Education Week 2020 - "Learning Together"

Welcome to Berry Public Schools virtual education week for 2020!! 

Unfortunately, this year we are unable to host our usual open day extravaganza. So instead, all of this week we will be uploading a range of different and exciting things to our website and Facebook page to celebrate all of the amazing things we do at Berry Public School. 

This years theme is "Learning Together" and we feel that it couldn't be more true for our year so far. 

In 2020 we have experienced students learning from not only teachers, but each other and their parents too. Parents learnt new skills from teachers and their children, and teachers spent a lot of time learning from each other too! 

Monday - Highlights of 2020

First up for our education week celebrations we have a video of some of the highlights of 2020 so far. Enjoy! 

Tuesday - National WriteOn Competition

19 students from Years 2 - 6 were identified by class teachers as outstanding writers and they were invited to submit an entry into the National WriteOn competition.

WriteOn provides students with the opportunity to become published authors if they are chosen by the panel of judges in Sydney.

Only 1 student from each Stage could be nominated to represent Berry PS in the competition.

Students could choose their writing format from scripts to poems to narratives.

Congratulations to Ava Rootham (Stage 1), Milla Smith (Stage 2) and Kayla Smith (Stage 3) who were chosen to represent Berry. And good luck!

Stage One

Shared Love

The boy sleeps next to his brown and white dog,
He sleeps on his bed and he sleeps like a log.
The boy loves his dog and he wants to be with him forever,
Because the boy knows they will have a great life together.

He sleeps on a mattress with a white sheet, a red blanket,
And lots of stuffed toys.
But those toys are certainly not for any other boys.
They snuggle up close and look like they are best friends.

This friendship is so strong it will never end. 

By Ava Rootham

Stage Two

Slumber

My name is Slumber. My life is good and can be bad at times.

My friends Two Legs, a young boy, and Four Legs, a fox terrier dog, come and collapse onto me at roughly the same time every day. I find this irritating! Four Legs never has a bath and even though Two Legs does bath, he is always smelly. They make me very stinky and dirty. It gets amongst my springs!

Yesterday, Two Legs took Four Legs for a walk. I was extremely happy about that because it meant I didn’t have to carry so much weight and I could relax. When I was about to fall into a well-deserved sleep, Two Legs’ cat came sprinting up the stairs and jumped on top of me. I awoke startled!

That was a horrible start to the day. But it gets worse…

Next, I had to put up with Four Legs after Two Legs went to something called school, I think. Four Legs drove me crazy. First, he leaped up on me. Then, he pulled at my sheets with his incredibly sharp teeth. Next, he ripped my fluffy, soft pillow to shreds. Finally he pushed me so hard I fell off the base of the bed. This was a dreadful experience.

At the end of the day, when Two Legs came home from school, he came running into his bedroom and bounced and snuggled into me. I realized he was actually crying. I wanted to comfort him but I couldn’t think of a way how.  I wondered what had happened that was so devastating it made Two Legs weep. I was sorry I couldn’t help him.

That night, Two Legs cuddled up to Four Legs and slowly drifted off to sleep, crying softly. The next morning, Two Legs woke up happy again. He skipped down to breakfast and ate gleefully. Then I remembered it was the weekend and maybe he had just had a tough week at school.

So, that’s only some of the bad things that happen in my life. My life is actually full of wonderful things as well.

Last week when Two Legs went off to school, I had a whole day to myself because Four Legs was at doggy training school. The whole day I could just relax and think of my own interesting thoughts with the comfort of my crisp white sheets and freshly washed fluffy red blanket.  At first I had a small nap, then I thought about how much it’s nice to have some me time. After that, I just blocked all the thoughts I had out of my head and settled back. It was a glorious day!

I have touched on some good and bad things that happen in my life.  One thing is for sure I am the luckiest mattress in the world that has the two best friends ever. My Two Legs and my Four Legs. 

By Milla Smith

Stage Three

Perspective…

The frozen cold waters of the beach chased me to my knees. I whistled, and he came.

I am the overlord. The monarch. The master.

King, my dog, sat soundly at my feet, wishing for a treat which I carried. I bent down and reached quickly into my pocket, grasping hold of the delicacy and handed the goody to my pet. King gobbled it down vigorously, probably thinking of demanding more if not for the gliding seagulls he bounded off to chase. His coat shook waveringly as he sprinted after the birds, who sailed freely, just above the distinctive sand dunes.

The beauty of the beach was a majestic colour; everything seemed to have turned blood red. The sun looked down on the ocean from its current position in the sky, soon to go to sleep itself; casting a crimson light on to the clouds and the brackish water of the ocean.

A lone seagull hesitantly landed a few metres away from me, its head cocked back to peer up at a scrap of food just behind it on a dune; then plucked it rapidly up and into its mouth. It must have been the most prestigious moment of my life so far, until King hurdled himself in my direction. The bird fluttered away after it’s flock, long gone into the distance.

I was feeling tired, I could tell King was feeling this way too. I whistled again and started to head back to the path we took to arrive here.

As we entered the block in which we lived, I knocked on the front door. Just minutes later, I was in my bedroom; King and I were asleep in a heartbeat.

Jumping unhurriedly, I leaped over the dunes and towards my boy.

My name is King and I am the Alpha.

Kaleb gently whistled and I gleefully bounded over to him, longing for an appetizing snack. He grasped one out of his trouser pocket and placed it carefully on his hand; I gobbled it up with pleasure. I was about to bark for another when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a small flock of seagulls to chase. I frolicked off into the horizon, leaving Kaleb alone in the distance.

That’s when I spotted it. A lone bird, just metres away from my boy. I hurriedly sprinted into the crashing waves towards the seagull, my target was in sight.

I started wheezing; I was increasingly getting tired, not just because of the exercise but of the time. That’s when I noticed the strikingly beautiful sunset.

Kaleb whistled again and I immediately decided this was time I wanted to go home.

Minutes later after the temporary walk back to my palace, Kaleb knocked cautiously on the castle door to be let inside by any relative in the mansion. I was bundled up in slave’s arms as we entered my chamber. Only minutes later, we huddled close together and both drifted off into the light of our dreams.

This photo was the stimulus given to students to prompt their writing piece. 

Wednesday - Outstanding Public Speaking

Today for Education Week we will be showcasing some of the outstanding and confident public speakers we have at Berry Public School. Last term we held the public speaking competition where students from Year 3 - Year 6 competed against their peers. 

As always, the quality of the speeches and speaking was phenomenal and we couldn't be more proud of all the students involved. 

The winners of the competition overall were Hannah Thomson (Year 3), Lucas Ball (Year 4), Summer Craig (Year 5) and Alicia Healey (Year 6). Congratulations again to the winners! 

Year 3 Speakers

Hannah Thomson - "Dolphins"

Year 4 Speakers

Lucas Ball - "Why I Hate Public Speaking"

Year 5 Speakers

Summer Craig - "Books"

Year 5 Speakers

Alicia Healey - "Take Three For The Sea"

Thursday - Kindergarten 100 Days of Learning Celebration! 

Wow! What a day! Today we got to celebrate with Kindergarten as they have reached over 100 days of learning. This included learning in the classroom and the amazing learning the students did from home. 

The students were allowed to dress up as if they themselves were 100 years old, and boy did they dress up! All of the outfits were outstanding and the students kept in character all day. 

Miss Henning and Miss Boan organised a fantastic day for the students, in the morning they did 10 different activities that involved the number 100. This was followed by party food and in the afternoon the students made 100 days at school crowns! 

It was a happy and fun - and much needed - day of celebration for all involved. 

Full gallery:

Friday - Student Council 

At Berry Public School we recognise the importance of learning new skills from Kindergarten right up to Year 6. When moving into Stage 3, the senior students understand that they are role models to the younger students and are given more responsibilities around the school. 

At the start of 2020, Mr Haddon had the idea of developing a 'School Council'. Berry Public School’s Council is made up of two captains, two vice captains, six Executives and their committees chosen from Year 6 to form our SRC.

What is a School Council?

Berry Public School’s council is designed around the Australian Federal Parliamentary system and is operated using similar rules and guidelines.

The Council works together with staff and students to continue to improve Berry Public School and develop leadership skills.

Elections are held at the end of each year and ten Year 6 students are selected to be captains and the six executives to lead ministries. The actions and decisions of the elected leaders are guided by our Council.

Each of the leaders hold different power and have different responsibilites around the school. 

School Captains - Kayla Smith and Liam Chaplin

Responsibilities

- Positive leadership.
- Role model.
- Attend and control all Council meetings.
- Support your fellow students and staff.
- Official school representatives at formal school occasions.
- Run Council meetings.
- Meet with the principal after each parliamentary sitting.
- Liaise with Year 6 teachers and relevant committees.
- Write the end of term council report for the website.
- Reports the outcome at Council sittings of the meetings with the principal or AP.
- Opens Council meetings
          - Reads the Council Pledge
          - Keeps order
          - Ejects Council members after two formal warnings

Vice Captains - Jemima Orme and Will Page

Responsibilities

- Positive leadership.
- Role model.
- Attend all Council meetings.
- Support your fellow students and staff.
- Support the Captains.
- Replace the Captain’s in all roles if they are absent.
- Meet with Principal (AP stage 3) after each parliamentary  sitting.
- Liaise with Stage 3 teachers and relevant committees.

Secretary duties:

- Opens School Council correspondence.
- Replies to all School Council correspondence.
- Distributes material to relevant leaders.
- Records minutes.
- Stores minutes.

Treasurer duties:

- Collection of money/donations.
- Counts and records any money raised by the SRC.
- Liaises with the school finance team – principal & SAM.
- Reports to SRC about funds.
- Keeps a record of expenditure and income.
- Ensures collections of all fundraising money.

Leader of Sport: Taj Barrett

Leader of Environment: Alec Redlich
Council Members: Nash Cattell, Jenna Walker and Ethan Schoon.
Teacher: Mr Sutton

Responsibilities

- Put out and return silver seats each Friday/Monday.
- Report OH&S issues in the classroom and playground.
- Promote walk safely to school and Fruit & Veg week.
- Assist with Bike Week activities.
- Develops new initiatives and programs about a choosing a healthy lifestyle.
- Co-ordinate with Canteen committee about food.
- Encourages recycling, reducing and reusing.
- General cleanliness of school grounds.
- Collect bins for recycling on Wednesdays and return.
- Check taps & bubblers are turned off.
- Check lights around school are turned off.
- Promote vegetable garden, recycling and composting

Leader of Media: Alicia Healey
Council Members: Grace White, Zari Banks, Patrick O'Leary, Aksel Blade and Kirra Lynas
Teacher: Mrs McAuliffe

Responsibilies

- Competitions.
- Articles for web site.
- Publicity for other committees. 
- Charities.
- Discos.
- Make sure that school events are reported on. This includes short report written by participants and where possible photos uploaded on to the school website.
- Promote school events at assemblies and by creating display posters.

Leader of Library: Taylor Sedgewick
Council Members: Rose Whitton, Honey Martin, Oscar Gollan and Hudson Bitz
Teacher: Mrs Hill

Responsibilities

- Help in the library.
- Put books away.
- Keep board games tidy.
- Help students on computers.
- Start up and shut down computers.
- Help with Book Week.
- Present class library awards.
- Show new library purchases.
- Sharpen pencils.

Leader of Technology: Sam Henry
Council Members: Will Turley, Max Israel-Marquis
Teacher: Mr Haddon

Responsibilities

- COLA area and hall technology.
- Runs the sound and lighting for all hall presentations.
- Meets with SRC representatives and teachers on classroom computer needs and repairs.
- Distributes Laptop computers where needed and return at the end of each day. Making sure they are recharging for the following day.
- Lock laptops in security room on Fridays.
- Music etc for assemblies, discos, BBQ’s etc.

Leader of Functions: Mia Monkerud
Council Members: Sophia Fagan, Riley Masters, Matthew Franklin, Grace Davies and Tyson Motby.
Teacher: Miss Vearing

Responsibilities

- COLA area and hall technology.
- Runs the sound and lighting for all hall presentations.
- Meets with SRC representatives and teachers on classroom computer needs and repairs.
- Distributes Laptop computers where needed and return at the end of each day. Making sure they are recharging for the following day.
- Lock laptops in security room on Fridays.
- Music etc for assemblies, discos, BBQ’s etc.