in this issue term 2 – we are already halfway through! · throughout our lives. we understand...

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR OUR CHILDREN 1

Narrabri West

Public School

Newsletter

Tuesday, 31 May 2016 | Week 6 Term 2 IN THIS ISSUE

It is fantastic to see the incredible things happening at Narrabri West. These are a result of our school community working together for our students and it is this partnership between students, parents and staff that is achieving great things for them.

This has been very obvious at the Narrabri Eisteddfod. Well done to all of our students who participated. Once again they performed with distinction, gaining a number of awards in the many items.

A very big thank you to our staff who dedicate many hours of their own time to prepare items, organise transport and provide supervision. It is because of their efforts that your children have opportunities such as these. Also to the parents and friends who have assisted with transport to and from the Crossing Theatre and with ensuring everyone was in uniform and ready to perform at their very best.

The Narrabri West Cross Country competitors are also preparing and

training for the Narrabri Zone PSSA Cross Country Trials at Fairfax PS.

Our teachers are busily finalising assessment data and preparing written student reports to go home in Week 10 of this term. These provide students and parents with information on student achievement so far this year. They provide clear, comprehensive and consistent information about each child‘s progress, as well as suggestions on how parents can best support their child with their learning.

Students have been undertaking ongoing assessments throughout the year to allow teachers to make judgments about their progress.

Teachers have also spent many hours working in their stage teams to ensure that there is consistency across the school and that the reports provide an accurate indication of each child’s current learning and needs.

2D’s Green Thumbs Lots of classes now have the gardening bug, thanks to Mrs. Hatton’s influence and 2D are the latest to join in! More photos inside…

Page 4

June

1 NSW win State of Origin

3 K-6 Assembly 1:00pm; 5 Cent Friday

6 Fete Meeting 6:00pm; P&C Meeting 6:30pm

8 Narrabri PSSA Cross Country

9 Science Challenge (TBC)

10 Crazy Hair Day (Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser); K-6 Assembly 1:00pm; 5 Cent Friday

17 North West PSSA Cross Country; K-6 Assembly 1:00pm; 5 Cent Friday


27 Semester One Reports

Main Photo: Look who we have enrolled! It’s a new student and his name is Westy Bear!! He was a big hit, made many new friends very quickly and got lots of cuddles on his first day here. Make sure you say hello when you see him at all of our school events.

Term 2 – we are already halfway through!

NARRABRI WEST PUBLIC SCHOOL | Week 6 Term 2 2

Feature Article

Did you know can grow your brain and intelligence?

Many people believe that you are born smart, or average or not smart at all and that this cannot be changed. However, we now know that the brain can be developed in the same way as a muscle can be made stronger, so that we can ‘grow our intelligence’ throughout our lives.

We understand that when a weightlifter practises lifting weights, they can progressively lift heavier and heavier weights, and when they stop practicing, their muscles will shrink. This works in a similar way as our brains.

When we learn something new, tiny connections in the brain multiply and get stronger. The more our brains are challenged to learn, the more the brain cells grow.

We want the children to understand that the way to make our brains stronger is to learn how to learn, to develop some strategies that help us learn and that these strategies in themselves will continually be developed and refined and will vary according to the circumstances, age of the person etc.

These strategies support our school’s formative assessment directions. Some of the strategies being encouraged in classrooms include:

• Looking over what has been learned, and working out what the next step is;

• Practising a particular skill; • Seeking assistance when unsure; • Looking at another example; • Reviewing work and trying to

make it better according to success criteria a teacher has provided; and

• Looking at examples of quality work and then trying to improve own work.

It is important to reinforce the messages being given by our teachers that the learning is within the students’ reach and that it’s not a matter of not being able to do something, it’s a matter of not being able to do it YET. Mistakes can be very helpful when we learn from them. Having an ‘I can do it’ attitude is hard to have all the time, especially when there is a situation where the learning is hard, but having this attitude and a positive mindset in itself can be a great facilitator of further learning.

West Bear enrols at school Our new student Westy Bear is fitting in very well at his new school. Westy is going to be a regular visitor to Narrabri West from time to time, especially at major school events. We are sure he will be a wonderful addition to our school. On his first day he was very busy, presenting Hayley with her birthday present and meeting Blue Group from Pre School.

Welcome Westy Bear!

Westy meets Pre School

Athletics Carnival - Thursday 27th and Friday 28th July Keep these dates in your diary as they are coming up soon. These are some of our favourite days in the school calendar, as it is a day for everyone to be involved and is an exciting social and community event as well.

Uniforms As we move into the cooler weather, I ask students and parents to be aware of the uniform requirements at Narrabri West. Our uniform room has school jumpers, jackets and rugby tops available in school colours with our emblem on them. Navy blue or red scarves are also permitted. Please assist us to uphold the wonderful uniform standard that we have set.

We have school jackets which can be purchased from the school office for $50.

We also notice at this time every year students wearing to school jumpers that are not part of the school uniform. Jumpers that are different colours to our school jumper e.g. red, yellow, black etc. and hoodies are not part of our uniform and SHOULD NOT be worn.

Pre School Enrolments 2017 Parents are advised that ‘Enrolment Expression of Interest’ forms are now available at the front office or on the Pre School section of our website for placement at our Pre School in 2017.

Please also advise any friends, relatives etc. who would like their children to attend next year of the availability of these forms.

We already have a lot of applications for the limited places available.


Sick kids! With the onset of the winter months we also experience the season of colds and flu. Whilst being at school every day is important to your child’s education, we do need to understand that when they are ill they need time to recover.

Colds and flu’s spread very easily and quickly in a school environment, with so many people in one small space. Please remind your child of the preventable actions they can take, washing hands, using tissues etc….

If your child says they have a headache, tummy ache, sore throat, or all three, please don’t send them to school. This can help stop germs spreading and lessens the chance of other students and staff catching them.

If they do require a day or two off school, please remember to send a note or use the Skoolbag app explaining the absence.

ANZ Citizenship Award Our latest ANZ award winner is Shayla Williams. Shayla is a wonderful student at Narrabri West – always smiling, happy and wanting to do her very best. We are very lucky to have her at our school. Well done Shayla!

Some very busy weeks at Narrabri West! These last few weeks have been extremely hectic and it’s great to see the number of students making the most of the many opportunities offered at Narrabri West.

There is a downside to all of these extra activities however, as consequently there are a lot of interruptions. Whilst these may sometimes be a disruption to normal school life, they are all valuable learning activities and part of the overall educational experience. Many of them are also chances for students to excel at, or be involved in opportunities that they would not normally receive in the classroom.

Thank you to our teachers We have many wonderful teachers at Narrabri West and are extremely lucky to have them volunteer to run

many programs including PSSA, sporting teams, music, etc.

Many of these programs are run during their own lunch breaks, in addition to playground duties, professional development and meetings. It is not compulsory for staff to volunteer for these roles and we are privileged that they give up their time due to their commitment, passion and care for our students.

They go above and beyond what is required so that they can provide the best opportunities for everyone at our school. They often give up personal time, work late into the night and arrive at school very early! They do this without expecting any recognition or acknowledgement, but just for the benefit of our students.

Their enthusiasm and contribution is to be commended. Thank you!

Best wishes Stephen Maher Principal

Photo Highlights BBQ & Picnic Area Project

The next stage of our BBQ area upgrade is continuing with the pouring of the rubber wetpour surfacing. What an interesting process this is. Make sure you stop and have a look when you are here. It should be completed by tomorrow.

2D Gardening 2D has planted a garden in the fountain near the BBQ area and this


will be another very pretty addition to this area. Thanks 2D – we look forward to watching everything grow.

Kindergarten ‘Gummy Bears’ Kindergarten looked sensational for their Eisteddfod performance of ‘The Gummy Bear’ dance.

Elvis is not dead!

No – he is very much alive and well at Narrabri West! He also performed with 3T and 4K at the Narrabri Eisteddfod when they presented 'Jailhouse Rock.' He does look a little bit like Noah Ghassan though – what do you think?

… is from 3T. Make sure you have a look when you are in the office.

Five Cent Friday Update

So far we have collected

$172.45

(or 3,449 five cent pieces)

Education Week 2016

A celebration of 100 days of school, showcasing what we

have learnt this year! 36 School Days to Go!

Narrabri West

Pre School 2017

We are now taking Expressions of

Interest for Pre School placements in 2017.

Application forms may be collected from the front office or our website.

Initial offers of placement for 2017 will be made in September.


The Student Council is organising our involvement in Crazy Hair Day on Friday 10th June.

Crazy Hair Day raises money for Cystic Fibrosis New South Wales. Cystic Fibrosis is the most common life threatening, recessive genetic condition affecting Australian children. It is a disease that affects a number of organs in the body, especially the lungs and pancreas. At present there is no cure, but the faulty gene has been identified and doctors and scientists are working to find ways of repairing or replacing it. With today’s improved treatment most people with CF are able to lead reasonably normal and productive lives. A great amount of time is being directed towards finding new and improved ways of treating CF and of finally finding a cure.

Students can come to school with crazy hair, wigs, hats, coloured hair etc and pay a gold coin donation. Let’s hope that everyone can join in this fun activity and support a very worthy cause that is very close to the heart of everyone at Narrabri West at the same time.

Our next fete meeting will be held on Monday 6th June, commencing at 6:00pm in the staffroom. The weeks are disappearing quickly as the fete gets closer and closer (only 13 school weeks to go), so we are hoping that we have lots of interested parents able to come to this meeting. Thank you to those who have already offered their assistance. We always look forward to this highlight of the school year.

Our P&C will also hold their next meeting on Monday 6th June at 6:30pm in the staffroom.

One of the most important things you can do to ensure your child has a bright future is to make sure they come to school every day and get here on time. It sounds simple, but it‘s true. The connection between school attendance and children‘s achievement levels is well-established. The more time they spend at school, the more likely they are to experience school success.

We often see reasons for staying away such as to celebrate birthdays, go shopping, have extended weekends, or students not wanting to take part in a sports day or special school event. This type of absenteeism sends a strong message to students that parents don‘t really value learning or school experiences.

Of course, there will be times, such as illness or genuinely extenuating family circumstances, when they should be away. But it‘s reassuring to know that you can increase their chances of future success just by making sure they turn up to school every day.

Narrabri West is a very busy sporting environment at the moment. Everyone is busy training and preparing for Athletics, Years 5 and 6 enjoyed the Rugby League Gala Day and we have teams competing in PSSA knockout competitions – unfortunately we were ‘knocked out’ in them all!!!

Noah Dickinson flying high and long during

Long Jump practice.

Rugby League Gala Day

PSSA Netball Knockout Last week the netball team, Miss Cush and our cheer squad travelled to Wee Waa to compete in the PSSA netball knockout competition. We got off to a great start scoring the first 3 goals, but unfortunately the opposition was just too strong.

Our team played really hard and worked together until the clock said zero. We gave it a go and had fun.

I would like to thank the parents for coming along and losing their voices cheering for us. Also the parent who helped us train – you were a really big help. Of cause a really big thank you to Miss Cush for making this all happen, we couldn’t have done it without you and also the team for giving it a go and sticking with each other to the very end.

So as a wise person once said “If your legs get tired – let your heart do the work!”


Montana Olding (for the Netball team)

PSSA Soccer Knockouts

Boys Soccer team

Riley Longworth kicks our goal, but we lost

3-1 to Narrabri PS

Girls Soccer team

Our girls in action – unfortunately we lost

2-1 against Moree PS

Stage 1 What a busy term we are having! In Week 4 we all performed in the Narrabri Eisteddfod. 1K and 1S performed ‘Down by the Bay’ and

gained 2nd place. They all looked fantastic in their beach themed costumes and performed extremely well. 1/2B and 2D performed ‘I’m a Little Teapot’ and ‘What a Wonderful World’ and were placed 3rd. They looked exceptionally smart in their winter uniforms and sang beautifully.

In English we have been reading ‘The Gruffalo’, ‘Possum Magic’ and ‘Koala Lou’. We have been writing descriptions, sequencing events and completing story maps. We have been learning about the moral of a story and a characters perspective. We are now reading factual information about koalas and writing informative texts.

In Maths, Year 1 have been learning about reading time on analogue clocks, representing two-digit numbers, doubles and near doubles and recently have begun measuring the length and capacity of objects using informal units. Year 2 has been learning about number patterns, reading and writing three-digit numbers, solving two-digit addition and subtraction problems and measuring capacity using litres.

In History we have been focusing on the past and present. We discussed changes in family life, communication, education and toys. The students were especially interested in what a classroom looked like in the past and were surprised to learn about the use of the cane! They have enjoyed interviewing family members about toys they played with when they were little. Later in the term we will have a visit from the Narrabri Museum volunteers to show us artefacts used by families in the past.

In Science with Mrs Phillips the students have enjoyed learning how toys work. They have enjoyed conducting experiments and writing in their Science Learning Journals.

During Creative Arts lessons we have enjoyed creating a Gruffalo paper bag puppet, a mosaic possum and a hand drawn koala sitting in a collage tree. We hope all the mums enjoyed their special mother’s day gifts we made in class.


Stage 1 Teachers Jodie Keys, Sarah Smith, Chrissy Baldwin, Jane Dafter & Niki Leslie

We cannot believe we are already in week 6 - time flies when you’re having fun!

In week 4 we had our book fair opening, and to celebrate students dressed up as their favourite characters in their very own book parade. They all did so well and we are very proud of them for their efforts leading up to, and on the day of, the parade.

We would like to thank the students’ families and our extended school community at Narrabri West that have contributed to our book fair through purchases and donations. We are very lucky to have such thoughtful and generous people supporting Narrabri West Preschool. This will be our last week for the book fair, so if you haven’t had a chance, please come down to see the great range of books for yourself.

In week 5, Blue group were lucky enough to attend the assembly at the hall with the Primary students to meet a special guest… Westy Bear! We were all very well behaved and were treated to a “beary” big hug from our friendly school mascot.

Believe it or not, our chickens are still growing! Students in both red and blue group have been recording the height of Sleepy, Westy and Sparkles on a graph each week. Take a look for yourself at how fast they are growing… Judah is holding a chicken in Week 1 and Ellie is holding a chicken in Week 5!

Our flower garden has started to blossom with beautiful pink flowers emerging from amongst the green. Students were very excited by this discovery and are eager for all the other buds to open. Our vegetable garden is also doing very well. Students (and teachers!) were surprised at how much they have grown in just a few weeks. Like our chickens, students are monitoring how much our plants grow from week to week by taking a photo of each plant and comparing them on a graph.


On Wednesday of Week 8 and Thursday of Week 10 there will be formal 15 minute interviews held with Georgia Mulock regarding your child’s progress through term 1 and 2. Interview times will be displayed on the wall for parents/ carers to select a day and time that suits them. We hope to see you all there!

Thank you for your continued support and positivity throughout this term!

Georgia Mulock and Tricia Lawty

Award Winners

KC

Zander Kneale, Jason Collett, Teagan Spittles, Harley Myers, Imogen Lubke-Wood & Kiara Sheehan

KG

Mia Williams, Sophie Stoltenberg, Isla Fielding, Summer Charlton, Ella Hobden & Brody Smith

KL

Jordin Tribe, Michael Morris, Ethan Conomos, Hadleigh Astill, Brayden Williams & Maddison Mowle

1K

Cindy Jones, Haylo Hill-Davis, Lily Hennessy, Chayce Browning, Liam Nott & Matilda Watkins

1S

Maya Watson, Kushi Ghimire, Kaden Hill, Cameron Winter, Hope Stanford & Lily Todd

1/2B

Riley Seccombe, Lachlan Smith, Taryn Kirk, Kyal Seymour, Georgia Thomas & Ryan Williams

2D

Cody Lane, Elijah Hedley, Angus Lamb, Rory Holman, Taliyah Earle & Anna Stewart

2/3C

Billie Tout, Lillie-Mae Carter, Alyssa Christie, Nate Wilkins, Logan Shields & Caitlan Bourke

3T

Charlie Bennett, Kendall Kelly, Jasper Bruce, Jasmine Thompson, Chelsea

Dean & Lilly Burford

3/4F

Oliver Boehm, Jada Hughes, Kaitlyn Cahill, Marlee Many, Isabella Keys & Karl Harvey

4K

Chloe Mason, Isabel Graham, Bridie Russell, Ethan Hall, Madison Kay & Baylee Kelly

5/6C

Will Burns, Ebonie Bruce, Holly Ford, Will Bennett, Hannah Strickland & Jye Cuell

5/6P

Mackenzie Knox, Jordyna Hucker, Grace Hardy, Jordan Kay, Zara Bennett & Braxton Fish

5/6S

Josh McKnight, Eva Hanslow, Rachel Jones, Pippa Smith, Chelsea Wallace & Larnie Durkin

CITIZENSHIP AWARDS & STARS OF THE WEEK

Amelia Lennox Emily Beale

Ehren McFarland Ruby Clayton

Layla Boehm Rhys Butler

Riley Longworth

K-2 SUPER WESTY SHAUN FOSTER

3-6 SUPER WESTY MITCH DAFTER

Roster Week 6

Wed 1st Cheryl Hennessy

Thu 2nd Susan Browning

Fri 3rd K Butler, N McCauley, S McKenzie

Week 7

Mon 6th Kate Holman

Tue 7th Norma Hill

Wed 8th Mel Richardson

Thu 9th B George, B Finn

Fri 10th M Simpson, J Wilson, S Burley

Week 9

Mon 13th Queen’s Birthday Holiday

Tue 14th Kelly Smith

Wed 15th Joy Geal

Thu 16th Maz Griffiths

Fri 17th J Hill, H Hill, E Lennox

Community News Narrabri Parkrun Narrabri Parkrun has been confirmed for 4 June as our launch date. Parkrun is not a race against other runners, but a 5km timed run, jog or walk. It can really be whatever you want it to be, whether that's for fun or as part of a training plan. Narrabri Parkrun offers an opportunity for all members of our local community, male or female, young or old, to come together on a regular basis to enjoy our beautiful West Lake and get physically active in the process. We want to encourage people to walk, jog or run together irrespective of their ability – this event is truly open to all and best of all it really is FREE!

Taking part is easy – just register in advance by 6pm on the Friday before your first ever Parkrun event. The great thing is that you only ever need to do this once! Then just set your alarm for Saturday morning and get yourself there!

Narrabri Tennis Tennis Coaching available Monday to Friday morning/afternoon and Saturday mornings. Only limited places left! Private or Semi Private Lessons – 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 1 hour Group Lessons available catering for every age and standard! Hot Shots Red – Ages 4-8- 5pm Monday, 330pm or 5pm Wednesday, 9am Saturday Hot Shots Orange – Ages 8+ - 5pm Monday, 530pm Wednesday, 930am Saturday Hot Shots Green – Ages 9+ - 530pm Wednesday, 930am Saturday Yellow Ball Group – Ages 10-16 4pm Wednesday Friday Afternoon Junior Social Tennis – open to everyone – 5pm to 630pm. Come and play some matches! Adult Coaching – private, semi private or group lessons available.


For further information contact Shane Murphy 0405151935, Facebook Narrabri Tennis or drop over to the Dangar Park Tennis Centre

CONTACT DETAILS

NARRABRI WEST PUBLIC SCHOOL 6 COOMA RD P.O BOX 3121 NARRABRI NSW 2390 Phone: 02 67922377 Fax: 02 67924395 Email: [email protected] Phone App: www.skoolbag.com.au/narrabriwp Web: www.narrabriw-p.schools.nsw.edu.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/NarrabriWestPS

June


6 Fete Meeting 6:00pm; P&C Meeting 6:30pm

8 Narrabri PSSA Cross Country – Fairfax PS PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE

9 Science Challenge

10 Crazy Hair Day (Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser); K-6 Assembly 1:00pm; 5 Cent Friday

17 North West PSSA Cross Country; K-6 Assembly 1:00pm; 5 Cent Friday


27 Semester One Reports

July

1 Silver Badge Assembly 12:30pm; Sausage Sizzle 11:30am; Last day of Term 2; 5 Cent Friday

4-15 Winter holidays

18 School Development Day

19 Term 3 commences

22 NSW PSSA Cross Country; K-6 Assembly 1:00pm

28 Athletics Carnival (Field Events)

29 Athletics Carnival (Track Events)

August

1 Education & NAIDOC Week; Fete Meeting 6:00pm; P&C Meeting 6:30pm

2 100 Days of School and Education Week Assembly

5 PSSA Athletics – Wee Waa; K-6 Assembly 1:00pm

12 K-6 Assembly 1:00pm; Jeans for Genes Day

15 VP/Long Tan Day – Narrabri RSL 11:00am

19 K-6 Assembly 1:00pm

24 ‘Ready, Set, Kinder!’ – 2:10pm


31 ‘Ready, Set, Kinder!’ – 2:10pm 28 K-6 Assembly 1:00pm;

September

2 K-6 Assembly 1:00pm; North West PSSA Athletics – Tamworth 5 Fete Meeting 6:00pm; P&C Meeting 6:30pm




16 Fete 5:00pm-8:00pm


22 Disco P-2 5:00-6:00pm, 3-6 6:00-7:30pm

23 Gold Badge Assembly 12:30pm; Sausage Sizzle 11:30am; Footy Colours Day; Movie Afternoon 1:30pm; Last day of Term 3

24-30 Spring holidays

October

1-7 Spring holidays

10 Term 4 commences Fete Meeting 6:00pm; P&C Meeting 6:30pm

12 ‘Ready, Set, Kinder!’ – 9:30am

Eisteddfod Results Congratulations to all of our students who performed in the Eisteddfod this year. We are all very proud of your performances. All items were of an exceptionably high standard. The many hours of rehearsals both at school and at home have certainly paid off with great results. Congratulations to the following items who received places:

Dance

Group Item 3rd Place in the Infants Dance- Kindergarten

Music

Group Items 1st Place in the Infants Recorder Group- Year 2 Recorder Group 1st Place in the Primary Recorder Group- Year 3-6 Recorder Group 1st Place in the Woodwind Ensemble (Pippa Smith, Emma Richardson and Sarah Stiller) 2nd Place in the Primary Musical Entertainment- Stage 1 (1K and 1S) 2nd Place in the Primary Musical Entertainment- Stage 2 (3T and 4K) Highly Commended in the Instrumental Band- Concert Band

Individual Items 1st Place in the Woodwind Solo Study- Zahli Olding 1st Place in the Recorder Solo 10yrs- Grace Hardy 2nd Place in the Recorder Solo 10yrs- Claire Graham 2nd Place in the Beginner Woodwind Solo- Zahli Olding 3rd Place in the Recorder Solo 10yrs- Taryn Kirk 3rd Place in the Beginner Woodwind Solo- Grace Hardy

Speech and Drama

Group Items 3rd Place in the Group Speech Primary (2/3C and 3/4F)

Individual Items Highly Commended in the Set Poem Year 1- Hayley Gordon A special thanks to the teachers who organised, conducted and rehearsed class items. Thanks also to Mrs Rosemary Smith for all your hard work organising solos and the school band. The parents who took their children to the Eisteddfod to compete in individual items also deserved our thanks. Sarah Smith Eisteddfod Coordinator

2nd Place in the Primary Musical Entertainment- Stage 1

(1K and 1S) 2nd Place in the Primary Musical Entertainment- Stage 2

(3T and 4K)

1/2B and 2D 3rd Place in the Group Speech Primary

(2/3C and 3/4F)

KC, KL and KC 1st Place in the Primary Recorder Group

Year 3-6 Recorder Group

Highly Commended in the Instrumental Band School Concert Band

1st Place in the Infants Recorder Group Year 2 Recorder Group

in this issue term 2 – we are already halfway through! · throughout our lives. we understand...

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