HOWRAH NEWS
Issue 1
4 February 2015
Kallie
The entire school community
is working together to support
Kallie in 2 Heddle.
Please help by keeping children
home when they are unwell.
If your child contracts any
contagious
disease
(in
particular chicken pox, shingles
or measles), the office must be
notified immediately so that
Kallie can receive appropriate
medical treatment.
Canteen
Our Canteen opens tomorrow
and is open on Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday during
recess and lunch breaks.
Please write student name, class
teacher and lunch order clearly
on a brown paper bag and
enclose correct money.
A Canteen Menu accompanies
this newsletter
Student Absences
If your child is absent for any
reason it is important that you
notify the school on the day by
calling the absentee line.
6246 6366
or
SMS - 0409 406 166
If you are unable to do this, a
short note explaining the
reason for the absence should
be sent on the child‟s return.
Hats
Students are required to wear
hats in Terms 1 and 4 during
recess, lunch breaks and class
activities being held outdoors.
Please make sure you have a
hat by Friday 6 February.
Principal‟s News
Dear Families
Welcome to the 2015 school year. It has been a fantastic start with everyone
looking very well rested, keen and eager to get straight into their learning.
Thank you to all our staff for the many hours of work they have put in to
ensure the very calm and focused start that we have enjoyed. A particular
thank you to our Kindergarten teachers for their efforts in getting their
classrooms ready to receive students in a very short time frame; Mrs Reason
and Ms Harrington in the new building and Mrs Fraser in temporary
accommodation in the Multi Purpose Hall.
I was very pleased to note at our whole school welcome back assembly how
wonderful everyone looked in their school uniform. A particular thank you to
the many families who are supporting our shoe policy.
An especially warm welcome is extended to new families to our school
community. We have 15 newly enrolled Prep to Grade 6 students and 75
students commencing Kindergarten.
We welcome three new staff members this year. Mrs Sarah Lethborg teaching
Grade 6, Miss Lyrae Graham teaching Grade 4 and Mrs Janet Mitchell who has
been appointed to teach French. We also welcome back Mrs Claire Bradley
and Mrs Tania Poultney who will be team teaching a Grade 3 class.
Targeted Teaching
This year we will continue with targeted teaching groups in Grades 1 to 6.
Students may refer to these times as PLCs (Professional Learning
Community), or maths and reading groups. During these sessions students are
learning in mixed groups across their year level for targeted teaching and
learning. This means that for three sessions per week they may be working
with a teacher other than their class teacher.
To form these groups teachers work in Grade group teams to analyse
students‟ English and Mathematics data and select one area on which to focus
at a time. This information is used to group students according to common
learning needs. Groups will change throughout the year as learning needs
change and as the focus area changes from Mathematics to English or vice
versa.
Shelley Thorne - Principal
Nut, Egg, Kiwi Fruit and Sesame Seed Aware
We have a number of students who are allergic to nuts, kiwi fruit and eggs. As
this allergic reaction can be life threatening the school requests your help in
ensuring no nut, kiwi fruit or egg products are brought to school in children‟s
lunch boxes or for class celebrations. Items not to be brought to school would
include; all nut products, peanut butter, Nutella, peanut oil in margarines, all
egg products such as egg sandwiches and hard boiled eggs, and kiwi fruit.
It is important that all classes observe this nut, kiwi fruit and egg aware policy
due to the danger of an allergic child coming into contact with residue left by
other classes. The parents/carers involved and staff greatly appreciate your
assistance in this serious matter.
Car Park Safety
Our car park has clearly
designated drop off and pick up
zones for parents/carers in the
morning and afternoon. Please
use this system as it enables
your child to safely exit your
vehicle.
School Levies - 2015
The Howrah Primary School Association Committee approved an increase in
the Grade 6 levy to $270.00. This is to cover the increase in the cost of leavers‟
activities. All other levies will remain the same as 2014.
A full schedule of levies is included below:
Kinder
Prep
Grades 1 – 2
Grades 3 – 5
Grade 6
There
are
also
several
designated disabled parking
spaces. Parking in these spaces
requires a disabled sign to be
clearly displayed on the car.
10% discount off General Levy for 3rd and subsequent children
School Hours
Term Dates - 2015
Term 1
4 February - 1 April
(Easter – 3 - 7 April)
Term 2
20 April – 3 July
Term 3
21 July – 25 September
Term 4
12 October - 17 December
Uniform Shop
Opening hours
Tuesday
2:30pm – 3:00pm
Thursday
2:30pm – 3:00pm
An order form can be
completed and left at the
office. The order will be
delivered to your child‟s
classroom.
Parents and Friends
2015 Meeting Dates
The first P&F meeting for 2015
will be held at 7.30pm on
Tuesday 10 February.
School Updates
Some students will have
brought home forms tonight.
Could you please complete,
sign and date the forms where
indicated and return to your
child‟s class teacher as soon as
possible.
$145.00
$217.00
$210.00
$240.00
$270.00
Morning Session
9.00am – 11.00am
Recess
11.00am – 11.30pm
Middle Session
11.30am – 12.50pm
Lunch
12.50pm – 1.40pm
Afternoon Session
1.40pm – 3.00pm
Students should not be in the school grounds until after 8:30am, when staff
commence playground duty.
Student Medication
If your child will require any medication (prescribed or over the counter) during
school hours, please ensure the mandatory consent forms are received by the
school office immediately.
Both Administration of Medication Authorisation forms (parents/carers and
doctors) must be completed in all cases of medication administration. This
includes Ventolin or similar and over the counter topical ointments and creams
etc. When a student is assessed by their medical practitioner as being capable of
self-administering their medication they can be permitted to do so. This
information must be recorded on their Administration of Medication
Authorisation forms.
Uniform
At Howrah we encourage all students to take pride in our school and in their
own appearance by wearing our school uniform. Wearing the school uniform
sends an important message to our community about what a great school we
have. Uniform is also a convenient and cost effective way of dressing students
for school. It is designed to be suitable for all of the activities that we undertake
and it reinforces that we are here at school to learn and be the best that we
possibly can.
When students wear items that are not school uniform it makes it difficult for
parents/carers who want to support the school by sending their children in
uniform. We look forward to your ongoing support in ensuring that your child
wears school uniform and particularly ask that you purchase approved footwear,
see below, when you next replace your child‟s school shoes.
Grade 3-6 “Fun and Run” Athletics Day
School Photos
School photographs will
be taken on
Thursday 5 March
Friday 6 March
Parents, carers and family members are welcome to come along and enjoy our
school „Fun and Run‟ Athletics Day with us. Our fun activity stations will be run
by the Clarence High Sports Leaders.
Student Banking
Athletics t-shirts (Banksia – Green, Waratah – Red, Acacia – Yellow) are available
from the Uniform Shop for $10.
Are you interested in training
as a School Banking volunteer
in 2015? If so, please leave your
name at the school office.
Training provided.
School Banking is processed
promptly at 9:00am every
Thursday morning commencing
next Thursday 12 February
therefore


Thursday, 19 February – 9:30am-2:45pm
bank books must be
handed to kindergarten
teachers at 9:00am on
Tuesdays.
bank books must be
handed to Prep-Grade 6
class teachers at 9:00am
on Wednesdays.
If you wish to open an account
for your child information can
be found on the
Commonwealth Bank Website:
http://www.commbank.com.au/pe
rsonal/youth-students/schoolbanking.html
or can be obtained from any
Commonwealth Bank Branch.
Teacher Moderation and
Professional Learning Days
(Student Free Days 2015)
Thursday 2 April
Monday 20 July
Friday 23 October
Please advise the office if you
require child care on any of
these days.
Howrah Primary School
Department of Education
Could students please wear appropriate shoes, house coloured t-shirts if
possible, hats and sunscreen and bring any medication, drink, healthy snacks etc.
A program with the events and times will be given out to students soon.
Some events will need to be run at recess and lunch times during the week of
our carnival. Students will be given at least two days‟ notice to get prepared.
Grade 3 students along with any new Grade 3 – 6 students will be allocated a
house early next week. We will be having House meetings on Thursday
12 February to elect House Captains and Vice Captains and I would like to wish
all the candidates good luck.
Following the „Fun & Run‟ Athletics Day two Howrah Primary Interschool teams
will be selected and entered, giving more students the opportunity to represent
our school and experience interschool competition.
Scott Broadby
PE Teacher
Clarence Junior Football Club Registration Day
Clarence Junior Football Club welcomes all boys and girls wanting to play
Australian Rules Football for season 2015.
Registration Day
Saturday 14 February
9:00am to 11:00am
Clarence Junior Clubrooms
– 223 Clarence St Howrah (drive next to Zap Fitness)
Registration can also be conducted online via the Clarence Junior Football Club
website.
Contact Us
Phone: 6246 6333
Absentee Line: 6246 6366 or SMS - 0409 406 166
Fax: 6247 9193
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.howrahprimary.org.au/