School Review

Our School Review commenced last week, with a successful day spent reviewing all the school aimed to achieve in the last four years. A successful review day is judged by a reflective approach and careful examination of the data. Our panel were able to visit classrooms to see them in action and gain an understanding of the learning that takes place at Boroondara Park PS. The work will continue next week with two Fieldwork Days, where the panel will visit classes for longer observations, hold focus groups with staff, students and parents. If you would like more detail about our work please contact me at school.

Open Days

Education Week aims to positively profile and celebrate the strengths and achievements of Victoria's government education sector. This year Education Week runs from 23-29 May. In the 77th year of celebration the theme 'Building Connections' focuses on how the community can act as a support network, support students' learning and development and enhance social inclusion.

Our Open Days for Education Week are set for Monday May 24th from 9.00-12.00pm and Tuesday May 25th from 1.50-3.30pm.

This is an opportunity for you to see the school in action. Whilst the Open Days are designed to provide information to potential new families, we would love you to take up the opportunity to learn more about the programs we are offering your children. Parent and carer engagement and involvement builds on the learning outcomes for all of our students. We would love to see you!

Athletics thank you!

On Thursday May 6th we held a fabulously successful Year 3-6 Athletics Carnival at Tom Kelly Athletics Track in Doncaster East.

Thank you to all of the parents who were able to assist. Thank you to the staff for all that they did on the day from supervision of students, to measuring distances.

Congratulations to Carley Thomas on running her first Athletics Carnival, lots of planning and organziation went into making it such a success. Thanks to Cameron Batt for his support, advice and expertise which as always is appreciated.

Junior School Concert

Have you got your tickets for our Underneath the Big Top concert? See you all next Tuesday at the Besen Centre for the start of the show at 7.15pm.

District Cross Country

Good luck to our team tomorrow! Run well.

Mother's Day Stall

Thank you to Pia and Nancy for their fabulous organization of our Mother's Day stall. There is a huge amount of preparation that goes into making sure our students have lots of gifts to chose from at the stall.

Thank you to all of those wonderful parents who assisted on the stall, without your support it would be impossible to run this event. Congratulations and well done on raising $1068.

Mother's Day Dinner

I have heard that the Mother's Day Dinner was a great success, attended by over 60 of our BPPS mothers. There was lots of great food and fun had at Dunyazad.

A special thanks to the following places who provided support and donations for the hampers raffled on the evening.

MJN Myotherapy
Discount Drug Store Balwyn North
Viva La Fruit
Amcal Greythorn
Amcal North Balwyn
Stanley & Stone
Signorelli’s
Matta Café
Cultivate Nursery
North Balwyn Dry Cleaners
Sanguine Estate Winery
Dunyazad Restaurant Greythorn

Class Reps - Urgent help needed

Is your child in 4CB or 5ST? Both of these classes do not have Class Reps for 2021 yet. Our Class Rep coordinators Linda and Anna have put out a few calls for help but am hoping that an extra one might get us Class Reps to support 4CB and 5ST. If you can assist please contact Linda Pezzano (0412207474) or Anna Raftopoulos (0403236839) our Class Rep Coordinators 202.

Pupil Free Day

Our school will be having a Pupil Free Day on Thursday June 24th - this will enable us to undertake Parent Teacher Interviews.

Reports will be published on Tuesday June 22nd and the interview is an opportunity to discuss the report. We ask that parents have downloaded and read the report prior to the interview.

More information about booking an interview time will come out later this term.

Speak to your child in the language you know best

The following is taken from the Department of Education and Training website. It is a great reminder that learning your first language is a skill that can support you to learn a second language, it can help you to also learn English.

You are your child’s first and most important teacher.

It's very important that you speak, read and write with your child in your home language: the language you know best.

Doing this will help them:

learn at school
build their identity and culture
learn English.

It can take your child some time to learn English after their first language. Your child will not be disadvantaged if they don't speak English at home.

How to use the language you know best

Here are some ways you can speak, read and write with your child in your home language:

Sing, talk, play number games and read to your child in your home language.
Speak your home language during family trips and celebrations.
Speak to your child in your home language even if your child replies in English. This is so they can hear the differences between the two languages.
Help your child with their homework in your home language. This will help them build skills at school. For example, if they learn maths in your language, they will understand how to do this in English.

The benefits of being bilingual

If you speak, read and write with your child in your home language, you are helping them become bilingual. Bilingual means they can speak more than one language.

Being bilingual has many benefits. It:

promotes growth in the brain. This helps your child think more creatively and solve problems more easily.
builds English literacy. This helps your child become a better reader, listener and speaker.
improves memory, concentration and numeracy
builds your child's sense of identity and their connection to family, community and culture.

Bilingual children tend to have higher scores in maths, reading and vocabulary tests.

Being bilingual also creates many opportunities for your child later in life when they start a career.

It's important to keep speaking, reading and writing with your child in your home language.

Susanne Lowe

Principal

From the 5/6 Classrooms

Essential Assessment - A student's perspective from grade 6