Dear BEPS community,

On Monday, our Rock Band closed assembly with a splendid rendition of 'My Happiness' by Powder Finger. It really was an incredible experience for our students to showcase their talent and confidence through an Australian tune which sounded so synced and ended with an eruption of applause from the community.

Congratulations to the members who made the performance one to remember. We are now waiting on the next song.

Another wonderful aspect of our weekly assembly is that we are encouraging students to present on festivals or celebrations which align with their cultural background.

On Monday, Connor and Pia presented on Greek Easter, speaking about how they celebrate and gather as a family to eat traditional foods like koulourakia (biscuits), Flaounes (pastries), and partake in the unique custom of dying eggs red.

Celebrating student success

Congratulations to Advay and Steve for competing in the Regional Swimming Carnival in their respective races. Both students swam exceptionally well, demonstrating great skill, determination and sportsmanship. Well done to both of you!

We also want to acknowledge our Year 6 tennis players—Lina, Ethan D, and Ethan L—who represented our school at the District Tennis Tournament last week. They faced strong and competitive opponents, but showed fantastic confidence and resilience throughout their matches. A special congratulations to Ethan L for making it all the way to the semi-finals—a brilliant achievement!

On Monday 24 March, three excited students bravely participated in a chess tournament, at Caulfield Grammar School in Wheelers Hill, against many students from seven other schools. Our chess participants were Rainier (Year 5), Erin and James (Year 3).

It was a tremendous effort and achievement for these three students, as many other schools had many more students in each team. Overall, Burwood East Primary School came 6th. Individually, Rainier and Erin earned 4 points out of 7 and James 3.5 points.

We are extremely proud of their effort and of the way that they represented our school in the community.

These students are part of the extra curricular program, Chess Ideas, that operates at Burwood East Primary School during recess on Tuesdays. Being part of the program has taught them skills to strategically anticipate their opponents' next moves, and ways to get out of difficult situations which may arise. Tremendous critical thinking skills are being developed.

Here is what some of our competitors have to say about being part of Chess Ideas and the tournament:

Rainier 5B: "I learned about different moves and the way of thinking to be strategic. The tournament was fun and a good experience. Some of us got medals."

James 3S: "I learned different skills to play chess. I loved the tournament and playing chess with my friends at lunch. I have improved by half a point."

If you would like your child to be part of the Chess Ideas Club, there is an enrolment form at the end of the newsletter.

All three students won several games with Rainer and Erin winning medals.

Well done to Arvin who has been excelling in cricket, and Lexi who is enjoying playing basketball.

Congratulations to Max who has participated in the FIBA 3XCup basketball event and was awarded the Hawthorn Magic 3XCUP U11 Champion!

In what has been an incredibly busy term for all members of our community, it is important to remember and acknowledge some of the wonderful achievements and successes throughout this term. We would like to extend a huge thank you to our community members for your participation in and support of the events and celebrations held this term.

We would also like to thank the staff at BEPS for their dedication and commitment to providing a dynamic and engaging curriculum, focused on quality learning and student wellbeing.

The following is a list of some of our events and celebrations this term:

'Foundation in Focus' afternoon
The interest from parents to join our PFA
School band synergising
Meet & Greet parent nights
Student leaders leading assembly
Harmony Day
Calligraphy Club
NAPLAN
STEM 3D Printing projects for I am an Eco-Warrior
Community morning tea
Senior school excursions
District and Divisional Swimming Carnivals
Student Voice Action Team selling Zooper Doopers and raising money to support others
GRIP Student Leadership Conference

As we walk through the school grounds it is great to see a decrease in the number of food wrappers brought to school. A big thanks to all families for their support in encouraging their children to pack food in reusable containers, and making choices that reflect our value of 'respect' for all that makes BEPS tick.

With Trash Free Tuesday now an established and regular event at school I’m interested to hear about other opportunities we might explore or initiatives to further reduce waste and promote environmental consciousness.

CCTV

We inform our community, as a courtesy, that we have internal school ground CCTV cameras at Burwood East PS. The purpose of these cameras is to provide security for our school campus outside of school hours. CCTV is a very effective deterrent and helps us to ensure we are not subject to vandalism. The footage is kept for a short time and is only accessed if there is an issue.

Safety on our School Crossing

Having crossing supervisors at our main intersection of Blackburn Road and Highbury Road is vital in supporting us to maintain community safety. Our crossing supervisors have a very important role to play in assisting all families to arrive at school safely. We need to make sure that we support our crossing supervisors to undertake their role by following their direction.

As we have this intersection crossing, we discourage families from crossing the road within 150m of the intersection. Walking out from behind a parked car can be very dangerous, as drivers may not see you or your child. There are always reports of unsafe behaviour from the community, and so we all need to work together to ensure there are no accidents.

Last week, we conducted an emergency drill for all students. A scenario-based drill involved students evacuating school buildings and classrooms to Evacuation Point One (Oval), simulating a scenario where all those onsite followed our safety procedures. We acknowledge the response and the maturity of our students to support this process.

ANZAC DAY Service – Thursday, 24th April:

On Friday 25 April, our School Leaders, together with many schools in the local area, will attended a service at Box Hill RSL memorial commemorating ANZAC Day and acknowledging the men and women who served. Our school leaders will lay a wreath to recognise the significance of the day. This opportunity provides a great way to teach our children about the importance and significance of ANZAC Day.

TEACHING OUR CHILDREN ABOUT ANZAC DAY

There are many ways that parents can get their children involved in the Anzac Day experience and enable them to gain an understanding of the important place Anzac holds in Australia’s history. Firstly, historical knowledge is important and there are many high quality, child-friendly accounts of the Anzac story and the Anzac characteristics that resonate with Australians.

Many of these books are available at local libraries; they are also available through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs free of charge. These books make it clear that Anzac Day is not an event glorifying war, but exactly the opposite. It is a time of reflection and remembrance; endurance, resourcefulness, courage, teamwork, loyalty and mateship are key attributes. These are virtues to be encouraged and emulated at any time, and are a part of our national story we can focus on around Anzac Day.

There is also, of course, the experience of taking your children to a Dawn Service March or other commemorative activity held on Anzac Day. All this will be more meaningful and educational if some of the previous reading and discussion has occurred. In any event, the questions that come from watching a march, studying a war memorial or experiencing the emotional stillness of the minute of silence and bugle call are opportunities to talk about the impact of war on Australia and the significance of the Anzac Story.

Happy Holidays!

After a very busy and productive term, we hope you can find time to relax and enjoy the company of your family and friends. For everyone who celebrates Easter, we wish you a happy and safe Easter. Easter is a time where Christians celebrate life and rebirth. It begins with Lent, during which some Christians fast and pray to prepare for Easter.

During the holiday period we celebrate by buying eggs (symbolising life) and this extends to the fun tradition of the Easter Bunny, where many families engage in hiding and hunting for eggs.

We look forward to seeing you all back for Term 2.

Yours in Partnership,

Darren

Melbourne Girls' College