Issue 3

Tuesday 21st February 2012

PRINCIPALS REPORT
ASHBY SCHOOL COUNCIL
Nominations are being called for to elect parents to the Ashby School Council. Interested parents may collect nomination forms from the office. PARENT HELPERS PROGRAM The Parent Helpers Program is designed to assist parents with information about Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening and how it is developed in school. This program will assist parents who would like to help with reading and writing in school as volunteers, or to assist their children with learning in school. This program will commence on Friday 24th February at 9.00 am. Could interested parents who wish to be part of the program meet in the staffroom on Friday morning to commence the program. achieving personal best. builds self awareness through reflective thinking, explicit skills, and an attitude that learning is life-long. is caring, authentic, diverse, and engaging. builds community practice in environmental sustainability. Student learning is our core business and a central focus of our diverse role as teachers. Our main aim in the classroom during teaching is to focus on the learning intention, and to support the student in understanding their goal and learning and to give the student feedback as to the progress that is being made. The parent teacher meetings being held this Thursday are an excellent opportunity for teacher and parent to share and discuss the child as a learner. These Meetings are being held on Thursday 23rd February between 2.00pm and 5.30pm. Our main focus this week in learning is to do our personal best, and show attentive listening.

DATES TO REMEMBER
Prep Students do not attend on the following Wednesdays 22nd, & 29th February. 7th and 14th March. Wednesday 22nd February School Council Meeting 7.00pm in the staffroom. Wednesday 22nd February Finance Sub Committee Meeting 6.30pm in the staffroom. Thursday 23rd. February Parent Teacher Meeting Afternoon 2.00pm - 5.30pm. Friday 24th February Parent Helpers Program 9.00am - 10.00am in the Staffroom. Saturday 25th February Pako Festa. Meet at school between 10.00am and 10.30am. We then line up for the parade at 10.45am on the 71 written on Waratah Street before the parade starts.

Student Learning:
At Ashby Primary School we value and develop a learning culture that : provides personal learning opportunities and focuses on individual growth and development. supports excellence and
Principal: Jenny Omachen

JENNY OMACHEN Principal, Ashby Primary School

www.ashbyps.vic.edu.au

School email - ashby.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au

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NETTA
Wanted 2 players for netta and 2 players for the 3/4 netball team. Playing at 5.00pm this week. Please return to the school ASAP. My child ____________________ will ________________________ Signed: _____________________

LIGHT FRENCH ONION DIP WITH PITA CHIPS

French Onion Dip 1 200ml tub light sour cream 1 packet salt reduced French onion soup mix Put in bowl together and stir. Pita Chips

DEUTSCHE ECKE
Rosenmonta (February 20th) montag monta Faschingdienstag (February 21st ) dienstag and Aschermittwoch (February mittwoch 22) -That is this week- 3 great days of celebrations for Karneval. Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy are in full swing of Karneval! You might like to go to Youtube to see some of the parades and to see how people celebrate this festival. If you research Karneval, then Fasching (as it is known in Austria and Bavaria) then Fastnet or Fastnacht (for Switzerland and southern Germany) you will see colourful costumes and loud noises. People are celebrating before Lent (the 40 days before Easter), when there will be no parties and they will choose to go without certain foods, maybe meat, sugar or alcohol. Just as well there is plenty of chocolate at the end of the 40 days!!!!! For interested parents, the website set up be Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for students and teachers to enjoy is as follows: www.education.vic.gov.a u/languagesonline I can recommend this to you to have many sessions of fun learning German, Italian, French, Indonesian, Macedonian, Chinese, Spanish.......It is interactive and provides the pronunciation. 10 minutes every day is the key!! Wir gratulieren Jack ! Jack researched and printed to present to the class the logos for Adidas and Puma. Gut gemacht!. Well done too to Lila and Charlotte, who research some interesting facts about German foods.

Geelong Smile Studio is offering FREE initial childrens dental examinations for a limited time. Call us to reserve a spot for your family... 52216610

Pita bread Olive oil spray Thai, Persian or Moroccan seasoning. Method 1. Spray pita bread with olive oil spray. 2. Sprinkle with seasoning. 3. Cut into wedges. 4. Bake at 180C until lightly brown. 5. Store in air tight container.

First Floor 199 Moorabool St Geelong

IMMUNISATION CERTIFICATES
Modern Jazz / Funk and Tap tuition Classes held at Lara & Hamlyn Heights
No exams, no competitions Just Fun! End of year performance Competitive rates Come along and learn all the latest dance moves! All ages from 3 18 years Girls and Boys For 2012 enrolments and enquiries ph:5282 8490 or 0419 543 706. Email: dancefever95@live.com

As part of the enrolment process parents are to supply a copy of their childs immunisation. At present we are still waiting for copies of immunisation certificate for several of our prep students. Some children had not had their final immunisation when enrolment forms were handed to the office or parents did not have the certificates with them when they handed in their forms. If you have not yet supplies a copy of your childs immunisation could you please do so as soon as possible. If you are not sure if you have handed in this certificate please contact the office.

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FRIENDS OF ASHBY UPDATE

(www.friendsofashby.blogspot.com)

FOA Results for 2011 and Plans for 2012 Thank you to all those who attended the first Friends of Ashby meeting for the year this past Friday. As we noted 2011 marked the third year of operation for Friends of Ashby Primary School (FOA). During the year we were pleased to report that Friends of Ashby engaged in a variety of activities to meet our goals including: the Pako Festa (parade and stall), Entertainment Book fundraiser, Hot Cross Bun fundraiser, Trivia Night and Silent Auction event, Mothers Day and Fathers Day stalls, Art Show and Market Day event, Teacher Appreciation activities, general classroom support activities, Family Information Forms and Class Friendship lists, Fresh Fruit Friday, Walking School Bus program, School Signs, Sick Room Linens, School clean-up and grounds work, Garden/Chook Shed building project, Parent Managed Head Lice program, Coles Sports for School promotion, Woolworths Earn and Learn Promotion and McCains Veggie Patch promotion and 2012 Prep Parents morning tea. We were also pleased to report that in addition to building community and helping to provide meaningful opportunities for parent and friend involvement, in 2011 FOA raised over $12,000 through events, fundraising activities and grants. The bulk of this money supported bringing the new music program to the school and the ability of the art program to engage in special outdoor art projects. Other efforts supported by FOA funds last year included the budget for the new classroom kitchen, the purchase of one time supplies and resources for classroom kitchen and garden, a new display cabinet, and miscellaneous hardware and supplies to complete clean-up projects around the building post the BER. In 2012 we are looking forward to more opportunities to build community, engage parents and friends and raise funds for needed resources and activities that will enhance our childrens learning. Below are the activities we are currently planning for the year: Term 1: Pako Festa Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser Entertainment Book Term 2 Trivia Night and Silent Auction Mothers Day Stall Term 3: Fathers Day Stall Term 4: Art Show and Market Day New Parents Morning Tea Other activities: Vege and Herb Stalls/Lets Get Growing Family Information Forms and Classroom Friendship lists Classroom Support Team Parent Morning Teas Fresh Fruit Friday Parent Managed Headlice Program Walking School Bus We will be meeting monthly to plan these activities, so please feel free to join us. We look forward to another wonderful year at Ashby!

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FRIENDS OF ASHBY UPDATE CONTD

2012 Family Information Forms Due this Friday, February 24th Thank you to all those who have submitted their 2012 Family Information Forms. These form assists us in identifying how you might help individual classrooms and the schools. Remember we are only asking for you to express interest. You will be contacted with more information about activities you check to see if you can assist as appropriate. We also use the information collected to create friendship lists for each class. These lists will go out the week of February 27th, so dont forget to submit your forms by this Friday, February 24th. Parent Morning Tea, Monday, February 27th Next Monday, February 27th we will be hosting a parent (new and old) morning tea after assembly in the hall. Children are welcome. So join us for a chat and a cuppa. This is a great chance to connect with other parents and to become a part of the school community. Washing Sick Bay Linens and Changing Street Signs Roster Update Thank you to those who have submitted forms or signed up. We are still taking volunteers to put on the rosters, so please complete the forms below. We will be following up with those who have volunteered next week to confirm what month you are on the roster these activities. Can You Help? Below are some current activities we are seeking assistance with:
Fresh Fruit Friday every Friday 9am in the classroom kitchen. Come help us cut up and deliver fresh

fruit and vegetables for the classrooms. We like to have at least 4 volunteers each Friday. You dont have to come every Friday; just come when you can. You can find us in the classroom kitchen. not needed regularly, they do need to be washed at the end of each term and as needed. If you sign up for a month (March through December) you will be contacted if there are linens that need to be washed or reminded at the end of the term to take the linens home. If you are willing to be on the sick bay linen roster you can sign up on the FOA bulletin Board across from the staff room or send a note through your childs teacher or the front office. school signs on Waratah and Lawton Street? We are looking for volunteers to sign up for each month (March through December) of the school year. Signs are generally changed once a week and messages highlight activities occurring at the school. If you are willing to be on the school sign roster you can sign up on the FOA bulletin Board across from the staff room or send a note through your childs teacher or the front office.

Washing Sick Bay Linens Can you volunteer to help out with washing the school sick bay linens? While

Changing the Waratah and Lawton Street School Signs Can you help change the messages on the

------------------------------------------------------------------SignSick Bay Linens and School Sign Sign-up Form Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ________________________________ Email: __________________________________

o I would like to assist with the washing the sick bay linens. Please sign me up for the month of ____________________ o I would like to assist with changing the school signs. Please sign me up for the month of ____________________

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LEARN LEARNING TO SING AND SINGING TO LEARN Why, what and how can children learn through singing? Long before anyone teaches us to use our voices and develop them, we join in rhymes, chants and songs. Spontaneous singing is something we do from our earliest days. Young children love to use their voices in a whole range of ways, often using actions and movement, in pieces they know, as well as those they invent. Rhymes and chants are part of the 'repertoire' that's handed down orally and these are embedded in cultures locally, nationally and internationally. We all have our own aural collections of counting songs, animal songs, dialect songs, folk songs, playground rhymes and songs with stories. And not just children - if the singing at many AFL matches is anything to go by, then there are a good many adults regularly singing their heads off - in tune and from memory! WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE SING? There are several things happening at the same time when we sing - breathing in, breathing out, forming words, pitching, memorising - are just some. Clever stuff, music! But we don't do these consciously: they happen as part of knowing how to sing. In the same way as knowing how to drive a car, we don't consciously go through the individual skills of clutch, steering wheel and ignition each time! Clever things, people! So singing is complex - even more so, when we sing with other people. Singing with others means producing the same pitch - or 'matching' our voices. This needs practice, since it's about how we hear and whether we can repeat it accurately. Often, singing can make us nervous because our voices are personal and individual. HOW DOES SINGING HELP US LEARN? When we enjoy singing, the learning that takes place is intrinsic to the activity, not a spin-off from it! Singing helps us to learn, as well as to enrich the learning processes. We use language in rhymes, chants and lyrics; we use and develop our memories for words and music; we learn to listen and use aural faculties; we apply our concentration; and we use our imaginations and creativity. When we sing with others, we use and develop more listening, blending and learning skills. There is conclusive evidence to suggest that music making increases children's intelligence. Music is a distinctive mode of learning in which we apply and develop intelligences. In acquiring understanding, knowledge and skills in music we acquire, apply and develop a range of cognitive skills. So we use problem solving - considering options and resolutions; memory - recalling and recognising; skills in discerning patterns - manipulating and building musical structures; understanding - interpreting and presenting music and words; analysing, using and re-working them; and evaluating and making judgments. SINGING IN PRACTICE In over 20 years of teaching music in schools, it's the comments of principals and teachers which have reinforced most strongly for me the benefits of music making and singing in schools. Music leaders are usually very modest about their achievements. However, principals have an overview of the national curriculum as well as the whole curriculum on offer; and they are best placed to evaluate the good things which happen in their schools and communities. With regard to singing, they often comment on the increase in confidence of individuals and groups; the benefits of group work or class work which lead to presentations and performances; the links between ideas, or historical events and geographical regions; all of which are a rich part of vocal repertoire. In this way concepts of time and place, as well as empathy with the feelings of those who celebrate or suffer, can be introduced and reinforced. However, music is not just a utility to support other things, though it happily can and often does. It is a distinctive way of understanding more about ourselves and the world in which we live. If we choose to, singing can give us great pleasure, as well as add the deeper qualities that underpin our lives.