Term 4 Week 5 Newsletter 2021
From the Principal
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A WARM WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL TO YEARS 2 TO 6!
Our staff have been busy assessing student learning since the return to school, through looking at the students' work samples, listening to student responses and through grade based assessment tasks.
Students in Years 3-6 will also complete Check in Assessments in reading and numeracy over the next few weeks. This is a NSW Department of Education online reading and numeracy assessment which helps us to assess and monitor student learning. The assessments supplement our existing practices to help teachers tailor their teaching more specifically to student needs.
WELCOME 2022 KINDIES
Last Tuesday we were so very excited to welcome our 2022 kindies to John Purchase. Our panel of experts were exceptional ambassadors for our school as they answered some tough questions about what they loved at school and what they were thinking when they first started big school. We also had Darian and Anna show us around the school in a virtual way, very articulately explaining what each area is used for.
Thank you Miss Eiffert, our relieving Early Stage 1 Assistant Principal, for organising the event and for sharing her favourite story with the preschoolers.
We really can't wait to see our 2022 kindies face to face as soon as we can.
CELEBRATING OUR WONDERFUL TEACHERS AT JPPS!
As mentioned in previous newsletters, World Teachers' Day was celebrated on Friday. This is an international event with most countries around the globe celebrating their teachers on October 5. However, as this date typically falls during the school holidays in Australia, we celebrate our teachers on the last Friday of October.
World Teachers' Day is a great opportunity for all of us to reflect upon and celebrate the crucial work of our teachers. Our teaching staff make a difference to the lives of our students every day. Teachers' Day was a great opportunity to acknowledge just how grateful we are to our teachers for tirelessly supporting our students, nurturing their academic progress as well as their wellbeing, while simultaneously preparing them for their future lives.
I would like to convey a heartfelt thank you to every member of our teaching team at JPPS. The resilience, commitment, care and creativity displayed over the last 18 months is admirable. Despite the challenges, they have given their absolute best to our students, working so hard to try to keep spirits up as well as ensuring they are engaged and challenged in their learning.
It has been an absolute joy to watch our teachers welcome back the children over the last two weeks with such care and enthusiasm, and it is an absolute pleasure to work alongside you.
Thank you to each and every JPPS teacher. You are amazing!
WORLD TEACHERS' DAY THANK YOU
Thank you to the P & C for organising bags of treats for our teachers and staff for World Teachers Day last week, particularly Anh, Lynette and Ruth for shopping, wrapping and delivering the goodies. What a very thoughtful gesture. We would also like to thank The Burrow at Appletree shops for generously donating so many coffee vouchers to the P & C, for our staff to enjoy.
A thank you is also extended to others in our JP community who expressed their appreciation through thoughtful messages and small gifts. The teachers felt very appreciated!
STAY UP TO DATE WITH SZAPP
As mentioned in previous newsletters, we will now be using SZAPP to send out updates and notifications and we encourage all of our families to download this app onto your phones. This will replace use of the Skoolbag app, effective today, 18th October.
PLANNING FOR 2022: REPEATED FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS
If your child is leaving the school at the end of this year or returning to school late at the beginning of 2022, please complete the relevant Google Form in the blue box below.
ARE YOU THE YOUNGEST, OLDEST OR MIDDLE CHILD?
Until next week, keep safe, happy and well!
Mrs Leonie Black
From the Deputy Principal
Welcome to Week 5!
The school is 'humming', once again, with all classes quickly settling back in to their learning routines. On the playground, our students are still separated into grade cohorts and this will continue until health advice changes from the Department of Education.
This term, we have welcomed many new faces to our school. We do try to do our best to make new students feel especially welcomed, by providing school tours and ensuring class buddies support the orientation process.
It was delightful to watch the smiles and excitement on the faces of our Kindergarten 2022 students, as they participated in quite a unique orientation session via Zoom, last week. Miss Eiffert read a story to the online audience and some of our current Kindergarten students shared their insights about school. A reminder to all, that the final parent orientation session will occur via Zoom at 6pm tomorrow evening.
Regards
Mrs Adela King
Deputy Principal
Kiss and Drop Zone Safety Message
The safety of our students is paramount. Staff on duty at the Kiss and Drop area have noticed parked cars in the bay. If your child is not waiting for you at the shelter, parents are reminded that you cannot park your car to go look for children.
Please remember the following:
- Kiss and Drop zones are for drop-off and pick-up only.
- 2-minute maximum stays apply.
- Enter and exit the zone safely.
- The driver must remain inside or within 3-metres of their vehicle.
- Do not leave your vehicle unattended, to go searching for children.
- If you are waiting for your child, please move forward, as directed by staff, to allow other vehicles to enter the zone.
- Traffic infringement penalties can be imposed by police.
- Please be courteous to supervising staff and other road users.
What are our SRC reps up to?
The lockdown time, due to COVID, was really tricky to handle in the beginning but slowly I got used to it. I started to enjoy being at home and spending time with my family, especially with my younger brother.
I went bushwalking with my family and I went for a walk every day, to keep up my steps. I have learnt how to ride my bicycle confidently.
I enjoyed learning from home and attending the zoom meetings with my teacher and classmates.
Having said that, nothing can beat the fun we have at school and I cannot wait to be back at school to see my friends and teachers in person!
Avyay K 2C
What I liked about the school holidays and lockdown is that I got to spend lots more time with my family. Another thing I liked and did in the school holidays and lockdown is that every day, I went outside and played. I played with my dog outside and I cleaned my room. Cleaning my room was hard but at the end, it looked so nice. School work wasn't so hard. It was only a little hard but I got through it all in the end.
During the school holidays I learned a lot of things. I even made my own books. With a little bit of help from my mum, I made a book.
Thank you for reading everyone.
Sofia L-G 2C
Expectation of the Week
Respect: Listen to the teacher's instructions
Congratulations to all students, demonstrating our school expectations of Respect, Responsibility and Aspire.
Purchase Pride Badges
When students receive ten Purchase Pride award cards, these should be left in Mrs King’s ‘award shelf’ in the administration corridor. The ten awards need to be bundled together and clearly labelled with the student’s name and current class. Purchase Pride cards have a tear off strip. This strip may be removed by the recipient and placed in the appropriate stage box outside Mrs King’s office, to go in the lucky dip draw for a canteen voucher. Currently, we are not having school assemblies, so badge recipients, whose names have already been published, will be presented with their awards in classrooms, the week after publication in this newsletter.
Congratulations to these Purchase Pride recipients:
Nirvi (KH), Lucy C (4M), Avyay K (2C), Madison (KH), Avik (1P), Zac B (6G), Emily (3G), Ayush D x2 (6G), Shivani (1I), Eloise S (1P), Gabriel (1M), Chloe M (6G), Riya M x2 (6G), Quinn (1P), Kiran (1N), Neal (3G), Marcus C (3G)
Class Awards System
JPPS has an incremental class awards system. When a student has received ten class awards, these should be left on Mrs King’s ‘award shelf’ in the administration corridor. The ten class awards need to be bundled together and clearly labelled with the student’s name, current class and award level reached. Students need to be responsible for their own awards, as replacements are not issued.
10 Class Awards = Bronze 20 = Silver 30 = Gold 40 = Bronze Medallion
50 = Silver Medallion 60 = Gold Medallion 75 = Platinum Medallion and Principal for the Day!
With the exception of Bronze Awards (which are published at the end of the term and presented at a Principal’s morning tea for students and parents), all awards received by 3pm on Thursday afternoons, are ‘stamped’ and published in the next school newsletter, which is usually on the following Monday. I am currently holding these special awards in my office, in the hope that we will be able to congratulate students at an assembly (in some form) later this term.
Silver Awards
Congratulations to:
Sonali D (5B), Ryan W (3G), Emily S (3G), Adam L (2T), Oscar Z (2T), Carine W (3G), Roman H (3G), Aadi N (3N), Neal S (3G), Armaan H (3N)
Gold Awards
Congratulations to:
Zac B (6G), Dimitry G (4F), Zac W (6LG), Leo N (6C)
HPG Applications
If you would like your child to be considered for HPG class placement in 2022, he/she must participate in the assessment program at our school. Application forms should be returned to the school office via email by 3pm today, Monday 1st November, 2021. No late applications will be accepted. All candidates who have submitted their applications by the due date, will be tested on site, at school, over two weeks, commencing Monday 15th November 2021. All assessments will be completed during school hours, at flexible times determined by the coordinator, pending Covid guidelines at that time.
Our John Purchase community is representative of many cultural backgrounds. Parents please be advised that the SBS portal provides Coronavirus information and updates translated into 60 different languages. I have shared the link below.
From the Teachers
ICAS 2021
The Mathematics ICAS test will be held this Thursday morning, and the Science ICAS test will be held on Monday next week. Students should arrive at school at 7:15am for a test start time of 7:30am.
Miss Brennan
ICAS Coordinator
ATTENTION YEAR 5: IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING APPLYING FOR SELECTIVE SCHOOL PLACEMENT
Selective high schools cater for academically gifted students with high potential who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic standard. Selective high schools help these students to learn by grouping them with students of similar ability, and by using specialised teaching methods.
If you would like to have your child considered for Year 7 selective high school entry in 2023, you need to apply on the internet.
The Selective High School Placement Test will be held on Thursday 10 March 2022.
Detailed instructions on how to apply and the link to the online form will be available in early-October 2021 at https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-7.
Applications open on 19 October 2021 and close on 17 November 2021. You must apply before the closing date.
Additionally please complete the Intention to Apply form that has been emailed to you and submit this form to the school office. If you did not receive the emailed form and would like to submit an application, please notify the office.
Primary schools will not be providing school assessment scores for the 2022 selective high school placement process for Year 7 entry in 2023, due to the COVID pandemic.
Mr Nicholas Johnson
Assistant Principal (Stage 3)
Kindergarten 2022
Do you have a child enrolling in Kindergarten at John Purchase Public School in 2022?
With the year flying by, it is time to start thinking about Kindergarten enrolment for 2022.
If your child will be starting Kindergarten at John Purchase Public School in 2022 please go to the link below and complete the online school enrolment application.
https://enrol.education.nsw.gov.au/#/?schoolCode=4572
Dates and details regarding information evenings and transition will be provided in the coming months.
We look forward to welcoming our new students to John Purchase Public School in 2022!
Miss Claire Eiffert
Relieving Early Stage One Assistant Principal
From the Office
P&C News
Our School Canteen
The canteen is open under the following guidelines:
- Lunch orders should be placed online using the flexi schools system.
- Students will not be permitted to queue at the canteen windows before school time to order lunches.
- Any ‘manual’ lunch orders (i.e. pre-ordered in paper bags with cash enclosed) will need to be taken to the classroom, when students arrive. These orders will be collected by staff at 9am and taken to the canteen.
- Allocated school staff will be distributing lunch orders to classrooms.
- As we are required to limit interactions between student cohorts, each grade will be given one ten-minute timeslot during recess or lunch time, to purchase additional treats at the canteen. Food/drink available will be limited, dependent on supplies in stock (e.g. popcorn, ice blocks).
- Students are encouraged to bring their own recess to school, as the canteen will not be open to all students at recess.
Mrs Adela King
Deputy Principal
FROM THE CANTEEN
Friday Lunch Orders: Many parents may have noticed on Friday that they could only order sushi or sandwiches via Flexischools. Current regulations mean we are only allowed one person in the canteen at a time and because Friday is our busiest day, we have to get the hot food out of the ovens and packed ready for pickup quite early - especially with only one person. This means that we cannot keep the food hot enough so for food safety standards from now until further notice we will only be offering sushi and sandwiches on Friday. We apologise for any students that are unhappy with these options but there is nothing else we can do to maintain food safety standards. We are hoping the regulations will change in the near future and will let you know if they do.
Mrs Anna Morris & Mrs Donna Clinch
UNIFORM SHOP UPDATE
The Uniform Shop will be able to process online orders from October 18th to supply summer uniform requirements. Students are now wearing summer uniforms.
Please order online on the uniform shop website.
The link is https://uniforms.jppspandc.org.au/
As there are still Covid restrictions applying to the school grounds, parents and caregivers can collect their online order from the Purchase Road front gate (GATE 3), on the usual Uniform Shop days of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
I will be down at the gate from 8:00AM to 8:30AM on these days. Don’t forget to wear a mask and to socially distance as you wait to collect your order, thanks.
Please call or email me if you have a question, otherwise I’ll look forward to seeing you at the school gate.
S A R A H N I C H O L S
Uniform Shop Manager | John Purchase Public School
jpps.uniform@gmail.com.au | 0412 987 027
Community Announcements
OOSH NEWS
John Purchase OSHC is participating in the Starlight Foundation’s GO BIG campaign!
Why Starlight Children’s Foundation?
Starlight’s vision is that everyone experiences a happy childhood, because happiness matters. For over 30 years they have used play, social connection and creativity to support sick children. For over 30 years, Starlight have worked in partnership with health professionals to bring the fun, joy and laughter that helps sick kids be kids.
www.starlight.org.au
Go Big!
From November 15 to 28, Starlight’s national ‘Go Big’ campaign encourages individuals and teams to run, walk or roll and achieve their distance goal.
We have created a fundraising team https://gobigchallenge.org.au/john-purchase-primary-osh-care and would love for the school community to partner with us for this great cause and be a part of our team! Students, family members, teachers and members of the school community can all get involved! We hope you will get active with us and help our team support sick children.
Luke Brattoni
Co-ordinator - JPPS OOSH