know, our dedicated P&C Treasurer Kate No has tendered her resigna on from the posi on a er 3 years of valuable service. We will elect a new Treasurer at our December mee ng to ensure we have a seamless transi on into 2015. Suze e Stevenson has nominat‐
ed herself for this posi on and all P&C Members present at the mee ng will be eligible to vote. Please contact [email protected] if you have any ques ons or would like to nominate. Thank‐you Kate for all you have done for the P&C. P &C Minutes Our P&C Mee ng on Tuesday night included discussion of survey feedback, NAPLAN results and 2015 school planning. Minutes of our mee ngs are available on www.schoolcircle.net or email [email protected] to be included on the mailing list. Last P&C Mee ng & Christmas Drinks Our last mee ng of the year will be held on Tuesday 9 December at 7pm in the Library. We have only one agenda item – to elect a new Treasurer so the mee ng will only take 5 minutes and it will be immediately followed by Christmas drinks and we would par cularly like to farewell any parents leaving the school. Family Christmas Picnic Mark your diaries for Thursday 11 December – our Christmas Picnic is a great way to celebrate the end of the school year with all the family. Come to the adventure playground area and join our Bands and Choirs to sing carols. Carols will start at 5.30pm and a sausage sizzle will be available from 5pm. Bring your rug and lawn chairs and enjoy a fun family evening. Look what music does to your brain!! Watch the a ached 4 minute video and find out the amazing things that music does for your brain. We are very lucky at Beacon Hill to have dedicated specialist music teachers. Thought about joining the Band, or Choir, or String Ensemble, or Dance Group next year??!! h p://trendinghot.net/what‐playing‐a‐musical‐instrument‐does‐to‐your‐brain/ UNIFORM UPDATE ROSTER 19 NOVEMBER 2014 Rebecca Trapuzzano, Gail Cowling & Kerry Derz ATTENTION SEWERS: Can you please return the small chairbags and playlunch bags to Karen by 26 November (if finished) FRIENDLY REMINDER: Refunds and exchanges are accepted within 30 days from date of purchase with the original receipt ONLY. There is no refund or exchange on second hand/pre loved clothing so please choose carefully. CANTEEN HELPER’S ROSTER
Week 8
24/11/14
Week 9
01/12/14
Week 10
08/12/14
Lise Neilsen
(Serene)
Tani Mazza
(Serene)
Jamie Lee
Week 11
CANTEEN
15/12/14
CLOSED
Yvonne McAllan
(Serene)
Maryanne Hardy
(Serene)
Deb Kasmar
Wendy Lewis
Natalie Gray (Ser)
Juliet Stokes
(Serene)
Natalie Gray
LAST DAY OF
CLEAN UP DAY SCHOOL
Jane Button
Merran Harte
Kim Gorman
Louise Davis
Serene/ Kellie
Nicole Holicky
Sheridan Femia
Danielle K
Amanda Davies
Cathy Walsh
NightMarketTONIGHT!
Choirperformsfrom5pmandBHPS
Bandstofollowoutsidethelibrary…
MPC&surpriseswithinopensat5pm
sharp…
SkaterHQonthenetballcourtafter6pm
andRaffleannouncedfrom7pm…
Bringyourappetites&comeearlyto
grabahotsnagwithonionsorpulled
porkroll!
Welookforwardtoseeingyouallthere!
PS–Don’tforgettobringyourgoldcoins!