Wingham Public School Bulletin

START OF DAY SUPERVISION

We have noticed that some of our students are arriving at school incredibly early in the mornings.  Please be aware that teachers are not on duty in the school grounds until 8.40am before school.  It is advisable for students to arrive at school as close as possible to the supervision time. Students are to remain seated on the courtyard steps until staff go on duty. Your support would be greatly appreciated.

ATTENDANCE AND EXPLAINING ABSENCES

Strong attendance is critical to student success at school, both academically and socially. This year the Department has revised their expectations for attendance rates with students now expected to maintain a minimum of 90% attendance throughout the year.

The Home School Liaison Officer will be visiting fortnightly to check attendance and follow up any concerns. A priority will be investigating ongoing poor attendance, regular partial absences and any unexplained/unjustified absences. It is important to tell the school if your child has to be absent from school and to provide a reason for the absence. It is a legal requirement that absences are explained within 7 days.

The most efficient way for parents to do this is by responding to our SMS messages. Parents may also call our Admin Office or write a note to explain student absences. Eliminating unnecessary absences will support your child to maximise their learning potential and develop positive social interactions with their peers. Please see information for parents regarding attendance at school which is included in this newsletter.   

 WELLBEING MORNINGS We will be hosting Wellbeing Mornings in Week 8 of this term. Parents and carers are invited to join us for the morning activities on Tuesday 14th June and Thursday 16th June from 8:45 to 9:10. A schedule with the fun activities which have been planned will be sent home shortly. We look forward to seeing you join in the fun. 

Rita Pittman

Principal

Voluntary school contributions are used to enhance educational programs in our school.  Payments are voluntary and are $40 per student/family.  

If you are able to assist in making a contribution, payments may be made on our webpage via the 'make a payment' tab; in cash or by eftpos.  We thank you for your support.

Last week students at Wingham Public School were treated to presentations by two captivating authors. These author visits were subsidised by MidNorth Coast Council as part of their Great Books Festival. The Great Books Festival is held annually to celebrate Library and Information Week. 

Student in K-2 were mesmerised by the fabulous and passionate award-winning author and illustrator Nicki Greenberg. Nicki Greenberg guided the students through the processes of researching, drafting, writing and illustrating a picture book. Nicki’s books bring joy to readers of all ages, so look out for her books in your child’s library bag. 

Students in Years 3-6 were entertained by the author Adrian Beck. Adrian has written over thirty books. Like his writing Adrian’s presentation was funny and action-packed. Adrian gave the students some great tips on writing and guided students through three methods he uses to beat writer’s block. Adrian declares on his website that his books are meant to be fun, even for kids who struggle to get interested in reading. Look out for Adrian’s next book titled Furball, where Adrian tries his hand at illustrating a book for the first time! 

Last Wednesday at 11:00 am Wingham Public School took part in National Simultaneous Storytime. National Simultaneous Storytime is also part of Library and Information Week celebrations. Students joined over 2 million other readers to read the book Family Tree by Josh Pike and Ronojy Gosh. 

On Friday we had 31 students represent our school at the zone cross country. All students did a fantastic job and ran incredible races. Congratulations to the following students who qualified for the Hunter carnival to be held in a couple of weeks.

Mia Currie, Tegan McCallum, Amelia Black, Kye Welsh, Melia Ward and Eaden Weber. Good luck to those students. Thank you to all the parents and carers who provided transport and came and supported on the day.

Kye Welsh recently competed at the NSW Touch Football Championships where he played for Hunter. He played extremely well and represented our school and region with great pride. His team went through the tournament undefeated and they won the final 3-2 becoming the state champions. A truly wonderful achievement. Congratulations Kye!