‘Endeavour to Excel’ ‘Excellence, Opportunity, Success’ 121 PACIFIC HIGHWAY, OURIMBAH 2258 PHONE: 4362 1033 FAX: 4362 2531 Email : ourimbah-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website : www.ourimbah-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

‘Communicating with our Caring Community’

Wednesday, 17th November 2021

DATES TO REMEMBER

PRINCIPAL Stars of the Week – K/1A This week, I was visited by a very chatty and excitable group of students from K/1A. It was great to safely welcome a group of amazing students to my office so they could show-off their work. Miss Adams and K/1A have been reading all about gardens and nature. The students have loved listening to the picture books, Found You (by Devon Holzworth) and Amelia Ellicott’s Garden (by Liliana Stafford). They have been spending time outdoors in the school gardens and exploring and learning all about the different types of flowers and plants we have growing around the school.

These explorations and discussions have been the inspiration behind some creative and clever artworks. Congratulations to the following students who were all chosen to share their fabulous creations with me - • Lucas T, Jenson K and Louis E – have all

designed a bird’s nest using a variety of natural and manufactured materials, including leaves, sticks, plastic ribbon, cotton balls and colourful feathers.

• Annamieka T, Harry H, Lottie D and Archie W – used crayons and watercolours to create a colourful garden scene of the flowers and plants they observed when exploring the school playground.

Keep up the super work, K/1A!

DATE EVENT 17th November Book Club Orders Due TODAY

19th November Year 6 High School Transition – Permission notes DUE NOW

22nd November CANTEEN CLOSED 24th November P&C Meeting – Final for 2021 26th November Year 6 Polo Shirt Orders Due 29th November CANTEEN CLOSED

Welcome Back This week, we have welcomed back some student groups and staff who have been required to self-isolate due to the recent confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the school community. It has been great to see their smiling faces return to the playground and the classrooms, healthy and in positive spirits. As a Principal, I ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff and students comes first at all times. The ongoing education of our students remains first and foremost in our minds, and we recognise that this has been quite disruptive and inconvenient for many families. However, it is important that we follow NSW Health advice and take all necessary precautions to minimise the risk of further transmission to support our community. As a school, we continue to work within the guidelines set out by the NSW Department of Education with public schools now being on Level 3 restrictions – for further information about Level 3 Schools – Advice for Families click on the link embedded in this newsletter. The staff and I are working hard to ensure all cohorts (year groups) have a positive learning experience over the remainder of the year. We are busily preparing end-of-year activities that can occur within the COVID-safe guidelines.

COVID-19 Update: Student Attendance Staff and students must not attend work or school if unwell, even with mild symptoms of COVID-19. Any person with any COVID-19 symptoms must be sent home and not return to school unless: • they have a negative COVID-19 test result and are

symptom free, or • they have isolated for 10 days, when no medical

certificate is available. In circumstances where students or staff have other medical reasons for recurrent symptoms, a letter from their GP is sufficient to negate the requirement for a negative test. Please carefully monitor your child for any symptoms such as a fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath,

runny nose, loss of smell/taste, muscle/joint pains, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting or extreme tiredness, please get them tested for COVID-19 again. If symptoms develop, please: • Go to a COVID-19 testing clinic (see details below);

and • Call the school to let us know.

You can find your nearest COVID-19 testing clinic here.

School Organisation and Class Formations 2022 During the coming weeks, the staff and I are looking at the formation of classes for 2022. The placement of students into their new classes each year is an important and complex process. This includes the Learning and Support Team who also look closely at class placements to ensure a smooth transition for all students. Each year we strive to ensure that we have well-balanced classes and consider the overall wellbeing of our students to maximise positive and productive learning environments. A range of factors are considered including: academic ability, language needs, medical needs, friendships and behaviour support needs. If there are exceptional circumstances that need to be considered when placing your child(ren) into a new class, parents are requested to put the exceptional circumstances in writing and forward these to one of the Stage Supervisors no later Friday 3 December. The current Stage Supervisors are - • Kinder, Years 1 and 2 – Mrs Wakelin • Years 3 and 4 - Mrs Bowd • Years 5 and 6 – Mrs McLean

School Planning 2022 Is your family returning to Ourimbah PS in 2022? If you are moving out of the area or intend enrolling your children at another school in 2022, please let the front office know as soon as possible. If you have any concerns pertaining to your child’s class placement next year,

Student Wellbeing and Health Care Plans - update We welcome updated information from parents about your child's health care needs, even if you are not requesting specific support from our school. Our school asks for medical information when you enrol your child. It is also important that you let us know if your child’s health care needs change or if a new health condition develops. Information about allergies, medical conditions such as asthma, anaphylaxis, diabetes and other health care related issues (including prior conditions such as

medical procedures in the last 12 months) should be provided to the school by parents. Please provide this information in writing to the principal. This will greatly assist our school in planning to support your child’s individual health and wellbeing as we prepare for the new school year. Please also remember to notify the front office of any changes to your contact details or to the contact details of other people nominated as emergency contacts. We appreciate your assistance in this regard and assure you that any information you provide the school will be stored securely and will only be used or disclosed in order to support your son or daughter’s health needs or as otherwise required by law. When a medical practitioner has prescribed medication that must be administered during the school day, parents are responsible to request the school’s support in writing. Students must not carry medications unless there is a written agreement between the school and the student's parents that this is a planned part of the student's individual health care support. Please consider the following points when communicating with our school about your child’s health care needs: • liaise with the child's medical practitioner about the

implications of the child's health condition for their schooling.

• where medication is prescribed, ask the medical practitioner whether the medication is available in a form which minimises or eliminates the need to provide the medication during the school day.

• convey all relevant advice and information from the medical practitioner to the school

• provide prescribed medication and 'consumables' for administration by the school in a timely way and as agreed with the principal and described in your child’s Individual Health Care Plan.

• collaborate with the school in planning to support the child's health needs at school including updating information and reviewing plans.

Please contact the front office (4362 1033) should you require a note requesting the school’s support for your child’s personal health care needs. Those parents who have already provided the school with this relevant information need only inform the school if your child’s health care needs have changed.

Semester 2 Student Reports Class teachers have been working hard on the students’ Semester 2 reports. They have been designed to give you a comprehensive report upon your child’s academic and social growth and development. The Semester 2 reports are currently being finalised by the teaching staff before being read by the school executive team.

Under the department’s Curriculum Planning and Programming, Assessing and Reporting to Parents K-12 Policy, Ourimbah Public School is providing parents/ carers with a written report about their child’s learning during Semester 2, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this will be a modified report and will focus on the learning that has taken place during Terms 3 and 4, which includes comments about individual student’s progress and achievement of the learning provided both at school and at home with guidance to move learning forward. The Semester 2 reports will be distributed to families on Tuesday 14 December. School Excellence in Action – Parent Survey Thank you to those families who have already taken the time to complete the online survey that was distributed last term. It is important that as a parent body you have a ‘voice’ in the decision-making processes of the school including the school’s vision and future directions. Your opinions and views are important to us so please take the time to complete this quick planning survey - the survey link will remain open until Wednesday 24th November. Please use the link below to access the survey. A copy of the QR-code has been included with this week’s newsletter. https://forms.gle/q9E75LSNKZjHsK2u5 The responses given will remain strictly confidential, however, will be used to analyse the School Improvement Plan (2021-2024) and support the development of key milestones for the 2022 school year.

Second-hand Laptops A generous staff member has donated 4 second-hand laptops that have been re-imaged by our IT co-ordinator with Windows 10 installed. We would like to offer these laptops to any of our families that would like one. Please contact the front office (4362 1033) to express your interest. Please take care of each other and stay. Greg Francis (Principal)

CLASSY ARTICLE – K/1A MISS ADAMS It’s amazing to have K/1A back together again. We have been enjoying the warm weather and getting outside. The students have been helping take care of our garden by weeding, watering and pest control. We are watching the tomatoes slowly ripen and waiting patiently for a taste test. K/1A explored how to grow food and where food comes from. We went on a flower hunt and collected a range of beautiful flowers that are growing at our school. After discussing adjectives that helped explain what the flowers feel, look and smell like, we drew pictures of them. Miss Adams.

LOST PROPERTY Once again we have the lost property boxes overflowing with unnamed items of clothing, hats, lunchboxes and drink bottles! Please have your child/children check for any lost items at the office before the end of Term 4. HEALTH CARE PLANS In the coming weeks we will be sending home Health Care Plans that will need to be updated for the beginning of 2022. By doing this, students can attend

excursions, sport etc. Some plans may require a new updated ASCIA Plan or Asthma Plan from their GP? DAY FOR DANIEL Our students showed their support for the Day for Daniel by wearing red. This is Australia's largest child safety education and awareness day. It is held annually on the last Friday of October and honours the memory of Daniel Morcombe. Thank you students and staff at OPS. Mrs Bowd

PAYMENTS DUE

• Year 6 T-Shirt - $34.95 each * *Please use any family credit you may have, where possible?

SCHOOL BANKING Notifying the Parents The Commonwealth Bank have drafted a newsletter article to help parents understand the decision of School Banking closing and the different ways they can continue to support their child to practise good savings behaviour following the closure of School Banking at your school. It is now available commbank.com.au/schoolbanking SCHOOL BAND OURIMBAH PUBLIC SCHOOL CREATIVE ART SHIRTS We have received our brand new Creative Arts Shirts that will be worn by band and choir members when representing our school. A huge thanks to Kathryn Scurrah for all her hard work with the design and organisation. We are excited to wear these fantastic shirts when performing in the new year.

SCHOOL BAND 2022 If your child is interested in joining the school band in 2022, please see the flyer attached to this week’s newsletter from Teaching Services Australia. Trials may be held before the end of the year, but this will depend on time and allowances? Any questions may be addressed with Teaching Services Australia on 02 9651 7333 or via the website teachingservices.com.au/EOI SCHOLASTIC BOOKCLUB ISSUE 7 DUE TODAY! Anyone wishing to order items from Issue 7 of the Scholastic Book Club Catalogue needs to do so before the end of today. This will be the last Book Club order for 2021, so please ensure that you get your orders in. Orders and credit card payments can be made via the Scholastic LOOP platform or cash payments and orders can be sent to the office. If you wish to place an order for Book Club, please be sure to fill in the order forms correctly, with your child’s name and class and then send with payment to the front office or order online.

P&C CHRISTMAS RAFFLE 🎄🎄 🎅🎅🤶🤶

Let's end the year with a fun Christmas Raffle!

Raffle tickets will be coming home from this coming Monday. Tickets will cost $1.00 each or the book of 6 for $5.00. There are additional books available at the office for those that require more. Please remember to write your child's name, class and a phone number on all the ticket stubs. There will be three prizes; 1st, 2nd and 3rd for both Infants K-2 & Primary 3-6. See the attached flyer for the full list of prizes. Raffle will be drawn on Thursday, 9th December 2021. All tickets are due back to the office by Monday, 6th December. All money raised goes back into the school for much needed resources. Goodluck to all families & thank you for your support. Venessa Wheeler & Skye Dunn P&C Fundraising Coordinators

P&C Christmas Raffle Prizes

COMMUNITY NEWS