Newsletter

Parents and carers are invited to complete this short survey about Telopea Public School. Your voice is valued in helping us to know what we do well and where we can improve. 

Community Engagement Survey Link

The Telopea Public School staff had a very productive School Development Day during the first week of term, engaging in a state-wide focus on Aboriginal education. Together we aim to build a greater understanding of Aboriginal education and reconciliation as well as how we can collectively strengthen our practice to achieve better outcomes. 

As well as engaging in a state-wide webinar, staff at Telopea completed a learning module investigating Personalised Learning Pathways (PLPs) and how we can use PLPs as an effective tool for increasing Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander student engagement, supporting improved learning outcomes and educational aspirations. In coming weeks, we will continue to refine our PLP processes and will be seeking input from our Aboriginal students and families to ensure authentic partnership in meeting the needs of these students. 

During Term 2, students in Years 4 and 6 will participate in the Check-in assessment. 

The Check-in assessment is a NSW Department of Education online literacy and numeracy assessment available to support schools to assess and monitor student learning. 

The assessment can supplement existing school practices to identify how students are performing in literacy and numeracy and to help teachers tailor their teaching more specifically to student needs. Students with disability may receive the same level of support during the assessment they would normally receive in the classroom.

* The assessment will be scheduled for our Year 4 and 6 students during Week 4.   

* All students complete a reading assessment and a numeracy assessment. 

The Check-in assessment is a diagnostic assessment to inform teaching. There are no official parent or carer reports available.

Dear Year 4 Parents,

Applications for Year 5 entry to an Opportunity Class in 2024 close on Monday 15 May 2023.

Applications for opportunity class placement are considered on the results of the Opportunity Class Placement Test. Students who wish to be considered for placement are required to sit the Opportunity Class Placement Test on Thursday 27 July 2023.

How to apply:

Parents/carers must apply online between Thursday 30 March and Monday 15 May 2023 at: https://shsoc.education.nsw.gov.au/

You must use your own email address and not one belonging to your child. Late applications are not usually accepted.

You must submit only ONE application for each student. Information for applicants can be found here:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-5.html

*Dates subject to change. Please ensure you regularly check for updates.

If you need to collect your child from school early, please contact the school well before pick up so that we can ensure your child is ready and waiting for you.

A gentle reminder about pets, it is best to keep them outside of the school grounds and please ensure they are always on a leash, to protect both our pets and others in and around the school.

Mornings and afternoons are especially busy times for our teachers who are preparing for the day or who may be on duty. Their focus during these times is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students. We kindly ask that if you do need to speak to your child's teacher, please contact the office to organise a mutually convenient time to meet to discuss your query. 

Thank you for your understanding. 

Reminders for School fees have now been issued. Please ensure payment is made by 26th of May 2023. 

We can now accept payments via EFTPOS on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings between 8.45-11.00am ONLY. Payments made via cash can be made on any day, the correct monies would be much appreciated as change is limited.

If you are unable to make payments in full, please speak to the Front Office staff to discuss payment plans. 

We are pleased to confirm we are now accepting ‘Back to School’ vouchers. Late in 2022 the Premier announced 3 x $50 vouchers totalling $150 for each eligible student.

Vouchers can be used to purchase textbooks and uniform shop items before June 30, 2023.

Each voucher can be used separately or multiple vouchers can be used in the same purchase. Each voucher can be redeemed once. No refunds can be claimed for products redeemed with a voucher.

Please note; if the transaction is less that the total value of the voucher, the remaining balance is forfeited and cannot be used in another transaction for example; If the transaction is $95 and you use two vouchers totalling $100 are redeemed, the remaining $5 is forfeited.

You may choose to use a combination payment method for example; if the transaction is $120, you can choose to redeem two vouchers and pay the balance of $20 using EFTPOS or cash.

Vouchers will not be able to be redeemed for Voluntary School Contributions or credit towards future expenses.

When redeeming the vouchers at our school, in order for us to complete the receipting we will be required to note the voucher/s number.

Vouchers can be redeemed on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday morning prior to 11.00am as to allow time for processing of these vouchers.

We thank you all for your patience whilst we navigate the processing of these vouchers.

On Thursday 11th May we celebrated Mother's Day at Telopea Public School by inviting our parents and carers to join us for Breakfast Club.

The top lawn was transformed with tables set with tablecloths, flowers, fruit and Up and Go. The canteen was a buzz of activity with toasters running hot creating the well-known world-famous jam and vegemite toast. It was lovely to see so many parents and carers join the event which created such a warm and welcoming community atmosphere. The students did a wonderful job looking after family members. 

Thank you to our awesome TPS staff who joined in to chat and mingle and help ensure the event ran smoothly. 

We look forward to mimicking the event in September for Father's Day. 

Wishing our community a happy day on Sunday. 

Pip

On Wednesday 10 May, Telopea Public School students in years 3-6 attended an excursion. It was a beautiful day! The sun shone and the students explored the colonial home of the Macarthur family which dates from 1793. The students learnt about the lives of the family, their convict servants, and the traditional owners of the Parramatta area, the Burramattagal people.  Afterwards, the students had a picnic and played in the wonderful Parramatta Park. It was a fun, educational day enjoyed by all. The students and teachers enjoyed this immersive experience.

Ms Michie

“The excursion was amazing because Elizabeth Farm was fun. We acted as convicts and worked very hard washing clothes by hand. There was no electricity back then.” (Lanlalin, year 5).

“The trip was fascinating because we learnt many interesting facts about life in the past like how to make butter with the churn, how the table was set, what Elizabeth Macarthur did for entertainment like painting and playing knuckles, as well as how Aboriginals caught eels in traps and how they used medicine with plants.” (Jasmine, Year 6).

I loved Parramatta Park. I played soccer, football and tag with my friends! It was a great day!” (Moussa, year 5). 

On Tuesday 21 March, Telopea Public students celebrated Harmony Day and wore traditional, cultural clothing or the colour orange as this signifies Harmony. This annual celebration recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone.​ Australia has the longest living culture in the world, our First Nations People and over 300 ancestries are identified in our great country. 

The SRC came together for our first fundraiser with gold coin donations and the sale of zooper doopers. The SRC and I are delighted to announce we raised $169.50 profit! This gets us well on the way to raising our goal of $500 by the end of the year. Thank you for supporting the SRC initiatives.

The K-6 students also participated in a scavenger hunt searching for Harmony Day images around our school. Afterwards, they undertook different activities of word searches and decorated hand templates to represent themselves and their cultural background.

A huge thank you to SRC, teachers and students for their support in particular Ms Limburg, Mrs Wallace, Mrs Vasilareas and Mrs Repousis.

Ms Michie 

On Monday 3 April, Telopea Public School students attended an ANZAC Day Ceremony presented by Year 6 students. We gathered to remember those who have served and currently serve in our Armed Forces including parents and carers of Telopea Public School students. Due to the weather, we stood under the COLA as the rain held off for our special, annual service. Thank you to the school captains, year 6 helpers and the SRC for making the wreaths and laying them at our flagpole.

Last term Year Two Bandicoots were very busy learning, creating and becoming Kung Fu Fighters! In between growing beans for our science unit, learning all about measurement and writing interesting narratives Year 2 Bandicoots have had fun learning a dance routine for the song ‘Kung Fu Fighting’. We enjoyed showcasing this at the end of Term 1.

Book Club Issue 3 -  Due: 12 May 2023

There are now 2 easy ways to pay: CREDIT CARD (LOOP) or CREDIT VOUCHER.

Cash payments will no longer be available.

PAYING BY CREDIT CARD

1.    Simply grab your child’s Book Club catalogue and either sign in or register your account on scholastic.com.au/LOOP or download the LOOP app.

2.    Click on ORDER and then select your school and your child’s class.

3.    Add your child’s first name & last initial (so the school knows who the book is for)

4.    Enter the item number from the Book Club catalogue.

5.    All orders are sent directly to the school for submission to Scholastic. Books will still be delivered to your child’s classroom if you order by the close date.

6.    Afterwards, there’s no need to return paper order forms or payment receipt details back to your school!

PAYING BY CREDIT VOUCHER

If paying with a credit voucher, please enter details on LOOP when placing your order online.

All purchases made help the school earn REWARD POINTS which allows us to purchase new resources for the library.  

School Attendance

Regular school attendance is a legal requirement for all children. Please ensure that your child/ren are at school by 8.55am, ready for morning assembly at 9.00am. 

School times are as follows;

9.00am                      School commences

11.00-11.30am         Recess

1.15-2.00pm             Lunch

3.00pm                      School finishes

All attendance is now recorded electronically, this includes late, early and sick bay departures. Please be patient with staff whilst we record and process these.

ABSENCES

A reminder that if your child/ren are away from school we ask that you provide a note with an explanation or fill out one of our template forms.

If you child is away sick for more than two consecutive days you are required to provide a medical certificate.

You can collect the form from the office foyer or from your class teacher. 

It is important that students arrive to school on time. By arriving before the 9am bell, it helps the students transition into school by creating a calm start to the day. 

Students who arrive late will be electronically marked via the office.

If students are marked consistently late this may be raised with the Home School Liaison Officer. 

COLLECTING STUDENTS FROM SCHOOL

A reminder that if you have made arrangements for someone to collect your child/ren that is outside of your normal arrangements, please ensure that you have notified the office so we are aware and can let other staff members know in a timely manner.  This applies to leaving early and for the end of the day. 

SAFETY

A reminder to all students and parents that entry to the School is via the Pedestrian gate on Chestnut Ave located near Block D. This is for everyone's safety. If you require disabled access there are two entry points into the school via the ramp into the school office and via the gate on the corner of Sturt and Manson Streets. 

NOTES SENT HOME

On occasion important notes will be sent home. Please ensure you remember to check your child's bag each day.

CELEBRATIONS

Here at TPS we enjoy celebrating student’s birthdays. You are most welcome to bring in something to celebrate but we ask that individual store bought small bite size cupcakes or individually wrapped sweets are brought in to school as this makes it easier for the students to eat. A large cake makes it difficult to distribute to their classmates. 

LOST PROPERTY

There are a number of items in the Lost Property box which do not have names on them. If your child is missing an item, please check this box which is located in the D Block breezeway.

CONTACT INFORMATION OR CIRCUMSTANCE CHANGE

Please ensure that your contact details are up to date. It is important that the School be able to contact you in case of your child being ill, a child not being collected from school or in case of emergency etc. If your family circumstances change, please also provide the school with any updated documentation. 

You can notify the school of any changes or updates via written confirmation or complete the template form located in the office foyer. 

MOBILE PHONES OR DEVICES

If you require your child to carry a mobile phone/device, you will be required to complete a permission note (please see the school office if you require this note). Student mobile phones/device are to be turned off and handed to the school office during school hours in the morning. Mobile phones/devices will be returned to the students at the end of each day. 

Uniforms can be purchased from the uniform shop every Wednesday between 8.45-11.00am. We thank you in advance for your patience during these busy times.

We are pleased to advise we now have the option of Eftpos for purchases. Alternatively cash is still accepted, the correct change is much appreciated. A current price list is located in the office foyer.

HANDY HINT: Ensure that you label all items of clothing (including hats) for your child/ren, this makes it easier to return lost items. 

To TPS and Telopea 'Schools as Community Centres' Project (SaCC) communities,

Welcome back to school for Term 2. I trust your Autumn vacation period was enjoyable and batteries recharged for another action-packed term.

Telopea 'Schools as Community Centres' Project is the perfect venue for families of our school, the local community and surrounding suburbs to engage in a variety of programs and initiatives.The project delivers numerous programs to support parents and children up to eight years of age with a focus on children birth to five years. I encourage you to contact me by phone or email, drop in or visit the SaCC centre. 

BREAKFAST CLUB

Breakfast Club has resumed for Term 2. On Monday fifty-one children enjoyed toast and Up and Go drinks with their friends at school before classes started. Our new Principal, Mrs Dooley joined us too....it lovely being able to share the experience of this valuable resource with her.   

REMINDER: Breakfast Club provides a FREE breakfast for Telopea Public School students every Monday and Thursday 8:30am-9:00am during school term. Parents and carers with children under five year olds are also welcome to join...this is a great opportunity to familarise them with the school setting before the child starts school.

 PLAYGROUP

Mrs Dooley also visited playgroup last week. It was a pleasure introducing her to the SaCC community, parents and children.Thank you to Mariam (Hisham Yr 4 and Aysha Yr2) for bringing a delicious manoosh and lemon verbena tea to share for morning tea.

SING RHYME and STORY TIME

This early literacy program supports children up to five years learn everything they need to know about reading and writing before they can actually read or write. We use a combination of read stories, felt stories and told stories to engage the younger learners. During the session we dance and sing and experiment with language through all forms of communication. Parents and carers are actively involved, and every participant receives the session program to share with the family at home. This term the SaCC Project is delivering a number of additional programs (Shine, Yoga and Tuning Into Kids) you may be interested to join. FREE childcare educators booked to care for under five-year-old children of participants. Please have a look at the flyer information in this newsletter and contact me to register....places are limited.

And finally next term a FREE First Aid course will be delivered at Telopea SaCC. This is a workplace accredited course with participants receiving a certificate upon completion. The class is almost full so to avoid disappointment contact me asap if you would like to register.

Pip

Phillipa (Pip) Martins

Facilitator

Telopea 'Schools as Community Centres' (SaCC) Project

C/- Telopea Public School

Chestnut Ave

Telopea NSW 2117

Ph: (02)9898 3448

email: phillipa.martins@det.nsw.edu.au

EXISTING USERS

To ensure you keep up to date with the latest school information, please join your child's new 2023 class group. Unfortunately we are unable to re-assign you to their new classes. Ensure you have notifications set up. If you do not join a group you won't receive any important information.

NEW USERS

You will receive a note home with instructions on how to download and join groups. The Skoolbag app is one of the ways you will receive school information. Ensure you have notifications set up. If you do not join a group you won't receive any important information.