It has almost been two terms of Year One for Maëlle her in Australia at Burnside Public School. She is loving every day and learning so much it has opened both mom and dads eyes to how much one little girl can learn in only four months.
A little about her school:
Burnside Public School was built in 1922 by Sir James Murdoch at a cost of 17,000
Pounds, and for many years was known as the “Murdoch School”.
The building of the school was founded primarily to overcome the problems of transporting
the Burnside Homes children to North Parramatta School. Though the buildings and
grounds remain the property of Uniting Care, the School is staffed and maintained by the
Department of Education and Communities.
The present school was opened on the 21st April 1922 by Her Excellency Lady Forster, wife
of the Governor-General. The school motto being “Omnia Pro Bono” meaning “For the
Good of All”.
After a few years Burnside School became a Central School – providing education for
students up to the Intermediate Level.
In the early years most children were Homes children, but new policies of welfare care by
the organization have resulted in the relocation of children and there are no longer any
children from the Homes attending this school.
In 1962 the school was reclassified and most secondary students were enrolled at
Cumberland High School. During the 1970’s Burnside School had an enrolment of over
400 students with separate Primary and Infants Departments. Now the school has
maintained enrolments of over 200 students.
This year there is 10 classes of straight grade and composite classes from K-6.
Interview:
Mom: What do you love about school in Australia?
Maëlle: The awards and the assemblies. Getting to speak up in front of the assemblies. My teacher.
Mom: What do you like about your year one classroom?
Maëlle: That my classroom is upstairs. That I get to do my own writing in Science, Reading Groups and S.A.D. and P.A.D.. That I have my own desk. That I get my own home reader and that I get homework.
Mom: What are you most proud of?
Maëlle: My Bronze, Silver and Gold Award. How much I can read now! I started at level 5 and now I am reading level 18. I am excited to read books to my sister and even in the night when I am supposed to be sleeping.
Mom: What else is different about Burnside from Coloniale?
Maëlle: I get to have 3 meals at school and I go to school all day. They have a school song. I sing a different National Anthem. I have gotten to work with other classes in the school and lots of people know me.
Some of the reasons she loves her school
School Song
BURNSIDE SCHOOL SONG
O we belong to Burnside a school of which we’re proud
So lift your voices boys and girls we’ll sing its praises loud
In every way through work and play we strive to bring it fame
For Burnside is the school we love and we shall honour its name
Burnside, Burnside we belong to Burnside with
Pride and joy each girl and boy will sing their praise to Burnside
Maëlle sings this song around home a lot!
Merit Cards
Burnside has a great system of recognizing the positive efforts of its students. They have 3 different sets of cards that they are awarded. When they get 5 of the blue or yellow cards (positive behaviour, work habits and effort), they take them in and they get a certificate at the weekly assembly. First a Bronze, then Silver, followed by Gold. After Gold they start again at Bronze and if they make it to gold, they get a medallion. White awards are academic achievement awards that students collect over their whole time at Burnside. After seven of them they get a special award as well.
Assemblies
Each week there are whole school assemblies and K-2 assemblies in which classes present and the Merit Cards are passed out as well. Maëlle has got to present to her whole school and for the shy little girl who you all know, she has come out of her shell a lot because of this.
Clubs
She loves her dance club that she goes to each week. Such great opportunities even for the younger students.
Sport
Sport is the Australian version of Physical Education. Unfortunately it is only once a week, but she does love it.
Uniforms- Mom and Dad may love this more!
Summer
Green & white check dress, White socks with black shoes
Winter
Green & gold check tunic with white blouse White socks or bottle green tights with black shoes
Sport – each Friday Gold polo shirt with school emblem
Bottle green knit short
White socks with sports shoes
Homework
Yes she likes homework. She has weekly spelling words and she gets to do some of it online on the computer or iPad. Mathletics and Reading Eggs. She likes to prepare her fortnightly speeches that she makes in front of her class. Up next is one of her choice and she is doing it on Canada.
A little about her school:
Burnside Public School was built in 1922 by Sir James Murdoch at a cost of 17,000 Pounds, and for many years was known as the “Murdoch School”. The building of the school was founded primarily to overcome the problems of transporting the Burnside Homes children to North Parramatta School. Though the buildings and grounds remain the property of Uniting Care, the School is staffed and maintained by the Department of Education and Communities. The present school was opened on the 21st April 1922 by Her Excellency Lady Forster, wife of the Governor-General. The school motto being “Omnia Pro Bono” meaning “For the Good of All”. After a few years Burnside School became a Central School – providing education for students up to the Intermediate Level. In the early years most children were Homes children, but new policies of welfare care by the organization have resulted in the relocation of children and there are no longer any children from the Homes attending this school. In 1962 the school was reclassified and most secondary students were enrolled at Cumberland High School. During the 1970’s Burnside School had an enrolment of over 400 students with separate Primary and Infants Departments. Now the school has maintained enrolments of over 200 students.
This year there is 10 classes of straight grade and composite classes from K-6.
It has taken me a while to really stop and think about what I am learning about myself as a teacher. Change is always hard and I knew coming to teach in Australia would be different, but I do not really think that I really anticipated sometimes how different it would feel to not have the comfort of my classroom and my routine that I was used to. It was challenging to pick up new and different programs at first and try to fit the mold of what it was supposed to look like. I realized, but not so quickly, that I was already doing all these things but just not calling it the same. I am really excited for the ideas I have for my classroom.
Canada Day in 2K- As it was the last day of the term, my class had a great finish to the term with a day all about CANADA! They loved learning about maple syrup and that it actually comes from trees! We read Robert Mucsch books and laughed a lot. We sang some Michael Mitchell songs and some Raffi too!
