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East Hills Public School
`working together for our children’s future`
NEWSLETTER
20th February 2014
Lucas Road East Hills NSW 2213
Ph: 9773 8468 Fax: 9792 3948
[email protected]
www.easthills-p.school.nsw.edu.au
Term 1 Week 4
Coming Soon
ARE YOU READING WITH
YOUR CHILD EVERY NIGHT?
st
Whole School Assembly 11:30am Friday 21 February
EHBHS Reading Program ………………
Clean Up Australia Day …………………..
P&C Extraordinary Meeting ……………..
PSSA Sport Commences ……………….
Swim Scheme – Support Classes ……...
Swim Scheme – Mainstream ……………
26 February
28 February
5 March
7 March
17 March
31 March
IF NOT, WHY NOT??
IT’S IMPORTANT
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR
CHILD’S CLASS TEACHER IF
YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WITH
READING STRATEGIES
Dear Parents and Caregivers
Welcome to week 4. We have some exciting
news for this newsletter and the school has been
busy with many fun activities like our recent
Swimming Carnival and a visit from some wellknown athletes to help spread the news on
bullying.
There is a lot of information this week so please
take some time to become familiar with what’s
coming up.
Jon Godwin
Principal
‘ONE LAP TOP PER CHILD’ INITIATIVE
Our school is purchasing several class sets of
XO computers for use in all K-6 classrooms!
The XO computers will be purchased shortly
from an organisation called One Laptop per
Child (OLPC). Founded in 2005, OLPC is a
global organisation that has enhanced the
education of over 2 million children across the
world. At the heart of OLPC’s work is a
revolutionary piece of technology – a low-cost
device custom-made for children, called the
XO. Research indicates that children are more
engaged in their learning when using
technology. The more children engage, the
more they learn. The XO is designed for
primary school age children; however nothing
precludes its use earlier or later in life.
After negotiations with the company we are
able to purchase these computers at a very
reasonable
cost.
OLPC
Australia
is
revolutionising the learning process in
countless classrooms across Australia – from
inner city schools to remote communities.
Through technology and education, the
company facilitate a new kind of learning
experience for primary school students,
teachers and community members. They help
students engage, connect, collaborate, create
– and ultimately become prepared for the world
that lies beyond the classroom walls.
All our teachers will be provided with an XO
computer and are required to receive training
before we are able to introduce the computers
Page 1
to our students. The company will also offer
ongoing support to teachers, resources and
inspiration, enabling our teachers to lead the
learning experience. The computers will
remain the property of the school, and
therefore will be securely stored at school and
will not be for use at home. It is envisaged that
the order will be placed with the company by
the end of this week – keep watching this
newsletter for further updates!
weaker students are not stuck if concepts are
not understood in class. Mathletics is a
wonderful tool to complement and supplement
classroom teaching. Our Year 5/6 students
(Class: Rubies) will shortly commence a two
week trial of the software program, after which
an order will be placed for an annual computer
licence permitting access by all our K-6
classes.
MATHELETICS PROGRAM
In addition to new computers, the school is
also purchasing a mathematics software
program called Mathletics. The program is
designed to transform a routine mathematics
lesson in to a fun-filled experience. The
program offers competitive challenges in
reinforcing mental computational skills and as
a support resource and a learning tool for all
students. It provides teachers with the flexibility
to record, mark and collate data effectively and
can be accessed by all students not only at
school, but at home. Therefore, teachers will
be able to set homework tasks for their
students to complete. All students will be given
their own username and password enabling
them to login from any computer with internet
connection, either at school or at home. Some
of the outcomes of adopting this tool in our
curriculum delivery will include:
VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS
Thank you to those parents and caregivers
who have already paid the voluntary
contribution for this year. I understand that
families face additional expenses at the
beginning of the school year; however the
contributions are funds that we use to
purchase necessary teaching and learning
resources for your child’s classroom. The
family contribution amount is $55 and the
individual student amount is $35. These
contribution
amounts
have
remained
unchanged for a number of years Therefore I
consider the amounts to be both fair and
reasonable. If any parent or caregiver is
experiencing difficulty in making the payment
please make an appointment to see me
through our school office.
• Students motivated to do Mathematics and
homework
• Parents are engaged with their child's
learning
• Students love the competitive nature of
Mathletics
• Students are having fun and learning at the
same time
Teachers from other school settings currently
using the program, have noticed that their
students are more prepared for concepts and
even work ahead of the program by doing the
tasks on Mathletics before they are done in
class. The top students have been motivated
by the program to extend themselves and the
RESOURCE FUNDING LETTER
In addition to our request for Voluntary
Contributions this year, we have introduced a
resource fee of $30 per child, payable
annually. Workbook and Resources fee letters
were sent home with all students last week.
The fee this year will be used primarily to
supplement school funds to purchase the new
computers as well as the Mathletics software
program and annual licence fee associated
with maintaining this program in our school. In
addition, the school has a number of already
existing programs e.g. FOR36 and TEN which
also require funding to maintain. Your
understanding and cooperation with this matter
is appreciated.
Page 2
SRC SELECTION
We are pleased to announce the following
children as our Student Representative
Committee for years 1-6:
and Communities (DEC), as it is envisaged
that we will proceed with a tendering process
to find a suitable OSHC operator to conduct
this much needed community service.
Crystals:
Diamonds:
PLAYGROUND CLIMBING EQUIPMENT
I have recently met with our local member for
East Hills, Mr Glenn Brookes MP requesting
his assistance with replacing our existing play
equipment which unfortunately we have had to
close due to the wear and tear of some parts.
Last year I spoke to a playground company
seeking quotations to replace these parts
however due to the age of the equipment parts
are no longer available. Mr Brookes is currently
contacting council to see if they are able to
assist with locating current DEC standard play
equipment that is no longer required for use by
the public.
Topaz:
Rubies:
Sapphires:
Emeralds:
Opals:
Ciaran-Cian Boweslyon
Aliyah Sabbagh
Mohammed Fadel
Hamed Hadid
Moneba Etri
Osman Kaade
Celia Nguyen
Liana Mansour
Aaliyah Guzman
Ricardo Bolivar
Agatha Ang
Jack Chau
James Loukaitis
Jack Brown
Maya Toukatake
TEXTBOOKS
Notes were sent home to all parents and
caregivers earlier this term regarding the
purchase of textbooks. Your prompt payment
is appreciated.
PARENTS
CAREGIVERS
OF
PRE-
SCHOOL CHILDREN
A reminder to all parents and caregivers with
pre-schoolers that you are most welcome to
visit the school, however it is imperative that
your preschool child does not disturb the
learning in classrooms, morning assemblies as
well as our fortnightly formal assemblies. Your
assistance with this matter is appreciated.
OUT
OF
SCHOOL
HOURS
CARE
(OSHC) SURVEYS
Thank you to all our parents and caregivers
who have returned the OSHC surveys that
were recently sent home with your child. There
has been an overwhelming response indicating
the need for a centre to be established on our
school grounds. I am now awaiting further
instruction from the Department of Education
RAISING RESPONSIBILITY
BEHAVIOUR PROGRAM
The following information is provided for new
parents and caregivers to our school re our
current Student Welfare and Discipline Policy
and procedures. A copy of which is available
upon request from our school office.
In line with our beliefs about student welfare
which is about promoting students to develop
inner control of their behaviour, each class at
East Hills Public School implements the
“Raising Responsibility System”. The belief
behind the system is that each class is like a
small community and every student is a citizen
who acts in accordance with the expected
standards of behaviour.
Each class identifies a list of behaviours which
are acceptable and unacceptable. We
encourage students to exercise self-discipline
through reflection and self-evaluation. Students
learn to control their own behaviour, rather
than relying on an adult for control.
If a student displays behaviour that is
unacceptable he/she will be asked to reflect on
his/her behaviour by identifying the level that
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he/she is currently working at and the level at
which he/she needs to be working. If the
behaviour continues then the student will be
asked to complete a self-reflection sheet either
in class or under the supervision of another
teacher. If the behaviour still persists then the
student will be referred to the team leader
(Assistant Principal: Semester 1 – Mrs Sol
Fletcher and Semester 2 – Mrs Jenny
Lonergan) and a note will be sent home to
inform parents/carers. Students who have
unresolved conflict with another student(s) will
attend a planning room meeting at lunchtime in
an attempt to resolve the issue and reach a
harmonious decision. Students are also
encouraged to request planning room
meetings if they believe there is unresolved
conflict between themselves and another
student(s).
Level C
Co-operation
I co-operate and do what is
expected when someone is
watching me or asks me to
do it.
Level B
Bossing/Bullying
We aim to make our classrooms and school
encouraging and conducive to learning at all
times. In this way students develop positive
attitudes and behavioural skills which are
necessary for successful lives.
The following is our level system. Levels “D”
and “C” are acceptable levels of behaviour
although we encourage our students to aim for
Level “D” at all times.
Level A
Anarchy
I bother others.
I bully others.
I am off task and give up
easily.
I blame others as an excuse.
I don’t ask for help when I
need it.
I am noisy.
I
am
unsafe.
What Level Are You Today?
Level
Who Am I?
Level D
Developing
Responsibility
I can work by myself.
I can stay on task.
I do things because it is the
right thing to do and this is
who I want to be.
I ask for help when I need
it.
I see problems as a
challenge.
ENROLMENTS 2014 – HURRY
East Hills Public School is still accepting
enrolments for Kindergarten to Year 6 for
2014. Kindergarten enrolments are open to
children turning five years of age prior to 31
July 2014. Please advise anyone you may
know with children eligible for enrolment to
contact our school office for an enrolment form.
Page 4
NEW TO THE SCHOOL
Changing schools can be an anxious time for
your child. There are new friends to make, new
schedules to work out and a whole new school
layout to contemplate. The latest issue of the
School Parents ezine contains information on
helping your child adjust to a new school. It
includes expert advice from preparing for the
move, choosing a school and settling in. There
are also special links for advice for travelling
teens and defence families. Check it out at:
www.schools.nsw.edu.au/ezine.
PARENTS
APPROACHING
OTHER
STUDENTS IN SCHOOL GROUNDS
A reminder to all our parents and caregivers
that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you to
approach another child in the school grounds.
This includes both the classroom and
playground or any venue outside the school. If
you would like to discuss any issues or
concerns you may have about another child
then please see me or your child’s class
teacher.
YOU ARE WELCOME AT SCHOOL!
Children love to see their parents and carers at
their school, whether helping out in the
classroom or being involved in other ways.
Research shows that students perform better
at school when their parents or carers take an
active interest in their school work. Your
contribution to the school is needed and
valued.
Ways you might get involved:
 help in the classroom
 listen to children read
 help children on computers
 help with school excursions
If you are interested in volunteering your time
to assist our teachers in classrooms
throughout the school please contact the
school principal.
HOME READERS
To encourage our students to read on a nightly
basis, we allow all students to borrow Home
Readers, from their class library. Unfortunately
in the past, some students are not returned
their Home Readers claiming that they have
lost them. If Home Readers are not returned,
other students miss the opportunity to borrow
these books. If you receive a letter or a phone
call from your child’s class teacher because
they have not returned their Home Reader for
some time, then I ask that you assist us by
having a close look at home for the reader and
return it to school ASAP. Until the book is
returned, your child will not be able to borrow
any more books. As you can appreciate the
cost of replacing Home Readers is expensive
therefore if the book is not returned, a fee will
apply.
SCRIPTURE
A reminder that our Scripture classes
commenced this week on Tuesday 18
February 2014 from 11.20am -12.00pm. Our
classes this year will be for the following
religious denominations:




Anglican
Catholic
Muslim and,
Non-Scripture
Unless parents and caregivers have indicated
otherwise, your child will be participating in the
denomination scripture class according to the
information contained in school records. This
information would have been given by you on
your child’s enrolment form. If you do not wish
for your child to participate in scripture, then
please contact Mrs Sol Fletcher or the school
office ASAP.
EAST HILLS PUBLIC SCHOOL AND
EAST HILLS BOYS HIGH READING
PROGRAM
As in previous years selected Years 5 and 6
Boys from East Hills Public will participate in a
weekly reading program with Year 9 boys from
Page 5
East Hills Boys Technology High School.
However this year, selected Year 4 boys will
also be given the opportunity. The high school
boys chosen to work with our students will be
positive role models and are passionate about
reading.
The purpose of the program is to:
 Promote reading
 Improve reading skills, particularly
reading comprehension and vocabulary
 Foster links between East Hills Primary
and East Hills Boys High Schools
 Enhance the transition to high school
 Expand social skills
 Develop tutoring skills
The Reading Program will be conducted at
East Hills Boys High School each Wednesday
and will be supervised by high school teacher,
Ms Meryl Warton – Learning and Support
Teacher (LaST). The program will commence
next Wednesday 26 February commencing at
11.55am and concluding at 12.45pm.
Permission notes for those boys who have
been selected to participate will be sent home
shortly.
CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY
On Friday 28 February, most schools across
the country will be participating in Clean Up
Australia Day. We will be asking our Students
and Teachers to get out around the school
grounds and help make our School free of any
loose rubbish. A note will be sent home shortly
advising parents and caregivers more about
this event.
EXTRAORDINARY P&C MEETING
I wish to advise that that I will be calling an
Extraordinary General Meeting of the P&C on
Wednesday 5 March 2014 at 2.00pm in our
school staffroom.
The purpose of the meeting is to elect office
bearers for the following positions in 2014:
 P&C President
 Vice President
 Secretary
I encourage all interested
caregivers to attend.
parents
and
PSSA SPORT
East Hills Public School students will be
participating in Season 1 of PSSA this year.
Please encourage your child to participate in
this valuable program. We will be forming a
junior and senior boys Touch Football and a
mixed junior and senior Newcombeball teams.
Notes were sent home on Monday to all
students in Years 3 to 6. Please ensure that
the notes as well as payment are returned to
the school office ASAP. PSSA will commence
on Friday 7 March 2014 (Week 6/Term 1).
SWIMMING SCHEME COMMENCES
The School Swimming Scheme (Learn to
Swim) will be provided this year for ALL
mainstream students in Yrs. 1-6 from the 31
March – 4 April and ALL support class
students from 17 – 28 March. It is strongly
recommended that your child attends the
program.
The lessons are free; however there is a
charge per day for bus and pool entry. As a
result of this cost, there will be no other
excursions this term, as we recognise that this
valuable life skill is the number one priority for
all children!
Please allow YOUR child to participate!
Page 6
UNIVERSITY OF NSW CURRICULUM
COMPETITIONS
East Hills Public School is inviting students to
enter
the
Curriculum
Competitions
administered by The University of NSW. The
competitions are for the following curriculum
areas and will be conducted at various times
throughout the year - Computer, Science,
Spelling, Writing, English and Mathematics.
Notes will be sent home informing you of the
details.
PARENT INFORMATION EVENING
Thank you to those parents and caregivers
who gave up their time to attend our parent
information evening on Tuesday night 18
February 2014. Unfortunately, there were a
number of parents and caregivers who did not
attend. It is important that you attend these
meetings as it is an opportunity for you to meet
your child’s teacher and contribute to your
child’s educational program. For those parents
and caregivers who were unable to attend and,
require an appointment with your child’s class
teacher, please inform either the class teacher
or contact our school office.
For parents and caregivers of children in our
support classes’ letters have been sent home
to you requesting a suitable meeting time for
your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Please ensure that any therapist or outside
agencies working with your children are aware
of the meeting time and encourage them to
attend. If they cannot be there in person then
the opportunity to be on speaker phone is
always available. If not, then please bring to
the meeting any reports or information you
have that will assist in developing a quality IEP
for your child.
Mrs Sol Fletcher and class teachers will also
be contacting all Aboriginal parents and
caregivers shortly to arrange a suitable
meeting time with yourself and all relevant
stakeholders to formulate your child’s
Personalised Learning Plan (PLP).
To all our parents and caregivers, please
remember that an interpreter service is always
available to assist you in a variety of
languages. To access this service please
advise our school office in advance so that an
interpreter can be arranged.
SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Last week, students from years 1 to 6 attended
the East Hills Public School Swimming Carnival
at Peakhurst West Public School. It was
fantastic to see such a large number of
students competing and contributing valuable
points to their respective houses. Non
competing swimmers were given time to enter
novelty events and also enjoy some supervised
play in the water. The winning house on the
day was Banks with 155 points, closely
followed by Bass on 132 points. Flinders and
Cook houses finished on 117 and 92 points
respectively. Congratulations to all who
supported and participated in the carnival.
Winners and placegetters will be presented
with their ribbons at this week’s assembly on
Friday 21st February 2014.
Also could we ask all parents to check their
children’s clothing from the day to ensure that
all towels, swimwear etc came home with the
rightful owner.
Please see further on in the newsletter for
pictures of the day and results.
BULLDOGS VISIT
Players from the Canterbury-Bankstown
Bulldogs last week visited East Hills Public
School to deliver the NRL’s “Tackling Bullying”
message. Tony “T-Rex” Williams and Pat
O’Hanlon spoke about some of the effects of
bullying and its unacceptability both at school
and in the wider community.
Despite a busy schedule, the players were able
to autograph some Bulldogs gear brought in by
some very keen students at the end of their
presentation.
Page 7
GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START
Wondering how to help your kids do well at
home and at school this year? The
department’s parent resource School A to Z
has a webcast full of expert tips for you to help
your children have a more successful year.
The ‘Getting off to a great start webcast’ has a
number of chapters on how to motivate
children for learning, advice on peer
relationships and how to handle bullying,
communicating with children and the
importance
of
strong
home-school
relationships.
The expert panel features advice from a child
psychologist, an experienced family doctor and
the department’s deputy director-general
(schools) Greg Prior.
Watch
the
webcast
at:
http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/d
evelopment/getting-off-to-a-good-start
WE’VE GOT SCHOOL COVERED
Practical help for parents is available online at
the School A to Z site. Created by the
Department of Education and Communities,
this is a thriving online community with
comprehensive homework and school life
support for parents that is easy to use, relevant
and engaging. There are free apps to
download, informative podcasts, videos and
articles by experts in the field. Check it out and
save
it
to
your
favourites:
www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au
LUNCHES BROUGHT FROM HOME
Food brought from home should be
refrigerated as soon as possible and thrown
out if it has been out of the fridge more than
2 hours (see doggy bag link below from NSW
Food Authority) Parents should are requested
to ensure any food brought from home has
been stored at the correct temperature prior to
being brought to school (i.e. it has been
refrigerated and not left at room temperature
for more than 2 hours). Best practice would be
that the food comes straight from the
refrigerator at home, into a cool bag with
several ice bricks or if possible, put straight
into the fridge at school. Parents are
responsible for ensuring they have provided
safe food to the school
http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumer
s/keeping-food-safe/eating-out/doggy-bags/
http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumer
s/keeping-food-safe/key-tips/
ENCOURAGING LITERACY SKILLS AT
HOME
Let your child help you write shopping lists.
This is a great way to get them reading words
that don't always come from a storybook.
Children can help you read recipes and then
write out lists of items you need and link
names to products that you point out in the
refrigerator or the pantry cupboard. More ideas
at:
http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/news/ezine/yr2
009/issue01/shopping/index.php
Reading with children is fun and one of the
best ways to help prepare them for school.
Tip: Try not to let television intrude on reading
time - set aside some uninterrupted time to
read with your child.
WHAT IS KIK AND WHY IS IT
POPULAR?
Kik is a free texting app popular with younger
teens who generally have a limited texting plan
or
use
an
iPod
Touch.
Find out more about Kik messenger:
http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/technology/t
echnology-az//technology_glossary/7w0F/5353/Kik+messeng
er
Page 8
Find out why experts say it's the No.1 social
media
problem
involving
kids:
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-lifenews/experts-warn-of-apps-hidden-dangers20131130-2yif3.html#ixzz2mYlkXFyd
SUN SAFETY
Five ways to be SunSmart this summer.
The Cancer Council recommends these five
ways to protect against sun damage when the
SunSmart UV alert is 3 or above:
SCHOOL WEEKS
Q: Why does the school use "week 6" instead
of
dates?
A: We find it useful for planning each term.
Here are the actual dates for the rest of this
term for most of NSW.
1.
Seek shade
2.
Wear protective clothing that
covers
your arms and legs and body
3.
Wear a broad-brimmed hat that shades
your face and neck
4.
Wear wrap-around sunglasses
5.
Apply SPF30+ broad spectrum waterresistant sunscreen every two hours.
TERM
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
1
10/2
17/2
24/2
3/3
10/3
17/3
24/3
31/3
7/4
Find out more at www.cancercouncil.com
SCHOOL UNIFORMS
A reminder that East Hills Public School is a
uniform school. Uniforms are available for
purchase from Moorebank Uniforms and
Embroidery where they currently have plenty
of stock at very reasonable prices.
HELPING WITH HOMEWORK
How much should you help your child with
homework?
When your child makes a
mistake, should you fix it? Teachers talk
about how parents can help kids take
responsibility for their homework and avoid
Thursday night meltdowns.
The uniform shop is located at 34 Anderson
Avenue, Panania, ph. 9771 0825. In addition,
it is important that students wear covered
footwear to school to protect their feet. For this
purpose, black leather shoes are required
footwear for all our students under our current
school uniform policy.
Find
out
more:
http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/homeworkand-study/homework-tips/helping-yourprimary-school-child-with-homework
A second-hand uniform shop operates through
our school P&C. Second hand uniforms can be
purchased by contacting Mrs Maha Mekkaoui
on 0468 918 670 or via the school office and
arranging a suitable time.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Homework, hot weather and class sizes – here
are some answers to frequently asked
questions about going to a NSW public school.
Find
out
more:
http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/en/homewor
k-and-study/planning-for-the-future/back-toschool-2014
School hats are available for purchase for $10
through our school office and NOT through the
uniform shops. The P&C organise the ordering
and supply of school hats and any profit from
their sale is donated to the P&C and is used to
purchase resources for our school.
EAST HILLS PUBLIC SCHOOL RULES
1. Come to school prepared to learn.
2. Look after and show pride in our school.
3. Be safe and fair.
4. Treat everyone with respect
During the winter term we have school beanies
available for purchase also at a cost of $10.00
though our school office.
Page 9
A reminder that BLACK LEATHER SCHOOL
SHOES are the correct school uniform
footwear. This type of footwear not only
protects the children’s feet but raises the
standard of dress of our students. Please
assist the P&C and the school in ensuing that
your child is wearing the correct footwear.
Please see example below:
SPORTS T-SHIRT REMINDER
As part of our ‘School Uniform Policy’, East
Hills Public School has a dedicated sports tshirt to be worn on Fridays and all sports days.
These t-shirts, in consultation with the P & C
introduced from Term 1 2013. It is now
expected that all students of East Hills Public
School will wear the sports t-shirts on these
days. The t-shirts are $38.50 each. If your child
is participating in PSSA they must have a
sports shirt to be able to participate! Thank you
for your urgent attention to this matter.
SCHOOL HATS
Overall our students are consistently wearing
their school uniforms. A reminder however to
those parents and caregivers of children who
do not have a school hat, that they are part of
the ‘East Hills Public School Uniform Policy’.
The hats are broad brimmed, designed to
ensure that appropriate sun safe measures are
enforced. Please support the school, and the P
& C in this matter by purchasing one for your
child from the school office for $10.00. All
proceeds go to the P & C to help their
fundraising for valuable resources and
equipment for the school.
EAST HILLS PUBLIC SCHOOL AWARD
SYSTEM
As we have a number of new parents and
caregivers the following will explain our school
award system. It will also be a refresher for
those parents and caregivers who may have
forgotten! Your child receives awards for a
number of reasons and each one is based on a
point value system leading up to our school
medal. Ten (10) points will qualify a student for
an Award of Excellence. Classroom awards
(not stickers) will have a half (1/2) point value.
The following awards will have one (1) point
value:
 Athletic,
swimming,
cross-country
ribbons
 Assembly Awards
 Principal’s Awards
 External Competitions
 Presentation Day Awards
 Swimming Scheme Certificates
A school medal will be awarded to students
who have accumulated eight Awards of
Excellence.
If you have any further questions please
contact me via the school office.
SCHOOL BANKING
School Banking is now on a Friday. Banking
resumed on Friday 14th February 2014. Please
have your child give their bank book to their
teacher on a Friday morning.
All new applications will be processed once a
week so allow a week or two until the account
is open. All redemption gift tokens will be
processed fortnightly.
For further information regarding this
worthwhile program please contact our School
Banking coordinator Ms Sanaa Chemaissem
0451 119 307.
Page 10
PARENTS
AND
CAREGIVERS
VISITING THE SCHOOL
ALL parents and caregivers are requested
when visiting the school during school hours,
to sign the visitor’s book and wear a visitors
badge located in the school office. Parents and
caregivers will be directed by school staff to do
so if they are in the school grounds without
having complied with our regulation. The
primary purpose of this exercise is Safety!
Firstly, we are aware of who is in our school for
the safety and wellbeing of all our students,
and secondly, it will enable us to determine
who is in the school should we need to
implement our evacuation or lockdown
procedures. Thank you for your cooperation
with this matter.
SMOKING
Parents please be advised that smoking is not
permitted in the vicinity of the school gates. If
you want to smoke you will need to cross the
road.
IMPORTANT REMINDER
We welcome information from parents about
your child’s health, even if you are not
requesting specific support from our school.
Our school asks for medical information when
you enrol your child. It is also important that
you let us know if you child’s health care needs
change or if a new health condition develops.
Information about allergies, medical conditions
such as asthma and diabetes and other health
care related issues (including prior conditions
such as medical procedures in the last 12
months) should be provided to the school by
parents. Please provide this information in
writing to the principal.
This will greatly assist our school in planning
support for your child’s health and wellbeing.
Please also remember to notify staff in the
school office of any changes to your contact
details or to the contact details of other people
mentioned as emergency contacts.
We appreciate your assistance in this regard
and assure you that any information you
provide the school will be stored securely and
will only be used or disclosed in order to
support your son or daughter’s health needs or
as otherwise required by law.
MEDICATION
If your child needs to take medication, please
bring it the office fill out the necessary
authorisation for its administration.
Under no circumstances are children permitted
to have any form of medication in the
classroom or in their schoolbags.
MAKE SCHOOL AWARE OF SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES
Any changes to your child's family situation can
impact on their emotional and academic wellbeing. Inform your child's teacher and principal
about any changed circumstances so that the
child can be supported if necessary. Examples
of special circumstances include the birth of a
sibling, divorce or the death of a loved one.
IF YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT FROM
SCHOOL
If your child has to be absent from school for
any reason, please tell your child's teacher or
send a signed note explaining the reason for
the absence within seven days.
MOBILE PHONES
If you deem it necessary for your child to bring
to school a mobile phone, they must hand it in
at the office before school and collect it when
school is dismissed.
MUSIC BUS
A reminder that the Music Bus operates in our
school each Tuesday. For a small fee of $14
per week (incl. GST) and a 10% discount for
an additional child children have the
opportunity to learn a variety of musical
instruments. For further information please
check out the website at www.THE
MUSICBUS.com.au
Page 11
LATE ARRIVALS
Children who arrive at school after the morning
assembly must go to the office and collect a
late note.
Please do not accompany your child to their
classroom if they arrive late as this tends to
unsettle the classes and interrupt valuable
learning time. Children should proceed to class
themselves (children requiring assistance to
their classrooms will be assisted by our office
staff). Any messages may be left with our
office staff, who will pass them on to the
teachers at the next break time.
BOTTOM SCHOOL GATE LOCKED
A reminder that our school gate on Lehn Road
will be locked shortly after the morning
assembly each day and will be reopened at
approximately 2.30pm. The purpose of locking
this gate is to prevent visitors from walking
through our school grounds and for the safety
of our students. All visitors to our school will be
able to enter through the gate on Lucas Road
whereby the path leads them directly to our
front office. Thank you for you cooperation with
this important matter.
A CHILD SAFETY REMINDER TO ALL
PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
A reminder to all parents and caregivers to
take note of the sign on our school driveway
gate asking you to STOP! Please do so in the
interest of student safety! It has been reported
to me that a number of our parents drive into
the driveway to drop their children off at
school. This is NOT PERMITTED AT
ANYTIME.
The driveway is used by staff and special
transport taxis as well as the YMCA bus, all of
whom have access at designated times.
Also, if you are in the school grounds during
the day you MUST REPORT to our school
office prior to visiting your child’s classroom.
Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you to
approach another child in the school grounds.
SCOOTERS AND BIKES
A reminder that students who ride either bikes
or scooters to school MUST wear a helmet.
Furthermore, when they enter the school
grounds they MUST NOT ride their bike or
scooter through the playground.
DON’T FORGET TO LABEL YOUR
CHILDS BELONGINGS
You can:
 use a permanent laundry marker to
label clothes, hats and shoes, or sew or
iron on personalised labels
 go through your child’s bag with them
each night
 check that labels haven’t faded with
washing
 if something doesn’t come home,
check the lost property bin located in
the staffroom building
LOST PROPERTY
Our school lost property box has a number
unclaimed school uniform items. This includes
jumpers, jackets and hats and miscellaneous
items. If your child has lost any school uniform
clothing articles you are welcome to come to
the school, and search our lost property box
located in the foyer outside our school
staffroom.
Please label all clothing and property e.g.
lunchboxes and drink containers with your
child’s name and class so that they do not get
misplaced. Unclaimed clothing will be given to
the P&C-run second-hand uniform shop for
resale at the end of the school term.
P&C
Our next P&C General meeting will be held on
Wednesday 5 March 2014 at 2.00pm in our
school staff room. It is important that we get as
many parents and caregivers to attend these
meetings as possible so that we have a good
representation of our school community
present. Look forward to seeing you there!
Page 12
SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
Our next whole school formal assembly will be
held on Friday 21st February in our school
hall at 11:30am – 12:30pm. At this assembly
our SRC representatives will be presented with
their badges and Swimming Carnival
participation certificates will be awarded.
Your attendance at our assemblies is always
welcome! Thank you for your continued
support.
The following children will receive
Principals Awards at Fridays
Assembly:
Agatha Ang
James Brown
Brayden Hunt
Alexis Kennedy
Angelina Luong
Kim Nguyen
Razan Mekkaoui
Jessica Owen
Matthew Phillips
Jesscia Wiraatmadja
Jon Godwin
Principal
The following students will receive a
Gold Dollarmite Certificate:
Abdul-Salam (Hamzah) Agbere
CLASS OF THE WEEK:
The following class was selected for their
excellent behaviour during our last whole
school assembly held in Week 2 Term 1.
The following students will receive a
Silver Dollarmite Certificate:
Matthew Phillips
PEARLS
Page 13
Class news:
Rubies
During Visual Arts lessons, our class has been learning the art of etching. The students’ task was to create a
durable leaning mat (similar to a placemat) to be used in class activities. This was a follow-up to a ‘getting to
know you’ class activity. The students used a short form of their name, or had the option of using a nickname,
when creating their artwork. A discussion arose as the use of nicknames, i.e. use it only when a person
encourages you and only in a positive manner.
The students used a range of visual arts skills, were able to express their ideas through their artworks and
demonstrate their creativity.
Page 14
Page 15
SWIMMING CARNIVAL
14TH FEBRUARY 2014
Page 16
SWIMMING CARNIVAL RESULTS
25m Freestyle
8 year girls
1st
8 year boys 1st
2nd
3rd
9 year girls
1st
9 year boys 1st
2nd
3rd
10 year girls 1st
2nd
3rd
10 year girls 1st
(2nd race)
2nd
10 year
boys
1st
2nd
3rd
10 year
boys
1st
(2nd race)
2nd
3rd
11 year girls 1st
2nd
3rd
11 year
boys
1st
2nd
3rd
11 year
boys
1st
(2nd race)
2nd
12 year girls 1st
12 year
boys
1st
13 Year
Boys
1st
25m Breastroke
8 year boys 1st
2nd
3rd
9 year boys 1st
2nd
10 year girls
Jessica
Mohamed
Ali
James
Sophie
Declan
Hamed
Robbie
Emily
Lauren
Naokii
Amanii
Sarah
Owen
Hadid
Fadel
Loukatis
Kaade
Pearson
Hadid
Alameddine
Brown
Bolivar
Frail
Mozakzak
Owen
Jack Brown
Benjamin Fedotov
Hamzah Agbere
Ben
Blake
Harrison
Maya
Hayley
Chevonne
Luong
Ogden
Threadgold
Tokutake
McKenna
Brown
Hatem Mubayyid
Dannis Tran
Ricardo Bolivar
Matthew Phillips
James Brown
Jaida Ayoubi
Gordan Dai
Omar Kaade
Mohamed
Taylan
Moses
Declan
Hamed
Hadid
Bozat
Fedotov
Pearson
Hadid
10 year
boys
11 year girls
11 year
boys
3rd
1st
2nd
3rd
Robbie
Emily
Amanii
Naokii
1st
2nd
3rd
1st
2nd
Jack
Benjamin
Blake
Maya
Chevonne
1st
2nd
25m Backstroke
8 year boys 1st
2nd
3rd
9 year girls
1st
9 year boys 1st
2nd
3rd
10 year girls 1st
2nd
10 year
boys
1st
2nd
3rd
11 year girls 1st
2nd
11 year
boys
1st
2nd
3rd
12 year girls 1st
2nd
3rd
50m Freestyle
8 year boys 1st
2nd
3rd
9 year boys 1st
2nd
3rd
Alameddine
Brown
Mozakzak
Frail
Brown
Fedotov
Ogden
Tokutake
Brown
Matthew Phillips
James Brown
Mohammed
James
Ciarin-Cian
Kae-Kae
Declan
Hamed
Steven
Lauren
Emily
Hadid
Loukaitis
Boweslyon
Boweslyon
Pearson
Hadid
Nguy
Bolivar
Brown
Jack
Michael
Blake
Chevonne
Hayley
Brown
Collins
Ogden
Brown
McKenna
Ricardo
Dannis
Hatem
Jaida
Celia
Agatha
Bolivar
Tran
Mubayyid
Ayoubi
Nguyen
Ang
Taylan
Mohamed
Moses
Declan
Hamed
Robbie
Bozat
Hadid
Fedotov
Pearson
Hadid
Alameddine
Page 17
10 year girls
10 year
boys
11 year
boys
1st
2nd
Naokii Frail
Emily Brown
1st
2nd
3rd
Jack Brown
Hamzah Agbere
Blake Ogden
1st
2nd
3rd
Matthew Phillips
Guy Fletcher
Dannis Tran
50m Breastroke
8 year boys 1st Mohommed Hadid
2nd
Moses Fedotov
3rd
Taylan Bozat
9 year boys 1st
Declan Pearson
2nd
Hamed Hadid
3rd
Robbie Alameddine
10 year girls 1st
Emily Brown
2nd
Naokii Frail
10 year
boys
1st
Jack Brown
2nd
Benjamin Fedotov
11 year
boys
1st
Matthew Phillips
2nd
james Brown
13 year
boys
1st
Omar Kaade
50m Backstroke
8 year boys 1st
2nd
9 year boys 1st
2nd
3rd
10 year girls 1st
2nd
10 year
boys
1st
2nd
11 year
boys
1st
2nd
12 year girls 1st
Taylan
Mohamed
Declan
Hamed
Robbie
Emily
Naokki
Bozat
Hadid
Pearson
Hadid
Alameddine
Brown
Frail
Jack Brown
Blake Ogden
Ricardo Bolivar
Dannis Tran
Celia Nguyen
Page 18
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