Term 2 Week 4 Newsletter - 15th May 2023
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
TERM 2 WEEK 4 2023
I do hope our mums, grandmothers and mother figures had a wonderful day sharing special moments with family on Mothers Day!
MOTHERS DAY STALL
A big thank you to Natalie and her helpers for organising the Mothers Day stall last Thursday. We are very appreciative of our P & C Association, who make these events possible. Volunteering to help out at such events is a great support for our students, school and families, and is a great way to meet new friends.
P AND C POSITIONS
Last week we had our first P & C meeting for the term, via Zoom. Our meetings are held two or three times each term, typically on the second Monday of the month. Sometimes these are held via Zoom and sometimes in person at the school.
Thank you to the parents who volunteered to fill P & C positions at the March Annual Meeting. The following positions are yet to be filled, so if you are interested please let us know. You could email the P and C directly, you could email the school, or come along to the next meeting on 19 June. We would love to have more parents involved.
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Executive Position
- Band Committee
- Grounds Committee
- Uniform / Canteen Convenor
- Child Protection Officer (female)
STRANGER DANGER
One way we try to protect the children is to talk to them about strangers and suspicious behaviour, and by having them take precautions. Here is some information, which may assist parents:
Who is a stranger?
Children are in the company of strangers all the time – at the shops, in parks and many other places. Mostly, strangers are regular, nice people, but not all strangers are.
A stranger is anyone that you do not know very well. Young children often believe that ‘bad strangers’ look different – scary and/or ugly like the villains in stories they have read. This isn’t true as ‘bad strangers’ can be good looking and well dressed. When you talk to your children about strangers, explain that no one can tell if strangers are nice or not nice just by looking at them and that they should be careful around all strangers.
It’s tricky to avoid giving the impressions that all strangers are bad, as there may be times when a stranger may be helpful eg if a child is lost. It may help to emphasise to go to a public place for help and to show them which strangers are okay to trust, such as police officers, teachers and librarians. You may also want to show young children homes of family friends.
Recognising and Handling Dangerous Situations
We try to teach children to be wary of potentially dangerous situations – this will help them when dealing with strangers as well as with known adults who may not have good intentions. Help children recognise the warning signs of suspicious behaviour, such as when an adult asks them to disobey their parents or do something without permission, asks them to keep a secret, asks children for help, or makes them feel uncomfortable in any way.
You can talk to your children about how they should handle dangerous situations. One ways is to teach them “No, Go, Yell, Tell.” If in a dangerous situations, kids should say no, run away, yell as loud as they can (eg I do not know this person”), and tell a trusted adult what happened right away. Make sure that your children know that it is okay to say no to an adult in a dangerous situation and to yell to keep themselves safe. It’s good to practise this in different situations so that your children will feel confident in knowing know what to do. Here are a few possible scenarios:
- While walking to the shops, a strangers asks for help finding their lost dog.
- A woman who has just moved into the street, invites your child into her house for a snack.
- A stranger approaches the child and sdays your mum has been held up and wants me to drive you home.
- Your child thinks he or she is being followed.
- An adult your child knows says or does something that makes him or her feel bad or uncomfortable.
- While your child is walking home from a friend’s house, a car pulls over and a stranger asks for directions.
What Else Parents Can Do
- Know where your children are at all times. Give your children your phone number so they can reach you at all times.
- Point out safe places. Show your children safe places to play, safe roads to take, and safe places to go if needed.
- Teach children to trust their instincts. Explain that if they ever feel scared or uncomfortable, they should get away as fast as they can and tell an adult. Tell them that sometimes adults they know may make them feel uncomfortable, and they should still get away as fast as possible and tell another adult what happened.
- Make sure they know that it’s okay to say no to an adult and to run away from adults in dangerous situations.
- Encourage your children to play and walk with others. There’s safety in numbers!
- If your child reports being approached by a stranger, call the police immediatey with the location and description.
CHANGES TO REPORTING NAPLAN RESULTS
From 2023, NAPLAN results will be reported against 4 proficiency standards rather than numerical bands as in previous years.
NAPLAN reports will contain 4 easy-to-understand proficiency standards:
- Exceeding
- Strong
- Developing
- Needs additional support.
The new reporting standards are intended to provide parents, carers and teachers with simpler and clearer information about how students are performing.
The student reports are expected to be sent home early in Term 3.
CONGRATULATIONS JOSHUA
Joshua has been selected to perform in the Sound of Music production presented by Eastwood Uniting Church Musical Society. He will play the part of Kurt. This is an exciting opportunity, which we hope you enjoy immensely! Congratulations Josh!
Information about the production can be found below in the community section of the newsletter.
ATTENTION YEAR 4 : OPPORTUNITY CLASSES FOR 2024 - REPEATED
Opportunity classes cater for high potential and intellectually gifted students in Years 5 and 6. These classes help students learn by grouping them with students of similar ability, using specialised teaching methods and educational materials at the appropriate level. The Selective Education Unit administers the opportunity class placement process.
Parents may apply when students are in Year 4. Students who are placed then attend the opportunity class full time in Years 5 and 6. Students who accept a place in an opportunity class will leave their current school to attend the school with an opportunity class.
Online applications for Year 5 placement in an opportunity class in 2024 opened on Thursday 30 March 2023 and will close on Monday 15 May 2023.
Read 'Information for applicants' for information about the process and important dates.
The Opportunity Class Placement Test will be conducted on Thursday 27 July 2023.
Students are offered placement in opportunity classes on the basis of academic merit. Academic merit is based on the results of reading, mathematical reasoning and thinking skills tests in the Opportunity Class Placement Test.
An Intention to Apply form has been sent to parents of Year 4 students last term. Please return this form to school if you are intending to apply for your child to sit the OC placement test. Please note this Intention to Apply is NOT an application and applications need to be completed as per the processes outlined in the booklet emailed out last week, Information for Applicants. Please contact the school on 98753100 if you have a child in Year 4 and you did not receive this email.
SAFETY OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL
Please refer to the flyer below, which outlines parking rules in school zones. Traffic officers and/or police do patrol the area, and will book parents who are not following the road rules. These rules are designed to keep children and adults safe.
2023 Term Dates & Holidays - REPEATED
PLEASE TRY TO ARRANGE TRAVEL DURING SCHOOL VACATION PERIODS RATHER THAN DURING THE SCHOOL TERM, WHENEVER POSSIBLE
Winter school holidays – Monday 3 July to Friday 14 July
Term 3– Monday 17 July (students return to school on Tuesday 18 July as SDD scheduled on 17 July) to Friday 22 September
Spring school holidays – Monday 25 September to Friday 6 October
Term 4– Monday 9 October (students return 9 October) to Tuesday 19 December (students last day for 2023 will be Friday 15 December)
Summer school holidays (Eastern)– Wednesday 20 December to Monday 29 January 2024
From the Deputy Principal
Term 2 Week 4
Monday 15th May 2023
Dear Parents and Carers
This week is National Road Safety Week,External lin when we encourage all road-users to consider how they can reduce preventable traffic injuries, which is the main cause of morbidity in children under 15. The 2023 theme is ‘Everyone has a right to get home safe, every day – no exceptions'.
This Friday, 19th May, you are encouraged to participate in National Walk Safely to School Day, with your children, while discussing road safety and the health benefits of walking.
JPPS takes road safety very seriously and actively promotes safe travel all year round, not just in May.
Thank you so much to Natalie Campbell and her small band of parent helpers who created the Mother's Day stall opportunity. Our students thoroughly enjoy participating in events such as these.
Parent help is really appreciated and it's fun to get involved in life at school. If you would like to volunteer to assist at a P & C activity at school, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our friendly P & C Association, led by Richard Walusimbi - president@jppspandc.org.au
A reminder that students should now have transitioned to wearing winter uniforms. Hats are still essential, despite the cooler temperatures. Please ensure that uniform items are clearly labelled with each student's name.
This Thursday, 18th May, all parents are cordially invited to our K-6 Assembly, under the COLA, at 1:30pm. Stage 1 students will be performing a dance item.
Have an enjoyable week!
Mrs Adela King
Deputy Principal
Welcome Mrs Onay (KS teacher)
Welcome Mrs Bissell (2E teacher)
Understanding Your Child's Report (repeated)
Parent Information Session presented by Adela King (Deputy Principal)
When: Wednesday 7th June, 2023
Time: 9am - 10am
Location: School Annexe
RSVP to this link below by 9am Tuesday 6th June
https://forms.gle/GrrZhX2dfJkY4s3X9
Appropriate Behaviour Online (repeated)
Through the curriculum, our students are being taught about working safely in an online environment. The school also asks experts in the field, such as police youth liaison officers, to address our students and keep them safe and informed, from time to time.
We define cyberbullying as using electronic means to bully or harass another person. For example:
• abusive, hurtful, threatening messages, images or videos
• imitating others online
• excluding, humiliating others online
• spreading online rumours, nasty gossip or chat
• using fake online profiles to embarrass or intimidate
We are aware of the significant pressures faced by parents as you navigate this complex area of contemporary social interaction and encourage you to read and discuss the excellent and comprehensive information provided by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, before making the decision to permit your child to access social media platforms.
This is an excellent resource: https://www.esafety.gov.au/
We do appreciate the support of parents, in keeping our students safe.
Our School Expectations
Congratulations to our students who have demonstrated our school expectations of Respect, Responsibility and Aspire.
This week's expectation is:
Responsibility: Wear full (winter) school uniform with pride
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 the boxes on the ‘award shelf’ inside the school office. The shelf has been moved to just inside the office foyer, for greater convenience. 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 in the award shelf, to go in the lucky dip draw for a canteen voucher. Canteen vouchers are drawn by our SRC representatives, at the end of each term.
The Purchase Pride badges recorded below, will be presented at the next Monday morning assembly.
Congratulations to:
Dennis W (KN), Miya J (3S), Daniel W (3B), Jackson R (3G), Joanna (KS), Leo I (KH), Lucy W (3B), Skylar L (1KR), Archer L (4/5B), Alastair B (3S), Jacob L (1M), Amelia D (1B), Kush P (1M), Jeremy S (3G), Jaden P (6FG), Alexander P (KH), Audrey M (2R), Lia K (2E), Mikael S (2D), Patrick K (1M), Zoey L (3S), Rhea (4R), Jaden (6FG), Nyle S (6H)
Class Awards System
JPPS has an incremental class awards system. When a student has received ten class awards, these should be left in the boxes on the ‘award shelf’ inside the school office. The shelf has been moved to just inside the office foyer, for greater convenience. 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, in term time. At this time, I indicate when these awards will be presented. 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 will be held in the hall at 10:30am on Tuesday, 27th June. Parents of recipients, are invited to attend.
Congratulations to:
Jayden S (1KR), Mikael S (2D), Nathan Z (2R)
Silver Award
These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Thursday 18th May, under the COLA. Stage 1 students will be presenting an item at this assembly. All parents are cordially invited to attend.
Congratulations to:
Hongbo W (6DW)
Gold Award
These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Thursday 18th May, under the COLA. Stage 1 students will be presenting an item at this assembly. All parents are cordially invited to attend.
Bronze Medallion
These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Thursday 18th May, under the COLA. Stage 1 students will be presenting an item at this assembly. All parents are cordially invited to attend.
There will be a morning tea for Bronze Medallion recipients, with executive, at the end of this term, on Monday 26th June.
Silver Medallion
These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Thursday 18th May, under the COLA. Stage 1 students will be presenting an item at this assembly. All parents are cordially invited to attend.
From the Teachers
Parent Webinar
The wonderful ‘GOT IT’ team is presenting a highly recommended online webinar and have invited the JPPS community to join in for free.
The online webinar is for all parents and carers of students from Kindergarten to Year 6. Please see the flier below for details of the webinar.
If you have any questions about the webinar, please contact me on 98753100 Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
Please use the link below to register.
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GQqiSB_CTPG7kt4_sHv-ow#/registration
Leonie Cole
Learning and Support Teacher
From the Office
From the P & C
FROM THE CANTEEN
SOS FOR MORE VOLUNTEERS
We are still looking for more volunteers specifically for some Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays of each month. The hours are 9:30am to 1:15pm once a month and lunch is provided. If you can spare one day a month to help out it would be appreciated as we rely on the help of our volunteers to offer the services we do. Please contact Snoewy or Anna on jpps.canteen@gmail.com if you can help.
Monday sushi is back ! From Monday 15 May sushi is back on Mondays. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused with it being unavailable but we are happy to be offering it again five days a week
From the Community
Please note our school publishes community information for the convenience of families but does not endorse any activity, organisation, person or product.
JOHN PURCHASE PUBLIC SCHOOL accepts no responsibility for content on third-party websites and providing a link does not imply that the school endorses that website.