Welcome to Week 9! What an exciting week we have ahead of us, with our Presentation Day, Year 6 Farewell and K-6 end of year celebrations. Thank you to the entire school community for your support and flexibility in 2020. It has been a challenging year to say the least, but we have proven that with collaboration between staff, parents and students, there is nothing we cannot overcome or achieve. Our teachers gathered yesterday afternoon for a celebration of our student results for the year, and I am pleased to report that student growth in such a difficult year has still been a major highlight. Well done to all stakeholders in our community, the resilience and persistence you’ve shown in the face of adversity has been astronomical.
Presentation Day Webinar
This year, our Presentation Day event will be held on Thursday, 10 December from 10:00 a.m. As non-essential adults are still not allowed on site, parents and carers will have the opportunity to watch a live webinar of the proceedings via Zoom. To do this, you will need a registered Zoom account. You will be able to enter the webinar from approximately 9:40 a.m., and there will be a maximum capacity of 500 participants. You are welcome to share this link with close family and friends who would usually attend the event at Holbrook Public School, however, we ask that no more than five devices be used per family. Please note, we will not be recording this event for later viewing for the safety and privacy of our students.
The Presentation of awards will be run as one continuous stream of events, with opening proceedings being followed by K-2 awards, then a brief intermission for students which will include speeches from the Principal and P&C President. Once K-2 have left the hall and 3-6 resettle, awards for 3-6 students will begin, followed by the whole school awards and presentations. When each cohort (K-2 and 3-6) are not in the hall, they will be in the library watching a live stream of the event, so that all students, staff and the community members can enjoy the occasion. We anticipate that the entire event will take between 90 minutes and two hours.
Anticipated Questions
Why can't we come to the school to watch?
Whilst parents and carers can come to these events, due to restrictions, the number of students, staff and community members for our school would well and truly exceed our available floor space, even if we ran multiple events.
Why aren't the students singing?
There are specific restrictions on singing in groups which we need to adhere to in enclosed spaces.
Why can't all of the students be in the hall at once?
There are restrictions in place requiring us to keep our student cohorts (K-2 and 3-6) apart for the purposes of contact tracing.
Why aren't there special presenters this year?
Unfortunately, non-essential adults are not able to visit the school.
Why aren't they shaking hands when they receive an award?
This is a NSW Health and NSW Department of Education infection control and hygiene measure due to the current pandemic.
See below for login details:
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Thursday, 10 December 2020 10:00 a.m. Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Topic: 2020 Presentation Day - Holbrook PS
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://nsweducation.zoom.us/j/69715455748?pwd=L2dtZmVzNHkwdTE5Y29kK3R6VEt6QT09
Passcode: Holbrook
Or iPhone one-tap:
Australia: +61731853730,,69715455748# or +61861193900,,69715455748#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
Australia: +61 7 3185 3730 or +61 8 6119 3900 or +61 8 7150 1149 or +61 2 8015 6011 or +61 3 7018 2005
Webinar ID: 697 1545 5748
International numbers available: https://nsweducation.zoom.us/u/ebxtNc0IjW
Or an H.323/SIP room system:
H.323: 103.122.166.55 (Australia)
Meeting ID: 697 1545 5748
Passcode: 55616357
SIP: 69715455748@zoomcrc.com
Passcode: 55616357
Reports
Our Semester 2 Student Progress Reports will go home this Friday. Please take the time to read the report and discuss it with your child, focusing on their strengths and any actions they can take to improve further. At Holbrook Public School, we welcome the opportunity to communicate with families and provide ongoing information through interviews or meetings. Should you wish to discuss your child’s report further, please contact the school on 6036 2021 to arrange a meeting with your child’s teacher.
Year 6 Leaders’ Lunch
On Monday, all of Year 6 will be treated to pizza for lunch to recognise their outstanding contribution to the school in 2020. They won’t need to order their lunch from the Holbrook Bakery, but they will need to bring snacks for the first break, as the pizza won’t arrive until 1:15 p.m. Please let the school know asap if you would not like your child to participate in the lunch. This year, we will have it on the school grounds. Our School Leaders have needed to adapt their leadership this year, including coordinating fortnightly virtual assemblies, which they have now mastered. Our House Leaders have been irreplaceable as well. They have sanitised all sports equipment after each of the three breaks every day since the end of May to help ensure students can play and have fun at school each day. A huge effort! There are many other roles that Year 6 are also trusted to undertake, including being buddies to Kindergarten, flags, rolls, bus captains and key holders. Well done and thank you, Year 6! We wish you all the very best at High School and beyond!
Year 6 Play
Year 6 will perform their play in two sessions, one for K-2 and one for 3-6, in the school hall on Tuesday afternoon next week. Thank you to Mrs Wedgwood for providing this modified experience in 2020 for our Year 6 students.
Year 6 Farewell
On Tuesday, 15 December, Year 6 students and staff will attend the Holbrook RS Club from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for the Year 6 Farewell Dinner. There will be a combined limit of 25 students and staff in the upstairs room for the event, with a COVID Safety Plan being in place. We hope the students and parents enjoy their separate, non-school event, as well.
First and Final Dates
The final school day for students in 2020 will be Wednesday, 16 December. The school will be closed on Thursday, 17 and 18 December. Staff will return to school for two Staff Development Days in 2021, Wednesday, 27 and Thursday, 28 January, with students in Years 1-6 beginning back at school on Friday, 29 January. Best Start Testing sessions will take place for Kindergarten students from Friday, 29 January until Tuesday, 2 February, with their first full day at school beginning on Wednesday, 3 February.
Opportunity Class Test
The Opportunity Class Placement Test was conducted on Wednesday, 18 November 2020 in 1068 primary schools and test centres across NSW. The results are expected to be released to parents and schools in mid-January 2021. Parents are reminded to watch their emails or depute someone else to respond on their behalf if they will be out of contact when the results are released, as offers will lapse if parents do not respond in time.
Community Survey – New School Plan
We are in the process of developing a new school plan for 2021 – 2024 which will incorporate evidence-based research available through What Works Best (CESE, 2020), the Schools Excellence Framework (Version 2) and community consultation.
Please fill in this brief two response survey to give us an indication of the strengths and areas for improvement at our school.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfbKJrWOl2ZI-o0sK6oxd3qdcoJOLi1XOSHHDarsbltClcfGw/viewform?usp=sf_link
The feedback provided by all members of our school community (students, staff, parents and broader community) is highly valued and will help grow and improve our service.
Nathan Fisher
Principal
