Wednesday 10 September 2014 - Term 3 Week 9

Kindergarten & Prep Information Evening: An enjoyable night was had on Tuesday night with a number of our 2015 Kindergarten and Prep parents attending an enjoyable and informative information evening in the Learning Hub. Staff shared valuable information with the parents including useful handbooks and parents had a time of fellowship and sharing over a very nice supper. If you were unable to attend please contact the Office for information to assist in your child’s transitioning to these very important years.

Congratulations to:

our band of parents and children that attended the working bee last Saturday – your assistance to get some tasks done around the school was much appreciated and I understand the fellowship was great. Mrs Fairbairn commented on Monday on how great A5 looked on her return with the desks all cleaned – thank you!

our Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) students that attended the overnight excursion to Sydney early this week. The feedback has been excellent from the behaviour of the students to the organisation of the trip – thanks to all concerned. Our local member Mr Gareth Ward posted that he was pleased to have our students visit him at parliament house and commended them on their questions. There were some comments about sore feet and legs given the walking that the students had to do but generally a very positive experience. Thanks to the staff for your organisation and support over the two days.

our Infants students and staff that have been involved in the swimming and gymnastics programmes in Kiama over the last two weeks. Once again the feedback has been excellent with staff (both ours and the staff at the centre) commenting on how great our students were and the development of our students skills has been excellent – well done to all concerned including our parent helpers!

our Year 12 students that have had major works to do as part of their Design & Tech and Industrial Technology Multimedia courses, that were due for submission around their Trial examinations. These major works have been marked by the HSC examiners over the last two weeks and the variety and quality of the tasks presented were worthy of

commendation. The lessons learned in planning and design were also very significant – well done, with a major component of their HSC assessment now complete.

NAPLAN Results: The NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) results will be sent home before the end of term with the Year 3, 5, 7 & 9 students that participated in the tests that were held early last term. They arrived at school early last week.

Congratulations to our students who in the main performed well in the NAPLAN tests with some students rating off the scale in the various components that are assessed. A more detailed analysis will occur, but as a general comment our classes in the main were around or above national averages in the majority of the assessment areas which when you consider the broad ranges of abilities that we have and our active encouragement of all students to participate if possible is a real encouragement.

As the Department of Education, who administers these assessments write: “NAPLAN results provide additional information (especially to the class teachers), which can be used along with school assessments and testing.” We will continue to use these results to help in targeting areas of weakness, but it has been good to note that as we have targeted spelling and over the last two years Literacy and Numeracy especially through our intervention in Infants & Primary, that there has been significant improvement in these areas – well done to our students and staff as they continue to work on these matters.

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Continue to pray for the Board as they plan for 2015 and look at the applicants for the Executive Principal

and Campus Principal positions.

Pray for our Year 12 students as they only have one week left at school. Pray for them as they prepare for

their HSC exams which start on Monday 13th October. Pray also that they will look to God to direct them

in the decisions they make regarding their futures.

Give thanks for Year 11 and the way they conducted themselves during the exam period. Pray for continued

diligence in their studies and pray that the time at the Yr 11 Study Retreat next week will be worthwhile.

Pray for our staff and students in all that they have to do before the end of term.

Give thanks for the wonderful weather over the weekend and the opportunity for parents to gather together

to work for our school community at the working bee.

Pray that we will speak the truth of God to our community in a way that is loving and compassionate.

Give thanks for the safety and enjoyments for all our Infants students as they attended their swimming and

gymnastics lessons.

Pray for our Year 5 and 6 as they are at camp from today (Wed 10th) until Friday. Pray that this will be a

worthwhile experience where the students will grow closer to each other and to God. Pray for safety and

the organisation of all the activities.

Give thanks for a wonderful time of fun, fellowship and valuable experiences at the Stage 5 over night

excursion this week.

Pray for Mrs Vaartjes who has a broken collarbone following a pushbike accident. Pray for quick healing

and recovery.

Sept Week 9

Mon 8th - Thu 11th

Infants Swimming Program

Wed 10th - Fri 12th

Stage 3 Camp at Attunga

Thu 11th Parent Prayer Meeting, 2.30pm

Sept Week 10

Mon 15th - Tue 16th

Yr 11 Study Retreat

Tue 16th Stage 5 Debating Training Day Prep attend "The Fabulosa Feast

of Fernanda" performance

Wed 17th CIS Athletics Tongarra Campus Committee

Meeting (postponed to 8.10.14)

Thu 18th Yr 12 Farewell Assembly

Fri 19th City Vs Country Carnival Last Day of Term 3

Oct Week 1 (TERM 4)

Mon 6th Public Holiday

Tue 7th Staff Return to school

Wed 8th Students Return to school

Thu 9th Board Meeting, 7.30pm

Oct Week 2 (TERM 4)

Mon 13th

HSC Exams Commence HSC Exam - English Std & Adv

Paper 1 HSC Exam - Hospitality

Tue 14th HSC Exam - English Std & Adv

Paper 2 HSC Exam - ITM

Wed 15th HSC Exam - Ancient History HSC Exam - PDHPE

Fri 17th HSC Exam - Engineering Studies

Sat 18th TONGARRA COUNTRY FAIR

3pm - 7pm

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Going for Gold K-6 Student Welfare Levels

The following students were presented with their Gold Awards at the K-12 Assembly on Monday week ago:

Sarah Fitzgerald

Rosenna Rivas

Jack Tate

Eli Williams

Max Wagemans

Nicholas Stubbs

Melinda Pallas

These students have demonstrated that they strive to comply with the Student Code of Behaviour and have, after 3 terms, reached the highest stage; Gold of the K-6 Student Welfare Levels. Congratulations. We look for-ward to more students attaining Gold Level throughout their years in infants and primary. Mrs Barnes and Mr Nicholls, P-6 Coordinators “Whatever you do, whether

in word or deed, do it all in

the name of the Lord.”

Colossians 3:17

SPRING HAS SPRUNG...AND THE BIRDS ARE HERE

Currently in the Primary Playground we have a pair of tawny frog-mouthed owls roosting in a tree near the sandpit. It is hard to tell if they are nest building since these birds are nocturnal. We also have a pair of white-faced blue herons that are nesting in a tree near the play equipment.

We would like to encourage these birds to stay and lay eggs so we can watch their offspring grow and marvel at God’s wonderful creation. To do this, we encourage you to look from a distance and not try to interfere with the birds as they go about their lives in our space.

Thank you Heather Morton

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Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 are coming to the end of their eight-day

intensive swimming, gymnastics and aerobics program at Kiama Leisure

Centre. It has been an exhausting but thoroughly enjoyable two weeks for

both staff and students.

We have seen some amazing progress in students’ swimming skills and have

been delighted to see some of our youngest students representing our

school and Christ so well in the community. It is a huge task for our

students, as they learn to be organised and self disciplined, moving from

one activity to another and taking responsibility for all of their gear as

they change for activities. The students rose to this challenge with no fuss

and have been a pleasure to take to the Leisure Centre.

We are very thankful for the dedicated staff at Kiama Leisure Centre, a

number of which have been our instructors in the pool and in the gym

during past programs. We are also thankful for Miss Yeo who willingly

helped the students in the pool again this year. We would like to extend a

HUGE thank you to the parents that have come down to the centre to

support the infants students and staff. Your presence is an encouragement

to both staff and students. Those who assisted in the pool, gym or change

rooms were very much appreciated.

K-2 Staff

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ICS BUSINESS CENTRE

Contact Details:

(for Enrolment, School

Fees Enquiries,

Association Membership)

Phone: 4230 3777

Fax: 4257 2071

Address:

PO Box 80,

Albion Park 2527

The Uniform Shop ICS - Tongarra Campus

(02) 4230 3730 ictongarra@alinta.com.au

Second Hand Uniform Shop

The Second Hand Uniform Shop will be open in Term 3 on:

Tuesday and Thursday Mornings 9.00 - 11.30am

Please contact Sue for all enquiries.

Her number is: 0403 376 514

BE UPDATED AND HAVE YOUR SAY

What better thing to do on a Wednesday

night than come to the school to meet

with other awesome, funny, sensitive,

intelligent, and nearly always honest

parents / teachers.

WEDNESDAY 8th Oct 7.30PM

We meet at the school in the staff room.

Why not come and over a cup of coffee, be

updated on many issues concerning the

school. We also discuss where our

fundraising money can be spent and ways

we can make our school a better place for

our children and for the school community.

EVERYONE WELCOME

More info or questions

TONGARRA COMMITTEE

Contact—Gavin Lowcock 0411 776 734

FATHERS DAY STALL

Thank you again to all our families

who supported our Father’s Day

Stall last week. We managed to

raise $624.35!

Uniform Shop opening hours during school terms are:

Monday 8.30am – 11.30am Wednesday 1.00pm – 4.00pm

SUMMER UNIFORMS

Please visit your school uniform shop in coming weeks before end of term for summer uniforms.

The Uniform Shop will be open (Pupil free day)

Tuesday 7th October 8.30am – 11.30am

2015 Orientation and Back to School Fitting times are available on the Alinta Website

(Fitting appointments commence from Nov.)

www.alintaapparel.com.au

All students need to be in full summer uniform as of the start of term 4 Wednesday

8th October 2014.

Please see the ads below for opening times for The Uniform Shop and for the

Second Hand Uniform Shop.

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Planting in Infants

Last Friday, Mrs Cornale, Mr and Mrs Barnes (Grandparents)

offered up their time to plant some fruit, vegetables and herbs in the infants plant boxes outside their rooms. Students from

Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 assisted with planting and watering our garden.

Thank you to Mrs Jovanov, Mrs Enderby, and the Cornale and Barnes families for their donations of plants.

We hope to use the produce at our Kindergarten and Prep BBQ

later in the year and plan to plant more strawberries so that students can eat them for munch and crunch.

Infants Staff

News from ‘The Hub’. . . . .

Congratulations to Keshyah Scott from Year 3 who won the guessing competition for Book Week. Animalia by Graeme Base

GUEST READER Our Guest Readers are back! When: Tuesday, 2

nd half of 1

st Break (11.30am)

Where: Learning Hub Who: ?????

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TONGARRA COUNTRY FAIR

Come one, come all!

Buy a Surprise Bucking Bull

Side Show Alley Farm Animals

Kids Craft Plant Stall Book Stall

Rides Futsal Competition

Games Just for kids

Face Painting Entertainment Tractor Rides

Food Stalls including:

BBQ/Sausage Sizzle Fairy Floss Snow Cones Ice Creams Milkshakes Donuts Popcorn

Hot Spuds Curry Corn on the Cob Hot Dogs Cakes & Cupcakes Drinks Garden of Eatin

Homemade scented candles/card/sweets

SAT 18 OCTOBER 3.00 - 7.00pm

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PREP Drinks & Kids Craft

KINDER BBQ/Sausage Sizzle

YEAR 1 Fairy Floss/Snow Cones

YEAR 2 Farm Yard Animals & Tractor Rides

YEAR 3 Buy-a-surprise & Lolly guessing comp

YEAR 4 Face painting/Hair spray

YEAR 5 Ice Creams & Milkshakes

YEAR 6 Just 4 Kids

YEAR 7 Cake Stall

YEAR 8 Sporting Events

YEAR 9 Hot Spuds & Curry

YEAR 10 Hoopla & Sideshow alley

YEAR 10 Sideshow Alley

YEAR 11 Corn on the cob/Hot dogs

YEAR 12 Plant stall & Bucking bull

STALL ALLOCATIONS Every family received a letter recently informing them of the stall that has been allocated to their class. You were asked to nominate an hour to help serve on that stall and to donate supplies to help make this stall a success. You may also be asked to come along during the week before the fair to assist with baking or packaging items for your class stall. Please assist wherever you are able! Your class coordinator or stall coordinator will be sending details a little closer to the fair. Please remember that this is our major fundraiser and the more support we receive from our families the more successful our Fair will be.

** Please note: In most cases our stalls will be “manned” by volunteer PARENTS working with the stall

coordinators. Stall coordinators are not required to be on the stall more than the half-hour required of each parent (unless they choose to be there longer.) Some stalls may also need the help of secondary

students to assist on the stall. Please keep this in mind when planning your day at the Fair!

Get your teams together (5 per side) for our Futsal

Round Robin Competition at the Country Fair.

Register your team now Via Mr Graham

Team Name: ..........................................

Players: 1........................................... Age.........

2........................................... Age.........

3........................................... Age.........

4........................................... Age.........

5........................................... Age.........

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Family name: ___________________ We would like to

pre-purchase ____ ALL DAY FAIR RIDES ARM BANDS for the

following members of our family:

____________________ (Year ___)

____________________ (Year ___)

____________________ (Year ___)

____________________ (Year ___)

ENCLOSED IS $_____

To pay for the arm

bands.

Thank you!

All day bands $25 (pre-purchased)

or $30 on the day!

Individual Rides $5 each

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Please continue to send your money in. All money must be returned no

later than Friday 19th September (Last day of term).

Tongarra Campus Committee, Fundraising Team

Please return

your money

Pie / Ice Block -

Thursdays

Pie & Sausage Roll Day will on again this Thursday at

first break (11.10am). K-3 parents need to see their

teacher with regard to the pre-order process.

Pies : $2.50

Sausage Rolls : $2.00

Ice blocks : 30c to $3.00

Slinky Apples : 50c or 10c (BYO)

Cans of Nexba Ice Tea : $2.00

SCHOOL PRAYER MEETING All Welcome

The School Prayer meeting is held at 2:30pm on Thursdays in the Meeting Room, Block E. These are times for parents, grandparents, school staff and any member of our school community to get together and pray.

You are also most welcome to leave particular prayer requests with the school office or contact Merilyn on

0418 964 574 or merilynmuscat @hotmail.com

We will meet again

next term.

Please Note:

Next Tuesday , 16th

September is the LAST

Sausage Sizzle for

2014!

Pie / Ice-cream Day will still

continue on

Thursdays in Term 4.

We would like to say thank you to our

wonderful sausage sizzle team for

another year of willing service to our

school community.

Our Chickens are laying again!!!

Fresh Free Range Eggs

$4.50 per dozen

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Think. Decide. Survive. On Tuesday 2nd September, Years 9 and 10 participated in a course run by Sydney Trains covering two topics: 1. Track safety: the risks and consequences

associated with going on or too close to the tracks;

2. Behaviour: setting expectations of appropriate behaviour, including identifying anti-social behaviours which annoy other passengers and are against the law.

This course was interesting and informative and provided excellent preparation for the Stage 5 over-night curriculum excursion which was run on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th September. - Mrs Brennan

Primary Parent / Grandparent Reading Helpers Thank you to those who contacted Mrs Knight to express interest in helping with our MULTILIT reading roster. It is not too late if you still wish to get involved.

On Wednesday the 17th of September, an information session will be held to outline the reading method that we will be following with these students. A DVD will be shown followed by a Q&A time. The session should only go for about 1 hour. The session will run from 9:00 - 10:00am. Meet at the office to sign in and Mrs Knight will take you to where the session is being held.

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the 'Pause, Prompt, Praise' reading support method is welcome to join us. Please phone the office on 4230 3700 or email Jo Knight at knight.jo@ics.nsw.edu.au to RSVP for the information session. At the conclusion of the session we will speak with those who are willing, about convenient times to be placed on a roster to support the students in Years 3-6 on the MULTILIT program.

Thank you

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Entertainment™ Memberships are packed with hundreds of up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for the best local restaurants, cafés, attractions, hotel accommodation, travel and much more!

See the sample copy in the School Office and purchase during Term 3!

Entertainment Book for the South Coast

PURCHASE ONLINE NOW:

https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/28024p1

** money raised is going to support the Year 10, 2014 Service Trip to Fiji and other local service activities.

ONLY

$55

TONGARRA TIMES ITEMS: Deadline: Monday 3.00pm

Email: please send items to tongarra@ics.nsw.edu.au

Thank you to the following families for their wonderful service and effort at the working bee last Saturday.

Bernie & Melinda Brown, Adrian & Jo Hendriks, Craig & Jo Johnson, Dale & Simone Sheppard, Adrian & Rowena Cornale, Garry & Rhianon Hol, Brett & Donna Kirton, Dave & Sam Newman, Phil & Nicole Tate.

The Year 1 and 2 families, plus others rostered for the next Working Bee on 25th October (1pm to 4pm) 2014 are:

Erin Ramos, Paul & Ori Byron, Andrew & Angela Cornford, Rick & Shani Smith, Ian & Tracy Kennedy, Dee & Sharron Kramer, Shane MacPherson & Amanda Rehardt, Penny Newman, Juan & Reina Rivas, Jefferson & Katharine Stubbs, Nicole & David Walker, Lauren Ahearn, Justin & Rebecca Bourke, Megan & Taylor Buckley, Nathan & Nickole Davey, Mark & Joanne de Jong, Daniel & Patricia Fleuren, Stuart & Liz Gregory, Andrew Harvey, Daniel & Ruth Kadwell, Karen & Heath Kennedy, Jodi & Don Lamanna, Annette Holmes, Andrew & Corisa Middleton, Nicholas & Tracey Mogensen, Craig & Tanya Rogers, Michelle Scott, Jason & Kellie Strecker, Damon & Nerralea Van Der Merwe, Mark & Christine Smith, Tony & Merilyn Muscat, Julie Partridge, Sue & Trevor Jenkins, and any extra families who haven’t as yet attended their working bee.

This working bee will be in the afternoon, 1pm to 4pm. If you would like to attend, please contact the office.

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Plus special musical items

$8 donation includes afternoon tea

Large selection of ladies clothes and gifts for sale. Bring your cash and buy a bargain.

ALL PROCEEDS TO OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Enquiries: Lyn Brown 4256 1487 Robyn Johnson 4225 2798

Sunday 14th September 2014 at 2pm Albion Park Uniting Church Cnr Terry & Russell Streets

Ross Johnson will be speaking on his recent trip to Cambodia to see God’s hand in

Samaritan’s Purse projects around the country

Got something to

say about mental

health?

headspace Wollongong and ABC Open are

looking for young people aged 12-25 to

participate in two writing workshops in

September as part of the Speak Your Mind

project.

You might like to explore your own journey

managing your mental health, or what it’s

like caring for someone close to you.

Stories can be contributed anonymously or

under your own name.

Visit headspace.org.au/wollongong or

phone 4220 7660 for details.

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FREE LEARNER LOG BOOK RUN Need some log book hours? An opportunity for you and your supervisor to experience a range of driving conditions including Police RBT, Speed Check and Driver Reviver fatigue stops. A FREE Learner Log Book Run will be held on Sunday, 28 September 2014 between 10.00am and 12.30pm The Log Book Run will start and finish at the Lake Illawarra PCYC concluding with a PRIZE GIVEAWAY. Bookings are essential please call Jenny Davies on 4221 6124.

Do you have a child in years 7 or 8 at High School?

Would they be interested in participating in a research study for 2 days of the school holidays? If you think they would be interested in participating in our study aimed at reducing adolescent sedentary time please read on.

The Early Start Research Institute at the University of Wollongong is seeking volunteers for a new study examining the acute effects of reduced sitting time on adolescents during a school day. Adolescents will be compensated for their participation in the study with 2 x $20 vouchers and parents will be given $20 for travel costs.

What does the study involve? • You and your child will visit the University of Wollongong three times. • On the first visit they will be familiarised with the study and on the second and third visit the will be involved in mimicking a school day in our state of the art whole room calorimeter so that we can measure the energy the expend. • During the activities your child will wear several activity monitors while in the calorimeter.

If your child fits the following criteria and are interested please contact us: * Aged 12-15 years * Does not suffer from: Prader-Willi syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, diabetes,coeliac disease, PKU or other metabolic disorders, cystic fibrosis, multiple food allergies, significant physical disability or developmental disability eg. restricts age-appropriate play or any other diseases where the primary conditions or syndromes associated with obesity, other chronic disease. * Has a Body Mass Index (BMI) which is above the healthy range for their age and gender. Participants who do not meet these inclusion criteria will be asked if they would be willing to participate at a later date if further funding is gained for a study among adolescents with a lower BMI.

If you would like more information, please call Anne-Maree Parrish on the study hotline: 4221 5098 or email: aparrish@uowmail.edu.au