Out and about with Mr Walsh

THANK YOU!

Education Support Staff Appreciation

Last week was Education Support staff appreciation day. We were able to celebrate this as a staff but it is important that as a community we celebrate the valuable work that our Education Support team do to keep our school running. From our office and administration team to our class based support staff they do so much to support and provide opportunities for our students, staff and wider community. All of our ES staff participate in valuable professional learning to support the academic, engagement and wellbeing needs of our students. They also particiapte in and support so many of our extra curricular events. For all of our Education Support staff we just want to say on behalf of Surfside - THANK YOU!!!!

Some important dates as a reminder for the next 2 weeks

Mon 20th - 24th  Book Fair Week (Book Fair in the Library)

Tues 21st - School Council Meeting @ 5.30pm (Finance @ 5.00pm)

                       Year 2 Wild Action Incursion

                       Year 5&6 Victoria Water Police Visit

Wed 22nd - School Emergency Evacuation Drill - Lockdown (postponed to week 7)

Thu 23rd - Breakfast Club 7.45am in the kitchen

                      Foundation Maths Games afternoon with carers

Fri 24th - Assembly @ 2.30pm

Mon 27th - 31st - National Reconciliation Week

Wed 29th - Year 3-6 Athletics Day - Landy Field, Geelong

                       F-2 First Aid in Schools visit

Thu 30th - Breakfast Club 7.45am in the kitchen

                      3-6 First Aid in Schools visit

Year 6 Camp - Roses Gap Recreation Centre

It was a fantastic experience to take our year 6 cohort on camp last week. It was great to have such amazing weather and have the students outdoors, in a challenging environment, being out of their comfort zone and working together as a cohort on our school values of Respect, Honesty, Teamwork and Achievement. The Year 6 students had plenty of fun, enjoyed new experiences, worked with new people and faced new challenges with activities that included; abseiling, canoeing, bush walking, raft building, crate stacking, hut building, archery, the flying fox and the ever popular giant swing. The night activities, food and campfire are always a highlight with plenty of games, walks and smores. A big thank you to all of the Surfside staff and the Roses Gap Recreation Centre staff who provided a wonderful and worthwhile experience for the students. We hope the students had a restful weekend and check out some of the highlights below:

Education Week - STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Maths)

Last week saw classes at Surfside celebrate Education Week. Education Week is celebrated every week at Surfside but it is an opportunity to provide an annual celebration of education in Victorian schools. This year's theme was 'Spotlight on STEAM' and highlights the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics in our classrooms and everyday lives. It was also a great opportunity to open and experience our new Science centre. We look forward to furniture arriving this week and holding more formal classes in the space.

Ways you can help your child engage with STEM

Investigate and ask questions about the real world

You can do this by asking open-ended questions, such as:

• Can you describe...?
• I wonder what would happen if...?
• How would you answer that question...?
• What if...?

Encourage and support activities that are STEM-related

For younger children, this could include:

• playing games to identify different shapes, numbers and patterns
• singing songs and nursery rhymes about numbers and playing with building blocks.

For older children, this could include:

• using a digital device to make a movie with special effects
• learning cooking skills
• encouraging the use of apps and computer games that are STEM-related.

STEM websites and places to visit

• Museums Victoria(opens in a new window) cares for the state's scientific and cultural collections. Museums Victoria includes Melbourne Museum and Scienceworks. These museums provide stimulating exhibits and activities to help families maximise their STEM experience.
• Zoos Victoria(opens in a new window) provides families with the opportunity to discover a range of wildlife and learn about conservation. 
• Cosmos(opens in a new window) is a science magazine published in Australia. Its accompanying website has the latest science news, discoveries, developments and events.

Staffing Update - Welcome to Surfside

We will farewell Mrs Betts and Mrs Wright over the coming weeks as they begin their maternity leave to prepare for the arrival of their babies. We know that everyone will miss these 2 amazing teachers but it does allow an opportunity to welcome some new members to the Surfside team. Following our recruitment process we look forward to meeting the following staff. 

F1 - Karen Lister

I am very excited to join the Surfside team. I have been teaching in Ararat for the past two years, F-1 and then 3-4 students. Prior to Ararat, I was on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria teaching in an Aboriginal community school. Whilst both experiences were amazing, it's fabulous to be home in Breamlea surrounded by family and friends.

I have two adult children and a lovely Kiwi partner. On the weekends you will find me mountain bike riding the trails in Anglesea or exploring our beautiful beaches.

J3 - Meaghan Cook

I am thrilled to be officially joining the Surfside team as a teacher. 

I have been part of the Surfside community for many years. My sons attended this school, and I cherished my time spent helping in their classrooms, lending a hand in kitchen and going on excursions. In addition to my role as a teacher, I recently qualified as a provisional psychologist. I am excited to bring my diverse experiences and passion for education to the Surfside community and look forward to the journey ahead. 

& Ashleigh Milburn

Hello my name is Ashleigh Milburn. I am so excited to start teaching at Surfside Primary School and I can’t wait to meet you all! I love reading, AFL and running around after my one year old son Leo. 

Thank You Surfside Community

A big thank you to our Surfside community for supporting a family in need. We put a recent call out for support for a Surfside family who had been impacted by a house fire. The family were overwhelmed with your generosity and kindness and want to send out a massive THANK YOU!!!

District Cross Country

It was a cold but sunny morning for our students who had qualified for the Division Cross Country Championships at Eastern Gardens last Tuesday. There was plenty of sunshine and some challenging hills to test the runners out. Surfside performed really well and supported each other throughout the day. 

SSV Winter Lightning Premiership

The year 6 and a handful of year 5 students recently participated in the SSV Winter Lightning Premiership. The competition was held at Shell Road Sporting Complex against schools from our Bunjil District. It was a great experience for the students and they displayed great skills, teamwork and sporting behaviour throughout the day. A big thank you to all of the staff and parent/carer helpers who assisted or supported on the day.

Happy Mother's Day

We were pleased to welcome into our classrooms many mum's, nana's, auntie's, friends and special people into our classrooms on the Friday before Mother's Day. It was a great way to show appreciation for the special people in our lives. A big thank you to Mrs Florence (Finlay's mum) who made the trek down from Benalla to support her son. I am sure she was beaming with pride!

Enrolment Time at Surfside

Enrolments have now opened for new students and families who will be joining the Surfside family in 2025. If you have a sibling of a current student at Surfside they will also need to complete this enrolment process. We will be conducting tours early in term 2 for prospective families so please check the calendar and contact the office to book a spot. Please check out the enrolling your child in Primary School for more information.

Year 6-7 Transition Forms

Families in year 6 have received transition forms and information this week to start their enrolment and transition process to Secondary School. A reminder to our year 6 families that transition forms, for 2025 Secondary School enrolment are due to be returned by Friday 10th May. All families are to return these forms if you are enrolling in the government or independent school system for 2025. Please check out the enrolling your child in Secondary School for more information.

School Council - May Meeting

Our next school council meeting will take place on Tuesday 21st May at 5:30pm with finance meeting at 5.00pm.