Term 4 Week 4

Principal’s Message

Dear Parents,

This has been a very busy week for many of our students, including those who performed at St Luke’s fete and/or Pelican

Marina last Saturday. Our students in the Band, Choir, Boys Vocal, Aerobics and Kindergarten performed beautifully and as

usual were excellent ambassadors of our school. Thank you to everyone who assisted with organisation, supervision and

transport or who just came along to watch, for your support.

Another busy group this week are our Year 5 students who are experiencing the Great Aussie Bush Camp. They have spent

the last three days at camp and I am sure will return tonight very tired but full of enthusiasm and great stories.

Summer is Coming

As we approach November, the final month of spring it is timely that we turn our thoughts to sun protection. We all need

some sun exposure; it's our primary source of vitamin D, which helps us absorb calcium for stronger, healthier bones. But it

doesn't take much time in the sun for most people to get the vitamin D they need, and repeated unprotected exposure to

the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause skin damage, eye damage, immune system suppression, and skin cancer. Even people in

their twenties can develop skin cancer. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world and one of the main factors

contributing to these statistics is the failure to adopt comprehensive sun protection practices as part of everyday routine skin

damage, including skin cancer, is a result of cumulative exposure to the sun. Exposure in childhood and adolescence is one of

the greatest risk factors in the development of skin cancer in later life. Much skin damage is preventable with the adoption of

sensible sun protection practices.

Please actively encourage your child to take appropriate sun protection measures including wearing their hat to school and

applying sunscreen regularly.

Snake

Another often unwanted consequence of the approach of summer is the possible presence of snakes. Recently a large red

bellied black snake appears to have taken up residence in our school gully area. These snakes are quite timid and will

hopefully find the presence of 570 children threatening and move on. However, we do need to be mindful of staying safe

when there is a possibility of snakes around. This week we have closed the gully area to play and have spoken to the students

about what to do if they should come across a snake. We have also investigated the possibility of having the snake caught

and relocated and this will be done if at all possible. Please be aware of this possible danger if you come into the school

through the gully or bush entrances, particularly if you have other small children who accompany you. I will keep you

informed if and when the snake is relocated.

Quenching Your Child’s Thirst

In the coming summer months what are the best drinks to prevent dehydration? Do you know the recommended daily

intake of water for your child’s age?

Find out the facts: http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/kids-teens/stats-and-facts-teens/teens-nutrition/drinks-for-

hydration.aspx

Helicopter

After being postponed earlier this term due to bad weather conditions the helicopter visit has been rescheduled. The

proposed date is Friday 16th

November. Hopefully the weather remains kind to us on this occasion.

Be Wary

Yesterday one of our parents had parked her car along Floraville Road across from Chevron Close. When she returned to her

car at approximately 10 past 3 she witnessed a car pull up in front of her own. A man jumped from the passenger’s seat and

began smashing her window to gain entry to her car. Even with much yelling and screaming this did not deter the man. After

taking personal items from the car the man and driver fled the scene. They were in an old style Laser, light blue in colour.

Please be vigilant as this is not the first incident we have been informed about recently.

Parents and Community

Our P&C are great supporters of the school. A number of parents volunteer their time on committees for the benefit of our

students and families. Examples of this are fundraising with Calendar Art, monthly Book Club orders, weekly Banking and

daily Canteen service. These helpers are a wonderful asset to our school. Please consider they often have deadlines to meet

in the activities they are running particularly where money is involved.

We

ek 4

Monday 29/10/12

Tuesday 30/10/12

Wednesday 31/10/12

Thursday 1/11/12

Lifeskills with

Justin Ryder

Friday 2/11/12

We

ek 5

Monday 5/11/12

Years 3,5 & 6

Bullying

Awareness

Getting Started

Program begins 9:30-

11:00 BHS Selected

Students

Tuesday 6/11/12

Years 3,5 & 6

Bullying Awareness

Wednesday 7/11/12

Years 3,5 & 6

Bullying Awareness

Parliament Disco

Pyjamarama

Thursday 8/11/12

Backyard

League

Friday 9/11/12

We

ek 6

Monday 12/11/12

Tuesday 13/11/12

SC 6:30pm

P&C 7:00pm

Wednesday 14/11/12

Thursday

15/11/12

Friday 16/11/12

Out of Uniform gold

coin donation for

School Spectacular

performers

Year 5 Camp

School News

Kinder 2013 Orientation

The Kindergarten 2013 Orientation process is almost complete. The children have visited the school 4 times to

find out where the Library, canteen, assembly hall and play areas are and to meet the Kindergarten teachers. We

hope that they feel more comfortable and relaxed about coming to school next year as they know what some of

the teachers look like and where the important places in the school can be found. Thank you to the current

Kindergarten teachers, Mrs Southward (who has allowed the new children to borrow books already), P and C,

canteen workers, uniform shop ladies and the fantastic office staff who all help to make the process run

smoothly. The Year 5 buddies are very excited about helping the Kinder’s and with their teachers will make name

badges to allow us all to identify the new students by name early next year. Our last get-together will be a Kinder

Connections picnic held on the Flat on Wednesday 21st November. This picnic allows 2012 Kinder families and

next years Kinder families to get to know each other and maybe help the new parents also to feel more

comfortable about their son or daughter starting school. Please remember to RSVP if you have your invitation to

this event.

Jenny Barclay for the Kindergarten team

Assistant Principal

Floraville Public School

JAPANESE LANGUAGE CLUB

This Semester, a small group of interested senior students have continued to spend

their Tuesday recess breaks attending Japanese Club. The program has been an

enjoyable way of giving the children a taste of Japanese language as well as exposure

to the culture.

They have learned a basic self-introduction, simple greetings, reading and writing

their name and numbers as well as some of the hiragana script. The most fun was had

when they used chopsticks, discovered sumo and tried on kimonos. These children

should be proud of their effort and attitude to learning. Ganbatte! ......Keep up the

good work!

News from the Office Office Hours 8.30am to 3.15pm Please make sure you have the correct money when paying for activities or excursions. Please note we now have EFTPOS available. EFTPOS transactions will incur a fee (all transactions - $1.00). These charges will be added to your transaction.

Sport

School Swimming Scheme

During weeks 8 and 9 of this term (26th Nov. to 7th Dec.) students will be participating in the Department

of Education’s Swim Scheme. Children in Years 2, 3 and 4 who cannot swim or who cannot confidently

swim 25metres are being given the opportunity to participate in the School Swimming Scheme. This is a

wonderful opportunity for your child to improve in all aspects of swimming. The cost of $65 includes daily

entry to the pool and bus fare. Swimming tuition by Department of Education trained teachers is

FREE.

Unfortunately all the positions have been filled at this point in time. This program will be held again next year, so be sure to sure bring in your notes and money ASAP to secure a place

Many Thanks, Shantala Roach

Great News! Hunter Region Sports Awards have been announced! Three students from Floraville have been recognised by the Hunter School Sports Association for their achievements in sport this year. Only 15 students in the entire Hunter Region have been awarded a Regional Sports Award and two of them are from Floraville! Congratulations Lani Fuller for Touch Football and Ky Willott for Hockey! Also the Hunter Region Boys Hockey Team has been awarded a Regional Recognition Award for their achievements in 2012. Congratulations Ky Willott & Lachlan Toll who are members of this team. (We will put a photo of these three students in an upcoming ‘Brief’ as two of them are absent this week). Trampolining Sports Championships At last Monday’s assembly I called for any students with skills in trampolining to meet with me and we discussed an upcoming trampolining championship being held on Saturday 24th November at Belmont High. The entry fee is $10 per athlete and parents are required to transport and supervise their child at the event as no teacher from our school will be present. I need to submit a nomination form to the organiser soon so please contact the school by the end of next week to if you wish to enter your child. I will be sending information notes home to all students who expressed an interest this week. Important Health Reminder! Please make sure your child has a school hat and water bottle with them each day. Almost all students were wearing a hat during primary sport last Friday, however we really need all students to wear a hat to minimise the risk from the sun. Carly Hibberd Sports Coordinator

Tips for Parents

Healthy habits

While we can’t entirely shield our children from illness there are ways we can help them boost their immune systems and become more health conscious. Listen to these tips from Dr Martine Walker, a city

GP who specialises in family health and has two primary school-aged children of her own. Go to: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/health/keeping-your-kids-healthy

Maths matters

A new and entertaining game will help sharpen your child's maths skills and recall. The Maths Monkey’s Quest features questions on topics ranging from addition and subtraction to ratios and percentages. The

app is available for Apple iPhones and iPads, and Android phones and tablets. Go to: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/about/mobile-applications/maths-monkey-s-quest

Road safety tips

Kids can be easily distracted on busy roads. Here are some tips to help you show your child how to

make safety a priority when they’re near traffic.

Go to: http://www.kidsafensw.org/road-safety/

School holiday activities

Looking for ways to get your kids off the computer these holidays? Happily, there's an app for that – and

a website. Go Play has loads of holiday activities across NSW to get kids out and about.

Go to: www.goplay.nsw.gov.au

Do you have a child starting Kindergarten in 2013? Show them this video which explains what happens during a typical day. http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/development/what-happens-in-kindergarten

Rainforest creatures

Experience Taronga Zoo's stunning Wild Asia rainforest trail guided by volunteer researcher Heidi

Greentree. Rainforest Heroes is a new, free iPad app that lets students capture their discoveries, on

location at the zoo or from home, and then make a field report.

Find out more about the app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/taronga-zoo-rainforest-

heroes/id558373157?ls=1&mt=8

Fitter, healthier, happier

Go4Fun is a free lifestyle program being run across NSW towns. For 7-13 year-old children who are

above a healthy weight, activities aim for a long-lasting and healthy approach to living and are suitable

for both kids and their families.

To make an enquiry: http://healthykids.nsw.gov.au/campaigns-programs/go4fun%C2%AE-program.aspx

Homework help newsletter

You can now easily subscribe to updates from the award-winning website for parents, School A to Z. Each term you'll receive newsletters with the latest information to help you manage your child's

homework and study, health, development and technology use. Go to: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/about/subscribe

Staying safe online

Cybersmart is an education program for parents and children of all ages. It features tips on mobile phone and online safety, resources to use with your child, and games and videos that support key

cybersafety messages. Go to: http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/

Avoiding injuries from school bags and computers

Have you ever wondered if your child may be suffering physically from using a computer for schoolwork? Or if carrying their school bag may be causing them pain?

Go to: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/health/ways-to-keep-your-childs-back-and-posture-healthy

What to expect in high school

The transition from primary to high school often creates in kids a mix of anxiety and excitement. Two videos feature Year 7 students giving great tips about life in high school - making friends, trying out new

things, and getting organised and planning assignments and study. Informative and fun Go to: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/highschool/index.php

Library News

Overdue Books

It’s nearing that time of year when stocktake will take place in the library. If your child

receives an overdue notice in the coming weeks, could you please assist by having your

child search for the books and return the books as soon as possible.

If you’re unable to find them, please let me know so I can double check here in the

library. At the completion of stocktake, I can let you know if any missing books haven’t

been found in the library.

Lexile Legend

Shakayla Wardle, our most recent recipient of the Lexile Legend Award.

P&C NEWS Belmont Retravision continues to

sponsor the Floraville P and C

please bring in a copy of any

receipts from the store. We

receive 1% commission for each

purchase.

Again welcome Mr Robson to Floraville Public School.

P and C MEETING

The next P and C meeting will be on Tuesday 13 November at 7pm. If you have any items

that you would like discussed at the meeting and you cannot make it, you can leave a

note at the school office.

MOVEMBER

Tomorrow, Thursday is the first of November. If you know of a man in your life

supporting MOVEMBER please support him. All funds raised during the month goes to

supporting research into mens health. Go to movember.com.au for details.

I have read reports from other regional P and C s in regards to their numerous problems

in areas of accommodation for children, schools being closed over recent years and then

other schools almost being at capacity. It is astounding that the welfare of children is not

always a priority in some areas. The situation at our school after all the redevelopment is

now second to none. Our children have modern facilities and up to date technology to

use though this did take numerous years of lobbying to achieve and a lot of work by the P

and C and school executive. The final piece in the puzzle is the completion of the toilets

in the canteen block. Well done to the children for their patience again during this work.

A reminder Margaret Osborn is taking leave for two weeks, if you cannot make it on your

rostered day please let Margaret know by Thursday 1 November.

FROM THE P AND C FEDERATION

The message from P&C Federation to our politicians and bureaucrats is clear – hands off

our education funding, our children are more than political pawns and they deserve the

best educational opportunities.

UNIFORM SHOP

Uniform shop hours are : Mondays 8.30 am to 9.15am

Wednesdays 2.30 pm to 3.15pm

SCHOOL BANKING

School banking continues of a Thursday morning. This is a good way for children to learn

about saving. If your child does not have a school banking account, please approach the

ladies on Thursday mornings and an account cam be arranged.

The P and C still have the magnetic display folders for sale if you require any, order form

is below. They hold notes that can be stored on the fridge, if you can hand orders into

the office.

Community Information

Go 4 Fun FREE fun program for kids to become fitter, healthier and happier! The Go4Fun program is an established healthy program to improve health, fitness, self-esteem and confidence in children aged 7-13 who are above their healthy weight. For more information contact Maria or Katie on 4921 4113 or visit www.mendcentral.org/go4fun Call 1800 780 900 to Register Fun 4 Sports

First steps towards sport and wellbeing for children 2-6yrs.

Safe indoor environment

Involves fun, appropriate skilled based experiences for children

Develop basic sporting skills For more information: Phone: 0488 78 3864 Email: info@fun4sports.com.au www.fun4sports.com.au

Floraville Public School Merchandise Order

Name: ___________________________________________ Class or Phone: _____________

Magnetic Display Pockets A4 Size__________ @ $4.00 each = $ _________

Total enclosed $ _________. Please make cheques payable to the P&C Association.

Men’s Health Information Day 2012

Information stalls, presentations & health checks will be available on the day from these organisations and more!

Alzheimer's Australia

Hearing Australia; information and screening by appointment on 49470031 or at Reception

HPCA - Hunter Prostate Cancer Alliance

Mark Hinchey Naturopathy

The Heart Foundation

Belmont Podiatry Clinic; information and checks

Belmont Men’s Shed BBQ from 12 noon ($2 donation for BBQ) Giveaways, Men’s Shed Tours & BBQ throughout the day

BELMONT MEN’S SHED & COMMUNITY GARDEN IS A PROUD PROJECT OF Wednesday 7th November 10am to 12 noon Presentations start at 10.15 FREE At Belmont Neighbourhood Centre 359 Pacific Hwy Belmont North (Cnr Old Belmont Road) For enquiries please call 49470031 or theshed@bnc.asn.

By phone (02) 4965 8260

By email artgallery@lakemac.nsw.gov.au

By posting a cheque payable to

Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery to:

Art Classes, Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery

Box 1906 Hunter Region MC NSW 2310

In person at the gallery

To ensure a quality learning experience, all

courses are limited to 15 students,

unless otherwise indicated. Places are

only secured upon receipt of payment.

Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery - Art Classes for Adults and Children

Our Innovative education program includes art classes for toddlers to teens as well as for adults. Classes

cover everything from life drawing to printing, painting to mixed media. Contact Details Below.

BIRTHDAY CHILD FREE Present this flyer at time of booking and

birthday child is free with a minimum of 13 paying guests

49536366 www.hsc.org.au Voucher valid until October 2013

Trampolines

Foam Pit

Ropes

Games

Bars

Beams

Sprung Floor …… and much

more

I-pad Basic Skills Course

Come learn the basics of using your I-pad!

Start date: 31st October 2012 (4 week course) Time: 12.30pm-2pm

Where: Belmont Neighbourhood Centre

359 Pacific Hwy Belmont North (cnr Old Belmont Road) Total Cost: $20.00

Bookings Essential

Hurry Limited Places

Phone: 49470031 or info@bnc.asn.au

UNIVERSAL TAE KWON DO ACADEMY

UNIVERSAL TAE KWON DO CLASSES STARTING MONDAYS 6TH August 2012

5.30pm – 6.30pm

FLORAVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOL

76 Floraville Rd, Floraville

Come and have fun learning the most advanced techniques in martial arts and sport Tae Kwon Do (as seen in the Olympics).

We are a STA accredited academy with completely qualified instructors.

Ph: 49695591 or 0421 695590 www.universaltkd.com.au

__________________________________________

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