Newsletter 21 April - Week 1 Term 2

Message from the Principal

Hi everyone

I trust you enjoyed the Easter break with friends and family, after the COVID lockdown. It was a bumpy end to an otherwise terrific term 1. I enjoyed hiking on the Great Ocean Walk with my family over the holidays- highlights included stunning coastline, a tiger snake encounter, very cold swims and dehydrated beef stroganoff.

This Friday, students will take part in our school ANZAC Day assembly, in the hall. We ask students to bring a flower to school on Friday morning to put towards a class wreath, for use during the assembly. A flower from your garden is perfect for this. Monday 26 April is a public holiday for ANZAC Day. Lest we forget.

Several students will attend the District Cross Country trials next Tuesday. Best wishes to all participants.

Long-time teacher aide, Carmel Newman has retired this term. Mrs Newman has been with us for 125 years! I’d like to thank Carmel for her service to the school and community (in particular Active School Travel, WH&S and school camps cook and bottle washer). She’s been hard-working and dedicated throughout and good fun too. All the best in your retirement Carmel and many happy travels to yourself and Greg. The staff will say farewell to Carmel at the end of week 3.

Our Business Manager, Maree Healy is on leave until the end of next week. Please ensure all emails are sent to: admin@burandass.eq.edu.au.

There is P&C meeting at 6:15pm tonight in the library. All welcome.

3rd Party Consent Agreement 

Please complete the 3^rd Party Consent Agreement emailed to you from the school recently. This consent form must be completed to enable children to access a number of websites/services that support their learning.

We look forward to a wonderful term 2.

Have a great week.

Simon Vaseo - Principal

Message from the Head of Curriculum

Practice NAPLAN Tests

The practice NAPLAN tests for Years 3 and 5 are being completed this week. The children are being (re)familiarised with the test papers, how to fill out the front page, how to do practice questions, and the process and timing for sitting each NAPLAN test. Remember, the best thing students can do to enhance their performance is to have a good sleep and a healthy breakfast on the morning of each test.

NAPLAN is not high stakes testing as there are no positive or negative consequences for students from sitting the tests. We encourage the students to have a go and try their best, as we do with all their schoolwork.

Naturally, some students get excited and/or anxious about doing a test. This link will take you to some test taking tips that might help you prepare your child for the tests

https://andrewfuller.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/preparingfortests.pdf

Harvard psychologist to parents: Do these 7 things if you want to raise kids with flexible, resilient brains

During the holidays I read this article and shared it with my siblings who have children. It is written by Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist, psychologist and the author of “Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain.” Of most interest to me were the ideas about language development, which underpins all our thought and learning, and takes place through person-to-person interaction with children rather than person to device interaction. I hope the article is useful.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/08/harvard-psychologist-rules-for-raising-intelligent-kids-with-resilient-brains.html

Rosie Scholl - HOC

Prep 2022

If you reside in our catchment area or have siblings at the school and you have a child that is due to start Prep next year, please contact the office on 3435 1222 to register.

From the Inclusion Team

Parent Tip 2: 

Talk, talk, talk!!!

Talk with your child every day about school and things going on around the house. Ask them what the ‘word of the week’ is in their classroom, build on that word and use it as often as possible in your home.

Fact: Oral language development is one of the most important aspects of a developing young child's brain and is what lays the foundation for learning how to read.

From the Garden

Welcome back everyone, I trust the Easter break was enjoyable and restful for all. The highlight for me was walking the 22km Border Track from Binna Burra to O’Reilly’s through the ancient forests of Lamington National Park with one of my best friends, my wife and my eight year old daughter Ruby. What an honour and pleasure. This is Yugambeh country, on the edge of the old shield volcano. Fantastic!

It has been good to feel the cooler weather come in again and to receive a little long awaited rain too. At the time of writing, work on the new Environmental Education area is looking great and almost done and I look forward to working in the improved space soon with bells on! Our wider work of rewilding over a number of years, planting and maintaining little patches of native forest, compliments the new area beautifully.   

My position at the school most closely aligns with the state science curriculum, but thanks to the miracle of nature, the arts, maths, literature, history, philosophy and more are all supported and enhanced through our weekly activities. For those interested in the present, the state of play in Australia regarding our transition to sustainable power, may I recommend to you this week’s Four Cornerns program ‘Fired Up’. Definitely worth a look.     

Enjoy the beautiful weather, Happy Autumn. 

Andrew Bryant - Environmental Education teacher

Helping Hands - OSHC

Ice blocks

Ice blocks are every Thursday and can be ordered through the Qkr! app. New cards are to be collected from the tuckshop unless the children are in Prep - teachers will hold their cards. New cards must be purchased by 5pm on Tuesday. Please contact Ludivine on ludivinedr@hotmail.com if you have any issues.

P&C Update

Please come to our P&C meeting this Wednesday 21 April  where we will be discussing plans for this year's Winter Solstice to be held in mid June this year, as well as how we can get our monthly meetings online,  in an ongoing way. 

If you have anything you would like to add to the agenda, please email the P&C executive prior to the meeting  at pandc@burandass.eq.edu.au

Thanks!

Zoe Gill- P&C President 

Reminder, upcoming important dates - COVID dependent. 

Community

Brisbane City Council Libraries Gold Star Reading Club

The Gold Star Reading Club will kick off in Council libraries across the city on Saturday 1 May 2021.

There are four great reasons for children to get involved in the 2021 Gold Star Reading Club.

1. Membership to the Gold Star Reading Club is FREE!
2. The Gold Star Reading Club can help children improve their reading and literacy skills.
3. Children will be rewarded for reading with exciting monthly incentives – coloured pencils, a foldable frisbee and a skipping rope.
4. It’s FUN! Children will have fun sharing their reading experiences with family and friends.

This is a great opportunity for parents to share in their children’s reading achievements.

To register your child for the Gold Star Reading Club, simply visit brisbane.qld.gov.au/libraries or your local library to complete a registration form.

For more information about the Gold Star Reading Club, visit your local library or call Council on 3403 8888.