@buckleyparkco Visit our website www.buckleyparkco.vic.edu.au MAY 2015 BPC NEWS MARKET DAY Later Years 2016 – Major Improvements Planned for Year 10 Today, I’m delighted to outline to you an important curriculum change that we’ve been developing and will have in place to begin in 2016. This significant work enables Year 9 students, staff and families to work together to plan a personalised pathway for them to begin in Year 10. The central priority of the school curriculum is to ensure every student achieves success through a challenging, innovative and broad curriculum. At Year 10, a combination of subject choices will enable our students to consolidate learning, begin to specialise and investigate new subjects in a range of learning areas. In 2016, the Year 10 curriculum at Buckley Park College will be designed to provide curriculum breadth, and personalised learning pathways, for all students. A rich, diverse and stimulating range of educational opportunities will be provided to students. It is acknowledged that Year 10 begins students’ learning as members of the Later Years sub-school. The Year 10 curriculum will be based on AusVELS. The AusVELS provides a single, coherent and comprehensive set of prescribed content and common achievement standards, which will be used to plan student learning programs, assess student progress and report to parents and the community. Students will be challenged to extend their learning in a variety of ways and will have the opportunity to study a VCE subject in Year 10. At school we’ve undertaken considerable research, data-analysis work and deep thinking as we’ve developed this new approach for enhancing and personalising pathway options for our Later Years students. Research tells us that students at this stage of schooling thrive when they are offered choice over the curriculum that they study and the reasons for doing so; they want to feel empowered. We’ll now be able to do this much more fully. In 2014, when we undertook an extensive school review, as a community, we prioritised this as a vital area of focus and we set clear goals around this. We’ve now begun this important work whole-heartedly and as such we’ve begun to advance our strategic priorities through the following ways: Maximise learning opportunities for all students from years 10-12 with an emphasis on increased student curriculum choice, as well as supporting and extending through better differentiation, extension and intervention strategies. To improve opportunities for meaningful student choice and voice by refining and improving timetabling, policies, counselling, pathways and transitions at Years 9-12. There will be particular focus on aligning Year 10 with Year 11 and 12 to create a Later Years ‘sub-school’ where students are encouraged to enter VCE earlier and where the sub-school facilitates personalised student decisions. All students are entitled to request to study a VCE Unit in 2016. Students will only be accepted into that study if they meet the overall criteria that have been developed. This Later Years 2016 Model has at its core the belief that student pathways should be personalised and tailored individually, however choosing a VCE subject does not mean automatic inclusion. Further information will be communicated to families of Year 9 students this term and the course counselling process will begin. As further work is developed and new policies and processes are developed and implemented I’ll maintain clear communication with the community through Compass. It’s vital that this communication be open both ways. We’re keen to talk further about this work should you have questions or feedback. Please contact Mr Craig Dunstan, Ms Kathleen McGarrity or myself. I’m absolutely committed to this work as it’s necessary and important for our students. As a school we’re committed to enabling our students to pursue a pathway that is right for them. We’re now making these considerable changes to begin in 2016 and I’m positive that our Later Years students will flourish further with an enhanced sense of control over their pathway. New Tennis Courts By now you may well have noticed the redevelopment of the tennis courts at school. We’ve completely rejuvenated that facility to create high quality multi-purpose courts for tennis, netball and soccer. In 2014 we replaced the fence and now we have laid Tiger Turf to create a professional playing surface for our students. Soon we’ll also be establishing a storage facility near the courts, along with some shade for classes. This is an exciting development for us as we continually work to upgrade and improve our facilities. The next work to be undertaken will focus on the classrooms and corridors with some painting, new blinds and carpet on the agenda. Wine and Cheese Evening My thanks to the Friends of Buckley Park for organising our annual Wine and Cheese evening which was held on Friday April 24. It was a lovely social evening at school with music provided by our talented students and great conversation with families and friends of our school. The success of this evening is again because of the enthusiasm and support of our Friends of Buckley Park, as well as the willing of the community to come along and join in. I also thank the team at Nelson Alexander, Essen don, for sponsoring the evening. Their ongoing support of our school is greatly appreciated. NAPLAN During the days May 12, 13, 14 this year, the annual NAPLAN tests will occur at school. As you would all know now, the NAPLAN testing process assesses students’ skills in Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar and Numeracy and provides a comprehensive report to students, families and the school. The tests have become a vital part of school assessment practices and certainly provide us with helpful point-in-time student learning data. The assessment report is valued very much by the school and I’m sure is highly valued by families at home too. The school plans for, and expects, full student participation in NAPLAN unless there are very real extenuating circumstances. Compass Lastly, I’ve been very pleased to hear much positive feedback from families about the Compass parent portal. I’m very pleased with the communication improvements that we’ve been able to make through Compass and encourage you to be a regular and active participant. It’s helpful for us all to have this working smoothly. School Tours – Year 7 2016 At the moment, we’re running school tours with prospective families each morning. It’s such a pleasure to look over our school with these families and feel their excitement and interest in joining us. We can’t ‘fake’ the sense of learning and of positivity that these visitors are sensing in our school – it’s real, it’s important and it’s noticed by visitors. On each of these tours, 2 of our current Year 7 students have joined us to talk about their school and they have done a superb job! They have been great ambassadors for their school as well as shining examples of fine young people. Thanks to all of the students who have helped out. It’s been a great start to the term in all ways. Happy reading, Nathan Chisholm Principal I am pleased to write my first newsletter as Assistant Principal for the Later Years. There have been many exciting initiatives in the Teaching and Learning space with a direct focus on instructional practice through classroom teacher observations. As professionals it is important to seek feedback on teaching strategies and learn from each other through formalised classroom observations, which all teachers are currently undertaking. This comes from the belief that the classroom is a shared learning space for teachers and students and much can be learnt from gathering data about teaching practice and focusing on for continuous improvement. NAPLAN Tests May 12, 13 & 14 Students in Years 7 and 9 will sit the National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy tests soon. Here at Buckley Park College we prepare students for the tests through our regular teaching programs and we familiarise students with sample tests, where the knowledge and skills needed for the tests are part of the usual curriculum. Homework Homework is an opportunity for parents or carers to participate in their child’s education. It complements and reinforces classroom learning and fosters good lifelong study habits. Buckley Park College believes that it is essential for all secondary students to develop good study and homework habits. It is important to communicate the difference about completing tasks and study (learning for understanding). The amount of homework will vary in nature and extent across the year levels and subjects. Types of homework Long term tasks such as research assignments, problem solving exercises, projects Completion of classroom work Review of daily lessons Preparation and study for tests/exams Homework sheets or exercises due on the next school day The College Student Planner, which is compulsory for all students, is expected to function as a homework diary. Parents as partners in the education of their children can assist by checking the Student Planner, monitoring the progress of the work completed at home, regularly checking folders and offering encouragement to the students. Students who have difficulty with organisation might need some assistance in setting up a homework timetable. The College acknowledges that there are differences in the type and quantity of homework given at the various levels. A suggested guide for the minimum time allotted to homework for each level is: Year 7 - up to 1 hour five times a week Year 8 - 1 hour five times a week Year 9 - 1.5 hours five times per week Year 10 - 2 hours five times per week Year 11 - 2.5 to 3 hours five times per week Year 12 - 3.5 hours minimum five times per week Craig Dunstan Acting Assistant Principal – Later Years Connections This year, the College has introduced a pastoral program called Connections. Students have a Connection session twice a term. In these sessions, students do a range of activities. The activities vary between year levels but all activities aim to improve the wellbeing and engagement of the students. The themes of the activities include positivity, resilience, college values as well as introducing students to skills that they will require as young adults. The activities in Connections will be revisited in form assemblies and normal classes. Connection sessions are on the Compass calendar. Please chat to your child about their experiences in these sessions. Student Leadership This year the College has implemented changes to the Student Leadership structure. School Vice Captains have been introduced and the house leadership structure has been remodelled to make it more efficient as well as giving leaders more responsibility. The SRC has also been streamlined with fewer members but hopefully a greater voice within the school community. The SRC has begun to meet regularly to plan for projects within the school and the wider community. The SRC for 2015 consists of: Year 7 Abisha Mahendra Uly Reid Amy Hoang Tom Roberts Jaimee Starbuck Prue Crook Year 8 Emelia D’Aquila Amelia John Patrick Phung Year 9 Dean Kalaitzidis Maree Castelli Jake Polites Year 12 Amy Gibb Nellie Shi Alicia Monsone Year 10 Eugene Evgenidis Joshua Schembri Rachel McDonald International Tracey Qi Year 11 Jaylon Brown Samantha Harris Oliver Acevedo School Captains Emilija Savic Alex Iozzi Mitchell McDonald Jessica Edgar Compass All parents have access to the parent portal in Compass and the use of the system has been very pleasing. More and more features will come online with the program as we move forward and we would appreciate any feedback that parents may be able to give. Please feel free to email me with your feedback. Uniform Parents are reminded that students must be in full school uniform whilst travelling to and from school and at school. It is the responsibility of families to ensure that this occurs. In exceptional circumstances, students can bring a note of explanation why they are not able to wear school uniform. Notes should only cover one day. I would like to stress the following (common breaches of the uniform policy): Only white socks can be worn with shorts and dresses. Black socks can be worn with long trousers and with black tights (winter tunic) The College polo or white shirt must be worn at all times by boys and with the winter tunic for girls. This includes under the Year 12 top. The College jacket is the only jacket allowed to be worn. School shoes must be all leather with no visible markings/logos. Leather boots are not allowed. Facial piercings (nose rings, lip rings) must be covered at all times, preferably removed. The uniform must be neat and tidy. Students will not be permitted to attend excursions unless they are wearing the correct school uniform. The Uniform Shop at the College is open each Tuesday and Thursday from 1.00 pm – 4.00 pm. Geoff Currie Assistant Principal – Middle Years FROM THE SCHOOL COUNCIL The start of the new term coincides with renewal on College Council. After many years as a parent member our past Council President Robert Ferlazzo has concluded his time with us. On behalf of the College Council and the broader school community I would like to recognise and thank Robert for his leadership, dedication and commitment to helping make the school the best it can be. His drive, energy and enthusiasm are a great example for those following. Along with Robert several other long term councillors have retired. We thank them too for their contribution. Elections have been held for both parent and staff positions. The student body will be represented by our School Captains. Friends of Buckley Park are also represented by a co-opted member. Having met the new members I’m sure each will bring their broad range of skills and ideas to further add to the diversity of Council. Further information on the purpose and workings of Council can be found on the College Council page on the College website. The first meeting of the new College Council endorsed the Annual Implementation Plan for 2015 which is based on the four year School Strategic Plan for the school. This vital document defines goals for school performance and provides metrics to measure progress. Regular review of our progress allows fine tuning of effort to ensure we reach our stated goals. At present we are organising College Council Sub-Committees for Finance, Policy Development and Review, Community Partnerships/ Friends of Buckley Park and Facilities for the Future. Councillors serve on at least one of the sub-committees, but all parents are welcome to join. Your input would be valued. These committees focus on relevant issues in detail and report to the full College Council meetings. Each sub-committee will have a leader who is the contact point for input from the school community. Friends of Buckley Park continue efforts to raise funds and build community partnerships raising the profile of College. We should all be grateful for the work they do and give consideration to helping their endeavours in any way we can. Likewise the canteen is able to operate due to its dedicated volunteers. Every contribution no matter how small helps to build our wings. John Greenwood School Council President YEAR 7 NEWS It has been another fantastic start to the Term for the 2015 Year 7 Cohort, who have proven to be a group of kids who are resilient, positive and extremely hungry to learn. In all my interactions with the students, both in class and out in the yard, I have found them to be very mature, eager to have conversations, and very keen to join in with all that Buckley Park has to offer. Indeed, ‘Joining In’ was the theme of the first year level assembly, held in the middle of Term 1. We saw presentations from Theatre Captains, Sports Captains and even our School Captains, all encouraging the Year 7s to get involved. And it has been a message that they have adopted wholeheartedly. In recent weeks we have seen our Year 7s flourishing in activities as diverse as House Theatre, School Cricket, the Banner Competition, the Buckley Buzz, and Market Day, just to name a few. It is this commitment to getting involved that builds a community that extends beyond just the walls of the classroom, and I am so proud of our Year 7s for showing that commitment. The theme of our second year level assembly was ‘Treating Each Other With Respect’. Year 7 is often a year where there is a lot of change and growth. Some of that is tricky, and it was the trickiness that we were discussing. Often in Year 7 students realise they have more in common with some kids, and less in common with the students they used to hang out with. And so there is a change in friendship groups. One of the things that was emphasized in this assembly was that students do not have to be friends with everyone, but they do have to treat each other politely and with respect. We do expect our students to continue to make sure that everyone at Buckley Park feels confident and safe – it is a job for all members of the community. And in the assembly it became apparent that all students and staff were already aware of this expectation, and in many cases, had already taken steps to ensure that their fellow students were feeling positive about being at school. Again, this was extremely heartening to see. Particular thanks must once again go to the Year 7 form teachers, for their tireless work, both in the classroom and outside of it, doing the work that it takes to make an entire class feel confident, positive and safe at school. Form teachers are the first point of call for parents and students alike, and I would urge both parties to be in contact whenever interesting discussions arise. Don’t limit your contact to negative things! If your student arrives home positively glowing about the day they’ve just had, we’d love to hear about it. Brendan Bailey Year 7 Student Engagement, Wellbeing and Transition Co-ordinator YEAR 9 NEWS Term Two: A busy term for the Year 9 students Term Two is off and running, with all of our Year 9s making a great start to the new term. This term promises to be a busy one with many activities to keep the students busy, and also plenty of opportunities for our talented Year 9s to demonstrate their skills and be recognised for their efforts. Term 2 sees the commencement of our S.A.P.P.S.S. program (Sexual Assault Prevention Program in Secondary Schools), where Year 9s have begun to explore issues around respectful relationships, consent and effective communication. Feedback from staff running the program has been extremely positive; the Year 9s are earning a reputation as very inquisitive and enthusiastic learners. This is also something that we encourage you to talk about with your son/daughter to help them build upon the concepts explored during the sessions, and to reinforce the goals of the program. Our major focus for this term is also fast approaching in the form of the Year 9 Camp to Bacchus Marsh. Very soon you will receive detailed information about the camp, along with the necessary forms and payment information. The Year 9 camp is always a huge success that sees students engage in a variety of activities and always manages to find a way to challenge each and every student on the camp, often in ways that are so valuable, yet difficult to achieve in the classroom. The camp is also such an amazing opportunity for the students bond with each other and their teachers, strengthen friendships, and create new ones alike. For these reasons we see Year 9 Camp as an integral and compulsory part of our curriculum; one for which we make every effort to ensure all our Year 9 students attend. As mentioned earlier, Term Two is going to present many opportunities for our students to demonstrate their talents and passions, some of which have already got well underway. A number of Year 9s have been dominating the Interschool Debating competitions; congratulations to the Year 9 Debating team members: Alanah Barui, Jasmine-Starr Brown and Georgia Panopoulos, who recently made a huge impact in the second round of competition by winning their debate in style. A big round of applause is also due to Cloudia Lewis, Ally Anderson-Kayes and Benny Huang, who recently got up in front of the entire Year 9 cohort to perform Rixton’s ‘Me and My Broken Heart’. Our Year 9s have also been making waves in the swimming pool with Zara Curran competing in Synchronised Swimming National Championships in Sydney, coming second in her combo event, and Adam Selwood taking out 1st in the Boys 50m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley at the WM Regional Carnival, and then going on to take 1st in the state in his 50m Breaststroke event - a fantastic effort. And as if that wasn’t enough, we also had more national recognition with Isabella Colasurdo representing Victoria in the National Hockey Championships. These efforts and achievements are only a few of the many we’re so lucky to have in this year’s Year 9 group, and it will be my pleasure to continue to share them with you and the school as we move through the year. Term One was simply an inundation of positive praise for the Year 9s, be it from teachers, parents, or member of the community, and I absolutely look forward to watching the students continue in the manner as we work together to shape an amazing Term Two for all. Bevan May Year 9 Student Engagement and Wellbeing Coordinator POPPY GARDEN To commemorate ANZAC Day 2015, so many students made a poppy to add to our own BPC poppy garden. The ‘field’ could be seen for the week after ANZAC Day under the great gum tree in front of the canteen. It was wonderful to see how many students got involved in this project. Thank you to all students and staff who got involved! LIBRARY NEWS CURRENT LIBRARY DISPLAYS ANZAC DAY 2015 The Library’s current display commemorates the centenary of the Gallipoli landing. The display includes fiction and picture books, copies of original posters and photographs from that time. The World War I collection includes books about Gallipoli and the Western Front. WOODEN BOX DISPLAY The foyer cabinet is displaying wooden boxes made by students in the Years 9 and 10 Wood Technology classes. The variety and colours show the creativity shown by students in adapting and adding their individual style to their work. ONLINE RESOURCES Students are able to access online resources from school and from home. Resources included an up-dated academic version of World Book Online suitable for all year levels. All students are encouraged to use this and the other excellent research tools to find reliable information on most subject areas. To gain access to these resources go to: https://bpclibrary.wordpress.com/research/ LIBRARY NEWS READING The library is delighted by the number of books being borrowed by students in all year levels, particularly Year 7 students and their enthusiasm for reading. Students are encouraged to visit the library to browse the wide variety of books available for borrowing from the library. The library is continually adding new books, including additions to popular series, to the fiction, manga and graphic novel collections to encourage even the most reluctant of readers. In the nonfiction section the food and cooking books are also proving to be very popular with our cooks. The library also has an up-to-date magazine section for students interested in computers, cars, arts and crafts. NEW BOOKS IN APRIL These books are now available from the New Books Display stand in the library. Would the real Stanley Carrot please stand up? - Rob Stevens Stanley Carrot never quite fitted in. With his bright ginger hair and his lack of sporting skills he doesn’t fit in with his adoptive family. Stanley is definitely not cool! For years Stanley has waited to hear from his birth mother, then on his 13th birthday a card arrives. His birth mother wants to meet him. Will he be a disappointment? He needs a stand-in who is everything he is not! The guy, the Girl, the Artist and his Ex - Gabrielle Williams Four worlds collide when one of the world’s most famous paintings is stolen. It’s a mystery that has the nation talking, but while Picasso’s Weeping Woman might be absent from the walls of the National Gallery, in other parts of Melbourne the controversial painting’s presence is being felt by Guy, Rafi, Luke and Penny for four very different reasons. Dropping In - Geoff Havel Three mates, one beat-up couch, a couple of skateboards and a really steep hill… what could possibly go wrong? Prince of Afghanistan - Louis Nowra Black parachutes fall from the sky – young soldiers, and a dog, on a rescue mission in a remote part of Afghanistan. But the mission ends in chaos, and Mark and Prince embark on a perilous journey through enemy territory. Will they make it back to base? The Bushranger Boys : 1841 Do you dare? - Alison Lloyd One of the action packed adventures series based on events in Australia’s history. Please ask library staff about other books in this series? The Library Team FRIENDS OF BUCKLEY PARK The Friends are proud to report that the events we hosted in the last quarter of 2014 were very successful. The Election Day BBQ was a winner, raising over $1,000, as well as selling the raffle tickets, which contributed to the school raising over $11,000 towards the Jubilee Fund. Monies raised over the year have also enabled us to continue with our Friends Award Program, to supply new taps in the school and a new shade sail which will be going up outside the new Tiger turf fields on the corner of Cooper and Mary Streets. We have had a very busy and successful first semester in 2015. The Year 7 BBQ was held on the 17th February and the Friends assisted the Year 7 teachers with welcoming the incoming Year 7 students and parents. We have assisted with tea, coffee and biscuits at three successful parent presentations. A Year 12 student/parent presentation by Michael Carr-Gregg on the 3rd March, a Year 7 student and parent transition workshop held on the 10th March and the Black Dog’s Navigating Teenage Depression for Parents on the 24 th March. We “sizzled some snags” at the tradition BBQ held for the visiting Japanese exchange students on the 12 March. It is always very rewarding to see their enthusiasm in eating a sausage in a piece of bread! FOBP Sizzles…….we raised over $2,000 at our very first Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings in Maribyrnong on Saturday 28 th March. Our first offering left the barbie around 8.00am, our last around 5.00pm with many, many more in between. The great success of this venture would not have possible without the contributions of our school community and the sponsorship of local businesses. I would like to thank Brumby’s on Rose Street and Baker’s Delight in North Essendon for the bread, Ally Kane and Niddrie Fresh for the onions, Evelyn Ali for securing the bread donation, shopping and storing the drinks, Marie Overman for sourcing the meat and cooler boxes and keeping track of the money on the day, Sue Hookey for the bread from Baker’s Delight and Bak Khou for rushing out to buy extra sausages when we were running low! A massive thanks must go to the team who prepared, persuaded and purveyed the product in such an enthusiastic way, giving up precious weekend family time to support the school and create a great vibe under the gazebo: Spiro Tsironis, Evelyn and Peter Ali, Megan Barnes, Natalie Wood, Teri Camilleri, Ally Kane, Rochelle Mangoedaan, Ben Potter, Paul and Marie Overman, Damian Gillard, Robyn and Ken Westwood, Steve Clark Welsh, Bak Khou, George Curran, Wendy Fu, Jeff Bartlett, Tim Mceune, Cristy Coulson, Michelle Hill, Darren and Tania (and girls) Crook. We will have to have another one … Another great evening took place last Friday night, the 24th April, our Wine and Cheese. Once again sponsored by Nelson Alexander, a good group of festive parents and friends spent the evening sipping wine and overeating on some splendid cheeses. A huge thanks to Mr May and the Years 11 and 12 music students who performed throughout the evening. We all thoroughly enjoyed the low key ensemble music arrangements and hope that the students did too. I would also like to thank Dobson’s Uniforms, Bookbonding, the Parisian Patisserie, The Pancake Parlour, Bounce and Bronwyn Clark Walsh for the donation of door and raffle prizes. Thanks must also go to everyone on the committee who came together to make a great success of the night. Plans are well underway for the Year 11 Debutante Ball. This is one of the highlights for the Year 11 students and we aim to make this year’s ball as grand as it has been in the past. We had a good response from parents for new fundraising ideas. These will all be discussed and assessed over the next couple of meetings. Look out some exciting new events. Brenda McDonald [email protected] INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOMESTAY Looking for families to provide homestay accommodation for International Students Currently the College is looking to place a number of International students for Semester 2, 2015. We are looking for families who have a spare room and are able to provide a warm and supportive environment. If you are interested in finding out more about participating in the college’s homestay programme please contact Justin Garrett during College hours 9331 9999 or by email [email protected]. The payment for homestay’s is usually between $270$280 a week. Please note prior to approval, families must organise a Working with Children’s Check. Justin Garrett International Students Coordinator BUCKLEY BITES Can you help in the Canteen? The school’s canteen is a very important service to students and staff. It is only able to operate because of the commitment and dedication of our volunteers. The canteen is a busy, friendly, work place and even if you don’t feel that you could serve the counter or handle money, there are plenty of things to do that would be of great assistance. We would love you to call in and see for yourself just how important the canteen is to the school community. All profits from the canteen go to the school to provide facilities for our students. So if you have a spare few hours once a month or once a term, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Connie Zahra Canteen Manager on 9331 9908 ADVERTISEMENTS NEED HELP IN GERMAN? Offering affordable German tutoring by a native speaker to all year levels including VCE Whatever your needs to improve are: Reading skills Writing skills Listening skills Conversational skills Grammar Homework assistance VCE preparation (three years’ experience at BPC) Excellent references can be provided by students Please contact Anette on 9318 2031 or 0427 812 417 Host Families Needed For New Exchange Students in 2015 Many girls and boys aged between 15 and 18 from exciting countries like Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Brazil, Norway, Sweden, Argentina, Finland and Austria are hoping to come here to study for 3, 5 or 10 months from July this year and stay with a volunteer family that is willing to host and welcome them and can afford an extra member at the family table. If you feel you could do this for them for the length of their stay or even some of it, please contact Klaus Schumann on (03) 97584279 and let me know of your interest. Klaus Schumann WEP Community Coordinator
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