27 July 2020

Newsletter Articles

July PBL Focus

Principal’s Message

Dear parents and carers,

Welcome back to Term 3

I hope you had a delightful break and were able to spend time with family and friends during the two weeks. Our students and staff were back on Tuesday 21st July ready to focus on learning.

Staff Development Day : As advised in the final Term 2 newsletter, staff professional learning scheduled for 20th July included a live stream event hosted by Minister Mitchell and Secretary Scott for all NSW teaching staff. This outlined the purpose for the School Excellence in Action planning for the next four year school planning cycle.

The professional learning for SIPPS staff included:

• DoE live stream
• exploration of the research paper from CESE entitled ‘What Works Best’ looking at student and teacher high expectations and explicit teaching of the core curriculum
• effective guided reading: assessment and teaching to meet student needs in reading
• update and programs for the Smiling Mind program focussing on student mindfulness
• the High Performance and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy, which commences in 2021
• Stage planning for Term 3

Term 3 Health Guidelines

For health and wellbeing reasons, parents and carers are identified by the DoE as non-essential visitors to the school site. Please telephone or email the school for support or guidance in answering your enquiries.

Student drop off and collection from school gates only.

Please remember that off-site parent/carer school pick up and drop off remains in place.

Thank you to all parents who have continued with these procedures and followed the social distancing requirements during drop off and collection. We look forward to when we are able to support increased access to the school site.

Resumption of activities

In Term 3 a range of activities will resume for students at school according to the DoE and Health guidelines. Thank you to the commitment of our volunteers who are able to support our families via Uniform shop and Canteen. Activities commencing this term include:

• Canteen will resume from August 10th with orders only available for recess and lunch. There will be no canteen service and no cash payments at this point.
• Postponed Term 1 Sushi and Slushy day is scheduled Tuesday 18th August, W5.
• Uniform shop continues to take online orders.
• PSSA will resume for Winter sport from Week 2. Please return the notes this week. Parents are advised that PSSA sport is classed as school learning and non-essential visitors are not able to attend these games.
• Special Religious Education and Ethics classes resumed last Wednesday.
• Community Use contract holders who completed their compliance responsibilities have returned.
• P&C student Disco is scheduled for Friday evening 21st August as a community event.
• Scope It, Interrelate and GOT Games as external providers have commenced this term as they are curriculum providers.

There are activities which are not proceeding at present.

• on hold : all Kindergarten Orientation activities
• cancelled: interstate excursions for Term 3.

Food, glorious food!

Canteen is back from August 10th.

Education Week 2020 – Learning Together – 3-7 August

This Education Week, we embrace the whole NSW public education community, highlighting the achievements of local schools and the role of public schools as the cornerstone of their communities.

Join the DoE for #EdWeek20 as we celebrate learning together with our students, parents, teachers, schools and the community. As Education Week will be celebrated virtually in 2020, our school will upload photos and videos to celebrate student learning via Google Classroom and Face Book. Keep an eye out!

Scope IT

Term 3 sees the beginning of a K-6 coding program provided by Scope It. Scope It have provided programs in many northern Sydney schools for the past 5 years. This program will focus on the digital problem solving, metalanguage and coding skills which are part of the Digital Technologies elements in the Science and Technology K-10 syllabus. The focus is on design process, solution building, collaboration and digital systems. Further information can be accessed here :

This program is in place of the Young Engineers program and fees will be included in the Term 3 fees. We are now able to offer this program as external curriculum providers have been approved in schools as from 15th June 2020.

Reporting

Just a reminder that reports will come home to families on Wednesday August 12th, 2020 which is the extended timeline identified in previous newsletters. These reports are a different format and a shortened report. Students and teachers have been working together at school identifying student strengths and areas for development in Semester 2. Parents are able to request a telephone conference with their child’s teacher to seek further information.

Kindergarten 2021

Sadly at present all Kindergarten Orientation activities are on hold until further notice.

We are accepting enrolments for Kindergarten students for 2021. We would normally offer school tours throughout Term 3, however, all Kindergarten Orientation activities are on hold.

Stay safe and well,
Caroline English
Principal

Inspiring & Nurturing
Successful Lifelong Learners

Kindergarten News

K Rainbow have had a great start back to Term 3! I hope you all had a lovely holiday and a well deserved break.

Students are excited to be back with their friends and in the classroom.

This term in Science we will be focusing on the Material World, looking at physical features within our world and how they are made.

In Geography, we are focusing on the topic People Live in Places. K Rainbow will explore the places we live in and where we belong. They will also develop an understanding of what makes a place special and how this may be different for people.

We are starting new News topics to improve our speaking and listening skills. In writing we are doing procedures and information reports. We are still focusing on our phonemic awareness. Please make sure readers are being returned regularly to ensure consistent practise. Students are changing their books independently so please remember to pack them.

In Mathematics we will continue to look at the Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and the Statistics and Probability strands.

Scope IT started this week! We are looking at coding and K Rainbow are very intrigued and excited!

If you have any questions or queries please don't hesitate to email me

kate.woodwell@det.nsw.edu.au

Mrs Woodwell

Stage 2

l Well, we made it to Term 3! What a year so far! I could continue with the clichés and exclamations but I think we’re well and truly over them by now. Suffice to say that the K-2 community of students, parents and staff have done an absolutely outstanding job. I am so proud and humbled by the resilience of the students, the patience of the parents and the adaptability of staff during these times. I know I have said it so many times, but I mean it most sincerely when I say, thank you.

In Stage 1 this term, we are moving to Geography with the overarching focus being ‘Features of Places’. This topic will examine the connection people have with places and how we interact and care for places.

In PDHPE, we will be doing Child Protection that involves how we grow and change along with how we keep healthy, resilient and safe. In PE, we will focus on fitness by including dance as well as movement skills that are incorporated into grade sport on a Thursday. Students may still wear their sport uniform on Tuesdays and Thursdays this term.

In Science, we will be looking at the Physical World. In a nutshell, this means all things energy – light, sound and heat. I’m sure it will be great fun and very educational.

May I take this opportunity to remind parents that changing home readers daily is incredibly important for reading consolidation. I would also like to add that the phonics videos remain on Google Classroom as a means of revising sounds. Please feel free to access them at any time. Moreover, the PM eCollection is also still available for students to use.

Here’s to a great term. If you have queries, questions or want an update on your child’s progress, please don’t hesitate to contact any of us at any time.

narelle.l.mills@det.nsw.edu.au
stephanie.took1@det.nsw.edu.au
lara.bowles2@det.nsw.edu.au
kate.woodwell@det.nsw.edu.au

Kind Regards,
N. Mills

Stage 2

Welcome back to Term 3. We hope students are well rested after the holiday break and excited to get back to their learning.

This term in Science, we will be investigating characteristics and effects of common forms of energy such as light and heat. We will also explore how contact and non-contact forces impact an object’s motion. In Geography, we will examine the importance of natural vegetation and natural resources to the environment, animals and people. We will also explore how humans use the environment and how we can manage our ecological footprint in a sustainable manner.

Got Game has recommenced and remains on a Tuesday afternoon. This term, students will be participating in athletics and dance activities. Library continues to be Thursday for Stage 2.

We are looking forward to showcasing some fun learning for you with the up-coming celebration of Education Week.

Mrs Follows & Mr Dimmers

Stage 3

Stage 3 have had a settled start to Term 3 with all students (and teachers) excited to be back at school!

This week we are wrapping up our Australia as a Nation & Earth Parliament unit with the filming of our showcase to be uploaded to Google Classroom. Next week we will start our Geography unit 'A Diverse and Connected World'.

Science will focus on light and electricity as students explore circuits.

For the first 5 weeks of this term, we are looking at Informative writing, with a homework project to consolidate our in class learning.

Homework this term will be weekly spelling words (posted on Google Classroom), Maths mentals and the homework project.

Mrs Field and I look forward to another great term at SIPPS with our Yr 5 and 6 students.

Thank you

Stephanie Emerson
Relieving Assistant Principal
St Ives Park Public School

Bandemonium

Band News

Congratulations to the students on a wonderful Band Intensive Workshop on the pupil free day. They should all be enormously proud of their achievements and we hope they had a lot of fun in the process.

Students had the opportunity to have private lessons for the first time with their tutor and extend their abilities or just learn new skills on their chosen instruments.

The junior band achieved quite a few new notes and lots of new pieces. They are currently working up to pages 11 of the Essential Elements book.

The Senior Band – completed the Avengers and Spytrek and just to top it off, played a new piece we learnt on the day. What an amazing feat !!! Congratulations.

A special thank you as well to all the tutors for coming along and making a new opportunity for the students of the band.

It’s also not too late to consider playing an instrument or reengaging with an instrument partly learnt. So many students have achieved goals with music in lockdown and some are even attempting their 2nd music exams in one year.

If you are interested please email me Kate (habkoukfamily@gmail.com) or Joshua McNulty joshua@bandemonium.com.au

Notes from the Office

Please make sure all school uniforms, lunch boxes – lids and containers, bags, drink bottles are labelled with your child/children’s name.

Just a friendly reminder that chess classes started on Wednesday, 22 July 2020, 1:00pm to 1:50pm.

If your child/children are interested in learning how to play chess please refer to the flyer below.

Uniform Shop

Uniform orders need to be in by the Wednesday evening.

Goods will be handed out to your child just before the end of school on the Thursday afternoon. If you have any questions please call the school office or send an email to the uniform email address below.

School Uniform items can be purchased every week by using the QKr! App.

sippsuniform@gmail.com

Helping Hands OOSH & Vacation Care

Helping Hands Network are the company who provide before and after school care at St Ives Park Public School.

All information about Before and After school care can be located on their website. Please click on the link below.

Community Notices