Eleebana Extra

Hard to believe it is already Week 6 and halfway through our first term here at Eleebana PS! 

It has been a very busy couple of weeks with exciting things happening throughout our school. Congratulations to all of our students who competed in the Zone Swimming Carnival, fantastic results in the pool and lots of personal best times (report included in this newsletter). Thanks go to our families whose support and encouragement makes all the difference to our students’ achievements and to Mr May and Mrs Harradine for their time and organisation.

It has been especially wonderful to see the dedication and contribution of our student leaders. Our new student leadership teams have embraced their duties and are demonstrating their commitment and responsibility. The Captains and Vice Captains attended the Lake Macquarie North student leadership day (report included in this newsletter) and our Student Representative Council have begun the organisation of their first fundraising event.

The installation of new interactive whiteboards in six of our classrooms is improving teaching and learning for our students. Teachers were very pleased to bid farewell to the dim old style boards and welcome the new technology. We are also very pleased to have finally had new cabinetry installed in our Sickbay, Copyroom and Offices to ensure more safe and functional areas.

Wellbeing Week in Week 7 will launch our new whole school wellbeing initiative Be U: Act  Belong Commit. With many great activities planned it promises to be a valuable week.

Lucinda Farrell

Principal

Next Week is Wellbeing Week, a week when, as a school community, we focus on building mental health and especially the capacity of our students to demonstrate resilience in the face of all of life’s challenges. As a school we have committed to Be You. Be you is a Wellbeing Program that aims to ensure that every learning community is positive, inclusive and resilient; where every child, educator and family can achieve their best possible mental health. Be You empowers educators, helping to develop valuable mental health skills and knowledge, while also providing an effective model for implementing a whole-learning community approach to mental health wellbeing. As we take on this approach a number of new initiatives are taking place across classrooms and the school. Keep an eye on Skoolbag in week 7 as we introduce these initiatives to the community.

You will note from the Week Schedule below that we have a diverse, fun and interesting range of events and activities taking place.

The P&C AGM will be held tonight at 6:30pm in the staffroom. The P&C continues to play a vital role within the school, contributing to school programs and resources and informing school decision making.

A reminder to parents and carers that the booking window for 2020 Parent-Teacher Interviews closes this Friday at 3pm. Bookings are made via the EPS Parent Portal. Thank you to the parents/carers who have already booked their interview time. 

Thursday 12  March is our Term One School Disco.

Entry fee ($3 for Kindergarten and $5 for students Years 1-6) covers entry into the disco as well as a packet of chips and a drink. Glow products will be available on the night.

·         Kinder 4:30-5:15

·         Years 1 &2 5:30-6:30

·         Years 3-6 6:45-8:15

The NSW Police have produced a digital resource to assist parents and carers on a range of topics essential to child safety. The handbook has been updated to include key messages about bush fire safety given the unprecedented fires we experienced recently. Also included are important content updates from: NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Police Force, Fire and Rescue NSW, Rural Fire NSW, Transport for NSW, Sydney Trains, NSW Department of Family & Community Services, eSafety Commissioner and NSW Office of the Children's Guardian. Click on the link below to view the digital handbook Child Safety Hub website –  http://nsw.childsafetyhub.com.au/handbook/

Our school Captains and Vice Captains enjoyed a fabulous day building their leadership schools with fellow student leaders across Lake Macquarie North schools. The student worked through a series of workshops exploring public speaking, leadership skills, STEM challenges and Mindfulness. A highlight of the day was the keynote speaker, Australian Olympian, Aerial Skiier and Eleebana PS alumnus Samantha Wells who gave an inspirational presentation about goal setting and resilience.

Are you a business owner or employee of a large business that would like to sponsor Eleebana Public Schools Rugby League Teams?

We are looking for Sponsors for our four Rugby League Teams. The Jerseys will be worn every Friday in Terms 2 and 3 at our local PSSA games as well as the Knights Knockout competitions which attract teams from all of the Hunter Region.

If this is something that you may be interested in, please see Mr May or Mr Burrows ASAP. ​

• Monday 2 March 2020- P&C Annual General Meeting - 630pm in the staff room
• Tuesday 3 March 2020 - Years 3 & 4 Girls Soccer Gala Day
• Tuesday 3 March 2020 - Hunter Swimming
• Wednesday 4 March 2020 - Zone Netball
• Thursday 5 March 2020 - Years 5 & 6 Girls Soccer Gala Day
• Thursday 5 March 2020 - Zone Soccer
• Monday 9 March - Friday 13 March - Wellbeing Week
• Monday 10 March 2020 - Act of Kindness Day
• Wednesday 11 March & Thursday 12 March - Riding the Waves (Year 6)
• Thursday 12 March 2020 - Selective High School Test
• Thursday 12 March 2020 - School Disco
• Friday 13 March 2020 - Anti-Bullying Day - Wear something Orange
• Monday 16 March 2020 - Hunter Rugby League
• Monday 30 March 2020 - Zone Touch Football
• Wednesday 1 April 2020- Cross Country
• Thursday 2 April 2020 - Senior Knights Knockout
• Wednesday 8 April - World's Greatest Shave - Crazy Hair Day - Gold Coin Donation
• Thursday 9 April 2020 - Easter Hat Parade
• Thursday 9 April 2020 - Last day of Term 1 2020

Last Friday, Archie J, Will J, Tristan A, Kira K, Lucy N and Amber M trialled for the Eastlakes Basketball team 

Last Friday, Archie J, Will J, Tristan A, Kira K, Lucy N and Amber M trialled for the Eastlakes Basketball team 

Good luck to Callum L and Hugh T who will be trialling for a position in the 2020 Eastlakes Boys football team this week.

All the best to the girls who will be participating in the gala days this week. Thank you to Mrs Harradine for organising another great opportunity for girls sport.   

A friendly reminder for students to please return all overdue library books. Overdue notices have been sent via email in Week 5, and will be emailed again in Week 10 Term 1. Please contact Mrs Gibson with questions or concerns regarding overdue books.

We have developed a system for rewarding positive choices in the library. Students who are meeting our library expectations can receive a ‘Gotcha’ ticket. Gotcha tickets aim to reinforce positive behaviour during library sessions, specifically targeting students who are demonstrating our library rules, “Being considerate, being responsible and being respectful”. If your child brings home a Gotcha ticket, they should feel very proud. These tickets can be cashed in for a minor (5 tickets) and a major prize (10 tickets). Please ensure all Gotcha tickets are kept in a safe place so that students are able to present their 5 or 10 tickets to the library during recess time to receive their reward.