including the values that underpin learning. In schools, core values influence how people communicate, work together and make decisions. The most supported values by parents, students and staff in this survey will inform our decisions on which three core values we should select to promote in our school. Most of the values in our survey are featured in the NSW Public Schools Values policy. Please follow the link on our school’s webpage to have your say about values in our school. Otherwise you could type this address into your web browser: www.surveymonkey.com/r/8TTFM5D Reports Last Monday our Semester Two reports were sent home with students. I’d like to repeat the informaƟon I included in last week’s newsleƩer for parents who may be wondering what some of the informaƟon really means and what they should do with that informaƟon: Please take the opportunity to review the progress your child has made by siƫng with them and discussing their grades. Take noƟce of the Effort raƟng for each area as this is a good indicator of the level of Presentation Day Tomorrow, December 8, all of our students will aƩend our Annual PresentaƟon Day at MiƩagong RSL between 9.15 and 11.00am. Our school office will sƟll be open and a class teacher will remain behind to look aŌer those students who arrive at school aŌer the buses have leŌ or who have not returned their permission notes. The normal school day will resume aŌer morning tea. Classes in 2018 I would like to remind parents who may be moving or taking an extended vacaƟon these holidays to please let us know in wriƟng as soon as possible. This will allow us to either take your child’s placement off the class lists for next year or keep them on while they are sƟll on vacaƟon. Students will finish school on Friday December 15 and resume next year on Tuesday January 30 with the excepƟon of kindergarten who will begin officially on Friday February 2 aŌer compleƟng their Best Start evaluaƟon session earlier in the week. Values Survey We are asking for your assistance in prioriƟsing our school values. NSW Public schools teach values, Thursday 7 December 2017 Mittagong Public School Term 4 Week 9 Newsletter
Transcript
including the values that underpin learning. In schools, core values influence how people communicate, work together and make decisions.
The most supported values by parents, students and staff in this survey will inform our decisions on which three core values we should select to promote in our school. Most of the values in our survey are featured in the NSW Public Schools Values policy. Please follow the link on our school’s webpage to have your say about values in our school. Otherwise you could type this address into your web browser: www.surveymonkey.com/r/8TTFM5D
Reports
Last Monday our Semester Two reports were sent home with students. I’d like to repeat the informa on I included in last week’s newsle er for parents who may be wondering what some of the informa on really means and what they should do with that informa on:
Please take the opportunity to review the progress your child has made by si ng with them and discussing their grades. Take no ce of the Effort ra ng for each area as this is a good indicator of the level of
Presentation Day Tomorrow, December 8, all of our students will a end our Annual Presenta on Day at Mi agong RSL between 9.15 and 11.00am. Our school office will s ll be open and a class teacher will remain behind to look a er those students who arrive at school a er the buses have le or who have not returned their permission notes. The normal school day will resume a er morning tea.
Classes in 2018 I would like to remind parents who may be moving or taking an extended vaca on these holidays to please let us know in wri ng as soon as possible. This will allow us to either take your child’s placement off the class lists for next year or keep them on while they are s ll on vaca on. Students will finish school on Friday December 15 and resume next year on Tuesday January 30 with the excep on of kindergarten who will begin officially on Friday February 2 a er comple ng their Best Start evalua on session earlier in the week.
Values Survey We are asking for your assistance in priori sing our school values. NSW Public schools teach values,
Thursday 7 December 2017
Mittagong Public School
Term 4 Week 9
Newsletter
Page 2
Term 4 Week 9
engagement your child has displayed. Also keep in mind that on the scale of a ainment a “Sound” ranking is not a poor score.
This ranking tells you that your child is performing where they ought to be at this me. I emphasize this, as some mes, parents fear this ra ng reflects poorly on their child’s achievement as if it were somewhat lacklustre or just barely ge ng there. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Without overgeneralising things too much, to score “High” your child would have been working at a similar level to one year above their year level. To score an “Outstanding”, their work a ainment is considered to be the equivalent of two years ahead. For this reason, High’s and Outstanding’s are not lightly given out.
In the “olden days” a “C” grade meant an average student. Today “C” or “Sound” usually means a student is performing very well in everything, so don’t miss‐read the grade and conclude your child needs to try harder. That conclusion is be er read from the effort score. If you have any ques ons for your child’s teacher in rela on to their report, please contact our office to make an appointment. Our staff will be happy to answer any queries.
Road Safety with the SRC The Student Council representa ves have been ambassadors for road safety all year. They have shown ini a ve by providing valuable informa on to all our students on safe road use. On Friday 1 December, the SRC were invited as road safety representa ves to a end the Blue Dinosaur Founda on Day at Winifred West Park in Mi agong. Dhyana gave an inspiring speech outlining road safety rules, and emphasised how important it is for drivers to slow down during the school holidays.
The SRC would like to wish all parents/carers a happy and safe holiday and for them to remember to be ever‐vigilant by:
discouraging street play, even on quiet roadways
holding a child’s hand when crossing the road, (up to the age of 10)
closely and ac vely supervising children when they are on bikes/scooters
staying focused and not ge ng distracted
Remember, a child‐pedestrian accident can happen in a microsecond.
As drivers, please remember to SLOW DOWN as school
Page 3
zones are no longer in opera on and more children are present in our communi es. Motorists should drive with cau on in ‘holiday mes,’ which make up 3‐4 months of the year.
I would personally like to wish students and parents/carers, a safe and fun holiday. Mr Christodoulopoulos
Kindness Two simple words have o en been cropping up in conversa ons with students: ‘being kind’. The recent book now movie ‘Wonder’ has a clear message‐ Choose Kindness. You might want to use that phrase with your children over the holidays. Kindness feels good‐ when you give it, and when you receive it. Kindness is contagious! I’d like to recognise and thank the staff at our school for their kindness and dedica on towards our students. I’ve no ced how they all care for each one of our MPS kids and pour their heart into their learning and wellbeing. It makes our school a really great place to be. Have a lovely holiday and many special mes together in the coming weeks. Mrs Bull‐ Pastoral Care
Notes from Uganda
We have returned from Uganda, emo onally spent and physically red. But what an experience! We delivered the solar lights, made by 4/5B and 5N, to Bungatera Primary, located near Gulu in Northern Uganda. The school is basic to say the least. No electricity or running water for bathrooms. All water needs to be carried in each day. The toilets are pit latrines which comes with it’s own health issues. In classes of about 75 students, teachers endeavour to teach basic skills equipped with an old, pi ed blackboard and white chalk. No posters, no teaching aids, very few books, nothing on the walls. The floor is either concrete or packed earth. The students come from homes with no electricity or running water. The principal, who accepted our framed gi of our classes, told us that using the solar lights will make life easier for all the family and less kerosene candles and fuel will be used, saving money and improving the health of all occupants. We are very lucky to have as much as we do. Also to have such a suppor ve school community who helped us and encouraged us, making financial dona ons and contribu ng to goods to take over. Our students have been marvellous with their hard work and
Term 4 Week 9
commitment to this project, always ready with good ideas. Thank you. Perhaps, together, we have helped to light the way to a brighter future for some less fortunate children. It’s a start. Amanda Buchanan and Natalie Bahls
Cookie Dough Delivery DON’T FORGET! Tomorrow Friday 8 December, to be collected at the P&C Shed (where the Friday morning BBQ and Shed Cafe are held) between 2.30pm and 3.15pm on that date. Everyone who ordered has been contacted by email or text message. Orders up to 2 tubs will be sent home with your child, otherwise tubs to be collected. If you need to make alterna ve arrangements please contact Sarah Farnese on 0414 963 383 today. Thanks everyone for your support of this fundraiser, have fun baking in the school holidays!
Dresses ‐ The P&C will have the new dresses at school TOMORROW near the Friday morning BBQ. Come along and take a look, ask us any ques ons or place an order.
Canteen News:
SALE DAY! Next Thursday, canteen is having a sale day to clear stock for the year so bring in some coins to get a bargain! A flyer will go out next week.
VOLUNTEERS ‘THANK YOU’ AFTERNOON – Thankyou to our wonderful canteen volunteers this term – Cindy is holding a “Thank you” a ernoon next TUESDAY for the year six helpers and canteen volunteers at Renwick Park from 3‐5pm. Just casual drinks and a ernoon tea.
VOLUNTEERS: We now have a volunteer for Thursday every fortnight which is fantas c – thank you. We are however s ll looking for the alternate Thursday. If you or anyone you know would be free it would be great. The canteen is a lot of fun and watching your children’s faces when they see you helping out is priceless! Please contact Cindy on 0435 842 035 or fill out the volunteer slip.
Looking for any avid cleaners to come in on FRIDAY next week to help clean the canteen. It would only be from 9‐11.
Looking for any hands on deck on the Monday before school goes back to cook and set up for the
Page 4
coming term. School age kids are fine to come with you. (I know that many won’t have care for that day and Cindy really will need help stocking, shopping and cooking.) Any help would be amazing!
2018 YEAR SIX HELPERS – Year Five children that would like to help out in the canteen next year will need a permission note from parent/caregivers sta ng their name, parent/caregivers names and that you understand the students will be working with scissors and hot items, signed and dated. They are trained in hygiene and money handling. It is such a great experience for the students and the canteen values their help so much.
DRINKS PRICE INCREASE: There will be a price increase next year on all drinks due to the government recycling ini a ve. P&C will be placing coloured bo le recycling bins around the school. Although we have to increase prices, this is a fantas c step towards a more sustainable future for our children.
2018 STOCK DONATIONS ‐ Next year, we will be stocking our pantry – this is a wonderful way that parents who work and can’t help out in the canteen can s ll help. So if you are cleaning out your pantry or shopping during the school holidays, we would love dona ons of pasta (any type), washing up detergent, scourers, old tea towels, aprons, kitchen towel, or anything that you have in your pantry that you no longer want and think we could use! (No dona ons un l a er the holidays please, we are running down our stocks just now! �) We also have a few amazing families who bring us in eggs and vegetables from their garden that we absolutely love. Anything helps!
CANTEEN CLOSURE: Canteen will be CLOSED next Friday, we will reopen on the first day back next term (Tuesday). Did you know that the canteen is on Facebook? It is a fantas c way to keep up to date with what is going on and even a direct line to the canteen if you have any ques ons! Search “Mi agong Primary Canteen” and share with your friends.
Term 4 Week 9
Walk Through Bethlehem! Come to a free, child-friendly, interactive event portraying the first Christmas ever! Friday 15th and Saturday 16th December 4-7pm (allow at least 30 minutes) See shepherds, animals, craftspeople, Roman soldiers, scribes, wise men and Mary & Joseph with real baby, in the stable!At Mittagong Anglican Church, Main Street, Mittagong. For more information, contact 4871 1947 or www.mittang.com.au
Page 5
Term 4 Week 9
Gold Lion - 1/2R Michaela 1C Charlie, Sebas an, Tahlia, Feng‐Jun 1M Emilie, Phoebe 1S Aaron, Tanesha, Aurora‐Rose, Isaac 2E Iivo, Rosalie 2F Amelia, Lochlan, Ingram, Jenson, Bree 2S Riley, Amelie, Brianna, Georgie KD Holly, Taven, Holly, Cooper, Milla, Eungyo KD Cooper, Hannah KE Liam KS Ravi, Maude, Siena
