Newsletter of the Leura Public School Community Volume 7, Issue 3 Term 1, 2019 Week 6

SRC Students for 2019

After being presented with their SRC badges pictured with Mrs Aldred are:

Nate, Madi, Toby, Madelyn Milo, Monae, Anna, Rory, Claire, August, Jordan, Elise, Felix, Ruby and Bea. Absent: Edward

Coming Events

Week 6 5/3 Peer Support begins

Week 7 11/3 Young Leaders Conference Selected students 12/3 P&C AGM & General Meeting 6.30 – 8.00pm 13/3 ‘The Protectors’ incursion Years K-6 15/3 National Day Against Bullying 15/3 Music Incursion ‘Baltic Bar Mitzvah’ Years K-6 Week 8 21/3 Harmony Day Years K-6 Stay tuned for more details! Week 9 26/3 Parent Teacher Interviews Years 1-6

RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY RESILIENCE

From the Principal… Playground Trial: We are introducing some different organisation for our playground in an effort to encourage a whole school approach to sharing our space and caring for one another. The change will be that the lower level playgrounds (currently separated into K-2 and 3-6) will be shared spaces (K-6). The only exception will be the K-2 playground equipment, which K-2 students only will continue to access on a roster basis. We are starting off small, trialling the change once a week every Tuesday for both lunch and recess, beginning next week. Staff will be monitoring the playground with extra diligence on these days in order to provide effective feedback about the change and so we can implement adjustments as needed. We hope your child enjoys this new experience! Activities Timetable: Our school offers a range of extra-curricular activities to students. We believe it is an important part of ensuring their academic and creative success. Please see the timetable below for what is happening this term. If you have any questions, please make contact through the school office with the teacher or tutor listed.

Voluntary School Contribution Fee: Every year, our school asks families to make a financial contribution that will go directly towards classroom learning resources. Last year, we focused these funds on our technology subscription to Mathletics. This year, we will be using these funds to contribute to the cost of providing K-2 classrooms with new furniture for guided teaching group work and to the cost of purchasing some new reading material for Year 3-6 classes. Each family will be invoiced for this fee. We greatly appreciate any contribution you can make to our school.

RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY RESILIENCE

Parent-Teacher Interviews This week our Kindergarten teachers met with parents of their students to provide feedback about each child’s learning needs as demonstrated in the Best Start assessment and classwork. This was a valuable opportunity taken up by 70% of our Kindy parents. We hope they gained some insights into how their child has adjusted to their first term of school learning. In Week 9 this term, parents of students in Years 1-6 will also have this opportunity to discuss their child’s learning needs. A note about booking your parent-teacher interview will be coming home soon!

“Together may we give our children the roots to grow and the wings to fly.”

(Anonymous) Yours in education,

Elise Berwick

Principal

COMMUNITY REMINDERS

The Protectors – Anti-Bullying Incursion

The last day for payment is this Friday. We hope all students can attend this

valuable opportunity to learn some strategies for protecting themselves from

hurtful comments and negative behaviours they may encounter. Spare notes

can be found in the school office.

Before School Supervision

Upon arriving at school, students are deemed under the ‘duty of care’ of school staff. We have

a teacher on duty in the hard court area specifically to supervise students from 8.45am. If you

bring your child into the school grounds in the morning, please encourage and support your child

to follow the expected behaviours – put their bag away then move to the hard court. You are

welcome to remain with your child in this area, then escort them to class lines if you wish. It is

not acceptable for children and parents to be waiting for the bell in other areas of the school.

Thank you for your co-operation.

RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY RESILIENCE

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING – Term 1 VALUE OF THE WEEK

Week 7: A Respectful student considers personal space. Week 8: A Resilient student celebrates achievements.

Voluntary School Contribution 2019 This year the Voluntary School Contribution charged to school families is $49. These funds will be used to contribute to the cost of new furniture for guided teaching group work for K-2 classrooms and to the cost of purchasing literacy resources for Year 3-6 classes.

Zone Swimming Carnival The Zone Swimming Carnival was held at Glenbrook Pool on Friday 22nd February. Our students represented the school with pride and did their best. All the parents, grandparents and spectators enjoyed cheering on the children. A great day was had by all!

RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY RESILIENCE

Year 6 - Katoomba High School Sneak Peek On the 21st of February, Year 6 went for their first high school ‘sneak peek’ at our local Katoomba High School. The first thing that we did was go into the school hall and sit down, after which we were divided into two groups. We were sent to do three tasks. My group took part in a visual arts lesson first, where we did continuous line drawings of a person. Then we did a school tour. It was really cool to see all the classes but we did get stuck in a class change. The other group also did all of these but they got to see the two sheep. They also got to write and perform a rap in an English class. All students were encouraged to come to the sneak peek even if they are going to a different high school. The last activity for group 1 (my group), was drama. It was the most exciting task. We got to do lots of moving around and perform lots of creative movements. The school sneak peek was an introduction to high school and was a really fun day for all of us. I just can’t wait to go to high school!! Thalia 5/6A Ice Cream Day Fundraiser Our school held an Ice Cream day on Tuesday 5th March. It was a really fun day for all the students from K-6. This event was a fundraiser for the year 6 farewell this year. It was a total success because we raised just over $350 (and it was our first fundraiser this year). But we need to all say a big Thank You to all the parents and students that helped to organise this fun event. Thalia 5/6A HOUSE CAPTAINS AND VICE CAPTAINS The following children have been elected as House Captains and House Vice Captains for 2019:- House Captains Vice Captains Waratah William & Aurea Chace & Madeleine Boronia Phoenix & Kaylee Nate & Tilly Banksia Ewan & Calissa Aloysius & Lana Wattle Zeke & Sienna Oliver & Ruby

NOTES/PAYMENT REMINDER To assist families, the following is a list of activities and associated costs, for which permission slips and/or monies are to be returned to the school. If there are any difficult circumstances in regard to any payments by the due date, for incursions/excursions, please do not hesitate to contact the school. EXCURSION/ACTIVITY AMOUNT DATE/PAYMENT DUE Internet Code of Behaviour Agreement No Cost ASAP Hanging Swamp Permission No cost OVERDUE ‘The Protectors’ Anti-bullying incursion $5.00 Friday 8th March Junior & Senior Dance Costume $20.00 Friday 22nd March Band: Tuition Term 1 $135.00 Due Now Band: Instrument Hire Term 1 $50.00 Due Now

RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY RESILIENCE

The Scholastic Book Club is here! A couple of P&C members want to spread their love of books to the students and families of LPS, so they have organised the return of the Scholastic Book Club! The Book Club catalogue will be distributed three times a year, but there is no obligation to purchase any books. However, there are a few $2 books included in every catalogue so that no family misses out. Orders can be processed online through Scholastic’s LOOP system, or you can hand in your paper order form and cash only to the office. The Book Club organisers will collate all the orders and then distribute the books when they arrive. For every Book Club order placed, Scholastic will give back 20% of the order for schools to purchase valuable educational resources via its Scholastic Rewards Program. So look out for the catalogue in your child’s schoolbag this week!

Our next meeting on Tuesday, 12 March will include the P&C Annual General Meeting (AGM). All P&C executive positions will be vacated and we would love to see some new people join the Executive Team. New people means fresh ideas and re-energises the P&C, which is really important for our school. Roles include President, Vice-President (x2), Treasurer, Secretary, Publicity Officer and Fundraising Co-ordinator. Positions also exist for Assistant Treasurer, Uniform Shop Manager, Social Media Coordinator and the Canteen Committee. If you're interested in any of these positions, please contact the current President at lpspc.president@gmail.com. You can read more about the Position Descriptions at our website:

http://leurapandc.weebly.com/pc-position-descriptions.html If you’re not interested in a position on the P&C, you are still more than welcome to come along to the general meeting afterwards. We’d love to meet you!

Our next Swampcare session will be Thursday, 21 March from 1–3pm. 4-Clownfish students will be joining us that day. Everyone is welcome at any session, but parents of students in 4C might particularly like to join us that Thursday for some bush regeneration and exploring. Sturdy footwear is a must and bringing a water bottle is recommended. Please be reassured, we work in the bushland surrounding the swamp, not in the swamp itself! To RSVP or for further information, please contact Lisa Scott-Smith at:

lisa.scottsmith@gmail.com.

Tuesday, 12 March 2019

P&C AGM 6.30-7.00PM

P&C General Meeting 7.00-8.30PM

5/6 Albatross Classroom (around the corner

from the Office)

RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY RESILIENCE

The Garden Clubs have started up again, and the students are motivated and excited! Both clubs would welcome any level of help so please consider coming along. This term we have already harvested potatoes, sweet corn, strawberries and tomatoes!

It is with a heavy heart that we farewell our lovely community volunteer, Carol Conway. Carol has been teaching the Infants students about gardening for the past 4 years. She is now heading overseas and can no longer devote the time to the Infants Garden. We want to thank her

for her time and devotion and for starting such a wonderful program. It has been a great way for each student to get some time in the garden learning about plants and food.

We are now looking for help to keep the Infants program going. You may come along and do odd jobs around the garden, help supervise students, or just enjoy being part of it. No experience or gardening knowledge is necessary, but a Working With Children check is required. Please register your interest with the office, or contact Sarah on 0402 613 368.

Ever wanted to manage your own shop, but don’t know how or where to start? Why not volunteer to become the Uniform Shop Manager and hone your business skills?!? Sales, stock control, book-keeping – it’s all there! You’ll get full training from our outgoing manager, plus ongoing support if necessary. The commitment might be 1-2hrs each week, but you get to set your own working hours! If you’re interested in this role, please speak to Kylie Crowe in the Uniform Shop, or email the P&C President for more information at lpspc.president@gmail.com.

Are you fantastic with Facebook, or a wizard with websites?!? Then you’re the one we’re looking for! We need someone to manage the P&C Facebook page and Weebly website and be our Social Media Guru! If you’re interested in this role, please email lpspc.publicity@gmail.com or come along to the AGM on the 12 March to snap up this role before someone else does!

…that the LPS Canteen is now open? Run by some very dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers, we aim to provide the LPS community with a variety of low cost, healthy lunch options. The profits go back to improving the canteen. Head over to our website for a copy of our menu at http://leurapandc.weebly.com/our-canteen.html. Sign up to Quickcliq (our ordering platform)and get your order in today!