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Gloucester Public School Newsletter    Opportunity  ‐  Innovation  ‐  Excellence 

 

  Find us at:    45 Hume Street, Gloucester 2422                         Tel: 65581303  Fax: 65581655  www.gloucester‐p.schools.nsw.edu.au

Term 3 Week 7 Tuesday 26th August, 2014. 

DATES TO REMEMBER:

29/8 Gloucester Horse Sports 28/8 FATHER’S DAY STALL 28/8 Book Fair 29/8 Book Parade 1 – 4/9 Yr 6 Canberra Excursion 12/9 Jump Rope for Heart 17/9 Bucketts of Talent

14 – 17/10 Yr 5 Lake Keepit Excusrion

25/10 P&C Ball 10/11 Kinder 2015 Orientation 9.30am 17–28/11 Intensive Swimming Kindergarten 2015 24/11 Smooth Start 1/12 Smooth Start 8/12 Smooth Start 10/12 Presentation Night 16/12 Year 6 Farewell Canteen Roster 27/8/14 Ruth Edwards Tracey Murrell 29/8/14 Rachel Blanch Cassie Ashby 1/9/14 Sally Maslen 3/9/14 Brad Sparke Leanne Anderson 5/9/14 Kate Shanley Tracey Bignell

Last week, 42 Year 4 adventurers, 3 brave parents...Mrs Norrie, Mr Blanch, Mr Willis... Mrs Wilson, Mr Cowan and Mr Howland went to Wambangalang. We also visited Taronga Western Plains Zoo and The Old Dubbo Gaol. Wambangalang is an Environmental Education Centre and is 30 kms out of Dubbo. A HUGE thank you to our brave and extremely hardworking parents who tirelessly prepared and cooked over 4 days for 48 people! Another thank you to Peter Cowan who not only drove us there and back, went shopping, helped out all the time but even supervised the 6 residents of 'Moo Dorm'. 42 very tired kids came back on Friday evening, so we didn't leave any at the zoo (or gaol)! It was a fantastic trip and there are lots of stories to tell. Many thanks to Mrs Wilson and Mr Howland. More info/ photos in next week's newsletter.

Message from Mrs Wakefield

School Self Evaluation – Leadership As part of our ongoing self-evaluation each year we gather information to guide our future planning and improvements. Last year we used an online survey, (survey monkey) to evaluate the area of Learning and our welfare and discipline policy. This year we are looking at Leadership. We are surveying our parents/carers, teachers/staff and students and will report our findings in the Annual School Report for 2014. I understand you are all very busy, however, ask that you take 5-10 minutes to provide us with some quality feedback. Thank you in advance. Please return all surveys to the school admin office.

Slices, cupcakes, cakes We are looking for donations of cakes, slices and cupcakes for this Friday for morning tea after the Book Parade. Each year we provide morning tea for parents/carers, grandparents, family members and community members visiting our school for the Book Parade or Grandparents Day. Please bring in your donations on Friday morning to the canteen. Thank you in advance for your donations.

Book Parade Morning Tea and Open Classrooms You are invited to join us for the Book Parade this Friday 29th August. The parade starts at 9.45am and we hope you can stay for morning tea. If you would like to visit your child’s classroom after morning tea, our classrooms will be open for a small amount of time from 11.30 – 12pm only. You are most welcome to then take your child/ren home after recess/open classrooms or leave your child/ren at school for the continuation of a normal school day. FATHER’S DAY STALL The Father’s Day Stall is this Thursday 28th August. Gifts $2 - $5 Leanne Wakefield Principal

ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) Congratulations to the following students who have recently been awarded certificates for high achievements in the ICAS writing competition. Front row: Isabella Yates and Holly Willis (credits) Back Row: Mauatua Barff (distinction), Ethan Bird, Gabrielle Bird, Emily Kearney and Anneka Hooke (credits).

Gloucester Public School Library

this Thursday 28th August 5pm – 7pm

and

Friday 29th August

Book Parade 9.45am (Dry Weather) 9.20am (Wet Weather) Please read information regarding the

Book Parade on the next page.

…BOOK WEEK PARADE…

On Friday 29 August Gloucester Public School (GPS) will be holding their Book Week Parade.

The theme for 2014 Book Week is ‘Connect to Reading – Reading to Connect’.

All students are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite, or most admired, book character.

Students will be given the opportunity to parade their costumes and talk about why they chose their particular book character.

This is a fun day for students, and staff as they like to dress up as well!

Come on! Get thinking – get designing – get CONNECTED to READING!

Parent and Carers, To help you plan your day on Friday for our Book Week Parade, I have outlined for you a wet weather and dry weather plan..nothing like being prepared! Mrs Alison Clifton. Dry weather (outdoors) All students will come to school dressed in their Book Character costumes. The Book Week Parade, for all students, will begin at approximately 9.45am, when all classes

have been assembled in the centre of the school (large concrete area) The Parade will finish at approximately 10.45am. Morning tea will be available for a gold coin donation. The Book Fair will be open for you to browse and buy with all profits made going directly to

the students’ learning resources. Wet weather (in the school hall) All students will come to school dressed in their Book Character costumes. The Book Week Parade, for Kindergarten, Years 3 and 4 will begin at approximately 9.20am,

finishing at approximately 10.10am. Years 1 and 2 & Years 5 and 6 will begin their parade at approximately 10.15am finishing at

11.00am for recess. Morning tea will be available for a gold coin donation. The Book Fair will be open for you to browse and buy, all profits made go directly to the

students’ learning resources.

Dylan Smith and Jake Speering.

No ASSEMBLY

this week due to Book Week

Activities

Our new sounds this week are ‘sh’ and ‘qu’. Our new words are ‘play’, ‘home’ and ‘been’.

Mirabai Stockwell & Sophie McGlynn Class Awards – Week 6 KM Marshall Guttridge Bodhi Ashby Sophie Lenehan Isabella Parker KS Riley Schafer Mia Tressider Matilda Dillon Aiden Glew 1S Roze Murphy Jaxon Griffis-Powick Amelia Parish Alex Channon 1B Jack Yardy Kayla Blanch Ruby Tonks Shannon Atkins 2G Mae’e Parks Danieka Wakefield Thomas Hooke Hayley Ruysch 2M Tarlia Watego Skye Hill Lucas Coombes Bryce Young-Longmire Citizenship: Lochlan Mackintosh 1B Due to unforeseen circumstances, Kate Mullen will not be starting her university practicum experience in 1B until Term 4. We look forward to her return. Cemone Baker Classroom Teacher

Jump Rope for Heart Only two more weeks until our Jump Rope for Heart day (12th September). It has been great

to see so many students practicing and enjoying skipping in the playground. I hope that you have all been trying to get some sponsors.

The Heart Foundation receives little government funding so if we can help and have fun at the same time, let’s go for it! Heart disease claims the life of an Australian every 24 minutes and is responsible for taking more of our children from us than all other diseases combined. Remember – you can fundraise online or choose to use the sponsorship form. Happy skipping! Debbie Howland Jump Rope for Heart Coordinator Fruit and Veg Month It’s fruit and veg month, so I thought that some nutritious lunch suggestions might be helpful for parents to consider. These are included in this newsletter. This link may also inspire you: http://healthy-kids.com.au/category/lunchbox/ Debbie Howland PD/H Teacher SRC Pyjama Disco

On Thursday, 11th September, the SRC is holding a pyjama disco. The cost will be $4.00 for entry which includes chips and a Popper.

Please wear suitable winter pyjamas, long sleeve tops and long pants (you can also wear onesies). K/1/2 disco is from 5.00pm to 6.30pm and the disco for 3-6 is from 7.00pm to 8.30pm. It will be held in the school hall and prizes will be awarded for the best dressed. SRC Executive

Writing Competition Recently, all Year 3 students were given an opportunity to enter a writing competition. The writing genre for the competition was narrative. The students were shown a picture of a person looking through a pair of binoculars surrounded by long grass. Mrs Munn, Miss Coghlan and myself read over fifty wonderful, clever and imaginative pieces of writing. The choice was narrowed to four pieces of writing all telling terrific and exciting stories. Finally, with help from Mrs Wakefield, it was decided that Verity Badham’s (3C) story titled There are bad people would be Gloucester Public School’s entry in the competition. All four stories can be read on our website. Thank you to Year 3 students for the effort and hard work they put into writing such interesting stories. Alison Clifton – Stage 2 Supervisor Regional Spelling Bee Competition The Regional Spelling Bee Competition will be held on Monday 8th September 2014 at Old Bar Public School. Good Luck to Simon Collins, Kelly Groves, Ty Mackenzie and Cameron Dunlop. Further details will be sent home to individual students. Juniors – 9.30-11.30am; Seniors – 12.30 – 2.30pm Mark Howland, Coordinator Public Speaking Competition 2014 It’s time again for our school public speaking competition. Students in stage 2 and 3 have been busy writing and presenting speeches to their classes and from each class, winners have been chosen to compete in the stage competitions. These competitions will be held on two separate days. Stage three (years 5 and 6) will have their competition on Thursday August 28 at 1.30pm in the school hall. Stage two (years 3 and 4) will have their competition on Tuesday September 2, also at 1.30 in the hall. Mrs Montague will be judging again this year and winners will be announced on the day. Parents/carers are encouraged to attend and support the speakers and of course enjoy being informed and entertained. Kaye Leighton – Public Speaking Coordinator

Maths Olympiad News Our Olympiad team have a break from practice tomorrow with the Hunter Maths comp consuming their amazing brains. Last week’s answer was $1200. Well done to those who got it correct. This week’s challenge is…. A movie ticket costs $4 for children, $6 for senior citizens, and $10 for all others. If 7 people buy tickets, which of the following total sales figures is possible? $26, $37, $48, $57, $68, $75 The contest for the champion family is very close at the moment with the Hawkins’ family only a single point in front of the Bignell’s with two questions remaining. No pressure Geoff, Felicity and boys! With the Canberra excursion next week, we’ll have a spell in Week 8 and come back in Week 9 with the final question. It’s anyone’s game! Remember, a $50 voucher to a local business is on offer for our top maths family at the end of this term. Good luck, everyone! Rod Maggs – Stage 3 Assistant Principal Newcastle Permanent Hunter Maths Competition – Stage 3 Stage 3 students will participate in the Hunter Maths Competition tomorrow Wednesday 27

August. This competition is a brilliant initiative that allows students to practice formal maths test conditions and pit themselves against other students in the region. We have often had individuals from our school perform extremely well in this competition and we wish all of our students well. Rod Maggs – Stage 3 Assistant Principal Gloucester Schools Tri-challenge Gloucester Schools tri-challenge is taking place on the last day of term, Friday 19th September. This event is organised by Gloucester High School and is only available for Year 6 students. Entry forms are coming home today. Please read all details carefully and contact the high school if you need any further information. Eve Green – Year 6 Teacher

Canberra – Year 6 Canberra is coming up…. it is next week! Should you need to discuss any specific issues concerning your child in greater detail, now is the time to see Mrs Green or myself over the next day or so. Some important reminders…. Students must be in full winter school

uniform on Day 1. This includes navy/yellow striped school shirt (not Year 6 shirt), navy slacks/pants, school jumper and clean, black shoes (with black laces).

Please borrow these items or see the school office urgently if your child does not have the correct uniform as students out of uniform will not join their group for Parliament House on Day 1.

Students will need to bring a small backpack for the coach on Day 1. They will need their school hat, sunglasses, jumper, recess and lunch, water bottle, small diary or notebook and a few pens and pencils.

Please remember…. Any electronic devices, iPods, iPads, mobile phones, mobile gaming devices or anything than needs plugging in, are not to be brought on the excursion under any circumstances. Thank you.

Be at school at 6.10am ready for a 6.30am SHARP departure. We will be leaving at this time, so don’t be late!

Check the ‘What to bring’ sheet or contact me at school if you are unsure about any aspect of the excursion. Rod Maggs – Stage 3 Assistant Principal

Australian Government Assistance for National Capital Excursion

Next week, students from our school will be undertaking an educational tour of the National Capital. This coincides with their current studies on levels of government in our country and principles of democracy, both in Australia and the world. While on this tour, they will participate in a variety of educational programs focused on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit their National Capital as part of their civics and citizenship education. To assist you in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per eligible student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program toward the travel expenses incurred. This will be paid directly to the school on completion of the excursion and has already been factored into the excursion cost. We would like to thank the Australian Government for their support of this program. Some of the planned visits and activities will include:

Australian Parliament House Australian War Memorial Australian Electoral Commission National Gallery of Australia Questacon Australian Institute of Sport Geoscience Australia Royal Australian Mint Museum of Australian Democracy at Old

Parliament House

The excursion is planned for 1-4 September (next week) and we hope that it is a rewarding and educational experience for all students. Rod Maggs Assistant Principal (Stage 3)

Midcoast Water Design a Poster Competition We need to encourage our communities to be careful with their water and to look after our catchments – and we need your help! Design a poster that conveys

a message about water use or caring for our catchments and you will be in the running for some great prizes. Design a poster on either:

1. Saving water at home 2. Looking after our catchment

Competition rules: Children must be in Years 4, 5 or 6. Posters should be no larger than an A3 sheet of paper. The full name, age, class and school of each entry should be clearly written on the back. Entries must be returned to the school office by Thursday 11th September. Debbie Howland - Coordinator Puberty Clues – Year 6 The dates for Puberty Clues this year is Tuesday 28 and Thursday 30 October (Week 4) and Tuesday 4 November (Week 5). This highly successful program will again be led by Trudi Edman and Myree Ribbons (Relieving Head Teacher Wellbeing from Gloucester High School) with a series of three lessons focusing on sex education and changes to the human body during puberty. It is designed to work in partnership with the school, parents and our students to provide a forum for conversation and openness in answering questions and providing important factual information to support our young people during this significant period of their development. Notes will go home early in Term 4. Rod Maggs – Stage 3 Assistant Principal

Year 6 Transition to High School Mrs Green, Mrs Leighton and Mr Maggs visited Gloucester High School on Wednesday afternoon last week to discuss the learning needs of our students in Year 6 heading to Year 7 at Gloucester High School in 2014. This is always an important meeting in the transition process, allowing information about our students to be passed on to key staff from Gloucester High School in preparation for their arrival in the new year. Final details have been confirmed regarding upcoming events to take place for the smooth transition to high school for our Year 6 students (and their anxious parents!). Our successful PtoH program between the high school and primary schools will begin in Week 3 next term and run in a fortnightly format. Further information will be provided closer to the date. A visit from key GHS staff in Week 9 this term will also provide some initial information for students. In the meantime, should you have any questions about your child’s transition to high school, please contact me at school. Rod Maggs – Assistant Principal (Stage 3) Year 4 Trip to Dubbo Mrs Wilson and Mr Howland you are brilliant! Thank you for organising a wonderful trip for Year 4. We look forward to everyone sharing their stories and photos. Alison Clifton – Assistant Principal (Stage 2) Hunter Regional Athletics This Friday 29th August, three students from GPS will travel to Glendale Sports Centre in Newcastle, to compete in the Hunter Regional Athletics Carnival. We wish Cameron Dunlop, Emma Ashton and Karson Campbell the best of luck competing in each of their events. Amanda Coghlan and Mark Howland Zone Athletics Coordinators

Gloucester Horse Sports This Friday, six riders from our

school will compete in the third and final horse sports

competition for Gloucester Public School this year.

Jessica Murray, Travis Sansom, Cody Howard and Bianca, Brooke and Cameron Turner will assemble at Gloucester Showground before 7,30am to prepare themselves and their horses to compete in the Gloucester Horse Sports Day. We wish them all the very best. Margaret Wilson Horse Sports Manager Fathers’ Day Breakfast – 5th September

We will be having a Fathers’ Day breakfast on Friday 5th September. We hope to see as many dads as possible. Starting at

approximately 7.00am and finishing at approximately 8.30am. Dads, Grandads, male carers or anyone who is an important male role model in a GPS student’s life are most welcome. Gold coin donation for a bacon and egg roll. More details, please see Sally Maslen. Please mark this date on your calendar. P&C Committee. Canteen Update It’s great to see the students getting involved in the Fresh for Kids campaign by buying lots of fresh fruit and vegies. Remember that the more you eat the more chances you have of winning a major prize and for every entry form you complete you will be rewarded with a minor prize. Great work and let’s keep up the healthy eating. If you are available to help out in the canteen next term please call me on 0447 727 388 or drop into the canteen on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays. Any help is greatly appreciated and welcomed by myself and our fabulous volunteers. Lisa Norrie Canteen Supervisor

Fathers’ Day Stall – change of date The Fathers’ Day Stall will be held this Thursday 28th August. Students will be taken in class groups to the stall in the library where they will be able to purchase gifts for their dads. Prices will range from $2.00 to $5.00.

School Banking is open to all students.

No need to wait until next year to open your account!

Just go and see Mrs Richardson at the library Thursday mornings at 8:30am for more

information! See you there!