Railway Parade, Cumnock NSW 2867

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CUMNOCK PUBLIC SCHOOL

NEWSLETTER ISSUE 49 Wednesday 13 March 2019

Term 1 – Week 7

What’s on?

Thursday 14 March

Western Region Swimming

Friday 15 March

Sport—Bowls

Wednesday 20 March

Infants Tabloid Sports Day

Thursday 21 March

Harmony Day—wear orange

Friday 22 March

School Assembly

ORANGE DISTRICT SWIMMING CARNIVAL

Cumnock students have excelled in the pool this summer with outstanding

results from the Orange District Swimming Carnival. Congratulations to

Macey Armstrong for taking out the Junior Girl Champion and to Zali

Armstrong for second place in the 11 Year Girls Championships. Emily

Strahan, Abby Armstrong, Charlie and Angus O’Brien, Gracie Morse and

Charlie Duffy swam their personal bests on the day. Congratulations to the

following students who will represent Orange at the Western Region

Carnival in a number of events in Dubbo tomorrow: Zali, Macey and Abby

Armstrong, Emily Strahan, Charlie O’Brien and Charlie Duffy. What a

wonderful result for our children!! On the aggregate point score at the

carnival OSSA Gold came first, OSSA White was second, and Orange

Public School came third. CONGRATULATIONS OSSA GOLD swimmers!!

Canteen Roster

Friday 15 March

Ray Lewis

Friday 22 March

Nic Lewis

Railway Parade, Cumnock NSW 2867

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SPECIAL ICON ASSEMBLY WITH MR DWYER

My heartiest congratulations to our school leaders for their efforts to lead our first Icon Assembly last Friday

and to our seven students who received their Icon awards and badges. Thank you to the large number of

parents and grand friends who came to watch their children receive awards, witness the amazing talents

of Years 5 and 6 recite their ‘Cumnock Pets’ poem and to listen to Mr Dwyer share his insights in supporting

schools across the vast Mitchell Network. We were appreciative of Mr Dwyer’s time and he was impressed

with the way the children conducted themselves throughout the

presentation. Mrs Jan Gibson, Mr West and Miss Rivers supplied a

delicious morning tea for the event and we would like to thank

everyone involved for making this a memorable morning.

GARDEN MATTERS WITH MR WEST AND MRS HUBBARD

Garden Club has commenced each recess and lunch break under the expert guidance of Mr West and

Mrs Hubbard. Students have been preparing soil, weeding, planting, mulching and constructing our new

greenhouse. Thank you to the senior students, Molly, Ethan and Jonathan for leading this initiative! This is an

ongoing joint project with our parents, Mr and Mrs Pottie, who have been supporting students and staff in

the vegetable and fruit section of our school.

Railway Parade, Cumnock NSW 2867

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MRS HUBBARD CLUBS HER WAY AROUND DUNTRYLEAGUE

We would like to thank Mrs Hubbard for attending the beneficial one-day golfing

workshop at Orange’s Duntryleague Golf Club. This was a Tri-Golf Workshop

designed to support teachers wishing to introduce students to golf. The course

delivered practical skills and lessons to implement into the school’s Physical

Education component with a particular emphasis on having fun. We look forward in

anticipation to golfing sessions with Mrs Hubbard, using our ‘My Golf Kit’ to

encourage and teach students valuable life skills through playing golf! Thanks Mrs

Hubbard.

PEER SUPPORT GROUPS ON FRIDAYS

As part of our School Plan, and a strong belief in supporting our students to become resilient, respectful

and responsible learners, trial peer groups have commenced each Friday. The groupings are Kindergarten

to Year 6 with our Year 5 and 6 students leading the activities by encouraging and supporting their

younger peers through a range of activities. The whole school peer-support program focuses on wellbeing

and relationships. Students will develop the knowledge, understanding and skills important for building

respectful relationships, enhancing personal strengths and exploring personal identity to promote the

health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others. There has been a positive response to this initiative

from the students and I thank teachers for delivering this program into our hectic school week.

CYBER SAFETY – STUDENTS & PARENTS

On Tuesday March 12 our school invited the Orange Police Youth Liaison

Officer, Senior Constable Jeff Mullins to present Cyber Safety sessions with

each class. Parents were invited to attend these sessions as well.

THINKUKNOW is a partnership between the Australian Federal Police,

Commonwealth Bank, Microsoft and Datacom and delivered in partnership with all State and Territory

police and Neighborhood Watch Australasia. The cyber safety presentations sensitively cover a range of

topics including cyber bullying, online child exploitation, online privacy, and importantly what to do when

something goes wrong.

There have been a number of online alerts from our school community through Youtube, targeting children

midway through movies such as Peppa Pig, Minecraft and other children’s shows online. Parents need to

remain vigilant and report any offensive online behaviour immediately.

HARMONY DAY AT CUMNOCK

Harmony Day celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. In schools we

celebrate inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for all

Australians, from the traditional owners of the land to those who have

come from many countries around the world. Harmony Day occurs on 21

March each year and coincides with the United Nations' International Day

for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The ongoing theme of

Harmony Day is ‘everyone belongs’. Harmony Day is a day of cultural

respect for all. By participating in Harmony Day activities, we can learn and understand how all Australians

equally belong to this nation and enrich it. Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Day.

Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the

freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. Next Thursday students may choose to wear

something orange to show their support and staff will prepare platters of orange fruit and vegetables for

Crunch and Sip.

WELCOME BRYCE HOSWELL-PARSONS

Congratulations to Jaymie and Warren Moses on the birth of their little

boy Bryce Edward, who was born at Orange Base Hospital. Bryce

measured 49 centimetres and weighed in at 3.15 kilograms. We are

delighted for the extended Hoswell-Parsons family and know that Bryce

will be suitably spoilt by all his cousins, uncles and aunts. We look forward

to meeting Bryce very soon!

Railway Parade, Cumnock NSW 2867

PH 02 6367 7207 FAX 02 6367 7404 EMAIL Cumnock-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au WEB Cumnock-p.school.nsw.edu.au 4

EFPT TRAINING IN PARKES

Thank you to Renae Allcorn for accompanying me to Parkes to complete the 2019 Enterprise Financial

Planning Tool (eFPT) training and build knowledge relating to financial systems. This initiative provided

schools in the Mitchell Network 1:1 support with a team member from the Finance Department of School

Services in Sydney. Thank you to Donna Fabian for her invaluable guidance and support with our 2019

budget and projections.

PAINTING WORKS

As you enter the school you will see the new painted staff room and toilet blocks. Thank

you to Johnno and Tom from Robbo’s Painting Services, who have been working hard to

complete these works during the week and on weekends to minimise disruption to staff

and students. We appreciate their hard work and meticulous detail to restore the old

Eurimbla Provisional School building for the next generation of school students. Well done,

Johnno and Tom.

SHROVE TUESDAY AND PANCAKE DAY

Last Tuesday Years 5 and 6 took to the beaters, spatulas and mixing bowls to create mayhem in the

classroom cooking pancakes for the entire school and preschool population. Thanks again to our amazing

volunteer chefs; Bron Flick, Di Strahan, Lisa Baldwin, Kim Dwyer, Nicole Lewis and Dimitri Anikin who made

over 346 pancakes in the morning session. The Preschoolers loved this opportunity to interact with our

students and we thank them for their generous and thoughtful donation. Thank you everyone!!

Railway Parade, Cumnock NSW 2867

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THE RED CROSS QUEENSLAND FLOODS APPEAL

Congratulations to everyone for supporting our efforts towards the

Queensland Floods Appeal. A raffle was organised and we were delighted

that Mr Dwyer drew out the lucky winners at the Icon Assembly. First Prize

was donated by the Manildra Group consisting of Sophie Hansen’s book,

“Local is Lovely” and a beanie, cap, mug and flour and was won by Nicole

Lewis. Thank you to Donna Strahan for organising first prize. Second Prize was

donated by Grays Point Activity Centre in Sydney, which was The Ultimate

BBQ Kit, and won by Ray Lewis and Third Prize was the mystery sports

package which was won by Delta Rodwell. In total $621 will be sent to our

Cumnock Red Cross Branch. This is an amazing fundraising effort for our little

school!!

FREE DROUGHT LUNCH NEXT FRIDAY

We have wonderful city friends who continue to monitor our health and wellbeing and support many of

the initiatives and programs we have implemented at Cumnock Public. Last year, friends from Sydney

shouted a Super Thursday lunch for the entire school community and next Friday, this same couple are

shouting lunch again! Consequently, ALL students may order lunch through our canteen to the value of six

dollars this Friday. Happy Friday everyone and thank you again to this special couple for making a

difference to each and every one of us in our little school!

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S DROUGHT COMMUNITIES PROGRAM

Last year, Mr James Flick, Hannah Schulz and I put together a joint submission on behalf of the Cumnock P

& C and our school, to our local Cabonne Council as part of the Federal Government’s Drought

Communities Program. The Government is focused on supporting communities that are severely affected

by the drought and recognises the importance of funding projects which will stimulate local community

spending by using local resources, businesses, suppliers and workers. These projects will also provide long-

lasting benefits to the Cabonne Shire. We would like to thank Naomi Schroder, Grants Officer with

Cabonne Council, for her support and guidance in the initial application, as well as the Cabonne

Councillors for nominating our project for consideration. We are delighted to be part of this program which

will see the implementation of water sustainability measures at our school this year. What a wonderful team

effort!

TROOPER JONES LIGHT HORSE BEAR’S NEW CASE

Trooper Jones Light Horse Bear has become an important member of our school

community and will be present at the Anzac Day Ceremony during the holidays.

Trooper Jones was donated by the McGlone and Kiernan families in memory of their

uncle, Arnold Astill. We were delighted when Mr Don Bruce agreed to make a special

wooden and perspex case to house Trooper Jones and which will sit atop our lovely

donated Manborg organ in the Library. Thank you again Mr Bruce for this thoughtful

and generous donation in time for the Anzac Service this year. Pictured is Molly Duffy,

Mr Bruce and grandson, Austin, measuring Trooper Jones for his new house. (PHOTO)

TEACHER RESIDENCE DEMOLITION

During the coming school holidays, the teacher residence next door to the school will be demolished.

Works have already commenced to remove fencing to allow access to the demolition equipment.

Cumnock Public has been part of the Sharing Our Space initiative, but this will not operate these holidays.

The removal of the residence has taken many years to come to fruition, and I would like to thank our

Director, Mr Dwyer, the Cumnock Progress Association, the Molong Police Department and the Cumnock P

& C for their letters of support. Consequently, the grounds will be incorporated into our school and part of

our big Cumnock Public School Masterplan. If you have any issues or concerns, please come and see me.

There will be no persons allowed on site during the demolition process. Thank you for your support and

understanding.

Railway Parade, Cumnock NSW 2867

PH 02 6367 7207 FAX 02 6367 7404 EMAIL Cumnock-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au WEB Cumnock-p.school.nsw.edu.au 6

SWIMMING CONCLUDES FOR SPORT

What an amazing conclusion to our whole school swimming program last Friday! Students were busy

practising for the Cumnock PP5 Relay and individual events in preparation for the Western Region

Swimming Carnival in Dubbo. You will probably hear the cheering from school when Macey, Emily, Charlie

O, Zali, Abby and Charlie D take to the water! Congratulations to all the students who have improved in

many of their strokes and have become confident swimmers this season. Well done everyone and

particularly the outstanding volunteers who made this a reality this term! Finally, the ultimate race occurred

at the end of the day when students challenged the teacher/parent team. The parent/teacher

combination of Kim, Ray, Bron and Mr West narrowly defeated the school teams by a wee whisker!! Target

bowls skills will commence this week on Friday for sport.

OUTDOOR CINEMA NIGHT AT THE CUMNOCK OVAL

The Outdoor Movie Night is to be held at the Cumnock Recreation Oval on THURSDAY

4TH APRIL to commence at approximately 5:00 pm. This is a FREE event for the wider

community so please come along and enjoy an evening of entertainment with the

mischievous minions in “Despicable Me 3”. A FREE Barbeque will be available prior to the

movie provided by the staff from Uniting Family Referral Services in Dubbo. Please help

by notifying the Office of your intention to attend for catering purposes.

TELL THEM FROM ME STUDENT FEEDBACK SURVEY

I am delighted that this term, our school, like many other public schools in the state, will participate in a

Department of Education initiative: the Tell Them From Me student feedback survey. The survey measures

factors that are known to affect academic achievement and other student outcomes. The focus of the

NSW-wide survey is on student wellbeing, engagement and effective teaching practices.

More information about the survey is available at: http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au

The survey is a great opportunity for our students to provide us with valuable and quick feedback on what

they think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers

interact with them. More than 6,300 schools in Australia and around the world have used Tell Them From

Me to survey 5.4 million students. Capturing the voices of our students will help improve how we do things

at our school.

I want to assure you that the survey is confidential. The survey is conducted online and will typically take

less than 30 minutes to complete. It will be administered during school hours between 11 March and 12

April. Participating in the survey is entirely voluntary.

A consent form and FAQs for parents/carers about the survey is being sent home with students. If you do

not want your child or children to participate, please return the form to school by 20 March. Copies of the

form and Parent FAQs are available from:

http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au/images/TTFM_Student_Survey_FAQs_Parent_and_Carers_T12019.pdf

ATTENDANCE

You have a legal responsibility to ensure your child/children attend school every

-day or to provide a justifiable reason why they may be absent. Medical

appointments, sickness and some family commitments are acceptable reasons.

Every school day presents many learning opportunities never to be repeated so

make the most of what is on offer because …

‘ Missing school leaves gaps in your education’.

Let us know in advance if students will be away and provide a reason for their absence. Respond to the

text we send out or give Mrs Dwyer or Mrs Allcorn a call. Your support is appreciated.

Railway Parade, Cumnock NSW 2867

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SCHOOL TIMES

Parents and care givers are reminded that school officially opens at 8:40 am each

day. There is a teacher on duty from 8:40 in the morning. Each Monday morning, we

will continue to have our morning Assembly and flag-raising pledge. On all other

days the children will line up outside their classrooms after the bell at 9:00 am. At the

conclusion of the day, all students are to line up in bus and walking lines ready to be

accompanied by a staff member.

STUDENT OF THE WEEK

WEEK 5 WEEK 6

Maddison Molly

For looking after & caring for the “New Kindies” For enthusiasm & effort in the Garden Club

“Our Costa”

CUMNOCK CWA PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPITITION

Just a reminder the Cumnock CWA Public Speaking Competition will be held on

Thursday 28 March at 9am in the school library.

PROGRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENT TESTS

Online Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) have been completed this term. The testing approach focuses

on assessing and monitoring student growth over time. These tests are designed to provide objective, norm

-referenced information to teachers about students’ skills and understanding. Thanks to Mrs McFarland and

Mr Anikin for their support to administer these tests and to Mrs McFarland for her outstanding analysis of the

results to support teachers with future directions for students. Further analysis of data as a ‘Bump It Up’

school will be delivered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), through an online

information session. We would like to thank Marc Kralj, the Educational Consultant from ACER, who will

focus on our PAT results with staff later this term as an ongoing commitment of ‘Bump It Up’ schools

throughout 2019.

COMPLAINTS

If at any time there is an issue with any person or anything associated with

the school please ensure you bring it to the immediate attention of the

principal, in order for the matter to be resolved as quickly as possible. My

door is always open and I welcome the opportunity to work with the

school community to build a strong culture of ongoing school

improvement. We value a positive and harmonious work environment and

we work hard to maintain a safe and supported place of learning for all.

Railway Parade, Cumnock NSW 2867

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NSW HEALTHY SCHOOL CANTEEN STRATEGY

Well done to Nic and Ray Lewis for their outstanding healthy School Canteen Award, which was presented

to them both at the Assembly by Mr Dwyer . Nic and Ray have spent considerable time preparing and

trialling menus that would meet the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy which is a key initiative to

support the Premier’s Priority to tackle childhood obesity.

Our school canteen is achieving:

At least 3/4 (75%) of the menu are Everyday and no more than 1/4 (25%) of the menu are Occasional

foods and drinks.

All the Occasional packaged foods and drinks have a Health Star Rating of 3.5 Stars or above.

Portion limits were met for all Occasional foods and drinks and Everyday flavoured milk, juices and hot

meals.

Our canteen displays, prices favourably, promotes and advertises only Everyday choices.

Sugar-sweetened drinks are not sold in our school canteen.

Once again congratulations to our Canteen Managers, Nic and Ray Lewis for this award.