Principal’s Message Fathers’ Day A big thank you to our fathers, grandfathers and uncles who braved the horrible weather conditions on Friday morning to attend our BBQ breakfast. It was lovely to see so many people here bright and early, supporting their loved ones. Another thank you must go to the dedicated staff of NPS for their early start to the day, cooking and serving our families, it was greatly appreciated! We hope you all had a wonderful Fathers’ Day yesterday, and we will be sure to keep an eye out for the fabulous socks you would have woken up to yesterday morning! Valley Schools Learning Community Awards of Excellence This morning I had the great pleasure of attending the Awards of Excellence ceremony at Narara Valley High School. It was lovely to see so many of our students being recognised for displaying excellence across a number of areas. Congratulations to our award recipients, we are so very proud of you! Well done to: Maise C, Sophie C, Lily P, Callum W, Lilly W, Christine A, Ashton S, Lila D, Zachary M, Madison H, Tahliya L, Caitlin F, Jessica S, Gemma Mc, Alexander E, Hannah P, Talisa P, Haylee C, Kye C, Ruby F and Lauren S. Swim Scheme This week sees the start of the Year 2 Swim Scheme. Please make sure that if your child is participating they pack their swimmers, a towel, goggles (all labelled) and a bag to bring their wet clothes home in. Parent/Teacher Meetings During Weeks 8 and 9 all classes will be have time for parent/teacher interviews. Booking sheets have been sent home and times allotted. These interviews are a dedicated time for you to discuss your child’s individual goal and progress made towards achieving them. P&C Meeting The next meeting of the P&C will be held next Tuesday, 10th of September at 7:30pm and we’d love to see you there! Kirsty Squires Rel Principal

Narara Public School

Monday Mumbles Weekly Newsletter

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Newling Street, Lisarow NSW 2250 Phone: (02) 4328 3024 Fax: (02) 4329 1472

Email: narara-p.school@det.nsw.edu.auWebsite: www.narara-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

Term 3, Week 7 Tuesday 2nd September 2019

Narara Public School

Dates to Remember 3 Sep ICAS Digital Tech Competition 5 Sep ICAS Science Competition Year 6 CARES Swim Scheme Headstart 6 Sep Disney Day 9 – 13 Sept Parent Teacher interviews 10th Sept P & C Meeting

Notes You Should Have Swim Scheme Year 2 C.A.R.E.S Excursion Yr 6 Stage 2 Girrakool Early Stage One (kinder) Reptile Park

Star of the Week 2S Kai A K6C Seth O

Sport Star of the Week KG Lily T KGW Elyjah S 2S Sophi H 2C Chika O K6C Bailey C

Merit Awards KG Jacob D, Abbie W KGW Indigo P, Spencer D 2S William M 2C Chika O 5/6R Corey T 5/6D Isabelle G, chloe P 5/6J Jack W, Caitlin C K6C Logan H

KidsMatter The focus for the next 2 weeks is - Good memories help us to bounce back When we are sad because we have lost someone or something we love, it helps to remember some of the good times we shared with them. You can help yourself be luckier People can create their own ‘good luck’ by finding opportunities, working hard and staying positive. Anne Doherty Coordinator District Athletics Carnival News Unfortunately, due to the wet weather, the Brisbane Water District Athletics Carnival will now take place at Mingara on Wednesday 18th September. Please let me know by tomorrow if your child is now unable to participate in the carnival, stating the reason. For those students affected, school carnival times, distances and reason for withdrawal will be submitted to the convenor tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. Denis Weiss Co-ordinator Year 6 C.A.R.E.S Excursion Year 6 C.A.R.E.S program is a combination of classroom lessons and practical activities which provide students with road safety knowledge and an opportunity to develop their practical skills. It sits within the Australian Curriculum which contributes to the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) syllabus. The cost is $9, and is now overdue. Please complete the permission note on this link as soon as possible. http://bit.ly/year6_cares Included in the note is a link to the school website to make a payment online, if you wish. You can still pay at the office if you prefer.

Girrakool – Stage 2 Stage 2 have an excursion to Girrakool at Somersby. During this Rumbalara excursion the students will discover the traditional lifestyles of the Aboriginal peoples who lived on the Central Coast. They will understand the importance of connection to country through an exploration of Brisbane Water National Park. The four 3/4 classes will be going over two dates. 3/4F and 3/4M are going Monday 28th October, and 3/4P and 3/4SA are going Tuesday 29th October. The cost is $12 and needs to be paid and returned along with the note by Friday 18th October, this is Friday of Term 4 Week 1. Please follow the link below for your student’s class and complete the form. Please make sure you complete your child's correct class form. 3/4F and 3/4M are going Monday 28th October: http://bit.ly/stage2_28oct 3/4P and 3/4SA are going Tuesday 29th October: http://bit.ly/stage2_29oct Australian Reptile Park (Kindergarten) The early stage one (kindergarten) excursion to the Australian Reptile Park will take place on Thursday 24th October 2019. The cost of the excursion will be $30.00 per child and will include a sausage sandwich and a drink. If your child does not like sausage sandwiches please provide an alternative lunch. The $30.00 and completed form are due on or before Thursday 17th October 2019. If you have more than one child in early stage 1 please complete one form per child. Please follow the link below for your child’s class and complete the form. http://bit.ly/est1_reptilepark Year 2 Swim Scheme Arrangements have been made to include a learn-to-swim program in our school curriculum. This year we are working with 5 Star Swim Schools to deliver an intensive learn to swim program, which develops water confidence and provides students with basic skills in water safety and survival. The Scheme is conducted over 8 weeks. Each daily lesson will be held on Thursday and is 1 hour in duration. It is expected that all Year 2 children will attend. Instruction will take place at 5 Star Swim School, Wyoming. The Scheme will continue each Thursday from Thursday 5th September until Thursday 7th November 2019. Information and the permission note can be accessed via this link http://bit.ly/swim_scheme_2019

Tennis Competition Note Congratulations to the following students for making the school Regional Tennis Team. There is a Competition Tuesday 10th September and requires a note to be completed. The day will start at 9:00am and the students will need to be taken from school to the event, and back again. Parents offering to transport children must have recently completed an Appendix 11 form accompanied with a copy of a Working with Children clearance, drivers licence and a medicare card/key card, as well as their car registration number. Parents who have recently completed an Appendix 11 form please come to the office the day before with your driver’s licence and car registration to get checked. The students have been made aware that any inappropriate behaviour at school prior to the gala day and they will be pulled from the team and replaced by one the reserves. The students that made the team please complete this link http://bit.ly/tennis_competition_note The students that are in the team are: Justin M, Ashton S, Manoa L, Finn L, Lily P, Sukhman D, Olivia C, Kate W, Vinnie S

Spelling Bee Regional Finals Congratulations to the following students for making the school Spelling Bee Regional Finals. There is a Competition Tuesday 10th September and requires a note to be completed. The day will start from 9:00am and the students will need to be taken from school to the event, and back again. Parents offering to transport children must have recently completed an Appendix 11 form accompanied with a copy of a Working with Children clearance, drivers licence and a medicare card/key card, as well as their car registration number. Parents who have recently completed an Appendix 11 form please come to the office the day before with your driver’s licence and car registration to get checked. The students that made the team please complete this link http://bit.ly/spelling_bee_regional The students that have made the finals are: Alex E, Spencer D, Beau G, Riley E. Music News Narara PS Community Choir??? I am just putting this one out there to see what happens. I used to run a community acapella choir, and it was a LOT of fun and I really miss it. Are you a grown-up? Do you like singing in the shower? Do you know all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody? Are you a diva in your own car? Would you be interested in coming to NPS one night a fortnight to have a lovely time singing with like-minded people? There would be no auditions, no need to read music, everything taught by ear. If you are interested, pop your name on the sign-on sheet in the school foyer and if I get enough takers we'll work out the best time to meet. Kerryn Cooper Music Teacher Mr Ramm is Razor Ready!! At the end of this term Mr Ramm is going to be cutting his hair as part of the World's Greatest Shave. He is going to donate his hair to Variety and if we raise enough money he may even let us shave off his beard! Please feel free to donate using the link below. https://secure.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?TeamID=115966

The Snack Shack Sydney Markets ‘Fresh for Kids’ campaign will continue this week...Lots of tasty fresh treats available at Afternoon Tea. Disney day-$2 ice cream cones available at afternoon tea,-a donation will be made from the sales of ice creams to the help the year 6 fundraising goal.

CENTRE FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS AND EVALUATION E cese@det.nsw.edu.au www.cese.nsw.gov.au

Tell Them From Me student survey: Information and consent form for parents and carers

CENTRE FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS AND EVALUATION E cese@det.nsw.edu.au www.cese.nsw.gov.au

Tell Them From Me Student Feedback Survey non-consent form

If you do not want your child to participate in the student feedback survey, please sign this form and return it to the school by 30.08.19

I DO NOT give consent for my child/children to participate in the Tell Them From Me student feedback survey. Name of student 1 Roll class of student 1 ………………………………………………………………… ………………………………. Name of student 2 Roll class of student 2 ………………………………………………………………… ……………………………….. Name of student 3 Roll class of student 3 ………………………………………………………………… ………………………………. Name of student 4 Roll class of student 4 ………………………………………………………………… ……………………………….. Name of parent/carer ………………………………………………………………………... Signature of parent/carer ……………………………………………………………………. Date …………………...................

The Tell Them From Me student survey (Term 3, 2019) Parent FAQ document for the student survey: I am delighted that this term, our school, like many other public schools in the state, will participate in a Department of Education initiative: the Tell Them From Me student feedback survey. The survey measures factors that are known to affect academic achievement and other student outcomes. The focus of the NSW-wide survey is on student wellbeing, engagement and effective teaching practices. You may remember that our students also participated in a Tell Them From Me student survey in Term 1 this year. Asking students to complete the survey twice in one year allows us to identify trends in student responses as well as track engagement and motivation across the school year. The survey is a great opportunity for our students to provide us with valuable and quick feedback on what they think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. More than 6,300 schools in Australia and around the world have used Tell Them From Me to survey 5.4 million students. Capturing the voices of our students will help improve how we do things at our school. More information about the survey is available at: http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au I want to assure you that the survey is confidential. The survey is conducted online and will typically take less than 30 minutes to complete. It will be administered during school hours between 26 August and 25 October. Participating in the survey is entirely voluntary. A consent form and FAQs for parents/carers about the survey is being sent home with students. If you do not want your child or children to participate, please return the form to school by 30.08.19 Copies of the form and FAQs are available from: http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au/information-for-parents.

The Tell Them From Me parent survey (Term 3, 2019) Parent FAQ document for the parent survey: This Term, our school will be participating in the Partners in Learning parent survey, another part of the Tell Them From Me suite of surveys (student, teacher and parent surveys) on student engagement. The survey asks parents and carers questions about different factors that are known to impact on student wellbeing and engagement. Running this survey will help our school understand parents’ and carers’ perspectives on their child’s experience at school. These include: communication between parents/carers and staff, activities and practices at home and parent/carer views on the school's support of learning and behaviour. This valuable feedback will help our school make practical improvements. The survey is conducted entirely online on smartphones, iPads, tablets, laptops or computers. The survey will typically take 15 minutes or less to complete and is completely confidential. The parent survey will be conducted between 26 August and 25 October. Although participating in the survey is entirely voluntary, your responses are very much appreciated.

More information about the survey is available at: http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au. To access the survey for our school go to: http://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/6sz3g

- Do I need to participate? No, participation in the survey is optional. Whilst your responses are very much appreciated, if during the survey, you feel uncomfortable, you can stop the survey at any time. The majority of questions in the survey can be skipped. - Will the school be able to identify me or my child from my responses? Survey responses are anonymous so staff in schools will not be able to identify individual parents or students from parent responses. Data suppression rules are applied to the school reporting tools where there are fewer than five responses. In other words, schools only see responses to questions which have been answered by five or more parents.

- What sort of analysis will be done of the survey data? Once the surveys are completed, reports are prepared and in most cases are available to schools within three business days. School leaders can use the data to better understand the experiences and views of parents at their school.

CESE will undertake state-wide analysis of the survey data in conjunction with existing student data held by the department, including performance data. The results will help all schools better understand the relationship betweenparents and students’ engagement, students’ wellbeing, effective teaching and student learning. Results from CESE’s analysis of this data will also help teachers and principals discuss what works to improve student outcomes. This supports the department’s continuing focus on quality teaching and leadership. The data will be retained for future analysis to help us better understand the nature of student engagement and wellbeing over time. 10. When will the Partners in Learning survey happen? The surveys will be conducted in all participating schools between Monday 27th August (Week 6,

Term 3) and Friday 26th October 2018 (Week 2, Term 4).

If you have any questions about the parent survey, please contact CESE via email: TTFM@det.nsw.edu.au or by telephone: 1300 131 499.

If you have any questions about the parent survey, please contact CESE via email: TTFM@det.nsw.edu.au or by telephone: 1300 131 499.

What is CESE? The Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) is part of the Department of Education. CESE has been established to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of education in New South Wales. CESE will identify and share what works, creating new opportunities to improve teaching and learning across all of education. More information about CESE is available at: www.cese.nsw.gov.au

What is The Learning Bar? The Learning Bar is a Canadian education company that specialises in school surveys for both primary and secondary students. Its survey, Tell Them From Me, is the largest national school survey in Canada, used in nine of Canada’s ten provinces. More than 6,300 schools and 5.4 million students have participated in the survey. Australian schools have been participating in the Tell Them From Me surveys since 2012. The Learning Bar is led by Dr J Douglas Willms. Dr Willms is the President of the International Academy of Education, a Member of the US National Academy of Education and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He recently held the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Literacy and Human Development for 14

The revised Enrolment of Students in NSW Government Schools policy Frequently Asked Questions: August 2019

- I was advised of my school’s enrolment cap. How was the cap determined and what does it mean?

The school’s enrolment cap is the number of students that may be accommodated based on the number of permanent classrooms.

It is an indicator of whether or not a school may have the capacity to accept non-local enrolments.

It is not a target nor a limit on the number of local students that a school may

enrol. It is not intended to reflect staffing, or current or future demand for

enrolment.

- Our local enrolments exceed the cap; what do we do?

Every eligible child is entitled to enrol in their local school. To meet the Department’s obligation under the Education Act 1990, schools that have exceeded their cap will continue to enrol local students.

Unless there are exceptional circumstances approved by the DEL, the school will use the prescribed 100-point residential address check to confirm local enrolment applications.

Schools will continue to be resourced to accommodate current enrolment, including the use of demountable classrooms if appropriate.

Where the school has increased local demand beyond permanent accommodation, the facilities will be assessed as part of the School Infrastructure NSW planning processes.

- Has the intent of the revised enrolment policy changed from the previous one?

Not significantly. The revised policy includes the prioritisation of siblings and clarification for non-local enrolment processes (100-point residential address check and more specific advice on enrolment panel criteria).

The previous policy required each school to have an enrolment ceiling (the equivalent of the cap in the revised policy), that was based on permanent accommodation. The policy made clear that no additional accommodation (permanent or demountable) would be provided to cater for increased enrolments resulting from non-local placements.

In the revised policy, the enrolment cap for a school is established centrally, based on available permanent accommodation. Demountable classrooms are not usually counted towards the enrolment cap unless new or replacement accommodation planned for or under construction. The revised policy makes clear that no additional accommodation (permanent or demountable) will be provided to cater for increased enrolments resulting from non-local enrolments.

How were the caps calculated? The caps have been designed to take into consideration the average number of students currently in classrooms in our 2,200 schools. The cap does not define the maximum number of students that can be enrolled in a school. Caps were determined by multiplying the number of permanent classrooms with the average number of students currently in classrooms for the school type. The caps take into consideration the range of different classroom spaces in our schools. Schools use a range of strategies when converting their Full Time Equivalent (FTE) into the number of classes.

i. What enrolment rights do siblings of currently enrolled students have?

The revised policy clarifies the enrolment rights for siblings of non-local students in schools with capacity constraints.

• In schools that are allowed to accept non-local students, selection criteria for any non- local enrolment panel will give priority to siblings of existing students, where possible.

• Siblings of currently enrolled students who were local when enrolled but are now non- local because of boundary changes are also entitled to enrol, even if their school is over the buffer or cap.

• Like other non-local students, siblings do not have an entitlement to be enrolled at a school that has reached its cap or local enrolment buffer level.

The revised policy retains its focus on the department’s obligation to give paramount importance to the best educational and wellbeing needs of students. Supporting at-risk students will remain a consideration for principals and DELs in making decisions in relation to families seeking to enrol siblings in an at-capacity non-local school.

ii. We have reached our enrolment buffer. I have already made offers to siblings of current students for 2020. Do I now have to tell those parents that they cannot attend?

No, any enrolment offers already made and/or accepted prior to Term 4 2019 will be honoured.

However, future decisions about siblings of current students need to be managed through the non-local enrolment criteria and panel process at your school.

iii. The policy says that we can enrol students who are out of our local intake area

if there are exceptional circumstances. Is there a definitive list of what circumstances might be considered ‘exceptional’?

No, there is not a definitive list of the circumstances that could be considered exceptional. The policy does not (and should not) define the range and scope of exceptionality. This supports local and sensible decision making by the people who know the families best.

Exceptional circumstances should be determined on a case-by-case basis by the school’s placement panel if the school is near its buffer. If the school is over its buffer level or cap, the decision is made between the principal and DEL. There are subject matter experts in state office who are able to provide advice to support decision making.

As an example, exceptional circumstances may occur when the safety and wellbeing of students could be compromised. We have an obligation to protect and ensure the wellbeing of our most vulnerable students.

Some examples of exceptional circumstances might include:

7. Families in a situation characterised by domestic violence. The parent may not be able to prove their residential address at point of enrolment. The principal can waive the 100 point residential address check and enrol the child/ren with the approval of the DEL.

8. Sometimes parents with limited resources and support who have a child with unique support needs and who is enrolled in a specialist support class in a mainstream school may seek to enrol their other children in the same school. The opportunity to keep siblings together might be a determining factor in the decision to access support for the child with a disability.

9. Some refugee families are initially placed in temporary housing and enrol as local students. When permanent housing is provided this can be out of the school’s local intake area. Consideration might be given to siblings coming into school at a later date if separating them from their siblings is likely to cause undue stress or trauma.

10. Where a non-local family did not have reasonable expectation that their subsequent children may not have been able to enrol in the same school as their sibling. This expectation should be set by schools at the time of any non-local enrolment, however where that has not previously been the case, this may be considered an exceptional circumstance in consultation with the DEL.

- Can my school accommodate a support class/unit when we are over our cap?

Yes, support classes/units are provisions for local and non-local students, who are identified through the placement panel process. The location of support classes is determined based on the best interests of the students.

Schools will continue to be supported to provide this important service for students and families. Additional demountable accommodation will be provided to enable the support class provision if it is required as a result of the support class establishment. The school’s enrolment cap will be adjusted, if needed.

- We have reached our enrolment cap. Do I have to discontinue a special

program for which we have had a selection process for non-local students, and that includes a partnership with an external organisation?

No, you can continue to offer this type of program, but it would be for your local students to access. Non-local access may need to be grandfathered out, depending on the commitment already made to the program. You could continue to have a selection process for local students to be included in the specialist/extra-curricular program.

Schools will continue to be encouraged to develop and implement special programs, including those that involve partnerships with community organisations, which enhance students’ learning, health, wellbeing and welfare outcomes.

Participation in these programs needs to be inclusive and non-discriminatory and should not be limited by a requirement for the student to be enrolled at the organising school.

10. How does the cap impact specialist high schools where many of their students are non-

local?

There are currently 33 specialist high schools that have a cap. The types of specialist schools include: - Creative Arts - Sports - Languages - Performing Arts - Visual Arts - Technology - Rural Technology - Marine

If a school is identified by the Department as a specialist high school and has an evidence of enrolment based on specialist programs or provisions, then the principal and DEL should discuss the enrolment profile of the school and how the cap could be adjusted to accommodate the specialist provision.

11. My school operates differently to others. What options do I have to adjust the centrally

set cap for my school?

The policy is being implemented in two phases to provide the opportunity for DELs and principals to discuss the centrally set cap and any adjustments that might be required to account for local factors or differing operating parameters.

The cap can be adjusted by reducing or increasing the number of designated permanent classrooms that are recorded for the school.

Any local adjustments to the cap need to be agreed with the DEL and endorsed by the Executive Director for the approval of the Deputy Secretary, School Operations and Performance.

12. Has consideration been given to the revised policy’s impact on principal classification and

school staffing?

Concerns regarding the policy’s impact on individual circumstances is understandable.

Principals should be reassured that policy changes are not taken lightly and their potential effects are weighed against the need to manage resources efficiently across the whole school system.

Some schools will see a flow back of local enrolments which may offset the loss of non-local enrolment numbers.

Year 6 Mini-Fete

Date: Thursday 26th September, 2019 (Week 10) Time: Between lunch and recess Cost: A gold coin donation (Mufti day) and spending money (up to $10)

All proceeds to go to Year 6 Fundraising.

Attractions

Hairspray Cake Stall Basketball Haunted House Dance Battle Laser Tag Handball Sock Wrestling Whipped Bean

Father’s Day B

Dear parents/carers, On Friday 6th of September, Stage 3 students and staff have organised a ‘Disney Day’ to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation. Students are encouraged to dress-up as their favourite Disney characters or in mufti. We are requesting a gold coin donation for this event. Throughout the day, students will be participating in various Disney-themed activities both inside and outside the classroom that some of our wonderful Stage 3 students have developed. Please be mindful of the activities when planning the students dress up/mufti clothes. There will be a cake stall available at lunch time for students

NARARA PUBLIC SCHOOL

HeadStart

FOR ALL 2020 KINDY KIDS!

Sessions 8:45am-10:15am

Thursday 5th September Thursday 12th September Thursday 19th September Thursday 26th September

See the school office to enroll your child or ring on 4328 3024