The Link

Term 2, Week 6

Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope this newsletter finds you all in good health and high spirits. We have had a fantastic fortnight at Rydalmere Public School, filled with exciting events and important lessons. 

Here are the highlights from the past fortnight.

Walk Safely To School Day

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Walk Safely to School Day event. It was heartwarming to see so many families join our walking buses to walk to school from the Rydalmere Wharf and the Rydalmere Fire Station. By promoting active and sustainable modes of transport, we encourage a healthy lifestyle and reduce traffic congestion around the school. Well done to all our students who made a special effort to participate, and to the family members and school staff who volunteered to assist on the day. I would also like to extend a special thank you to our Communty Hub Leader, Seetha Srinivasan, who coordinated the event.

Find more road safety information from the Department of Education here:

Road safety: Tips for parents and carers

Champs of getting to school safely

Help keep all children safe when travelling to and from school, be a champ of #Getting to School Safely. Watch this short video with your child: Champs of getting to school safely

Walk safely to school

Meeting at 8:00 am to begin our walk with Mrs Taylor, Mrs Rana and Mr Hajjaj
Walking alongside fences
Walking safely to school with our parents
Arrival back at the community hub for an up-and-go and a piece of fruit
Meeting at 8:00 am to begin our walk with Mrs Taylor, Mrs Rana and Mr Hajjaj
Walking alongside fences
Walking safely to school with our parents
Arrival back at the community hub for an up-and-go and a piece of fruit

House Captain Election Results

I am thrilled to announce the results of our recent House Captain elections. Congratulations to the following students who have been elected as House Captains for the remainder of the year:

Schaeffer 
Captain: Ayla    Vice Captain: Grace

MacArthur:

Captain: Antonio, Vice Captain: Iryssa

Blaxland:

Captain: Alex, Vice Captain: Aadhya

I am  confident in their ability to lead their respective houses and look forward to witnessing the positive impact they will have on our school community.

Cross Country Carnival

The energy and enthusiasm displayed by our students during the Cross Country Carnival were simply remarkable! They showcased their endurance and sportsmanship as they raced around the school, representing their houses with pride. A huge round of applause to all participants and congratulations to the top finishers in each age category. Well done! 

Staff Updates

As you are aware, our school is currently experiencing staff shortages, which have resulted in some challenges in covering all classes. I understand the impact this may have on our students' learning experiences, and I want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to minimise disruption.

Our dedicated teachers and support staff are working tirelessly to ensure that every classroom has appropriate supervision and quality instruction. We have implemented a range of strategies, such as re-deploying Learning and Support teachers, and combining classes when necessary, to ensure that all students continue to receive the education they deserve. 

I  have been actively seeking solutions to address the staff shortages and am committed to providing a safe and engaging learning environment for all our students, and I am happy to announce that on Monday June 5, most of our positions will be filled. 

Our new staff include:

Ms Stumberger, who will teach 1/2S full-time from June 5 until the end of 2023.

Mrs Jaitani, who, from June 5 will be teaching our RFF programs each Tuesday in addition to her part-time role on 6H, each Friday.

Mrs Gallagher, our part-time EAL/D teacher, who has increased her days to full-time and is now teaching a combination of EAL/D and RFF.

While the majority of our temporary and permanent teaching positions are currently filled, we are facing increasing challenges in finding suitable casual relief staff to cover classes when our teachers are absent. This shortage of relief staff has put additional strain on our resources and has made it more difficult to maintain uninterrupted classroom instruction.

To help mitigate staff absences and ensure the smooth operation of our school, we kindly request your cooperation in keeping your children at home if they exhibit cold or flu symptoms. By doing so, we can reduce the risk of illnesses spreading within the school community and minimise the need for teachers to take time off due to illness.

Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 Assistant Principal Report

Working mathematically

The Working mathematically processes in the Mathematics K–10 syllabus are:

  • communicating
  • understanding and fluency
  • reasoning
  • problem solving.

K-2 students are learning to work mathematically by using these processes in an interconnected way. 


"We covered our paper with 72 dominoes!" Madison KD

"We chose option 1 because we had lots of doubles" Charlotte and Harry 1/2V

Working mathematically

Pevan and Sarah

K-2 are now using a subscription to Pevan and Sarah. This is an Australian based company who provide an extensive range of engaging and educational resources to guide students through a variety of learning areas. Their videos and music cover a range of topics from the early years curriculum. Pictured are Kindergarten Daisy using one of the videos to help them grip their pencils and warm up their hands before handwriting. 

Stage 2 and 3 Assistant Principal Report

Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition

Our Western Sydney Local Final for the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition is coming up on Thursday, 22 June at Bayanami Public School.

We are preparing for our school final which will be happening in 2 weeks. Following are some advice for our student speakers:

Prepared speeches – manner

Your ‘manner’ is what you look and sound like when you give the speech, as opposed to what you actually say. Here are some tips about what great manner looks like.

  • Try to sound natural, conversational, and relaxed.
  • Don’t have big wacky hand gestures, put on a fake English accent to sound smart, or do anything that feels cutesy or like you’re over-acting. In fact, don’t act at all! Try to come across really down-to-earth.
  • Still, don’t be afraid to have your own individual style. Some kids come across more serious than others, some are more humorous. Whatever suits you is fine.
  • You mustn’t use props, and definitely don’t act out scenes or sing no matter how good at it you are – it’s awkward!
  • You should look at the audience as much as possible, but that doesn’t mean you should learn your speech off by heart. If you learn your speech too well you can sound like a robot, or like you’re giving a speech for the hundredth time and you’re bored with it. Putting everyone to sleep isn’t a great plan, so learn your speech a bit and glance at your palm cards to remind you what to say.
  • Good speakers will occasionally stumble or say ‘um’. The odd ‘um’ in a speech is way better than listening to a speech that is over-rehearsed or read out word for word. Think of the competition as a learning exercise – it’s fine for learners to stumble from time to time.
  • Your body language should be natural and easy, which means have a few hand gestures (but not heaps of crazy rehearsed ones), stand comfortably, and if it comes naturally take the occasional step. Good speakers never act out their speeches.
  • Finally, your voice needs to be relaxed and expressive without being exaggerated. Really the only thing you should worry about with your voice is just to make sure you’re super loud so that everyone in the hall can hear you.

Introducing High School Transition: Preparing for the Journey Ahead

As we look ahead to the transition from primary school to high school, we want to ensure that both you and your child feel supported and prepared for this significant milestone. Here's a brief introduction to the high school transition:

1. Transition Expectations: High school brings growth, new teachers, classmates, and expectations, triggering both excitement and apprehension.

2. Crucial Parental Support: Your nurturing environment plays a vital role in alleviating anxieties, and we're here to provide guidance and resources for a smooth transition.

3. Communication Matters: Open lines of communication with the school, your child, and yourself are crucial, and we'll provide updates, information sessions, and address any concerns.

4. Orientation Events: Watch out for high school orientation events to familiarise yourselves with the campus, teachers, and facilities, helping your child embrace the exciting opportunities ahead.

5. Stay Connected: Our newsletter will be a valuable resource covering academic support, extracurricular activities, and well-being to support your child's successful transition.

We are thrilled to be a part of this important journey with you and your child. Together, we can ensure a positive transition to high school. If you have any immediate questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Dates Ahead

Wednesday 31 May: Zone Cross Country

Monday 5 June:  Enviro-mentors Incursion for World Environment Day (TBC)

Friday 30th June: End of term 2

Tuesday 18th July: Students return for term 3

Wednesday 19 July:  Year 3 and Year 4 Excursion to Riverside Theatre "The Twits".

Student Wellbeing

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Our PBL focus for Week 4 was Visiting the Office

Our PBL focus of Week 5 was Littering

1/2V visited the office to practice their conversational skills with our office staff. Students are remembering to greet office staff with a friendly "hello" before asking for assistance.

There was an increase in students picking up rubbish in the playground. We are hoping this helps to keep our school grounds clean.


Our upcoming PBL focus for Week 6 is Uniforms and week 7 is Visiting Teachers

Term 2 week 5 Learners Awards

PBL Awards - Term 2 week 5

Community Hub News

Program updates

We've already zoomed through the first half of the term, and it's been a blast! Did you get a chance to participate in any of our awesome hub programs? If not, you're missing out, so why not give it a try? And if you've got a bright idea that you think would be perfect for the hub, don't be shy - let Seetha know and we can work together to make it happen. 

Last week’s "Walking safely to school program" was a HUGE success! We had an amazing turnout, with about 40 kids and their parents joining us from two different locations. Even the chilly morning couldn't dampen our spirits as we walked together and warmed ourselves up. With the help of a generous donation from Ermington Woolworths, we were able to provide all participants with delicious apples, bananas, mandarins, and Up & Go drinks. A huge shoutout and thank you to the teachers who volunteered their time and effort to make sure the walk was safe and successful. 

At our recent Creator's Meet on May 26th, participants had a blast making and painting some adorable garden caddies. Thanks to the amazing Kerri, who always provides the best resources and ideas for us to work on. Our next meet is on June 23rd, so mark your calendars! 

Hub Weekly programs at a glance: 

Mondays             9:30 am to 12.30 pm                      Conversational English class (Walk in) 

                                                                                (Childminding is available only for registered participants) 

 Wendesdays      9:00 am to 9:30 am or                    One box Collection (Only for registered participants) 

                                2:30 pm to 3:00 pm 

                                9:30 am to 11:30 am                       Playgroup with SDN children services (Few spots left) 

 Fridays                  9:30 am to 10:30 am                       Dance Fitness with Sophie (Just walk in)                 

For those who are unfamiliar, I'm Seetha Srinivasan, the community liaison officer at our school's Community Hub. My workdays are Mondays to Wednesdays and Fridays. Our Community Hub connects families with each other, the school, and local community services. It's an all-inclusive place where parents can meet, make friends, and partake in weekly or one-off activities that are open to everyone.  

Drop by for a coffee or join one of our activities – we'd be happy to welcome you. If you're interested in learning more about the hub and how to get involved, don't hesitate to contact me at 0448331588 or seetha.srinivasan@det.nsw.edu.au. 

Walking safely to school

Community News

Oz Homestay