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William Street, East Maitland 2323 Phone: 4933 7524 Fax: 4934 5012 Email: [email protected]
Respect, Responsibility, Learning, Co-operation and Participation
1 August 2018 No. 11 (Week 2 Term 3)
Educating Communities
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Welcome Back! I hope that everyone had a relaxing school holiday period and is looking forward to Term 3. Another half a year of schooling completed! As always, we have another super busy term coming up and are in full swing already. Highlights of Term 3 include the Premier’s Spelling Bee, Interrelate for Year 6, Stage 2 excursions to Sydney, the Great Aussie Bush Camp for Year 5, Zone Athletics, Education and Book Week Activities, Peer Support, the Public Speaking Finals hosted at EMPS, Parent/Teacher Interviews, the beginning of Year 6 high school transition activities, the Boccia Grand Final for our MC team, an art show, Fathers’ Day and as always, a host of team sport competitions. Please keep your eyes and ears out regards information for all of these events! Staffing On the final day of Term 2 Mr Payne was offered, and accepted, the opportunity to undertake a relieving assistant principal position at Shortland Public School for the rest of this year. This is not a permanent move, however, it does mean that Mr Payne has not returned for Term 3. We wish him well in his endeavours and trust that he gains much experience in a different setting. Class 5/6P will be taught by Mrs Renee Rooimans for the remainder of this year. Mrs Rooimans has been a member of the EMPS staff throughout 2018 in a Learning & Support and RFF role and hence is very familiar to the students and with the routines of our school. She will be a wonderful asset to the Stage 3 team. We also welcome Mr Tom Duck to the staff who recently completed his internship in class 4/5C demonstrating exemplary competence and professionalism. Mr Duck will be taking on a Learning and Support and RFF role and we are very fortunate to have secured his services. Uniform Please be reminded that there is an expectation that all items of clothing worn to school, including jumpers and hats are to be EMPS school uniform. Please also refrain from sending students to school with non-matching hair accessories. Students who do not have a school hat on during play time will be asked to play under the shade cloth or COLA as part of our ‘No hat. No play.’ policy. Please also remember to label all items of your child’s school uniform with their name. There are a large number of jumpers particularly, currently in the lost property box.
Taronga Zoo Excursion Year 3 are heading off to Taronga Zoo in Sydney tomorrow. We wish them safe travels and a wonderful day out. I imagine they will have some terrific stories to tell when they get back.. 2019 Kindergarten Enrolments If you have, or know a family who has, a child/children eligible for Kindergarten enrolment in 2019, please note that now would be a good time to begin the process. Enrolment forms may be collected from the school office. Children may enrol in Kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn five years of age on or before 31 July in that year.
Enrolment Policy As we begin planning for 2019 it is timely to publish information about our implementation of the Depart-ment of Education’s Enrolment of Students in Government Schools – A summary and consolidation of policy. The policy is available for you to review at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/related-documents/V03_pd02_06_enrolment_of_students.pdf. Under the policy, NSW government schools have a designated local enrolment area with a pre-defined boundary. Children are entitled to be enrolled at the government school that is designated for the intake area within which the child’s home is situated and that the child is eligible to attend. School policies and expectations also operate to support the necessary proof of residence to establish this. The NSW Public School Finder tool provides further guidance for parents and carers at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/school-finder . Under this department enrolment policy, each school will establish an enrolment ceiling, based on available permanent accommodation (excluding demountables). No additional accommodation (permanent or demount-able) will be provided to cater for increased enrolments from non-local placements. Within the enrolment ceiling, a buffer will be determined to accommodate local students arriving throughout the year. The size of the buffer will be based on historical data, on enrolment fluctuations and on the number of families moving into or out of the area. In schools where demand for non-local places exceeds availability, the school will establish a placement panel (which is chaired by the principal and must include at least one staff member, other than the princi-pal and one school community member nominated by the school’s parent organisation) to consider and make recommendations on all non-local enrolment applications. The development of criteria for the enrolment of non-local students will be the responsibility of the placement panel. At East Maitland Public School the ceiling, based on permanent classroom accommodation is 531 with the buffer set at 21. We currently have 543 students enrolled and are therefore over capacity. (Please note that this is exclusive of our multi-categorical support classes). The decisions made by the placement panel must be made within the context of the agreed enrolment ceil-ing and the buffer retained for local students arriving later in the year. The principal will ensure that the established criteria are applied equitably to all applicants. Waiting lists may be established for non-local students, but should reflect realistic expectations of potential vacancies. Our school policy and procedures are located on our website at: www.maitlande-p.schools.nsw.edu.au If a parent wishes to appeal against the decision of the placement panel, the appeal should be made in writing to the principal. The principal will seek to resolve the matter. If the matter is not resolved at the local level by the principal, the Director Educational Leadership will consult with the relevant principals and school communities, as necessary, consider the appeal and make a determination. The purpose of the appeal is to determine whether the stated placement panel criteria have been applied fairly. If you have any questions, or would like to the process clarified, please call me at the school on 4933 7524. I am very happy to discuss these matters with you. Teacher Professional Learning Last week three action-research groups shared their findings with the staff, and some more groups will be sharing this afternoon. I am so proud of the work undertaken by the groups presenting in Week 1 who thoroughly embraced the professional learning experience with resounding success. They were able to share the achievement of educational, social and emotional outcomes and documented gains in student con-fidence through their application of CAFÉ (Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding vocabulary) literacy strategies in Years 4 & 6, ability-based numeracy groups in Kindergarten, and play-based learning in Years 1 & 2. I know that teachers involved in these projects will be continuing at least aspects of their programs in their own classrooms and have inspired others to consider the use of such strategies as well. (Please note that not all Year 1, 2, 4 & 6 classes participated in these projects). Changed your details??? Just a reminder that if you have had a change in personal details such as address or contact numbers; work, mobile or home, please ensure that you notify our office ASAP. Please note that any change of address details will require proof of address. (Documents such as a rates notice or home-related bills, such as telephone, gas or electricity, including name and address). Kim Dudgeon
By Michael Grose Five forgotten skill sets that contribute to student success At a time when we hear a great deal about growth mindsets, good mental health habits and creating digitally savvy students, we can easily overlook the skill sets that form the building blocks of long-term school success. These are skill sets that are also easily forgotten when we narrow our focus onto numeracy, literacy, performing arts, STEM and other academic areas. While all these other mental skills and academic areas are important, the skills I want to focus on here are ones that can be taught, or at the very least drawn out, alongside every other skill when we as parents and teachers know what to look for. Following are five skill sets that contribute massively to overall student success and contentedness at school. 1. Friendship skills The ability to get along with others is hugely important for children and teenagers. Those students with a strong set of friendship skills are easy to like, easy to relate to and easy to play with. The skills they possess include knowing how to win and lose well, how to approach others to join in a group and how to lead rather than boss. 2. Organisational skills The ability to organise your time, your space, your items and other aspects of your life is a massive plus for any student. The best way to help children who are organisationally challenged is to introduce them to systems and processes to help them organise themselves. These processes include the use of visual reminders, anchoring (i.e. linking new behaviours to habitual behaviours) and the mapping out of activities. 3. Optimism skills It may seem strange to see optimism as skill set, but as leading psychologist Professor Martin Seligman discovered through his research, optimism can be taught. Seligman found that while some children are more inclined by nature to see a glass as half empty than half full, all children are capable of developing an optimistic explanatory style through exposure and direct teaching. The skills of optimism include being aware of self-talk, reframing negative events into positive events and the practice of perspective-taking. 4. Coping skills Kids will generally face a number of challenges during the course of their school lives including overcoming the disappointment of not being picked on a team, working their way through difficult learning situations and dealing with rejection. The impact of these challenges will depend on each kid's own spirit, the support they receive and their coping skills. The good news is that coping skills can be taught or, at the very least, encouraged if adults know what to focus on. Coping strategies include parking problems for a while, normalising difficult situations and accepting and moving on. Some kids will use coping strategies quite naturally, while others need parental and teacher input to help them cope with even seemingly minor challenges. 5. Relaxation skills The ability to relax and get away from it all is vital for the maintenance of mental health, which in turn affects a student's ability to perform. Many of today's kids live with pressure. That pressure needs to be released through relaxation and play, otherwise it can lead to anxiety and other mental illnesses. The ability to relax and unwind is paramount to your child's school success. Relaxation techniques include mindfulness and meditation, participating in hobbies and enjoying creative pursuits. These skills are part developmental and part environmental. That is, kids will naturally develop many of them as they mature but the skills also need to be nurtured environmentally. They need to be recognised, encouraged, taught and modelled by adults who children and teenagers respect and admire. That makes parents and teachers 'Very Important People' in the process of acquiring them.
School News
PBL
Towards the end of last term, the Positive Behaviour for Learning focus was revis-
ing the school matrix. At East Maitland Public School, we are respectful, responsi-
ble learners.
As we settle into Term 3, we need to remember our Aussie 5:
I can listen
I can follow instructions
I can control what I do and say
I can raise my hand and wait
I can work quietly
Francesca Samuels (3/4S) and Madison Gibson (3D) were the winners of the
gotcha ticket raffle. They received a $2 canteen voucher.
At the end of each term all of the gotcha tickets are put into a special box for a
final raffle. The winners of the final raffle receive a special prize.
Charlotte Ebrill (1S), Levi Stipack (5/6P), Kaden Selder (2L), Ruby Eckford (KD),
Rose Achandy (KF), Cameron Mulquiney (3/4S), Corbin Janssen (5/6P) and Heidi
Probert (2L) were the winners for Term 2.
Congratulations and well done to you all!
Premier’s Reading Challenge
It’s that time of year again for our primary students to start collating the books they have read in 2018. A blank recording sheet was issued to every primary student at the beginning of the year for students to record twenty books they have read in 2018. Once that sheet has been completed, please hand it to Mrs Hookway. Thank you to the students who have already done so.
Book Week 2018
A note is going home this week regarding Book Week celebrations. An important date for your diary is Monday, 20 August 2018. This is our Book Week parade which will be held under the shade cloth at 1:30pm, our parade is only held every 2nd year and is always a fun event! Hope to see you there.
Ukulele in Year 2
2L and the rest of 1/2N are off to a great start with their ukulele lessons with Mr Ward. If you haven’t already done so, please pay your $20 to the office or online ASAP.
Banner Winner Congratulations Heidi Probert.
3D
Emilee Lancaster Novalee Watson Jacob Lane
3R
3/4S
4N
Kayne Talevski Ebony Meredith Emily Smythe Harry Farley
4S
Daniel Fletcher Chase Peterson Sunny Palmer Aiden Johnson
4/5C
Curtis Moretti Coby Gardiner Izabella Betteridge
5C
5E
Jasmine Conibear Llewella Brooks Zack Mulligan
5/6P
Sara Lean Levi Stipack
6R
Layla Douglas Hayley Butt Liam Cobcroft Arabella Lane Katie Slater
6S
MCC
B
MCC
R
MCC
Y
KD
Theodore Newton Josie Moore
KF
Charlotte Gibson Vincent Lerougetel
KV
Kobie Bodman Lara Sweeney K/1P
Rebecca Rowling Lockie Conlin
IM
Carter Vorenkamp Scarlett Monnox
1S
1/2N
2G
Nixon Smith Harmoney Connell
2L
Ryan Cotton Roxy Carruthers Chace Mapp Isabelle Moore 2O
Levi Sheen Lilly Jefferson Amelie Hockridge
Events / Reminders
2 August Year 3—Taronga Zoo
3 August Zone Athletics
6 August Yr 6 - Moving into the Teen Years
13 August Yr 6 - Moving into the Teen Years
15 August Parent/Teacher Interviews
22 August - 24 August
Year 5 - Great Aussie Bush Camp
30 August Yr 4 - Sydney excursion
Week 2 Term 4
Bandfest at Warners Bay
P&C NEWS
A big thank you to all the parents who continue to take time out of their busy lives to attend our meetings and support the P&C!! It is never too late to come along to a meeting and check out what we are all about. If you wish to join the P&C and to have a say in fundraising goals for our children’s school then please come along to one of our meetings. The P&C meets once per month, we try and switch our days and meeting times to include a few night meetings in order to accommodate working parents and carers. Many pre-loved tunics and jumpers are available in the uniform shop, come in & say hi! The Uniform Shop is solely run by volunteers. All funds made go straight into the P&C and back into our school for the kids. No one is paid, everyone is there donating their precious time to help our
school. We are ALWAYS on the lookout for some volunteers to help. A shift only takes approx. 40 mins and you are rostered on with an experienced person. Please keep in mind that without our wonderful volunteers we are unable to keep the uniform shop open. If you are free and could donate some valuable time to help please contact us at [email protected] or leave your contact details at the office and we will contact you. You can volunteer as many or as few times as you like.
ONLINE UNIFORM SHOP IS HERE!
Please log in using Flexischools – your same login used for canteen. Orders will be packed and distributed during the Tuesday pm and Thursday am Uniform Shop Volunteer shifts. Please be patient as it’s a new system there are bound to be teething problems. Opening times: Tues 2.15-2.45pm + Thurs 8:30-9am. Cash only – no EFTPOS
Term 3 Uniform Shop Roster
Fathers’ Day
Breakfast
31st August 2018
Week Term 3
2 31/7 Suze & Crystal 1/8 Tara & Fiona
3 7/8 Kim & Davina 9/8 Jodi & Carol
4 14/8 Renae & Crystal
16/8 Tara & Bron
5 21/8 Suze & Davina 23/8 Jodi & Fiona
Not a member of our P&C Facebook page? simply type “East Maitland Public School P&C” into the search bar and apply to join. We use it as an informal way of reaching families and sending out reminders! It is only for P&C information and not run by the school. You do not need to be a member to join.
CANTEEN NEEDS HELP!
If you are free and could donate some valuable
time to help please contact Jacki Cassidy at
leave your contact details at the office and we will
contact you. You can volunteer as many or as few
times as you like.
Photo Fundraiser Mini Sessions
Canteen Roster
Week commencing Monday, 6 August 2018
6/8 Lauren Mears Kathryn Coote
7/8 Julie Wood Gail Lecke
8/8 Sandra Baxter Grisel Millford-Chilvers
9/8 Leanne York Rhianna Ebrill
10/8 Karen Dodd Jannee Binnie Denyse Pott Kim Wakeman
Week commencing Monday, 13 August 2018
13/8 Georgia Fletcher Help needed
14/8 Ashleigh Harris Emily Thomas
15/8 Shelley Sinkovic Jordan Croker
16/8 Margaret Mossner Glennis Holwell
17/8 Davina Green Sarah Campbell Rachel Hegarty-Taylor
If you are unable to come on your day please phone or msg Jacki -
school 4933 7524 or mobile 0419143528.
