Girraween Public School phone : 9631 3650 fax: 9896 3392

9 Bando Road, Girraween, NSW. 2145

Website: http://www.girraween-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/

email: girraween-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Term 3, Week 4 ~10 August 2017

Diary Dates

DATE DAY EVENT/ACTIVITY

Term 3

29/8/17 Tuesday Interrelate Family Sessions Yr3-4 : 6pm, Yr5-6 : 7:15pm

31/8/17 Thursday PSSA District Track & field Carnival- Blacktown (qualifying students only)

5/9/17 Tuesday Year 1 excursion to Featherdale Wildlife Park—wear full sports uniform

7/9/17 Thursday Cinema Under the Stars

11/9/17 Monday Celebrating The Arts rehearsal– Parramatta Riverside Theatre

11/9/17 Monday Year 2 excursion to Featherdale Wildlife Park—wear full sports uniform

11/9/17 Monday Zoo excursion classes-3/6GF,3W,3N,3V & 3/4C (year 3 only)

Term 4 9/10/17 Monday Kindy enrolments for 2018 open 9:30am-1:30pm (please see our school website)

Note Grade Due Date Comments

Interrelate 3-6 Asap $5 and permission note in an envelope with your child’s name and class

PSSA District 11/8/17 Qualifying students—$8.00

Taronga Zoo 3 & 4 25/8/17 $30 and signed permission note in an envelope with child’s details to the Office

Featherdale Wildlife

1 & 2 28/8/17 $25 with signed permission note in an envelope with child’s details to the Office.

Notes to Parents

Notes sent home will have a deadline for payments and for notes to be returned to the school. No payments or notes

can be accepted after the deadline has passed. Please ensure that you meet the deadline so as your child does not

miss out. Unfortunately we cannot offer refunds for payments made for excursions. All excursions are paid for by the

school based on the number of students enrolled. Please make sure your child is able to attend excursions before

making a payment as there will be no refunds given.

Principal Message

Dear Parents,

Education Week at our school included ‘Open Day’ on Thursday last week. Parents were able to visit

classrooms, view an art expo in the hall and to enjoy a whole school assembly on the top playground. Our

assembly highlighted the achievements of our students, public education, our teachers and the community

that supports them.

I would like to repeat from our last newsletter; while we have a high number of successful students

completing the OC Test each year, there are many students sitting this tests that would be better

suited to other education pathways. For most of the 11,849 Year 4 students who sat the Opportunity

Class, OC, placement test on Wednesday 5 August, the results will be disappointing. Less than 15 per

cent will be offered one of 1740 places in the Year 5 and 6 classes for gifted and talented children. Unless

students have a very high academic record this test and an OC class are not an appropriate placement.

Parents are advised to discuss whether these tests are appropriate with their child's teacher or our assis-

tant principals before students are registered.

All schools in NSW are in the process of trialling a new online NAPLAN in preparation for next year. All

school’s in Australia will complete the NAPLAN online in 2018. Our school will complete the online

trial in the week 28 August to 1 September. The trial is to assess the online system and processes, not stu-

dent performance. There will be no individual student results following the online trial. More information is

available via the link https://www.acara.edu.au/assessment/online-assessment

I would like to thank teachers and students who worked with Mrs Needham to organise a very suc-

cessful school visit and activity day for 40 students and 6 staff from Maebashi-shi Japan. Our visi-

tors were very impressed with our school and left with fond memories of Girraween PS.

During the next 5 weeks I will be working with teachers and the P&C to fill a number of vacant positions in

our school. A number of teaching positions will be advertised and interviews held before the end of term.

Teachers appointed to these positions will begin permanent appointment to our school in 2018.

Parents, P&C and teachers have met with our local member Hugh McDermott and the NSW Education

Minister Rob Stokes to discuss school facilities. A response to questions on school planning and funding

for infrastructure is pending. Our P&C and NSW Teachers Federation will inform parents of any develop-

ments as they are presented.

Our school office is in the process of reviewing student addresses and enrolment details. I will be contact-

ing families to clarify incidents where two families have the same address and addresses out of the

current enrolment catchment area. The school office will review family addresses on enrolment with the

same clarification required where families have the same address. Any discrepancies will be forwarded to

the NSW Department of Education for review.

As we get towards the end of the season, Parramatta are doing very well. Good luck to your teams this

weekend. Go the eels!

Regards,

G. Walker Education Week

2017

4T created Cherry Blossom

artworks using crepe paper,

water and art line markers.

4T have been learning

about mass. Students

were comparing the

masses of different

packages.

4T researched world festivals and

celebrations. 4T students had to use

their note taking and summarising

skills to create a poster about their

chosen festival or celebration. 4T

students had to present their

information to the class.

3/6 GF practise their

skills !

Tuesday 8th September was a very exciting day for the teachers and students at Girraween Public School. We

were visited by 40 students and teachers from Japan.

We spent the day sharing many fun activities with them as we painted aboriginal artwork onto rocks, spent time

learning how to write our names in Hindi, did some Bollywood dancing and were busy in the Tech Hub.

At a special assembly for our overseas visitors we were treated to many amazing performances. The highlight

was when the Japanese students performed a traditional dance from their region and sang :”We still call Austral-

ia Home”

An amazing day had by all!

Thank you to Mrs Needham for your hard work and all those who helped. You represented our school very well.

7

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

Term three is a very exciting and busy term in the library. Book Fair is arriving at our school in week 3. All the

students will be coming in over the first couple of days to view the books and to write their ‘wish lists’.

***Strictly, no books will be available for purchase at this time! ***

The Book Fair will be open on Wednesday16th August from 1.15pm until 3.30pm. During this lunch time, parents

will be able to purchase books and other items. All students must wait until after school to attend unless accompa-

nied by their parent/carer.

From Thursday 17th August until Tuesday 22nd August the Book Fair opening times are:

8.30am to 8.55am and

3.00pm to 3.30pm daily.

The last day to purchase items from the Book Fair is Wednesday 23rd August. The opening times are:

8.30am to 8.55am.

Please note: It will not be open after school that day!

Students will receive their Book Fair invitations during the library lesson before Book Fair arrives.

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE

As part of our Children’s Book Week 2017 celebrations Girraween Public school is having a Book Character Pa-

rade on Wednesday 16th August between 12.00pm and 1.00pm on the asphalt area in front of the canteen.

Your child should come dressed as their favourite book character. To help identify their character he/she is en-

couraged to parade with the book/ book cover/sign showing the book that their character is from.

There are book prizes for the best dressed in each grade.

Parents/caregivers and family are welcome to attend the parade. You are also invited back to the Library between

1.15pm and 3.30pm to purchase books at the Scholastic Book Fair.

**Below is a timetable for classes who will be viewing the Book Fair and writing their wish lists outside their nor-

mal library lesson times.

Friday 11th August –4A and 4Y

Monday 14th August – 3/6GF, 3N, 3W, & 6S

Tuesday 14th August – 5H, 5P, 5T, 5S &2B

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE for Year 3 to 6 STUDENTS Only

The 2017 Premier’s Reading Challenge is coming to a close. All completed reading records must be entered

online no later than Friday 25h August.

So if you have a few books to go, get into any Library and READ, READ, READ!!

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE for Year K to 2 STUDENTS

Your reading records have been completed by the class teacher. If you want your child to take part in the PRC

please make sure that you have signed, giving permission for your child to be registered for the PRC.

If you have not done so and wish your child to be a part of the PRC please see your child’s teacher to sign a note

before 18th August 2017.

Teacher Librarian

Glenn Walker Mrs K. Propst

HAS ANYTHING CHANGED? 2017

If any of your information has changed, please complete the form below and return it to the Office

as soon as possible. To update your child/childrens information we will require suitable

documentation as proof. Please provide one of the listed documents in original form.

Electricity, Water, Gas, landline, Internet bill or Home Contents Insurance policy.

Please print all information clearly.

Date: _________

Parent Name: ____________________________________________________

Student: ___________________________________ Class: _______________

Siblings: ___________________________________ Class: _______________

New address:_____________________________________________________

New phone number Mum : __________________________________________

Dad: __________________________________________

Home : ________________________________________

New emergency contact: Name: _________________________________________

Phone number: __________________________________

Relationship to student: (e.g. uncle, aunty, family friend etc) ______________________

Name: _________________________________________

Phone number: __________________________________

Relationship to student: (e.g. uncle, aunty, family friend etc) _______________________

New email address (for the newsletter) _______________________________________

Office use Only:

Documents Provided

Electricity Landline

Water Internet Bill

Gas Home Contents Insurance

Entered By: ______________________ Date: _____________