Term 1 Newsletter 21 February 2022
From the Principal
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This week promises to be an exciting one with Twos Day, Meet the Teacher sessions, our swimming carnival and more!
AS MENTIONED IN LAST WEEK'S NEWSLETTER, PLEASE REMEMBER THE K-2 PICK UP TIME IS NOW 2.45PM.
KISS & DROP STUDENTS ALSO DEPART AT THE USUAL BELL TIME OF 2.50PM
WHERE IS THE SCHOOL CALENDAR?
Please use SZapp to conveniently access our school calendar, latest newsletter, school website, absentee form and more. This is a one stop shop and is very convenient and user friendly. Instructions for downloading this app are included below in the office section.
Twosday Fun - on 22/2/22
Did you realise that tomorrow is Tuesday 22/2/22? It will be twice the fun as we celebrate Two’s Day!
This date, a palindrome, is a rare calendar event and calls for a celebration! Some classes will celebrate all the 2s with some fun activities, which I hope to share with you in the next few weeks.
Meet the Adminstration Team
When you phone, email or arrive at our school with a question or to be assisted in some way, you will most likely meet or hear from a member of our helpful and friendly administrative team. Our school appreciates the important role the administration team plays in the effective organisation of the school, under the leadership of Mrs Cattell (Business Manager) and Mrs Ratnarajah (School Administrative Manager). The team and their photos are included for your reference.
- Clare Cattell (Business Manager)
- Helen Dechnicz (School Admin Officer)
- Kirsty Leahy (School Admin Officer)
- Margaret Bembrick (School Admin Officer)
- Sareen Karadanian (School Admin Officer)
- Sharena Ratnarajah (School Admin Manager)
- Svetlana Bleiva (School Admin Officer)
P and C ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Join our P & C in 2022 – It’s a great way to be involved in our fabulous school!
Being on the P & C is a great way of supporting our school and meeting other mums and dads. We would love to see you at the meetings. On Monday 14 March the P & C annual general meeting will be held. At this meeting all positions will be declared vacant. If you are interested in nominating for a position, you will be warmly welcomed as there are many positions to be filled.
Please complete a nomination form which can be accessed on the school website: johnpurch-p.schools.nsw.edu.au and click on the canteen, band, uniform P & C tab from the top menu, and then click forms. This form has also been included in this newsletter for your convenience.
BLACK SHOES EVERY DAY PLEASE!
School uniform includes black closed in shoes. This includes black sport shoes. Sadly, an increasing number of children have been arriving to school wearing coloured sneakers. Please support wearing full school uniform, including black sneakers on sport days.
Supporting students' learning during isolation
Students must isolate at home for 7 days when there is a positive case of COVID-19 in the household. If a household contact, the following arrangements will apply:
• If your child is unwell – as with any case of illness, students should rest and recuperate. There is no expectation that they will work from home if they are not well.
• If your child is well, they can work on the Department of Education Digital Learning Packs. All learning from home activities for this short period at home can be accessed through the NSW Department of Education’s Digital Learning Packs. These are high quality learning materials that have been developed by curriculum experts:
When supporting your child to access these activities, follow the above link and select your child’s year level to get started. Students should begin with Day 1, regardless of what day of the week it is. Each day provides a variety of learning activities that students will be prompted to progress through. The suggested timeframe is also included with the activities.
COVID UPDATE :
RAT TESTS & CHANGES TO OPERATIONS
As announced in the media over the weekend, schools will be providing eight rapid antigen tests for each student to use, as needed, for the remainder of term. We will begin to disseminate these to families once we receive them. Students wil be able to use their final bundle of RATs should they be symptomatic or if there are cases in their stage.
While modifications to operational settings have already been announced for the wider community, the DoE is working closely with NSW Health to finalise the arrangments for schools, for the remainder of term. We will let you know the details as soon as we are informed of these. In the mean time, previously communicated arrangements such as cohorting, remain in place.
POSITIVE COVID CASES
If there is a positive case in your child’s class, year or other grouping, your child can continue to attend school in line with NSW Health advice.
If a student or staff member receives a positive RAT test, they need to:
record the positive RAT result through the Service NSW websiteExternal link or Service NSW appExternal link
PLEASE ADD details of your child's school when prompted.
notify the school of the positive RAT or PCR test result as soon as possible
follow NSW Health adviceExternal link to isolate for 7 days.
Testing Positive
This information has been taken from DoE Advice for Families:
https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families
Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are provided to all students and staff.
DoE recommend students take a RAT twice a week on mornings before attending school until the end of this week.
If your child has even mild COVID-19 symptoms, get them tested with a RAT or PCR (nose and throat swab) test.
They must isolate until they receive a negative test result, in line with health protocols.
- If symptoms continue, they should stay at home and take another RAT in 24 hours or have a PCR test. If the second RAT or initial PCR test result is negative, or another diagnosis is confirmed such as hay fever, they can return to school.
It is recommended that staff and students that return to school after recovering from COVID-19 do not participate in rapid antigen test surveillance for 28 days (four weeks after recovery) following release from self-isolation. This is due to NSW Health advice that people who have recovered from COVID-19 have a low risk of contracting it again in the following 28 days. After 28 days (from week five after recovery) staff and students may resume participation in RAT surveillance.
CLASS CONTACT LISTS
At the beginning of the school year, when new classes are formed, some parents like to create a class contact list which contain the contact details of other class members and their parents, so that contact can be made to arrange social activities such as play dates, to keep in touch and to ask questions. I also understand that some parents have set up class What's App groups for a similar purpose. Some teachers have been asked to facilitate this process for parents.
Last year, after seeking and receiving advice regarding our school faciliitating this process, a revised permission letter was devised. This obtains consent from parents for the organising parent/s to create a list, disclosing other parents' contact information to other parents. Additionally, the note seeks: written confirmation that other parents receiving the information on that list use it for the specific purpose outlined and agree to keep the information safe, not disclose it to anyone else, and not use the email address for ANY other purpose.
If parents organising a class contact list or What's App group would like the school to support distribution of notes seeking contact information or disseminating such lists, can you please complete the form below. We will then send out the permission note to parents in that class. School staff will not be able to facilitate the process without this permission.
Until next week, keep safe, happy and well!
Mrs Leonie Black
From the Deputy Principal
21 February 2022
Dear Parents and Carers
Parent invitations to attend class meetings on Wednesday 23 February via Zoom, were emailed last week. Please contact the school, if you did not receive your invitation. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the sessions for 3/4B (Mrs Button) and 6H (Mr Hayman), have been postponed and will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
As a courtesy to our staff and all attendees, please observe the virtual meeting etiquette, I have included below. Our class teachers are looking forward to 'meeting' you on Wednesday.
The school swimming carnival will be held this Thursday, for competitors only, in Years 2-6. Despite a reduction in the numbers of those involved due to Covid constraints, our sport coordinator, Miss Nelson, has spent many hours preparing for this event. Thank you Miss Nelson and good luck all swimmers!
Regards
Mrs Adela King
Deputy Principal
2022 Parent Information Sessions this Wednesday
Induction of 2022 Student Leaders
We are still planning to hold the Student Leaders' Induction Assembly at 1:35pm on Thursday 3rd March, outside, under the COLA. Students in Years 1 to 6 will attend, seated in separate cohorts. One adult per family of an elected student leader, will also be invited to attend. I will advise those parents via a letter, to be sent home with students, next week.
School leaders, house captains, Year 6 library monitors, SRC representatives and band leaders, will be presented with their badges, at this assembly. The first Silver and higher-level awards for the year (as published in the newsletter), will also be presented. One parent (or adult representative) of these students, may also attend. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate additional interested visitors, at this time. Dependent on Covid guidelines, additional sign-in procedures may apply, so please report to the area outside the school administration block, upon arrival. Naturally, any visitor with cold or flu-like symptoms, is respectfully reminded not to attend.
Special Religious Education (Scripture) Classes
Special religious education (SRE) is the beliefs and practices of an approved religious persuasion delivered by authorised representatives of that persuasion. SRE is often referred to as scripture.
Special education in ethics (SEE) is education in ethical decision making, action and reflection within a secular framework, based on a branch of philosophy. SEE is commonly referred to as ethics.
General religious education, is education about the world’s major religions, what people believe and how that belief affects their lives. It is taught through the school curriculum. Further information is available on the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) website.
In all government schools, time is set aside for the religious education of children. At John Purchase Public School, students from Kindergarten to Year 2 attend scripture classes between 11:30am and 12:00pm each Tuesday. Students from Years 3 to 6 attend scripture classes from 12:00pm to 12:30pm each Tuesday. Classes are formed based on the availability of qualified volunteer providers of the various religious persuasions and subsequent parental nomination. SRE options at John Purchase Public School have recently included: Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Islamic and ‘Combined Christian’ SRE (incorporating Anglican, Presbyterian, Uniting and Baptist).
Students not attending SRE attend supervised alternative groups and participate in reading and private study. As mandated by the NSW Department of Education, these students are not permitted to participate in curriculum-based lessons or other extra-curricular activities during this time. For students not attending SRE, SEE is currently available at John Purchase Public School, in a limited capacity, via written parental request (after non-scripture is nominated).
Unfortunately, this year, some denominations may be impacted by a shortage of providers and the need to separate across-stage groups.
Students continue in the same arrangement each year, unless a parent/caregiver has requested a change in writing, or a change in volunteer availability occurs. At any time, you have the right to change your SRE nomination or to withdraw your child from the nominated lessons. A note to the Deputy Principal will affect this change.
As you can appreciate, it takes a great deal of time to plan for our students to attend Special Religious Education (scripture) classes. New students, including Kindergarten, were given scripture letters last week. Please return these notes to school urgently, so that timetabling and class groups can be organised. It is hoped that SRE and SEE classes at JPPS, will commence on Tuesday 1st March, pending teacher confirmation by all denominations.
Expectation of the Week
Respect: Speak to others in a polite and positive way
Congratulations to all students, demonstrating our school expectations.
Respect Responsibility Aspire
Purchase Pride Badges
Purchase Prides recognise positive student behaviour on the playground and in the classroom. When students receive ten Purchase Pride award cards, these should be left in Mrs King’s ‘award shelf’ in the school administration corridor. The ten awards need to be bundled together and clearly labelled with the student’s name and current class.
Award recipients will be presented with a coloured Purchase Pride Badge, the week after their name is published in this newsletter.
Purchase Pride cards also 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.
I will present the Purchase Pride Badges recorded below, in classes, next week.
Congratulations to:
Sydney L (3/4B), Victoria X (1M), Ellen C (3/4B), Bryan L (3/4B), Erum K (3/4B), Shreyas K (2S), Kayla (2S), Spencer L (2S x2), Rafael L (1M), Allison (2S), Elisha K (2Y), Darin L (4S), Chenyi L (6DW), Ethan T (5/6M x2), Nicholas L (2S x2)
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 school 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. A clear, snap lock bag is ideal for this purpose! 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!
This year, all awards (including Bronze) received by 3pm on Thursday afternoons, are ‘stamped’ and published in the next school newsletter, which is usually on the following Monday. At this time, I indicate when these awards will be presented. Depending on Covid guidelines, Silver Awards, Gold Awards and all Medallions, are presented at whole school assemblies. Please note that Bronze Awards are only presented at the end of each term, at the Principal's Morning Tea.
Bronze Award
These awards will be presented to recipients at the end of Term 1 Principal's Morning Tea, planned for Tuesday, 5th April.
Congratulations to:
Ruaan U (2S), Elisha K (2Y), Allison G (2S), Spencer L (2S)
Silver Award
These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:30pm on Thursday 3rd March, under the COLA.
Congratulations to:
Cass C (6O), Ethan P (6DW), Darin L (4S)
School Tours
If you were unable to participate in our school tours for new parents, don’t forget that you can take a peek online!
Lost Property
Has your child misplaced an item of clothing? Please check school bags and encourage your sons and daughters to have a look in the lost property tubs, currently at the administration block.
Our support staff intend to place the plastic tubs outside the school gates, in the mornings, several times per week, so that parents may search for missing items too. Please update name labels regularly, to make retrieval of lost clothing much easier!
From the Teachers
Premier's Reading Challenge
The 2022 PRC opens on Monday , 28th February. Please see the official website for further details. Students use their Department of Education username and password to access their online reading log. Please ask your class teacher if you have any questions. Happy reading!https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html
Miss BrennanPRC Coordinator
Stage One Choir
Stage 1 Choir will be starting this week and any student in year 1 and year 2 can join up.
This term, the stage 1 choir will be held at lunchtime on every Tuesday in Ms Stanton's room straight after eating time.
If you enjoy singing, come along and have some fun!
Ms Stanton
Junior Choir Stage Two
We are pleased to announce that Junior Choir will commence this Thursday 24th February.
Junior Choir is open to all students in Stage 2.
Please collect a choir permission note from Mrs Pettitt and return it to your class teacher by this Thursday.
When: Thursday mornings
8:00am – 8:30am
Where: Mrs Pettitt’s Classroom
We hope to see lots of eager students join us for some singing fun!
Mrs Collier and Mrs Pettitt
Junior Choir Coordinators
From the Office
STAY UP TO DATE WITH SZAPP
Please download this app to your phone if you haven't already (instructions below). This year we will be using this form of communication to get important notices to you. The access PIN will be sent to you via email.
It is important you attach your details to your child/ren's class, year group and any other extra curricular group your child is involved in to receive all notifications.
Please don't hesitate to contact the office on 9875 3100 if you need assistance.
From the P&C
Community Announcements
Please note our school publishes events for the convenience of families but does not endorse any activity, organisation, person or product.
ETHICS TEACHERS NEEDED
Want to do something life-changing in 2022? Why not volunteer at JOHN PURCHASE PUBLIC SCHOOL as an ethics teacher!
Ethics classes can only be offered as an alternative if we have volunteer teachers. Volunteers can come from our parents, grandparents, friends and local community, from every walk of life. Primary Ethics offers full, free training, lesson scripts and teaching support.
Ethics encourages children to listen closely and to develop their opinions through ethical reasoning. Ethics helps kids develop confidence and empathy. As an ethics teacher, you’ll get a lot out of it too!
If you have an hour a week and want to ensure children at our school can access this valuable program, go to: https://primaryethics.com.au/volunteer/ethics-teacher/