Issue 13
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
We welcome to our school Brain
McKay. Brian is a trained
Reading Recovery Teacher who
has commenced working at Ashby
Primary School today. The
Reading Recovery program is
designed to support students
usually in grade one who have
not as yet gained the necessary
reading and writing skills. The
program is designed to give these
children individual attention in
the form of half an hour a day,
each day, to support learning in
reading and writing. Students
reading daily and reading at
home is a very important part of
this program. Attending school
daily and being on time are also
aspects of this program. If the
students aren’t at school, on time
they can’t engaged with their
learning. So that parent support
is really important in helping
with the reading at home. Daily
reading for all students makes a
huge difference to the students
reading ability, regardless of the
age of the students.
Brian has commenced working
this term in the afternoons but
during term 3 and term 4 he will
be working with children that are
in need of support with their
reading and writing skills daily
and during the week.
CLASSROOM HELPERS
PROGRAM.
Please fill out the form on page 4
if you are interested in being
Principal: Jenny Omachen www.ashbyps.vic.edu.au
involved in the Classroom helpers
program. These sessions will be
held at school and the purpose of
these session is to explain the
reading support, writing support
and numeracy work that is being
taught at school.
Please indicate your preference:
Wednesday 9.00 - 10.00
Thursday 9.00 - 10.00
Friday 9.00 - 10.00
Jenny Omachen
Principal
ART NEWS
Our clay firing is well and truly
underway with all grades making
and firing clay pots. This week
we are putting the finishing
glazes on these masterpieces.
The grade five sixes are doing
claymation and woodwork, and at
the moment are looking for
donations of recycled materials
for both.
School email - ashby.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
Tuesday 24th May 2011
DATES TO REMEMBER
Wednesday 25th May
Lightning Premiership.
Friday 27th May
Walkathon postponed till
later in the year.
Friday 10th June
Report Writing Day School
Closed.
Monday June 13th
Queen’s Birthday Holiday
School Closed.
Saturday 25th June
Trivia Night & Silent
Auction.
We need material scraps, lids,
small boxes, old jewellery,
margarine containers and lots of
wood scraps. Any soft old wood
especially pine would be fantastic
for woodwork and the children
go through it very quickly.
Thank you,
KATHY HYLAND
Ashby Primary School
CLASSROOM
HELPERS PROGRAM
---
----------------
PLEASE RETURN TO SCHOOL AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I am interested in participating in
the Classroom Helpers Program.
NAME: _____________________
____________________________
Please circle your preference:
Wednesday morning
9.00 - 10.00
Thursday morning
9.00 - 10.00
Friday morning
9.00 - 10.00
WALKING SCHOOL
BUS NEWS
A big thankyou to everyone who
made that extra effort to walk to
school on Friday, especially as the
morning was a bit bitey. Great
Job!!!
Also thanks to Di for ferrying the
Walking School Bus children in to
school, the Active Travel
Committee for greeting walkers at
the gates and gathering the
numbers for the Hands Up Survey
that morning, and for Steve
(Wolfe and Arlo’s dad) for
helping out on the day too.
Thanks
Katrina
0403910063
Page 2
Seeking Silent Auction and Trivia Night
Donations!
How YOU Can Help
Critical to the success of our annual Silent Auction and Trivia Night Event are donations
for the Auction, raffles and mystery envelopes. While businesses are our primary
donors, there are a number of creative ways that YOU, our parent community, can get
involved in providing items for the auction:
1) Distribute the Donation Solicitation Packet to local businesses - You can find
the targeted list of local businesses on the FOA board outside the staff office. Simply list
your name by businesses you are willing to drop the Donation Solicitation Packet off at
and take the required number of packets. If a business isn’t on the list just write it in at
the end of the list. You can also request a PDF version of the Packet by sending an
email to friendsofashby@ashbyps.vic.edu.au or visiting the FOA Blog http://
friendsofashby.blogspot.com/.
2) Donate an item from your place of business – if you own or work for a
business, consider donating an item. You can pick up a Packet from the FOA board
outside the staff office, send an email to friendsofashby@ashbyps.vic.edu.au to request
a PDF version or visit the FOA Blog http://friendsofashby.blogspot.com/.
3) Donate an item you don’t want/need anymore – Do have something that is new
or still in “as new” condition that you think might make a good auction item? Maybe you
received a second slow cooker for Christmas, just never got around to opening that new
fan, or now don’t think those cushions you purchased for your lounge room really look
the way you imagined. Well, donate them for the auction! If you have something that is
new or in as new condition, complete the Donation Form from the Packet and bring the
item in to the school office. If you have questions about whether something is
appropriate, email friendsofashby@ashbyps.vic.edu.au or contact Cyndy Scherer 0438-
172-949.
4) Donate an item you have made - Are you the creative sort? Do you crochet, knit,
make cards, scrapbook, sew, paint, cook, etc? Well, make something to donate for
auction, or donate a voucher for a custom item! If you have something you have made
or a voucher for a custom item, complete the Donation Form from the Packet and bring
the item in to the school office. If you have questions about whether something is
appropriate, email friendsofashby@ashbyps.vic.edu.au or contact Cyndy Scherer 0438-
172-949.
5) Donate an item with a group – get together with a group of friends or parents
from your child’s classroom and create an item for the auction. Below are some ideas of
things you might do with groups, where each individual donation is low cost ($5-10 per
person), but it will create an interesting item for auction:
• Arts and Crafts Package – have each member of the group donate art supplies
e.g. paints, brushes, paper, glue, stickers
• Family Fun Beach Package – have each member of the group donate an beach
related item e.g. towels, sunscreen, beach toys
• Cooking with kids package – have each member of the group donate a cooking
related item e.g. cookie cutters, spatulas, wooden spoons, mixing bowl
• A case of wine – get together a group of 12 people and have each member of the
group donate a bottle of wine
The ideas are really endless and as suggested above don’t have to be expensive for
each individual, but when you put them together they make a wonderful item for auction.
If you have a group item to donate, complete the Donation Form from the Packet and
bring the item in to the school office. If you have questions about whether something is
appropriate, email friendsofashby@ashbyps.vic.edu.au or contact Cyndy Scherer 0438-
172-949.
Please note all donations must be received by June 3, 2011 to be
included in the Auction Catalogue!
Ashby Primary School Page 3

FRIENDS OF ASHBY UPDATES

Visit the FOA Blog http://friendsofashby.blogspot.com/ for more updates!

Next FOA Meeting

The next monthly FOA meeting will be held on Friday, June 3rdth right after Fresh Fruit
Friday or 9:30amish in the staff room. We encourage those planning to attend to help
with Fresh Fruit prior to the meeting as the sooner the fruit is prepared the sooner we
can start (and complete the FOA meeting). Remember, all are welcome!

2011 Friendship Lists

Thank you to everyone who submitted information for the 2011 Friendship lists. The
lists are being sent home today. Please note while we tried to read everyone’s handwriting, we may have gotten
something wrong. If you find an error, please submit to your child’s teacher and we will update your classrooms list.

A Swim with the Dolphins?

Have you begun making plans to attend the annual Silent Auction and Trivia Night? The event is shaping up nicely with
auction items beginning to come in including:

• A 3.5 hour snorkelling tour with Sea All Dolphins Swim for one adult and one child
• A gift voucher for a cleanse and conditioning facial from Brooke’s Body and Skincare
• A family gift voucher for a 40 minute Scenic Cruise of Corio Bay from Freedom Bay Cruises
• One month’s membership to Curves

We hope families and friends are beginning to make their plans to attend our largest fundraiser of the
year which will be held on Saturday, June 25th from 6:30-10:30pm in the school Hall. This should be a fun
and lively evening, and remember this event is an adult only event, so now is a good time to start lining up
a babysitter! A separate Information sheet regarding details on how to organize a table and pre-purchase your
tickets is included with the newsletter.

2011 McCAIN Veggie Patch Promotion for Schools

Ashby Primary School has registered again for this program to support work in our
school garden. Through the program primary schools around Australia and New
Zealand have been invited to build their own veggie patches and grow their own
vegetables. To lend a helping hand, McCAIN is giving away over $500,000 worth of
veggie patch equipment to primary schools during 2011.

To support our school simply collect barcodes from your McCAIN vegetable packs
between now and September 30, 2011. You can give your barcodes to your child’s
teacher or place them collection box at the school office.

And don’t forget to ask your family and friends for their McCain vegetable packs barcodes! Every barcode earns
McCAIN Veggie Patch points for our school which can then be redeemed for gardening tools and seeds.

Can You Help?

There are many ways you can get involved at Ashby. Below are some current activities we are
seeking assistance with:

• Fresh Fruit Friday, Friday, Every Friday, 9-10am – Volunteers are needed to prepare
and deliver fruit and vegetable trays for the classrooms. If you can assist, please join us
this Friday and every Friday in the new classroom kitchen off the Hall.
• Classroom Kitchen Clean-up, Monday, May 31, 9-11am – Now that the classroom kitchen is ready
for use, it needs a good clean and an equipment inventory. Volunteers are needed next Monday, May
31 right after drop off to assist with these tasks. If you can help for even a little bit during this time,
please join us in the classroom kitchen.
Ashby Primary School Page 4

BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE

Yay!! We are back in the hall.
There is a suggestion box on the table in the hall for Before and After
School Care kids to suggest ideas for cooking, craft and activities.
Everyone at Before and After School Care could also like to wish Steve
and Chris happiness for their wedding on Saturday.
Ashby Primary School Page 5