Enjoying play based learning!

■ 2020 ■ Term 3 ■ Weeks 8, 9 & 10 ■ Relieving Principal: Alex Sheridan

■ Phone: (02) 6924 1902 Play the Game

■ Fax: (02) 6924 2540 Junee Public School

■ Email: junee-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au 116 Lorne Street

■ Website: https://junee-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/ Junee NSW 2663

Junee Public School ■ Relieving Principal: Alex Sheridan Play the Game

■ Phone: (02) 6924 1902

■ Fax: (02) 6924 2540 Junee Public School

■ Email: junee-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au 116 Lorne Street (PO Box 95)

■ Website: https://junee-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/ Junee NSW 2663

■ 2020 ■ Term 3 ■ Weeks 8, 9 & 10 ■ Newsletter

Calendar Term 3, Week 10

Monday 21 Sept- Intensive Swimming

Wednesday 23

Friday 25 Sept Mufti Day!

Term 4, Week 1

Monday 12 October Students return for Term 4

In this issue ... Principal’s Note ............................................................................. 3

News from the Classroom ........................................................ 3

The Sports Report (by Mr Cox) ............................................... 4

P & C News ..................................................................................... 4

Tell Them From Me ..................................................................... 4

Book Week 2020 .......................................................................... 4

Crazy Hair Day ............................................................................... 5

Intensive Swimming Program ................................................. 6

Play Based Learning .................................................................... 6

Community News ......................................................................... 8

Junee Public School

Page 3

Principal’s Note

Term 3 has been a busy and productive term and

everyone is very deserving of the upcoming school

holidays. Our students have handled the recent

disruptions to normal routines well and we’ve had very

positive feedback from staff both from the Footsteps

Dance Program and our swimming teachers. We once

again thank Noel and Edna Poynter, Mrs Ross and

Kerryn Burton for their dedication and patience in

teaching our students such an important life skill. We

are fortunate to have such a great facility so close to

our school and thank the staff at the Junee Recreation

and Aquatic Centre for having us.

The recruitment process is underway to find our new

School Principal and we look forward to sharing the

news of the new appointment with you next term.

Thanks for your patience over the last few week as

Wombad and Guguburra have been trialling play

based learning activities during some afternoon

sessions. There is a huge amount of research which

describes the benefits of outdoor and messy play,

including research by Maggie Dent. She writes that

play is the way that children develop their sense of self,

sense of the world and sense of where they fit in.

Opportunities for outdoor play help children learn

many social and emotional competencies. Creative and

exploratory play in stress-free environments support

children’s curiosity and provides them with authentic

learning experiences which connect them to the real

world. The addition of the mud kitchens, boat and

outdoor cubby will enhance the children’s play

experiences and learning during each break. If you

would like more information about the benefits of

outdoor, nature and messy play, Maggie Dent has

written several articles on her blog and School News

Australia has an interesting article, A living playground:

school-designed nature play.

I would like to thank the students, staff and school

community for your support while I have been the

Relieving Principal. It has once again been a rewarding

opportunity. Many thanks to Mr Tim Harris and Mr Jack

Cox for their support at Reliving Assistant Principals

and Ms Patricia Bolton for teaching their classes while

they were released to support me.

I wish you all a safe and happy school holidays.

Alex Sheridan Relieving Principal

News from the Classroom

It is true what they say about time moving quickly the

older you get and Term 3 has been no exception. We

once again find ourselves at the end of yet another

Term. It has however, been a more stable and

productive term as school life begins to resemble a

little more normality. In the classroom it has been

business as usual as we try to gain the many concepts

that we need to consolidate before Year 4 and 5 next

year (which is only eleven teaching weeks away!). The

highlights have been the wonderful, rich and engaging

text that we have been studying in Literacy such as

Matilda by Roald Dahl and Because of Win-Dixi by Kate

Di-Camilo and the wonderful visual arts unit that we

have been doing around the techniques and palette of

Wassily Kandinsky. It has been fantastic to see the

dedication and determination that the students in

Gurawung have given to their writing unit this term.

We have been focusing on the development of our

paragraph writing and how to structure them to be

effective meaningful parts of a larger text.

Term 3 has also provided some much-needed

enjoyment and levity as we participated in many

fundraising events such as Daffodil Day, Pyjama Day

and most recently, Crazy Hair Day. We were even able

to have a visiting music group via a Zoom session.

As we head into the last few weeks, our school is

fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the

Swim Safe Program at the pool and Footsteps Dance,

which is a fun and enjoyable way to round off the term.

As this will be the last newsletter for the term, I would

like to wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable break!

Cheers,

Tim Harris

Stage 2 Teacher

Junee Public School

Page 4

The Sports Report (by Mr Cox)

We finally have sport back at Junee Public School. It

has been a very active week for students at Junee

Public swapping classrooms for the pool and the

dancefloor. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays we

have been walking across the road to the Junee Pool to

take part in our annual intensive swimming program.

Thank you to Poynter Swim School for their expertise

in teaching our students swimming survival skills and

stroke correction. We really appreciate your

help! Congratulations to our students on your excellent

effort, attitude and behaviour.

Throughout Week 9 we have been taking part in dance

lessons run by Footsteps Dance Company. During

these lessons we have been focusing on developing

our understanding of relationship, time, space and

dynamics. We have also been exploring dances from

other cultures. Thank you Courtney for your fun and

engaging lessons. Everybody has loved it!

P & C News

Our P&C needs YOU!

We are seeking interested parents to become

members of our P&C committee. At the present, we do

not have enough interest to form and continue with a

P&C committee.

If we do not have enough interested parents and

carers step forward to be a part of our P&C, we will

have no option but to cease operating. This will affect

EVERY CHILD enrolled at Junee Public. It will adversely

affect the cost of excursions, the resources the school

is able to purchase due to fundraising and donations,

the operation of the canteen and uniform shop.

Please consider contributing to your child’s education

by volunteering as a P&C committee member. If

interested it is paramount you contact the front office

with your name as soon as possible!

Tell Them From Me

Dear parents/caregivers,

We would like to hear your opinion. Please take a few

moments to complete the survey by using the link

below. All responses are anonymous.

http://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/x5fwk

Thank you for your time.

The Staff of Junee Public School

Book Week 2020

Book Week 2020 will be held in Week 3 of Term 4. We

will be having our book character dress-up day and

book fair. More details will be available in Week 2 of

Term 4 as to how all of this will take place due to

COVID 19 restrictions.

Junee Public School

Page 5

Crazy Hair Day

We would like to thank families that donated a gold

coin for our SRC Fundraiser on Friday 11 September as

part of Crazy Hair Day. We would also like to thank

students who donated hairspray to be used on the day.

There were many AMAZING hair styles and students

had a great day. A total of $120.55 was raised for our

school!

Junee Public School

Page 6

Intensive Swimming Program

Play Based Learning

Junee Public School

Page 7

Junee Public School

Page 8

Community News

Sun and UV at School: Learning about skin cancer

prevention

In the lead up to summer, students will learn

about sun protection, and how to make healthy,

safe and proactive choices that reduce their risk of

skin cancer.

Statistics show that melanoma is the most

common cancer affecting young Australians aged

15-24. With that in mind, we will be teaching

students about the dangers of sun exposure and

that skin cancer prevention starts with practising

sun-safe behaviours at school.

This focus on sun safety follows the release of a

suite of interactive skin cancer prevention

resources for NSW schools. The Sun and UV at

School classroom resources are curriculum aligned

and have been developed by the Cancer Institute

NSW in consultation with the NSW Department of

Education, other education advisors and Cancer

Council’s SunSmart program.

As part of the initiative, students will be

encouraged to take part in a Sun and UV School

Challenge, designing contemporary shade

solutions that protect them, their friends and local

community from the harmful effects of the sun.

cancer.nsw.gov.au/sun-school

Junee Public School

Page 9