Narrabri West Public School

We are up to Week 10 already and have enjoyed a tremendous start to the new school year, with a relaxed and cooperative feeling around the school as everyone works together to achieve the same result – quality learning experiences.

There is always something very special about starting a new year. Students are buzzing and teachers are working very hard to ensure a positive year ahead. Quality education and exceptional learning opportunities are well and truly underway.

Subsequently, there is a lot happening already at Narrabri West, which is as always, a very busy place. We are looking forward to the year ahead and all of the excitement, successes, achievements and challenges it will bring. The teachers are already impressed with the positive attitude, confidence and independence students are showing.

Best Start Kindergarten assessments have been completed and parents have received the parent feedback reports.

If we can offer our parents (especially our new Kindergarten parents) some advice, it would be to encourage you to make the most of your child’s primary school years. Become involved as much as possible (both Mums and Dads), because in a blink of an eye they will be in high school and as most of us know, once at high school, having Mum and Dad around at this time is not very cool! Form strong relationships with your child’s teacher, ask questions.

All in all, it has been a really enjoyable start to the year. There are a lot of smiles and it is really satisfying to see students enjoying their learning and school. 

At Narrabri West, we understand the importance of supporting the wellbeing of every student. We want them to:

·         Connect with their learning, their peers and their school;

·         Feel respected, valued and empowered to succeed; and

·         Thrive in the school environment and beyond.

This means that we take a planned, research based and evidence informed approach to our wellbeing programs and practices. We understand that children do make errors, that no one is perfect and that we are developing growth mindsets, whereby we learn by our mistakes.

We have developed specific school rules and school expectations. These expectations apply in our playground, classroom and on excursions. Our classes have similar classroom consequences, so the care of all of our students is consistent, no matter which teacher and which class they are in.

The key expectation of students, staff and parents is respect - respect for themselves, for others and for property. These expectations are made explicit to all students.

We all want the best for our children and students. The structures and processes we create, the plans we make, the strategies we adopt and the teaching, learning and student wellbeing practices we use are all designed to support our students in achieving their potential. You can assist by:

·         Supporting the teachers and the standards and classroom practices they put into place;

·         Reinforcing the value of learning and school and achieving to the best of one’s ability; and

·         Helping your child to build resilience – sometimes the tasks they are asked to complete will be challenging, but learning to deal with that and striving to do well is very much part of building self-confidence and resilience.

Learner Led Conferences (teacher, parent and student attending, with students leading the learning conversation) started this week. This will allow teachers to meet with parents to discuss each child’s progress and achievements. Our full reporting to parents schedule is as follows:

Term 1: Learner Led Conferences (K-6)

Best Start Assessment (Kinder)

Term 2:

NAPLAN (Years 3 & 5)

School Report (K-6)

Parent Interviews (Pre School)

Term 4:

School Report (P-6)

All parents are reminded that you can make an appointment with your child’s teacher at any time during the year to discuss their progress, as they are always willing to discuss any concerns you have. Please arrange a mutually convenient time and give the teacher some idea of your concern so they can have the best information available for the interview. 

Don’t forget we have a fridge to store your child’s lunches in. Each class has their own ‘fridge lunch tub’. Just make sure any items you want stored in the fridge each day are labelled with your child’s name and they will be collected from class, kept cold and returned at lunch and recess times. 

Each fortnight our school captains and prefects present school news live on MAXFM. They do this fortnightly at 9:30am on Thursday. Our 2022 leaders are enjoying the experience and have performed exceptionally well, as we knew they would! Make sure you listen to them if you get the chance.

The Working With Children Check is an important part of the Department's recruitment process to prevent unsuitable people from working with children in schools.  The Department's commitment to ensuring the welfare of students is a paramount consideration when reviewing the suitability of employees. 

All employees, including volunteers, in Departmental workplaces who are performing work that primarily involves direct contact with children are required to complete a Working With Children Check Declaration and provide proof of identity that meets the 100 point check. 

This includes parents who help in the classroom, volunteer in the canteen and help at other activities, e.g. school sport, P&C events etc.  Forms are available from the school office.  If you volunteer in any capacity in our school you will need to complete one of these forms.

For safety and security reasons, all parents and volunteers who help in classrooms or other school activities are asked to sign in at the office. There is no longer a physical book all schools now use a QR code for a digital register. Please sign out of the App when you leave the school grounds.

This year we are again using text books as part of our Mathematics program for Year 1 to Year 6 students. We will be continuing our focus on improving mathematics outcomes for students through a broad range of initiatives, including:

·         1.5 hours of Mathematics each day;

·         The use of text books, on-line and computer resources;

·         Extensive mathematics resources for students to use in each class;

·         Daily number sense sessions, mental arithmetic, times tables and problem solving activities; and

Each child will receive the book best suited to their individual learning needs. Children learn best when they have success. Mathematic groupings, similar to ‘reading group’ arrangements in classes, are considered best practice when assisting children to improve their learning and achieve the basic skills in mathematics. Consequently, most children will be working at a book level similar to their class level, although a very small number of children will be achieving at a lower level. Additionally, children who are consistently achieving at a higher level will be provided with extension or higher level activities in class.

Remember, if you have any concerns over your child’s learning in mathematics, or in any subject area, please make an appointment with your child’s teacher.

This term, our school, like many others in the state, will again participate in a Department of Education initiative: the Tell Them From Me student feedback survey. The survey aims to help improve student learning outcomes and 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.

More information about the survey is available at:

 http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au/information-for-parents

The survey is an opportunity for our students in Years 4, 5 and 6 to provide our school 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. Schools in Australia and around the world have used the Tell Them From Me survey to help improve how they do things at school.

The survey is confidential and school staff will not be able to identify individual students from their responses. It is conducted online and will usually take less than 30 minutes to complete. It will be administered during school hours between Monday the 7th March to Friday the 3rd of June. Participating in the survey is entirely voluntary.

A consent form about the survey has been sent home with students

They say time flies when you’re having fun and with the first eight weeks of our school year over I think it must be true. Our school calendar is continuing to fill at a rapid pace. Please ensure that you keep an eye on the newsletter calendar, Facebook and Skoolbag to ensure you have all the upcoming events noted.

Thank you to the students of Narrabri West who on a daily basis make the school such a wonderful place to be a part of. We certainly enjoy helping you all to learn!

Years 3 and 4 have had a tremendous beginning to the new school year and are to be commended for their efforts. All students have settled in well to their new classes and have begun setting personal goals to achieve throughout the year.

In English, Stage 2 began the term reading, ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’, by Drew Daywalt. We analysed the persuasive letters written by the crayons outlining their point of view on why they want to quit. We took on the perspective of a crayon and wrote a persuasive letter to Duncan, explaining why he should use another crayon. Currently, Stage 2 are researching a famous Australian person who has undergone a journey. Students had the choice between Ned Kelly, Jessica Watson or Lennie Gwyther. We will finish the term by writing a narrative based off, ‘Flat Stanley’ by Jeff Brown.

In Mathematics, whole number, place value, addition and subtraction strategies, angles, multiplication and division strategies as well as length and two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects have been the focus for Years 3 and 4. Integrated in our Mathematics sessions are opportunities for daily number sense. Students spend time developing their mathematical thinking, as well as communicating and justifying their reasoning.

In Geography, students are learning about the countries surrounding Australia and are investigating the inquiry question, ‘What would it be like to live in a neighbouring country?’. During PE, Stage 2 are developing their fundamental movement skills needed for Tennis, Basketball, T-Ball and Soccer. Throughout Science, Years 3 and 4 have been looking at the living world around them. To conclude the unit, students will conduct a science investigation to understand the process of seed dispersal. Our art unit has linked in nicely with our Science focus. Students have been equipped with a magnifying glass and have ventured around the school to explore and draw details of living things. 

At Narrabri West, we celebrate all student achievement. We are looking forward to the Learner Led Conferences to share what your child has been learning. If you have any questions or would like to talk to your child’s teacher please call the school to organise an appointment.

Stage 2 Team,

Emma Dunmall, Sarah Swanborough, Josie Stibbard, Hannah Oudkerkpool, Sam Yates and Jodie Keys. 

On the 21st of March we wore orange to celebrate inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone. We would like to thank our Narrabri West community for raising $224.55 for the flood appeal. Wonderful engagement from our harmonious community 🧡

On  March 15th seven Narrabri West students travelling to Tamworth for North West PSSA Touch Football trials. Despite playing well unfortunately no one made selection. Congratulations and super effort Westies!

On Wednesday 16th of March Charlotte Murphy and Charlie Butler travelled to Tamworth for the North West PSSA trials.

Charlotte and Charlie played a series of games. Charlotte won one game and Charlie won 4 of 6 games and was selected as number 3 player in the North West team. Congratulations Charlie and we wish you success at the NSW PSSA Tennis Championships.

 

Zone PSSA Soccer trials:

Congratulations to the following Westies who made selections:

Boys - William McClymont, Toby Longworth, Lennon Simmonds, Ethan Megalokonomos & Charlie Butler

Girls - Caitlin McKay, Jamaya Murphy, Kiara Vlahopoulos, Latoya Murphy & Emily Simpson.

North West PSSA Soccer trials:

Congratulations to the following Westies who made North West selections taking place in Armidale in Term 2.

Boys: William McClymont, Lennon Simmonds

Girls: Kiara Vlahopoulos

Students achieving Bronze Certificate level will receive their certificates at our next presentation assembly. This will be held on Friday 8th April 2022. Presentations will be held in family groups near our hall. 

A-C 9.30am 

D-G 10.00am 

H-L 10.30am 

M-O 11.00am 

P-S 12.30pm 

T-Z 1.00pm 

One parent or carer per family is invited to attend the assembly. Please enter at the entrance near the hall at the time of your child's assembly and remain in the assembly area near the hall. Please wear a mask, physical distance, sign in using the QR code and use the hand sanitiser provided at the entrance. 

Please leave the school grounds as soon as the assembly has finished. 

We look forward to celebrating these achievements with our families. 

This year ANZAC Day Monday 25th April, the beginning of Week 1, Term 2. Students who would like to march should wear their full formal (blue) uniform and please remember your wide brimmed hat and a water bottle.

Children should assemble in Barwan St (opposite Narrabri P.S) at 10:10am and be ready to move off at 10:30am. The service will commence at the RSL Club at 11:00am. It is anticipated the proceedings will be completed by 11:30am.

The Narrabri RSL Sub- Branch invites teachers and students to celebrate ANZAC by taking part in the ANZAC Day March and Memorial Service. We would like to demonstrate our schools support for our country’s servicemen and women. Our school captains Amelia and Charlie will lay a wreath on our behalf.

Thursday the 7th April is our Easter Fun Day. 

We will start the day with our annual Easter Tabloid which is always a lot of fun with some very interesting and unusual activities for everyone to enjoy. 

If you would like to order student lunches from the canteen, the Meal Deal is available via the My School Connect app (select meal deal).  The offer closes on 12:00 pm Tuesday 5th April.

There will only be limited food available from our canteen, so it is necessary to place an order either before the day to avoid disappointment, as well as to assist the canteen staff.

The full program for the day is:

9:30 – 10:30          3-6 Easter Tabloid & K-2 Easter activities in the classroom

10:30 – 11:30       P-2 Easter Tabloids & 3-6 Easter activities in the classroom

11:30 – 12:20       Lunch

A great way to kick off your child's education is to understand schools and what your child is doing in the classroom. To find out more go to:

http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/development/helping-kindy-kids-succeed-at-school

The P&C is an extremely vital component of our school. We invite all of our new parents to come along and join a group of dedicated and enthusiastic members. Meetings generally conclude by 7:00pm, so it is not a late night.

The role of the P&C is to:

·         Represent the views of parents in school decision making and policy development;

·         Support the school, the Principal and school staff in the implementation of school policy;

·         Promote the school; and

·         Support school programs through fund raising activities.

All parents and friends are welcome to attend our P & C AGM on Monday 4th April in the hall, starting at 6:00pm.

To find out more, please find P&C Federation Home Page and Constitution links below:

https://www.pandc.org.au/ (P&C Federation Home Page)

https://www.pandc.org.au/forms/Federation/150217%20Constitution%20of%20the%20Federation%20of%20P%20and%20C.pdf  (Constitution)

At Narrabri West our students benefit from the fantastic support of our parents and others within our community. It is always great to have adults around, working together with the staff and students of the school. There are so many people who spend hours and hours, in various ways, for the students of the school.

Every time you help your child with their homework or home reading, every time you complete permission notes and return them on time, every time you support any fundraising opportunities or come to one of our special events – you are supporting our school and your children. Thank you for this. 

Parents are required by law to provide an explanation to the school to say why their child was absent. A note of explanation should contain:

1.     Date that the note was written

2.     Child’s name

3.     Days/dates the child was absent from school

4.     The reason the child was absent

5.     The signature of the child’s parent or carer

If more than one child from the same family has been absent a separate note for each child should be written.

A note should be brought to school on the first day the student returns after an absence. We are required to investigate all unexplained absences (where a child has been absent and no explanation has been received) within two days.

The class roll is a legal document and teachers are required to record the reason for an absence according to guidelines from the Department of Education (DoE). Unjustified or unexplained absences are followed up to ensure students develop regular and punctual attendance habits.

You can notify us of absences through the Skoolbag app, by phone, email or note.

As you can appreciate, supervision of our students remains crucial to our planning to ensure that all students are safe at all times. Sending your children to school before 9:00am has the potential to place them in an unsafe situation. Teachers do not start duty until 9:00am in the mornings – if your child is here earlier, they will be unsupervised and potentially unsafe. We ask if they are here earlier than 9:00am – hopefully not – that they sit on the seats in the Infants shelter or outside the Kindergarten rooms, no matter what class they are in, until the bell goes. Please ensure your children get to school at 9:00am or afterwards.

Some students are being dropped at school by their parents at 8:30am. This is unsafe and makes it difficult for teachers to plan and prepare for their class before the start of the school day at 9:00am. Please make alternate arrangements for your children.

ICAS (International Competition and Assessment for Schools) competitions will continue with online testing. The dates and costs for each test are outlined below. Please note that the tests will be administered on set days and times and students who are absent will not be able to sit the test at another time or receive a refund. All payments for tests will be made online and a note will go home early in Term 2 with further details.

Subject/Paper	Date	Entry fee
Science	Wednesday 24th August	$19.25
Writing	Wednesday 10th August	$23.65
Digital Technologies	Wednesday 10th August	$19.25
English	Wednesday 17th August	$19.25
Spelling	Wednesday 24th   August	$19.25
Mathematics	Wednesday 31st August	$19.25

Mrs Jodie Keys

ICAS Coordinator​

All parents are reminded that we are NOT permitted to have canteen accounts or to ‘book things up.’ No students will be provided with items from the canteen without money. The canteen by necessity has to operate as a business and in order for it to remain viable in our school we cannot offer credit in any form. 

Throughout the day students may need to be sent to the sick bay for various reasons. Mrs Galvin is a trained First Aid Officer and she assesses their condition and then carries out the appropriate treatment. They might have a band aid applied to a cut or graze, an ice pack to a bruise or they simply lie down and rest. Each child who visits the sick bay receives a note outlining the incident, the treatment administered and the length of time spent in Sick Bay.

If Mrs Galvin is concerned about the child she will ring you or your emergency contact person. In an emergency, the school will ring the ambulance and then you. Please make sure your contact details are up to date for this reason.

It is not appropriate that students have mobile phones at school. If for emergency reasons students need to bring a mobile phone to school, it is to be left with the front office staff who will maintain its security.  Emergency calls for students should be directed through the school office.

If a student is found to have a mobile phone at school, it will be placed in the front office for security. If there is a problem with these arrangements, we will make a decision based on the immediate safety needs of the student.

The school does not accept responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged mobile phones at any time. It is a criminal offence to use a mobile phone to menace, harass or offend another person. We are required to involve the police should such an action occur.

Mobile phones must also not be used to take photos or video rcordings whilst students are travelling on school buses.

Our scripture lessons have commenced for Kindergarten to Year 6 students. Classes will have a half hour scripture lesson each week. Lessons are non-denominational, except for Catholic, with scripture teachers from a number of local churches.

If you do not want your child participating in these lessons, please put your request in writing.

Our school is committed to improving children’s health through education and by supporting the Department of Health’s Crunch&Sip initiative.

Crunch&Sip is a set break for students to eat fruit or salad vegetables and drink water in the classroom. We ask you to support your child to participate in Crunch&Sip by providing a water bottle to sit on the desk and a suitable piece of fruit or vegetable each day for Crunch&Sip.

Research has shown that drinking water and eating fruit and vegetables is essential for good health and can help concentration throughout the day.

KC	Evie Anderson, Boston Hughes, Archer Gillan, Jonathan Cook, Olivia Willis & Charlie Tribe
KS	Alaric Sault, Sophie Flynn, Toby Easey, Layten Tonkins, Chelsea Bron & Georgie Derham
1P	Jamarl Mason, Eli Warren & Dana Allen
1W	Shay Fernance, Ewan Vennell, Sophia Dicks, Hazel Davis, Piper Kelly & Emmett Alexander
2N	Hayley Tucker, Savannah Cook & Patrick Mullins
2W	Perry Fox, Jaxon Rushby, Zaharah Skinner-Smith, Rick Smith, Tyler Aldridge & Weston Burgmann
3D	Sofia Oakes, Charlotte Murphy, Georgiana Weightman, Connor Wallace, Lucy Booby & Phoebe Willis
3S	Max Saunders, Aubrey Menchin, Amelia Shields, Logan Gillmore, Brayden Drumgold & Elisha McInnes
4O	Joseph Wilkins, Jobe Ford, Zoe Walters, Jedd Stanford, Lailah Thurston & Lacey Thorne
4S	Indi Clayton, Pippa French, Grace McClymont, Oliviah Tonkin & Phoenix Fox
5C	Ruby Michell, Nardia Henderson, Ellie Wilkins, Bridie Seymour, Ryan McConnell & Armani Todd
5P	Willow Saunders-Flor, Cooper Kelly, Savannah Hughes, Adalaide O'Meara, Jesse-James Quinn & Charlie Cunningham
6S	Mavrick Croaker, Jarrad Lawler, Gwen Ridley, Brayden Williams, Amelia Lennox & Jacob Anderson
6T	John Demmery, Ethan Megalokonomos, Beau Laws, Abbey Manton, Larnee Browning & Will McClymont

Citizenship Awards & Stars of the Week
Hunter Gillmore	Ebony Solomon	Tillie Fox	Lilly Harvey-Woods
Addison Fitzsimon	Alexanders Keeffe	Meg Seccombe	Blake Stride