Gunnedah South Public School Newsletter

Friday May 24, 2019

Gunnedahs-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au www.gunnedahs-p.schools.nsw.edu.au www. Flexischools.com.au

Gunnedah South Public School Winder Place Gunnedah NSW 2380 Telephone: 02 6742 1899 App:

Term 2– Week 6, 2019

Monday 3rd June

Gunnedah Eistoddfod-Speech & Drama-Coral Speech Northwest Rugby Trials Final

Tuesday 4th June

Tennis in Tamworth

Thursday 6th June

Gunnedah Eisteddfod-Speech & Drama-Mime & One Act Plays Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Workshop

9.00-11.00

Friday 7th June

Whole School Assembly Rugby League Knockout Competition Northwest Netball Trials

Term 2– Week 5, 2019

Monday 27th May

Gunnedah Eisteddfod—Instrumental National Sorry Day

Monday & Tuesday

Tuesday 28th May

PSSA Boys football at Bathurst

Tuesday—Thursday

Wednesday 29th May

Gunnedah Eisteddfod– Choirs

Thursday 30th May

Gunnedah Eisteddfod– Musical Entertainment for Primary

Friday 31st May

Gunnedah Eisteddfod– Musical Entertainment for Infants Northwest Touch Boys & Girls Trials

Dear Parents and Community Members,

It has been a very exciting week in our school with the Very Cranky Bear visiting our school library’s book fair. Thankfully students found that he was in a fantastic mood throughout the week and learnt he was actually a very friendly and kind bear. Many classes have written about the Cranky Bear and K/1A students were very persuasive about how the Cranky Bear is really amazing!

The book fair in the library was very successful with students and families enjoying their great new books. As a result of the generous support of our parents and families, we're also able to add many additional titles to our library. A massive thank you to our library staff Mr Eddie McGuirk and Ms Amy Whitton for all of their organisation and to their many teacher and student helpers.

National Reconciliation Week National Reconciliation Week is celebrated across Australia each year between 27 May and 3 June. The dates commemorate two significant milestones which provide strong symbols for reconciliation:

27 May 1967 – the referendum that saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise them in the census.

3 June 1992 – the Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision, which recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a special relationship with the land. This paved the way for land rights known as native title.

The week is a time for our students and all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us can join the national reconciliation effort.

This is something you may not know about! This tip may help you to the tune of $100 per child! The NSW Government is helping kids get creative with the new Creative Kids program. Parents, guardians and carers can apply for a voucher with a value of up to $100 per calendar year for each school enrolled child. The voucher may be used with an approved activity provider for registration, participation and tuition costs for performing arts, visual arts, coding, languages, literary, music and other eligible creative and cultural activities.

Here's the website to visit to apply: www.service.nsw.gov.au/creative-kidsfaqs-providers

Works and Upgrades at our School Our fantastic front office staff have moved into the new office space over the past week. This upgraded area certainly will ensure students, parents, visitors feel even more welcome as they enter our school. Work to provide a larger, better equipped sickbay area for students is now underway and we look forward to this area been completed in the next two weeks.

Separately, the construction of our new permanent student learning centre will begin in the next fortnight. It is exciting that we will soon be able to provide another space for students to have additional recess and lunch time activities in our school.

Green Notes We understand that throughout the day parents sometimes need to change how their children are travelling home. Please contact our office if a change is necessary on the odd occasion.

If your child requires daily / weekly reminders—please plan ahead and put a tag on their bag to remind them where they go each afternoon.

Education Forum in Armidale On Wednesday, I had the privilege of joining over 100 principals in Armidale for a forum with senior leaders of the NSW Department of Education. This forum was led by Mr Mark Scott the NSW Secretary of Education who clearly articulated the work that is currently occurring in public schools to ensure every student is known, valued and cared for! We fo-cussed on developing every student in school so we can ensure they are prepared for further education, training and work.

Of particular interest for our students and families beyond the classroom and regular school day was the prospect of introducing affordable before and after school care at Gunnedah South Public School by 2021. This is an exciting opportunity for our school community and I strongly encourage all parents (even future parents) who would like to utilise either a daily, weekly or school holiday program for their children to consider registering your interest through Services NSW when it becomes available on July 1. As more details be-come available, we will provide these to parents through the school newsletter, app and website.

Overall, it was a great opportunity to share ideas with the senior executive of the NSW Department of Education about the needs of students in our area.

Gunnedah Zone PSSA Cross Country Today we had over 80 students representing our school at the Gunnedah Zone Cross Country held at Mullaley Public School. Updates from staff currently supporting students at Mullaley is that our students are certainly putting in their personal best and this is highly commendable.

Please remember the Regional PSSA Cross Country will be held at Mullaley Public School on Friday June 14th. This is an exciting change for 2019 that hope-fully will occur again in 2020.

Winter Reminders The colder weather has now arrived and will be with us for some time. There are some reminders that need to be highlighted:

1. It is essential that parents send in a note explaining absences for every day a child is absent, within 5 days of that absence.

2. It is advisable to keep your child home if they are feeling unwell. Schools are a great place for germs to be spread.

3. Schools cannot issue any medications unless this has been discussed with your doctor and the appropriate forms have been completed.

4. Uniforms at our school are very important and winter time is no different. The school has an extensive and well-stocked uniform shop that is open daily from 8:30am to 3:30pm. A price list is available from the Office and on the school web site and app. In extremely cold weather a white or grey skivvy may be worn underneath school shirts for extra warmth.

Finally, thank you to all involved with the planning of the P&C Trivia night tonight. It looks like it will be an exciting evening, full of many laughs!

As always have a fantastic happy weekend!

Kindest regards,

Mr Pete Baum (aka Mr B)

Yarn Up

with KT

KT, along with other Kindergarten classes have been learning

about the days of the week and how to order events in our day. We

discussed and compared activities that we do in our day and what

Gamilaraay people would have done in theirs.

We explored the days of the week in Gamilaraay language and

had a go at writing the days in Gamilaraay language.

Yaayaay Sunday

Baalaay Monday

Guwaybilaay Tuesday

Muyaay Wednesday

Yarraay Thursday

Gindamalaay Friday

Miriiyaay Saturday

The Rules to Good Sportsmanship Play by the Rules Always Play Fair

Listen to the Teacher Encourage Teammates Respect your Opponents Accept Official Rulings

Learn from your Mistakes Be a Team Player Don’t make Excuses Lose with Dignity Win with Class

On Monday Southey decided to have a game of soccer with K-2 students. He heard that soccer is all the rage and wanted to see for himself what all the fuss was about. Now, even though Southey usually prefers to hang out in the trees he showed that he too, is a learner. He worked with Mr Silver and received some feedback on how he

could improve his skills and joined in with the soccer games by ‘try, try, trying’ his best! And that is all anyone can ask for! Southey was impressed by the improved sportsmanship and positive behaviours he saw when watching students play soccer. He wants to remind and encourage students to remember the importance of continuing to play fairly by following the rules and safely and respectfully by acknowledging and recognising the feelings of all

team members.

I wonder where Southey will visit next? If you see Southey around the school please remember to show him your safe and respectful manners. Why not give him a smile, wave or high five and tell him about what you’ve been

learning about this term.

I enjoyed playing soccer! Can’t wait to try something else! Thumbs up to the outstanding

sportsmanship that I saw this week. Keep up the respectful play GSPS!!!

On Monday 20th May, 24 Year 6 students, Mrs Walters, Miss Flannery, Mr Fitzgerald,

Mrs Small and Auntie Leonie set off to the Gamilaraay Language and Culture Camp at

Lake Keepit. Everyone was really excited to have a ‘Gaba’ (good) time.

When we arrived we participated in a smoking ceremony by our local elder Garruu

(uncle) Greg who welcomed us to country. After that we were taught some of the local

Gamilaraay language and we were happy to share what language we already knew. We

visited a significant site that turned out to be a special place where Mrs Walters’ great

grandfather danced a corroboree. We also got to participate in dance and learn about

artefacts and weapons. Throwing the boomerangs was one of our favourite activities.

That night we listened to stories under the stars, learning about the 7 sisters and the

dhinawan (emu) in the sky. We were all excited to see what the next day would bring.

On Tuesday 21st May, we got to record a song! We sung in language an

Acknowledgement of Country song. After that we were taught about our local area

and that Aboriginal art was traditionally carvings.

We were also able to design an artwork and use wood burners.

To finish the day we sat and listened to Walgan (Auntie) Brenda talk about

her life growing up. She shared stories about bush tucker and medicine.

We got to taste some too!

We couldn’t wait to get home and share our stories with our families.

TAMWORTH EISTEDDFOD 2019

Gunnedah South Stage 3 Choir

Dear Parents and Carers,

This year we have entered our Stage 3 Choir in the Tamworth Eisteddfod. Their

performance will take place on Tuesday 11th June at the Tamworth Town Hall.

The section commences at 10:00am, so we will depart school at 9.00am.

The school is subsidising transport by Hawkins Coaches, but we ask if your child could

please bring in $6 to cover the remaining cost.

All students will need to wear their full winter uniform, including ties. Your child will also

need to pack their recess, lunch and a drink bottle for the day.

After our performance the children will eat their lunch and then travel back to Gunnedah

to ensure that we will be back at school by 2.45pm

Please return the permission slip, medical note and $6 in a zip-lock bag clearly labelled

with your child’s name & class, as soon as possible.

Mrs Merlehan, Mrs Passfield and Mr Brown, will be attending this excursion. All of the

teachers attending the excursion have Emergency Care training.

For anyone wanting to travel to Tamworth to watch the performances, the section

commences at 10.00am at the Tamworth Town Hall and there are 9 competitors. Our

Stage 3 choir is competitor 9. We’d love you to support us, they are going to be fabulous.

Please call the school if you seek further information.

Warm Regards,

Mrs Rachael Passfield Mrs Merlehan

Choir Teacher & Assistant Principal –St 3 Choir Teacher & Assistant Principal –St 2

Eisteddfod Music Program Week 5

Eisteddfod Music Program Week 5

G S Kidd Memorial School is pleased to announce we are hosting a Mini Disability Expo.

On Monday 3rd June 2019 from 11 am-1 pm

For all parents, families and carers of students with a disability.

Families and students are welcome to attend a mini expo which will showcase service providers in our area.

Find out more about opportunities for students with a disability.

For more information please call Bec Maybury 6741 5200.

Chicken Pox Health Warning

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

A case of Chicken Pox has been confirmed at school.

We are advising you so that you can be on the lookout for symptoms in your child (see information below

from NSW Heath).

If your child is infected or not vaccinated please keep them home from school and seek medical attention.

Thank you.

Chicken Pox Time from exposure to illness 10 to 21 days, usually 14 to 16 days.

Symptoms Slight fever, runny nose, and a rash that begins as raised pink spots that blister and scab.

Do I need to keep my child home? Yes, for 5 days from the onset of the rash and the blisters have dried.

How can I help prevent spread? Immunise your child at 18 months of age. Immunisa-

tion is recommended for children at 12 years if they are not immune