Dudley Public School Newsletter

World Teacher's Day

Friday was World Teacher's Day and prompted reflection on all the wonderful experiences our teachers provide for our students. This term alone teachers have organised extra curricular activities for students that enrich their learning: Stage 2 students attended their annual camps, a group of Stage 3 students attended the Invictus Games in Sydney, Year 4 students attended enrichment activities at Whitebridge High School, Stage 3 attended the Science and Engineering Challenge Day and Stage 1 attended their excursion at Awabakal Environmental Education Centre. All these activities come on top of the hours teachers spend designing and evaluating student learning to ensure that the needs of all students are catered for. We have amazing, dedicated staff at Dudley Public School and our students are very lucky!

2019 Planning

We will soon begin the task of planning for 2019. If you are aware that you are not returning to Dudley Public School in 2019 could you please advise the office staff as soon as possible. 

Parents may make requests for special consideration for placement for 2019.  Requests from parents will only be considered if it is advised in writing and submitted by 12 November 2018. Please note it is not possible to request a particular teacher.

Whilst all requests with substantial grounds for the request will be considered, the final decision will be based upon the professional judgement of the teaching staff. Requests will not be considered after 12 November 2018.

Communication

The school has a variety of communication channels with our school community. We publish the newsletter on a fortnightly basis on our website and through the Dudley Public School Skoolbag app, we also provide regular notices about specific events and information regularly through the Skoolbag app. You will see this information as an alert on your phone if you have notifications enabled. Permission notes and information is given to students in hard copy if they are attending the event.

There have been a number of alerts go out in the last two weeks regarding the Whooping Cough epidemic we currently are experiencing.

Whooping Cough 

Parents are asked to take this information seriously and have their children tested if they suspect they have been exposed and exhibit symptoms. We currently have confirmed cases in all stages of the school. Students should not return to school until they have a negative result or have been on antibiotics for 5 consecutive days. This advice has come from Hunter New England Health Infectious Diseases. We are still seeing students testing positive for Whooping Cough. We also have students who are unable to attend school until we no longer have Whooping Cough in the school due to the potential life threatening consequences if they were to contract it. Please be considerate of the health of all the students in our school and follow the guidelines. 

Congratulations to all of our award winners!

On Sunday 21st October a number of Dudley students participated in the Newkulele Festival at the City Hall. The students were part of the school's ukulele groups and attend lessons each week .This was a wonderful opportunity to perform in front on an audience at a high quality festival. 

Congratulations to our recipients.

On Friday 26th October, 29 Stage 3 students, accompanied by Mrs Sullivan and Mr Horadam​, attended the 2018 Invictus Games. After a 4.30 am start, we arrived in Sydney and spent some of the early morning listening to  motivational speakers. Then we got to the Athletics Centre where we witnessed some absolutely inspirational feats. Athletes cheering each other on; athletes completing events with two prosthetic legs; athletes supporting and inspiring each other. The most exciting part of our day was watching the people who were coming last being supported and cheered on even more than the winner. There were no losers at the Invictus Games. Each and every athlete was a winner. We were all so lucky and humbled to witness such an event.

Read the reflection below from Riley Osborne from Year 6:

Everyone agreed that the trip to the Invictus Games deserves to be known as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Things like this don’t just happen. It’s not everyday you get to have a decent conversation with an athlete ex-war veteran competing on our own soil but for thirty lucky kids including myself, the opportunity was there.

Watching these athletes compete was just unbelievable. I doubt half of the people who went even knew what the Invictus Games were until we were given the chance to watch it! The things we saw and learnt were unique and something we might have never seen or learnt about in school. The athletes we met were incredible. We talked with competitors not just from Australia but from places like U.S.A and Denmark.

I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t halfway across the world but right here in Australia, a mere two hour drive away. That is something we are all grateful for and this whole experience is something we will never forget.

Download photos from the day here.

Bunnings BBQ: our second BBQ is coming up on 25 November. Please support DPS by helping out with the BBQ, put your name down at the office or on the form on facebook. We also encourage everyone to come down and buy a sausage sandwich on the day.

Kindy Orientation: Help needed, so we would love to hear from anyone able to help with uniform sales at the Kindergarten 2019 Orientation on 7 November 2018, Please contact us via dudleyschoolpandc@gmail.com if you can help.

Crazy Camel:  thank you to families for the great response to Crazy Camel this year. It will be wonderful to see all the children’s artworks in print. It takes several days to process our order, so LATE ORDERS can be accepted until THIS WEDNESDAY 31 October. Forms available at office.

A quick reminder that our first P&C meeting for the term will be held tonight, Monday 29th October in the library at 7:30pm. Agenda items include: DPS out of zone enrolment policy; canteen, fundraising, and uniform shop updates; and Principal’s report.  If you are keen to provide your thoughts and ideas on these, or any other issues, or you just want to know where things are up to, please come along. All are welcome!

For those who can't make it to meetings, but wish to contribute, or to contact the P&C please send us an email at dudleyschoolpandc@gmail.com. For news and updates, see our Facebook page. Below is a summary of the resolutions from last P&C meeting.

Congratulations and Thank you! Grill’d Charlestown Square donated $300 to DPS through their “local matters” initiative for the month of September. These funds will add to those raised to date for improvements to our library. Don’t forget that if you are making a purchase at Rebel Sport, mention Dudley Public School and add to the sports equipment Rebel will donate to the school.

P&C meeting summary 3 September 2018

Resolutions/Actions:

• Minutes of last meeting and reports (Principal, Treasurer, Fundraising and Canteen) accepted

• Director of education supply a demographic report within one month

• P&C agrees to contribute up to $4,650 for Fairleigh hall kitchen alterations

• DPS Principal check with Dept of Ed. Assets regarding hall sink removal requirements

• P&C seek volunteers for the kinder orientation day 7 Nov and Crazy Camel fundraiser

• P&C upgrade insurance cover to P&C Assoc. liability package (extra $70/yr)

• Send out email/letters under P&C President’s signature for expressions of interest from other P&Cs to attend a cooperative P&C forum/meeting and invite local member.

• Reminder to school community regarding Rebel Sport support for DPS with purchases

Thanks to all the volunteers that have got Term 4 off to a flying start.

Volunteers for the next fortnight are:

• Mon 29th Oct – Brooke P                         
• Tues 30th Oct – Susan C, Justine P
• Fri 2nd Nov – Belinda G, Lucy R and Jane K
• Monday 5th Nov – Anne W, Naomi B   
• Tues 6th Danielle A
• Thurs 8th Nov – Alexandra B, Renee J  
• Fri 9th Nov – Alison B, Chantelle C

We have now changed over to resealable flavoured milk.  This will mean no more plastic straws and the bottle are recyclable.

Also in the interest of reducing waste we are having a teaspoon drive. Please send in any spare metal teaspoons for the kids to use with their juice cups. Spoons will then be washed and ready to use for many days to come! Please hand in any donations at the canteen.

Thanks everyone!

Nicole

Did you know that Dudley Public School receives $5 from every pair of shoes you buy in store. Just mention that you are from Dudley Public School when purchasing and help our P&C with this fantastic fundraising intiative. 

Download this flyer and visit their website for more details. 

Click the image of the flyer to find out more about the New Vine Church that will be operating at 3pm on Sundays at Dudley Public School. 

www.newvine.org.au  

We wish to thank Grill'd Charlestown Square for their generous donation of $300 to our school through their Local Matters initiative. Thank you to the P&C and the school community for helping us to win the prize for this month. 

Register to decorate a gingerbread house with New Vine Church.

Click the image for more details. RSVP to Judy Mason on 0452 485 151.