Building works:

Success! At the start of this term our Grade 5/6 and 4/5 children moved into their refurbished classrooms. They really do look great and both the children and teachers are loving the extra space. The new computer area looks tremendous too and will be great when it is fully functional (next week). We have a few finishing touches still to be completed in this second phase but it has been a great relief to eventually have nicer classrooms. Georgie is back from leave and is enjoying having her Art room back until it is refurbished later this term.

 The third phase of the school modernisation has commenced with both Prep C and Prep/1J relocating. Their rooms are currently being renovated and walls moved. Prep C have moved into the library area and Prep/1 to the kitchen. This means that there will be no Kitchen program for a while.

The Junior Learning Centre: Great news! Landscaping work has now commenced on the retaining wall between the new buildings and the ball courts –this has been the hold up! We have been given a date for completion which is Monday 13th September—just over 7 weeks time. Once the retaining wall is finished (about 2 weeks) the gallery roof and floor will be craned into place then the rest of the gallery interior, the outside steps and covered ways can be completed.

Working Bee:

Our term 3 Working Bee will be held on Sunday 12th September (in 7 1/2 weeks time). Could you please put this date in your diary. We will need lots of help to tidy up the school grounds and to complete some small projects. Our building works will be completed by this time and it will be our last opportunity to tidy up the school prior to the Village Fair which is at the end of the first week of term 4 (Sunday 10th October). We will send home more details two weeks prior to the Working Bee.

Victorian Opera Music Workshop:

On Friday the children in 5/6 MD and 4/5S will be participating in a Music Workshop at our school. It will be directed by Richard Gill – a well known musical director. There will be seven opera singers visiting us as well and they will also be part of this workshop. The workshop, which has been organised by the Dandenong Ranges Music Council, aims to raise the profile of opera and to show the children what opera is all about. The second part of this activity is a trip to the city for these children to see an opera rehearsal on Monday 16^th August. The children from Grades 4,5 and 6 who learn a musical instrument either through school or privately, will be invited to an instrument workshop being held on 7th September incorporating instrumentalists from one of Melbourne’s well known orchestras. These will be wonderful opportunities for our children at no cost to us.

Reminder:

Final Curriculum Day is on Monday 9th August. This is the same for all government schools. All teachers will be learning more about the Ultranet on this day and spending time using it.

Slippers at School:

We would like to encourage all children to bring a pair of slippers to school that they can leave here and wear in the classroom during the winter months.

 Barbara Rose

Principal

4/5/6 Interschool Sport

What a fantastic outing we had to Ferny Creek last week. Despite the threat of rain things remained fairly dry for us. I was so proud of the level of sportsmanship displayed by our Kallista students and when the teachers have as much fun as the kids……well, what more can I say? I always strongly stress that it is not about winning but more about how you play the game and to see our students excited to see one of our own achieve something good is reward enough.  I hope you enjoy the Sports Reports this week. Being a Team Captain is no easy task but our Captains always do a great job…..mind you they have great team members to work with.

Thank you to Sam Graunke and Chris Dockery who have helped me coach our teams and still happily turn up to competitions not knowing if they will have to umpire or not. Next competition day is June 18^th here at Kallista. Out visitors will be Sassafras Primary and the game begins at 1.30p.m.

Go Kallista!

           Hilary Morris

           Physical Education

Soccer

On Friday the 4’s and 5’s and 6’s went to Ferny Creek to play soccer and other sports. We did really well. The scores in soccer were Ferny Creek 1, Kallista 0. We all showed great sportsmanship. Everyone played really well especially Holly and Tom. They were good at stopping the ball before the other team scored.     By Kiana 

The Kickball Team Report

I was captain of the kickball team. We were playing against Ferny Creek. My team went first for kicking.  I had to kick first because I was captain. I did a really good kick but Ferny Creek caught it. Traeh and Jarrod did some excellent catches. If Traeh dropped it Jarrod would catch it. Liyan did some big kicks, Taman caught well and our team was fair. The scores were very close but Kallista won !!!  By  J-Dee

Science

Year 5 went to Monbulk Secondary College to learn to do science. In week one we did shaving cream plates and put food colouring in it, then after we put paper over the top of them. The food die stained the paper. On the second week we had to see how many paper clips we could fit in a glass of water full to the top, with out it over flowing. The most we got was 367.  On week three we got to use Bunsen burners. We put a glass full of water on top of the flame and then we let it boil. Then we put food dye in water of three different temperatures. One of them was ice cold water, one was room temp and the other boiling water. We wanted to see how long the food dye took to fill the glass. We enjoyed working in a  Secondary School Science lab. 

By Holly and Matthew

Kallista Open Day:

This year we, Kallista Primary, have been forced to postpone our Open Day until Wednesday 8th September. Our corridors and work spaces are too crowded to allow visitors and parents to safely wander freely. Families considering enrolment for 2011 are having individual tours, and those looking for future enrolments are being asked to wait until September.

Our rescheduled Open Day will also be a great opportunity for all of our parents to wander through the school and see the new facilities as well as the children engaged in learning. Of course we expect our building works to be fully completed long before this time but we are waiting for a “nice sunny day!” and want a chance to move in properly and be organised.

If you are considering enrolling a child for prep next year and haven’t done this already, please see me urgently as numbers are high.

Building works:

Our second phase of school modification is really taking shape now and looking good. You might think that nothing is happening with our new buildings. However, all services, including data networks are now completely connected to the school. (leaving carpeting to last due to mud). So things have been happening inside the doors. The “gallery” is currently being built off site and will appear suddenly one day. There was a little pause whist we questioned increased costs—but this has now been sorted out. I am constantly in touch with the builders. We are very pleased to find out that there is a separate grant for us for furniture and another grant for data equipment and it’s installation.

NAPLAN:

This week our Grade 3 and 5 students are participating in the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy. Individual student results will be sent home via school later in the year.

Barbara Rose

The Kallista Community Open Day will be held Thursday 20th May 2010 9.30 – 12.30 pm

Please click on the following link to down load your flyers:

Kallista Open Day 2010 – flyer

Kallista Open Day 2010 flyer – more detail

Kallista Community House Co-ordinator :Elise McLellan Tel: 9755 2622

Kallista Kindergarten Director: Lu-Ann Randall Tel: 9755 2647

Kallista Primary School Principal:Barbara Rose Tel: 9755 2633

Due to the extensive building modifications Kallista Primary School has postponed their Open Day until Wednesday 28th September 2010.

Now that we are well established in the new kitchen, we seem to have got everything working smoothly. Thanks to our volunteers last fortnight who came to help with the sessions. We had Lisa (Arwen’s Mum), Claire Cameron and Kaylie Rodgers helping with the 4/5s, Kate Martin, Brod and Jennie Hoogland, who helped out at very short notice with the 3/4s – thanks ladies. Kate joined us again for the 2/3s, assisted by Geoff and Melissa, Yuki and Margo (Hannah Taylor’s neighbour), and thanks to Sharon Smith and Kim Keegan for their help with the 5/6 class.

This week classes will be a bit everywhere with Grade 3 and 4 students out on camp. We will still be having Sam’s Grade 5s in the morning and will be making some herb bread to go with our Jerusalem Artichoke soup (we have heaps of the artichokes) and will be making some apple and rhubarb muffins, using the rhubarb from the garden.
We are also having the Interlink group come over from the Community House this week to make their lunch. They will be making some mini vegetable quiches  and an Asian crunchy Coleslaw.
Happy cooking …. Simone

School Camps:

This week will see the final camp for 2010 when the grade 3 and 4 children go to Phillip Island for three days. Camps are such wonderful times for the children and teachers with many lasting memories. We love to see the children in a different context to school and to further develop a stronger relationship and understanding. The recent Grade 1 and 2 camp at Gembrook was great—it was like one big happy family in a very large house. The children enjoyed many outdoor activities including yabbying, low ropes course, building bush cubbies, bush art, nature walk and lots of games. Thanks to the teachers for taking the children on camp and to parent helpers Michael Meitzke, Joe Arcaro and Lance Whitten. Whose assistance was greatly appreciated.

NAPLAN:

 In two weeks time (11th to 13th May) every child in grade 3 and grade 5 in Australian schools will participate in the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy. This will involve the children doing a number of written tasks including Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar, as well as Numeracy. Many of the questions have multiple choice answers and the children also write a narrative story in a given time limit. The children have been practicing completing this style of testing.

Gardening Working Bee:

Sunday 16th May 9.00-12.00: Please can we have 3 hours of your time to help us. We have lots of urgent gardening tasks to be done especially on the bank around the oval. Eg weeding, pruning, cutting back, removing blackberries, weeds etc. Please put this date in your diary. It is the Sunday after Mothers Day.

School Council:

Congratulations to the following for becoming School Council members:

Yvonne Ashmore—  President

Michael Mietzcke—  Vice-President and facilitator of Facilities

Rachel Pickersgill—  Treasurer

Deb Flagg—  Secretary

Cath Clift–  Facilitator of Fundraising

Sam Graunke–  Facilitator of Education

Geoff Field, Shelly Walker, Chris Dockery, Michael de Valle and Barbara Rose

Everyone is welcome at School Council meetings which are usually held on the 3rd Monday of the month at 8 pm. You can be members of committees without being a school council member. On facilities we also have Hilary
Morris, Chris Athanasiou, and Matthew Absolom. Raelene-Shafer Evans is a member of Education committee and Bernie Smith is assistant secretary and organises the meeting’s paperwork.

Building Works

How exciting! We have eventually taken possession of part of our new Junior Learning centre building. It will have 4 classrooms with a gallery (shared learning space) to be built in between as in the drawing above. It has been designed to let the light in and allow indoor learning to continue in an open space. Each classroom has a door to the outside of the building and steps/ramps are being built as well as covered ways, earth works and retaining walls. We are keen to have outdoor learning spaces outside each classroom to facilitate hands-on learning activities.

Between each pair of classrooms are two toilets, a kitchen area, a store room/teacher office and a space that can be closed off into another work room (hearing reading??).  Currently, the services are being connected and the rest of the building works will commence. We don’t have a moving in date yet but we expect to be in before the end of this term. It will be the home of Prep J, Prep/1J, 1/2A and 2/3H. We will be landscaping the area around these buildings and have an eager team of volunteers poised to commence work incorporating the children’s ideas.

School Modernisation Project:

At the end of term 1, the first phase of the modernisation of the existing school building was completed. We are really thrilled with the finished work and can’t wait until we can use the rooms for the purpose for which they were built. (a large library/music room combined, a library office, a teacher work room, a conference room and a private work area for visiting staff such as the school psychologist.) Because we have now had to empty two more rooms ( 4/5 classroom and the old library) to allow Phase 2 work to commence, we have created a modified library and a temporary classroom for 4/5S in the new library space. Grade 5/6 have moved into the art room for this term.

Thanks to the fundraising team and Easter Bunny. The Easter raffle raised $600. The next fundraising event will be the mother’s day stall.

Working Bee:

Thanks to the families who attended the working bee at the end of last term. We would have liked more assistance as there are still many jobs to be completed in the school grounds. Consequently we have planned a gardening bee for Sunday 16th May and we will be encouraging other families to join in. Please put this date in your diary now.  Can you help us to finish painting in the new kitchen? We are planning to do this on Friday 30th April, during the day. Please let Michael Mietzcke or myself know if you can help.

School Camps:

 At the end of last term, our Grade 5 & 6 children went to Lake Nillahcootie camp. They all had a fabulous time thanks to the efforts of teachers Gail McIntyre, Chris Dockery and Sam Graunke.  We could not have managed without the tremendous assistance from our many parent helpers.  Thanks everyone.  This week is our grade 1 & 2 camp at Gembrook and in the third week of this term the Grade 3 & 4 children will go on a camp to Phillip Island.

Reflections:

What a busy first term we had but the end is in sight. In spite of moving classrooms, the library and many resources, we are still running camps for all Gr 1-6 children and the teachers are also having time together to carefully plan their Term 2 work. Teachers have also attended many professional development training sessions, some of which have been after school hours including Saturdays. I am always proud of the staff’s commitment to on-going learning which will benefit the children. The staff are only one part of our school community and there is so much strength and support from many of our parents in so many different ways. Thanks everyone.

News
from the
Kitchen

Can’t believe that term 1 is behind us already. Where did it go? The holidays seemed to fly by as well. The kitchen is pretty much finished with the hot water now connected. The only job left to go is getting the hot plates and stoves up and running and then it will all be happening. Our first couple of sessions went well despite all the various little challenges that presented. Thanks to Kim Keegan who was there for both sessions on the first day. Your problem solving skills and ability to just keep on smiling was very impressive and much appreciated. Luckily the 5/6 class were the first to try out the new kitchen, so what time was lost trying to get appliances working and finding where everything was, was made up by very capable kitchen skills and the ability to prepare the food quickly. By the time 3/4F stepped into the kitchen that day, things were running a bit smoother. Unfortunately in the second week, 4/5S were on camp, although some of the students from that class joined in with the Grade 3s from 2/3H. Our newest budding chefs did a fantastic job, and looked like they were having lots of fun. Thanks to Nola and Jenny Stapleton for helping out with 3/4F, and Kate Martin, Melissa Straithairn and all of Hannah Taylor’s grandparents who assisted with the Grade 3s.

 For this fortnight’s classes we will be making Garlic and Parmesan Bread, Crunchy Asian Coleslaw, Potato and Corn Fritters with Mint Yoghurt dressing and Apple and Rhubarb Crumble with custard. From the garden we will be using a variety of herbs as well as cabbage, spring onions, potatoes and rhubarb. If we are lucky enough to find some Jerusalem Artichokes and some ripe figs, we will put them to good use as well.

 Happy cooking …. Simone

           PICNIC SPORTS

 “The Picnic Sports are designed to engage children in physical challenges, a positive social experience, success and enjoyment. It is a sports event that invites children to experience a variety of fun activities that encourage skill development, problem solving, fitness, perseverance and co-operation using normal and modified equipment.”

 Well, we were so lucky that it didn’t rain for the Picnic Sports? Hmmmm….but it was very hot. Despite the heat the children had such a lot of fun, as you will see from the accompanying photographs. The Picnic Sports are a great addition to our existing Physical Education Program and it is always good to see the way our senior students take charge of the younger ones.

 What a wonderful turnout of parents also. The Picnic Sports are always a great way for Staff, parents and students to start the year and for new families to be welcomed. The ‘Cricket Spectacular’ once again proved to be popular and as usual it saw some great catches, hits and …misses. In true Kallista fashion it was all about having fun and having a go. Even a few Staff had a hit but I will be offering them some training sessions before next year’s Picnic Sports…..there’s always room for improvement!

 Hilary Morris

Physical Education

Welcome Back

Welcome back to the new school year and a special welcome to the 46 new children and their families who have recently joined our Kallista community. We have 37 Preps this year.This year we have welcomed a new teacher, Chris Dockery who will be working part-time in Grade 5/6MD with Gail MacIntyre.  We are delighted that Sam Graunke is now working full-time with our Grade 4/5 children.  We love the enthusiasm of our other two new teachers—Jake Laurie (Prep/1) and Stafanie Acatos (Gr 1/2A). Both Jake and Stef have recently completed their Primary teaching qualification and we are delighted that they have joined our teaching staff.

Our new Kitchen

This is now being fitted out and is not far from completion. We will be calling a working bee for painting the interior soon.

Our new kitchen

 Twilight Picnic Sports:

Once again we have organised a whole school tabloid sports activity for everyone to get together on Friday 19th Feb. The school day will be from 11.30 am to 6 pm.The day is always a great opportunity to get to know others and to speak to new families.

Emergency Procedures:

We are very fortunate to have one of the safest refuges (General Purpose room) built in a school. It has a lot of safety equipment which is regularly maintained and tested eg generator, air system, emergency lighting, separate water supply, satellite phone connection etc. We hold practice evacuations so that the children know the procedures.

Parenting Partnerships:

This is an absolutely fantastic literacy course for our parents run by Marg Brooks who is our trained literacy support teacher. We require parents who are going to be hearing children read at school to do this course first. It gives you an understanding of the different aspects of literacy and how to assist children. Even if you can’t hear reading at school, this course will show you how to help your own child with literacy development. I can highly recommend this course for all parents so that we are all speaking the same language to the children and using the same approaches.

 Captains Comments

Hi everyone!

We are very much excited to be Kallista Primary School’s new school captains and we are looking forward to performing our duties as school captains. We welcome all the new preps, students and teachers and hope they all have a great time here at Kallista. Thanks to the teachers and Mrs. Rose for believing in us and electing us as the school captains of 2010.

from Emmalee and Seth
School Captains

School commences for the children in 2010 on Monday 1^st February with the 37 new Preps commencing the following day. With much interest in the school, we will commence the school year with twenty more children than last year making 7 classes of 21 to 25 children. We are anticipating making an 8^th class for 2011 but then we will have no space left! 

Progress on our Building Projects

For many years, it has been a dream of the school community to modernise the school building and, in particular, to make the classrooms bigger. This is desperately needed to provide more suitable and flexible learning spaces to cater for the valuable real life hands-on curriculum which is a feature of the school. All this planning in past years is now turning into reality. We have three building projects in progress.

A new Kitchen for the Kitchen Garden program. This is now being fitted out and is not far from completion. Stay tuned for details of an official opening.

Our new kitchen.

Modernisation of the current school building. Builders have commenced knocking down internal walls and rebuilding other walls. The school building which currently has 7 classrooms and specialist rooms is being changed so it will only have 4 classrooms which are much bigger as well as specialist areas and more staff facilities. Phase 1 is well under way.

Office and resource room attached to our new library.

We are getting a new building with 4 classrooms connected by a large learning space (a gallery). As this will be our Junior Learning Centre, we are really pleased that we have been able to include a toilet off each classroom, small kitchens, quiet work areas as well as a door leading from each classroom to outside learning areas. Most of this building is being constructed off-site then it will be transported and put together on-site. We are hoping this will take place around Easter.

This year, our Preps will be experiencing the “Walker Learning Curriculum” which is a developmental curriculum incorporating project based learning with focussed explicit teaching. Our Prep teachers are being mentored by Cathy Walker whilst implementing the program and there will be an information night on Tuesday 23^rd February at 7pm for parents of the children involved in this.

The teachers commence this year three days before the students. These days are being spent on professional learning and preparations for a wonderful and exciting year. On Thursday morning, the teachers will be attending various professional learning sessions at other schools organised through our schools network of Dandenong Ranges schools. Our school is hosting two sessions. We will be spending a day looking at the new E5 program as well as continuing to evaluate and document our approach to spelling. These days are truly valuable for us.

Changing old classrooms into a new library.

Warmest regards

Barbara Rose