LODGERS Magazine Issue 1

BERWICK LODGE PRIMARY SCHOOL
LODGERS
Issue 01
2018
www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au
@berwicklodgeps
STEM AT BERWICK
LODGE PRIMARY
Full STEM ahead…
A one page feature about the school’s new
science, technology, engineering and
mathematics extension program with STEM
educator George Spiridis.
CHESS PAINS
Ashwin’s quest to become Australia’s #1
Chess player!
INSIDE:
EYE OF THE
BEHOLDER
Great art at BLPS
NEW JONESES
Are we keeping
up with the new
Joneses?
MISS THOMAS
Why do our
LODGERS love
Miss Thomas?
Learning for Life| © Berwick Lodge Primary School

LODGERS MAGAZINE
Principal
Henry Grossek
Assistant Principal
Sandra McCrum
Assistant Principal
Angela Maskery
LETTER FROM THE
EDITOR…
Welcome to the first issue of LODGERS magazine!
School Council President
Brian Gardiner
Business Manager
Jodie Norton
Office Team
Julie Begley
Susan Wookey
Editor
Rob Kelly
(Digital Technologies Teacher)
Special thanks to:
Claire from Prep
Ryan from Prep
Tvisha from Prep
Chris from Prep
Jeb from Grade 4
Misha from Grade 4
Ashwin from Grade 6
Alice from Grade 6
Brianna from Grade 6
Lowan from Grade 6
Puneet from Grade 6
Miss Christine Thomas
and George Spiridis.
Front Cover Photo:
Joshua V
Back Cover Photo:
Lowan from 6P
Brainna from 6M
Ryan from Prep
Tvisha from Prep
Visit our social media pages
@berwicklodgeps or visit our
school website at
www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au
Telephone: 03 9707 1766
Today is Teacher Appreciation
Day. It is rather appropriate
timing as it coincides with the
release of this magazine and our
very own teacher appreciation
page at the back of this issue.
(Obviously I am biased, but I do
believe we have the best
teachers in the whole wide
world at Berwick Lodge Primary
School.) Over the next few
issues, we will be highlighting
many of our great Berwick
Lodge teachers and lots of our
students, too.
While this magazine is primarily
designed to showcase the many
exciting things we do at Berwick
Lodge Primary School, it also
provides us with a forum to
showcase our student’s fantastic
work. Our LODGERS produce
amazing work everyday and this
magazine gives us the
opportunity to share their work
with you. (Just have a look at
the brilliant artwork our
LODGERS are producing on our
Eye of the Beholder artwork
feature page!)
We have lots of great content
for you to read and look at in
this issue of LODGERS! We have
a one-page feature about our
STEM extension learning class,
an interview with our vice
school captain Ashwin as he
endeavorers to become
Australia’s number one chess
champion and we have a great
funny photos page that is
definitely worth a look, too.
We hope you enjoy flicking
through the page of our first
issue. Please let us know what
you think (and let us know what
you would like to see in future
issues) as we very much value
your feedback. You can contact
us directly or via social media
@berwicklodgeps.
Until next time, keep learning
for life!
Rob Kelly

LODGERS Spotlight
What have our LODGERS been enjoying and
learning about this term?
Claire from Prep says…
“I have learnt lots of things at school, but I liked making the
Anzac Day wreaths most of all with my buddy.”
Faith from Grade 3 says…
“I have learnt how to make more friends by playing with new
people. I have also learnt how to do my times tables!”
Ethan from Grade 3
“I have learnt about robotics. It is fun as I have learnt how to
build and create circuits and programs.”
Corey
from
Grade 6
says…
“Stem has been a really enjoyable part of my learning this year. I
am enjoying being part of RoboCup, too!”
Holly
from
Grade 6
says
“I have learnt
about the
importance
of Anzac Day.
In Maths, I
have learnt
about square roots.”
Alice from Grade 6 says…
“This term, I have enjoyed learning about our government! I have
also enjoyed learning about Sir Henry Parkes.”

NEW EPISODES OUT NOW!
VISIT US ON VIMEO!
VIEWER REVIEWS:

INQUIRY: WORLD EXPO
Around the world in 80
minutes…
The senior school students held
their very own World Expo day
on Wednesday, 9 May 2018.
LODGERS MAGAZINE was on the
scene to talk to the students
about their inquiry learning
projects…
Lowan from 6P has been
working on a project about
America. “I chose America as a
country to learn about because
my Dad is American. I have
learnt about the currency,
different sports and the
different foods they eat.”
The students spent weeks
learning about many different
countries of the world. Some
students produced posters while
other students produced digital
media presentations (such as
Powerpoint and Scratch
projects) and some even
created their own interactive
games!
Holly R from 6M has been
working on a project about
Russia. “I learnt that a typical
Russian drink is ‘baked milk’.”
Abbey from Grade 5W said, “In
Spain, basketball is a popular
sport.”
The expo provides the students
with an opportunity to display
and present their work to the
school community.
Taran from Grade 5C said, “We
are doing the expo so we can
learn about different counties
in our world. I am learning
about Austria. They play icehockey
and the currency is
Euros.”,m
The expo ran from 2.00pm to
3.20pm and was held in the
Grade 5 and 6 classrooms. For
80 minutes, the rooms were
packed with interested
students, parents and teachers
wanting to visit the expo from
across the school.
Alex from Grade 6C spent time
learning about Denmark. “I
learnt that in Denmark they
speak a language called Danish.
In Denmark, the people enjoy
playing soccer and handball.”
As an inquiry learning unit, the
World Expo gave our LODGERS
an open-ended opportunity to
explore and learn.
Tevin from Grade 6M said, “I
didn’t know that Lego was
created in Denmark until I
started learning about their
country.”
Alisha from Grade 6P said, “I
am learning about Mexico. I
learnt that they eat tacos
(which actually means 'small
snack'), nachos and burritos.”
Sophia from Grade 5K said, “I
am learning about Belgium. Did
you know that they actually
created French Fries! I didn’t!
In Belgium they speak French,
German and Dutch.”
Lauchie from Grade 5W said, “I
am learning about Austria! Did
you know they created the
croissant?”
Well done to everyone involved!
For more photos and videos of
the World Expo, check out the
Grade 5 and 6 classroom blogs
on the school website.

FULL STEM AHEAD
Every Tuesday morning at Berwick Lodge
Primary School, a select group of students from
Grade 4, 5 and 6 participate in a weekly STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
extension learning class with the school’s resident
STEM educator George Spiridis, the school’s Leading
ICT Teacher Michele Tan and the School’s Digital
Technologies Teacher Rob Kelly.
Every week, the students come to the
lessons bursting with enthusiasm, excitement and a
willing attitude to learn. Part of the success of the
STEM program has been the influx of girls wanting to
learn about STEM. Berwick Lodge prides itself on
offering safe, inclusive learnings spaces for all
students, but it has been particularly interesting to
observe more and more girls wanting to participate in
the program. Misha from Grade 4 is one of those
students. She enjoys learning new concepts and
coding strategies to further her understanding of how
the world works around her.
“I like to learn new and interesting
things and I really enjoy STEM. I am very curious
about it. It is like learning a new language…”
The students started in Term 1 by learning
how to use a Picaxe micro-controller (which uses the
programming language BASIC). This was used a
stepping stone to Arduino (another programmable
micro-controller which uses C/C++ programming
language). The Arduino is used to physically control
lights, motors and sensors to perform various
functions. As Misha rightly postulates learning to
program is like learning a new language. Few other
primary school students in Australia are learning to
use such complex hardware and software, but the
students at Berwick Lodge are diving in the deep end.
It’s universally agreed that in the next
few decades employability will depend heavily on
STEM related skills. Therefore, teaching STEM skills
to students at an early age can have a positive
impact on their future employability. As Jeb from
Grade 4 explains…
“It’s easier to soak in new information
when you’re young. The more you know when
you’re younger, the more you can understand in
the future. STEM is in nearly everything we do and
the more we know about it the better…”
Beyond these STEM extension learning
classes, the rest of the tеасhеrѕ at Berwick Lodge are
treating thе adoption оf STEM as раrt оf their weekly
lesson рlаnnіng as standard. Tеасhеrѕ wоrkіng
tоgеthеr hаvе tremendous роtеntіаl tо reform
еduсаtіоn and improve student engagement. From 3D
printing and micro-controllers to Lego robotics and
Scratch, a world of engaging STEM activities await
those wanting to engage their students.
STEM educator George Spiridis (with over
26 years of experience in education and a lifetime of
experience in engineering) said…
“The students have the opportunity to
experience the disciplines of science, technology,
engineering and mathematics through STEM. We
hope they will gain some level of knowledge and
skill to help them understand the interactions and
interconnectivity of these STEM disciplines. We
hope they are then able to apply the knowledge
and skills they have learnt to further studies. The
confirmation of the success of this STEM program
came in the form of a comment made to me by one
of our students from her astounded uncle (a
university lecturer) who was amazed that his niece
- in primary school - was understanding universitystandard
STEM related projects.”

GEORGE SPIRIDIS
Our very own STEM
educator George
Spiridis takes a break
between lessons…

Chess is a game of strategy and
logic. It has been played and
enjoyed by millions of people
around the world for centuries,
but there are few people in the
21st Century that play the ancient
game as well as Berwick Lodge’s
very own vice school captain
Ashwin.
Ashwin has participated in dozens
of chess competitions around
Victoria and Australia and has won
numerous medals and trophies to
prove it. Ashwin started playing
Chess in 2016 and hasn’t looked
back since…
“I stared to play chess after
watching my brother and mum
play. I become interested in it
and I picked it up fast. My mum
saw talent in me and encouraged
me to play more and more. After
attending chess coaching sessions,
I was ready to play in
tournaments.”
Ashwin’s brother attended the
tournaments with him and
CHESS PAINS
observed his
game strategy.
As Ashwin
made
mistakes on
the board, his brother was able to
assist him and coach him after
the game.
“After lots of tournaments, I
realised the game was helping me
in my daily life. I could solve
problems faster - and in more
creative ways than I could
before.”
It was while playing a game at
Hampton Park Primary School in
2016 that Ashwin learnt
something about himself that he
had never realised before…
“I was losing to people who had
just started playing the game,
and I was playing terribly. It was
painful. I got frustrated and angry
with myself. After the
tournament finished, I said I was
going to quit chess forever! My
mum became troubled since she
knew I had a great future in the
game and she tried to persuade
me to keep playing. Luckily, she
did! Mum helped me realise that
it's not about winning or loosing
the game, it’s about winning or
learning the game.”
Ashwin is currently playing chess
at tournaments at the Australian
Junior Chess Championships, the
Victorian youth championships,
the upcoming state
championships and he is playing
at the national finals in October,
2018, too. He also plays at the
Melbourne Chess Club and at inter
school chess tournaments.
According to the website Tornelo,
Ashwin is listed as one of the top
30 best chess players in Australia.

Eye Of The Beholder

OUT OF BOUNDS…
From Berwick Lodge to Bunjil Place…
NEW JONESES
A recent trip to Bunjil Place taught our LODGERS about
reducing waste, protecting the environment and the
importance of sustainability!
On a recent visit to Bunjil Place,
some of our LODGERS had the
opportunity of visiting Joneses’ Tiny
house. The house was erected in the
foyer of the new Bunjil complex in
Narre Warren.
Our LODGERS learnt about the
process of recycling, reducing waste,
sustainability and solar energy. The
exhibition provided the students with
the opportunity to ask questions and
explore ways to look after the
environment when they are at school
and at home.
to the impact it has on the
environment.”
Brianna from Grade 6 said, “I liked
seeing the TESLAR battery because I
hadn't seen one before.”
A BIG thank you to the parent helpers
who came along - and a special thank
you to Mrs McCrum for organising the
event.
Peter from Grade 6 said, “I enjoyed
learning about how to correctly treat
the environment. I was surprised to
learn that the size of a house matters

FUNNY PHOTOS…

MEET MISS THOMAS
Berwick Lodge’s new PA teacher!
She’s the new face of Performing Arts at Berwick
Lodge Primary School! Here is a few reasons why
our LODGERS love Miss Thomas…
“Miss Thomas is very friendly
and nice.”
- Chris from Prep
“Miss Thomas is so nice! She
spends time running the ZANCE
committee for us!”
- Puneet from Grade 6
“Miss Thomas is fun does lots
of cool stuff with us.”
- Yaneth from Prep
“I like Miss Thomas because
she makes all the activities
fun.”
- Oliver from Grade 2
“I like the way Miss Thomas
helps us sing.”
- Isabella From Prep
“She is beautiful and really
nice.”
- Kyah from Grade 4
“She always does a good job
when she’s teaching us.”
- Amelia from Grade 4
“She is an amazing teacher
and I love what she does in our
drama lessons!”
- Hayden from Grade 5

Berwick Lodge Primary School
Website: www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au
Address: 139-145 Mansfield St, Berwick VIC 3806
Phone: (03) 9707 1766