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Newsletter Name School Name

Tuesday, 8 May 2018 Issue 1 - Term 1 - Week 1

Mount Keira Demonstration School Established 1861 “Learning and Caring” 255 Mount Keira Road MOUNT KEIRA NSW 2500 Ph 02 4229 1446 E mtkeira-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website www.mtkeira-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

The Summit Term 2 Week 2 Tuesday 8 May 2018

Term 1 Week 2

Thursday 10 May Into the Woods production at WHSPA for Years 3-6 Thurs 10 Fri 11 May P and C Mothers’ Day Stall- Bring change to make purchases Friday 11 May Athletics Program with Chodat- continues for the rest of term Saturday 12 May P and C Working Bee- Postponed-new date to be advised Fri/Sat/Sun 11-13 Cook Book Markets Stalls- volunteers needed

Term 2 Week 3

Monday 14 Monday Munchies Subway Tuesday 15 May P and C Meeting 7pm Tues 15-Thurs 17 May NAPLAN testing Years 3 and 5 students Wednesday 16 May Wattle excursion to Symbio Zoo Friday 18 May Walk Safely to School Day

Term 2 Week 4

Wednesday 23 May National Simultaneous Story Time including Australia's Biggest Morning Tea

Thursday 24 May Reconciliation Morning Tea at Novotel- selected students Friday 25 May Year 6 Grip Leadership Conference UOW

Other important dates for 2018

Monday 28 May Winter uniform commences Monday 28 May Sushi Tuesday 29 May ICAS Science testing- students who nominated Friday 1 June Reconciliation Walk at Bellambi PS- details TBC Tuesday 5 June Coding Program commences & continues for rest of term Friday 8 June P and C Charity Breakfast Monday 11 June Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday 12-15 June Years 5 and 6 Berry Sport and Recreation Camp Monday 25 June Monday Munchies Kebabs Monday 2 July School Athletics Carnival at Beaton Park Friday 6 July Last day of Term 2 Monday 23 July Staff Development Day Tuesday 24 July Students return to school

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8 May 2018 Term 2 Week 2

Dear Parents Welcome back to another exciting term. I hope you have all had a great holiday. The children have returned keen and enthusiastic, ready to embrace their new learning this term. Term 2 promises to be a busy term with many, many things already on our school calendar. Please take the time to transfer them to your personal calendar and ensure you review it each fortnight as we are often forced to add/amend dates at short notice. Please check Skoolbag daily for updates. Term 1 It was wonderful to see so many parents at our Showcase Assembly during the last week of Term 1. The children really enjoyed sharing the work they had done with their own parents and family members and other parents too. It is fabulous to see our community coming together for these special events. A special thank you to our School Leaders and staff for coordinating a moving ANZAC ceremony. Our special guest, returned serviceman Joe Davis, provided an interesting talk to the children and we appreciate his regular visits. The school leaders also represented our school with pride at the combined ANZAC Service at Wollongong Cenotaph. Yet again another memorable experience for the children. District Cross Country On Friday 4 May, 30 eager Mount Keira runners completed the District Cross Country at Kembla Joggers Oval. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces along the course giving their very best. The sportsmanship and team enthusiasm from the Mount Keira students was exceptional. A very big congratulations to all that competed on the day. Job Well Done! Please return sports singlets to Miss Ford in the Waratah classroom by the end of the week. Staffing News I would like to officially welcome Mrs Kate Gehrke to Mount Keira Demonstration School. Kate will be teaching our Stage 3 class. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the school and I look forward to working with her at MKDS. A word from Mrs Gehrke I graduated from UOW in 2002 with a Bachelor of Teaching and then completed my Bachelor of Education (Primary) through Charles Sturt University via correspondence. Previous to this I worked for eight years in private industry in Wollongong. I have always lived in Wollongong but have spent most of my teaching career in Campbelltown where I have had many opportunities to grow as a professional and a leader.

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The first few years saw me working mainly with Stage 2 and Stage 3 students and I was also given an opportunity to teach part time High School English straight out of University – that certainly tested my skills! I spent two years teaching in the school Library and have been an RFF teacher, intervention teacher, Special Ed Teacher and did some day to day casual work. I am also an Assistant Principal and have had some experience as Relieving Principal over the years. I live with my husband and two daughters – 18yrs and 12yrs – who are both exceptional soccer players and we all enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle. My hobbies include reading, sewing and going to the gym. I am VERY excited about working at Mount Keira Demonstration School and I will do everything possible to ensure all students continue to be the best learners they can be. Mothers’ Day On Thursday and Friday this week, all students will have the opportunity to purchase ‘treasures and surprises’ for their mums, grandmas or a special person at the Mothers’ Day stall. Thank you to our P and C for organising the gifts and volunteering their time. I am sure the mums, grandmas or special people will certainly enjoy the lovely gifts that their children give them on Sunday. Term Sport This term we once again have Chodat Fitness visiting our school to provide comprehensive Athletics training. Cost of the program will be $50 per child for the term. This amount will appear on the Term 2 invoice. Coding The fabulous Coding Program will continue again from week 6. The cost of the program will be $50 per child. Years 3-6 “Into the Woods” Excursion at Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts On Thursday 10 May all students in Years 3-6 will be attending the production of ‘Into the Woods’ at Wollongong Performing Arts High School. This production is sure to be a musical masterpiece. The Skoolbag advice, which went out last week, has the full details. Please remember to submit your child’s permission note via Skoolbag today so that we can get everything finalised before the day. Wattle Excursion to Symbio On Wednesday 16 May, our Wattle students will be attending an excursion to Symbio Zoo as part of their unit of work “If I owned the Zoo”. Please keep an eye out this week on the Skoolbag App for the details and permission note. We will be looking for a few parent helpers on the day however numbers will be limited due to the size of the bus. Parent helpers will have to pay $26 to attend and will need to have their Child Protection Declaration and ID up to date. We are looking forward to this exciting day.

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8 May 2018 Term 2 Week 2

Walk Safely to School Day On Friday 18 May, the Pedestrian Council of Australia is encouraging all primary school students to walk safely to school. This national initiative aims to encourage children to lead a healthier, more active lifestyle by simply including a walk at the beginning, at lunch time and at the end of each day. The event also promotes reduced car-dependency, greater use of public transport, cleaner air, improved diets and road safety to primary school children throughout Australia. The key road safety messages are: * Hold a grown up’s hand when you cross the road * Hold a grown up’s hand when you are on the footpath * Use a safe place to cross the road. * Stop! Look! Listen! Every time you cross the road. Simultaneous Read

The National Simultaneous Storytime is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 18th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum.

On Wednesday 23 May, Mount Keira Demonstration School will be participating in the Simultaneous read. Commencing at 10.40 the students will be sharing Hickory Dickory Dash written by Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood. We would love to invite all parents, grandparents and community members along to share in this experience.

Additional information on the days running and activities planned was sent home via Skoolbag on Monday. Reconciliation Walk This year all students at Mount Keira Demonstration School will be participating in the Reconciliation Walk at Bellambi Public School on June 1 commencing at 8.30am. This walk is to celebrate National Reconciliation Week. Reconciliation Week aims to build better relationships between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the benefit of all Australians. Students will be involved in a number of activities throughout the day. More than 1000 students have already participated in this event marching in a sea of colour from Holy Spirit College, down Cawley Street to Bellambi Public School, waving hands of support and unifying in the name of Reconciliation. We look forward to celebrating this event together with the school community. More details will be provided via Skoolbag in the coming weeks. Berry Sport and Recreation Camp Thank you to our Banksia students for returning their permission notes for camp. Please ensure you have registered online with the Department of Sport and Recreation as per the permission note. We will be sending out an invoice for the payment this week. We are more than happy for partial

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8 May 2018 Term 2 Week 2

payments to be made over the coming weeks. If you feel you cannot meet the payment by the time camp commences or need financial assistance please see Mrs Carroll to discuss the matter. We are happy to assist where we can. NAPLAN The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It has been an annual event for schools since 2008. On Tuesday 15, Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 May, students will undertake the 2018 NAPLAN tests. NAPLAN is made up of tests in the four domains of Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. NAPLAN assesses skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time, through the school curriculum. NAPLAN is not a pass or fail type test, but rather shows how individual students are progressing in numeracy and literacy skills against national standards for all Australian children. An individual student NAPLAN report will be issued by the school later this year. Parents can use this information to monitor how their child is progressing and to identify any areas of concern. Parents may also wish to use their child’s results to discuss progress with teachers. More information is available at www.naplan.edu.au Application for Opportunity Class Placement in Year 5 in 2019 Parents with children seeking placement in an opportunity class in Year 5 in 2019 are required to submit an application form by Friday 18 May. Year 4 students should have already received information regarding this and how to apply online. The online applications opened on Monday 1 May and close on Friday 18 May. There can be no extensions to this timeframe. Detailed instructions on how to apply online will be available from Tuesday 1 May 2018 at https://education.nsw. gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-5. All students applying for Year 5 opportunity class entry will be required to take the opportunity class placement test on Wednesday 1 August 2018. Parents will be responsible for transporting their own children to and from the test centres.

School Times and Absences

Classes commence at 9:15 am every morning. I understand that after the holidays it is sometimes difficult to get back into routine, however it is unsettling for students to be arriving to their classes after the bell. Learning begins as soon as children are in their classes. Valuable learning and organisation time is lost when children are late.

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If your child is late for school, you are required to bring them to the office for a late note. This lateness is recorded as a partial absence in our attendance register. Absences are regularly monitored by the Department’s Home School Liaison Officer. This includes lateness that occurs on a regular basis or unexplained absences. To ensure that your child has the best start to their school day please ensure that they are at school prior to the 9:15am bell. These processes are in place in all schools across the state to ensure the safety of all children. Should your child be away for the day please ensure you submit a Skoolbag notification on the morning the absence occurs. This allows the teacher to mark the roll to indicate the reason that the student is away for on that day. Sending it on the morning the absence occurs makes it easier for parents to remember to attend to this important notification. You will now receive an email advice via Skoolbag to confirm you have submitted the form. Should you be unable to submit the form on that morning please ensure a notice is sent in within seven days to meet the Department of Education’s strict requirements. It is always preferred that students take holidays during the school holiday periods as they do miss valuable learning experiences if they are away for extended periods. Should you need to take your child out of school, for an extended period for a holiday, it is a Departmental requirement that you apply to the school beforehand to have the leave approved. You may be asked to show the school’s approval form at the airport or to other authorities. Applications for leave forms are available at the office. School Fees A reminder that Term 1 school fees are now outstanding. If you are yet to pay these fees please see Mrs Christlo in the office to arrange payment. The school has to pay for the goods and services well before fees are sent home. We would appreciate it greatly if you could ensure prompt payment of all fees by the due date. If you are experiencing ongoing financial difficulties, please contact me for a confidential meeting to discuss your payment options. Term 2 invoices will be coming home in the next few weeks. We are very mindful that the school year can be an expensive time and have tried to keep costs to a minimum. If you would like further information regarding the invoices, please make an appointment to discuss this matter further. Child Protection Forms If you did not provide us with a Working with Children Declaration and 100 points ID please do so this week to allow us to get this matter finalised. Parents will not be able to assist with in-school activities if we do not have these forms. Uniform Due to the continuation of this beautiful weather students may choose to wear either summer or winter uniform depending on weather conditions. From Monday 28 May they are expected to wear full winter uniform. The winter uniform is as follows:

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8 May 2018 Term 2 Week 2

GIRLS WINTER A-Line checked tunic or navy slacks Blouse-Peter Pan style- sky blue (please ensure you purchase the correct colour) Black shoes/navy tights or navy knee-hi socks Navy micro-fibre jacket/sloppy joe (either or both) Navy blue beanie with logo

BOYS WINTER Grey long trousers (Blocker style) Long sleeve shirt- sky blue (please ensure you purchase the correct colour) Black shoes/grey socks Navy micro-fibre jacket/sloppy joe (either or both) Navy blue beanie with logo Uniforms are available at Poppets Direct. You can place an order online and it is usually delivered to the school the next day. http://www.poppets.com.au/product-category/mt-keira-demonstration-school/ We currently have a lot of stock in our second hand stores. Please take the time to check there first as there are some excellent, quality items available at the bargain price of $2-. Please ensure you do remove the old labels from gifted or second hand items as it does make the return of items to the new owners impossible if they are not relabelled.

Sports Uniform is to be worn each Wednesday and Friday. Should we need them to be worn on other occasions we will advise parents via Class Dojo or Skoolbag. We have had numerous parents in this term already looking for lost hats and jumpers. We ask all parents to take the time this week to ensure all of their children’s hats, jumpers, jackets and even shoes are clearly labelled. The labels do fade or fall off over time so it is important that they are checked regularly. Also please check to see that your child does have their own hats, jackets etc. as with so many items missing they must be somewhere!! New hats are available from the office for $15. All students must wear the school hat at all times or they must play in the shade. It should be packed in their bag each day and we recommend they have a spare available. Kindergarten Enrolments 2019 The school is now taking Kindergarten enrolments for 2019. In area students and siblings have first preference for enrolment. If you know of any family in this situation please ask them to contact the school. If you child is starting next year please confirm with Mrs Christlo that their name is down on our list- please do not assume this is the case. School Safety Over the past few weeks, the school has had many instances where unwanted people have entered the school grounds after hours and using the school facilities. Some school property has been damaged and now requires regular maintenance. This kind of behaviour is disappointing and comes

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at a large cost to the school. If you ever hear noise or notice unwanted visitors to our school please contact school security on 1300 88 00 21. I hope all mums and grandmas get totally spoilt on Mothers’ Day. Have a wonderful fortnight. Keep smiling Mrs Tenae Carroll Principal What’s Due? Term 1 Invoices We have several Term 1 outstanding. A number of reminders have been sent home. Should any family have difficulty meeting the payment please contact Mrs Carroll, as a matter of urgency, to discuss a repayment plan. Student assistance may be available.

P and C News

Activity/ Note Students Involved Due Date Child Protection Forms (sent last term) Families who have not

returned them Overdue

Term 1 Invoices (reminders sent home again last week) Families who have not paid

Overdue

Into the Woods Performance (permission note sent via Skoolbag last week)

Years 3-6 Overdue- must be done today

Mothers’ Day Stall- bring money for purchases Interested students Thurs/Fri 10/11 May Symbio Zoo excursion (will be sent via Skoolbag this week)

Wattle Class Friday 11 May

Scholastic Book Club (sent home last week) Interested students Friday 11 May Year 5 AG Class applications (information sent home with students last week)

Year 4 students Friday 18 May

Final Camp payment (invoice will be sent home this week). Instalments may be made.

Years 5 and 6 Friday 1 June

MKDS Newsletter 8 May 2018

mkds.pandc@gmail.com

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8 May 2018 Term 2 Week 2

MONDAY MUNCHIES ROSTER Term 2, 2018

Please contact Jacqui Cousins (0400187764) ASAP if you are going to be unavailable,

so that a replacement can be arranged.

Date/time Name and phone number Duties

Friday 11 May 9:15am Kylie Beckett 0438422798

Subway - Collate orders, count money, staple orders to bags, place in class tubs

Friday 11 May 3:15pm Kylie Beckett 0438422798

Take order, class tubs and money to Subway Figtree (Near Dominos & Star Kebabs on Princes Highway) pick up more bags.

Monday 14 May 10:45am Angela Koljanin 0405002328

Pick up lunches from Subway Figtree and deliver to classrooms (lunch starts at 11.15am)

Friday 25 May 9:15am Madeleine Morris 0431019650

Sushi - Collate orders, count money, phone through order to Sushi Shop and to yoghurt buying volunteer.

Friday 25 May before 3:15pm Jacqui Cousins 0400187764

Purchase frozen yoghurts & place in school freezer.

Monday 28 May Volunteer needed

Sushi is delivered to school, place sushi in prepared bags, deliver class tubs to each classroom before 11.15am

Monday 28 May Jacqui Cousins 0400187764

Place frozen yoghurts in prepared bags then deliver class tubs to classrooms just before recess at 1.30pm

Friday 22 June 9:15am Heather Vucenovic 0421231766

Kebabs - Collate orders, count money, place in class tubs ready to be delivered

Friday 22 June 3:15pm Heather Vucenovic 0421231766

Deliver orders in class tubs and money to Star Kebabs Figtree (near Dominos & Subway on Princes Highway) pick up more bags

Monday 25 June Angela Koljanin 0405002328

Pick up lunches from Star Kebabs at Figtree and deliver to classrooms (lunch starts at 11.15)

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NEWS AND REMINDERS

We have some beautiful items in this year’s Mother’s Day stall. Children can purchase items from $5 to $10 dollars at lunch time on Thursday and Friday this week. We have enough items for gifts for grandma, aunties etc. so let your child know if they are purchasing more than one gift (and if you are expecting change). If you are available to help on Thursday or Friday, then send a message via WhatsApp group. We need two people on Thursday and two on Friday.

Thank you to Walid for coordinating the Bunnings BBQ in the school holidays and thank you to the parents and Tenae who gave up their time to help raise funds for our school. We raised over $950

P&C Meeting and Working Bee Our next P&C meeting will be held on Tuesday May 15. We will be discussing the play spaces plan with a view to engaging a contractor. The Working Bee has been postponed until later in the term as we need to concentrate on our Cook Book stalls this weekend. Please assist if you can.

Mother’s Day Cookbook Stall This time last year we started to sell our cookbooks with the aim of raising funds for play spaces at our school. We have now sold 1850 books with 150 books to sell. This is a huge achievement and will bring amazing new spaces for our kids to enjoy. This weekend we hope to sell our remaining 150 books and reach our fundraising goal. We are looking for families and children to spare an hour or two at markets this Friday to Sunday. The sales process is very relaxed and if you make a day of it with a visit to the markets its lots of fun for all the family. Contact Lili on 0409 157 888 if you are available.

WHATS ON! OUR NEXT 3 EVENTS Mother’s Day Stall: Thursday 10 and Friday May 11 at lunch time (11.15am)

Cookbook Stalls and Working Bee: Friday May 11 9am to 2pm Wollongong Mall Saturday May 12 9am to 4pm Figtree Grove Sunday May 13 9am to 2pm Bulli Foragers Market Saturday May 12 Working Bee Postponed new date TBA

P&C Meeting: Tuesday May 15th 3.30pm. Please send agenda items for the meeting to mkds.pandc@gmail.com by Thursday 10th of May.

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Monday Munchies Subway orders are due this week! Choose from Kids pack $6.50 or Subway foot long sub pack (includes drink & dessert) $9.50. Your child can collect a Subway bag from the library, circle your selection on the form attached to Subway bags. Please include your child’s name and class then return your bag and correct money (no change given) to the office. Place money in an envelope or plastic bag inside the subway bag so that bag is not contaminated. Orders close Thursday 3:15pm. No late orders will be accepted. Play Spaces Don’t miss the opportunity to review the draft play spaces plan.

Please view the draft plan (available in the office) prior to the meeting and photos on the following page. Feedback can be provided via P&C email if you are unable to attend the meeting. Thank you to the amazing parents who contributed ideas and time in meetings to inform the potential contractors. Here is a quick summary:

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Our School ANZAC Service was a moving service. All our team gave their best at the District Cross Country.

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