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The Buzz-Term 1 Week 2 Tuesday 4th February 2020
The Buzz Beresford Road Public School
74 Beresford Road, Greystanes, 2145 T 98962644 F 9896 3172 Email: [email protected]
The Buzz Term 1 Week 2 Tuesday 4th February 2020
Upcoming Events
February
Friday 7th PSSA Trials
Monday 10th Swimming Carnival
3-6 + 8yr olds in year 2
Friday 14th Zone trials
Monday 17th Parent Information Evening
Assemblies
Friday 7th February 2pm Years 3-6
Friday 14th February 9am Years K-2
Principal’s Message
Welcome back to a new school year at Beresford Road Pub-
lic School. The staff and I are extremely excited to begin
another fantastic year of learning with your children. A
special welcome to our numerous new families, in particu-
lar our new kindergarten students who have begun their
Beresford Road journey on Monday.
I would like to welcome our newest members of our staff
into their new roles for the start of the year. Ms Chevalier
as DP, Mrs Cukman as Learning and Support Teacher, Mona
Douaihy MC SLSO, Mr Sharp 5/6S, Ms Ghabriel 2G, Ms Faraj
3/4F, Ms Edwards 2E and Ms Grgich RFF who have all
settled in well and are part of the dynamic team that is the
staff of Beresford Rd.
I would like to extend congratulations to Mrs Mangin and
her husband on the birth of their twins. I know that the
students and staff look forward to a visit when the babies
are a little older.
On a personal note I would like to thank the warm welcome
I have received from the parents and students of the school.
The school is renowned for its wonderful community spirit
and it is something I can attest to.
I would also like to recognise and thank this amazing staff
who embrace change and approach school life with passion,
commitment and a love for the students and community for
which they serve. I am proud to be heading up such a
dynamic group of educators.
To my team in the office, Ms Chevalier & Mrs Stephens
our Deputy Principals I thank you for your patience and high
level of commitment during this first week. I look forward
working with you and our team of executive staff – Mrs
Leverett, Mrs Cause, Mrs Obsioma and in planning and lead-
ing the school on it educational journey.
To the office staff, I thank you. The organisational of classes
and the enrolment of all of our new families and kindergar-
ten students while tending to staff and student needs in a
calm, kind and professional manner is very much
appreciated by us all.
To conclude I would like to recognise Mr David Leydon and
offer our congratulations to him on his permanent
appointment to Director Educational Leadership – Carlingford
Network. Mr Leydon’s 8 years of principalship here at
Beresford Road is a testament to his outstanding leadership.
While the staff, students and community will miss him greatly
we know that you have moved on to ensure the success of
public education can be reflected in all schools. We wish him
every success.
Executive with student leaders.
Classes 2020
This year we have formed 30 classes, 27 mainstream and 3
MC classes. The students and staff have settled in very well
and the classes are learning their new routines and
expectations.
It was wonderful to see students back and dressed in their
school uniform – this shows great pride in the school. The
P&C supports the wearing of our school uniform including
black school/sport shoes and a school hat. Please support
this by ensuring your child comes dressed correctly each day.
(Coloured sneakers may be worn on specified sports days.) If
you are unable to provide a uniform for your child please do not hesitate to contact me.
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The Buzz-Term 1 Week 2 Tuesday 4th February 2020
Communicating with BRPS
There are many ways to keep informed about our BRPS.
Here are a few:
Download the SkoolBag App
Join the Beresford Road Public School facebook
page
Join the Beresford Road P&C Information Group
facebook page
Read the fortnightly newsletter
Communication between teachers and parents is
important to us. Each classroom teacher will outline their
preferred communication method in the
Parent Information Evening held on Monday 17th. Please
save this date! A letter will be sent home outlining specific
details and times soon.
Communication with Teachers
We all live in a busy changing world. At times we are busy
but need to be in contact with school staff. If you are
wanting to contact a staff member we recommend the
following communication methods.
Low level issues or concerns e.g. not coming in for reading
groups, student away, message regarding homework etc
Call the office or email the message to
– attention to the staff member.
Moderate Issues – Anything requiring attention within the
next few days. Call the office for an appointment or email
the concern attention to the staff member
Please be aware that during school hours staff are not
always on emails as they are engaged with teaching and
learning activities. Staff will attend to emails after hours and
will respond within a 24-48 hour period. Parents are
welcome to come into the office if they require a teacher of
a morning. If available the teacher will come to speak to the
parent. For longer matters an appointment time will be set.
High Level of Concern – requiring urgent attention. Please
call or come into the office before school. Office staff will
find a staff member or an executive to assist you.
All staff are involved in meetings on Wednesday mornings
and Monday afternoons. Staff also engaged in professional
development courses after school throughout the year.
Please remember to update your contact numbers with the
office if they change so we can readily access parents and
emergency contacts.
Crunch and Sip Program
During class time students can refuel on fruit and
vegetables and rehydrate on water. This assists students
with physical and mental performance, and concentration
in the classroom. Crunch & Sip encourages fruit and
vegetable snacking and drinking water. Healthy eating
behaviours are modelled in the classroom and reinforce the
nutrition messages in the PD/H/PE curriculum. By making
fruit and vegetable eating and water drinking normal in the
classroom, healthy habits can be formed and continued into
adolescence and adulthood.
The Crunch & Sip gives students the opportunity to eat the
piece of fruit that might otherwise be left in their lunchbox.
Students are also more likely to eat their fruit or vegetables
and drink their water if their friends and peers are all doing
it too!
Children are asked to bring a piece of fruit or vegetables
and small bottle of water. Any food bought for this purpose
needs to be easily consumed within a few minutes. Crunch
& Sip occurs at the teacher’s discretion to fit around
lessons.
Attendance and absences
Parents of children from Kindergarten to Year 12 must en-
sure their children attend school every day. On occasion,
your child may need to be absent from school. Justified rea-
sons for student absences may include:
• being sick or having an infectious disease
• having an unavoidable medical appointment
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The Buzz-Term 1 Week 2 Tuesday 4th February 2020
• being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
• exceptional or urgent family circumstances e.g.
attending a funeral
Parents must provide an explanation for absences to the
school within 7 days from the first day of any period of
absence. Where an explanation has not been received
within the 7-day timeframe, the school will record the
absence as unjustified on the student’s record. Notes can
be written or completed electronically on the Skoolbag
App.
If you are late dropping your child to school or need to
collect them early, you must report to the office to require
a late note or early leavers pass.
For more information please refer to the ‘Compulsory
School Attendance – information for parents’ sheet
attached or can be found at the front office.
Please remember no student should be at school prior to
8.30am unless under the direct supervision of a teacher
for an organised event/training/practice.
If you require before or after school care please visit our
onsite before and after school care facilities.
Lunch Orders
After a few technical issues ‘flexischools’ (online ordering
system) is up and running. There are 3 easy ways to make
a lunch order:
1. On flexischools using your phone
2. In person between 8:30 and 9:00am at the canteen
3. Placing order in the black box outside the canteen
before 8:30am
Check out the new 2020 menu on pg. -__
Mobile Phones/ Devices/ Smart Watches
Department of Education’s policy ‘Student use of digital
devices and online services’, states that no primary age
student should be using or have access to a personal
phone, Smart Watch, device that can not be monitored by
teaching staff. Therefore, students are not permitted to
have mobile phones/ devices or watches that receive mes-
sages, take photos or access the internet on their person
nor to use mobile phones/ devices/ Smart Watches during
school hours.
Several issues arise in regard to this matter.
• Inappropriate use of mobile device e.g. nuisance calls or
texting, bullying filming or photographing then uploading
to the internet.
• Inappropriate use of device during class time both for calls
and use of games or cameras.
• Sending or receiving a message
• Security of device. As with other electronic games, etc, their
security from theft or breakage can be an issue.
At Beresford Road Public School students may only bring
mobile phones/devices/ SMART Watches to school if there is a
need for them to be able to contact their parents either
before arriving at school or in the afternoon after leaving
school. Upon arrival at school the phone / device/ SMART
Watch is to be checked in at the school office where it will be
kept securely for the day in a bag that is clearly labelled. It is
the child’s responsibility to collect the phone / device / SMART
Watch at the end of the day.
Parents with an urgent need to be in contact with their child
during the day should contact the school office and
appropriate steps will be taken to pass on the message or
arrangements will be made for the child to return the call on
the school phone.
Please speak to your child and ensure they understand the
school process. Thank you for continuing to support the
school.
P&C
The first P&C meeting is tonight at 7.30pm in the school
staffroom. I look forward to meeting with parents and the P&C
executive. The P&C promotes the interest of the school by
bringing parents, citizens, students and teaching staff into
close co-operation; assists in providing facilities and
equipment for the school and promoting the recreation and
welfare of the students at the school; and encourages parent
and community participation in curriculum and other
educational issues in school. Please consider coming to join
this I nvaluable school community organisation.
Mrs Gae Bromwich
Acting Principal
Uniform Shop
The uniform shop has been very busy and new stock of hats
and school shirts sizes 8,12 and 14 are expected to arrive this
Friday. Online orders for these items will be distributed to
students classes after their arrival. Upcoming uniform shop
dates and times include:
Thursday 13/02/2020 2:45-3:30pm
Tuesday 18/02/2020 8:30am-9:15am
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The Buzz-Term 1 Week 2 Tuesday 4th February 2020
Payment Options The Parent Online Payment (POP)
system has been streamlined and is now called
‘Skoolbytes.’. Statement of accounts will be sent via email
and you can just click on the link for quick and easy pay-
ments. Please see pg 7 for instructions. Monies will be
collected Monday—Thursday mornings before 9:30am.
Online payments can be done at any convenient time. The
office prefers that parents use the online ‘Skoolbytes’
method of payment. Make sure that the school has an up
to date email address.
This year we will have a new venue, Granville Swimming
Pool, for our upcoming carnival on Monday 10th February
2020. Another new development is the water safety
lessons that will be run on the day in conjunction with the
carnival for students in Years 3-6. Note and payment are
due by Wednesday 5th February 2020.
Carolyn Stephens
Relieving Deputy Principal
Relieving Deputy Principal’s Message
I am very excited to join the Beresford Road PS
community as Relieving Deputy Principal whilst Mrs
Pearson is on long service leave. I know I have big shoes to
fill but I am looking forward to working with the
wonderful students, staff and parents that make up this
vibrant and caring school.
A few important reminders for the start of the school year
relating to student safety. Staff are not on duty until
8.30am and as such, students should not be on school
grounds until this time. There is a before and after school
care centre for parents to utilise. If students do arrive
before 8.30am and are not at the centre, they are
required to sit on the silver seats in the K-2 area until the
teacher is on duty.
Please note the carpark is not to be used in between the
hours of 7.30am to 4.30pm. Parents are requested to park
outside the school grounds and walk in to drop off or pick
up their children. If you child enters or leaves the school
via the front gate, please remind them to use the
footpaths and not walk through the carpark.
As you can appreciate, the safety of our students is a
priority and we ask for your cooperation in ensuring we do
our very best in looking after your children.
Ms Pam Chevalier
Library News
Today, your child visited the school library for a short
orientation. They also chose a book to keep from a range of
titles. As a special introduction to the library each year, every
child from Kindergarten is invited to choose a ‘new book’ to
take home and keep. A sticker with your child’s name has been
placed inside the cover of their book. This is a book for your
child to enjoy at home with you. The books they chose from
have been bought using the points we earn every time
students and staff purchase books from Scholastic Book Club.
We want all children to develop a love of reading and to
understand that reading can be fun.
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The Buzz-Term 1 Week 2 Tuesday 4th February 2020
DO YOU WANT TO PLAY SOCCER IN 2020?
JOIN US AT
TOONGABBIE DEMONS SOCCER CLUB
REGISTRATIONS CLOSING SOON
REGISTER ONLINE at www.toongabbiedemons.com.au and follow the links.
Please ensure you have a recent headshot photograph of player to upload during the registra-tion process
* “Age” is the age PLAYER turns in 2020
** ONLY Under 5’s - Under 11’s age groups
AGE * FEE Registration Includes
Under 5 $240
Club uniform (socks, shorts and training shirt)
Club ball**
Club backpack
All fees and insurances
Under 6 - 7 $250
Under 8 - 12 $27
Under 13 - 18 $280
Student $33
Senior $360