1 May 2017

Newsletter Articles

PBL Focus for May

Principal’s Message

Welcome Back

Teaching, Learning and Leading in Term 2 will continue to be centred on the school’s three strategic directions of Engaged Students, Collective Efficacy and Effective Partnerships. These directions drawn from the elements of the Department of Educations’ School Excellence Framework drive our two key project areas of Future Focused Learning and Student Engagement. To see the 2017 school plan please visit our school website:

Staff Development Day

Last Monday, teachers returned to undertake training to improve consistent teaching and assessment of writing, visible learning practices and stage/class program preparation. These are areas which are consistent with the products and practices outlined in our 2017 school plan.

LEST WE FORGET

ANZAC Day was commemorated in two very special ways at SIPPS in the final week of Term 1. First we had our school prefects Sarah and Milan attend the RSL & Schools commemorative ANZAC service at the War Memorial in Hyde Park Sydney. They performed their role as school ambassadors with respect and dignity.

On Thursday 6 April, we held our whole school ANZAC service which was splendidly led by our student leaders. The assembly was enhanced by Scott’s reading of the poem Not a Hero by Clyde Hamilton and the respect that all SIPPS students demonstrated towards remembrance of ANZAC service men and women. Thank you also to school community members who sent along flowers for our special floral tributes.

Easter Treats

The final day of Term 1 was a great community day with many families attending our Easter Hat Parade, book fair and P&C morning tea and barbecue. Thank you to students, staff, P&C volunteers and visitors for making the day a special start to the Easter season.

Principal’s Morning Tea

It was a great pleasure also in the last week of Term 1 to host a special morning tea for gold award winners and their families. Evie, Phoebe and Julian enjoyed sharing this special achievement with me and their proud parents.

School Fees

Government schools provide ‘free instruction’ which refers to the provision of teaching staff, administration and facilities in connection with instruction of the standard curriculum program, including reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities.

However, without some ‘user-pays’ options we would be unable to offer SIPPS students more than the basic school-curriculum. Each term, the school issues invoices to cover student access to things such as PSSA sport, school excursions and incursions, specialised sports, art, music, dance, programs, school magazines and software subscriptions to replace textbooks. At SIPPS, we do aim to keep these additional costs to a minimum so that they are reasonable and affordable to parents at the school.

Preparations are now being made to distribute Term 2 invoices to SIPPS families. Unfortunately there are a number of outstanding invoice payments for Term 1. We kindly ask parents and carers to finalise these urgently so that we can continue to offer the full range of learning opportunities and resources expected by our school community. We appreciate prompt payment or please arrange an appointment with me to discuss a payment plan.

NAPLAN Timetable

Best wishes to students in Years 3 and 5 who will sit NAPLAN tests next week.

2018 Opportunity Class Applications

Opportunity classes cater for gifted and talented Year 5 and 6 students.

The High Performing Students Unit administers the opportunity class placement process. Successful applicants enrol in a primary school with an opportunity class for Years 5 and 6. This may be at a different school to their previous schooling.

Parents apply for opportunity class placement when their child is in Year 4. It is a two-year placement program. Successful students may leave their current school at the end of Year 4 to attend a school with an opportunity class. Students cannot apply to enter for Year 6 only.

Applications for opportunity class placement are considered mainly on the basis of the Opportunity Class Placement Test results which will be held on Wednesday 26 July 2017.

If you would like to have your child considered for Year 5 opportunity class entry in 2018, you will need to apply on the internet using a valid email address (not the student’s email address). The application website is open now and closes on Friday 12 May 2017. No late applications will be accepted.

Detailed instructions on how to apply online are contained in the following PDF document or at:

Stay in touch with SIPPS

The school’s newsletter (The Patter) is the main form of communication to parents. Please read it regularly. It will be emailed to each family every alternate Monday. You will also be able to access it on the school website:

Please also download the schoolzine mobile app. Click the link for instructions:

Best wishes
Gillian Tegg

Inspiring & Nurturing Successful Lifelong

Stage 3 Camp

Stage 3 has today embarked on their adventure at The Great Aussie Bush Camp located in Tea Gardens. While away, they will engage in team challenges and initiative activities to enhance their social skills, confidence and resilience. Thank you to Mrs Hayllar, Miss Shin and Miss Emerson for giving up their personal time to attend this three day overnight camp with our students. More information about The Great Aussie Bush Camp is available at the following website.

Premier’s Sporting Challenge

Physical education and habits to promote life-long fitness and wellbeing is an important part of what we teach students at SIPPS. Once again students will be involved in the NSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge.

The NSW Premier's Primary School Sport Challenge aims to engage young people in sport and physical activity and encourages them to lead healthy, active lifestyles. The Premier's Primary School Sport Challenge involves primary school classes participating in a 10 week sport and physical activity challenge.

A class may accumulate time spent in a broad range of sports and recreational pursuits during lunchtime, in school sport programs, class time, after school or in weekend physical activity. Students keep a log of their activities.

This year our Year 6 House Captains will have the additional responsibility of being PSC leaders. They will have an active role in the promotion, running and administration of this year’s challenge.

Creative Arts News

Operation Art Student Workshops

A great opportunity for those students seeking more artistic experiences is waiting for you at the Armory Gallery, Homebush. Please see following link for program run by the NSW Department of Education in conjunction with Operation Art to support Westmead Children’s Hospital. Students learn how to develop creative skills and techniques across several different mediums of visual art. From past experience these classes fill very quickly.

Notes From Office

Term 1 Invoices

A reminder please that all Term 1 invoices are now overdue – a reprinted fees statement was sent home for the overdue accounts at the end of Term 1. Please send in your payment immediately. We are currently collating information on activities and performances which will occur in Term 2 so the Term 2 Invoice can be sent out. Winter PSSA, dance levy and some other group activities will be collected separately in advance.

Winter PSSA (Inter-school sports competition)

The winter PSSA competition starts this Friday 5th May. Congratulations to the students who were selected to represent SIPPS in the netball and football teams. Permission notes, Code of Conduct and payment slip has been sent to all participants and must be returned to the school by Thursday 4th May so teams can be finalised for the Friday 9am start.

Got Game Sports Program

We are pleased to inform parents that all students will be participating in the Got Game Physical Education Program to support athletics training as part of the sport’s curriculum. This will occur on Tuesdays when students will be wearing their sports uniform. There will be a sports fee for this program which will be included in the Term 2 Invoice.

Chess Club Class starts on Thursday 27 April 1pm to 1.50 pm in the school. See below for further information.

Parents and Citizens Association

Mothers’ Day Event

The P&C are holding a morning Devonshire Tea Mothers’ Day event on Friday 12 May from 7:45 to 8:45am in the school hall. Students are preparing a gift to present to their Mums for Mothers’ Day. An invitation is being sent home with students today. Please RSVP on the form and return with $15 to the school office by Monday 8 May.

Tennis Courts

Uniform Shop

The uniform shop will be open fortnightly – the next date being

Wednesday May 10th 2017.

The Uniform shop is looking for Volunteers. The shop opens fortnightly on a Wednesday morning from 8.30 am for approximately an hour. If you are interested please see Matt on Wednesday 10th 8.30 am in the Hall, or email Matt via the Uniform Shop email address sippsuniform@gmail.com

Thankyou