Eleebana Endeavour

Let me begin our first newsletter of the new year by thanking our wonderful students, staff and community for their patience and flexibility last week while we went through the process of assessing our enrolments to make decisions around 2020 school staffing. We had ended 2019 with our enrolment numbers firmly indicating an entitlement of 21 classes, however, a boon of unexpected new enrolments edged us to the threshold of an extra class. We unfortunately had to wait until we were able to establish the numbers of returning students before any positive decisions could be made. Happily, as you will be aware, our numbers are such that we decided to reorganize into 22 classes in order to best support highly effective teaching and learning.  

This has led to some rearrangement of staff, students and classrooms. Our 2020 classes are now as follows;

KBM - Ms Sarah Burtenshaw (rel. AP) and Ms Kayley Maxwell

KD - Ms Lauren Devereux

KH - Ms Tracey Haggerty

1OM - Ms Elisa O’Keeffe and Ms Susan McCrae

1DG - Ms Shelby Dent and Ms Kate Goudie

1C - Ms Laura Crowley

1/2M - Ms Sophia McCloy

2M - Ms Shannon Bakic (Mr Nathan May rel, DP)

2PS - Ms Kerry Phillips and Ms Bianca Stevenson

3SB - Ms Carly Blair and Ms Bianca Stevenson

3JM - Ms Karla Jones and Ms Susan McCrae

3H - Ms Michelle Harvey

4T - Ms Alice Tobey

4K - Mr Eathen Kibble

4CK - Ms Kim Croft (AP) and Mr Matthew Koutnik

5W - Ms Courtney Wingrove

5LK - Ms Lyn Lee and Mr Mathew Koutnik

5FS - Ms Jodi Fittock and Ms Rhea Stevens

6F - Ms Lauren Fletcher

6L - Mr Shaun Lawrence

6H - Ms Audrey Harradine

6M - Mr Luke Murrell (AP)

Science - Ms Noni Anderiesen

STEM - Mr Dean Burrows (rel. AP)

Library - Ms Jenna Hopper and Ms Candice Gibson

LaST - Ms Bianca Flanagan (Ms Vicki Shearman W7)

Intervention - Ms Andrea Webster (AP) 

School Learning Support Officers & Interventionists:  Ms Denise Churchill, Ms Cathy Sjostedt, Ms Julie Stewart,  Ms  Amanda Veale, Ms Tracie Johnson, Ms Jan Wooding, Ms Rebecca Langham

This year we welcome some new and returning staff members to our fabulous EPS team.

Firstly, I would like to begin the year with congratulations to Kellie Byrnes who was appointed on merit as our substantive School Administrative Manager. Kellie will be a familiar face for many as she relieved in this role covering Ms Cherryl Weir’s position before and after her retirement. We are very pleased to welcome to our school on a permanent basis.

Ms Shelby Dent is another familiar face to many, Returning from maternity leave, Ms Dent is very excited to be working with Ms Goudie on Year One and we are all very pleased to have her back.

Finally I would like to welcome two new staff members. Ms Shannon Bakic and Ms Noni Anderiesen. Ms Bakic joins the EPS team after working in schools in western NSW for the past few years. Ms Bakic is leading 2M for Mr May until our school’s Deputy Principal position can be filled through merit selection.

Ms Noni Anderiesen is teaching Science with our classes from Kindergarten to Year Six as part of our weekly RFF (release from face-to face) provision. Ms Anderiesen is a very experienced teacher who has most recently been working in Sydney. 

We are very excited to have these high quality practitioners join our school.

In line with our whole school focus on quality learning in an uninterrupted morning session we have made the decision to move our Assemblies from a morning to an afternoon session. This will enable classrooms to conduct essential Friday morning routines including spelling tests, unit assessment and reflections to effectively conclude a week’s learning more effectively. This opportunity becomes even more important in Terms 2 and 3 with PSSA sport.

Commencing Week 3, Assemblies will be held on Tuesday afternoons beginning at 2:15pm. Assemblies will continue to alternate weekly between our Senior and Junior schools. Senior School and class 3JM will host our first Assembly for 2020. We hope to see you there.

At EPS we value a responsive and effective partnership with our community. Communication is obviously key to this success and we encourage a high level of community involvement. However, we are also very mindful of the fact that many parents and carers are not available to get into to school to speak to staff on a regular basis and we want to make sure they continue to have the option to communicate with their children’s teachers.   To streamline our communication to and from school and to ensure we have a professional and appropriately confidential process in place, in 2020 we will move towards our Sentral Parent Portal (Messages Tab) for all individual messaging (as opposed to Class Dojo, personal SMS etc). Parents are always encouraged to email the school (with att: Class teacher) or simply call for more immediate responses. We know and understand that the best results for our students come from working together.

CLASS TEACHERS: Approach the teacher in person to make an appointment, or use the Sentral Parent Portal or contact School Office (ph: 49468927,  email eleebana-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au) and the teacher will get back to you.

STAGE SUPERVISORS: Contact School Office (ph: 49468927 or email eleebana-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au) to make an appointment. The Supervisor will get back to you.

Mrs Burtenshaw and Mr Burrows are responsible for Junior School. Mrs Burtenshaw is the best contact for any academic concerns, Mr Burrows will focus on wellbeing and playground issues.

Similarly in Senior School, Mrs Croft and Mr Murrell are the Assistant Principals responsible for these Stages. Mrs Croft will oversee curriculum and academic concerns and Mr Murrell is responsible for wellbeing.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL (rel)  Mr Nathan May and PRINCIPAL Ms Lucinda Farrell

Contact School Office (ph: 49468927 or email eleebana-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au) to make an appointment.

WHO SHOULD I SEE?

Our new Sports in Schools (SISA) Program begins this Tuesday for students in Junior School. The SISA team bring with them expertise and high quality equipment and activities. We are very excited to launch this new program in our school - don’t forget your joggers and polo shirt!

On Friday 7th February at 9:00am we will hold the 2020 Student Leadership Induction Assembly. Our School Captains and Prefects, Sports Captains, SRC and Library Monitors will all be presented with this badges of office in a formal assembly. Everyone is most welcome to attend, we hope to see you there.

Just a reminder about our school uniform

Monday-Thursday: Tunic, polo shirt or dress shirt are all acceptable. Black school shoes or joggers. 

Friday:  Polo shirt and sport shoes – predominantly black or white please

As you will all be aware there is at the moment significant concern around the Novel Coronavirus. In line with governmental recommendations the Department of Education has provided guidelines for families and schools around ensuring the best precautions to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said although the risk to children is very low, the NSW Government has taken this step as a precautionary measure

Current advice includes the 14 day exclusion from school  of any student or staff member who visited Hubei Province or who arrived in Australia from February after visiting or transiting through China. Students or staff who returned to Australia from China (not including Hubei) before this date are also requested not to attend school or daycare for 14 days. 

A reminder that we have committed to an uninterrupted literacy block from 9-11am each day. Parent & Carer Helpers welcome – no other classroom interruptions permitted (other than emergency situations).

All students in Years 3 – 6, received a note on Thursday for the annual Primary Swimming Carnival (Monday, February 10) any very competitive swimmers that are 8yr olds from Year 2, are also invited to attend. As outlined in the note, all payments & notes are due by: Thursday, February 6 2020. Payment cannot be accepted after this date.

Please note, while the majority of our students will travel to the Swim Centre by bus, students who wish to compete in the Individual Medley, 100m Freestyle and Butterfly events will need to get their own way to the pool and be there at 8.30 am.

Zone Swimming Carnival will be held on February 20 & 21 (Week 4) 2020 at Charlestown Swimming Pool.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind parents to encourage school students to tap on and tap off when using school bus services. This data is important in determining the school bus services provided to schools, as low patronage could prompt a review of the service.

Our Class Information Evening will be held on Wednesday 12th February, with Junior School classroom sessions at 4:30pm and Senior School classes at 5:30pm. This evening enables parents the opportunity to meet the new class teacher and find out information for the coming year. Details regarding the curriculum, homework, sports days, library, and other organisational matters will all be communicated at this time. Parents and families should rest assured that all necessary information will be provided at the required time.​

A sausage sizzle will be provided for families. We hope to see you there!

Please be aware that the staff carpark (entrance from Ian Street) is an out of bounds area for students and parents for safety reasons. Thank you.

• Sixers Girls League will be commencing again on Friday 7th February 2020 with two FREE Coaching sessions for all experience levels. The NJCA are hoping to facilitate two cricket options for Term 1; girls who are confident and willing to play with equipment and a harder plastic ball and our successful softer ball option which has limited equipment.
• Following the two coaching weeks, the competition will start on Friday 21st February and run for 6 weeks ceasing on a social finals evening on Friday 27th March 2020.
• Valentine Eleebana Cricket Club (VECC)  have opened online registrations for the Sixers Girls Summer League and the Stage 1 midweek competition. The links that prospective players can use to register is https://www.playcricket.com.au/club-finder/club-details?Id=2385. It takes you to our club page, so all you have to do is select the right competition. 
• For any more information, please contact Mrs Harradine

• Monday 3 February 2020 - Kinder first day of school
• Wednesday 5 February 2020 - 'Shrek The Musical' excursion
• Friday 7 February 2020 - Badge ceremony 9am

• Monday 10 February 2020 - Swimming Carnival
• Monday 10 February - Friday 14 February - Library Lover's Week
• Tuesday 11 February 2020 - Senior school Assembly - 3JM -2:15pm
• Tuesday 11 February 2020 - Zone Tennis
• Wednesday 12 February 2020 - Class Information Evening - Junior School classroom session 4:30pm; Senior School classroom session 5:30pm
• Friday 14 February 2020 - Zone Cricket
• Wednesday 19 February 2020 - Leadership Day
• Thursday 20 February & Friday 21 February 2020- Zone Swimming
• Wednesday 26 February & Thursday 27 February 2020 - School Photos
• Wednesday 26 February 2020 - Zone Basketball
• Tuesday 3 March 2020 - Years 3 & 4 Girls Soccer Gala Day
• Tuesday 3 March 2020 - Hunter Swimming
• Wednesday 4 March 2020 - Zone League/Netball
• Thursday 5 March 2020 - Years 5 & 6 Girls Soccer Gala Day
• Thursday 12 March 2020 - Selective High School Test
• Monday 16 March 2020 - Hunter Rugby League
• Monday 30 March 2020 - Zone Touch Football
• Thursday 2 April 2020 - X -Country
• Thursday 9 April 2020 - Last day of Term 1 2020

Welcome back to another a year at the Snack Shack. This year we welcome Natalie Bush who will be working 4 days a week.

As usual we are need of volunteers, whether they be parents, grandparents, relatives or friends of our school community! Please call the school and ask to be transferred to the canteen.  

The canteen will be CLOSED on the 10th February due to Swimming Carnival.