Killara Public School Newsletter Ridgeland Avenue Killara 2071 Phone: 9498 2397 Email: Killara-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au ww.killara-p.schools.nsw.edu.au Term 3 Week 4 15 August 2018

Principal’s News Education Week Last week we had a very busy and exciting week for our community. It was wonderful to see so many parents at school last Friday enjoying the concert, open classrooms, picnic lunch and parent workshop. Our performing arts programs were showcased and I loved listening to the range of music, including strings, choirs, band and recorder. Our local member, Alister Henskens, was particularly impressed with our new learning spaces and I’d like to thank our P&C for organising such a successful cake stall. As part of the concert I shared a short video where I asked some students about what they learnt at school, what was important for the future and what makes KPS so great. If you missed it, you can watch the video by clicking here. I was very impressed by the excellent entries received for the Education Week Competition. The winners were Kayla T (6A) and Jessica L (1L) who have each won a mini Sphero. Their entries are included in the newsletter.

Calendar Dates 16 Aug Ryde Eisteddfod – Strings 16 Aug Infants Assembly – 1H 17 Aug Kindy ’19 School Tour 17 Aug P&C Gold Coin Challenge finishes 20 Aug Book Week Author visit 21-22 Aug Book Swap 21 Aug Book Character Parade 22 Aug Zone Athletics Carnival 22 Aug Eden Gardens Choir performance 23 Aug Athletics Ribbons Assembly 24 Aug Final winter PSSA 28 Aug Stage 1 Aquarium excursion 28 Aug P&C Meeting 30 Aug Infants Assembly – Stage 2 Choir 31 Aug Kindy ’19 School Tour 31 Aug Fiver for a Farmer

National Science Week This week our classes will be acknowledging National Science Week with additional science lessons in class. Science is taught in all grades throughout the year through our units of inquiry and has been a strong focus in project-based learning. Recent initiatives in schools have seen a focus on science in the form of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) activities. Stage 3 Camp Last week our students in years 5 and 6 had a fabulous time at the Great Aussie Bush Camp at Kincumber on the Central Coast. On my visit I saw students working together to problem solve, rock climbing up a very high wall and taking a risk on the giant swing. I’d like to extend my thanks to our teachers for giving up their personal time to accompany our students to camp and helping them to have such a memorable time. A more detailed report has been included later in the newsletter.

School Term Dates 2018 Term 3 Tue 24 July – Fri 28 September Term 4 Mon 15 October – Wed 19 December

For absences not due to illness and known in advance, an Application for

Extended Leave form must be submitted to the Principal for approval.

The Term 3 invoice for Incursions and Excursions was emailed to families

this week. Prompt payment would be appreciated. Thank you.

2019 enrolments Whilst it still feels quite early in the year, I have started planning for school staffing and classes for 2019. For planning to be accurate and ensure a smooth start to the school year, it is essential we have accurate information about enrolments and the earlier we have this information the better. Please keep us informed if you are anticipating that your children will not be returning to KPS in 2019. Students will be returning to school on Wednesday 30 January 2019. Please complete the form by clicking here if you know your child won’t be returning in 2019 or will be returning late, after the first day of school.

‘Fiver for a Farmer’ Fundraiser On Friday 31 August we will be supporting the ‘Fiver for a Farmer’ fundraiser, raising much needed funds for drought affected communities. Students and teachers (and parents) are encouraged to dress up as a farmer and donate a ‘fiver’ (or more). We are aware that there are a number of fundraising activities on the calendar this term, however felt compelled to add this as it is such a worthy cause. Families should only donate what feels comfortable for their individual family budget. Parent Teacher Interviews Towards the end of this term our teachers will be holding parent teacher interviews. The purpose of these interviews is for parents to obtain feedback on how children are achieving against their learning goals. Next week, you will receive a note with interview dates, including information on how to book your interview time using the website schoolinterviews.com. Absence emails Each day, parents are now sent an email when children are absent from school and an explanation has not been received by the school. It is a requirement that the school monitors school attendance and communicates with

parents about unexplained absences. So far, we have received a lot of positive feedback about these emails.

Please note, if your child is arriving at school after 9:15am, a late note is required from the office. If this hasn’t been obtained, and they have missed being marked present by the teacher, they will be marked absent and therefore included in the absence email. If you receive the email after already notifying the school, please delete the email. Extended Leave Forms This term there have been a very large number of extended leave applications for a range of reasons, including family and holidays. I strongly encourage families to organise holidays during the designated school holiday times to ensure learning programs are not interrupted. Even just one week of leave can be quite disruptive for children’s learning as they can miss key concepts or miss key components of the group task in collaborative learning, also letting their peers down. I am aware that family or other matters arise from time to time that make extended leave unavoidable so, if leave is required, please ensure you complete an extended leave form available from the school office or on the KPS website. Semester One Report Survey I’d like to thank parents who provided feedback about the Semester One reports. Results show that overall parents feel that the template was an improvement but would still like to gain a better understanding of the report language. There were many questions about the distribution of grades. This information is available in a folder in the office and can be viewed by interested parents at any time.

Oval We will be closing the oval for the next few weeks while we attempt to reseed it and improve the grass cover. This is the optimal time of year for reseeding and it requires no traffic to ensure its success. We are hoping to have access to the sport court in the next couple of weeks which will provide some additional play space. KHS Open Day Included in this newsletter is information about the Killara High School Open Day which is scheduled for Monday 3 September from 12:00-3:00pm. This event includes all curriculum areas and performing arts groups and the Annual Visual Arts Exhibition. I encourage you to go and have a look at the impressive learning happening at Killara High School.

Pip Fox Principal

Book Week Celebrations Author Visit - Yvette Poshoglian On Monday 20 August in Week 5 author Yvette Poshoglian will visit to tell stories, talk about writing books and hopefully inspire many students. This should be a great performance for students to remember. Yvette has written many books, including the Ella and Olivia series, Frankie Fox series and Escape from Cockatoo Island. Students are welcome to bring in any of Yvette’s books from home and she will be happy to sign them. Indigenous Literacy Foundation Book Swap On Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 August we will be holding our annual GREAT BOOK SWAP to raise money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Children are asked to bring in a book from home that they have read and enjoyed and are happy to part with. These are being collected and kept in classrooms. In order for the swap to be successful, it is important that each child brings at least one book to swap. Please bring in books by the end of Week 4, Friday 17 August. Children will donate a gold coin in order to select and keep another book. Book Character Costume Parade On Tuesday 21 August there will be a Book Character Costume Parade as part of the library’s Book Week celebrations. All students are asked to come to school dressed as a book character for the day. Each class will parade in the school hall in the morning at 9:20am so parents can watch and take photos. There is no cost, judging or competition so there is no need to go to any great lengths or expense. It should be a fun day for the students to look forward to.

Kindergarten 2019 – Enrol Now We are now accepting enrolments for Kindergarten 2019. If you would like your child to start school at KPS next year, please complete an enrolment form as soon as possible. We are also taking bookings for Kindy school tours in Term 3. For more information, see the flyer in this newsletter.

Library News Premier’s Reading Challenge – two weeks to go

Congratulations to all students who have completed this year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge. With only two weeks to go, please see me if you need help logging or finalising reading lists.

All finishers have their names recognised on a certificate on the inside wall of the library, where they will remain until 2019. Completing this challenge is a fantastic way to enjoy books and improve reading, so congratulations to all these Killara students.

Merit Awards Term 3 Week 4 – Infants Assembly KD Sophie M, Adam X KM Yana I, Jacob B, Sheldon L Music Gabriel V (1L), Jenson J (KB),

Dawei S (KD) Silver Eleanor R (KM), Lachlan A

(KM), Bohao T (KM), Alice G (KM), Dennis S (KM), Taylor H (KD), Callum K (KD), Darren L (KD)

Term 3 Week 2 – Primary Assembly 3R Martin L, Amelia T, Lexi C 4M Yash M, Melisa M, Anisha K

Band News We would like to congratulate the Senior Band on taking second place at Ryde Eisteddfod. This is a fantastic result for the school. There was some fierce competition on the day. Education week performance on Friday 10 August was exceptional and Mr Gav would like to pass on his congratulations to all Senior Band students. Four students will be taking part in our extension band performance at Ryde Eisteddfod on Thursday 16 August. This band consists of students with a very high level of ability. We wish them good luck: Maya T (5J), Max C (6B), Leo C (4M) and Chloe M (6B). BENNELONG MUSIC 1800 788 639

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

Whole School Focus – Oval Killara Public School promotes the values of RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY and RESILIENCE within the school and across the wider community.

We are currently focusing as a whole school on how to show our ‘3 R’s’ when we are on the oval.

Classes have been participating in lessons where some have held discussions, performed role plays and created posters about how to behave when we are on the oval.

Please discuss with your child about these expectations.

Great Aussie Bush Camp Last Monday, 106 students from Years 5 and 6 headed off on the Stage 3 Camp for three days of challenges and adventures at the Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber.

The Great Aussie Bush Camp is an outdoor education centre that offers a program of learning through experience, with activities as diverse as archery, canoeing and rock climbing on offer. The activities are designed to challenge students in different ways - instilling confidence at heights, building coordination and promoting positive teamwork.

The camp is operated on a “Challenge by Choice” principle. This means that students make their own decisions about how much they will participate in any activity and the levels to which they will test themselves. They are able to challenge themselves to go safely beyond their comfort zone at a pace that feels right for them. Students are encouraged to bring their personal best to every activity and ultimately to learn that the persistence and resilience needed to succeed at the activities are the same skills needed to succeed in everyday life.

Our students participated in a program that included bushcraft, pioneering, canoeing, archery, initiatives, rock climbing and the famous giant swing. They also ran stalls at a county fair and burst on to the stage during a talent quest. They slept in cabins, ate together in a large mess area and practised the independence required to pack, unpack and repack their own bags.

Perhaps more than anything else, our students worked together. For some this was evident in the way they belayed their fellow rock climbers or solved problems on the initiatives course. For others it was in the loudly called encouragement as individual students pushed beyond the boundaries of what they thought they could do; and for others it manifested in the

communication and negotiation required to successfully share a cabin with six or seven others.

Along with the adventurous activities, the Talent Show was another highlight of the camp. Students sang, danced, acted and joked their way through a night of laughs - with teachers providing scores for the acts ranging from Mrs McNamara’s scores of 10 for all, to Mr T’s less generous scores of 1s and 2s for every act but his own! Even the teachers got into the act and had some fun with a skit of their own.

And those teachers - Mr Aikin, Miss Barnes, Miss Jang, Mrs McNamara and Mr Thompson - could not have been more proud of our students during the camp. Not only did they show our Killara values of respect and responsibility, but the level of resilience they displayed throughout the camp was incredible.

A special mention about resilience must go to Billie B. She unfortunately injured herself on the first day, but remarkably continued to participate throughout the afternoon before the injury proved too great. And though Billie certainly showed us how it’s done, every single student at camp demonstrated that they were willing to give it their all and make the most of the opportunities on hand.

Mrs Fox, visiting the camp on Tuesday, talked about her pride in the Killara students as she watched the rock climbers make it all the way to the top, giant swing participants encourage each other and fight their nerves to climb higher and higher before pulling the zip cord and flying through the air, and an initiatives group whose team work and persistence paid off in the end as they safely brought their team across the “lava” river.

In the last few days, students have been sharing with teachers the goals they set for themselves at camp, the skills they needed to reach their goal, and how they felt during and after the activity.

This is an amalgamation of many of their comments:

I was a little scared because when I saw the Giant Swing up close I realised how high it was! I needed a lot of encouragement to pull the rope because I felt frightened at the top - but afterwards I wanted to do it all over again since it was so much fun. I needed trust. Trust that the giant swing would not break and that the harness would keep me safe. I also needed confidence to step outside my comfort zone. I persevered and pushed myself to reach the top.

My goal in this activity was to try and reach the top. I was excited and happy because I had never done rock climbing before. I felt proud that I actually wanted to try the rock climbing and that I didn’t give up until my goal was reached. I felt like I wanted to do it again and again and I felt like I was set free.

I was excited and nervous knowing that we were going to do canoeing. It would be my very first time. My goal was to NOT tip over and get wet in the icy cold water. We needed confidence, patience and especially teamwork. Steady paddling and spreading the weight evenly, balance, communication, determination and trust were the skills need to reach my canoeing goal.

From all the teachers - we say thank you Stage 3 - for your wonderful behaviour, your attitude of camaraderie and fun, your ability to dig deep and find the courage to try something new, and for the many examples of respect, responsibility and resilience you displayed over the three days!

P&C News It’s certainly a very busy term ahead and the P&C needs volunteers to help out at various events. Please check the events below to see if your stage (1&2 and 3&4 in particular) can offer some help.

If you haven’t already done so, please go online and complete the survey What Should the P&C raise fund for. The survey ends this week and is the KPS community’s opportunity to have a say in what they’d like to support at the school as a matter of priority. Results will be published in the next newsletter. If you’d like more information about the wish list we received from the school or if you’d like to raise other concerns please feel free to attend the next P&C meeting 7pm 28 August in the new building.

SRC Congratulations to the Semester 2 SRC students who received their badges at assembly last week.

(6A) Dominic G, Aviva C (6B), Michelle C, Joseph A, (5J) Lucas S, Tatianna S (5T) Shawn Y, Nicole V (4M) Emily K, Oscar E, (4K) Mitchell D, Ainoa A, (3C) Lara S, Caspar L, (3R) Alicia M, DDerek L, (2W) Zoe H, Riley T, (2R) Josha P, Clementine S, (1/2D) Eamon V, Kate K

Killara Café – Friday 10 August Another hugely successful Killara Café was held last week. All funds will work towards to P&C supporting the school’s strategic 3 year plan. We had many disappointed faces last week as we sold out of afternoon tea very quickly. If you have time to bake or chill a cake, slice or cookies please consider donating to the next Café being held on Friday 21 September (week 9). If you or a family member is able to lend a hand to man the stall or bake some goodies to sell for afternoon tea please contact the exec on exec@kpspnc.com.au.

Vacant Roles on the P&C We have a number of vacant roles on the P&C. If you’d like to help and support the school, please review the vacancies on the website www.kpspnc.com.au or contact the P&C Executive on exec@kpspnc.com.au.

Uniform Shop News The uniform shop is looking for volunteers to help on Tuesday mornings for the second semester. If you can help out a few hours please contact Jolly or Sha at wusha639012@hotmail.com.

Friday 28 September – Obstacool Years 1&2 PARENT VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED for Obstacool. We have been looking for volunteers for 6 weeks now and for Obstacool to go ahead we need volunteers. There has been no response from any Stage 1 parents. This event is one of two major annual fundraisers for the school. Obstacool has been booked for Friday 28 September and we need volunteers from Stage 1 (or anyone else who may be available) to help organise the event. Could any parents or carers please contact exec@kpspnc.com.au.

Saturday 17 September – Annual Fundraiser Years 3&4 PARENT VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED for Annual Fundraiser Stage 2 parents (Years 3&4) are responsible for the annual fundraiser. This year it has been confirmed for Saturday 17 November. This is one of the two major fundraisers for the year and many hands make light work. Please contact exec if you can be part of the team for 2018 exec@kpspnc.com.au.

The Gold Coin Challenge is almost over and finishes this week. Thank you to everyone who has brought in gold coins (or silver and notes). Progress for the final week will be updated on Monday 20 August with the winners announced. Good luck everyone!

Northbridge Sailing Club - Open Day - Sunday 26 August Northbridge Sailing Club teaches kids to sail on the beautiful waters of Middle Harbour. Please bring your family along to our Open Day on Sunday 26 August from 10am to 2pm. Kids and adults can try a short sailing experience with some of our experienced sailors, with no prior sailing experience necessary. Have a free BBQ lunch, enjoy the beautiful view and talk to sailors, young and old. We are a small club, with a big community: a place where children, teens, and people of all ages make friendships that last a lifetime. Members range from fun, relaxed sailors to those competing at State, National and World levels. Parents like the fact it is a healthy outdoor environment for everyone in the family, away from computers and television! Come down & enjoy a day on the water with the whole family! For more information, visit www.nsc.asn.au

Saxophone Tutor for Beginners

If you are looking for a sax tutor, I have been playing for about 5 years and am a member of the Stage Band and Concert Band at Killara High School. I passed Grade 4 AMEB two years ago and am looking to tutor children in years 3-5. If you are interested, please call or text Finn on 0426 811 822.

Art work ‘Today’s Schools Creating Tomorrow’s World’ by Kayla T (6A)

Art work ‘Today’s Schools Creating Tomorrow’s World’ by Jessica L (1L)