Welcome back to Term 2, 2020 hope this Newsletter finds you and your family well.
Distance learning has now been completed for the first two weeks of term, well done teachers, parents and students. All work has been added to Google classrooms and/or picked up in hard copy form from school. As always if there is any questions please do not hesitate to contact the school office or alternatively your child's teacher via Dojo.
Just as a reminder also, there was a ‘Learning from home’ survey sent out via our Skoolbag app last Friday, the 1st of May, 2020. Please take some time to answer the questions, and give us some feedback on how this learning from home experience has been. The more responses we receive, the more representation you have as parents and therefore, the more effect this will have on our future planning for your child’s learning.
As mentioned also last Term, Mrs Whitehouse has organised for students to have the opportunity to participate in some competitions, with poetry, photography and public speaking being the topics covered. These competitions have been uploaded on Google Classrooms and are completely optional. Whilst participation is not compulsory, I encourage students to challenge themselves and attempt some of them. For details on how to submit these completed competitions please contact your child’s teacher.
Per previous communication, from Monday the 11th of May and as a result of the Premiers announcement, children will begin to attend school in staggered groups, this will be based on sport houses, which ensures that families are kept together. Please note; families that have children with different surnames will still be placed in the same house. This will begin as one day per week and gradually increased over the term, any changes to frequency will be communicated accordingly.
As a reminder, the schedule is as follows:
Monday - KOALA - Surnames A-E
Tuesday - KOOKABURRA - Surname - F-L
Wednesday - PLATYPUS - Surname M-R
Thursday - WALLABY - Surname S-Z
Friday - children who are required to attend due to parents working/care arrangements.
In regards to dropping off and picking up of children on your allocated day, we ask that you do so by dropping them at the front gate and return at the end of the day to collect from the same point. This will help us to adhere to safe social distancing procedures and avoid having parents congregate on the school grounds at this time.
Please note that the uniform shop is closed till further notice, and School banking is also still on hold. In addition to this, the bi-annual school concert has unfortunately had to be cancelled as well as this year’s Central Coast Dance Festival, apologies, we know this will be disappointing to all involved.
250th Anniversary Captain Cook - Endeavour Voyage landing in Botany Bay.
Last week (29.4.2020) we acknowledged the 250th Anniversary of Captain Cook's voyage that ultimately led him to Botany Bay. Captain James Cook was an English explorer, navigator, map maker and scientist. He was born on October 27, 1728 in Yorkshire (England). He left school at the age of 12 and worked as a farmhand with his father. He eventually became an apprentice to the owner of a small fleet of coal ships. He was an explorer and a scientist and the purpose of his trip was to map items in the South Pacific and to collect plants etc.
Incredibly, he also observed the astronomical phenomenon known as the transit of Venus.In 1768 Captain James Cook and crew set sail on a small British naval vessel, the Endeavour, bound for the Pacific Ocean. He was ordered to establish an observatory in Tahiti, in order to record the 1769 transit of Venus. With the assistance of naturalist Joseph Banks and his team he collected natural historical artifacts in this far part of the world.Cook reached the South Eastern coast of Australia on April 19, 1770 and in doing so his expedition became the first recorded arrival of Europeans to successfully make it to the Eastern coastline. On April 29, Cook and crew made their first landfall on the mainland and stayed for up to 9 days, there is evidence however, that the landing was not peaceful.Interestingly this exploration in the South Pacific was brought on by conflict across Europe between England and France (who were also exploring).This was the most significant of Cook’s voyages, transforming the world map and the way Europeans viewed the South Pacific Ocean its lands and its people. What made this task even more amazing was the size of the Endeavour, it was a staggering 32 m long and approximate 9 m wide, what an amazing feat.
ANZAC Day –
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our school leaders Mia and Tevita for their wonderful ANZAC day speeches, paying our respects to diggers past and present. Given the current situation, we had planned for an online version of our ANZAC ceremony, this therefore still allowed our leaders to pay tribute to our service men and women and deliver their speeches as they normally would with some modifications for a virtual delivery. Thanks to Mrs Adams for the adaption of music, editing and backgrounds for this recording. Thank you also to Miss Scotton, who performed an incredible rendition of The Last Post, it was very moving indeed.
Currently, (according to the AWM Canberra) approximately 1550 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel are currently based within Afghanistan as part of Operation SLIPPER. Australia's military contribution to the international campaign against terrorism, maritime security in the Middle East Area of Operations and countering piracy in the Gulf of Aden. An additional 830 ADF personnel are deployed across the broader Middle East Area of Operations. Australia has also maintained a continuous maritime contribution to Operation SLIPPER, which currently consists of the Anzac Class Frigate HMAS Toowoomba, to these service men and women we thank you and are forever grateful and appreciative of your sacrifices to protect and serve our wonderful country.
