Narrandera Public School Informer

Excellence, Opportunity, Success

Principal: Ms Susan Ruffles

We learn and meet on Wiradjuri Country

Phone: (02) 6959 2144

Fax: (02) 6959 3274

Term 4, Week 2 Tuesday, October 15, 2013.

From the Principal …. Our choir and Year 1 boys and girls performed beautifully at last

Friday’s assembly. Thank you to the boys and girls for

entertaining us. Once again, our assembly celebrated the many

academic achievements of the students at NPS. We certainly

have a school full of keen learners and performers! During the

first few weeks of this term all classes will be completing a

range of learning assessment tasks followed by teacher

preparation of children’s end-of-year reports that will go home

on 9th December. Classes will also be busy practising for their

performance at our Presentation Day to be held on Tuesday,

10th

December.

During the holidays I enjoyed many conversations with families

about learning and programs at NPS in 2013 and in the next

few weeks I will continue to make contact with families so that

all families can be part of these conversations about ideas or

suggestions for us to plan for in 2014. I also invite people to

drop me a note, call me or come in and meet with me to chat

more about ideas and suggestions for next year.

A number of staff members will meet on Wednesday this week

to continue 2013 school evaluation and 2014 planning activities.

As we look closely at student learning and well-being

information, consider observations and comments from

everyone and find out more about school finance for next year,

we will be in an excellent position to have our 2014 School

Plan drafted by the end of November.

Thank you to all families and staff members who have already

contributed to this school evaluation and planning process. I

look forward to more of these chats in the coming weeks,

including with the children. We are a great team working

together for the all the children here at NPS!

Can you help???

1. The children and staff are keen to get into the school

vegetable garden. If you are able to donate seeds or

plants to your child’s class please do so this week. I

hear that we have already had one ‘harvest’ of some

yummy vegies. Mr Lucas and Mrs Seymour would also

welcome volunteer helpers in the garden at any time

during the week.

2. Our canteen serving time can get very busy! If you are

able to assist (even for half-hour at lunchtimes or

recess) PLEASE do. The more helpers we have in

the canteen, the quicker the children can be served so

please contact the canteen if you can spare some

time.

3. Our school uniform shop is very well stocked but we

are always on the look-out for second hand school

uniform items. If your child has grown out of clothes

or shoes, please send them along to school as a

donation or we can sell them for you.

4. Please don’t park in the school bus zone or in the

disabled parking area. Not only is this an

inconvenience for others who use these areas, people

have received heavy fines for doing so.

5. If you are picking children up from the Adams Street

side of the school ALL children and parents are

expected to cross over Adams Street to the park side

via the pedestrian crossing, not across the bus

zone. Please do not call or walk children across the

road during bus zone times.

6. Please ensure that your child wears the correct

school uniform each day. We thank all families for

following the P&C’s School Uniform Policy.

7. With the warmer weather fast approaching please

send along WATER bottles so that children are able

to rehydrate during the day. Children are able to sip

these in class. We also encourage all children to apply

sun block and to stay in the shade were practical. Sun

safe practises include the wearing of school hats.

I hope to catch up with many boys and girls and their families

on Wednesday (16.10.13) evening for our free family BBQ

and dance for NPS K-2 and including children transitioning to

Kindergarten and Year 3 and their parents. We start serving at

6 p.m. and will be all ready to go home by 7:30. See you at

school Wednesday evening! (N.B. No child is to attend without

a parent and we would appreciate a RSVP to assist us with

catering – thank you.)

NPS will be hosting the Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4)

Leeton/Narrandera PSSA Soccer Gala day in the park on

Friday, 18th

October. You are most welcome to come along and

watch, or even help out, if you have time on Friday. Have fun

boys and girls!

Enjoy this lovely Spring weather and please check out the

school calendar for Term 4 activities – it is going to be another

busy time at NPS!

Susan Ruffles.

Narrandera Public School Informer Tuesday, October 15

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TRANSITION Remember that this term Transition is

on TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY from 12.30pm to 2.30pm

Calendar of Events

Date Event/s

Friday, October 18 Soccer Gala Day – Years 3/4

October 25 School Assembly – 10.30am

Monday, November 4 P & C Meeting – 6.30pm - Library

November 5/6/7 and

November 11

Life Education Van visit

December 10 Presentation Day – 12noon – CRC Hall

December 18 Last Day of 2013 School Year

Class News - Year 5 What a great excursion we had last term! The children enjoyed many valued experiences from our Canberra/snow trip. Thank you to everyone for their co-operation and generally good behaviour. We have already been busy this term. Most of our end of year assessment data has to be submitted by the end of week 3 so we have been busy with these assessments. Please try to have your children at school each day as this avoids trying to fit in catch up tests. A reminder that the children need to bring in a piece of fruit each day for fruit time. Only about half of the class is remembering to do this. Don’t forget to pack a water bottle for class, especially as the weather heats up. Last week’s merit winners were Ryan Prior, Rowan Matthews and Audrey Simpson. Many students also received merits for completing home learning and attendance. Well done to all these students.

Mrs Cassidy and Miss Dunn - Year 5 teachers.

Parliament News Yesterday, October 14, we had Parliament. We had several things carried which were:-

1. Talent Show auditions. 2. Healthy eating day. 3. Tabloid Sports afternoon, and 4. To clean the Sport House mailboxes.

In the playground our Minister for Environment has been seeing a lot of people picking up rubbish so thanks for that. If you have been in the sport shed lately, someone has been making a mess. Also, cake stalls are still going so if you want you could bring in some cakes to help raise some money. Reading club is still on. There will be a note in the newsletter and, last thing, a red food day will be held on October 25.

Kayla Ellis – Parliamentary Secretary.

This newsletter is produced with the support of the following local businesses:

COMMUNITY EVENTS: Narrandera District Garden Club - Self-drive town and country garden visits. All money raised will go to the local branch of Can Assist. Gardens open at 9am and viewing continues until dusk. Cost - $10 per person includes entry to all gardens, a location map (available at table outside Visitors Centre) and Devonshire Tea at the Uniting Church Hall. A light lunch and music will be on offer at “Warravale” on the Barellan Road at a cost of $8. For more information contact: Gwen Nielsen on 6959 2228.

BANDANNA DAY Bandannas $4 and pens $3 for sale in the

Canteen while stocks last. P & C News

End of Year Raffle to be drawn on Presentation Day. Major Prize – iPad Mini. Tickets will be sent home next week.

Next Meeting, November 4, 2013, 6.30pm in the Library.

Debbie Wickes – P & C President.

Principal: Susan Ruffles Rel. Assistant Principal: Paul Lucas Assistant Principal: Cheryle Glyde Phone: 02 69592144 Fax: 02 69593274 Email Address: narrandera-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au School Website:

www.narrandera-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/sws/view/home.node

Canteen: 02 69591141 Dental Clinic: 1800 450 046 Narrandera Schools as Community Centre: 6959 3894/0410284145

Narrandera Public School Informer Tuesday, October 15

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Tuesday, 15th

October, 2013.

Dear Students, Parents & Carers,

It is that time of year once again when our school is lucky enough to receive a visit from Healthy Harold & the Life Education Van.

Life Education assists students to:

acquire age appropriate knowledge to support informed health choices

develop and practice skills and strategies to act upon individual decisions

recognise the values and attitudes that may influence lifestyle choices and behaviours.

The highly skilled educators work with schools to develop programs/sessions to support the provision of drug and health education within the school. Sessions are designed to be age specific and sequential.

The van will be at our school from Tuesday, 5th

November, 2013 until Tuesday, 12th

November, 2013. Your child’s class will be attending at a time during one of these days.

The cost has been reduced to only $4.50 per child due to the generosity of the Narrandera Ex-Servicemen’s Club who regularly fundraises to help cut the costs of Life Education Australia so it is affordable for all children to attend. Their efforts with this each year are greatly appreciated. Each child to attend will receive a Student Workbook & sticker as well. A free BBQ will also be held on a day to be announced.

Please complete the attached consent form & return to the Front Office no later than Friday, 1

st November, 2013.

TAMMI RYAN (Life Education Van School Co-ordinator) SUSAN RUFFLES (Principal)

2013 LIFE EDUCATION VAN VISIT

I hereby consent to my child/children attending the Life Education Van at Narrandera Public School from

Tuesday, 5th November, 2013 until Tuesday, 12th November, 2013.

I understand the cost is $4.50 per child & I have enclosed the correct amount of money.

CHILD:………………………………………………………… …. CLASS:…………….. $................

CHILD:………………………………………………………… …. CLASS:…………….. $................

CHILD:………………………………………………………… …. CLASS:…………….. $................

CHILD:………………………………………………………… …. CLASS:…………….. $................

TOTAL COST: $..........................

SIGNATURE OF PARENT/CARER:……………………………………………………………….. DATE:……………….

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Transition/K-2 BBQ and Disco A reminder that our Transition/K-2 BBQ and Disco is on tomorrow night, Wednesday the 16th of October. The night is free for all who attend, which includes a sausage sizzle. Please note that all children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver. Hope to see as many people there as possible!

Class News - KL Welcome back to term four! The students have returned full of enthusiasm and ready for some ‘brain-strengthening’ for the final eleven weeks of the year. This term we will continue to focus on our Maths and English fundamentals with a particular focus on building on our number and reading skills. In HSIE we are looking at the difference between needs and wants and ways we can meet our needs. This should be helpful for parents leading into the Christmas period! Our Personal Development lessons will be based on healthy habits, whilst in our Physical Education we will be using the basic movement and ball control skills we have practised to play some fun and exciting games. Our Science unit this term is called ‘Sorting Materials’ and the students will be learning about recycling and reusing items that others may see as ‘rubbish’. All of these units mentioned can be easily discussed at home so be sure to take any opportunities you see to discuss your child’s learning and put it into practice around the house because, as we know, great learning is achieved in real life situations! If you would like to come in and take part in the classroom feel free to talk to me about organising a time that suits, or drop in any morning and sit in on one of our L3 activity groups for an hour. We look forward to seeing you if you can make it!

Regards - Paul Lucas – KL Classroom Teacher.

Vegetable Garden Our vegetable garden is finally starting to take shape after some hard work put in by the students in week one. All of the students have been excited to plant a variety of vegetables including asparagus, carrots (orange and purple!), tomatoes, capsicum and many more. We are currently looking for the donation of a variety of items for our garden such as:

- old lengths of timber suitable for making the ‘skeleton’ of a scarecrow; - some old clothes for a scarecrow; - old gardening tools that you no longer want or need; - pots and seedlings to add to our collection; and - some old tractor tyres and soil we could use to create some raised garden beds.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Lyn Seymour or Paul Lucas at the school if you have anything that you feel might be useful to us. Our ‘green thumbs’ hard at it. William Cottom enjoying the fantastic gardening weather.

Thanks in advance - Paul Lucas.

Narrandera Public School Informer Tuesday, October 15

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NARRANDERA DENTAL CLINIC The School Dental Clinic is available for all children aged from 0 – 18 years of

age. We encourage all parents to make an appointment for your child to have a

full dental check. Treatment at our clinic is FREE to all children who have a

Medicare card. To make an appointment please telephone our call centre on

1800 450 046

We hope to see you soon!!! Sue & Cleo.

YEAR 2 CLASS NEWS Wow! Hard to believe we are into Term 4 already…time sure flies when you are having fun! All students have been trying hard to ensure they are working to the best of their ability. This term will see us completing our program of Year 2 work & end of year testing will be carried out in specific areas to assist us as we complete Yearly Reports on each child. Please ensure you check your child’s bag each day as there are many notes going home at the moment for various activities & these must be returned so your child does not miss out. We will be going to NOAH’S ARK in Wagga Wagga on the last day of school. This note was sent home last week & must be returned (including $16) ASAP as there are only places for 60 children. Please see us if your child did not get a note. We will also be attending the LIFE EDUCATION VAN in November. The note for this is in this week’s newsletter so please return the note & money to the Front Office ASAP. A form to update your child’s medical details was also sent home last week. Please ensure this is filled in and returned to the Front Office as well. Many students have also been absent from school in recent weeks but have not brought a note in explaining their absence. Please do so as soon as possible. As the weather warms up it is important to ensure your child has their school hat and to also apply sunscreen each day. NO HAT = NO PLAY is the school policy. We also encourage the children to bring their WATER bottles into class with them, especially as the weather warms up. We are also keen to grow some plants in our school vegie patch, so if you feel you would like to donate some seeds/seedlings/plants for us to grow and enjoy your generosity would be greatly appreciated. Anything that is fast growing and suited to the warmer weather would be ideal. Please do not hesitate to come and see us if you have any questions or concerns.

Maree Bonham, Tammi Ryan & Cheryle Glyde (Year 2 Class Teachers)

This week NPS will be starting a reading club for anyone who is interested . Reading club is a group of kids who can come and read or swap books or magazines or stories at lunch or recess. We will set times and days when notes from interested people start coming in. Please sign this note below if you are interested. This club will only have 12 students in it so membership will be on a “first-in basis.” Name _____________________________________________ Class ____________ Signature __________________________________________ Date __/__/_____

Please return this note to Lateisha and Tiana in Year 6 by FRIDAY 18TH OF OCTOBER.

Narrandera Public School Reading Club.

Our School has students who are

highly allergic to NUTS and NUT PRODUCTS

We seek your co-operation in trying to keep our school NUT FREE

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