Calendar

5 Mar Zone swimming carnival Yr 2 AFL program starts P&C AGM

7 Mar Yr 1 Cricket program starts

12 Mar Inquisitive Minds maths workshop Yr 3-6

14 Mar Yr 6 High School Application info night

15 Mar Last day PSSA season 1 Kindergarten teddy day

21-29 Mar Life Education visit

21 Mar Harmony Day

27 Mar Paul Kelly Cup

1-3 Apr Stage 3 camp

4 Apr Great big Vegie Crunch

5 Apr LSPS Cross country

10 Apr Easter experience

12 Apr Last day of term 1

1 May Students return for term 2

LAGUNA STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL TERM 1 | WEEK 5 | WEDNESDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2019

Newsletter

DEAR PARENTS AND CARERS

A great public school is made great with both the support provided by the Department of Education and the contributions made by the community. We are lucky at Laguna Street that we have a staff and parent community who dedicate time and resources to ensure outstanding learning experiences for students.

There has been some media coverage in recent times about voluntary contributions in schools and the costs associated with attending a public school.

New South Wales government schools are free of fees and charges in meeting the minimum curriculum requirements. That means that by being part of Public Education in NSW our students get access to a strong education without cost. I have spoken before about the benefits of being part of public education in NSW. As the second largest education system in the world, the NSW Department of Education benefits from the collective knowledge, expertise and behind the scenes resourcing in terms of professional development of staff that a large system provides. You can’t underestimate the value of this, we are part of something larger than our school, and your children benefit.

However our role as a school community is to ensure that while our students benefit from the system, they also succeed as part of the the unique opportunities we can provide as a school. That is why schools also have the ability to enhance their educational and sporting programs by collecting voluntary contributions from parents. This means funding for those extra resources to support the excellence that we achieve at Laguna Street.

The collection of parental contributions are governed by the Department’s Voluntary School Contribution Policy and the associated Code of Practice. This means that we can collect voluntary payments from parents and this money is to be spent on educational programs to enhance the teaching and learning, and ultimately the educational outcomes, of our students.

https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/voluntary-school-contribution

This week you will be receiving your Term 1 Statement of Account. We have listened to feedback and monitored payment patterns last year and have decided to return to the term by term statement of accounts (rather than one annual combined cost invoice). Voluntary school contributions, however, will only be requested annually in Term 1.

We have kept the level of voluntary contributions that we are collecting from parents to a minimum to make this contribution affordable to all. It has not been increased in a number of years. This funding will go to ensuring that our educational programs are appropriately resourced. Part of the voluntary contribution funding collected this year has been assigned to resourcing our music program. We will also buy new books and other resources, as well as pay for assessment tools to ensure that we are tracking and measuring improvement in our students’ learning throughout the year.

Schools may also request subject contributions for programs that are over and above the minimum requirements of the curriculum. These include excursions, incursions and resources specific to your child. We have also worked to reduce the number of these additional programs this year, keeping only what we see as the most valuable experiences for our students. Participation in these additional programs and use of these resources is dependent on your payment of these costs. For families experiencing financial hardship there may be some financial assistance available.

Families may also like to make a voluntary contribution to the P&C. The Laguna Street P&C has worked hard over the years to enhance our school environment. Some of the projects that the P&C have delivered to the school over the past few years include: air conditioning in every classroom; Wi-Fi and banks of iPads; construction of the K-2 COLA and extension of the 3-6 COLA; K-2 playground upgrade; Y3-6 multi-purpose/ basketball court construction; canteen extension/ renovation; student leadership team blazer jackets; funding for all-years school musical; additional student reading materials; representative sport uniforms; funding of an additional day for the school chaplain; a new school phone communications and bell system.

The P&C are currently raising additional money to supplement $55,000 grant for our brand new soccer pitch! They also have a number of other projects in the pipeline and a small contribution from your family of $60 per child or $100 per family per year would greatly assist.

KINDERGARTEN YELLOW DAY

What a fun day was had by all at Kindergarten Yellow Day on Friday. This was the first of several special days that Kindy will participate in that are decided to provide fun and hands on learning experiences as they settle in to the school environment. The focus of Yellow Day was on safety, as students looked at street signs are travelled around the school. Thank you to Mrs Macklin and the Kindergarten teachers for making it a wonderful day. We can’t wait for the next one – Teddy Day!

YEAR 6 TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL - APPLICATIONS

I would like to draw the attention of parents of students in Year 6 (moving into Year 7 in 20202). The enrolment application process begins very soon. On Thursday 14 March Mrs Fowler invites parents of Year 6 students to an information session. The session will provide important information to assist with the expression of interest form for placement in a NSW government high school. Please see the skoolbag app for details.

Rosie DiMattia

Principal

ZONE TRIALS

Term 1 and 2 are busy with all sports having zone trials. These trials are designed so that the most talented students in the zone can pathway to Sydney East, State and National level.

Congratulations to the following students who have been chosen into Cronulla Zone teams from recent trials. We wish them all the best at their Sydney East carnival.

Tennis: Thomas W

AFL: Zane T, Max K, Cameron P and James R

Basketball: Jason G

Mrs Carroll

SCHOOL CLEAN UP DAY

This Friday we will be cleaning up the school grounds in support of the ‘Clean Up Australia Day’ campaign. The students will need to bring gloves and a bag to put the rubbish in. (Tongs are optional)

LAGUNA STREET PRIMARY OSH CARE

Welcome back families! We hope you all have been having a smooth transition into school so far this term! For the new families who have joined, or are looking to join we have a wonderful before and after school care centre located at the school, open from 6.30am to 630pm. We offer a full range of activities including Homework Club, Cooking Club and Science Club. We also have a Health and Wellbeing program in which children get to participate in different sports with a coach! This term we have netball and dodgeball. If you’d like more information, please visit our friendly staff at the Centre or send us an email!

Primary OSH Care 0419 725 816 – lsoshc@primaryoshcare.com.au

Attention all 3-6 students’. Premier’s reading challenge is now open, students’ that wish to participate should be logging their books on the PRC website Recording sheets will be sent home with your child. Please see Mrs Bates in the library if you are having trouble.

Happy Reading

Mrs Bates

5O IN FOCUS

Class 5O have been working hard to develop their noun and verb groups in order to add detail to their writing. They used their artwork as a stimulus for their text and decided to grab their reader’s attention by beginning at a pivotal moment in their story. Students knew they succeeded by following a success criteria that required them to ensure their nouns had interesting adjectives and their verbs had descriptive adverbs.

Sydney was there. She knew it wasn’t a good idea to open the door but she desperately wanted to. Sydney ambled close to the broken door and lightly laid her hands on the rusted doorknob. In that moment she remembered her mother telling her to never, ever open that door. She knew she shouldn’t but her curiosity got the better of her.

She took one pull on the doorknob and ”Zoom”. She was hauled in through the door. One second she was opening a door and the next

she was flying high up in the sky, never to be seen again.

Written by Ela K 5O

Leah carefully tip-toed toward the basement door and looked behind her. She wasn’t allowed inside it but her curiosity got the better of her. She was scared and also worried. She decided to shut her eyes and began turning the doorknob. “LEAH” her dad yelled. Suddenly Leah was hauled up toward the roof by the back of her new pink shirt. “Aaaaah”, Leah screamed as she was taken into an entire new world.

Written by Alana S 5O

Frodo cautiously walked down the squeaky stairs to the underground bunker in his cousin’s house. Suddenly, something shiny caught the corner of his eye. As Frodo slowly trod toward the old rusted pencil his mum came rushing down the stairs and screamed “do not touch that pencil Frodo!”

“Ok mum,” Frodo said, but Frodo was curious in fact very curious.

PIANO

GUITAR

BASS

DRUMS

SINGING

VIOLIN

UKULELE

348 PORT HACKING ROAD, CARINGBAH www.learn2playmusic.com.au

Call 9524 0326

To book

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LEARN2PLAY MUSIC

The temptation was too high and he couldn’t help it he just needed to… “WHOOSH!” His body was catapulted through the roof and into the sky.

Written by Oscar M 5O

Chloe anxiously tip-toed toward the old rusted door in her new house. She had never seen this door before. Suddenly she heard her grandma’s voice, “Chloe do not open that door or you might never come back”. Chloe was too curious to listen. She slowly turned the wobbly doorknob and held her breath. “Zoom” She was hauled by her hair into what looked like a rainbow portal. This, she thought, was the most fun she had had in a long while.

Written by Jessica B 5O