Neutral Bay Public School

THE BAY TIMESTERM 2 WEEK 6 ISSUE 55 3 JUNE 2020

175 Ben Boyd Rd, NEUTRAL BAY NSW 2089

UPCOMING EVENTS

PH: 02 9953 1798 E: neutralbay-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au W: https://neutralbay-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/

Excellence, Innovation, Opportunity

TERM DATES

Principal’s News

TERM 2

Monday 8 June - Week 7Queen's Birthday - no school

Final day for studentsFriday 3 July

TERM 3Monday 20 July (Staff Development Day)

Tuesday 21 July toFriday 25 September

TERM 4Monday 12 October toWednesday 16 December

Thursday 17 and Friday 18 (Staff Development Days)

National Recognition Week 27 May - 3 June "In This Together"This year, the theme of National Reconciliation Week is ‘In this Together’, to reinforce that we all have a part to play in collectively building relationships and communities to value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, history and culture. At Neutral Bay Public School, classes have been celebrating a shared understanding of reconciliation and how we can each contribute to this important process. There is more information included later in the newsletter.

Congratulations GemmaNeutral Bay Public School is very proud to announce that Gemma C (5L) has been awarded the 11 years age category winner of the 2020 Nan Manefield Young Writers’ Award, by North Sydney Council. Gemma’s story titled ‘Home’ is both creative and inspiring, and more information can be found at:https://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/Library_Databases/Kids_Youth/Nan_Manefield_YWA/Nan_Manefield_YWA_Winners

A copy of Gemma’s story is included later in this newsletter.

School PhotosSchool photos will be delievered to the school by the end of June. They will be handed out to students to bring home. The delay has been due to reduced staffing at the School Photographer. Thank you for your patience.

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The Bay Times

Principal’s News Continued Changes to the Opportunity Class Placement Process for 2020 Year 4 StudentsThe 2021 Year 5 Opportunity Class placement process was put on hold in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 situation.

We now have a revised and simplified timeline for the OC placement process, to ensure that students and families can have certainty about their placement as soon as possible.

The changes include:• A new date for online applications. Parents must

apply between 9 June 2020 and 26 June 2020. Late applications cannot be accepted.

• A new test date - Wednesday 16 September 2020.

To ensure fair and consistent assessment of students across New South Wales, students will be offered places based only on their test results this year – there will be no school assessment scores.

There will also be no opportunity for appeals given the tight timeframes.

For further detailed information, I encourage you to visit: https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-5

School Winter Uniform and Lost PropertyThank you to the students who wear their Neutral Bay Public School uniform to school each day with pride. I encourage students to wear their school hat, school fleece and black shoes with their winter uniform. There is currently no ‘central’ lost property area on the school grounds. Named lost items are sent to your child’s classroom. Please ensure all your child’s belongings are labelled so they can be readily returned.

Covid 19 Updates from the Department of EducationThe Department of Education continues to provide updates to families during this time. Please click on the following link for further information:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families

Judy GoodsellPrincipal

School Council Parent NominationsThe Neutral Bay Public School Council provides a forum to discuss current school issues, projects and initiatives, determine school priorities, ratify school policies and work with the Principal on financial matters and budgeting. The Council comprises parent, staff representatives and community representatives.

There are currently two School Council Parent Member positions to be filled. The term of office for elected members of the School Council is three years.

If you are interested in nominating as a School Council Parent Member please go to: https://neutralbay-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/community/school-council.html

All nominations must be received by Mr Tan no later than 4.00pm on Tuesday 9 June 2020.

P&C MeetingThe next P&C meeting will be held on Wednesday 10 June at 7:30pm, via Zoom.

A link will be provided in next week's newsletter. I am looking forward to connecting with many of our parents/carers at the meeting.

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The Bay Times

National Reconciliation Week 2020

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June.

These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey:

• 27 May 1967 – On this day, Australia’s most successful referendum saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and recognise them in the Census.

• 3 June 1992 – On this day, the Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision, the culmination of Eddie Koiki Mabo’s challenge to the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no one) and leading to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of lands. This decision paved the way for Native Title.

This year, the theme of National Reconciliation Week is In This Together. It reminds us that whether we are in a crisis or in reconciliation we are all in this together.

Classes across the school acknowledged this week as they learnt about the two significant milestones that this week commemorates, and completed reflection activities in the form of comprehension, word searches and artworks. Some of these activities are pictured here.

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The Bay Times

Young Writers' Award

The bitter night air slapped William’s tender cheeks, as he skidded across the mossy, undulating rocks. His eyes darted frantically, trying to seek shelter. Rifle shots resonated around the valley and the whinnying of the horses echoed back. His heart raced as he desperately ran along the slope of the valley. Gleaming sweat poured down William’s forehead as he clambered through banksia trees which guarded a low-lying cave like soldiers. He curled into a ball, his breath becoming shallow and a small spray of blood splattered his breeches. Gradually, he fell into an unconscious sleep, barely aware of the eastern quoll which scrambled into his vicinity. Captain Phillip and his men relented in their search for the boy and rode into the pink tinged horizon.

A cobalt blue blanket studded with glittering gems, wrapped itself around the world. William’s blood encrusted eyelashes flickered as he rapidly recalled the events which had taken place over the past months. Stealing medicine for his dying mother, lead to shamefully appearing in the London County Court and being banished by boat to the uninhabited island, Terra Australis. After the treacherous sea trip, he was chased when caught stealing kilos of prickly pears from the Parramatta Dye House for his own sustenance. William had overheard a group of convicts gossiping about Arthur Phillip’s great discovery of the prickly pear in Brazil, on the way to Terra Australis. The settlers had established a dye making business used to make coats for British soldiers, using the natural red colouring produced by red cochineal insects after feeding on the pear. Parramatta had been logged in order to plant crops including the prickly pear. William had seen hundreds of animal carcasses peppered across the surroundings every time he headed home from his blacksmithing job.

William’s inner thoughts were interrupted by a prickly tickle against his leg. The boy recoiled and turned slowly, absorbing every detail of the baby quoll which was chased away from the plantations. He observed the way the quoll’s eyes flickered and sensed its musky smell, which enveloped the cave. Each step the boy took, the quoll gingerly trailed behind him, trembling all over.

Its quivering became more pronounced when a loud human call sounded and with the sudden whip of an axe, wedging into a neighbouring tree trunk. The most abysmal strikes of fear followed rifle shots and the wild flapping of wings which sounded as though the whole planet might be taking off in flight. More voices erupted, screaming, yelling, and beckoning. William retrieved the succulent prickly pears and plucked out the spines. He placed a piece on the mossy carpet for the quoll. He quenched his own thirst while the quoll vacuumed up the last piece. Even through all the noise, the quoll’s eyelids grew heavy. As the animal slept, the boy heard the insidious sounds of hunting. As his shadow grew longer on the cavern wall, the commotion outside gradually eased and his new role caring for the baby quoll comforted him. It was the death of another day as the two wayfarers slept.

Thin rays of morning sun streamed into the opening of the cavern and shades of tarnished tangerine reflected from his eyes as he stared out, mesmerised by the sunrise. William glanced down at the defenceless baby quoll and a surge of conviction overcame him. He staggered to his feet feeling fatigued but resisted the urge to collapse. As the young boy cradled the sleeping animal in his arms, a stream of salty tears trickled onto spotted fur. This baby quoll, lost like William, needed to leave this unwelcoming, desolate land to find a home in its natural habitat. They trailed across kilometres of terrain.

The settlements were far behind them. The rocks in the creek bed answered the sun’s rays, dappling the trickling water, with a glistening grin. Dirt was streaked across William’s pale face and small wounds and scratches covered his lean body. He bent down and the cool water was a reprieve. A mixture of his toil, sweat, blood and dirt, was washed away by Earth’s lifeblood. He could see the quoll was comfortable here, surrounded by the ubiquitous eucalyptus aroma. The birds summoned the end of the day. Every seed, every leaf and each bushland animal were ready with open arms as the quoll scampered into the undergrowth knowingly. A watery smile reluctantly widened upon William’s face.

He edged away and glanced back to see the quoll pawing intently at a bottlebrush.

He was home.

HomeBy Gemma C (5L)

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The Bay Times

Student WorkFor the past week, some Year 5 classes have been writing letters addressed to Australia. ‘Dear Australia’ has been created by Australia Post. Community members can write in to the national letter box that Australia Post has created, sharing a community story based around COVID-19, their experience in isolation, or their experience with online learning. Australia Post is setting out to gather as many letters as possible to create a time capsule.

Eligible letters will be stored in the National Archives of Australia, displayed on the Australia Post website, as well as displayed in the National Gallery of Australia. This has been a great reflective activity enabling students to discuss the hardships and differences that we have all encountered, as well as spread messages of positivity.

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The Bay Times

Sport Captain Video - Virtual Cross CountryOur hardworking sport captains have made a video to showcase the Virtual Cross Country competition and to encourage students to participate, especially over the upcoming long weekend. The link is below:

https://youtu.be/T7kqsBfBRKk

This event is scheduled to conclude on Friday 19 June, so there's still plenty of time for students to get points for their house.

To submit a recorded time, students are invited to run, walk or jog the following distances under the supervision of a family member:• Students turning 5, 6, 7, 8 years (born 2015, 2014,

2013, 2012) - 1km run/walk• Students turning 9 and 10 (born 2011, 2010) - 2km

run/walk• Students turning 11, 12, 13 years (born 2009,

2008, 2007, 2006) - 3km run/walk

After every run, walk or jog, students fill in the following Google Form to win points for their house.

Have fun and stay safe. Best wishes to all runners and houses.

Genevieve CarnegieAssistant Principal & Curriculum Leader

Kindergarten 2021We commenced enrolment for Kindergarten 2021 this term. To be eligible for enrolment at our school, your residential address must be within our local area. Unfortunately, we are not able to accept out-of-area enrolments at this time.

To enrol, please book an enrolment appointment via www.schoolinterviews.com.au. Please note, due to social distancing regulations, all enrolment interviews will be conducted via telephone. Please follow the steps outlined on the school website, prior to your phone interview.

Scan/email completed forms, with all additional documents to the school, at neutralbay-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au. The school will call you at your scheduled time, using the contact number you provided

If you have any questions, please email the school office at neutralbay-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au or call us at 9953 1798.

We look forward to welcoming your child to Neutral Bay Public School next year.

New ConstitutionThe P&C will be adopting the prescribed new Constitution at the next P&C meeting, on Wednesday 10 June, via zoom https://onespan.zoom.us/j/99229822714?pwd=VVZTbS8vS0Rzb0lWcmpSUTlvRTF2UT09

Due to restrictions on public meetings, the P&C's current Constitution will be amended to include the following:

• If face to face meetings are not possible, P&C Associations may hold a meeting at 2 or more venues using any technology that gives the members as a whole an opportunity to participate effectively in that meeting. This allows P&C Associations to host virtual meetings or hybrid meetings with a mixture of face to face and virtual platform/s agreed upon by the members.

• The quorum required for P&C Associations with 50 or more members was previously 11 (eleven). This has now been changed to 10 (ten) and the quorum for less than 50 members remains the same as 5.

P&C News