2017 STUDENT LEADERS At our presentation day at the end of last year, the school leaders were announced for 2017. Congratulations to the following students: - Captains: Matthew Cornelius and Malayna Penn Prefects: Dylan Nicol, Clare Wright, Madeleine Davis and Taleah Pryor. There will be a School Leaders Induction Assembly held on Thursday 16th February at 11.40am. The leaders will be presented with their badges. House Captains and SRC representatives will also be announced and inducted at this special assembly.

NEWSLETTER NO. 1 TERM 1 WEEK 3 TUESDAY 7th JANUARY, 2017

BONVILLE STREET EMAIL: urunga-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au PO BOX 21 WEBSITE: www.urunga-p.schools.nsw.edu.au URUNGA NSW 2455 TEL: 02 6655 6393 FAX: 02 6655 5140

On the traditional lands of the Gumbaynggirr people

IMPORTANT DATES

Wed 8th Feb School Swimming Carnival Mon 27th Feb Garden Club @ 11.40am

Wed 9th Feb Kinders start FULL DAYS Thurs 2nd Mar MNC Swimming (Coffs Harbour)

Mon 13th Feb Garden Club @ 11.10am Fri 3rd Mar Whole School Assembly @ 11.40am

Thurs 16th Feb School Leaders Induction Assembly @ 11.40am

Wed 8th Mar NC Swimming (Kempsey)

Fri 17th Feb District Swimming Carnival (Macksville) Wed 8th Mar P&C AGM

WEEKLY SCHOOL RULE

The focus this week is the pink rule “be in the right place at the right time ”

We ask that you reinforce this week’s rule at home with your child.

NEWS FROM OUR PRINCIPAL MR TREVOR MULLIGAN

WELCOME TO 2017 A very warm welcome to all new parents and students to our school and to those parents and students returning for 2017. I am sure your experience here at Urunga Public School will be one of great memories and many smiles about student engagement and achievement, as well as relationships developed. Michael Jarrett, a Nambucca Gumbaynggirr man, performed a welcoming ceremony to 2017 for the students, staff and parents. He sang a song, told a dreaming story about how the kangaroo got his tail and spoke to the students in Gumbaynggirr and they reciprocated likewise.

SCHOOL EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK Our school has received managed reports from state office on 2016 student measurements, most particularly in the Kinder to Year Three area. These include the Value-Added component where our school is rated at “above average” against other schools of our size across the state and….” compared to the average school, this school is “significantly different”. Also, in Student Attainment when measuring the proportion of students in the top two NAPLAN bands at year 3 in Reading and Numeracy, similar schools to us are at 32% whilst we achieved 56%. Our teachers and staff have continued to deliver good quality teaching and learning to our students and deserve congratulations for their efforts.

SIGNAGE As you may be aware, our school’s P&C were successful in gaining a grant for an LED sign. This sign will be erected mid-way between the bus shelter and the cenotaph, facing Bowra Street at an angle. It is approximately 1.9 m wide by 1.0 m deep and will stand on two steel poles. The top will be over four metres above the ground. The main focus for obtaining this LED sign was to enhance and enrich the school and community events that occur in and around our town. These are run by local organisations such as Lions, Rotary, CWA, the Golf and Bowling Clubs, Little Athletics, the Urunga Mylestom Chamber of Commerce, Neighbourhood Centre and others. Quotes for installation need to be finalised by 17th April, 2017. There will be further details about the signs availability for use in the next few weeks.

SWIMMING CARNIVAL A reminder that all students from Year Three to Six plus any aspiring eight year olds from Year Two will be involved in this year’s swimming carnival at Bellingen Pool tomorrow, Wednesday. It should be a great day. Please ensure that your child has a sun hat, or our school bucket hat, plenty of sun screen and water. Do not let your child wear a cap as this does not provide as much sun protection as brimmed hats.

REMINDER: P&C CANTEEN 2017 This year the P&C’s canteen will be operating on different times. Canteen orders will be taken the usual way with name and food items on the lunch bags. The canteen will be opening in the morning from 8:50am to 9:15am as well as the lunchtime break – 11:00am to 11:40am. It will not open for any of the other breaks during the day. The school times will be as follows:

9:20 am – 11:00 am: classroom session (1 hour 40 minutes) 11:00 am – 11:40 am: lunchtime (40 minutes) 11:40 am – 12:45 pm: classroom session (1 hour 5 minutes) 12:45 pm – 1:05 pm: recess break (20 minutes) 1:05 pm – 2:05 pm: classroom session (1 hour) 2:05 pm – 2:20 pm: recess break (15 minutes) 2:20 pm – 3:20 pm: classroom session (1 hour)

SWIMMING CARNIVAL The swimming carnival will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 8th February at Bellingen Pool. The carnival will go ahead regardless of the weather (unless the weather is unsafe to be out in). If it is raining please ensure your child has some extra dry clothes. This carnival is a school activity and ALL students in Years 3, 4, 5, 6 are required to take part by being at the swimming pool. It is not a day off! Those students in Year 2 who are turning eight this year are able to compete if they can swim 25 metres. Students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and remaining Year 2’s will stay at school. Students can wear sports uniform with house colours. Bellinger—Blue, Kalang—Yellow.

CANTEEN—REDUCED HOURS TOMORROW Due to all students from Years 3-6 being at the swimming carnival tomorrow, the canteen will be operating with reduced hours. The canteen will NOT be open before school for breakfast. Lunch orders will still be taken and the canteen will be open for normal lunchtime sales (11am—11.40am).

SCHOOL CONTRIBUTIONS Invoices for school contributions with full details of what the school contribution covers, will be sent home shortly. These funds supplement the school budget and enable the school to supply additional and ongoing items throughout the year which benefit your child’s education. The individual class teachers will send home notes advising of any other supplies that may be required for their class. Classroom supplies and text books will be handed out in class. It would be appreciated if families could pay these amounts as soon as possible. If you wish, you may pay these contributions in instalments throughout the year. Please contact the front office for further assistance. You may also pay via our “Parent Online Payment” system which is accessed through our school website. Please visit www.urunga-p.schools.nsw.edu.au and click on the “Make A Payment” button. Fill in the details and tick “Voluntary School Contributions”. Please ensure you make separate payments for each of your children.

URUNGA SURF CLUB Many of our students participate in nippers of a weekend through the summer. Last weekend five students represented Urunga Surf Lifesaving Club at the Country Championships at South West Rocks. They all had a fabulous day, competing in events such as the surf swim, board paddle, beach sprint and flags. All five did their best, enjoyed their day and achieved some great results in tough conditions. Lucy brought home gold medals in the U8 female wade and U8 female beach sprint. Well done to all!!!

GARDEN CLUB Garden Club will be kicking off for the year next Monday 13th February. As the break times have changed this year, we will be enjoying time in the garden at the new time of 11.10am every second Monday. We hope to see many willing gardeners to help get our school garden up and growing lots yummy produce this year. Roger McCabe

HOUSE CAPTAINS Both of our new sporting houses, Bellinger and Kalang, held their Captain and Vice Captain elections at house meetings at the end of last week. Congratulations to the following students:

CAPTAINS VICE-CAPTAINS BELLINGER Kayla Danzey Eliza Cross Ricky White Eaden Smith KALANG Sumara McLaughlin Lulu McGath Brandyn Ray Riley Meenahan

HEAD LICE We would like to give everyone a reminder about head lice. Please check your child’s hair regularly for head lice and eggs (nits) - use a fine metal tooth nit comb and plenty of cheap hair conditioner applied to the dry hair. This is a cheap method to see if your child has head lice, and if they do please treat with an approved head lice treatment. It is very important to remove all the eggs and repeat the process regularly until you no longer find eggs or lice in your comb. Eggs will continue to hatch over a ten day period.

NEWS FROM OUR COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICER JENNY LUXON

A warm welcome back to all our wonderful families and

children and a special welcome to all our new families.

2017 is going to be a great year! Looking forward to seeing you at school!

KIDS HAVE THEIR SAY………. This is what some of our kids got up to in the holidays. “My family that lives in London invited us to a wedding. They wondered whether we would like to see the Queen. So we went to Buckingham Palace the first day at 7.30 am where we caught a glimpse of her. The next day we decided to get to the Palace at 4am. As we were one of the first to arrive, I was told to put on a glove as she may shake my hand. She did!! I now have that glove displayed in a glass case at home. I also saw Prince William and his children. This experience was awesome!!!” Brandyn Ray “We went up to Grafton with Alyssa to the funeral of Nanny Lang. We had to sit there quietly. It was very sad. Alyssa even had tears in her eyes. Hermione Hennessey “I went nine pin bowling at night. It was cool! We went on holidays to Wooli. We camped at the beach and went swimming, rode our bikes and scooters and had a campfire.” Sophie Lamb “I went swimming. I almost drowned in my grandfather’s pool in the deep end. I also went to the beach and made a big sandcastle with shells on it.” Arabella Porter “I swam under the Dangar Falls at Dorrigo. It was really fun. I also went to Lennox where I surfed.” Tahahni Berger “We went to a place near the Gold Coast and we went swimming at the beach. We saw a goanna.” Sumara McLaughlin “During the holidays I got a scholarship from Camp Creative where I attended the Simon Says Circus. I was there for 5 days. I was in the advanced group. We did mini tramp, tumbling and all the circus acts. On the last day we showed off everything we learnt during the last 5 days. It was great!!” Clare Beale

BELLINGEN FC SOCCER REGISTRATION FOR 2017

The 2017 soccer season kicks off at the beginning of April and Bellingen Football Club has announced that online registration is

open from Feb 1st.

Registration and payment is on-line at www.myfootballclub.com.au. Check the club website at www.bellingenfc.com.au for all 2017

registration fees. Also if you have any questions or need help with the online registration

please come and visit us at the following times and dates.

- Sat 11th and 18th February at Connell Park from 10am-12noon. - Wednesday 22nd February at the Gelato bar from 4pm-6pm.

BFC will give you a 10% discount on the fees of the second registration and 20% discount on the fees of the third or more registration per family

(the highest age group will count as 1st registration).

Registration will only be complete and accepted if you have paid the fee in full. Late registrations after the 28th of February will incur a $25 late

registration fee.

If you would like to help out as a trainer/coach or by volunteering to assist with other club activity, please come along and express your interest. The

club is also interested in hearing from young people interested in becoming referees or coaches of youth teams.

For further information, please see the club website at www.bellingenfc.com.au or call Lucas on 04 1309 3304