7 Salamander Street Phone: 6652 3355

Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Fax: 6651 3991

Email: coffsharb-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Web Address: www.coffsharb-p.schools@nsw.edu.au

Coffs Harbour Public School

22nd March, 2017

Dear Parents and Carers,

What a wet few weeks we’ve had. Let’s hope we get some drying weather soon.

Our Bullying No Way day held last Friday was extremely successful. Every class took part in lessons aimed at reducing bullying and offering strategies to prevent bullying and offer support to others. Students were given a wristband each and a card to keep that offered strategies. I have a number of spare cards if you would like additional cards for high school children. Please feel free to ask at the office.

Yesterday we had the draw for all students who had paid their $40 school fees. Congratulations to Kallie B who is the winner of the $100 voucher to use at PBP Woolworths. School fees assist us to provide paper, pencils, craft supplies, Mathletcics, USB sticks and other necessary items for children to use at school. Thank you to the many parents who have paid. If it’s slipped your mind to pay, you can do so over the phone and we also have EFTPOS facilities.

Yesterday, staff had a 3.5hr staff meeting after work to do some professional learning around teaching Writing. We are so fortunate to have Louise Blomfield and Sue Davis, our Instructional Leaders, take all staff through explicit teaching strategies to improve the teaching and learning of Writing. Our staff will be engaged in four long staff meetings over the course of the year. These meetings will replace the Staff Development Days over the last two days of the year. Staff will then finish on the same day the students do - 19th December 2017.

Tomorrow is our school disco. It will be held at lunchtime and the theme is crazy hat or coloured wig.

Have a great week, Leonie

PB ( Personal Best) Assembly

Please note that the PB Assembly date has changed. It will now be held on Thursday 6 April 2017 at 11.30am. Parents of students receiving their Silver, Gold and PB award will receive an invitation next week.

Bullying No Way Day

Easter Hat Parade

The Easter Hat Parade will be held on Wednesday 5th April at 9:15am. All students in K-4 will be making an Easter hat, bonnet or mask. Year 5 and 6 will be assisting the younger students to make their hats at school. This will be done as part of the Art/Craft lessons for each class. The P&C will be running an Easter raffle which will be drawn at the conclusion of the Parade.

Mrs Leonie Buehler — School Principal

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work and we pay

our respects to the Elders both past and present

Kids Matter Parent Survey

We are asking parents to fill in the Parent Survey that Kidsmatter have available. It can be found at http://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary/parentsurvey but if you have any difficulties there are paper copies in the office. Just type in the C for Coffs Harbour Public School and select our school from the drop down box. This is one of the ways that our school can find out how we can best help parents and families. Thanks to those parents who filled out the survey already. It closes this week.

Week 9 School Disco On Thursday at lunch time we will be holding a disco in the hall for students. Wear a crazy hat or colourful wig and put your dancing shoes on! There will be plenty of games and ‘Just Dance’ routines to follow plus chances to show off your best moves! See you there!

- Disco Committee

Great Aussie Bush Camp

Just a reminder that the deposit is now due for the Stage 2 excursion. The $50 non refundable deposit is due by this Friday March 24th.

Parent Community Liaison News

Rain rain go away!

Hope you have found some creative wet weather ways to keep entertained. I figure it is a great opportunity to either go get sopping wet and jump in puddles or cosy up inside as a family. It has meant the postponement of our surfing group and personal training session but we will hold them as soon as possible.

Thanks to Tahlee for hosting our signing class on Friday afternoons. Please note there will be NO class this Friday but we will resume next week. Keep practicing your finger spelling alphabet till then.

Enjoy your week

Caitlin Mackie

P&C News

Thank you to everyone so far for your generous donations towards our Easter raffle. It’s not too late if you are able to help. Donations can be placed in the provided container in the office. There will be 3 hampers to win. Sold tickets can be returned to the office by Tuesday 4th April. If you wish for more tickets please see the office who have spares. If you would like some tickets for your work please contact Sarah Baker on 0401271348 to arrange this. We thank you for supporting the P&C, who raise funds to help benefit the children of this school.

If you would like any further information, please contact the P&C by email at chpspandc@gmail.com or contact Sam Bergen on 0421 374 911. You can also get regular updates on what’s going on at our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/chpspandc/

Class Name Awarded for: Class Name Awarded for:

KM Elvi Always striving to do her best in all

learning areas. 5/6 H Sharna

Showing great courage and giving her

best at the netball gala day.

KM Zahra Being a responsible learner. 6B Farith Working to the best of his ability.

KD Lexi Excellent effort in writing. 3/6 F Joesph Working hard in all areas.

K/1 G Brooklyn Dedication and enthusiasm in writing. 3/6 F Phoenix Excellent effort at camp.

1P Marlo Great discussions and working

independently. 3/6 C Rainui Always participating in class activities.

1A Mylee Always making good choices and

having a positive attitude. 3/6 C Mark Being in the right place always.

2E Jay A great effort in all areas. 3/6 S Jamie Always enjoying music.

4M Zoe Excellent effort in all areas. 3/6 S Yasmin Attending school every day.

4H Robert An excellent effort with his speech in

the Public Speaking competition. K/3 B Kallum Keeping our classroom clean and tidy.

5M Zara Continuing to improve her effort in

her learning.

Student of the Week - Week 8

Student of the Week certificates are awarded to students who demonstrate behaviour consistent with our school rules of Excellence, Safety, Respect and Responsibility.

News from our EALD class.

At Coffs Harbour Public School EALD students in our intensive English class have been involved in many activities that promote friendship, language and understanding. Our students have many special gifts, talents and interests and are at differing levels of education and English proficiency. We provide a safe learning environment where all students have the opportunity to participate and engage with each other. When students are relaxed and feel they can contribute to the class deeper learning of both content and language takes place. All students are capable of achieving the curriculum requirements provided they receive adequate scaffolding and support. Language skills develop when students are engaged and actively interacting with each other through comprehensible yet challenging activities. Students have also been learning about health (hygiene and nutrition) safety inside and outside the school and school rules. Students are developing confidence and are becoming involved in all aspects of school life including leadership roles, chess, netball and other sporting events. CHPS is fortunate to have children from all around the globe and we have more than thirty languages represented. Students learn empathy, tolerance and cultural understanding and as a result learn about the world through the exchange of views and ideas.

Harmony Day 2017

Yesterday we celebrated Harmony Day here at CHPS. At our morning assembly, Miss Freeman spoke to us about Harmony day and the meaning behind it. We have shared her inspiring speech below for us all to read.

Today is Harmony Day and the message of today is that 'everyone belongs'. I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to some of the students here at C.H.P.S about what harmony means to them but before I tell you what they said, let me share with you some of the horrible things they had to endure growing up in a country other than Aus-tralia.

The way these stories were described to me sounded like it was the OPPOSITE to harmony.

One particular student told me about the time she moved four times in Africa NOT because her family found a new and bigger home but because of the terrible war that was happening around her. Her and her family would move in the shadows of night so they would not be detected by the enemy and so they were not taken away from each oth-er or hurt.

Their families were not able to access the basic medical needs you and I can easily access right here in Coffs Harbour. Things like doctors, hospitals and even medicine were not something they could access easily or at all.

Another student told me that when her family had to flee to a neighboring town the only thing they were given, for a

family of 11, was one blanket.

These students told me that they went days without food.

They slept on a square of hessian on the dirt.

They also told me that all they had were the clothes on their back. So they could not change their clothes if they got dirty or ruined.

These experiences.... terrible, horrendous experiences of some of the students that go to our school are just a tiny, tiny portion of what they've had to endure when they lived in other countries. They have witnessed things we could never imagine and experienced things we only hear of in movies.

Now when I asked these same students what harmony meant to them this is what they said:

"Miss Freeman, harmony means waking up every morning without hearing people screaming in fear or without hear-ing shooting guns”.

Harmony means having fresh air, clothes, food and water.

Harmony means being able to see a doctor when you are sick at any time, being able to get medicine and being able to go to the hospital without fear of being assaulted.

Harmony means that the people that are in their lives, like friends, bus drivers, teachers and the community are ca-pable of showing understanding, empathy and compassion.

Harmony is having a choice in life.

Above all, harmony is feeling safe in ALL aspects of life.

Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Day as it traditionally signifies social communication and mean-ingful conversations. It also relates to freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.

Harmony Day celebrates Australia's cultural diversity. It's about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Today we aim to engage people to participate in their community, respect cultural AND religious diversity and to foster a sense of belonging for EVERYONE.

Your gold coin donation will be going towards helping people who need it the most, more than you or I. It could mean that instead of a family of 11 having just one blanket, they have enough to provide warmth for all family mem-bers. It could mean vaccinations for a few families. It could mean fresh water or medicine for a community.

Here at CHPS we like to make sure we include everyone but today especially I would like you to think about how you can use empathy, compassion and understanding towards making sure everyone belongs.

Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

9 20/3

21/3

Harmony Day

22/3

23/3

Guitar Lessons

24/3

10

27/3

28/3

29/3

Waste Education Program

30/3

Guitar Lessons

Waste Education Program

Disco

(during lunchtime )

31/3

K - 2 Assembly (11:30am)

3 - 6 Assembly (12:15pm)

Choir Performance

11

3/4

4/4

Dolphin Marine Magic

(K - 2 excursion)

5/4

Easter Hat Parade (9:15am)

Rewards Day

6/4

Guitar Lessons

PB Assembly (11:30am)

Attendance Party

7/4

Last Day of Term 1

Term 2

1

24/4

Staff Development Day

25/4

ANZAC Day

(Public Holiday)

CHPS will march at the

ANZAC Day parade

26/4

1st Day of Term 2

for students

27/4

28/4

2

1/5

2/5

3/5

4/5

5/5

K - 2 Assembly (11:30am)

Performance by 1P

3 - 6 Assembly (12:15pm)

Performance by 3M

3 8/5

9/5

NAPLAN

10/5

NAPLAN

11/5

NAPLAN

12/5

Coffs Harbour Public School

2017 Term 1 / 2 Calendar

Good News Story of the Week!

Last Friday students celebrated Bullying No Way Day by sharing a special BBQ lunch together under the COLA, participating in a variety of class activities around bullying, wearing wrist bands and watching a special video clip on "Super Powers" at our assembly. If you would like to learn more about the Bullying - No Way Day, you can visit http://www.bullyingnoway.com.au.

Coffs kids say no to bullies!