On Friday last week, just the second day of school for some of us, At the end of last Friday, Rowena Public School played host to the band of St Francis Xaviers Catholic School from Narrabri. It was a HOT day, however, everyone soon got over the heat when the music started.

We started the day with a wonderful morning tea laid out on behalf of the Rowena community. It was delicious and I think is what got us through the heat.

Rowena Public School students then started the music, with a spotless performance on the Marimbas – unveiling a brand new song. From all reports our Narrabri friends were very impressed.

We all then headed into the classrooms to have a discussion around what it is like going to school in Rowena. We soon found out that we weren’t all that different after all – although what a site! 50 students in the 3-6 class room was quite extraordinary!

St Francis Xavier Band then took the stage and played incredibly well – it sounded just wonderful under our cola.

The Rowena Band students were then given the chance to join the band for 2 pieces together. That’s right! Side by side in the huge band! What a great opportunity!

We then all enjoyed lunch and the pool! Thank you to P&C for hosting the day. Your hospitality has been commented on many times since. Thank you to Mrs. McDonnell is particular for all your work! Thank you to Mrs. Smith for her ongoing support of our students!

Principal’s Message Well, it has been another great month at Rowena Public School with so much happening. The achievements of our students this month have been wonderful to see – such talented people!

Practice! Practice! Practice! It is eisteddfod time and we need to be ready. Music, mimes, poetry, speeches… all need to be going and getting sorted. Preparation is key and we are up against it! A great answer to: ‘I’m bored’ in the holidays is: “Eisteddfod practice!” Practice gets the ribbons friends!

We are in full preparation for the Show season at school at the moment. Always a great time to display some great work.

Cracker Night: All hands in! We need raffle prizes and products for the community hamper. Let’s do this!

Safe and happy holidays to all.

Rowena Public

School

Newsletter

Week 2 Term 3

Rowena Public

School

Newsletter

March

2018 has seen some great successes in the area of sport for our little school and the last few weeks have proven to be no different with some unbelievable PSSA trial results.

On the 5th of March our P6 swimming relay team headed to Armidale to take on the best small schools relay from our entire region. Armidale trials in swimming are always incredible competitive, with lots of small schools in the region within an arm’s reach of larger centres, allowing them to access vigorous swimming programs. This makes the North West Region highly competitive in the small school swimming competition. This didn’t stop our team though, finishing second overall in the P6 relay qualifying them for a spot in the State competition being held at Homebush on the 12th of April. Congratulations goes to; Lucy, Eve, Iggy and Harry. Good luck – what an amazing experience ahead of you.

On the 16th of March, we had six students head to Narrabri to trial for the Southern North West Team. Amazingly, five of our students made the regional teams! It is amazing how last year’s soccer experience in the Small Schools Soccer Knockout has paid some many different dividends. Congratulations to Eve, Lucy and Mia – all making the girl’s team, and Harry and Iggy for making the boy’s team.

All five students headed to Gunnedah for more trials, and incredibly, Lucy Smith was selected into the Southern North West Team. Lucy THEN headed to Armidale, to trial against the best of the Northern North West before FINALLY, INCREDIBLY, AMAZINGLY, Lucy was officially selected in the North West Team. Lucy now gets to represent North West (and Rowena!) at the State Soccer Carnival in June. What a brilliant result Lucy! We are so proud of what you’ve achieved already! Brilliant!

Our students continually amaze me with their talents. They don’t get the usual training that other children get, and yet they achieve amazing things! This year we have entered Small Schools Touch and Soccer! I can’t wait to see them joining together and achieving their best. Go the Mighty Green Rowena Machine!

Cheers

Mr. Paul Cecil

LookoutState:Rowenaiscoming!

As an end to what was a very busy Term 3, we were lucky enough to have the CWA put on the annual International Day. With this year’s country being Italy, it was a highly anticipated event this year.

Student work was outstanding yet

CrackerNight

With Easter falling in the term this year, it was so great to see our school celebrate this very important event. Any event that involves chocolate, is deemed highly important in my books, and our students share the same attitude. The Preschool joined with the K-2 class and completed lots of fun little Easter crafts together. There were bunny ears and baskets and masks, so by the time the Easter egg hunt was on, we sure did look the part. The elbows came out for the hunt but everyone managed to get handfuls of chocolate eggs. We all then sat down and enjoyed the riches of our hunt. Whilst the sugar high was hitting, we put them on the busses and they all headed home for a great long weekend! We hop e everyone had a great long weekend!

Cracker Night is getting closer and organisation has stepped up with a meeting last week. Never has Cracker Night been more important, with the number of students at school down, the funds raised from Cracker Night maintain our second teaching position – this year, we are looking at a significant donation necessary to do so. This is not a fundraiser that only supports a few students, the second classroom advantages EVERY SINGLE STUDENT at our school and the results and activities we can achieve as a school. EVERYONE is required to support the night in any way you possibly can. Here are a few bits and pieces.

Sponsorship – The Sponsorship team kicked off last month, getting support organised. IF YOU HAVE A CONNECTION with a business that we wouldn’t have done already (all the usuals and locals) please contact Julie Madden or Bec Smith around getting that business involved. Please just ask, as we don’t want three people asking one business three times for support.

Balloon Raffle – The Balloon Raffle is a big winner! We sell prizes for $25 and we need people to get as many possible prizes they can to the value of $20-$30 (or more!). The more prizes, the more money we make. Simple. 6-8 prizes per family is the usual marker. Please ensure if a business donates something, you let Bec Smith know so we can get thank you cards to them. Everything is a prize and you can combine things – a bottle of wine, a stubby cooler = prize!

Community Hamper – Last year we ran a raffle and one prize was the community hamper. This was brilliant! I need everyone to throw something in the trolley next time you’re in woollies so we can go again! Anything that is non-perishable will work! ASAP with these donations please just drop in my office at school.

EasterEggHunt

For the last two years, we have run a singing program at school. For some, it is a little break from school work where we go and sing and have some fun. For some, it is the worst hour in the week at school. For some, it is a really important time where they get to advance their skills in this area. I see this program just like any other at our school – it is like swimming for sport or maths in class. It all weaves together to make a broad and varied school curriculum. I love that!

Mrs Macpherson has been back this year and she works hard to make it an enjoyable time for the students of our school. She is currently working on:

- Lucy, Alex and Eve – all these students are doing solo’s at eisteddfod. I take my hat off to all three of you for even considering this. You are amazing and I can’t wait to sing along with you on the day!

- Vocal Ensemble – A small group of students selected to sing a more demanding piece. Again, preparing for eisteddfod and again, I will sing with you from the crowd!

- Whole School Choir – Something for everyone! We are learning two pieces at the moment and will head to eisteddfod to perform as a whole school. A school that sings together, learns together! So much fun and for everyone!

-

Choirisbackandhappening!

MoreSupportOpportunitiesI understand that not everyone can come in and spend a few hours supporting us at school. It is a daunting thing! However, there are lots of other things you can do to help us out! So I thought I would mention a few ways you can get amongst the school community while giving us a hand. All help is good help!

Coles Vouchers I wanted to thank everyone for helping us with this initiative. We have been well and truly INNUNDATED with coles vouchers. Mrs Holland is madly counting them all and then we will let you know the total. Thousands and thousands I can assure you.

Jobs To Do! Around the grounds at school, there are always job to do! Here’s just a few you might like to put your hands up for: spreading some dirt or gravel into areas, grinding tree stumps, pulling out some cement stool stumps, tree maintenance – trimming, pool cleaning and weeding, stick picking and clearing, front fence straightened up... there are always bits and pieces to do around the place, so feel free to come and talk to me about any of these and I can show you what needs to happen. Also, if you see anything around the school you’d like to ‘fix up’, make it happen! I am open to any help and support to make our school better!

OurGoalistonotonlycreatecleverstudents,but

GOODandWELLROUNDEDhuman

beings.

Anzac Day has become an entrenched day of remembrance at Rowena Public School and it is something that this community appreciates and supports. This year, Anzac Day falls in the holidays, meaning a tricky organisation in terms of a school. Thankfully, the Rowena CWA has agreed to take this on this year and make it happen. Mrs Cameron has said “All as usual” to me. So there will be a service at Rowena followed by lunch and two-up at Rowena Village Inn. If you are around, the CWA is still keen for students to be a part of the event. Please get in touch with Mrs C if you are here.

Thanks again to the CWA for taking this event on in Cecil absence. It is my hope the importance of this day stands tall in Rowena for a very long time.

FurnitureClearanceSale!

When we designed and implemented our new furniture spaces, we held onto all the old furniture just in case – and also, were waiting for the DET furniture people to come and collect it. Turns out, they aren’t coming and I am to get rid of it how I see fit.

So, in the shed is a heap of old desks and shelves etc. First in, best dressed! I just ask that you make a donation to the school when you come and collect – whatever seems right to you will work. IT ALL NEEDS TO GO! If it isn’t gone by June 10th (Cracker Night) it will be moving on in its life to rest in a better place.

Well, after a great month of Kindness that March brought us, we have turned the calendar over and started to explicitly teach a new character trait. Kindness swept across our school like a wildfire, with so many kind actions and activities happening. It is amazing when you speak to children about these things, how they know them and can apply them – however, now with a more fuller knowledge of what they are doing and what it is called. It is also great now to know, when a teacher or parent says: ‘Was that kind?’, that our students know what that means and know what we are talking about. There is power in this!

The beginning of April sees PATIENCE become our focus. Waiting now for what we want later is something in today’s world is lost. If a computer takes longer than 5 seconds, we start to lose it, don’t we? This trait is something I think we all need more of and it will be our focus at school for the entire month. We have spoken about when at school we need patience and wow! There were lists made. When a teacher is helping someone and you need help and we wonder why that teacher can’t split themselves in two – we must learn to be patient and wait and no that this is okay. Please start talking about patience at home!

An essential part of the program is the engagement of parents and home. Attached to this newsletter is an outline of what we are talking about at school. Follow up at home not only gets you involved, but provides a great link for the student to know you also value these traits in people. So! Have a read. Have a discussion. Talk about Patience and what it is. Point out times of patience your child might need. Encourage them to notice patience in others. It all adds up!

Don’t forget Kindness either! We are still talking about it at school all the time. Keep the conversations happening.

BuildingCharacteratSchool

ANZACDay

v Eisteddfod–HEREITCOMES!Eisteddfod forms the backbone of many of our Creative Arts Programs in place at Rowena Public School. It is the pinnacle of lots of hard work and gives our students many experiences that they would never have without eisteddfod in their lives. I know it is a mammoth task getting kids in and out from Narrabri. I know it is a mammoth effort getting them prepared to perform at their best. I know! I really do! But... the positives we see at school from these experiences outweigh all of that.

YOU SHOUL D BE PRACTICING EVERY EISTEDDFOD EVENT YOU ARE IN EVERYDAY AT THIS STAGE – music, mimes, poems, singing... NOW IS PRACTICE TIME!

Teachers will be putting time aside as eisteddfod gets closer in class to polish and get these performances sorted and organised. It is REALLY hard to do this, if students don’t know their words. We don’t want to be wasting time at school where we should be polishing, learning words. It is highly inefficient. However, 20 minutes spent with a child who knows their words, is well worth it and we get things happening. Rehearsals will be a major priority for our school when term comes back. So now is the time!

The bus trip to and from school, the trip to Narrabri, the long Saturdays when nothing is happening... Great poetry time! I know it’s not everyone’s thing, but nothing makes my guts go out the window, then sending a child up onto a stage to perform in front of a crowd, something that makes most people feel ill, UNPREPARED. It is the worst feeling. So please, heed my call, get the practice going.

Our school has become synonymous with the Moorambilla Choir. This month we saw most of the 3-6 head into Collarenebri for auditions for the 2018 choir. I wasn’t able to attend this year, however, last year’s auditions were worth attending – even if you aren’t the greatest fan of choral singing. Such talented people that can do incredible things – it is amazing how when you have children hanging around these people what happens through osmosis.

We haven’t heard whether any of our students were successful or not at this stage. We keep our fingers and toes crossed for more amazing experiences for our students in 2018.

Moorambillaisback

FarewellAfternoon/EndofTerm1CelebrationsSince Week 4 this term, I have had the pleasure of Miss Eleanor Hanigan completing her last teaching practicum in the 3-6 class. We have been so lucky to have such an enthusiastic, professional and fun teacher with us. She has slipped into our school life like a glove and having another brain to bounce ideas off has been great.

To thank and farewell Mrs Cecil (as Cecil 3 comes along), to thank and farewell Miss Hanigan and to celebrate Term 1, please come along to Collytudula on Thursday 12th at 5:30pm. BYO drinks and nibbles. Pizza provided for dinner.

Preschool has powered through term 1. Our little guys continue to blow our minds with how capable they are and how clever they are becoming – learning all their sounds nice and early and counting every single preschool day. Mrs Cecil finishes this term for Cecil 3 to arrive. Thank you Mrs Cecil for all your hard work in getting our littlest members of school sorted so wonderfully. We will miss you. At this stage, we don’t have a replacement. If anyone knows anyone that may be keen to take on a director roll at the best preschool on the planet, be sure to pass on the ad attached to the newsletter.

Preschool–Term2

UpcomingEvents

Routine Matters Monday: Mrs Smith’s Music – 5 Mondays a Term. Check weekly

text. Tuesday: Scripture Fortnightly

(2:15 – 2:45pm). Touch Football Training

Wednesday: Choir Fortnightly. Sports Uniforms K-6

Thursday:

Friday: Lunch Orders

Absences Absences and the paper work around

them are ever increasing in perplexity. Please make sure, if your

child/ren are absent, you send a written note or email to the class

teacher. Text is polite and we appreciate it, but not legal. To claim

more than 2 days absent for sickness, you will need a doctor’s certificate.

Good to know as you are in the Doctors!

1

CRACKER NIGHT SAVE

THE DATE

Sunday June 10th!

1

Term 2 Dates and Events Walgett Show

12th/13th of May

Wee Waa Show

19th/20th of May

Narrabri Eisteddfod:

Music: 21st-23rd of May

23rd – WHOLE SCHOOL IN

Speech and Drama: 29th-31st of May

Traditional days:

29th – Whole School and K/1/2

30th – Grades 3/4

31st – Grades 5/6

Quad Sports Athletics Carnival

1st of June – Moree (Mallawa Organising)

6 Ways Athletics Carnival

22nd of June – ROWENA (We need to get organised!)