10 August 2020

Newsletter Articles

August PBL Focus

Principal’s Message

Education Week

Education Week 2020 – with an online twist

The students and staff sincerely hope that our community enjoyed the videos, photos, singing and learning pictures which were shared with our families and community last week during Education Week.

Google Classroom was the platform through which videos were shared with our community. If you have not logged in there is still time to view student learning. Facebook offered snap shots to keep our parents up to date. It was a busy week in classrooms, even though the friendly faces of our community were sadly missing.

Students in PSSA sport were finally able to participate in their first Netball and Soccer games for the 2020 season. Despite the rainclouds, there were many happy students who enjoyed the restart to inter-school sport.

Mrs Stone is working with all our students to create their artworks in readiness for the SIPPS annual display at St Ives Shopping Centre. Keep an eye out for this event which is coming up soon. Mrs Stone has also recreated the Field of Flowers display in readiness to place into the hall as a permanent display of student creativity. Thank you Mrs Stone.

Semester 1 Reports

Reports for students will go home on Wednesday this week. As mentioned previously this is an abreviated report.

Enrolments 2020 – Note to all SIPPS parents

Each year all NSW Public Schools are asked in August to indicate their anticipated enrolments for the following school year. This means all SIPPS parents need to inform the school that their child will or will not be returning to St Ives Park Public school in 2021.

This year all parents are again asked to indicate if their child will be returning to SIPPS in 2021.

All families are asked to return their child/ren’s enrolments 2021 slip. This is vitally important for the school to be able to identify numbers of student for 2021. We receive our teacher allocation according to the numbers of students who are enrolled in our school. Please return the notes by 25th September, 2021.

New school planning cycle

Staff and the school leadership team are receiving training in the new planning cycle. There is a focus on core curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment to support student growth and attainment.

Before the end of the school year, there will be opportunities for parents and carers to participate in consultation for the new school plan. If you are particularly interested please keep an eye out for further information in each newsletter.

The Tell Them From Me survey will be open for parents to complete late in Term 3 or early in Term 4. More information to follow in forthcoming newsletters.

Food, glorious food! Canteen started again today … did you order?

Attendance

Did you know?

If a child misses as little as 8 days in a school term, by the end of primary school they’ll have missed over a year of school.

Parents and carers of children of compulsory school age are responsible for ensuring their child arrives at school and attends school every day the school is open for student learning. Once children commence school their attendance is monitored. Every absence must be for a valid reason and must be explained in writing by parents or carers.

On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:

• being sick, or having an infectious disease
• having an unavoidable/ school approved medical appointment
• being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
• exceptional or urgent family circumstance (e.g. attending a funeral)

Following an absence from school, you must ensure that within 7 days you provide your child’s school with a written explanation for the absence. However, if the school has not received an explanation from you within 2 days, the school may contact you to discuss the absence. At SIPPS you may use the SchooZine app to record an absence, email the school or teacher or send in a written letter with your child.

Principals may request medical certificates or other documentation to have absences explained. Principals may also seek parental permission to speak with medical specialists to obtain information to collaboratively develop a health care plan to support your child.

Every occurrence of late arrival to school is recorded as a partial absence and must be explained by parents either in writing or in person as these are recorded in the attendance system.

For further details, please click on the link.

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 parents who are able to support our families via Uniform shop and Canteen. Activities commencing this term include:

• Canteen resumed 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.
• 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 essential curriculum providers.

There are activities which are not proceeding at present.

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

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

Learning Support

Hi Parents and Carers

Learning Support Groups for Term 3 are formed and all groups have started. There are literacy and numeracy support groups for each stage.

Learning Support uses explicit instruction to present skills and concepts in an accessible format to promote every student’s success and achievement.

Notes have gone home to parents for children in this term’s Learning Support Programs.

I wish all families good health for the rest of Winter.

Regards,
Adrienne Reid.

K-2

K-2 has had a wonderful start to Term 3. All students have knuckled down and are working extremely hard. We are fortunate to have Scope IT at our school this term teaching coding. The students are absolutely loving it! We do hope that you had the chance to go onto your child’s Google Classroom to take a look at the images and videos of them hard at work (and play) as part of Education Week. School Reports will be handed out this week. If you have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will do our absolute best to accommodate you, be it by telephone, email or via Zoom.

Kind Regards,
N. Mills
Relieving AP, K-2

Stage 3

Last week was Education Week. Students in Stage 3 showed how they 'learn together' by creating short videos demonstrating their knowledge of our Australia as a Nation unit. These videos showcased the countries they created; complete with Prime Ministers and Ministers, constitutions, government styles, town maps, national flags, anthems, native flora and fauna, budgets and eco-friendly houses!

These wonderful videos can be found on our private Google Classrooms. Our students had a wonderful time creating their perfect place, and Mrs Field and I are so proud of their efforts as every student demonstrated collaborative skills and government knowledge.

Thank you

Stephanie Emerson
Relieving Assistant Principal
St Ives Park Public School

Art Term 3

Term 3 in the art classroom is an exciting time as we start preparations for the annual Art Exhibition, which will again be held at St Ives Shopping Village at the start of Term 4.

Art work is being completed and mounted to show off our wonderful work to the highest standard. The dates for the exhibition are the 12th - 25th October and I'm sure the students will be very excited to show off their learning and outcomes with family and friends!!

Kindergarten students will be continuing to develop their fine motor skills by experimenting with a range of different techniques such as printing, drawing, collage and painting.

Stage 1 have been developing their understanding of collage and improving their fine motor skills by using scissors, glue and stamping to create a lion collage, which look amazing! They will be moving on to drawing an African mask and developing those all-essential drawing skills.

Stage 2 students are looking at African masks and Kente cloth, they have been weaving paper to create their 'cloth' and working with interesting patterns. They have all been excited to start a drawing of a mask and have been getting creative with their designs.

This term stage 3 students are developing their drawing skills and are basing their work around the theme of Tiki Totem's, they are all keen to get producing a high quality tonal drawing.

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.

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

Canteen

All orders only available for recess and lunch. There will be no canteen service and no cash payments at this point. All orders will be through Qkr!. It’s very exciting to have our canteen back in action, thank you!

Sushi and Slushy day is scheduled for Tuesday 18th August.

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.