15 February 2021

Newsletter Articles

February PBL Focus

Principal’s Message

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Melita Abraham and I am very excited to be relieving as principal while Ms English is on leave. I have enjoyed meeting many students and parents already and look forward to seeing many more over the next few weeks.

St Ives Park has such a calm, harmonious feel with the students, teachers and the community working to together to provide the best education for the students.

The kindy students have settled in well and are enjoying the first of weeks of learning.

COVID update for SIPPS

Parents and carers are NOT allowed on school sites or at off-site school events held during school hours except for the following purposes only:

• Essential parent and carer meetings with teachers and/or school executives, with a scheduled appointment. This includes scheduled meetings with parents and carers of prospective students.
• Parents and carers who attend a school administration building or another defined location for the purpose of picking up their child if they are unwell or where they have been asked to arrange for a COVID-19 test after their child has displayed flu-like symptoms while at school.
• From this week Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 parents are NOT permitted to come on site except for one of the above reasons. Please say your goodbyes at the gate. Our teachers are here to support the students once they come through the gate.
• Afternoon dismissal:

Staff will bring all classes to the gates each afternoon to dismiss students.

• Gate 1: Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2.
• Gate 2: Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6)
• Gate 3: Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4)

Meet the Teacher Evening Tuesday February 23, 2021

At this stage Meet the Teacher evening will go ahead in week 5 in the classrooms. To meet COVID standards, only one parent per family will be allowed on site and all parents must maintain social distancing. Face masks are optional but strongly encouraged. There will be QR codes in each room for parents to register their presence.

Times and rooms:

5:00 – 5:45 pm K-2 classrooms
6:00 – 6:45 pm 3- 6 classrooms

P&C Meeting Wednesday 17th February 2021

Our next P&C meeting is on Wednesday 17th February at 7.15pm in the school library. We would love to see any new parents to the school at the meeting or any parents in the school community who would like to know more about what is happening around the school. For Covid safety, social distancing is essential and masks optional.

Smart devices

Primary school students must not use digital devices this includes smart watches, during class, at recess and at lunch. Exemptions may be granted by a principal or teacher, including allowing students to use a device for an educational purpose, or as part of a reasonable adjustment for student learning and wellbeing. For more information on the policy:

Medical Needs

Any student with an asthma diagnosis needs to provide the school with a CURRENT Asthma Management Plan. If your child has asthma they should always have correct medication on hand. If your child has anaphylaxis they also need a CURRENT management plan and an up-to-date epipen.

Sun Safety

At this time of the year it is important to remind all students to wear a hat. Students need to be protected from the sun and the sun’s harsh rays. For more information on the Department of Education’s Sun safety Policy please use the link.

kind regards
Melita Abraham
(Relieving Principal)

Celebrating Student Success

The PBL focus for the next fortnight is Respect and Responsibility in all settings. Catch cards are awarded to students when they show respect and /or responsibility.

Catch cards are placed in a K -2 box and a 3 - 6 box. Each fortnight at lines after lunch a card is pulled out of each box giving us our SIPPS stars.

Inspiring & Nurturing
Successful Lifelong Learners

Kindergarten

We are so pleased with the way our Kindergarten students have settled into “big school”. In class, we have begun our year with lots of modeled reading focusing on texts with the theme of Belonging. Our Kindergarten students are enthusiastically participating in their gymnastic lessons and it has been wonderful to see everyone trying very hard to learn new skills.

Our Year Six buddies have been very kind and welcoming of our youngest students and some strong friendships have been developing across the grades. Picnics, the play equipment and our new sand equipment are firm favorites with our Kindergarten students.

Parents you should be proud of the fabulous start to school your children have made so far.

Please remember sports uniform on a Tuesday and Friday and a library bag on Fridays as well.

Louise Underhill
Classroom Teacher and Relieving AP K-2
St Ives Park Public School
Phone; 02 9144 4085

Learning and Support

Happy 2021 to all parents and caregivers! May the year ahead be more ‘normal’ than last year.

It is so nice to see all our students and families ready for another great year of learning. I believe learning is the path to enlightenment, and I honour my role of the Learning and Support Teacher at St Ives Park Public School. I gain so much personal fulfilment from supporting all students achieve their best possible behavioural, social and academic outcomes.

My role as the Learning and Support Teacher is to provide direct and timely specialist assistance to students in mainstream classes. Assistance is provided to students with disability and additional learning and support needs and their teachers.

My work emphasises:

• the needs of individual students
• school priorities, and
• evidence-based programs to assist students with additional learning and support needs.

I use a collaborative and consultative approach so that students themselves and you, their parents and carers, are actively involved in decision-making.

If you have concerns with the learning, social or behavioural needs of your child, your first port of call is to speak with your child’s classroom teacher. They will treat your concerns with respect and confidentiality and will collect relevant data through assessment, observations, and active monitoring of your child in the classroom or playground. The classroom teacher will also discuss your concerns with the Assistant Principal and together they will form a plan to support your child to overcome any problems and get back on track with their learning to the best of their ability. Your child’s progress will be discussed with you.

If however, after a period of time, the class teacher and Assistant Principal believe that further modifications or adjustments need to be made, they will put a request in for the Learning and Support Team to consider the learning needs of your child. I get involved at this point and will send home some paperwork requesting background information for your child and a formal statement of your concerns. This information then goes to the Learning and Support Team for further consideration.

I will detail the makeup and role of the Learning and Support Team in my next newsletter instalment.

Until then, please enjoy the remaining summer season and family time together.

Warm Regards,
Adrienne Reid
Learning and Support Teacher.

English as an additional language or dialect

Who are EAL/D students?

EAL/D (English as an additional language or dialect) students are those whose first language is a language or dialect other than English. EAL/D students come from diverse multilingual backgrounds and may include overseas or Australian-born students whose first language is a language other than English or children who speak an indigenous language. EAL/D students require specific support to build the English language skills needed to access the general curriculum, in addition to learning area-specific language structures and vocabulary. Schools are required to provide support for students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) so that they can fully participate in schooling and reach their full potential. This includes intensive English language support for newly arrived students and ongoing support for continuing EALD students.

The purpose of the EAL/D program:

The purpose of the EAL/D program is to provide personalised learning programs to help support and develop proficiency in the four macro skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking English whilst also helping build confidence in these areas. This includes specific targeted lessons on grammar, pronunciation, reading and writing skills. The goal of the EAL/D program is to improve the students' level of English to ensure their progression through the ESL Scales.

How students are supported:

At SIPPS, children who are identified as EAL/D learners and who require specific support are guided through weekly group sessions and students who qualify under the Newly Arrived Program receive weekly individual lessons. EAL/D students are supported in their learning through consistent feedback, assessment and personalised learning programs. In the program, children are taught different language skills, depending on students' English abilities, interests, and needs. All programs teach the following: conversational English, grammar, reading, listening comprehension, writing, and vocabulary

PSSA

PSSA is starting this Friday! Teams have been chosen and students have been practising their skills.

This year, Mrs Field is the Junior teams coach and Miss Emerson is the Senior teams coach.

Training will be Friday mornings for those in the team at 8:30am, please be prompt as it is an essential part of being a part of the team.

Keep an eye out for the PSSA permission note in your child’s bag. Please return as soon as possible to the school office.

Thank you
Stephanie Emerson

Information on Stage One, Two and Three

The following information was sent home last week as a brochure.

Notes from the school office

Please label all of your child/children’s belongings such as lunch boxes, lids and containers, hats, jumpers and bags.

Please advise the office of any changes to your phone number, address and/or child’s medical condition as soon as possible.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the school office on 02 91444085.

Chess club has begun Wednesday Lunchtime. Please see the flyer below.

Schoolzine app – Please download the schoolzine app. The school uses this app for payment of fees, viewing of school newsletters, absentee notes, school alerts

Qkr! app – Please download the Qkr ! app – this app is used by the P & C for the ordering and payment of school uniform items and for Canteen ordering and payment of items.

Library

SIPPS Library News

Welcome to our SIPPS Library. We are planning an exciting 2021 for the students with events and activities being scheduled throughout the year to celebrate books and reading.

I am at SIPPS on a Thursday and Friday in my role as teacher- librarian.

Every class visits the SIPPS Library for a weekly timetabled lesson which includes time for borrowing.

Library Term 1

Students in K-2 are expected to bring a Library bag to their Library lesson to transport and protect their library books. We always have “spare” bags for those students who forget.

Students in 3-6 are not required to bring a library bag.

Library days for Term 1 are:

Thursday: 3/4 P, 3/4Y, 5/6B
Friday: K/1T, 1/2E, 5/6P and KR

Scholastic Book Club

At SIPPS, we provide families with the opportunity to purchase books and other items for their children through the Scholastic Book Club.

The school benefits from all purchases made by SIPPS families. We accrue reward dollars that are used to buy resources for our library. Twice a term you will receive a brochure with instructions on how to order online. Books ordered are sent to the school and distributed to the students to take home.

Issue 1 was distributed last week to the students.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

In 2021, as in previous years, students will be participating in the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC). This challenge aims to encourage students to read, to read more widely and to experience a range of quality literature. The PRC fits perfectly with our SIPPS strategic goals and K-6 literacy programs.

The 2021 Challenge dates are as follows:

Challenge opens: Monday March 1, 2021
Challenge closes: Friday August 20, 2021

K-2

Students complete the PRC at school with the class teacher and teacher librarian. They will receive a certificate of participation at the end of 2021.

3-6

Students in Years 3-6 complete the PRC independently. This means that they are responsible for entering the 20 books they need to read (specific books that are on the official PRC Challenge booklists) directly onto the PRC website. Students will be shown how to navigate and enter books onto the PRC website, how to locate the PRC books in our school library, understand the rules of the challenge etc over the next few weeks. Class teachers and myself will support students in any way we can and are always available if you have a question or problem.

We will provide more information after the PRC opens on 1/3/21.

Happy Reading.
Virginia Allman
Teacher Librarian

Canteen

Canteen will start on Monday 26th February and there is a NEW Canteen menu. Canteen is only open for lunch orders at this time.

How to Order

All orders must be placed via Qkr! No other orders will be accepted.

Qkr! orders must be placed prior to 8.30am on the Canteen day. Instructions on how to download and use Qkr! are below.

To assist the P&C Canteen volunteers, please ask your child to give their reusable canteen bag or lunch box to their teacher in the morning.

Please label the bag or lunchbox with your child's: (i) Name (ii) Class and (ii) Order.

Contact us

Please contact the SIPPS P&C Canteen at canteensipps@gmail.com

Uniform Shop

The uniform shop will open every second Friday starting in Week 2 from 8.30 am to 9.30 am approx.

If you are ordering online please have your uniform orders in by the Wednesday evening of even weeks ie Week 2, 4 etc of the school term.

Goods will be handed out to your child just before the end of school on the following friday 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 – Before and After School CAREs

Helping Hands Network: Before and After school care & holiday programs AT your school

Welcome to Helping Hands Network!

Our compelling programs will empower your child to explore, navigate, experiment and engage in a diverse range of experiences before school, after school and during the school holidays. We focus on building knowledge, skills and behaviours that help prepare your child for a world yet to be imagined…

You can be confident that your child is in safe hands with our highly experienced and passionate educators. Whether your child attends Helping Hands Network daily or only occasionally, each visit is an exciting new adventure with fabulous food, awesome clubs, activities, mindfulness and so much more.

Join us during the school holidays

Helping Hands Network holiday programs are jam-packed with a huge variety of thrilling excursions, incursions and in-house activities. We offer the ultimate school holiday experience with ‘holiday must dos’ like rock climbing, cartooning, cultural workshops, movie days and zoo visits that will have your child grinning from ear to ear. You can be sure of your child’s safety, with Helping Hands Network’s 1:10 educator to child ratio on most excursions – more educators, more fun!

Enrolling with Helping Hands Network is easy and completely free. Head to our website to find out more or to book in today.

We look forward to welcoming you and your family at Helping Hands Network.

ENROL AND BOOK NOW

Community