In this week’s newsletter…….

* New leaders

*Principal’s Message

* Bike Bus

Upcoming events

Wednesday 22nd February– District Swimming Carnival

Wednesday 1st March - Term 1 Disco

Thursday 2nd March –Mid North Coast Swimming Coffs

Term Calendar - Click Here School Website - Click Here

Grafton Public School A Tradition of Excellence

Term 1 Week 5: Monday 20th February 2017

Locked Bag 9024 Grafton 2460 PHONE: Primary - 66421000 Infants - 66422286

Email: grafton-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Thankyou to those families who have already paid their school fees!

School Fees are due at the start of the year and are paid direct to the front office. A general levy of $10 is owed for

each child. Also owed is a family library/technology contribution of $30 (one child) or $50 (two or more children at

GPS). This family contribution is paid as a tax deductible donation. School fees assist to cover the high costs of

classroom resources.

All families who pay their fees before Friday 18th March, will go into the draw for a Family Dinner at the

Village Green Hotel, valued at $100. A big thankyou to the Village Green for their continued support of our

school. This would be a fabulous reward for the family, so please try and pay your school fees as soon as

possible.

Please note: Some grades are asking for students to pay additionally for a handwriting text. Sometimes there is a bit of confusion about this but this is in addition to the $10 school levy, and not all grades have a textbook.

School Fees

At a formal assembly last Thursday morning, all of the Grafton Public School leaders were announced and received

their badges. These included Captains, Vice-Captains, Prefects, SRC members, Library Monitors and Sporting House

Captains and Vice-Captains. The students involved were excited to have proud family members pin their badges on in

front of the assembly.

Well done and congratulations boys and girls, and special thanks to all the family members present who helped make

the morning extra special for the children.

Badge Induction Ceremony

Each year Grafton Public School offers all students Years 3-6 the opportunity to enter the International Competitions

and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) organised by the University of NSW. The competitions cover English,

Mathematics, Writing, Computers, Science and Spelling. All students are encouraged to enter. Year 6 students should

note that participation in these competitions is part of the DUX 2017 process. If financial constraints make it difficult

for you to enter, please contact Miss McDonagh so that confidential arrangements can be made to assist.

Costs vary from $9 through to $18 per competition. Entry forms with further details have been given to all students.

Please note that the incorrect entry amounts were written on the original form. The students do not pay the GST component. Correct entry prices are : Science $9-; Writing $18-; Spelling $12-; Maths $9-; English $9-; Digital Technology $9-. New notes will issue today.

ICAS

Utilising the talents of several of our specialist Arts teachers, we are running a new Gifted and Talented Creative

Arts Program at GPS In 2017. 24 students from Grades 4-6 are being selected to be a part of this group which will

meet at least weekly to explore various techniques and mediums, such as pottery, screen printing, landscape painting.

There is a small cost involved.

Students who have been selected will receive an invitation outlining all details.

This is a unique and fantastic opportunity for this small group of students. We sincerely thank all of our staff

members who will be involved, particularly Miss McDonagh, Mrs Bruce and Mrs Harrigan.

Gifted and Talented Creative Arts Program 2017

* Although it seems early to some, South Grafton High School will soon hold their first Year 6 into Year 7 Transition

Information Evening. The evening will be hosted by Mrs Jenny Worthing, Year 7 Advisor for 2018, on Tuesday 28

February 2017 from 5.30pm – 7.00 pm. All parents and carers of Year 7 students in 2018 and the students themselves

are warmly invited to attend. A tour of the school will take place towards the end of the evening.

* Parents using school toilets : In the interest of child safety, if you are dropping your child to school and are in need

of using the toilet, please use the adult toilets located in the office area on both sites.

* Although there are “Children Crossing” flags displayed at the designated crossings on Bacon and Mary Streets,

sometimes cars just do not stop or do not see the children from behind the trees. We are speaking to all of our

students this week about stopping first at the crossings to look both ways before they cross. We would appreciate you

talking to your children at home about the crossing as well, as the safety of our students is a major concern for us.

* Now that our younger students have become more familiar with “big school”, we ask that parents consider a quicker

drop-off in the mornings. By following a quicker “drop, kiss and go” routine in the morning you are helping to foster

your child’s independence and their social skills relating to their peers.

Brief but Important

The GPS Canteen will be open/lunch orders will only be available Wednesday/ Thursday/

Friday

For the time being the lunch menu will remain the same as per our interim arrangements with Grafton High School. Cold

treats will now be available during lunchtimes thanks to our parent volunteers (Wed-Thurs-Fri).

Our aim is to provide our school with the best healthy low cost canteen and we appreciate your patience and support

while we continue negotiations.

Canteen News

Dear Parents and Carers,

It takes a village to raise a child. In years past we lived in villages, real and then metaphorical, as family and friends

extended further away yet we still felt secure and safe. There were people close by with whom we could leave our

children. Today, with the expansion of specialist employment and now the unfettered deployment of ‘Social Media’

the village you operate within has overlapping boundaries and layers. Using Skype, Face-time etc the family village

has again changed through expansion to a national and international connection with the obvious lack of the local

physical presence. Many children have less guidance from immediate role models with the adjunct being many

families are left further isolated from close physical support. This social aspect of being human, a belongingness,

has been cleverly balanced by and leveraged against the economic ‘growth’ model and mantra of wealth creation

which has become a basic tenet of first world democracy. Please leave this as a mute-point, (for further discussion/

debate at a later time) as the theme of this newsletter is not economic rather social and our school’s role as your

local collective village.

Community is a broad description for those who are living together forming a social unit. Our Grafton Public School

social unit is based upon the holistic growth of our children in a safe, secure and caring environment. This is a broad

definition of community designed within the construct of Australia’s democratic political platform.

It is important for each of us to realise and remember the need for the growth spiral of each person (child through

to adult) which includes inter-dependence and independence. When your child(ren) grow to school age and put on our

school badge he/she crosses into our school’s sphere of care whilst you, the parent, also move into the next phase

of parenthood – releasing the apron strings and passing on your trust to us to help raise your child in their journey

towards adulthood.

This is displayed in your actions – leaving your child at the gate and you walking back to your car etc. This is a very

strong signal to the child that they have now moved into this new phase of their growth where there is increased

personal responsibility whilst associating with a wider adult base who also exhibit the folkways and mores that you

and our society hold at the core of our society. Connection is important as is learning to move along the journey of

independence and the social skills required to develop and grow in our changing world.

Our adult anxieties can transfer to and do create anxieties within our children. The environment they grow within

helps them fashion their own personalities. One of the greatest downsides of the Technology Revolution has been

the expansion of many mental health illnesses within people, including anxiety.

Our badging ceremony – SRC, Prefects, Library Monitors, Sporting House Captains and Vice-Captains was a special

and memorable event. This year we held it at the commencement of the day, trying to beat the heat and ensure

class programs, where buddy teachers are employed, were minimally disrupted. Leadership is special. Many don’t

chase it, rather- it is bestowed upon them with the early stages of leadership commencing at school. We are trying

to ensure we spread the leadership mantle to include as many students as possible, allowing them to experience this

and thus make informed choices later in life. In spreading the leadership responsibilities, we are providing many

with experiences that may impact their future.

Last week our Kinder students experienced a session with their “buddies” in Year 4. This was a novelty and one

which will provide them with a friend when they transition across to the Queen St site. It is a major part of our

GPS ‘Wellbeing Umbrella’ which is there to support students and create networks. Our Year 6 and Year 2 students

now have four new tables in their eating area beneath the camphor laurel tree where they are combining to eat

their lunch with their buddies.

This week we send our swimmers to the district carnival. We wish them every success and hope they all equal or

better their PBs.

I hope we can enjoy a week where can find a positive and calm rhythm of life.

Will Randall

Principal

From the Principal

HPV Central

Vital information to get you going: Bike Bus operates every Friday (weather permitting) If you are new to Bike Bus check

out the map below so you know where to meet the gang).

To be contacted about whether Bike Bus is on please leave your MOBILE number and

name at either office.

Current map of bike paths and lanes in Grafton:

https://www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/cp_themes/metro/page.asp?p=DOC-JIF-61-52-64

HELPFUL TIPS Why does my seat need to be at the correct height???

Whilst riding a bicycle your lower limbs and their joints have quite some load placed upon

them. Having your seat too low overloads your hips, knees and ankles. A seat that is too high

will cause problems with muscle groups at the back of your legs and lower back due to

overstretching. These problems can become chronic if not addressed soon enough.

How do you set the seat of a bicycle at the right height?

The age-old question. There are many opinions and convoluted

methods about this topic, but, here is a way that is easy and gets

the seat height close enough every time.

1. Place your armpit on the seat of the bicycle.

2. Reach over the bike with a straight arm parallel to the seat

tube.

3. Your middle finger should reach the axle of the bottom

bracket. (Where the crank arm attaches to the bicycle)

See picture opposite.

Last week’s recipient of the Grafton City Cycles $20 voucher is

Beau Cookson 2KM.

We thank Grafton City Cycles for their continued support.

Community Notices

Each week we will try to acknowledge the children who received awards at their grade assemblies in the previous

week. Congratulations to the following students who received awards last week:

Kinder: Elly Huntley, Isobel Keane, Chevron Castle, Mia Ottosson, Nathanial Fahey, Havanna McBeath, Isabella Pace,

Lillian Clegg, Callum Clark, Henry Cox, Harriett Young, Matilda Herring, Lennox Monaghan, Kula Reti, Kooper Waldron

Year 1: Matthew Quirk, Sebastian Worrell, Jaken Gardiner, Sienna-Jade Whatley, Holley English, Andrew Bultitude,

Bryce Collins, Jazmine Shelton, Samantha Gardiner, Kobie Morgan, Layla Chard, Mannix Anderson, Elsie Childs,

Roseanna Marsh

Year 2: Flynn Boulton, Matthew Hoade, Charlie Rainbow, Naithanial Lasker, Elisabeth Kennedy, Sophie Carter,

Indiana Hall, Ivy Eggins, Riley Tobin, Isla Norris, Jonathan Stewart,Abby Blanch, Nathan Shiels, Will Rhodes, Nyokah

Duroux, Damon Irving, Eliana Jackson, Madison Durrington, Darcey Johnson, Ciarna Gardiner, Addison Menzies, Chase

Chapman

Year 3: Cooper Rumpf, Alexis Pace, Chloe Wills, Lilyanna Latham, Clementine Eaton, Lilly-Rose Johnson, Luca Michael,

Zac Morrissey

Year 4: Tyler Gooley, Grace Kennedy, Phoebe Thompson, Elle Fisher, Maritsa Hartono, Makaya Dendle-Gadd,

Rachelle McLane, Jordan Durrington, Cameron Swadling, Keeley Thomas, Tayla Willis, Charlie McGarvie, Abigail

Googall, Jordyn Keefe, Tristah Brunker, Brodie Madden, Shelera Williams, Eli Masters, Oliver Shortt, Mikayla

Armstrong, Sean Wellman, Shaniqua Williams, Paige Cole, Jake Crowe, Hayley Cowley, Lochie Kean

Year 5: Emmit Green, Summer Loadsman, Ty Linsket, Shaylee English, Chaniqueka Kershaw, Brayden Shiels,

Rugeesthan Kumaradasan, Laura Hoade, Eloise McInnes-Jackson, Kira Boulton, Hayden Jeffs, Todd Roberts

Year 6: Anneka Carlsson, Liam Mitchell, Pratham Shah, Ambrosia Relf, Alex Gilmore, Alyssa Fitzgibbon, Shana

Jones, Abbi Goodwin, Sophie Rowe, Sienna Hall, Beau Brinkworth, Matheu Clark, Chelsie Bagnall

Support Unit: Zion Litchfield, Annisha Turnbull

Assembly Awards

Community News

Don't Miss This FREE ADHD Expert Webinar

Thursday, February 23, 2017 - Register now!

Beyond Hello: Building Conversation Skills in

Children with ADHD

with Anna Vagin, Ph.D.

February 23, 2017

Good conversations are built on balanced give and

take — and require attention and focus. Some stu-

dents with ADHD struggle to keep track of infor-

mation, ask relevant questions, and indicate their

continued interest. Conversation skills like these

are important in and out of the classroom (core

standards focus on collaborative work), which is

why we're sharing these communication tips with

teachers and parents.

In this free webinar, Anna Vagin, Ph.D., a li-

censed speech/language pathologist and author of

Movie Time Social Learning and YouCue Feel-

ings: Online Video Viewing for Social Learning,

will offer strategies for teaching conversation

skills in and out of the classroom.

Netball Sign On Days - for all ages 5 years and up

Grafton Netball Association will be holding two sign on days on Saturday February 25th & March 4th

2017, 12:00 – 2:00pm, at the netball courts in Bacon St. Delegates from all clubs will be present. We

welcome players of all ages and abilities to play. So put a team together and register or come along

as an individual and we will help you find a team. It is a fun way to meet people and exercise at the

same time. Remember netball is played at the same venue each Saturday of the school term. Season

commences on March 18th with a grading game.

NetSetGo - for 5-8 year olds

Suncorp NetSetGO is Netball Australia’s only junior entry netball program. It has been developed to

provide children from 5 - 8 years with the best possible learning and playing experience to develop a

positive introduction to netball, ensuring enjoyment and continued participation. The program

incorporates skill activities, minor games, music, dance and modified competition in a fun and safe

environment. The weekly program is coordinated by accredited coaches to ensure a quality experience

for all participants. If you are interested in signing up or want to ask any questions, come along to our

sign on days Saturday February 25th & March 4th 2017 12:00 – 2:00pm, at the netball courts in

Bacon St. Suncorp NetSetGo is played on Saturday's at the Grafton Netball courts during the school

term commencing 1st April 2017.

To keep up to date with what's going on at Grafton Netball Association follow us on Facebook or

check out our website: graftonna.nsw.netball.com.au

Community News

GPS Jnr Girls Hockey club are still looking for girls in Kindy to Yr 6 to join our club. Any skill level welcome. If you would like any further information, please contact: Kate: 0421 180 602 Jayne: 0403 749 291 Email: gpsgirlshockeyclub@hotmail.com

Daily Examiner Hockey: The Grafton Hockey Association are holding the Daily Examiner Shield hockey

competition for 4 weeks from Thursday 2nd March. All Clarence Valley schools are eligible to enter teams.

This short competition is open to students of all abilities from Year 1 to Year 6 , and is offered to give all

children the chance to “have a go” at hockey. There is no cost involved, sticks can be borrowed but shinpads

and mouthguards are compulsory. Ms Janet Philp is our school’s co-ordinator. Students can nominate by

placing their names on the noticeboard at the Primary campus by the end of this week, or by leaving names

at the Infants Office.