The new year is ready to begin! 

We hope everyone has had a great Christmas and Summer Holiday break and welcome back all our returning and new Year 8 students for 2017. It will be a busy start to the year as teachers and students begin the year developing new class relationships and routines. It is an important time to ensure that the start of the year sets the tone for  a successful year ahead. There are so many opportunities and exciting learning activities planned for our Year 8 students and the challenge for all is to set goals and with a positive attitude make the most of their final primary school year. 
To help you achieve the most out of this year, Balmacewen Intermediate has developed a values and skills approach to all activities. The 2017 School Values of Respect, Kindness, Perseverance and Excellence will be the cornerstone of everything we do this year.
The first 2 values of Respect and Kindness includes getting on with, helping, supporting and encouraging others. Being a nice person is a goal you need to aspire to achieve. It is not only about what we do but how we do it! The second pair of values include Perseverance and Excellence. Displaying these values will ensure that you will be the best that you can be.
Balmacewen Intermediate has also developed the “Balmac Super Six” set of skills to help you achieve personal excellence in everything that you do. These include…

Aiming high and striving for excellence
Working both collaboratively and independently
Being a critical and reflective thinker.
Persevering and being able to problem solve
Being organised and ready to learn.
Having a growth mind-set.
All classes will be unpacking these key of ideas of the skills and attributes that will contribute to their success and progress this year.
Our Term focus for our Integrated theme this term is called Survivor - adaptations and structures that enable survival of living things in a range of habitats. We will be heading out to the Aquarium to study marine animals and plants, the butterfly house at the Museum to look at tropical rain forest animals and plants and ultimately the students for their Term One Inquiry will invent and create an animal of their own for a habitat of their choice. This term will also see two classes head out to a Survive theme camp at Berwick and all classes will have swimming and gold this term. One key area of focus for Year 8 this year will be the ongoing Health programme of Cybersafety and the Digital Citizenship. Later this term we have a seminar for our students as part of this unit. 
We are looking forward to working with you with your child on their learning journey this year and look forward to the Meet the Teacher night and sharing of information interviews later this term. 
Lisa Dixon
On behalf of the Year 8 Teachers