7 March 2016

Newsletter Articles

PBL Focus for March

Principal’s Message

Zone Swimming

Last Thursday, our swimming team competed in the Zone Swimming Carnival at West Pymble pool. All races were strongly contested by competitors representing many schools across the Ku-ring-gai network. Our team successfully participated in many of the programmed events including the exciting relay races. Thanks to Mrs Hayllar and Mr Guzman who officiated at the carnival and to Mrs Apter for her planning. We were very pleased with the personal best efforts and behaviour of all SIPPS students who participated. Thank you also to the team of parents who provided transport and assistance during the day.

Staff Professional Development

This year SIPPS teachers are electing to swap 20 December, the final pupil free day of 2016, to next Saturday 12 March 2016. Teachers feel that utilising their personal time on one weekend earlier in the year will be more productive and beneficial to students and their learning outcomes than the final day of the year. Staff will complete the following program:

• WHS induction training (mandatory)
• School Communities Working Together training modules including; Anti-social and extremist behaviour (mandatory)
• Development of whole school environmental sustainability programs

This variation ensures there is no disruption to SIPPS students or their families as it does not alter the number of days that students will attend school this year. We thank the school community for their ongoing support of our teachers’ professional learning and performance development plans.

Student Representative Council (SRC)

Congratulations to the newly elected Semester 1 student representative councillors. They are:

Year 6 executive leaders- Lilla, Jimmy and Tahlia

2FT – Sofia and Declan
3S – Zoe T and Tom A
3/4F – Phoebe and Jamie
5/6H – Hisae and Alex R
5/6 G – Ruben and Sarah T

This year Miss Moule and Mrs Shanahan will be coordinating the SRC. They have held their first meeting and are planning the school’s celebration of Harmony Day which will take place on Monday 21st March.

Sporting Schools

Again this year, we have registered with the Sporting Schools Program that works in partnership with more than 30 National Sporting organisations to help coordinate coaches and teachers to grow sporting activities in schools. I would like to thank Mr Guzman for writing a successful grant application. These funds have enabled us to engage accredited coaches to run hockey and orienteering programs during Semester 1 to enhance our Friday school sport program. For more information please see the following link:

Parent Forum – Monday 14/3

The first parent forum of 2016 supports our strategic direction of Effective Partnerships as it is comes from the collaborative action of our school and P&C. All parents and carers are invited to attend the first forum of 2016 in the staffroom next Monday 14th March at 2:30pm to hear from Kuring-Gai council’s bush care experts who will talk about our bush classroom resource and the special significance of the Duffy’s Forest remnant that is located on our school site. They will help us understand how we can care for this precious resource and use it in a sustainable way to enhance the learning opportunities of our students.

Thank you also to our P&C treasurer Vera Dedijer for assisting us in the identification of a rare orchid that is growing on our school site. It has been identified as Dipodium punctatum

Formal Reporting Timeline

Formal reporting of student achievement will take place in the following timeframe at SIPPS in 2016:

• Term 1 – Parent/Teacher interviews – Tuesday 29th March – Tuesday 5th April. A note with further information for booking in times will be sent home next week with students.
• Term 2 – Written Reports – Sent home on Monday 27th June
• Term 3 NAPLAN – Written reports issued in September. Additional NAPLAN information will be published in the next edition of The Patter
• Term 4 Written reports - Sent home on Friday 9th December

Inspiring & Nurturing Successful Lifelong Learners

Harmony Day

Harmony Day is Monday 21st March. It celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging. Harmony Day coincides with the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. SIPPS is fortunate to have many cultures represented in the school community. Our diversity is our strength.

As a way of embracing this cultural diversity and sharing what we have in common, we ask that your child dresses to reflect their own cultural heritage on this day. Alternatively you may wear something orange as this colour has often been worn to promote Harmony Day since it was first celebrated in Australia in 1999.

Tahnee Shanahan and Sarah Moule
SRC coordinators

National Young Leaders Day

On Monday 29 February our six school leaders took part in the National Young Leaders Day at All Phones Arena. The students had an action packed day listening to motivational speakers, reflecting on how they can make a difference and developing their understanding of what makes a good leader.

In reflection of the experience our leaders said “We learnt that everyone is a leader and has leadership potential. All you need to do is find it in yourself. We also learnt that the little things can make a difference.”

iMaths Program

This Semester Stage 2 and 3 will see the implementation of the iMaths program. This unique program fosters enquiry in mathematics and comprehensively teaches and assesses according to the Australian Curriculum for NSW syllabus. The highly motivating and engaging investigations allow students to apply and practice their knowledge of maths. The students are supported and enriched as they cover key concepts and apply new and existing knowledge in authentic investigations. This program allows students to build on their critical thinking, investigative, organisational and teamwork skills whilst developing an understanding of how maths is applied in the world around them. For more information go to:

Year 3 News

This term the students in 3S are studying ‘Plants in Action’ as part of the new Primary Connections science program. The students are engaged in hands on, authentic learning by growing their own edible bean plant and recording its progress and development. Throughout this unit students are developing a sense of appreciation of nature as they investigate the process of germination, the stages in a plant’s life and what plants need to grow. Later in the term when the student’s bean plants have become seedlings they are looking forward to planting these seedlings in the school eco-garden. Once planted it will be their responsibility to continue to care for their individual bean plants. Through growing an edible bean plant the students will learn the fundamental principle of what sustains life on earth while promoting respect for the environment.

As part of this unit the students are linking their learning beyond the school garden to their home gardens through our soft toy garden buddy ‘Gary the Gardener’. Gary the Gardener travels home with each student on a different week to promote environmental learning and discovery at home. Students return Gary to school with a log and photographs of the adventures they had together in their garden. Sharing their personal experiences with the class allows them to communicate their understanding of the natural environment and how it is maintained.

Live Life Well @ School - Healthy Ideas

Notes from Office

Emergency Contact Details Report

A copy of each child’s Emergency Contact Form was sent home on Monday 29 February. Please check your form and make any necessary adjustments and return the form to the school office. Thank you.

Stage 2 CARES Road Safety Excursion

This excursion is due to take place on Thursday 17th March. A permission note has been sent to all students in Grades 5 and 6 to be completed and returned by Tuesday 15th March.

Year 6 students moving into Year 7

An information guide and Expression of Interest form has been sent home to all students in Year 6 on Monday 7 March. Parents, please read the information and complete and return the tear-off section at the back of the information pack. All forms must be returned by Friday 18th March.

Online Payments to the School (POP)

Big changes are scheduled to occur in 2016 with the school’s financial management platform and software.

It will soon be possible for parents to make online payments to the school for amounts owing for students, via a secure payment page hosted by Westpac. More information will be supplied when this change has been implemented. We have held off sending out the first Student Invoice in anticipation of this change. Parents will soon have the option of paying their school accounts via cash, cheque, eftpos or online.

Library

Save the Date!!!

Scholastic Book Fair Term 1

On Thursday 24/3/16 the Library will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair. This Book Fair provides families with the opportunity to purchase books and assorted items for their own children from a huge and varied selection on display in the Library. Our Library benefits from every sale that is made by receiving a percentage of profits made on the day. This money is used to purchase new books for the Library for students to borrow.

Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC): 2016

“The PRC aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.

The Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is available for all NSW students in Kindergarten to Year 9.”

The 2016 Premier's Reading Challenge will open for online book entry on the 7th March 2016. It closes on the 19th August for students.

At SIPPS, all students in K-2 complete the Premier’s Reading Challenge at school as part of their literacy program. Students in Years 3-6 who wish to be involved complete the PRC independently in their own time. For 3-6 students it involves reading 20 books from an extensive reading list that is on the PRC website, a link to which is included below. Students will be given an overview of the PRC during Library lessons. I am always happy to provide assistance to any student who wants to complete this reading challenge.

Virginia Allman
Teacher Librarian

Music

Wonderful musical opportunities exist at St Ives Park for many children. Firstly, we are in the process of organising our two performance choirs. One choir, the Arts Alive Primary Choral Concerts which will perform at the Sydney Town Hall is available for Years 4-6. This choir is taken by Ms Judy Buckle and rehearsals are during lunchtime on Tuesdays. Our other choir is the Festival of Children’s Music which will perform at the Chatswood Concourse. This choir is taken by Miss Stephanie Emerson and is available for students in Years 3 and 4. Rehearsals for this choir will be during lunchtimes on Mondays. Our Year 4 students have a choice of choirs and if they wish, can participate in both!

Let’s not forget our recorder players. Once again the school will be performing in The Festival of Instrumental Music (Recorder Ensemble) at the Sydney Opera House. We only have space for 16 recorder players from Years 4-6. Rehearsals, taken by Ms Judy Buckle, will take place during lunchtimes on Wednesdays.

Children involved in these programs will receive detailed information from their choir/recorder teacher for parents and carers to peruse.

In Music, the children have been examining instruments of the orchestra. You may be interested in the following:

James Morrison, a highly talented Australian musician will be performing at and hosting ‘A SSO Family Concert’ at the Sydney Opera House, Sunday 20 March at 2pm. This concert will introduce youngsters to all the amazing sounds you can make with a symphony orchestra Suitable for children 6+ and their families. ( Bookings essential.) A fabulous way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Parents and Citizens Association

Tennis Courts

Messages from the P&C (please note that there are links within the text, these have been highlighted)

The SIPPS P&C are looking for Fundraising Volunteers!

Do you enjoy organizing events? Working with a team? Getting the warm and fuzzy feeling from knowing you’ve made a difference to your child’s school?

The P&C are looking for fundraising volunteers. Amutha and Graeme Warn have stepped up to be the fundraising officers and they have a lot of great ideas about how we can fundraise for the SIPPS community. We promise that it won’t take up too much time and we will lavish you with lots of words of appreciation!

If you would like to lend a hand and/or contribute ideas, please email: amutharamesh8@gmail.com

You’re Invited to the March P&C meeting

Date: Wednesday 16th March

Time: 2pm - 3.15pm
Venue: SIPPS Staffroom

Parents with young children are welcome to attend the meeting.

The agenda items so far include:

1. P&C Memberships Due ($1 membership fee)
2. Report from the Eco Committee on Bush Classroom and Eco gardens
3. Swimming Carnival and Grant for swim lessons (report back from Kathie Anderson)
4. School Toilets (soap and paper)
5. Easter Hat Parade and Grandparents day
6. Fundraising
   a. Ideas from the Fundraising Coordinator
   b. Entertainment Books
   c. Future of the Bare Creek Trail Run

If you have any agenda items you would like to add, please email angela@australiandancefestival.com.au

The full agenda of the meeting including reports will be available on our website on Wednesday 9th March.

P&C Membership

Being a P&C Member allows you to vote at our meetings. Parents understandably have questions about how much time being part of the P&C committee can consume.

For most, it's a simple commitment of 1.5 hours a month to attend  the meetings .  Apart from the monthly meetings (which occur only during school terms) committee members may also become involved in the organisation of fundraising events. This time commitment is minimal and again, you can choose to participate only as much as your schedule allows.

To continue our work, the P&C needs people with a range of experiences and talents who are committed to delivering great outcomes for our children and school. The more people involved the more we will be able to achieve.

Membership is $1 for each calendar year of membership. If you would like to join the P&C, please complete the online membership form and pay your $1 membership fee to the school office or come along to one of the meetings. Joining the P&C entitles you to vote at the meetings.

Thank you for attending the SIPPS P&C Family Picnic!

We had so much fun with the face painting, relay races and the Salsa Class!

Catch up with the P and C social events at the following website

Uniform Shop

The uniform shop will be open fortnightly – the next date being 9th March.

Community Notices

The Language Company

French Classes at St Ives Park Public School
Expression of Interest

A number of parents have expressed interest to us in their children learning French at St Ives Park Public School.

We have the opportunity to hold a French Class after school on Monday starting in Term 2 2016 at the school as an extra-curricular activity for students in K to 6.

At this stage, we are seeking expressions of interest to determine whether the proposal is viable. The cost of the lessons would be $23 per class and the class would run weekly onsite immediately after school. Learning resources and an afternoon snack are included.

All students will be offered a FREE trial class before signing up for the term.

The Language Company is a local, independent provider of language education for students from 3 to 18 years and operates very successfully in a range of schools on the North Shore.

Interested parents are encouraged to call us on (02) 8005 1237 or email us at enquiries@thelanguagecompany.com.au with an expression of interest for their preferred day(s) by Tuesday 15 March. Lessons will start in the first week of Term 2.

For more information please feel free to view the company website at

Thank you.