Nerae Preece Acting Principal

From the Principal

Hi Everyone,

I just got off the phone from a teleconference for our school council. There were a few things that needed to be worked out. One of them was finding a school council president. I would like to take the opportunity to thank and congratulate Christian Clarke for volunteering to continue his role as our School Council President and I am looking forward to working with him and the school council in the year ahead. Our school council is made of Carl deWacht, Angela Mortyn, Mark Morris (Community Member), Janet Miller, Erin Murphy and new appointments Sara Renouf, Kimberly Mudra, Emina Sejmen and Steve Smith.

We hope you have been able to enjoy the start of the holidays. A gentle reminder that our remote learning hasn’t started yet, however our learning blog will be ready early next term to help with learning.

These times are very trying for many families who may have employment uncertainty, health issues to consider and with physical isolation we can all feel a little low. We want to know you are first and most importantly parents. It’s your job to make kids feel safe and loved. Your kids will naturally learn from you when you are relaxed and calm. You need to feel safe and supported for this to happen. We want you to remember that even though we might need to be “physically distanced” we don’t have to be “socially distance”. Reach out to our community if you need help, through social media or by ringing someone, we really care about you.

Today I held a Webex meeting with all staff to discuss our action plan for remote learning. We are ready to go, and you will receive your first email from your child’s teachers on Tuesday the 14th of April. Check your inboxes.

Have a safe and relaxing holiday

Kindest Regards,

Nerae Preece

(Principal Badger Creek Primary School)

This Week at Badger Creek

We are learning new IT skills for remote learning

Our Garden is still blooming!

Making music videos in preparation for online learning

Art at Badger Creek

This year we are delighted to welcome Vanessa Imberger as our Art teacher at Badger Creek. Vanessa is trained in fine and textile arts. She also runs her own screen printing business, making hand designed and printed homewares. She has a passion for teaching, you will start to see the beautiful results popping up around the school in the work of the children. Please see the Q& A session with Vanessa below:

Q: What is something you enjoy about teaching?

A: I love having the opportunity to share my skillset and offer a range of mediums and methods to the students. It gives me great pleasure to see the students engrossed in the art making as they engage with the creative process.

Q: What is one of your favourite artistic activities?

A: My favourite activity is screen printing fabric lengths. I love creating new patterns.

Q: What do you like to di in your spare time?

A: Gardening and screen-printing make me happy.

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Music News

If you missed assembly last week, you missed two gorgeous performances by our grade 3/4 students. Grade 3/4 A performed Better Than by John Butter. I was so proud of the students as it had rather as tricky instrumental past that was played on the pianos and xylophones. While we were learning this song, students rotated around the instruments and microphones. We had a great time.

The second performance was a very heartfelt and moving rendition of Count on Me by Bruno Mars. I was so happy when the audience joined in on the choruses of this performance. We do love to sing at Badger. It strikes at the heart of what I love about teaching music, to see students and communities singing together. May this last their whole lives.

Instrumental Music lessons and Women’s Choir

In an effort to protect our community, it has been decided to suspend all music lessons and Women’s Choir Rehearsals for rest of the term. We will reassess the situation as it develops in term two. We are a bit sad about this but it will not be forever and we will get back to it as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

@ The Bush Hut

As part of our partnership with the Healesville Sanctuary, Badger Creek Primary School have been given a unique opportunity to have the use of an off-campus learning space at the Sanctuary Bush Hut. Here we will be able to have back stage access to the Sanctuary staff and grounds. We will participate in unique and exciting learning activities in a very special place.

Grade 1/2 B were lucky enough to be one of the first grades to visit the bush hut at the Healesville Sanctuary and we had an amazing time. It was a sunny and beautiful day and we felt so special to go beyond usual public spaces and to connect to the Sanctuary in a different way.

Here are some of the interesting things we did:

  • Measuring, observing and identifying animal scat
  • Listening to and identifying the sounds of the bush
  • Texture rubbings of different surfaces

One of the highlights was a visit to the animal hospital where we watched a kookaburra wake up from an anaesthetic. We felt like VIPs!

Kath Douglas

Grade 1/2 teacher