Lower Plenty Primary School

News

Northstar Chess Tournament.22 June 2009
Yesterday, a group of 11 students attended this fabulous day in Kangaroo Ground. Our volunteer, Bill Findlay, attended with myself and parents Sue Ware and Katherine Pepper. Bill has been kindly training the students throughout the year. Other students in attendance were from Arthur’s Creek, Glen Katherine, Panton Hill and the hosts Kangaroo Ground Primary School. A credit award, for winning the majority of their games, was given to Jed Stuart, Callum Randell, Kevin Li, Daniel Dansey, Josh Scott and Amelia Pepper. Amelia also received a medal for the overall third placed girl. Sarah Ware, Lauren Ware, Brodie Scott, Jackson Haglund and Jack Tsaparis also did well on the day. Well done to all the students who attended and many thanks to Sue and Katherine for assisting with the transport and buying the coffees!

Parent/Teacher Meetings next Tuesday.16 June 2009
We will be conducting the mid-year Parent/Teacher Meetings on Tuesday, 23rd June from 3.40 to 8.00pm. There may also be opportunities for a meeting with your child’s teacher sometime between 9.00 and 3.30 on this day. (Please refer to the handouts re. this.) The aim of these interviews is to provide a forum for discussion of the mid-year reports and any concerns or issues you may have regarding your child’s learning. Each child should have received handouts today with all the details regarding the appointment process and they are aslo available on this web site. Reports should be ready to go home the previous day. Parents who cannot attend meetings on June 23rd, please make an alternate arrangement with the teacher.

District Cross Country.2 June 2009
Lower Plenty PS students again did themselves proud at last Friday’s District Cross Country. Several students have progressed to the zone stage. Thank you to Mr Kendall, Mr Hewat and Mr Wall for preparing the students so well. Mr Kendall has a more comprehensive report further in the newsletter.

Jan Kronberg MLC Visit25 May 2009
The school was visited Monday by Jan Kronberg MLC, the State Liberal Member for Eastern Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council. Jan toured the school, met staff and students and spoke to our community at assembly. She was most impressed with LPPS and wished us well with our upcoming building works. Jan was especially taken by the community feel at assembly and the competent manner in which the assembly was conducted by our students.

Exciting News for Lower Plenty PS!21 May 2009
School Building Project Proposal - Building the Education Revolution/Better Schools Today/National School Pride Programs. Last week I received confirmation from the Economic Stimulus Plan Team that the Rural Replacement School Template proposal for Lower Plenty PS will go ahead. This is exciting news for our school as it guarantees our long term viability and will provide our students and teachers with modern and progressive teaching and learning spaces. Families and visitors will also be received in a much more attractive and practical entrance and reception area. Families in the area will have the option to attend a virtual new school that still maintains a comfortable enrolment size, has great programs and learning outcomes and vast outdoor play areas. The new buildings will be complimented with repair and refurbishing of the remaining buildings, diminishing long term maintenance issues. Several weeks ago the School Council held an extraordinary meeting, open to all the school community, where the building proposal was presented and discussed. The meeting overwhelmingly voted in favour of the proposal, on the condition that the GP Room and Room 6 be kept along with the Hall and Art room. I will give families further information and project plans as they become available. A summary of the details we currently have is as follows: • Federal BER and State BST funding will be combined and topped up to rebuild the school. • The building replacement project will be a ‘Rural Replacement School Template’. This will be built to cater for up to 125 students. (Currently we have 117 students.) An enrolment above 125 may see a relocatable provided. • The project is earmarked for Round 3 envisaged to begin August/September this year. Completion would be around mid 2010. • All timber buildings will be demolished except the ‘heritage’ classroom (room 6). This will try to be incorporated into the new building configuration, but may need to be a standalone building. • The Hall. Art room and GP room (Out of Hours School Care) will remain. • Remaining buildings will be repaired and refurbished with funding through the National Schools Pride program. • The new building will include 5 very large classrooms, library, withdrawal rooms, toilets, first aid, reception/office, staffroom, meeting rooms and storerooms. • An assigned Project Manager will oversee the entire project including the initial demolition works and location and configuration of the new building. • Classes will be relocated on-site during construction. The school may require assistance from parents during the de-camping stage.

Veggie Soup on the Way!21 May 2009
Science teacher Talitha Pearce has been working with a group of year P-2 students to establish a vegetable garden. The students have prepared the garden bed and planted an array of vegetable seeds which have begun to germinate grow very well. The group are currently watering and tending to the garden through the week. Meanwhile, the students have also been growing plants indoors and analysing their response to different liquids.

Enrol Now for 2010!13 May 2009
Families need to enrol new students for Lower Plenty PS by July 31st.

LPPS Sport Stars.12 May 2009
Congratulations to Year 5 student Amelia for making the Zone Trials in Netball last week. Amelia is having a great sporting year, already making the zone stage in netball, tennis, volleyball and swimming. A great all round effort in sport from Amelia! Year 6 student Jack also made it through to the Eastern Yarra regional Football trials this week at Carey Grammar. Jack is a very fast, skilful and determined footballer and he did very well to progress as far as he did. LPPS certainly punches above its weight in sport!

Bunnings BBQ .12 May 2009
The Lower Plenty PS Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings Eltham on Sunday raised over $700 for the school. I sincerely appreciate and thank the parents who gave their valuable Mother’s Day time to assist on the day. Much credit goes to Leanne McLaughlan in particular who organised the event and worked tirelessly all throughout the day. Other families to help on Sunday were Jury, Velo, Scott, Pepper, Judkins, Hatton, Dwyer, Marshall, Corrie, Offerman, Rapsey, Andrew, Sutterby, Dansey, Howe and Tsaparis. Thanks guys! LPPS is holding two more Bunnings BBQs this year on Saturday July 18 and September 12. The students enjoyed the left over sausages for lunch. Thanks again Leanne!

Lunch Orders on Thursday Trial.12 May 2009
The Organic Kitchen in Diamond Creek have offered to provide lunches for students every Thursday starting this week. The company provide a range of homemade lunch options at reasonable prices. We will trial the service for the rest of Term 2. We have attached their lunch menu. Please note that orders must be brought to school on Wednesdays. Thursday Lunch Order Instructions: 1. On a lunch order bag, write your child’s name, grade and order. 2. Include exact money. 3. Bring to school on Wednesday. 4. Lunches delivered Thursday. Parents must contact The Organic Kitchen directly on 9438 4057 if any problems or late orders.

Mother’s Day Stall.12 May 2009
Last Friday’s Mother’s Day Stall was again a huge hit with the students and raised valuable funds for the school. There was a wide variety in the selection of gifts and I’m sure all the mums enjoyed receiving them on Sunday. A big thank you to our PFA President Sue Ware for organising the stall and to all the helpers on the day.

Peer Mediation Program.27 April 2009
Select students have been chosen to be part of a Peer Mediation Program. These students will be trained and available to assist other students in the school yard who are having minor problems such as disagreements or spats. The mediators will be identified by wearing a bright yellow jacket. Students will be encouraged to seek their assistance in resolving problems before going to a teacher. Thank you to Wayde Kendall for organising this iniative.

LPPS Volleyball District Premiers.27 April 2009
Last Thursday, LPPS defeated St Francis 3 sets to 1 to win the Montmorency District Girl’s Volleyball Premiership. It was an exciting game, with two of the sets decided by a few points. After being runner-up in 2008, the girls had another fine season and were undefeated. It was a pleasure coaching the team, as all the girls were willing to work hard to improve their skills and team play in a game that can be quite challenging for children to play. Importantly, they genuinely enjoyed training and the games and never lost focus throughout the season. I would like to thank the many parents and students who attended the game to give great support to the team, and particularly Trish Bennetts for making the fantastic coloured streamers.

Anzac Day Service at Montmorency RSL.27 April 2009
Last Wednesday, Leo Sorenson from the RSL came and spoke to our students about the meaning and significance of Anzac Day.The students listened intently to his presentation and had some very interesting questions at the end. Thank you to Sarah Ware and Callum Randell for laying a memorial wreath on behalf of the school at the Anzac Day Service in Montmorency last Saturday. Our volunteer, Bill Findlay, marched proudly on the day which was also attended by many families from the school. Thank you to Heather Bass for arranging the wreath.

LPPS Sport.20 April 2009
Cricket - District Runners-Up. The cricket team narrowly lost an exciting final to St. Francis. Scores were level at the end of 14 overs each and extra overs had to be played to decide the result. Unfortunately, our boys came up a liitle short in the end but the result could have gone either way. Congratulations to St. Francis. Our team had a tremendous season and well done to all the boys and coach Matt Hewat. Volleyball District Final. The girls will play in the final at school against St. Francis on Thursday morning at around 9.15am. Good luck girls! We encourage parents to come along and support the team.

UNSW Assessments1 April 2009
LPPS Students in Year 3-6 have the opportunity to sit the University of NSW tests. This assessment compares students with others across Australia. Parents are given official results and there are certificates given as awards. There is a cost involved for each subject test that the student sits. I have included more information and a permission slip with the newsletter for interested parents.

The Power of One – Anti-Bullying Performance.1 April 2009
The school enjoyed a performance of ‘The Power of One’ anti bullying show last Thursday. At the end of the show the students recited the ‘Power of One Oath’: I will Not Bully Others. I will Not Stand By While Others Are Bullied. I Will Report Bullying Wherever I See It. Because I Have the Power Of One. All students signed the pledge poster which will be displayed in the school foyer.

School Council AGM and New Members1 April 2009
Last Monday the School Council AGM was held with the 2008 School Annual Report presented to members. This document is now available for the school community to read on this website. We then had the first official meeting of the ‘new’ School Council where we welcomed new parent members Marcell Judkins, Paul Scott and Janine Andrew and new staff member Lilia Severo. As we had only three parent nominations for the three vacancies the school was not required to hold a formal election. Andrew Telburn was re-elected as President, Mary Ann Morgan is Vice-President, Dale Ware treasurer and Heather bass Secretary. We thank the following people for their services to School Council over recent years: Kathryn Pepper, Jason Cleeve, Andrea Sutterby and Christine Rutherford. I would particularly like to acknowledge Kathryn who has served on SC for the past six years and is a former SC President. School council also formed it’s Sub-committees for 2009. *Any parents not on School Council are also encouraged to join any of these groups: Education/ICT: Jenny Solly (Convenor), Rick Theunissen, Mark Turnbull. Finance: Dale Ware (Convenor), Andrew Telburn, Mark Turnbull Buildings and Grounds: Wayde Kendall (Convenor), Paul Scott, Rick Theunissen. Out of Hours School Care: Mary Ann Morgan (Convenor), Marcel Judkins. Community Liaison: Heather bass (Convenor), Lilia Severo, Janine Andrew, Lynne Lohrey, Jenny Dwyer.

2009 School Leaders1 April 2009
Congratulations to the following 2009 School Leaders who were presented with their badges at assembly. School Captains: Chloe Coventry and Jack O’Neill-Paterson School Vice-Captains: Sarah Ware and Callum Randell Junior School Council Representatives: The above year 6 students and Sarah Starziczny and Jack Tsaparis (Year 5), Lauren Ware and Brodie Hatton (Year 4) and Emma Jury and Jackson Hagland (Year 3). House Captains: Prosperity (Blue) – Brittany Fiddes and Riley Howe. Chverton (Green) – Courtney Chesser and Jordan Sutterby Rosehill (Red) – Abbie Pobjoy and Corey Lumsden Panorama (Yellow) – Jaimie Brear and Tom Taylor.

VPSSA Tennis Championships.19 March 2009
Congratulations to Jack O’Neil-Paterson, Corey Lumsden, Sarah Ware, Amelia Pepper, Olivia Dwyer and Riley Cleeve for representing the school in the zone tennis trial last week at Montmorency. Jack, Corey, Amelia and Sarah all played their way through to the Region stage to be held in Bendigo soon. A great effort!

Annual Car Boot Sale Another Great Success23 March 2009
Again, the LPPS Community excelled on Sunday, raising over $5,000 for our students! Whilst numbers were slightly down on last year, a big crowd attended throughout the day and enjoyed the many boot sales, stalls and activities on offer. There was a crockery smash stall, dunny roll throw, face painting, sand painting, mini-golf, reverse draw, spinning wheel, sausage sizzle, fairy floss,refreshments, cakes and music. The school was abuzz with people and activitiy and a it was great promotion for us. Almost all our students attended with their families for part of the day which was great to see . I really enjoyed bringing my band along to play some songs. To Sue Ware and the PFA, Leanne McLaughlan, Lynne Lohrey, Vicki Corrie, Julie and Daryl Cox and the many other parents and friends who assisted on the day and in the days leading up- thank you for your outstanding commitment, help and organisation. I will not mention every individual by name for fear of leaving someone out we know who you are!. Well done also to Linda and the Staff for their magnificent support and assistance. We also appreciate the contributions of local businesses who donated variuos items for the day.

Tasmanian Tour a Great Success17 March 2009
Last Tuesday evening, 36 excited Year 5/6 students sailed on the Spirit of Tasmania. It was a relief that no-one was sick on the boat due to the relatively calm voyage. We arrived in Devonport on Wednesday morning and had breakfast at a local hotel before heading off on our bus tour with friendly driver Wayne. First stop was the Marakoopa Caves at Mole Creek where we saw huge caverns full of stalactites, stalagmites and glow worms. Australia’s Oldest Bridge in Richmond, Tasmania. From there we headed to the quaint town of Deloraine and had a picnic lunch on the river, before heading to Launceston. The chairlift ride across the spectacular Cataract Gorge was a highlight of the trip. I’m sure the students had not seen such green grass in a long time. That night we enjoyed dinner at a local Lion’s Club before settling in at our motel. The next day began with a visit to the Launceston City Park and the Japanese Macaque monkeys before we boarded the bus for the long trip through the centre of Tasmania to Hobart. Along the way we stopped at the beautiful historic towns of Ross and Oatlands. Near Richmond was ‘Zoo Doo’ Animal Park which proved a huge hit with the students as they got to see, touch and feed various animals up close as well as see Tasmanian Devils and lions being fed. It was very funny when the emus, ostriches and camels stuck their heads in our truck looking for food. From there we headed to Hobart and the Cadbury chocolate factory where we learned how chocolate is made and then shopped for tasty samples. A Hobart motel provided a lovely dinner before we set off for a walk around the local streets. The next morning we set off for Port Arthur where we had a tour of some of the sites and explored the buildings before enjoying a cruise around the local waters. After lunch we headed off to see some of the natural beauty of the coastline. The tour ended with a visit to the old town of Richmond. There we saw Australia’s oldest bridge and shopped ‘til we dropped at the Olde Lolly Shop. The flight back to Melbourne was an exciting way to finish what had been a whirlwind but unforgettable Tassie experience for all. The state of Tasmania should be very proud of the way they have preserved so many 19th century buildings as they are a common sight right throughout the state. Tasmania also put on its best weather for us while we were there. I would like to thank Matt Hewat, Jenny Solly and Liz Offerman for attending the tour with me and ensuring a great time was had by all, and particularly Matt for his thorough organisation. I would also like to thank and compliment the students for their excellent behaviour and high enthusiasm and their parents too for taking them to Station Pier and collecting them from the airport. I have included some photos in the newsletter.

Learn Singing or Guitar at School5 February 2009
Professional musician Julie Haigh is offering group or private singinging and/or guitar lessons every Friday. There is a fee involved.

Lunchtime Library2 February 2009
Mrs Rutherford is opening the Library every Wednesday lunchtime Come in and read a book, do some homework or research on the computer.

It's A Boy!10 February 2009
William Ryder Kendall. Born 10.2.09. 8.2lbs. Congratulations to year 2/3 teacher Wayde Kendall and his wife Amy.

Chess Club Starts2 February 2009
Join Bill for a game of chess every Friday lunchtime.

New Music Teacher2 February 2009
Welcome Mr Gary McKie who will be taking music, band and music technology.

Specialist Science Program Has Begun.2 February 2009
All grades now have Science in the Science Room with Ms Pearce.

Diary Dates

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