2011 Newsletter 26 - Doncaster Primary School

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“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt attributes are necessary due to Australia’s social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity and the fact that major changes in the world are placing new demands on Australian education: • Global integration and international mobility have increased rapidly in the past decade • India, China and other Asian nations are growing and their influence on the world is increasing (which requires Australians to be Asia literate) • Globalisation and technological change are placing greater demands on education and skill development • Complex environmental, social and economic pressures that extend beyond national borders pose unprecedented challenges, requiring countries to work together in new ways • Rapid and continuing advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) are changing the ways people share, use, develop and process information and technology • These unique national and international contexts constitute the drivers for an intercultural understanding field trial. Doncaster Primary School’s school vision, mission and values create a culture in which all children are engaged: behaviourally; emotionally; cognitively. The author, Sergiovanni, asserts that schools must be ‘caring and learning communities’ (Sergiovanni 2000). The objectives of our learning community are reflected in the Strategic Plan, Annual Implementation Plan, Team Charters and Performance Plans for all staff, plus Term planners and Individual Learning Plans for children. ‘Living the Values – the Ways We Want to be Treated’, is a ‘Values Program’ that builds trust and understanding. It transcends culture, gender, disability, economic and social status. Building a sense of belonging and connectedness to the school has been achieved through this ‘Values Program’. It also builds the capacities of all and creates shared school-wide agreed practice in all areas of school life. We have been vigilant in addressing the hidden curriculum that is the way people treat each other and how this is reciprocated. Celebration of diversity, in all its forms, has been demonstrated through the breadth of the curriculum. The Arts includes: Chinese Music, Dance and Drumming; African Drumming; Artist in Residence; Extensive Clubs program, calling on community support from Doncaster Community Church of Christ, St John Ambulance and Doncaster-Templestowe Badminton Association. Hosting of overseas students and involvement in NALSSP to develop an Asia inclusive curriculum have also enriched the school culture. Building relationships between all, students, parents and staff, is the glue that holds us together as a strong learning community. The values and intercultural understandings provide the structure in which we build relationships, through which we support and challenge each other to learn and grow. It is within this context that we happily worked with 89.9 LightFM to host a birthday party for Annie. Annie and her family have had a very challenging time in the last few months. Her birthday party was cancelled due to the death of her grandmother. Her mother has been in hospital for two weeks. Annie needed to know that she is part of a school community that cares, not only about her, but about every single child, parent and staff member. E ach one is special and amazing! Enormous thanks to Mr Wic her for liaising with Linda Bailey (our former School Chaplain) to make this special event happen. Highlights from the morning are on the LightFM website - www.lightfm.com.au . When we celebrate in such a way, as we did this morning, it builds our relationships with each other, makes us stronger as a community and makes each one of us feel special. ANOTHER SPECIAL and AMAZING PERSON in OUR COMMUNITY It saddens me to report that our much admired and loved crossing supervisor, Matt, is finishing his role tomorrow, Friday 2n d September. We are most grateful to him for the dedicated, enthusiastic and reliable service he has provided at Doncaster Primary School for over a decade. His humour and knowledge of the children and their families will be sorely missed. We will farewell him at tomorrow’s Whole School Assembly, at 2.45pm in our gymnasium. Please be there to say ‘thank you’! OUR PRODUCTION - ‘HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, JR’ As you will be aware, our students in Grades 4 to 6 are busy rehearsing for the production. Everyone is thoroughly enjoying the experience! All children in Grades 4 to 6 are involved in the production. Page 2 Children in Grades Prep to 3 will walk to Doncaster Secondary College to watch the matinee performance on Thursday 15th September. A notice will be sent home shortly. Information regarding ticket sales and performance dates are included on page 7 of this week’s Bulletin. If you have any queries, please phone the Office on 9848 1122. Thank you to those families who regularly return the ‘I Have Read the Bulletin’ Reply Slip. Unfortunately, due to lack of interest, this will not longer appear in the Bulletin.
PARENT PARTICIPATION - PARENT SURVEY On Monday 22nd August, 76 families received a randomly selected and anonymous Parent Opinion Survey. Thank you to the many families who have returned their completed survey. If you have yet to return your survey, please do so as soon as possible. I can guarantee you that they are entirely anonymous and we use your feedback to make our excellent school even better! RAINY DAY GAMES! Our Level 4 teachers are asking for donations of board games, particularly Chess, for the students to use on wet days. The Chess games don’t need to be full sets! Please send your donations to the Level 4 building, or speak to Mr Poulton for more information. ENROLMENTS for 2012 If your child, or those of your relatives and friends, turn 5 years old by 30th April 2012, then they are eligible to be enrolled at school. We would encourage you to enrol this term, as this will assist us in planning our ‘Transition Program’ in Term 4. ‘BRIGHT BEGINNINGS’ - BELONGING, BEING, BECOMING Our Bright Beginnings playgroup operates on Friday mornings from 9.30 to 11am. A detailed information broc hure regarding our ‘Bright Beginnings’ Playgroup is available from the Office. IN THIS WEEK’S BULLETIN • ICAS Congratulations (page 4) • Surprise Party Photos (page 5) • Homework Club (page 6) • Multicultural Mathematics (page 7) • High School Musical, JR’ (page 7) • Parent Forum Survey (page 8) • Chinese Translation Service, Cake Raffle, Before School Sport and Sports Shirts information (page 9) • Toolbox Parenting (page 10) • Action Drama (page 10) Page 3 • Bulletin and Notice Email List reply slip (page 11) • WiseOnes (page 11) • Sports Expo information (page 12) • Advertising (page 13) These attachments provide a great deal of information about our school program. I highly recommend them to you! Regards, Vicki Mackrell Principal Congratulations to all of the children who competed at our House Athletics carnival. The results achieved at House Athletics were used to put together our District Athletics Team. Even though there were many students with very impressive results, we cannot take all of you! We are limited by the number of places we can offer in the athletics events so we had to make difficult selections. We wish our students who are representing Doncaster Primary at the Doncaster District Athletics Day the very best. These children will be competing on Thursday 22 September. We are offering our District Athletics Team early morning training sessions with Georgie at 8.15am. Please meet Georgie at the Sports Shed any morning of the week, as many mornings as you like!! Regards, Dimitra Ferizis Team Leader
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Page 9 and 10: Chinese Translation Service, Each F
Page 11 and 12: Page 11 Coming up Term 4, 2011 . .
Page 13: Transport to and from School I am a

2011 Newsletter 26 - Doncaster Primary School

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