TERM Friday 22nd April. Next Week. Date: Thursday 21st April 2016 Issue 11 COMING EVENTS. Wednesday 27th April. Thursday 28th April Surfing

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1 Date: Thursday 21st April 2016 Issue 11 From the Principal s Desk Portland ANZAC Day Service - This Monday 25 th April I m looking forward to the ANZAC Day commemoration on Monday and I would love to see as many students, staff and parents attending and representing the school. Meet: RSL Clubrooms at the Corner of Gawler and Percy St, Portland at At the students will march to the Memorial Triangle where the service will take place at 11am. Parents/Carers are welcome to walk with the students and staff from the school. Students should wear their school uniform. Students are encouraged to wear their deceased relatives medals on their right breast. I expect the service to be completed by 11.30am. Please confirm whether your child/children are attending using the attendance slip sent home yesterday. Reminders - The last day of surfing is next Thursday April 28. Previous sessions have been great fun. Please see photos in todays newsletter. Pupil free day Friday 10 th June for report writing day. This day coincides with the Queen s birthday holiday on Monday the 13 th June. School Council School Masterplan School Council met the architect on Tuesday and approved the work being done on the school Masterplan. The plan is a general footprint of the new school design. I have attached the work done so far to this newsletter and I would love to hear feedback from community members. School Council Casual Vacancy Rebecca Jacobson has filled the casual vacancy on school council left by the resignation of Stephen Freeling (moved to Hamilton). Thanks Rebecca for stepping up and coming back on to school council. Enjoy the long weekend Steve Crossley, Principal Book Club Current book club orders are due back to school by Friday 22nd April. Principal: Mr Stephen Crossley Ph Fax PO Box 317 Portland Vic 3305 portland.bay.sch@edumail.vic.gov.au School Council President: Deb Robinson COMING EVENTS TERM Friday 22nd April Next Week Monday Tuesday 25th April ANZAC Day - Public Holiday and Community Services 26th April Wednesday 27th April Thursday 28th April Surfing Friday 29th April Important Dates to Remember Saturday 14th May *** MAY BALL *** Tickets are on sale for our Annual May Ball Please see the school office and more information is attached to todays newsletter. Friday 10th June Report writing day/no Students Monday 13th June Queens Birthday Holiday Picturesque Portland scenery, Ideal for sailing with perfect weather & lots of fun. Blackwood Camps 2016 The dates for Blackwood camps are included below: Term 2 30th May to 3rd June Group 2 Blackwood Residence Term 3 8th to 12th August Group 3 Blackwood School Term 4 7th to 11th November Group 5 Blackwood tents

2 Stars of the Week Caught Being Good Last Friday's sailing was another fun filled day with heaps of smiles. Great weather, slight wind with special appearance from Sammy the seal to top the day off. Raffle winners will be drawn at tomorrows assembly This week s focus is: Learning to be Responsible Please be reminded that our Caught being Good values are carried across the school. This includes our Buses to and from school. At our whole school assembly, we draw the Caught Being Good raffle. Throughout the week, staff give students a raffle ticket for displaying positive behaviour either in their classroom, on the playground or in any school events such as excursions, outings or community access.

3 Surfing - Monday 18th April Beach activities, amazing weather and with great help from the professionals from Go Surf and Portland Surf Life Saving Club, we had another wonderful day. Don t forget we surf again next Thursday 28th. Thank you everyone who helps to make these days a great success, everyone has heaps of fun. Connor was reported saying - Best part of the day was when my teacher, Gillian, got Splashed by the sea and she wasn t meant too, it made me laugh.

4 Words on Wellbeing Sue Cowie - Wellbeing Same, same but different Coming back to school after the break, like you, I am refreshed, positive and looking forward to a productive term. However, like you, I know the pressure of hard work! The early morning starts can be daunting and let s not even go there; the bags and uniforms.but everyone is challenged the same. And that collective makes us stronger; we share empathy for each other and understanding. You have heard the saying Same, Same but Different and for schools, this can be a challenge. Over the break I completed training on Caring for the Other. It involved celebrating our diversity and recognising some differences: cultural, economic, gender and beliefs. It also consolidated a view that to be in wellbeing, you need to see others as the same as you ; a part of humanity. How vital it is to walk in the shoes of one another; to see a contrary viewpoint and to recognise the value and the worth of difference. Even in the playground, kids can be challenged, if they do not understand. It is common to base initial judgements of people on set stereotypes. These can be generic beliefs about conventional ideas of others but can perhaps lead to discrimination and intolerance. Caring For Others allowed me to interact with some amazing wellbeing workers and leaders in our communities: a Tongan government representative for Islanders who works with young incarcerated boys; a Muslim lady highly educated as an Electrical Engineer, who volunteers in hospitals for the mentally ill of all faiths; a Koori woman who works in educating others on education, language and pathways and is currently a federal government advisor; a woman who works in Trauma, whom I cannot get out of my mind, who has worked in refugee camps throughout Africa, teaching children and helping women in the most dire, violent situations. I hope to share some of these stories. I have kept the contact details of each speaker and maybe there is a chance of a visit this year. Ideally, students learn from story-telling. It is often another way of developing a sense of being a global citizen. This entails practising our values and accepting diversity and difference. Same, same but different Come and have a chat. Your story is important. Community Announcements : SWEETHEARTS - A young exciting neo-soul band Over a period of 25 years, Sweethearts a highly talented school-aged band from Geelong has established high profile at a variety of international music festival performances. These include Switzerland s Montreux Jazz Festival, Italy s Porretta Soul Music Festival, France s Jazz a Vienne, the world s largest music festival, Summerfest, in the USA, plus a number of wellknown Australian festivals. The all-female band members cultivate a retro look and specialise in new soul, modern interpretations of classic Soul and Motown numbers as well as their own compositions and arrangements. These girls are the future of soul music. They really are exceptionally good. Vince Peach, Soul Time PBS Portland Arts Centre Saturday 7 May 7.30pm $30 Full price $25 Concession $10 Student $66 Family Expressions of interest for the Victorian Disability Advisory Council The Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing, the Hon. Martin Foley MP, is pleased to invite applications from Victorian residents who have a disability or are a carer of a person with a disability to become members of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council. This is an exciting opportunity to advise the Minister on initiatives to increase the participation of people with a disability in the Victorian community. The Council is established under the Disability Act Members are appointed by the Governor-in-Council for up to three years. Applications are due by 4.00 pm on 7 May 2016 via the Get On Board website: For more information or if you have any accessibility requirements in applying, please contact Miriam McDonough, Department of Health and Human Services, on (03) or (free call), TTY (03) or vdac@dhhs.vic.gov.au Information is available in Easy English and in large format through the Get On Board website or by contacting Miriam McDonough. The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring government boards and committees reflect Victoria s diversity.

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