2 August 2021

Newsletter Articles

August PBL Focus

Principal’s Message

Dear parents and carers,

Help keep our school community safe

I want to thank all the families who have continued to support our school by keeping their children at home to minimise movement in the community. Together we can all do a little to keep each other safe. Parents are reminded not to enter school grounds as all non-essential visitors are prohibited under the current restrictions. We have added the new signs to the gates and fencing.

NSW Health has stated that if you are working from home, and your child is able to be educated from home, please keep them at home.

Just reminding all our families that there is minimal supervision on site at our school for those students who cannot be educated at home, for example if their parent or carer is an essential worker. All students and families are supported with the suite of learning from home options. If you or your child need help, please contact your child’s teacher or the office for support.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Education Week @ SIPPS

This week, each stage will participate in activities which focus on all people becoming Lifelong Learners which is the theme of the 2021 Education Week. How flattering of the Department to copy the SIPPS school motto!

Stages 2 and 3 have a range of activities on their Lifelong Learners activity grid for this week. K-2 will interview a grandparent or parent and compare themselves to their grown up. Really looking forward to seeing all these activities.

Looking forward to hearing how our parents are learning every day, which is such an important message for all our students to know.

SIPPS P & C Condolence book

As I have already advised the SIPPS Community, our hearts go out to Emily, Harry and Thomas at this sad time. The P&C Exec have established an online book of condolence for the Prior family. If you would like to contribute to the book please find the link here.

Do you need assistance?

As we all enter a new month of working and learning from home, I have included a range of supportive tools, webinars and links which may be of assistance to everyone over the coming weeks. These have been provided by the Department’s counselling and psychology services across the Sydney region.

Headspace are hosting free mental health education sessions with a focus on Covid, titled Supporting young people impacted by COVID-19. They provide Parents and Carers with information and strategies to proactively support their young people during these uncertain times.

Parent and Carer Events (headspace.org.au)

The following sessions are scheduled virtually over the next 5 weeks:

• 4 August, 2021, 6:30pm – 7:45pm, South Western Sydney
• 5 August, 2021, 6:30pm – 7:45pm, Cumberland
• 9 August, 2021, 6:30pm – 7:45pm, Northern Sydney
• 10 August, 2021, 6:30pm – 7:45pm, Georges River
• 11 August, 2021, 6:30pm – 7:45pm, South Eastern Sydney
• 17 August, 2021, 6:30 – 7:45pm, Western Sydney
• 19 August, 2021, 6:30pm – 7:45pm, Randwick

Sessions can be booked here:

In Week 2 this term, the Primary Principal’s association offered a course for principals and school executive facilitated by Headspace. I must say that the experience was very uplifting. I hope this seminar for parents and carers is just as positive.

Another resource is a flyer from Headspace which offers ideas and suggestions in ‘Balancing online schooling and working from home’. Please find the link here

Perhaps and most importantly, parents, children and teachers alike, all need to remember that every person is doing their very best. I’m leaving you with these thoughts …

Please take care of each other.

Remember to telephone or chat or Zoom to check-in on a friend, a neighbour or an acquaintance. You may be the one person who brings a few moments of joy into another person’s world that day.

My warmest wishes to our SIPPS Community.

Caroline English
Principal
St Ives Park Public School

General Information for families

Cyber safe families

The following resources are available to support families and their children in being responsible online users:

• Cyber safe families – an overview of cyber safety
• Technology and wellbeing – useful tips and tools
• Digital citizenship External link – a collection of articles and resources to maximise students’ use of technology.

Notes from the school office

Kindergarten 2022

Now is the time to let the office know if you have a child starting Kindergarten 2022.

We will print off a pre-filled enrolment form for you to complete and lodge. Information regarding Kindergarten 2022 will be shared with the community in the coming weeks.

If you know of anyone in our school catchment area who would like to enrol at St Ives Park Public School please advise them that they are able to enrol online. Just visit the school’s website and look under the heading Enrolment.

All school tours are on hold during lockdown restrictions.

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.

Canteen

Canteen will be closed until further notice.

Uniform Shop

Uniform shop will be closed until further notice.

P & C

Sad news

It was with great sadness that our community learned of the death of Craig Prior, a much loved member of our wonderful school community. As Caroline has said, the P&C have set up a book of condolence for Emily, Thomas and Harry. If you would like to include a message in this book, please click on this link:

Next P&C Meeting

Please join us and to find out more about the school, meet other parents and input into the direction of the school and project that we as parents focus on.

We are currently meeting via zoom while the stay at home orders are in place.

• Date: Wednesday 25 August
• Time: 7:15pm
• Where: via Zoom (link will be circulated closer to the meeting)

Project Updates

It was great to hear that the work on the refurbishment of the school bathrooms could start again. Massive thanks must go to all parents who have contributed to the money raised for this project. This was a mixture of the voluntary contributions we received in 2020 and the fundraising activities we were all part of during the last few years. We can’t wait to see the finished refurbishment once we can get back onto the school grounds.

How are you going with remote learning?

If you are like me, you will have taken a big sigh when the lockdown was extended for 4 more weeks. All of us are in the same position of now trying to juggle work, home schooling and the endless 11am covid updates from the premier.

Our wonderful community is here to support you. If you feel the need for some help or just need to chat with other parents in the same situation, I encourage you to reach out via the P&C.

Our school may be small, but with that we have the most wonderful group of families who will always support each other. Our P&C members are always happy to exchange some emails or have a chat. Please reach out to stivesparkpc@gmail.com.

Get Involved

Everyone is needed and welcome at the SIPPS Parents & Citizen’s Association. Great things can be achieved through a diverse membership.

• Membership is also a great way to ensure you have a vote on all decisions made by the P&C, in particular in respect to where funds raised are used.
• The cost is minimal at $1.00 for the full year (January – December). Membership is open to anyone in the community who has an interest in St Ives Park Public School.
• As a member of the P&C you are also eligible to nominate & vote for P&C executive & committee positions.

TO JOIN

Simply come along to one of our meetings and get involved as much or as little as you like.

Memberships are accepted at the end of the next general but there is no need to wait to find out what the P&C get up to.

VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME

Volunteers are always welcome and needed for each P&C event. School notes will be sent home with more details as the events happen.

You can indicate your interest by emailing the P&C at stivesparkpc@gmail.com

DIFFERENT WAYS TO VOLUNTEER

Volunteers are needed regularly for the School Uniform Shop and the Canteen. Some other P&C events requiring volunteers are:

• SIPPS Spectacular
• School Disco
• Mothers Day (once per year)
• Fathers Day (once per year)
• SIPPS Camp out
• Easter Hat Parade
• Election BBQs and Cake stalls
• Other ad-hoc events (i.e Trivia Night)

Please email us at stivesparkpc@gmail.com or come along to our next meeting.