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Term 2 Newsletter - 2 May 2022

From the Principal

OUR NEWSLETTER CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES EACH WEEK BY SELECTING THE PREFERRED LANGUAGE IN THE DROP DOWN MENU ABOVE

WELCOME BACK TO TERM 2

Welcome back to Term 2. I do hope you managed to enjoy some special time with the children. I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to the new families joining our school last week.

INDUSTRIAL ACTION: WEDNESDAY 4 MAY 2022

The NSW Teachers Federation has directed its membership to take industrial action in the form of a 24-hour strike on Wednesday 4 May 2022. As a result of the strike, we will still be open but will be providing minimal student supervision on this date. This means that temporary class structures and a modified timetable are required to meet safety and supervision requirements.

The department has been negotiating with the NSW Teachers Federation since October last year to reach an agreement on the new Teachers Award.

The department is seeking a resolution for a new 3-year Teachers Award through arbitration in the Industrial Relations Commission in early May. The department is committed to securing the maximum remuneration increase allowed under the Industrial Relations Act. This includes a 2.5% increase in remuneration for all teachers and related employees which was implemented in January this year.

Thank you for your support and understanding during this short period of disruption.

USING THINK ALOUDS TO EMPOWER OUR READERS!

On our school development day last Tuesday, our teachers explored an invaluable strategy known as ‘think alouds’. This is a strategy teachers use to deepen students' understanding of text. The strategy is a powerful strategy that is used across the school, from Kindy through to Year 6.

It involves the teacher reading a short section of text to the students, stopping evey now and then to explain what he/she is thinking. This allows students to listen to someone’s thinking so they can see the thought processes and problem-solving that goes on while reading. Think Alouds make the invisible process of reading, visible! Think Alouds can help students understand how to think through a text in an interactive way, in order to find deeper meaning.

An important skill that typically takes many experiences and examples over a number of years to develop, is the ability to work out the meaning of unknown words, using the context of a story or other text.

To give students insight into how we learn and how we work out what a difficult word may mean within the text, the think aloud strategy can be useful. It helps them see how we think through the process of figuring out the meaning of a word.

WHAT A THINK ALOUD MAY LOOK LIKE
IN A STAGE 3 LESSON

Introduce the learning intention (WALT) and success criteria (WILF) for the lesson.

Sometimes when we are reading, we come across words we don't know the meaning of. Today we are learning how to work out the meaning of a word in a text if we don’t know it. I am going to read a section from the text we are looking at today, ‘Looking Back’ and when I come across a word I don’t know the meaning of, I am going to show you how we can try to work it out.
Later today, during our quiet reading time, I would like you to practise this skill when you come across a new word. You will know that you are successful if you can come up with a synonym for the word.
This will involve using some of the strategies we've looked at before - rereading, reading on, looking at the illustrations and using your background knowledge about words.

2. Begin reading the passage, Looking Back

Even before I opened my eyes, I could tell that things had not gone completely to plan. My whole body seemed to hum with pain but in a distant, subdued way

3. Pause after reading the word ‘subdued’. Hmm. I’m not sure what ‘subdued’ means. I will reread the entire sentence to see if that helps me. I can see that the word subdued is a feeling you can have. It seems to be associated with a distant feeling of pain. The picture tells me he fell down a large hole or well, so he may have hurt himself.

When I read on, it mentions it wasn’t very unpleasant and that he feels calm, so yes I think subdued means he is lying there in a quiet, still and relaxed way, and they may be synonyms I can use here.

Later on when I finish reading I am going to look this word up in a dictionary to check and then we can put it up on our class word wall.

4. Continue reading. There are a number of words we could examine, but I have chosen to stop at the word, morphed. Pause after reading the word ‘morphed’ towards the end of the second paragraph.

5. Repeat the think aloud process. e.g. I’m not really sure what ‘morphed’ means. I will reread the sentence to see if that helps me. Reread the sentence. I’m not sure although I think it’s a verb. Maybe the boy realised he had heard some sounds and then he realised that what he could hear was the sound of his name.

I think I’ll reread the whole paragraph the word is in, to help me further. Reread paragraph. This makes me think the boy couldn’t hear any sound initially as he was so focused on how he was feeling and if he was okay after he fell. He couldn’t hear anything at first, then he could hear some background noises and then he could hear someone repeatedly and clearly calling out his name.

I will read the beginning of the next paragraph to see if that helps me further with the word ‘morphed’. When I read the next sentence in the next paragraph, I think the text is telling me that the boy can hear his friend, Nick. I think Nick was calling out to him, and he didn’t notice it before, and he can now hear him calling him by name. This word, ‘morphed’, is describing how what he initially heard was unclear and now what he hears clearly is his name being called.

I now think the word ‘morphed’ could be ‘changed’ ‘turned into’, ‘transformed’ or ‘became’.

So instead of ‘the sound morphed into the sound of my name’, it could be ‘the sound changed itself into the sound of my name’ or even better, ‘the sound transformed itself into the sound of my name.’ The words ‘changed’ or ‘transformed’ could be synonyms in this text.

Later on when I finish reading I will also look this word up in a dictionary to check it and put it on our class word wall.

6. Complete the reading.

7. I think it's important for students to see that what we learn during lessons should be applied to when they are reading independently. iT shows them this is an imprtnat skill. When the class has their quiet independent reading time:

- Reiterate the success criteria. When you come across a word you don’t know when reading independently, I want you to do the same thing as I just showed you to help you. After our quiet reading time, I will ask you to share an example including a synonym for the meaning of the unknown word. Be ready to tell a partner what strategies you used to come up with the synonym.
- Whilst students are reading independently, the teacher can work with a small group or individual student/s. Before the end of quiet reading, prompt the students to work independently to record their synonym and to use dot points to outline the strategies they used to help them. This will be the exit ticket for the lesson.
- Assessment & Reflection
  - Revisit the learning intention and success criteria. Select students to share their synonym and the process they went through to determine it. Check the word meanings. Add to the class word wall with correct definitions from dictionary.
  - Collect students’ reading responses (exit tickets). Use to inform future planning.

STAYING SAFE ONLINE

This is an invaluable website for parents, educators and students. There is a wealth of information, as well as access to webinars about helping kids to stay safe online.

It has engaging and useful tips for kids and can provide support when things go wrong.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/kids

NAPLAN: Public demonstration site

Students, teachers, parents and carers can use the public demonstration tests to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and related functionalities available in the online NAPLAN assessment.

https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

COVID UPDATE

NATIONAL WALK SAFELY TO SCHOOL DAY

National Walk Safely to School Day (WSTSD) is on Friday 20 May 2022. Now in its 23rd year, the annual campaign encourages all primary school children, their parents and carers to walk safely and regularly to school.
The event seeks to promote road safety, health, public transport and the environment.

Australian children are becoming less active. One substantial contributor is the decline in walking and/or taking public transport to school. Children who are regularly physically active are healthier, perform better academically and are less likely to be obese or overweight. Sedentary behaviour can lead to long-term and costly risks of illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes.

Walking regularly is the best exercise because you can build it into your daily routine.

OBJECTIVES OF THE DAY

To encourage parents and carers to walk to school with primary school age children
To promote the health benefits of walking and create regular walking habits
To help children develop vital road crossing skills and ensure children up to the age of 10 years hold an adult's hand when crossing the road
To reduce car dependency and traffic congestion
To reduce the level of air pollution created by motor vehicles
To promote the use of public transport

MUMS AND BUBS

How lovely to see some of our teachers on maternity leave this year with their gorgeous babies!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

We wish all mums, grandmothers and mother figures in our community a happy Mothers Day. I hope you are made to feel special, appreciated and loved on Sunday, and throughout the year!

Thank you to our hardworking P & C for organising:

1) a Mothers Day Shop for students to purchase a gift for their mums on Thursday 5 May

2) a Mothers Day breakfast for families to enjoy a delicious breakfast with their mums on Friday 6 May

Please refer to the message from the P & C in the P & C section of this newsletter for further information.

ATTENTION YEAR 4 PARENTS

Opportunity classes – Year 5 2023

Find out about key dates in the placement process for Year 5 entry in 2023.

Year 5 entry to an opportunity class in 2023

Applications for Year 5 entry to an opportunity class in 2023 opened on Tuesday 26 April 2022 and close at midnight on Friday 13 May 2022. The application link is available on this web page. Parents and carers must apply by the due date as late applications cannot be accepted.

Parents should read Applying for Year 5 entry an opportunity class in 2023External link before applying. An accessibleExternal link version is also available.

Opportunity Class Placement Test

The Opportunity Class Placement Test will be conducted on Thursday 28 July 2022.

SCHOOL CROSSING SUPERVISOR - REPEATED

Unfortunately we are still without a School Crossing Supervisor (SCS) at the crossing on Purchase Road before and after school.

Our school may have a staff member at the crossing on most days to promote safety from approximately 8.40am to 9am and from approximately 2.50pm to 3pm.

We therefore ask parents to consider the children's safety and to remind children of the following:

Cross the road at the designated pedestrian crossing facility
Stop! Look! Listen! Think! when crossing the road
Take care whenever you cross
Don’t run across the road

Until next week, keep safe, happy and well!

Mrs Leonie Black

From the Deputy Principal

Monday 2 May 2022

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back to Term 2!

Our school paused to reflect and acknowledge ANZAC Day at a solemn service held at school under the COLA last week. The service of remembrance was a poignant reminder of how fortunate we are, living in Australia today.

Members of our P & C have organised a shopping extravaganza for all students this Thursday in the school annexe. Gifts ranging from $1.00 to $10.00 will be available to purchase at the Mothers' Day Stall.

Mums and children are also invited to school between 7am and 8:40am this Friday 6th May, so you can enjoy a breakfast prepared by the dads!

Happy Mothers' Day to all mums and grandmothers!

Regards

Mrs Adela King
Deputy Principal

Lest We Forget

Flag bearers lowered the flag and students laid wreaths as a mark of respect.

The JPPS Lone Pine Tree grown from a Lone Pine seedling.

The story of Lone Pine is dedicated to the soldiers who fought at Lone Pine and to their families who loved them.

Congratulations Award Recipients

The students pictured below, were presented with their awards in Week 10, last term.

Stage 2 and Stage 3 Bronze Award Recipients

Our School Expectations

These are the expectations that apply at our school canteen.

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, at the morning assembly on Monday 9 May.

Congratulations to:

Toby S (1M), Pavanaj (3S), Brandon (2S), Bella E (4S), Lena K (4S), Kyler L (1B), Vera G (5F), Caroline L (2E), Ivana H (3N)

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 Principal's Morning Tea at the end of Term 2. This event is planned to be held at 10:30am on Tuesday, 28th June. The morning tea will be held in the hall and parents of recipients, will be invited to attend.

Congratulations to:

Nicholas Z (2Y), Samkit S (3G), Aaryan R (3/4B), Stephanie S (5T), Caroline (Yijin) L (3G), Mia Z (2Y)

Silver Award

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Thursday 19th May, under the COLA. All parents are cordially invited to attend.

Congratulations to:

Stephanie S (5T)

Gold Award

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Thursday 19th May, under the COLA. All parents are cordially invited to attend.

Congratulations to:

Mia B (5F), Stephanie S (5T)

Bronze Medallion

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Thursday 19th May, under the COLA. All parents are cordially invited to attend.

The Bronze Medallion morning tea for recipients and Mrs Black and Mrs King, will be held at recess on Wednesday, 29th June.

Arriving At School On Time

A reminder to everyone, that our school day commences at 8:55am. Please ensure that you establish morning routines at home, which promote punctuality to school and your child is not unduly stressed because of arriving 'after the bell'. Every minute does count!

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.

Click here to download how to install the Szapp app

From the Teachers

PSSA Sport News

PSSA Winter competition starts in Week 2 (this week). Stage 2 and 3 will compete against other schools in Beecroft Zone in Soccer and Netball. Good luck to all teams and coaches. Parents, please see the draw below if you wish to watch your child play.

Miss Nelson
Sports Coordinator

Years 3-6 and 8 year olds Cross Country Ribbons

The 3-6- and 8-year-olds Cross Country Carnival ribbons will be presented to students who placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th, on Monday 9th May at the 9am morning assembly. Parents you are welcome to attend.

Congratulations to Michael W and Dean Z for representing Sydney North at the NSWPSSA swimming carnival on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th April. We are all so proud of your dedication to swimming.

Results from the days

Dean Z placed 11th in 50m Breaststroke, 18th in 200m Individual Medley, and 14th in Butterfly achieving his personal best.

Michael W placed 10th in 11-13yrs multi class Freestyle and 4th in 11-13yrs multi class Backstroke.

Staying Connected Whilst Setting Limits

It is not uncommon for parents to wonder what parameters they should put in place for their children's internet use, and this topic does come up in discussions between staff and parents.

Please don’t miss this opportunity to attend this FREE webinar Thursday 5th May 6:30pm – 8pm. The GOT IT team will share with you what research tells us is effective when it comes to setting consequences and limits with children.

Please register ASAP using the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SAjJFV6MQ76-vbMLoEtcfQ

Staying Connect Whilst Setting Limits

Sports News

Sporting Schools is a $400 million Australian Government initiative designed to help schools increase children's participation in sport and connect them with community sport opportunities. Schools are encouraged to apply for grants as part of this initiative. This allows us to engage an external provider to deliver specialist sporting programs such as gymnastics free of charge to our students.

This year we are hoping to be approved grants to allow for all our Year 3 – 6 classes to participate. SportsPro have been engaged this term and began their four week program last Thursday for Year 4, 6O and 6DW.

Jessica Mu
Sporting Schools Coordinator

Dance News

Students' dance costumes have arrived and they look great!!
We ask that you please come to the front office to collect your child's costume as they are valuable and important and need to be kept safe for our competitions.
I will be at the front office this week Tuesday and Thursday until 3:15 to hand them out, if you wish to come on a different afternoon or during the day the office ladies can assist you from Tuesday onwards.

Miss Mahler
Dance Coordinator