Dear Parents and Carers,
A very warm welcome back. We are looking forward to a busy and engaging term 3. On the Staff Development Day the staff were immersed in Aboriginal Culture and History at Muogamurra National Park. The experience enabled staff to enhance their knowledge of local Aboriginal land practices and culture with regards to the Aboriginal Education Policy and to integrate this into our school culture and teaching and learning programs.
Dance2bfit began last week. Students are engaged in an energetic, innovative, and fun way to get fit. Dance2bfit has been developed for NSW Primary Schools under the PDHPE syllabus. We look forward to sharing our dance moves with you early in Term 4.
On Monday Stage 1 was engaged in a Science Incursion, Wicked Weather. Students experimented with air and water movements and even erupted their own flurry of snow.
On Wednesday afternoon Stage 3 will be visited by the Hornsby Police Youth Liaison Officer, Constable Lewis Peters. The focus of the incursion will be Cyber Safety.
Our Kindergarten Students celebrate 100 days of school on Wednesday. I am so proud of our Kindergarten students who happily engaged in school life. They have grown so much socially and academically in the 5 months they have attended school. Well done, Kindergarten.
Opportunity Class Testing is taking place on Thursday. Parents and students have been notified of procedures for the day. Thank you, Ms Khoo, for coordinating the testing and supervising the students.
Our debating team is to be congratulated, they won their debate against John Purchase PS. Well done NPS debaters.
For the Love of Reading
This week we have launched our “For the Love of Reading” initiative. The reading logbooks were sent home on Monday. We encourage you to spend at least 15 min reading with or to your child every night. We intend to reach and if possible, exceed 9000 hours of reading across the school. Staff will be recording and monitoring students reading and there will be a prize for the class who registers the most reading hours by the end of week 10 as well as the student who logs the most reading hours.
The reading log booklets have suggestions to help build your child’s reading skills.
We are still looking for parent volunteers to support some of our students during school hours, please complete the google form https://forms.gle/n6gJKAF4dRcAmqyn7 if you would like to volunteer. (Link has been updated)
GOT IT Parent Forums (presented via Zoom)
Interested in ideas to support your child's emotions?
The GOT IT parent forums will now be presented via Zoom. If you would like to attend, please register your interest so that we can get an information handbook to you. See the flyer in this week’s Newsletter with the updated information. If you registered to attend the onsite forums, please re-register for the Webinar.
Year 5 Camp
The weather did not impact the student’s enjoyment of the 3-day camp to Berry Sport and Rec. It was a fun filled 3 days with students engaging in leadership and sporting challenges. The students participated in all the activities with enthusiasm. Thank you to Ms Williams for your organisation of the camp and a big thank you Mr Hills, Ms Froment and Ms Osbourne for taking such wonderful care of our students.
Mobile phones and Smart watches
If your child has a mobile phone, it is to be switched off and left in the student’s school bag during school hours. Smart watches should be set on aeroplane mode. All communication with parents during school hours is to take place through the school office. Thank you for your ongoing support.
School attendance
We are still experiencing a lot of sickness across the school. If your child is unwell, please keep him/her at home until they are well enough to return.
With that in mind I want to share with you how we are continuing to ensure our school remains COVID-safe throughout this term.
Term 3 COVID Settings
Masks
Masks are an effective way of minimising the transmission of respiratory viruses and infections, and protecting our community, especially those who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and flu. We strongly encourage all students and staff wear a mask for the first 4 weeks of Term 3, particularly in indoor settings or when distancing is not possible. The latest NSW Health advice also recommends wearing a mask for people who have recovered from COVID-19 and recently completed their 7-day isolation period for an additional 3 days (from days 8 to 10 after receiving a positive COVID-19 result).
Close contacts
Students identified as close contacts remain able to attend school providing, they are symptom free, notify the school and return a negative COVID-19 test result daily for 5 consecutive school days. Primary students, while not required, are strongly encouraged to wear a mask for 5 consecutive school days (except when eating/drinking or exercising). Visitors identified as close contacts who are engaging directly with students are required to return a negative COVID-19 test result before attending our school and wear a mask.
Boosted day cleaning
Boosted day cleaning of schools will be implemented, focusing on target areas such as high-touch areas and other hard surfaces, door handles, light switches and handrails in stairways and high movement areas.
Reducing the risk of illness this winter
Finally, it is important to note NSW Health’s advice to reduce our risk of not only COVID-19, but other illnesses that may affect our school at this time of year such as the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), both of which can be serious in younger people. Please keep students at home until cold and flu symptoms have cleared up.
A reminder that the school Newsletter is published fortnightly.
Newsletter dates for the rest of the term are:
Week 4 – 9 August
Week 6 – 23 August
Week 8 – 6 September
Week 10 – 20 September
A reminder that no dogs are allowed on the school grounds.
Warm regards,
Jacqui Gordon
Principal
