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Camp WARATAH
The Grade 3 and 4 students enjoyed a wonderful 3
day camp at Camp Waratah Bay. Everyone enthusiastically participated
in problem solving challenges that involved working as a team and
persisting to achieve success. Teachers were very impressed by the
independence the children demonstrated by keeping rooms tidy, making
their beds, packing their possessions and assisting with kitchen and
serving duties. Parents and teachers were entertained by the
brilliant camp concert. The hard work that the children had put into
their concert items was evident on the night. We would like to thank
of fantastic parents Warren Cay, Nicky Baumgartner, Donna Davies,
An-drew Kerr, Richard Hewett and Steve Pleasants for volunteering to
give up their time and assist us on camp. Despite a lot rain
everyone remained upbeat and cheerful and thoroughly enjoyed their
camp experience.
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Thank you for Camp Waratah from an attending
parent helper
Dear Mrs Walton
I am not usually one for writing but I have just experienced
one of my personal highlights, that is, attending as a
parent/helper at the grade 3/4 school camp at Waratah Bay.
I feel compelled to drop you a line about the fantastic time
we all had and more importantly to sing praise upon the
fantastic staff and students you have at Sandy East.
A few months ago I readily volunteered my services as a
parent helper on the school camp. I really wasn’t sure if
I would be selected or not. I tendered to think that some
of the parents who do a lot more at the school than I would
be the first cabs off the rank. I was thrilled when
advised I was one of the parents selected to attend. As
the camp date drew nearer I was filled with excitement and a
little nervous wondering if I had done the right thing. I
now know, it certainly was the right thing. After working
out some transport arrangements the exciting day arrived.
My son and I were packed nice and early and I am sure it was
the earliest he had ever arrived at school. After packing
the staff bags into my car, loading up the buses with
luggage and children and meeting the other parent/helpers
(some known, some about to be known) we set off following
the buses. The first stop was Koo Wee Rup, and a chance
for the kids to stretch their legs and a much needed toilet
break. The parents were tasked with going ahead and
obtaining coffee for all. Back on the bus and a very wet
trip to Waratah Bay. As if by magic or divine intervention
as we arrived the clouds immediately above Camp Waratah
parted and the sun shone down for a short while at least
anyway. Just enough time for us to unpack the bus.
The next few days were full of fun filled activities. We
had an invigorating night walk to the beach but
unfortunately the very high tide meant we couldn’t venture
onto it. The next day we had a full day of activities
organized by Camp Waratah. The activities concentrated on
team building and problem solving as well as a little bit of
an adrenalin rush on “The Big Swing”. On Thursday we had a
very brisk walk along the beach (in the rain) to Chicken
Rock and time to explore the rock pools. The kids found a
heap of crabs, colorful shells and a couple of Elephant
Snails. I had never seen these before. We were advised
the walk was only 2 kilometers each way but I can assure you
it felt a lot longer. We had some tired little ones when
we eventually made it back to camp. The walk back was much
more pleasant as the rain had stopped and the sun was out.
I don’t know how they did it but the kids put on a concert
that night and they delighted us all with their well
rehearsed dance and comedy routines. I was absolutely
staggered at the skill and performance levels of the kids.
Each and every one of them contributed and had fun. This
was the best night’s entertainment I have had for a long
time. They were genuinely funny and very talented. As a
guest judge I found it very difficult to choose a winner.
They were all winners though and they all deserved a
prize. The next morning was full of Camp Staff led indoor
activities that had the kids thinking and again working as a
team.
The food was fantastic and there seemed to be lots of it.
Despite the activities and long walks I’m sure I put on a
kilo or two. The staff at Camp Waratah were all excellent
and very professional.
I wanted to comment on all the staff and feel that it is
important that not only they received the feedback but every
parent deserves to know that our kids are in great hands.
We are very lucky at Sandy East to have such quality caring
teachers. Each and every one of them was fantastic. They
are so dedicated and genuinely love our kids. I am very
very impressed. Mrs. L deserves special mention as the
organizer/co-coordinator of the camp. She is a star. I
was also thrilled with the behavior of our kids. What a
wonderful bunch they are. They are all really good kids
with surprisingly good manners.
Steve, another parent, put it very well on the camp when he
explained how lucky he was to be chosen to be a part of the
camp and to share the experience of camp with our kids. He
said he was honored and I totally agree with him. I
recommend the experience of going on camp to all parents.
We are all busy I know and our work life is very important
but I would urge all parents if you can to take a little
time out and share the experience.
Thank you very much for the opportunity, I loved it. I
will be the first in line to put my hand up again but
totally understand if it is to be shared around.
Andrew K ( Parent ) |
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Kite Making
The Grade 4 had a real treat as they had a kite making incursion
hosted by Margaret and Jo (Brooke Phillips auntie and grand-mother
5M) from 'Kites for Kids. This coincided really well with our topic
'Amazing Asia' as we found out that kites originated in China and we
learnt about how kite making and flying plays a huge role in many
Asian countries cultures. After the presentation we went out and
actually flew kites on the oval, all of them flew well although one
did depart in the direction of Bay Road when the line severed. Many
thanks to Margaret and Jo for giving up their time to spend with us!
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Wheel Chair Sports
The Grade 4 and 5 were very lucky to have Gary from Wheel Chair
Sports Victoria (WCSV) visit us to discuss disabilities and how the
organisation supports people to continue to actively participate in
a huge number of sporting activities. Gary was injured when he was
twenty one years old in a workplace accident. Despite being
paralysed from that day on, he still wanted to keep fit and continue
to play some of the sports that he enjoyed as an able bodied man.
WCSV supported Gary with this. Gary told us about his sporting
achievements, such as competing in triathlons’ and how WCSV help
people with disabilities achieve their sporting ambitions and
dreams. We were then invited to see how we would cope by competing
in games in wheelchairs, we all thought this was an awesome
experience but we were also reminded of how difficult life can be
for disabled people and how to prevent injuring ourselves. By Meban |
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Japanese News
As part of Japanese class last term, Grade 4 and 5 students
talked about the story of Sadako and her 1000 paper cranes. They
were then asked to create a poster that depicted images of peace and
the words "Peace Day" in Japanese writing. The creative and
colourful posters were sent away for the inaugural Heiwa no Hi
Poster Competition, which attracted over 400 entries across
Victoria. By Michelle K. |
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Grade 3/4 Australia Bound Incursion
The Grade 3’s and 4’s had an incursion called Australia Bound. We
had the incursion because our topic is “Australia who are we?” which
we all like. The incursion was a story about the history of
Australia. The convicts were called P.O.M.E’s which means Prisoner
or Property of Mother England. The reason they were sent to New
South Wales is because the prisons were full and the trip from
England to Australia took 9 months! The Australian Army soldiers
went around Australia looking for recruits for World War 1 and 2.
The actors were very funny and we learnt how people from other
countries migrated to Australia. By Tani and Jack |
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Grades 3-6 Swimming
The grade 3 to 6's enjoyed their swimming program at
Mentone aquatic centre. The students swim from Monday to Thursday.
During our lessons we practice strokes which include backstroke,
freestyle, breast stroke, survival backstroke and butterfly. We
enjoy going swimming and have a great time. Thank you to all the
parents who have come on the bus and helped us. By Bree and Karly
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Grade 4 Scarecrows and Herb
Gardens We love our Garden
Topic, We love it lots and lots,
Because we’ve been planting, Different plants in
different pots,
Don’t forget, Our cool pet rocks, They are smooth, They are
hard,
And don’t forget, They are skinny, And also very mini
!!!
Thank you Mrs. Abbott, For the work you have done,
To make this project, Exceptionally FUN!!!
By Kate, Caitlin, Holly and Renee
"I made a scarecrow. His name is Pobobut. He is made for scaring
bugs such as, ants, cicadas, bull ants and sparrows." By
Matt W.
"My herb garden has rosemary, coriander, common mint, garlic,
parsley, chives and chocolate mint. Garlic can be used on steak
to give it flavour." By Andreas T. |
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The Royal Botanic Gardens
The Grade 3/4s went to the Botanic Gardens, so we could
learn more about gardens and plants. First of all we went inside the
glasshouse and took a look at the beautiful tropical plants. After
that we approached a lovely lake. While we were there we had recess.
We took a huge stroll through the Botanic Gardens. Eventually I found the group and we had our delicious lunch.
Then we went to the Children's garden. A lady called Linda came to
see 3K and she took us to have a look at succulent plants and one of
them heals people's cuts. This plant is called Aloe Vera. After we
saw the giant oak trees we went back to the Children's Garden. At
the Children's Garden we planted leeks. After we planted the leeks
we took a huge walk through the tea-tree cave. Then we walked
through the bamboo cave. After we took a walk through the bamboo
cave we saw an old tree. She spoke to us and we crawled through the
old tree. That was in the Rainforest. Another activity was when we
went to see the worms. The worms were all slimy and we were looking
for the worms that had rings around them and that means they are
pregnant. Another activity is we got to plant daffodils and peas.
Then it was time to get on the bus and go back to school. By the
time we got back to school we were all tired. By Mitch & Ben |
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Education Week
To celebrate Education Week, we enjoyed fun Literacy and
Numeracy activities across the school. Students were broken up in
multi-age groupings P - 2 and 3 - 6 so they could help and learn
from each other. Students were involved in activities such as Nin
Nin or Math millionaire and literacy games such „What am I?” or
Cracking Codes. Not only did the children have fun but they got to
know others within the school better.
A great day was had by all!
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Nihongo News
In the Japanese room, students celebrated Hina Matsuri,
an annual festival for girls. On the third day of the third month,
families in Japan show their pride n their daughters by displaying a
set of dolls in ancient costume in a special place in their homes.
The girls at SEPS enjoyed dressing in kimono while our Japanese
exchange student, Yoko-san demonstrated how to make origami dolls. |
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House Swimming Sports
Grades 4,5,and 6 students participated in the House
Swimming Sports held at King Club. It was a very successful
afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
Congratulations to our students for their enthusiasm and effort. A
big thank you to Miss Price for her fantastic organization and to
the parents who assisted on the day. |
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Schools’ Garden Award Presentation
Grade 4 Gardening Club went to the
Royal Botanical Gardens to receive an Achievement Award . We all had
a fun day. A man talked to us about endangered animals and plants
and gave us cards with pictures and information about the animals.
The Minister for Education Mrs Bronwyn Pike presented the awards to
the schools. We also visited the Ian Potter Foundation Children‘s
Garden. It was fun going through the maze, the bamboo forest and the
children‘s kitchen garden. We were given a challenge to find 3
fragrances, a place where a wombat would like to live, a place where
a dragon fly would go and to find where the sugar cane was growing.
There were lots of other activities for us to do such as leaf
rubbings, making a crown from leaves and flowers, making a bamboo
wand and observing mini beasts through telescopes.
Thank you to our parent helpers Janet Murphy, Shireen Hegarty and
Paul Pavlidis for coming on the excursion. A big thank you to Mrs.
Anderson for taking garden Club during the year. It was a great day!
By Bree, Courtney and Brooke |
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Grade 3&4 Open Night Science Extravaganza
The Grade 3 and 4 students show-cased
their learning and understandings by holding a Science Expo. The
Grade 4 students commenced the evening with some jokes and a welcome
from Riley Flegeltaub and Courtney Wedderburn – two very wacky
scientists. Grade 4 scientists/students then participated in a Game
of Chase My Tail, a question and answer game involving specific
science questions:
Who invented the light bulb? Thomas Edison. What is the periodic
table? The famous table that organises all known elements by their
atomic number? What happens when you mix bi-carbonate soda and
vinegar? It explodes!
Students then returned to their classrooms and demonstrated their
science skills and involved parents in Science Experiments. These
experiments were amazing. Students created slime, students made
sherbet, students showed how colours mix in milk, some made
exploding volcanoes, others grew crystals. Parents and students had
a terrific night.
We thank all parents and friends for attending.
We hope you all enjoyed the evening. |
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Water Safety Awareness Week
Grade 3 and 4 students participated in
an activity at the Sandringham Yacht Club as part of Water Safety
Awareness Week. The children learnt about water and boating safety
from the instructors and then had the opportunity to sail in the
small boats. We would like to extend our thanks to the Sandringham
Yacht Club and the instructors for providing this worth-while
activity for our students. Thanks also to Andrew Newton for
providing a shuttle service in the SYC mini bus for all of the
students on the day.
Here are some of the students comments:-
"I sailed with Cohen. The tricky bit was having to change sides on
the boat and the direction of the sail when you turned the boat
around." Will
"It was a great experience to sail with a friend in an “Optimist”.
By the end of our time in the water we all got the hang of
controlling the sail and moving the tiller." Massey
"My favourite part was when the boat started to tip and some water
splashed in. Poppy swapped sides and the boat balanced again. It was
a fantastic experience." Emily
"I really enjoyed steering the boat when I was skipper. The wind
caught our sail and we went really fast." Danielle |
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Active After School Communities
Our Active After School Communities Program has once again been
very successful this term. The children participating from Grades 3
to 6 are pictured trying out some alternative games using fly swat
type bats to get the ball over the line to score a goal. The AASC
program promotes active leisure and provides opportunity for
children to experience a range of interesting physical activities
whilst keeping fit and having fun. Thank you to Miss Hayward for
her wonderful organization of the program and to the teachers who
assist with supervision. Without their support the program would not
operate. |
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Australasian Schools Maths and English
Competition
Congratulations to all our Grade 4 and 6 students on a great
effort in the University of New South Wales, Aus-tralasian Maths and
English competitions. A special congratulations to the students who
received Credits, Distinctions and High Distinctions. The results in
the Maths competition were 21 students with credit awards and 7 with
distinctions. In the English competition there were 11 credits, 5
distinctions, and 2 high distinctions which were awarded to Julia
Haigh and Trent Wilson – congratulations!! The students proudly
displayed their award certificates that were presented at Monday
morning assembly last week |
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Grade 4 Koori Garden
The grade 4 students worked with Mrs. Anderson and Andrew
Newton to transform the garden between the grade 4 and 5 rooms
into a Koori Garden. Here, Kelly explains how they made their
artwork which will decorate the area.
Garden Enhancement: By Kelly
INSPIRATION: My inspiration was the aboriginal cards. (A-Z) and the
aboriginal colors. I looked at other cards to see their borders.
TOOLS USED: Paintbrush, paints, grey led, water and the
news-paper (to lean on)
PROCESS: Paint the board with black paint; Draw up the design onto a
piece of paper; Copy the design onto the board; Paint the design
with the colours; Go over (some of it) the paint with some POSCAS
EVALUATION: I like the painting because we got to explore new and
unusual colors. It was exiting waiting for the painting to dry to
see how the finished product would look! |
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Schools’ Garden Awards – Victoria
We are very proud of the wonderful developments in our school
grounds this year including the veggie garden, the new trees planted
in the Sanctuary area, the chicken coop, the new water tanks, the
front garden beds and more! With so many exciting things to “show
off” in our grounds, it was decided to put Sandy East forward for
the School’s Garden Awards for 2008. On Thursday 11th September the
judges visited our school and were taken on a guided tour of our
grounds. The grade 4 children involved with the lunch time garden
club were our tour guides for our judges Mrs. Janet Kennedy and Mrs
Carol Morrison. The grade 4 children explained how we went about
starting our veggie garden and knew the names of every type of
veggie in the patch. Congratulation to our students for hosting our
judges so confidently and for being excellent ambassadors for our
school.
Thank you also to Andrew Newton for his continued work with the
garden projects and for being available for the judges visit.
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Ralph Sinclair Comes to SEPS
BBOOOOOOOM!!! The cylinder filled with chemicals erupted on
Thursday. Ralph Sinclair came to Sandringham East Primary School. On
the first day he showed us some facts about energy. He taught us
about energy joules, the way objects earned energy joules & lost
energy joules. He told us there is a chemical that you can’t buy
anywhere in the world but he can make it at his house. Ralph brought
two cans of this chemical in a cylinder with two holes one at the
top and one on the side of the cylinder. He opened the top hole and
lit it and he told us the chemicals are right now racing to the
roof. Ralph told us that if the chemicals mix with air, the
chemicals explode and hit the roof. Thanks to Ralph for giving lots
of his time to help us with science. By Jack & Kyle. Crash! Bang!
Clutter! That was Ralph with his wacky science experiments helping
the Grade 3&4’s with his strange experiments that surprisingly
amazed us all. Ralph poked a satay stick through a balloon (It
didn’t pop!) He taught us about circuits, energy and Newton’s Law.
We made jumping beans out of foil and steel balls, otherwise known
as ball bearings. We learnt about lightning and how to be careful if
there is lightning near. Ralph taught us about dangerous circuits
and electrical circuits too. We saw a chemical that you couldn’t get
anywhere in the world except his place! When he opened the can and
lit the flame, we waited a couple of minutes, and it went BANG! We
enjoyed having Ralph here and we hope he returns to SEPS soon. By
Mikaela & Karly |
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House Athletics Carnival
All the Grade 4,5 and 6 students participated in the
House Track Athletics Carnival at Sandringham Athletics Club.
Congratulations to all those students who competed on the day. We
were lucky with the weather and enjoyed being in the sun for a
change after the cold days we have been experiencing. The event ran
smoothly thanks to all the parent and teacher helpers. Students also
compete every Friday afternoon at Sandy Secondary College in
athletic field events. |
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Medieval Banquet for Grades 3 & 4
The good people of Grades 3 and 4 enjoyed a sumptuous
Medieval Banquet. They feasted hungrily on
lamb cutlets, chicken drumsticks, corncobs, fresh bread, apples,
grapes, apple pies and jam tarts washed down with apple juice drunk
from their tankards and goblets. Entertainment was provided by Jake
the Jester, who told a wonderful story involving many of the
students as characters, and finished with some folk dancing.
Special thanks go to the wonderful group of mothers who helped
with cooking, preparing and serving the feast and to all parents who
provided their
children with such impressive and inventive costumes. |
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Why have a veggie patch?
This will support our curriculum goals and sustainability focus
which is so important at Sandy East. It is relevant to learning
about our environment and responsive to the life skills required to
sustain ourselves in this every changing world. We need to empower
our students with the skills to follow through at home and become
aware of protecting the environment. Many students these days don’t
have the opportunity to see how vegetables grow and where eggs come
from so it is a great opportunity for these experiences. The year
4’s have done a wonderful job landscaping and talking about their
designs for the garden development. |
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Grade 4 Garden Club
Have you seen some of our Grade 4 children with brooms,
spades, weeders and watering cans, busily working in the garden
areas of our school during lunchtime recess?
A couple of weeks ago the Grade 4 Garden Club started for any
interested Grade 4 children. Things that have been achieved already
are -: weeding and tidying the sanctuary area, maintaining our new
plants and garden beds at the front of the school, sweeping and
weeding the barbecue area.
The club has some exciting plans for developing the garden area
outside the Grade 4 classrooms. The children have brainstormed the
types of plants and garden design that would suit with view to
developing that area into a tranquil garden to sit and enjoy a quiet
time.
One of our parents Ashley Murphy has assisted the group with ideas.
His work as a landscape gardener gave the group some practical ideas
in developing gardens and knowledge of the type of plants that would
do well in that area. Any other parents who are interested in
becoming involved please contact Mrs. Anderson. |
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Grade 3 &4 Visit the Woodwork Room
Grade 3 and 4 children had an
excursion to the “Wood Work Room”.
“I had a great time at the Wood Work Room. Our
medieval castles with retracting draw bridges looked terrific.” Jack
“We hammered, mowed and sawed and at the end we ended up with lots
of models of castles.” Alex |
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SEPS Triathlete Visit
SEPS was fortunate to have three of the
fastest triathletes in Australia come and speak to our Grade 3-6’s.
The athletes took time out of their busy schedules to speak to the
students about triathlon, their experiences in international racing
and what their training involved. The students were shown the
wetsuits, race bikes, equipment and shoes the athletes use in their
racing. It was a fantastic way to expose SEPS students to a
different sport and hopefully promote triathlon and active
lifestyles in the community.
The children all had the opportunity to participate in a triathlon
clinic. Each student bought in a swim cap and goggles from home to
be involved in a triathlon transition race. The students had to run,
take off their goggles and cap, then run a circuit of the oval.
We were very appreciative of the athletes providing such a wonderful
experience for our students and to Mr. Steele for organizing the
event. |
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Arrabri Camp
Our Year 3 / 4 students enjoyed
a fabulous three days at Arrabri Lodge in Warburton. The reports
from the children have all been fantastic; it was a very successful
camp. The staff have also ‘sung the praises’ of the students for the
manner in which they participated in the camp. I would like to
publicly thank the staff involved in the camp. I know only too well how much
time and effort goes into the organisation and planning to ensure
that the camp is a safe and enjoyable experience for all. As well,
the time and energy required while on camp, with all staff being on
duty 24 hours a day is a huge commitment.
I would also like to thank our parents who volunteered to attend the camp as well and jumped in
to support the staff. Without their support, it would be impossible
to run our camping program.
Unfortunately, in our society nowadays many
schools are withdrawing from camping and excursion programs as staff
are reluctant to take on this responsibility and the legal
liability. While camping programs and excursions are not mandatory
for schools, they have become part of the fabric of what our school
offers because staff know the enormous educational and social
benefits that can be derived from them.
We are fortunate at Sandy East to have a staff that is committed to
our camping and excursion programs. |
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Grade 3’s and 4’s Yarra River Cruise.
Grades 3 and 4 went on an excursion on the Yarra River. The boat
we went on was called the MV Melbourne star. There were a lot of
interesting things to see. On the cruise there was a man called
Michael who gave us the tour. The first thing we went under was the
Princes Bridge it is very old and big. We went under Queen’s Bridge,
which is very small because it originally carried lots of carts and
horses. One of the best things we saw was the Clipper, Polly
Woodside. We went past Flinders Street station; it is the oldest
station in Australia and one of the oldest in the world.
While we were in Docklands we saw the Southern Star which is a
ferris wheel, being built.
We Discovered Some Interesting Facts:
- The West Gate Bridge is 5.9 kilometers long in 1970 it fell down
and 5 workers died
- The Bolte Bridge is turning ten years old. It was named after Sir
Henry Bolte a former Premier of Victoria
- There are Fish in the Yarra River
- Sometimes you can see dolphins and seals in the Yarra River
- The Eureka Tower is Melbourne’s tallest building and has 92 floors |
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House Swimming Carnival
All the Grade 4, 5 and 6 students participated in the
House Swimming Carnival. Congratulations to all those students who
competed on the day. The event ran smoothly thanks to all the parent
and teacher helpers. Students who won their event will be competing
in the District Swimming Carnival which will be held at Melbourne
Sports and Aquatic Centre. |
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We used computers to program the robots. We had
to choose settings that made the robot move where we wanted it to.
We only had a certain space to move the robot in so we had to limit
the time the robot moved. |
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We were comparing the movement sequences of the
different robots to see everybody's ideas.
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Some of the boys were testing the dance moves
they had programmed. |
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We were seeing how our robot worked after we had
programmed it. We had to incorporate all the idiosyncrasies of the
different robots into our calculations. |
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Grade 4 Sailing at Sandy Yacht Club |
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