Out and about at Surfside

Book Week at Surfside - Book an Adventure

There has been plenty to celebrate over the past fortnight at Surfside with National Science Week and Book Week being the bookends. Book Week celebrated the theme of Book an Adventure and Surfside was able to celebrate with a range of different activities celebrating a love of reading. Our students enjoyed the highlight of every Book Week and that is dressing up as their favourite character and joining our Book Week Parade. The parade was full of themes with plenty of Minecraft characters, Harry Potter's, Where's Wally and lot's of group dress up themes. The students then participated in a range of activities on the Friday and throughout the week including some special presentations from Author - Lee Fox and Illustrator - Jake A Minton. There were a range of other activities that included the Masked Reader, a 'Spiro' Scavenger Hunt and spider webs and letters to make words. A big thank you to our staff and students for embracing Book Week and a love of Reading and our parents/carers for supporting our amazing kids. Most of all a big thank you to Ms Griffiths and her team for organising another wonderful Book Week. Check out some highlights below:

Surfside PS School Review Update

It has been a massive fortnight at Surfside with so much happening in and out of our classrooms and we have even managed to squeeze in a School Review. Updates were communicated via our newsletter over the past month and a big thank you to staff, students and members of our parent/carer community for taking the opportunity to reflect on the Surfside journey over the past 4 years. There was a lot to reflect on, plenty to celebrate and some aspirational goals to set for the next 4 year strategic plan. We value the work that we do at Surfside but we are always looking for ways to grow and allow the students of Surfside to have the best opportunity that they can have. We especially thank our reviewer Robyn and our Senior Education Improvement Leader Shelby for managing the process. We also thank Nigel Principal of Hamlyn Banks and Lousise Student Support Services manager for being our challenge partners. A big thank you to Sabrinna as School Council President and our leadership staff for providing reflection opportunities and critical feedback. We look forward to sharing our strategic plan goals for the next 4 years when they are finalised in the coming weeks.

Disability and Inclusion Update

We know our school community has been saddened to hear that our Disability and Inclusion leader Gill Hodgson is required to take leave due to health. Gill has been very thankful the kind messages and she is grateful for the support of an amazing school community. While Gill takes this time to focus on her health we welcome Mel Lonergan to the leadership team in the role of Disability and Inclusion. We also look forward to welcoming back Kayla Betts (Barnevald) who will teach in M24 for 3 days per week. Kayla is excited to rejoin the Surfside team after some maternity leave and we know that M24 will make her feel very welcome.

What is coming up at Surfside?? There is always plenty happening at Surfside so always check the Dates for your Diary page but here is a little snapshot of the next few weeks below:

August

Mon 25th - Year 3 Marine Discovery Centre Excursion

Tues 26th - SSV District Athletics Championships @ Landy Field (Qualified Students)

Wed 27th -  Emergency Management Drill

                        Parent/Carer Helper Fresh Food Fair Planning Meeting 5-6pm

Thu 28th -   Breakfast Club in the kitchen - 7.45am-8.30am

Fri 29th -      Assembly @ 2.30pm in the courtyard 

September

Wed 3rd -    Foundation Flying Bookworm Incursion (9.00-11.20am)

                       Foundation Special Person Lunch (Father's Day) 12.45-1.15

Thu 4th -     Breakfast Club Celebration in the kitchen - 7.45am-8.30am

Fri 5th -       Year 6 Bonanza Day (involves whole school and coordinated by year 6         students)

Tues 9th -   SSV Division Athletics Championships @ Landy Field (Qualified Students)

Thu 11th -   Breakfast Club in the kitchen - 7.45am-8.30am

                        State Schools Spectacular Rehearsal - John Cain Arena

                        R U Ok Day 2025

Fri 12th -     Assembly @ 2.30pm in the courtyard 

                       State Schools Spectacular Rehearsal - John Cain Arena

Be Bold, Be Heard Student Leadership Conference

Ruby and Alliena who are two of our amazing young female school leaders were invited to participate in the Be Bold! Be Heard Student Leadership program. Bellarine secondary College hosted the Be Bold, Be Heard Conference on the Bellarine on Friday 22nd August. The Be Bold, Be Heard program seeks to reduce gender gaps in voice and agency by giving young women leaders in schools a voice.  If you are not aware of the program, please follow the link to learn more! Be Bold Be heard - North Geelong Secondary College. This opportunity provided emerging student leaders from Primary  Schools across the Bellarine Peninsula with the opportunity to hear from, and engage with, female student leaders from fifteen schools across Geelong as well as hear from inspirational women from our community, including guest speakers; Lyndie Freestone (OGSLC), Clare Reilly (Disability Advocate), Cassie Lindsey (Inclusion, Diversity and Equality Specialist) and Amy Gardner (Tourism innovator, volunteer). A big thank you to the team at Be Hold, Be Heard for providing this opportunity for Alliena and Ruby, thank you to Bellarine SC for hosting and a big thank you to Ms Manning and Ms Catchlove for supporting our awesome student leadership group.

Project 25 is back for term 2!

Project 25 is a collaborative Mathematics Extension Partnership with Bellarine Secondary College.

We are excited to share that Project 25 has commenced again this term at Bellarine Secondary College, providing an enriching opportunity for our students to extend and challenge their mathematical thinking. This program brings together our students with the Year 8 SEAL (Select Entry Accelerated Learning) group, encouraging collaboration, peer learning, and problem-solving at a higher level.

In Semester Two, students will be exploring the fascinating connection between the base ten number system we use every day and the binary number system used in computing and digital technologies. This topic not only strengthens number sense but also highlights how mathematics underpins much of the technology in our modern world.

National Science Week Celebration

The school theme for National Science Week in 2025 was Decoding the Universe – Exploring the unknown with nature’s hidden language. This theme invites students and teachers across Australia to delve into the mysteries of the Universe by exploring the fundamental languages of nature, including mathematics and the groundbreaking field of quantum science.

“Decoding the Universe” empowers educators to inspire and engage students by exploring the mathematics and quantum science that underpin both the natural world and the modern technologies we use every day, from photosynthesis to satellite navigation. The students at Surfside celebrated Science Week in a number of ways recently with incusions, excursions and classroom activities.

Year 5 Incursion

The Year 5s celebrated National Science Week by participating in a  Reactive Chemistry incursion in our STEAM Lab. The students used their senses to predict, observe and investigate states of matter whilst exploring how chemicals behave when mixed together!

Year 1 Science Expo with Bellarine Secondary College

Some of the year 1 students ventured over to Bellarine Secondary College and participated in a range of different activities with some of our secondary school staff and students.

Year 1 Marine Discovery Excursion

The Year 1's also headed to the Marine Discovery Centre and looked at aspects of marine biology.

Year 4 Science Incursion

Our year 4's participated in a range of activities in the STEAM Learning Centre, the SLC and the Basketball Court that looked and Physical and Chemical Science - WHAT A BLAST!

Science and Art coming together through STEAM

As part of our celebrations for National Science Week, we invited families to our Open Hall Art Gallery Session. Students have been exploring the intersection between

science and art, experimenting with a variety of mediums – from striking

photography and intricate line drawings to vibrant paint works. Each piece

reflects this year’s National Science Week theme, showcasing our students’

creativity, curiosity, and understanding of the world around them.

The work will be up in the corridor for the remainder of the term so please feel free to pop in for a look.

Alienna - Point Lonsdale Lighthouse Ambassador

Alienna from year 6 was recently interviewed by Bridget Duclos on ABC Radio during National Lighthouse Week. Alienna answered a number of questions about her role as the Quennscliff Maritime Museum Pt Lonsdale Lighthouse Ambassador. If you want to find out a little more about Alienna and the great work she does and the knowledge she has about lighthouses please check the interview in the link below.

Surfside PS Curriculum Day - MTSS

Our staff (Teaching and Learning and Education Support) participated in a Curriculum Day with the focus on Multi Tiered Systems of Support. Recent research commissioned by AERO identified the MTSS framework (an expansion of the response to intervention model) as the best way to organise support for students. The MTSS framework supports educators in implementing evidence-based instructional practices across all learning environments and identifying students requiring more targeted supports, while monitoring the impact of instruction and intervention. It also involves supporting student wellbeing and engagement. This will further support the work that we have been currently undertaking in Literacy and Numeracy.

Victorian Teaching & Learning Model - Evidence to Action in Mathematics

Surfside Primary School has been working with the Department of Education is implementing the upcoming Mathematics Victorian Lesson Plans. This included some videos that supported the implmentation as well as providing feedback around their implementation and effectiveness. This approach from the Department of Education has supported our Instructional Model in Mathematics and a focus on explicit teaching of skills and working towards their application.

Victorian Lesson Plans Retrieval Resources

Surfside Primary School has recently begun using the Victorian Lesson Plans Retrieval Resources to strengthen students’ mathematics learning. Retrieval is a powerful evidence-based practice that helps students revisit and review what they have previously learnt, strengthening connections in memory and making knowledge easier to recall and apply.

These resources are designed to support teachers to embed retrieval into their daily practice, providing students with regular opportunities to practise core mathematical skills and knowledge.

“Our educational philosophy is to ensure that every student can grow not only academically, but emotionally and socially as well. I believe that retrieval is one of the most important aspects for students, allowing them to continue to bring to the front what they have previously learnt.

We've been using the Victorian Lesson Plans and retrieval resources to support our students in their mathematics learning. These resources support student learning through explicit teaching and are part of our daily review."

Peter Walsh, Principal, Surfside Primary School

You can click on the link below to see some of the work that Surfside has been participating in and some videos that showcase our teachers and students.

School Sport Victoria District Basketball Challenge & Bellarine Secondary College Coaching Clinic

 The Surfside Basketball Crew had a big week preparing with a specialist coaching session with the Year 8 Bellarine Secondary College Basketball Program on Wednesday and competing in the District Basketball Tournament on Thursday. All teams performed at a high level with both of our competitive teams winning all of their games and qualifying for the next round. A big thank you to Steve and the students at Bellarine Secondary College, Mrs Wolfe and Mrs Lord and our amazing parent/carer helpers and support crew. 

Surfside sent 4 teams along for the day that consisted of Boys/Mixed A and B, Girls A and B. All played 3 games each against Barwon Heads, St Thomas and Clifton Springs. Both boys/mixed teams were undefeated throughout the day and the A team will go on to next round of competition. The A girls team were undefeated and will also go through to next round andB Team girls, finishing 2nd with only one loss for the day. A big shout out to Kathleen Brilliant and Joel Timms (boys A team), Larry Ferrier (girls A team) and Andrew Maxwell (boys B team) for their AMAZING coaching. 

State Schools Spectacular Update

The Victorian State School Spectacular team headed to Keilor for finale rehearsals before John Cain Arena. They received all of their bright costumes, got to meet other school and of course, practice lots of dancing! The team are doing an amazing job and next stop is John Cain Arena in September. 

DrumBeat Program

A number of students have been participating in the DrumBeat program with Kellie and Kat. DRUMBEAT® is a social and emotional learning program created by Holyoake that stands for Discovering Relationships Using Music, Beliefs, Emotions, Attitudes, and Thoughts. DRUMBEAT is a music program that involves up to 12 participants and participate in 1 hour sessions weekly with specific themes including: 

• self-responsibility
• values
• emotional expression
• identity
• peer pressure
• harmony
• teamwork.

A big well done to our DrumBeat crew and a big thank you to Kel and Kat

Belllarine Railway - Fresh Food Fair Supporter

The Bellarine Railway is a supporter of our upcoming Fresh Food Fair and they have some exciting events coming up for kids. Check out the following

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride – Queenscliff

Show dates: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 & 21 December

Join us at the Bellarine Railway for a magical theatrical journey inspired by the beloved Christmas story, where festive pyjamas are encouraged for passengers of all ages!

https://bellarinerailway.com.au/the-polar-express-queenscliff/

Day Out With Thomas – Queenscliff

Event dates: 4–5 October

The Party Tour is rolling into Queenscliff for the final time this October, and you’re invited to be part of the celebration!

https://bellarinerailway.com.au/day-out-with-thomas/

School Council 2025 - August Meeting Wrap

Our school council met this week to discuss a number of school operations that are currently taking place. Discussions included the following:

• Planning for 2026 - Foundation enrolments
• Fresh Food Fair Planning
• School Review wrap up and overview
• Surfside PS data presentation

School Council 2025 - SeptemberMeeting

Our school council look forward to our next meeting which will be held on Tuesday 16th September:

• Finance Meeting at 5.00pm
• Council Meeting at 5.30pm