Risdon Vale Primary School
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2 Heather Road
Risdon Vale TAS 7016
Subscribe: https://risdonvaleprimary.education.tas.edu.au/subscribe

Email: Risdon.Vale.Primary@education.tas.gov.au
Phone: 03 6242 5222
Fax: 03 6242 5299

12 April 2017

Newsletter Articles

From the AST

Hello Parents, Carers and Friends

This newsletter marks the end of Term 1 and the start of our first holiday break. I would like to wish all students and their families a safe holiday period and happy Easter.

Over the last fortnight, both our Prep/Grade 1 classes participated in a musical excursion to the Federation Concert Hall to watch the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra perform a unique concert for young students. We have also begun Grade 6 Future Planning sessions, held our School Association Annual General Meeting and handed out a record number of books to our Launching into Learning high attenders in our latest Monday assembly.

As the school term nears its end students and staff are still busy engaging in learning activities. As I move around the classrooms I am always impressed by the students who are working hard in their learning and showing exemplary behaviour which aligns with our school’s Hi-Five values of Respect, Responsible, Ready, Safe and Learning. While we always acknowledge there is more work to be done to assist all our students in learning academically, socially and emotionally; as a school we are impressed by the vast majority of students who are growing to be fantastic members of our school community and I am confident that they will in turn become active citizens in our wider community.

As a Senior Staff member who has the added role of developing a supportive school environment I am acutely aware of the role of noticing good behaviour. While unwanted behaviour is more jarring and noticeable, observing good behaviour, and commenting on it, is the most successful way to boost self-esteem and confidence.

Latest research on the usefulness of compliments has enabled us to understand the types of good behaviour we should be noticing and how to communicate this.

Descriptive Praise: Telling your student/child exactly what you liked about their behaviour is a much better step towards increasing self-esteem and improving behaviour. For example, “I really liked that you asked politely” or “I loved that you shared your game with your brother by taking turns”.

Praise for effort: Rather than focussing on the outcome, praise for the effort. This could be simply noticing them putting in effort or alternatively attributing their successes to effort rather than talent. For example, “You played a great game today, you must have put a lot of effort into training”.

While this Term the school has been focussed on having explicit boundaries in classrooms and the playground, next term the emphasis will be on building these positive social and emotional skills. We will also have a focus on decreasing bullying and while it is important to take a stand against bullying and have clear strategies for dealing with bullying, the foundation of having a safe and orderly environment is to build confidence, self-esteem and social skills in all our young people to see them thrive in their future.

This is a fundamental reason why our school vision is so crucial to how we operate every day.

“Risdon Vale Primary School is proudly recognised as a centre of excellence in educating for the academic and social needs of every student.”

PRE-KINDERGARTEN 2017

This will start in second term on Thursday’s from May 4th

Times will be 9 am till 10.30 am

Children are eligible who were born in the year 2013.

You must fill out an enrolment form available from the school office.

Children are to be accompanied by a parent or carer.

You will need to bring 1 piece of fruit to share a drink bottle with water and a smock.

Green Card Awards that were presented at Assembly

April 10th.

5 POINTS

10 POINTS

Blade Braslin

Ella Jeffrey-Oakley

Bella Kirk

Brock Page

Elizabeth Burles

Taj Tusyn

High 5 awards presented at assembly 3rd April 2017

Jackson Hughes

Great reading in group work

Noah Curtain

Working well in maths groups

Abbie Cowburn

Working well in reading groups

Madisson Byrne

Having fun and taking risks with number games

Keira Bain

Working well with maths groups

Ebonie Jenkins

Excellent effort in her writing

Willow Story

Showing good thinking in maths

Riley Hopkinson

Always putting in great effort

High 5 awards presented at assembly 10th April 2017

Cody Rimon

Excellent work in news writing

Kate Woolley

Outstanding effort on her Easter craft

Brittney De Jong

Excellent effort in her news writing

Zane Hales

Trying hard to do his best work

Austin Silver

Trying hard with his handwriting

Dax Temple

A great effort with news writing

Ory Dobson-Devine

A great effort with news writing

Home Reading

Congratulations to these students, who received Home Reading Certificates at assembly this week.

10 nights of reading

25 nights of reading

50 nights of reading

James Davey Prep/1Bowering

Ryley Bloomfield Prep/1B

Blake Hilderbrand Prep/1B

Alicia Dillon Prep/1Porte/Gros

Casper Smith 1/2Varveris/Gros

Bailee McKenzie 1/2VG

Jackson Knop 1/2VG

Jackson Hughes 1/2VG

Zane Hales 2/3Weavers/Gros

Argyle Atkinson 3/4Patulny

Blade Braslin 3/4Patulny

Xavier Hales 5/6Coombe

Ruby Cole Prep/1Bowering

Ryley Bloomfield Prep/1B

Kate Woolley Prep/1Bowering

Declan McKendrick Prep/1B

Alannah Shaw Prep/1Bowering

Matilda Coad Prep/1Bowering

Cody Steel Prep/1Porte/Gros

Liam Dance Prep/1Porte/Gros

Ashton Jenkins Prep/1Porte/Gros

Abbie Cowburn 1/2Varveris/Gros

Jayla McCauley 1/2Varveris/Gros

Maddy Byrne 1/2Varveris/Gros

Zane Hales 2/3Weavers/Gros

Matilda Hack 3/4Patulny

Zayde Cordwell Prep/1Porte/Gros

Ory Dobson-Devine Prep/1PG

Bailey Hattenschwiler Prep/1PG

Blade McCauley 2/3Weavers/Gros

Eliza Temple 2/3Weavers/Gros

Hannah Bellette 2/3Weavers/Gros

PaigeHattenschwiler2/3Weavers/Gros

Tayla Rogers 3/4Patulny

Libby Burles 5/6Coombe

COOKING CLASSES APRIL

Cooking
VIEW GALLERY
Cooking
Click images to enlarge

Vietnamese spring rolls

Equipment

Large pot, colander, chopping boards, knives, measuring cup and spoons, large mixing spoon, grater, tea towels for rolling surface, small serving bowl for dipping sauce

Ingredients

1/2 packet rice vermicelli noodles
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 stick celery, sliced thinly
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoon soy sauce
20 - 25 round rice paper sheets

Dipping sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chilli sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (optional)
1 tablespoon caster sugar

Method

  1. Bring a medium size saucepan of water to the boil. Put noodles in boiling water. Separate noodle with tongs as they are cooking. Gently boil rice noodles 3 to 5 minutes until cooked, drain in a colander and cool.
  2. Prepare all vegetables, place in a bowl and mix with noodles, garlic, hoisin and soy sauces.
  3. Fill a large brownie tray with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the warm water for 1 second and lay wrapper flat on a clean tea towel. When wrapper is soft ( after 3-5 seconds), and slightly wrinkly follow step 4.
  4. Place 2 tablespoons of noodle mixture near the lower edge of the rice paper, leaving about 4 cm uncovered on each side. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, then pull the sides in over the filling and then tightly roll the wrapper. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
  5. Place spring roll on to a plate in a single layer. Spring rolls will stick together if stacked on top of each other. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce

  1. In a small bowl mix the hoisin sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chilli sauce.
Garden Program
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Garden Program
Click images to enlarge

This term in the garden we had been preparing garden beds for our winter crops. Adding in organic matter, manures, compost and fertilizer pellets we are replacing vital nutrients that were lost to the summer crops.

We are also getting beds ready to plant garlic next week.

A very big Thankyou to those who volunteered their time and skills in the Garden Working Bee. It was an enormous effort and an even bigger pile of weeds. It has been very much appreciated as we have had more time to plant and prepare our winter crops from the upcoming frosts.

We are starting to prepare for the fair any donations of excess bulbs, seeds, potting mix, teacups and saucers or coffee jars (large Nescafe) would be greatly received. These items can be left at the office.

Mr Lockey’s Class Rainfall
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Mr Lockey’s Class Rainfall
Click images to enlarge

Mr Lockey’s 5/6 class have been learning about Australia’s climate/rainfall. Fortunately in Australia we have an excellent climatic data base, thanks to an enduring national Bureau of Meteorology which was constitutionally conceived in 1900. Australia can be regarded as either the World’s largest island or its smallest continent. In spanning southern latitudes from tropical to temperate climes it offers a wonderful laboratory for the observation of climatic phenomena. It is fortunate that by virtue of being under a unifying federal administration since 1901 there exist detailed and complete archives of historic climatological data.

The students were given maps with data in which they were able to find out information on different areas of Australia and the rainfall it received. Here is a few photos of students working on their maps.

Uniform Shop

The uniform is now being run by the School Association President Tamara Knop and Rachel Paige.

The hours in which it will be open is:

MONDAY: 8.30 til 9am
WEDNESDAY: 8.30 til 9am
FRIDAY: 2.30 til 3pm

If other times are needed please contact Tamara or Rachel on the Risdon Vale Primary School Association Facebook Page.

Word of the week

Respect

Respect is a feeling of admiration or deference toward a person, child, non-human animal, group, ideal, or indeed almost any entity or concept, as well as specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected (e.g., "I have great respect for her judgment"). It can also be conduct in accord with a specific ethic of respect.

Some people may earn the respect of individuals by assisting others or by playing important social roles. In many cultures, individuals are considered to be worthy of respect until they prove otherwise. Courtesies that show respect include simple words and phrases like "thank you" in the West, simple physical gestures like a slight bow in the East, a smile, or direct eye contact, or a simple handshake.

What is respect?

At the start of the school year, did you spend some time in your class talking about how the class would work?

If you did, I guess that you talked about some really great values like honesty, sharing and helping, responsibility, collaborating (or working together), organisation, and respect.

When you think about it, respect is probably the most important.

Respect has several meanings.

  • Having regard for others. That means accepting that other people are different but just as important as you feel you are. Some people may call this tolerance (say tol-er-ans)
  • Having a proper respect for yourself. That means that you stand up for yourself and don't let yourself be talked into doing stuff that you know is wrong or makes you feel uncomfortable.
  • Not interfering with others (or their property.)
  • To consider something worthy of high regard. That really means taking all those other values and living them.

Respect at home

Home is the place where you first learn about respect.

  • You learn about using good manners, like saying 'please' and 'thank you'.
  • You learn to share things like toys, games and food with other people in your family.
  • You learn to look after your own things and take care of other things in the house (eg. not jumping on furniture, and wiping your feet etc, so that the house is a good place for everyone to be).
  • You learn to wait your turn in talking.
  • You learn to listen.
  • You learn to understand that you will not always get what you want.
  • You learn to respect others by helping with chores and not letting the family down.
  • You learn to respect others in the community where you live.
  • You learn how to talk to different adults in a way they expect to be spoken to eg grandma and her friends may not like to be called by their first name.

Respect at school

When you go to school you will have to learn some different ways to respect others and yourself.

  • You will learn how to be a member of a class.
  • You will learn how to behave with teachers and other 'school adults'.
  • You learn to respect and keep school rules, which help to make your school a safe and caring place for everyone.
  • You will learn to respect the property of classmates and the school.
  • You will meet with people from different backgrounds, maybe different countries, cultures and religions.
  • Some people will look very different to you and your family.
  • Some people will behave very differently to you and your family.
  • You can respect their differences and expect that they will respect yours.

If people are behaving badly towards you and hurting you or your feelings, then you cannot, and must not, respect their unkind behaviour.

Bullying and harassment should never be tolerated.

And of course you will not behave in an unkind way towards others, including spreading nasty rumours or gossip.

See our topic Dealing with bullies for some ideas on how to deal with this behaviour.

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=1629

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicD
etailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=1629

Earning respect for yourself

Earning respect from yourself is probably harder than earning respect from others.

Remember those values again?

  • If you aim to be an honest, caring person who accepts that everyone is different, always tries hard and is willing to share and help others, then living up to your aims can be very difficult.
  • Don't give yourself too hard a time if you sometimes make mistakes. Mistakes are what we learn from.
  • Earning respect from others is easy if you live by the values we talked about at the beginning of this topic. People will soon know that you are the kind of person who can be trusted to do the right thing, behave in a caring way and respect others' rights to be themselves.

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=2356

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDe
tailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=2356

Famous quotes on Respect

Respect family
Equity for everyone
Say sorry, please and thank you
People deserve respect
Ensure that everyone's rights are respected
Carry respect into all of your life
Take time to respect yourself
- Joel

  • “I must respect the opinions of others even if I disagree with them.” – Herbert H. Lehman
  • “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” – Jackie Robinson
  • “I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.” – Julius Erving
  • “To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.” – Bono
  • “It is only when you accept how different you all are, that you will be able to see how much the same you all are. Don’t expect anybody to be the same as you, then you will see that you are in many ways the same as everybody.” C. JoyBell C.
  • “All the events of your past have formed a lens through which you see the world. And since no one’s past is exactly like anyone else’s, no two people see alike.”
  • “A fruit salad is delicious precisely because each fruit maintains its own flavor.”Sean Covey
  • “Differences were meant not to divide but to enrich.”- J. H. Oldham
  • “Be modest, be respectful of others, try to understand.”Lakhdar Brahimi
  • “Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress.”Mahatma Ghandi

Anti - Bullying Campaign

OUR SCHOOL POLICY ON BULLYING

We would like to work in partnership with families to develop a School Policy on Bullying. Early next term we will invite parents to participate in a forum. The forum will help us to decide what to include in the policy -What is important for us as a school and what is important for the wider community?

Please read the following document published by the Department of Education that describes bullying and the impact it has on those involved.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is repeated verbal, physical, social or psychological aggressive behaviour by a person or group directed towards a less powerful person or group that is intended to cause harm, distress or fear.

Types of bullying behaviour

There are some specific types of bullying behaviour:

  • verbal or written abuse - such as targeted name-calling or jokes, or displaying offensive posters
  • violence - including threats of violence
  • sexual harassment - unwelcome or unreciprocated conduct of a sexual nature, which could reasonably be expected to cause offence, humiliation or intimidation
  • homophobia and other hostile behaviour towards students relating to gender and sexuality
  • discrimination including racial discrimination - treating people differently because of their identity
  • cyberbullying - either online or via mobile phone.

What is not bullying?

There are also some behaviours, which, although they might be unpleasant or distressing, are not bullying:

  • mutual conflict - which involves a disagreement, but not an imbalance of power. Unresolved mutual conflict can develop into bullying if one of the parties targets the other repeatedly in retaliation.
  • single-episode acts of nastiness or physical aggression, or aggression directed towards many different people, is not bullying
  • social rejection or dislike is not bullying unless it involves deliberate and repeated attempts to cause distress, exclude or create dislike by others.

Bullying Roles

It is important to recognise bullying behaviours and make it clear they are unacceptable, but it is also important to try not to label students as 'a bully'.

Bullying is not acceptable

Most students don't want bullying to occur but often don't know what to do about it. It's important that all forms of bullying are taken seriously and that schools, parents and students work together to ensure that everyone understands that bullying is not acceptable - ever.

Bullying roles

People in a bullying scenario may take on one of the following roles:

  • a person who engages in bullying behaviour
  • a target who is subjected to the bullying behaviour
  • an assistant who assists the bullying behaviour and actively joins in
  • a supporter who encourages and gives silent approval to the bullying, by smiling, laughing or making comments
  • a silent bystander who sees or knows about someone being bullied but is passive and does nothing, this may be an adult bystander
  • a defender who supports the student who is being bullied by intervening, getting teacher support or comforting them.

All adults, including teachers, school staff and parents, should model positive bystander behaviour and intervene if they observe bullying behaviour occurring between students. Standing by and doing nothing, or leaving students to 'sort it out' themselves, sends the message to the whole school community that the bullying behaviour is being condoned.

Young people are still learning and practicing social skills. Everyone has the capacity to change their behaviour but being given a label can stick and make these changes much harder.

The Impact of Bullying

Bullying has a negative impact on everyone involved; the target, the bully and the bystanders.

Impact on students who are bullied

Students who are bullied are more likely to:

  • feel disconnected from school and not like school
  • have lower academic outcomes, including lower attendance and completion rates
  • lack quality friendships at school
  • display high levels of emotion that indicate vulnerability and low levels of resilience
  • be less well accepted by peers, avoid conflict and be socially withdrawn
  • have low self-esteem
  • have depression, anxiety, feelings of loneliness and isolation
  • have nightmares
  • feel wary or suspicious of others
  • have an increased risk of depression and substance abuse
  • in extreme cases, have a higher risk of suicide, however, the reasons why a person may be at risk of suicide are extremely complicated.

Contributing factors to being bullied may include:

  • depression
  • family problems
  • history of trauma
  • belonging to a minority group, where isolation or lack of community support is an issue.

Impact on bullies

Students who frequently bully others are more likely to:

  • feel disconnected from school and dislike school
  • get into fights, vandalise property and leave school early.
  • In addition, recent Victorian research has shown that bullying perpetration in Year 10 is associated with an increased likelihood of theft, violent behaviour and binge drinking.

Impact on bystanders

Students who witness bullying may:

  • be reluctant to attend school
  • feel fearful or powerless to act and guilty for not acting
  • have increased mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
  • have increased use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.

Impact on schools

When bullying continues and a school does not take action, the entire school climate and culture can be negatively affected. This impacts on student learning and engagement, staff retention and satisfaction and parental confidence in the school, which can lead to:

  • the school developing an environment of fear and disrespect
  • students experiencing difficulty learning
  • students feeling insecure
  • students disliking school
  • students perceiving that teachers and staff have little control and don't care about them.

Calendar of Events

DATE 2017

ACTIVITY

APRIL

13th Thursday

Moderation Day – Student Free Day

14th Friday

Good Friday Easter and school holidays commence

MAY

1ST Monday

Return to school start of Term 2

4TH Thursday

Pre-Kindergarten starts 9am children born in 2013

20th Saturday

LIFT EXPO Toddler’s – Grade 2 11 - 2pm Courtyard +

JUNE

8TH Thursday

Our school cross country

15th Thursday

Inter school cross country Div C

JULY

24TH Monday

Student Free Day

AUGUST

25TH Friday

School Fair/Fireworks

OCTOBER

27TH Friday

Student Free Day

NOVEMBER

7th Tuesday

Inter school swimming carnival Div G if selected

School Triathlon TBA

28th Tuesday

Inter school triathlon (Bellerive Beach) if selected