Welcome Back

Welcome back everyone. I hope that as you are reading this, you are able to look back on an enjoyable and refreshing 2 weeks with your children at home. We have a busy term ahead with lots to look forward to including: the Stage 3 Bathurst Camp, a Stage 2 excursion to Taronga Zoo, Lambton’s Got Talent final, Kindergarten 2023 orientation, Presentation Day assembly, Year 6 Farewell, P&C Mango Fundraiser and clap-out and the rescheduled colour run. The teachers and I look forward to seeing all the students happy faces again tomorrow.

Staffing Update

It is my pleasure to share with our school community that at the end of Term 3, Mrs Lisa Matheson, was successfully appointed through an open merit process, to the substantive School Administration Manager (SAM) role at our school. Lisa has been doing an outstanding job relieving in the position since the retirement of Mrs Helen Vane-Tempest and thoroughly deserves this promotion.

Lisa’s full-time substantive School Administration Officer (SAO) role has been offered to our part-time SAO Mrs Sloane Newton. Sloane is another very friendly, experienced and capable administration officer who is delighted to be given the opportunity to continue in the role full-time. Congratulations to both Lisa and Sloane!

In announcing these appointments, I also wish to acknowledge and thank Mr Gavin Palmer who has done a wonderful job relieving in Lisa’s SAO role for the past 12 months. He has been a great asset to our team, providing great customer service to our families, supporting our staff and caring for our students. Gavin will return to his part-time substantive role at Mt Hutton PS in Week 5 of Term 4, however you will still see him in our office 2 days per week until the end of the year. How lucky we are to have such a capable, friendly and dynamic office team.

Old Uniform – discounted now

As we draw closer to the availability of a new school uniform, the P&C are doing their best to sell all remaining stock of the existing school uniform. Prices of all items have now been discounted. Please remember that even when the new uniform becomes available, there will be a transition period of at least 12 months where the students will be permitted to wear their old uniform to school. If you choose to purchase uniform items that are on sale now, your child will still be able to get reasonable wear out of them before transitioning to the new uniform. Orders must be placed via My School Connect where current stock levels available for each item in each size will be displayed.

Term 3 Attendance

On the last day of Term 3, I had the privilege of presenting ‘Outstanding Attendance’ certificates to 106 individual students for their excellent attendance throughout Term 3. Any student that had an attendance rate of 98% or better for Term 3 has been awarded a certificate.

Attending school each and every day, is the very first step towards being a successful learner. Congratulations to the students whose attendance was truly outstanding in Term 3.

I’m looking forward to a great term ahead. Have a great week!

David Holland

Congratulations to our students of the week for Week 10, Term 3

Congratulations to all of our students who had an array of gotchas in the barrel draw at the end of Term 3. The gotchas add up to a lot of work and effort and we are proud of all of our students’ efforts throughout Term 3. Special congratulations to the students below, who were lucky enough to have  their gotchas drawn out for the book prizes

• Emily Woodford  2O
• Divitha Rajesh  1B
• Thomas Paul  1S
• Sam Boyd  3/4M
• Piper Beckitt  4/5B
• Quinlan Bartlett  3/4M

We have pencilled in Friday 25 November for our rescheduled P&C Colour Run. More details will be shared closer to the event, but for now, please mark this date on your calendars. 

Stage 3 staff and students are looking forward to their 3 day Bathurst Excursion next week.   A copy of the final note sent home is attached however we have included some important reminders below:

Mon 17 Oct  - Students to be meet teachers under Hall COLA from 7:30 am, buses depart at 8:00 am. 

Wed 19 Oct  - Students are expected to arrive back to school at 5.30 pm , updates will be sent via our Skoolbag app.

Communication - Updates will be sent via Skoolbag app. Staff needing to contact parents during the excursion will be using their mobile phones  which will be tagged as No Caller ID.  

What not to pack  - NO mobile phones, apple watches or electronic devices under any circumstances. NO Junk food, lollies, chewing gum, chocolates or cans of soft drink etc . NO Hair straighteners or make – up please

Parents and carers are invited to participate in our 2022 TTFM parent survey.

Participation in the survey takes around 15 minutes, is anonymous and helps us identify trends within our school and better inform school priorities.

Click here to access the survey 

There are no usernames or passwords needed

• Newcastle Knights Jersey  -   Kane Smith-Velich, highest sponsorship funds raised -  $315 
• NCYC Sailing Academy Gift Voucher – Harrison Rees 2O
• TreeTop Adventure Park Central Coast Family Pass – Kai Nelson 5/6N
• 4WD Tours R Us Family Sandboarding Tour Family Pass – Jeremy Galle 6CS
• Pulse Climbing Family Pass + Gear Hire – Meredith Connor 1B
• Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounter – Jedd Green KJ
• Oakvale Wildlife Park Family Pass – Lilly Priest 4/5B
• Lake Macquarie Cruises Boom Net and Biscuits Cruise – Mitchell Boyd 5L
• Toboggan Hill Family Pass – Isla Hitchcock 3W
• Unreal VR 60min Gift Voucher – Ivy Williams 1S
• Hunter Valley Zoo Family Pass – Mimi Threadingham 5/6N
• Newcastle Knights Packs :Leilanii Bradshaw 2O, Meredith Connor 1B, Annabelle Peran 1/2S, Quinlan Bartlett 3/4M,  Freya Doran 3W,  Connor Rudge 1/2S, Jackson Du Toit 6CS,  Lachlan Leys KH,  Noah Keggen-Sneeden 3/4M, Kai Nelson 5/6N,  Ava Prigg 6CS,  Isla Hitchcock 3W, Claire Squires 1B, Sidney Page 1S, Archie Peterson 1S, Zayden Brown 5/6N, Sophie Agland 5L, Harry Amos 3/4M, Oscar Green K/1C,      Jeremy Galle 6CS, Kane Smith-Velich 3/4M, Riley Brooker 5L, Olivia Brogan 4/5B,  Moon Hoang 1B, Oliver Gardner 4/5B , Lakin Lewis 3/4M, Ivy Williams 1S, Angus Lunn KH, Flynn Boardman 1B.
• Motiv8sports Camper Packs: Piper Beckitt 4/5B,  Zac Green 1/2S, Sophie Johannesen 3W,
• Yearly Camp Motiv8sports Vouchers: Oliver Gardner 4/5B,  Olive Owen KJ,  Ivy Williams 1S, Mason Hinchey 3W,  Zoe Scaife 1S, Kayne Smith-Velich 3/4M, Mase Everingham KJ,  Lilly Stewart-Jurd 6CS, Gabriel Faulkner 6CS, Olivia Hunter 2O
• Springloaded Bounce Pass: Violet Borg 3/4M, Juno Bartlett KH,  Zahli Drayton 1/2S, Riley Ford 4/5B,  Louis McInnes 1B,  Jack Prior KJ, Luka Drayton KH, Zoe Busch KJ,  Archie Pulsford 4/5B.

Rescheduled Event - We are looking forward to hosting the Colour Run on Friday 25 November. 

From Week 1, Monday 10 October, the following COVID-smart measures will remain in place in our schools:

•  Students and staff must stay at home if unwell and test for COVID-19 if showing any symptoms

•  Extra cleaning of bathrooms, drinking fountains and other high touch areas will continue in Term 4

•   Masks continue to be strongly encouraged for all staff, students and school visitors, particularly when indoors and when physical distancing is not possible. Masks continue to be mandatory for all staff working with students at greater risk of severe illness if they were to get COVID-19.

• Household or close contacts who are symptom-free can attend mainstream schools if they receive a negative RAT result every day for 5 school days and wear a mask (staff and high school students) while on site.

•  Natural ventilation will be maintained with windows and doors open whenever possible, including when cooling/heating systems are in use.

•  Additional circuit breaker measures continue to be implemented at schools when the risk of transmission within the school or wider community is considered high. Some schools may be directed to temporarily reintroduce additional COVID-19 measures including mandatory mask-wearing to minimise transmission risks.