Burwood BUZZ
Aiming for the Stars

Friday, 2024 - Term 2  Week 8

With voices clear, all at Burwood Public School Acknowledge the Wangal Clan as the Traditional Custodians of this place. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

With Deeds Not Words we learn, grow and care for Country together with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters, Aunties and Uncles.

You will have noticed the fencing around the building at 52 Railway Pde ( behind the council carpark). The P & C and I had meetings with the council and developer around this building project over a year ago but had not heard anything since so we were surprised not to be notified that work was starting. The P & C has contacted the council and been told the following information:

 • Council is waiting on Holdmark, the developer,  for the same information (schedule/traffic/hazardous materials)

• Library car park will remain for 2024 (Cultural Centre development delayed) 

• Challenge of working with LGA/State/Federal governments, Council has regular meetings with Infrastructure NSW and might be effective in the form of advocacy for the School, raising issues in a relevant and timely manner on our behalf. 

The P & C is working to create a collaboration framework between the school/P&C/Council, addressing these challenges and opportunities at BPS. Sek-Mun, our P & C representative and I are meeting with the developer representative from Holdmark next week.  Thank you to the P & C and Sek-Mun in particular for all their work.

One of the best supports parents can give to their children is reading to them, modelling reading for pleasure and encouraging children to read. Research shows:

• Reading to Kinder to year 2 children every day has a significant positive effect on their reading skills and cognitive skills (i.e., language and literacy, numeracy and cognition) later in life. 

• Children read to more frequently achieve higher scores on the NAPLAN tests for both Reading and Numeracy in Year 3 (age 8 to 9). · These differences in reading and cognitive skills are not related to the child’s family background or home environment but are the direct result of how frequently they have been read to prior to starting school.  (education.vic.gov.au)

• Reading improves critical thinking: Children and adults who read have better critical and analytical thinking skills, which is very useful in academic settings.

• Reading impacts career: Teenagers who read for fun are more likely to get managerial or professional jobs in adulthood.

Reading and being read to, then discussing a book, involves active engagement of the brain rather than the more passive engagement of being on-line or watching television. Reading, and being read to, builds vocabulary and children’s capacity to focus. I encourage all parents and carers to join Burwood Library and take your child to borrow books to share at home.

If you have a child who will come to school in 2025, please go to our website to complete the online enrolment as soon as possible. The office will then email you to arrange the enrolment interview to finalise your child’s enrolment. Information on starting school, including information about the orientation program, can be found on the school website. If you need any support, please do not hesitate to contact the school office on 97452299.

We have been selected to have students perform at the School Spectacular this year! Congratulations to our dance groups and to Ms Mitchell and Mrs Tarran who give so much time to run our amazing dance program. Twelve students will be selected to perform in November.

Good luck to our junior and senior dances who are performing at the Seymour Centre tonight and Monday night. 

Good luck also to our strings and recorder students who are performing in the Festival of Instrumental Music at the Opera House on Tuesday.

As we will soon be decommissioning School E-News you will notice an increased amount of notifications, letters and correspondence being sent via School Bytes. To ensure that you are up to date with everything going on please ensure that you have not marked our emails as SPAM.

Congratulations to the senior dance group who were successful in their audition for the 2024 Schools Spectacular! Primary and high schools from all over the state audition for this production and we were lucky to be selected to participate again.

12 of our dancers will represent our school in the segment called 'Friends' with other schools from around the Sydney region. We will attend rehearsals during term 4 and perform in 4 shows at the end of November. 

This is a wonderful achievement for our dancers and we are very proud of them all!

Ms Mitchell

Get ready for a fun-filled Pyjama Day! On Wednesday 3rd July 2024 (Week 10), all students are invited to wear their favorite sets of pyjamas to school. It's a cozy way to show your school spirit and support a great cause. Don't forget to bring a gold coin donation, which will go towards supporting our Year 6 students. Let's make this day memorable while helping out our school community. See you in your PJs!

This week all students in Years K-2 started a 3 week program with coaches from the AFL schools program. The program has been funded through a grant we received through the Sporting Schools initiative to increase children's participation in sport.

Student's in K-2 are developing skills in throwing, catching, kicking and teamwork. Students had great sessions this week and are looking forward to the next 2 weeks!

On Wednesday night Alicia and Eden from Year 6 represented Burwood PS as student comperes at the Dance Festival. They were selected from an audition, with many other primary and high school students also vying for the role.

On the night, Alicia and Eden displayed excellent public speaking skills, speaking in front of a large audience in 2 shows. This was an excellent opportunity for Alicia and Eden and we received positive feedback from the festival staff about their enthusiastic approach toward their role. 

Congratulations Alicia and Eden! 

Our senior dance group attended their technical rehearsal today and will be performing their item 'Oh the thinks you can think!' inspired by the Cat in the Hat tonight!

Our junior dance group will have their rehearsal and performance on Monday night. Our juniors will be performing their item 'Part of their world' inspired by The Little Mermaid, with many dancers excited to perform on stage for the very first time!

We will share pictures of all our dancers in the next newsletter. 

This term in the library, students in Years 3-6 are learning to code.

Using Microsoft’s MakeCode software, we have coded the micro:bits to play a game of Rock Paper Scissors. The code programs the micro:bit to pick a random number between 1 and 3 whenever it is shaken. We then code it to show either a rock, paper, or scissors depending on what number was chosen. It has been fun playing Rock Paper Scissors against a computer!

When:Term 3 Week 5 – Tuesday 20th August (20/8/24)

What: an information session focused on Reading (during Book Week)

Who: Interested parents and carers

Where: At school

More information available closer to the date.

On Thursday 13 June, Kate from Year 6 participated in the Sydney East Regional Netball Trials at Sydney Olympic Park. She was one of 110 other students competing for a spot on the Regional Team that represents all of Sydney East.

During the day, Kate demonstrated outstanding play and sportsmanship over 6 competitive games. She impressed the selectors and was ultimately chosen to be one of the 10 girls to represent Sydney East in the upcoming PSSA Championships in August.

A huge congratulations to Kate! This is the first time a student from Burwood Public School has made such an amazing achievement in netball. We are all incredibly proud and wish her the best of luck at the PSSA Championships!

During the week, students learn together in our Buddy Program.  During this week, Muyang and David, who both speak Mandarin as their first language, enjoyed sharing a story together in Mandarin, alongside Kate Sweeting, EAL/D teacher.  

Kindy Buddy Experience 

On Wednesday in Week 7, Year 6 had lots of fun reading picture books with our assigned kindy buddies. It allowed all the Year 6 students to socialise with the kindies and help their reading skills. However, as fun as the activity seemed, it was also quite challenging, as many of the kindies had a short attention span, and therefore we had to work hard to keep them engaged and entertained throughout the session. We had a great time together and we look forward to another opportunity to spend time with the kindy kids.

By: Alicia, Keenan & Josephine (6O)

It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm and engagement from both parents and students during our recent book ‘stall’. Your active participation in exploring books, fostering thoughtful discussions, and spreading the joy of reading was lovely to witness.

Due to popular demand, we are delighted to announce that the Student Representative Council (SRC) will be offering more free books on Monday 1 July, near the Conder Street gate. This event promises to be another fantastic opportunity for our school community to discover new stories and celebrate the power of literature, just in time for the school holidays. Wishing you enjoyable holiday reading! 

The Student Representative Council would like to thank all students for their careful efforts in placing bottles and containers in the designated recyclable bins. Their commitment to sustainability is commendable and greatly contributes to a cleaner school environment. Look at how much we have collected so far!

Thank you to the P&C for some unexpected funds left over from our grant last year. We have purchased another violin for our fantastic music program, a portable amplifier/speaker and two guiros. As you can see our students are loving our new equipment.

Emily and Kingsley playing the Guiros    Noah using the amplifier with his electric guitar

Festival of Instrumental Music - Tuesday 25 June 

Students have been working very hard on their music for their performance at the Festival of Instrumental music next week. 

Notes have been sent home with the meeting point after the concert and information regarding what to bring and wear. 

Students should be memorising their parts as no music will be used on the day.

They all have access to their parts on their Google classroom. Please encourage them to practise with these.

Beginner Orchestra 

Monday 8:00am 

Any students who have been learning the Violin, Viola, Cello, Flute or Saxophone for at least 2 terms are invited to join our ensemble in the music room. There is no charge. 

Senior Orchestra 

No Senior Orchestra in Week 9 due to the Festival of Instrumental Music

If your child cannot access Google classroom please scan the green QR code for String music.

CHOIRS

K-2 Choir

K-2 choir has been finished for Term 2. There will be a new day for next term please check the Newsletter for updates.

Primary Proms Choir 

Some students will be invited this term to go and perform at the Sydney Town Hall in September. Notes will go out at the end of next week. There is a $40 cost involved. 

We only have 24 spots available so if you are offered a place and your child cannot meet the commitment please let Mrs Wijngaarden know as soon as possible. 

We are still taking new students in Year 3 and 4 who would like to join our Choir on Wednesday morning 8:00am. 

Students have been given access to Google classroom with their practice music on it. 

If your child cannot access Google classroom please scan the yellow QR code to access the practice music.

Performance Choir

Festival of Choral Music

We have been offered 24 spots in the Festival of Choral Music in August. Students perform with other schools from around NSW at the Sydney Opera House. There is a $40 cost involved.

Notes will be sent home by the end of Week 9 to students who regularly attend Performance choir. If your child gets offered a place and cannot attend the dates please let Mrs Wijngaarden know as soon as possible. 

New students in Year 5 and 6 are invited to join our Choir on Thursday morning at 8:00 am. 

Students have been given access to Google classroom with their practice music on it. 

If your child cannot access Google classroom please scan the red QR code to access the practice music.

Recorder groups 

Advanced Recorder 

Students will need to access Google classroom so they can use the resources available to help them practice. Please encourage your child to practice. 

If your child cannot access Google classroom please scan the blue QR code to access the practice music.

INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS

Kindergarten Violin/Viola and Cello lessons - Term 3

Lessons are now open for Kindergarten students interested in learning Violin, Viola or Cello. 

Lessons are available in Beginner groups for 1 term or individually. 

A limited number of hire instruments are available through the school (subject to availability). 

For more information please scan the QR code or follow the link below.

https://forms.gle/rTKoYr4F7UN5tRhi7

Is your child interested in learning an instrument? Years 1 - 6

We have many instruments available to hire and learn. 

If you are interested in one of the following instruments please scan the QR code or follow the link below. 

Any questions please see Mrs Wijngaarden. 

Violin        Viola        Cello 

Flute        Clarinet    Saxophone

For more information scan the QR code.

 https://forms.gle/TXfhjHCWESruSP998

BPS Music ensemble timetable

As part of a restorative approach, teachers are implementing a new technique in their classrooms called P3 P3 F3. This method involves three phases which helps students to effectively resolve social conflicts and minor issues efficiently.

The first P3 focuses on discussing the past. Students are encouraged to provide a brief summary of what happened without assigning blame. This helps everyone understand the situation without dwelling on the details. 

The second P3 centers on the present, where students talk about their feelings regarding the incident. They use words like sad, frustrated, or angry to express the impact on their relationships. This step emphasises the importance of empathy and recognising emotional harm.

Finally, the F3 phase is about the future. Students are encouraged to start their sentences with "I will" to take personal responsibility for resolving the issue. They come up with actionable steps to repair the harm and improve their relationships. Teachers also follow up to ensure these actions are completed.

By using P3 P3 F3, students learn to take ownership of their actions and develop essential problem-solving skills. This approach fosters a positive and respectful classroom environment.

Join us to celebrate our community at the Burwood Library Language Festival on Saturday 22 June 2024. Come along from 10:30am-4:00pm and experience our language diversity over demonstrations, food and performances, a great opportunity to meet meet people from all over the world, learn from each other and have fun. Click below for more information and to register. 

https://www.burwood.nsw.gov.au/For-Residents/Burwood-Library/Library-Events/Burwood-Library-Language-Festival-ev_4164f9f8fcb34d4ba0f47eee4eee1676

This week, Council held a road safety pop-up stall, in partnership with Burwood Police Area Command to promote pedestrian and footpath safety. Remember when crossing the road to stop, look, listen and think before you cross. Come along and say hello at our next pop-up on Wednesday 26 June 2024 from 11:00am at Railway Parade (outside Burwood Plaza).

Please note, the advertisement placed in the newsletter are either community users or local community activities. Their inclusion in the newsletter does not imply that the school endorses the products or services. Payment is paid directly to the company.