- Ironbark Ridge PS 1 Ironbark Ridge Road, Rouse Hill, 2155. Ph: 8814 5687 Fax: 8814 5698 Email: ironbarkrg-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Webpage: https://ironbarkrg-p.schools.nsw.gov.au Nurturing personal growth through inspired learning…

Newsletter 2020

Term Week (Date) Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful

DATES FOR THE DIARY

August

10th August – Cyber Safety Interralate Program (Yrs 5-6) 10th – 14th August – Virtual Bookfair (continued) 11th August – Sports In Schools (Years 3-6) 12th August – 7pm P&C Meeting 13th August – Cyber Safety Interralate Program (Yrs 5-6) 17th August – Cyber Safety Interralate Program (Yrs 5-6) 18th August – Sports in Schools (Years 3-6) 20th August – Cyber Safety Interralate Program (Yrs 5-6)

** Subscribe to our ‘Ironbark Ridge – Events’ Google calendar (see the app or the school website)

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT Learning Together… Education Week 2020 I hope you have enjoyed seeing into our classrooms through our virtual Education Week collection of slideshows and videos. It’s impossible to miss the engagement and enthusiasm on the faces of our students right across the school, and is great evidence of the inspiring learning challenges being created by our classroom and specialist teachers each and every day. If you have missed them, the videos can be easily accessed through the ‘Daily Notices’ in the Sentral Parents app.

Planning Staff are currently working to complete implementation of a number of important initiatives, particularly in English Teaching, Student Leadership, Student Wellbeing and Teacher Professional Learning, before the end of this year… as part of our Ironbark Ridge 2018-2020 Plan. However at the same our task includes preparing for the next four-year cycle (yes, the Dept. of Ed. has moved all schools from the old 3-year to a new 4-year planning cycle in order to align with the new School Excellence Evaluation cycle. Any one of you working in a governmental organisation/department will be familiar with these regular changes to improve and streamline procedures Capturing the opinions, knowledge and ideas of our Ironbark Ridge community is a crucial part of the evaluation and analysis of our current situation, and next week we will open access to the valuable Tell Them From Me survey. Students and Teachers will complete their own separate and different versions of this online tool to ensure we are informed by all of the stakeholders in Ironbark Ridge. Please take the time

to provide us with your voice – look out for the link sent through our usual channels. Progress Reports Student reports, in a slightly abbreviated format due to the significant time spent Learning From Home last semester, were published to the Sentral Parent Portal and App last Friday afternoon. They can be viewed through the new ‘Portal’ tile in the app (press the Home, then select the student name, then Student Details tab) as well as the swipe-right function in the ‘Daily Notices’, however the app provides only viewing access, not downloading. Downloading a pdf for printing, file saving, emailing, etc. can only be done by logging into the internet web version of the portal at: https://ironbarkridgeps.sentral.com.au/portal2/#!/login P&C Meeting Due to the current distancing safety requirements our Term 3 P&C meeting will be held via Zoom next Wednesday evening. Details are listed later in this newsletter, and I encourage you to be a part of our discussions. Ms Pho, Ms De Jager and myself will be presenting information about the School Situational Analysis we are currently developing, and the schedule of community consultation to support this work as explained above. Selective In addition to the recently reported success many of our Year 6 students have achieved in gaining special High School placements, other areas of Excellence might be overlooked. Students should remember that academia is only one ‘intelligence’ domain of many, and creative and performing talents are just as demanding and important in our holistic development and enjoyment of life. One of our Year 6 students, Allegra , was recently offered a highly selective position in the Dance program at Newtown High School for the Performing Arts. Congratulations must go to her for many years of hard training and commitment. High School placements can also recognise and develop students in other areas such Sporting Excellence so keep an open mind! In the end, we all want our students/children to grow into citizens who will make this world a better place and find meaning and fulfilment in their lives. Parenting: Difficult Decisions… I have included a thought-provoking article by Michael Grose, parenting expert from www.parentingideas.com.au a bit later in the newsletter. As a parent this advice makes great sense to me (regardless of my work-role) and my own parents practised this with me on a number of memorable and character-building learning occasions I can still remember. I wonder what you think? Always be sure that the decisions we make here at Ironbark Ridge in response to choices made by our students about their behaviour and conduct are always about student learning and growth. A new baby on the way With great excitement (and no express permission ;) I am letting you all know some wonderful news… Ms Pho, our amazing Deputy Principal, is expecting to give birth to her first child in December this year! To say we are all happy for her is an understatement of extravagant proportions Yours in lifelong learning and growth, Nick Thomson Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPALS’ REPORT Education Week 2020 Learning Together We have certainly experienced a different Education Week this year than in previous years. Without a formal Open Day, we have utilised technology to showcase the wonderful learning happening in our school. Thank you to our teachers, support staff and students for their work in collating these images, and to Mr Thomson for putting them all together. Interactive Art Show Mrs Pryzrembel and Mrs Katopau have put together a magnificent interactive art show of the artworks completed in Visual Arts in Semester 1. A notice will be posted on Facebook when the show goes live. Welcoming New Staff You may have noticed a few new staff at Ironbark. We are very fortunate to welcome Ms Blye and Ms Graham to our team. Both teachers will be working across the school supporting engagement and learning in physical education. We extend a warm welcome to our new members. Leadership Opportunities A focus for our Year 5 students this term who may be considering trying out for formal leadership positions in 2021. 6 tips which will assist parents in helping their child to be a student leader may include:

1. Don’t talk to your child about leadership positions, talk about leadership opportunities 2. Encourage your child to be involved in everything 3. Encourage your child to solve problems 4. Help your child with their presentation skills 5. Do community service with your child 6. Encourage your child to take responsibility

The aim of ‘being chosen’ should not be the goal of any leader, rather the view that by serving and contributing in a school community your child will develop life-long leadership skills. At Ironbark Ridge PS we offer formal leadership training in personal and organisational leadership skills. If your child is thinking of trying out for any of our formal leadership positions, we encourage them to attend training. Mrs Barton is running formal leadership training during lunchtimes. Kindergarten enrolments for 2021 It is at this time that we begin our preparation for our new students who will be starting Kindergarten next year. It is such an important and exciting milestone. We encourage parents to begin planning the transition from preschool to primary school. It is important to have a conversation with your local preschools to discuss preparedness and how best to transition your child. Office staff members are also available to assist parents with enquiries associated with Application for Enrolment forms. At the moment we are waiting for advice around how Kindergarten Orientation can be organised for 2020. Once we receive this advice, we will be able to communicate this information to all our Kindergarten enrolments for 2021. SAS Staff Recognition Week 6 2020 Our School Administrative and Support (SAS) staff play an important role in the school community. They are often the first people you see when you enter a school and are essential in maintaining positive relationships with students, parents and the community. SAS staff work in school offices, in classrooms and libraries as well as maintaining and caring for school grounds and buildings. They are often the ones who tend to students when they are unwell, and they ensure the efficient management of school’s financial and administration functions. At Ironbark Ridge we will be recognising our staff in the week beginning of 24th August. It is our way to thank these amazing people for their dedication and service to our school and community. If you visit during Week 6 please pop into the office and let our SAS staff know what a valuable role they play in making Ironbark a very special school.

Book Character Parade There is great excitement around the school as we all begin to prepare for the annual ‘Book Character Parade’. On the 9th September we will be celebrating everything related to books and reading. Which character will Mr Thomson and the teachers be this year? Drop-Off and Pick-Up Our local streets around the school are extremely busy and quite challenging, even under normal circumstances. Therefore it is important that as adults, we are conscious of other vehicles and pedestrians and that we model safe behaviour. Please plan for the fact it is going to take longer to get to the school and patience will be needed in abundance. Our staff are not required to do the job they are doing at present outside the school in the morning and afternoons. Please be a little kind to them and know that all that they do comes from wanting to keep our children safe. If you have the opportunity to park and or walk, this would certainly assist in alleviating some of the issues, and it will, in some cases be quicker. If you block the natural flow of the traffic it means you can be booked and we don’t want that to happen to our families. Waiting for a spot to pick up your child is not an excuse. Please drive around the block which is a lot more preferable to getting a fine. Each afternoon we ask that you do not park directly outside the school as this supports us in providing another way to collect your child from school which does not require finding a place to park. Please ensure that your child knows how they will be getting home each day and any important meeting spots at the front or side gates. Keeping Our Community Safe Thank you for being so supportive with the afternoon arrival time for K-2 parents. If possible, we encourage only one parent to come into the school per family. This may support us minimising risk. Please try to keep the 1.5m distance when waiting for children to leave school at the end of the day. If your child is unwell, please keep them at home. Have a wonderful weekend. Kerry De Jager and Kerrie Pho Deputy Principals

Ironbark Ridge Public School Parent Planner Term 3 2020

** Note: All dates on this planner are subject to change at the discretion of the school. Updated 06.08.20

4 August

10 Virtual Book Fair Kindergarten excursion to Calmsley Hill Farm Cyber Safe Teens program (Yr 5&6)

11 Virtual Book Fair Sports in Schools Australia (SISA) 3-6

12 Virtual Book Fair 7pm Zoom P&C Meeting

13 Virtual Book Fair Cyber Safe Teens program (Yr 5&6)

14 Virtual Book Fair

15/16

5 August

17 Cyber Safe Teens program (Yr 5&6)

18 Sports in Schools Australia (SISA) 3-6

19

20 Cyber Safe Teens program (Yr 5&6

21

22/23

6 August SAS staff

Recognition Week

24 SAS Staff Recognition Week

25 SAS Staff Recognition Week Sports in Schools Australia (SISA) 3-6

26 SAS Staff Recognition Week 7pm Cyber Safe Parent Session - Interrelate

27 SAS Staff Recognition Week

28 SAS Staff Recognition Week Summer PSSA resumes

29/30

7 Aug/Sept

31

1 Sports in Schools Australia (SISA) 3-6

2

3 Parents Day stall TBC 2pm Parent Forum TBC

4 Jersey Day Summer PSSA

5/6 Fathers’ Day

8 September

7

8 Sports in Schools Australia (SISA) 3-6 Kindergarten 2021 Virtual Parent Information Session

9 Book Character Parade

10 11 Summer PSSA

12/13

9 September

14 15 Sports in Schools Australia (SISA) 3-6

16 OC Placement Test

17

18 Summer PSSA

19/20

10 September

21

22 Sports in Schools Australia (SISA) 3-6

23 Stage 3 Leadership Day

24 Stage 3 Rewards Day (in lieu of camp)

25 Year 6 Fun Day No PSSA Last day of Term 3

26/27

ADMINISTRATION We would like to thank all our parents for their patience during this difficult time. You will notice some new additions in the Office over the coming weeks. We have recently implemented a new digital Sign In/ Out system, please note you will only need to sign in if you are volunteering in the Uniform Shop or if you have a meeting with one of the school staff. We are in the process of having social distancing stickers made. Until these are in place, please remember to keep your distance from others. If you need to come into the office for any reason, we ask that only 1 member per family attend. Student reports were issued last Friday 31/07/2020. We strongly recommend that you download or print these reports out. Once your child has left the school, you will no longer have access to these through the Sentral Parent Portal. Please see below a list of activities that have either been cancelled or postponed: Changes due to Covid-19 Kindergarten: The Calmsley Hill Farm Excursion which was planned for Monday 17th August, has

now been rebooked for Monday 23rd November. Stage 1: Mr Campbell is trying to reorganise the Rouse Hill Farm Excursion for Term 4. We will

keep you updated when more information is to hand. Stage 2: Mr Brent is busily trying to organise another activity instead of the Broken Bay Camp.

At this point in time the costs and details are not available. Stage 3: The Great Aussie Bush Camp has been cancelled. We are in the process of refunding

these monies. Please contact the Office if you have any queries. Summer PSSA: Summer PSSA will recommence on the 28th August 2020 Kindergarten 2021 Enrolments We have started accepting enrolment paperwork for kindergarten students for 2021. Enrolment forms are available on the school website. Hard copies are available from the school office. Please check our website for the required documentation to support your child’s enrolment. Unfortunately, enrolments cannot be accepted if documentation is incomplete. For kindergarten siblings of current students, please keep in mind that our catchment area changed significantly due to the opening of North Kellyville Public School last year, and more recent additional minor alterations will shortly be implemented. You may find that your address no longer falls into our catchment area or perhaps you have moved address since your older children commenced school. If your address is no longer within our catchment area, you will need to fill out a Non-Local Application which can also be found on our website under “About Our School”, then “Enrolments”. You can check which school catchment your address falls into on the School Finder system: https://education.nsw.gov.au/school-finder We look forward to welcoming your child to Ironbark Ridge Public School in 2021. Admin Team

KINDY CAPERS What a sensational first few weeks of Term 3! Kindergarten enjoyed an awesome day of celebration last Wednesday for our “100 Days of Learning!” It was terrific seeing all the bright and creative shirts and hearing all about them as students explained the making process with their classes. Thank you for all the hard work put into their creation, it certainly contributed to the excitement of the day, along with all the lovely teddies brought in for our teddy bear picnic. This week we welcomed the arrival of our Henny Penny chickens. Eggs are beginning to hatch in classrooms and all our kindy kids are waiting with bated breath to see the little chicks emerge out of their shells. Students are engaged in observing the process and recording what is happening over this time, which could be a great conversation to have with them at home. Unfortunately we have had to reschedule our excursion to the farm. The new date is Monday 23rd November and money already paid will be reallocated to this date. A new permission note will be sent home closer to the time. Thank you for your ongoing support,

ES1 Teachers

STAGE 1 SNIPPETS We are well and truly in Term 3 and what a year it is turning out to be! Some very unusual learning experiences for all of us. We are celebrating Education Week with a difference and students have enjoyed being photographed and videoed to share some glimpses of their classroom learning. Please keep an eye on videos being uploaded daily on the Facebook page. However that is not to undermine the learning that has happened at home this year, in partnership with our wonderful parents, grandparents and other carers. Please accept our sincerest gratitude during the Education week celebration, in being part of the learning journey this year! This term Stage 1 students are learning about the following topics. Feel free to have some meaningful discussions with them when the opportunity arises.

Science and Technology: Earth’s Resources Natural resources that our planet Earth shares with us like – air and wind, water, soil and minerals and living things like plants and animals!

Geography: Natural and Built Environments

Natural environment like rainforests, rivers, oceans etc. Built environments like cities, shopping malls, houses schools etc. Managed resources such as parks and vegetable patches.

English: Informative Text Types Learning to read and create informative texts using titles, researching factual topics like Australian landmarks and animals. The students are also being exposed to the Aboriginal dreamtime stories related to the famous Australian natural landmarks like the Three Sisters and Uluru. The topics have been received with much enthusiasm and students have been finding the similarities between them to create their written

texts which is fantastic! Stationery supplies: Please check with your child if they require any new stationery supplies as these tend to run out at this time of the year. In particular, we are often short of lead pencils and glue sticks. Stage 1 Teachers

STAGE 2 SNIPPETS What a week! This week we celebrated Education Week, ‘Learning Together’ - in a different way! We hope you have enjoyed viewing all the fun that Stage Two have been participating in, in the classroom. If you haven't viewed our 'virtual' open day, click on the following link: https://youtu.be/rJQtLu6gpAk. The virtual Book Fair has also been held a different way this year. The website to purchase books on is available between the 3rd and 14th August. We encourage all families to support this initiative which in turn will support the learning in the classrooms. To access the website please use Google Chrome and type in Carnival Book Fairs. Click on the first link – CARNIVAL BOOK FAIRS and look at the top line and click the ‘V’ in Book Fairs. Follow the directions after this to purchase your books. Sport In Schools Australia This term has seen students continue to enjoy the Sports in Schools program where they have been learning and developing many athletic skills. Please see the following table below for sport and library days and times for all Stage Two classes. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Library

4S, 4I

3C, 3H, 3J, 4W 3A, 3K 4B, 4F

Sport

All Year 4

classes

All Year 3 and Year 4

classes All Year 3

classes

All Year 3 and Year 4

classes

Student Representative Council Congratulations to our new Student Representative Council members for Semester Two who were inducted last week. We know they will represent not only their class but the whole stage just as well as the outgoing SRC members. It is important that students have a voice in school in order to suggest positive changes and ideas. The SRC allows students to implement change in a respectful manner, develop leadership qualities to use to lead others by example by modelling our successful learner habits on a regular basis. Please note: All Semester One SRC representatives will continue in their role for Term 3 as well. Reading Expectations In Stage Two it is expected that students will be reading at home for 30 to 40 minutes at least 5 times a week. Reading may include Reading Eggspress, library books that are borrowed from the school library and other interesting books at home of their choice. In class, Stage Two are enjoying reading a range of informative books and articles of all different topics which has enabled us to build upon our prior knowledge and use our synthesising skills. Students should also be completing Typing Tournament and Prodigy at home. PSSA Resumes on Friday 28th August (week 6) As we are over half way of 2020, this is a friendly reminder to restock all students' pencil cases. At this time of year stationery supplies are usually depleting fast and need to be replenished. Please check what your child needs to ensure they have all they need to help them complete their best learning. The Stage 2 Teachers

STAGE 3 SNIPPETS It has been wonderful start to Term 2! We know both teachers and students have been excited to be back in classrooms, learning and feeling a sense of normality. This week has been Education Week, where we celebrate ‘Learning Together’. Unlike previous years, this has looked very different. We have had a week of virtual events to help celebrate and we hoped you enjoyed the various videos uploaded to the Facebook page of our students learning. Sport in Schools sessions on Tuesdays have been a real hit with Stage 3! Students are not only developing their athletic skills but are also having lots of fun. Year 6 are busy getting reading for Fun Day which will be held on Friday 25th September. This is a great opportunity for students to work collaboratively to create exciting activities for the rest of the school community to enjoy. We know they are working hard to come up with some new and engaging experiences as well as still including the favourites everyone loves! Every Friday, Year 5 participate in creative and critical thinking groups. Students are exposed to a range of activities that prompt these skills and are encouraged to work with a range of students from different classes. They are thoroughly enjoying ‘thinking outside the box’. A reminder of our Virtual Book Fair - Students can go to www.carnivalfairs.com.au/virtual and search for our school name to purchase from a terrific selection of titles. Every purchase benefits our school, so thank you in advance for supporting this clever initiative. We are all looking forward to another amazing fortnight of learning. Stage 3 Team

CANTEEN Just a friendly reminder that on Wednesdays we are: Open for Breakfast Closed for Recess Open for Lunch

Also our Winter Menu is still going strong for Term 3, this term we have Pumpkin Soup and Chicken & Sweet Corn Soup available for $3.50 a serve.

Doris & Mel Canteen Team

Library Teachers

WEEK 3

Self Reliance

KA Arshiya, Charlotte, Raymond, Tegfatehyab KD Adrielle, Bella, Matilda, Max KS Aiden, Coco, Lisa, Manaal 1B April, Minaal, Purav 1R Benjamin, Ella-Rose, Hunter, Lena 1S Hareem, Joceline, Wesley 2A Celena, Daniel, Ineesha, Sayan 2H Cindy, Lawrence, Lucas 2N Aisha, Arnav, Hassan, Shakiya 3A Emma, Travis, Zoe 3K Enara, Isabella, Nithum 4B Akanksha, Charlie, Neyli, Rihaan 4F Logan, Nate, Sasha 4W Elliot, Frankie, Hesham, Lucy, Ryan, Tailor 5B Caitlin, Lida, Shreya, Yana 5C Ashlee, Cooper, Madelyn 5W Chelsea, Harrison, Holly 6C Annabelle, Jashanbir, Shelby 6E Brooklyn, Olivia, Sanjana 6S Jack, Jaden, Jessie, Misha

Notice of P&C Committee Meeting 12th August 2020

All parents are welcome to attend our virtual P&C meeting for Term 1 which will be held on 12 August at 7:30pm via Zoom. Attending this meeting is a great opportunity to meet other parents and become involved in the school community at Ironbark Ridge Public School. It also provides an opportunity to gain valuable insight into what is happening at the school and what can be expected in the year ahead. The P&C committee currently has a Vice President’s position vacant. If you are interested in this role or joining the P&C please email us at executive@irpspc.com. If you are interested in volunteering on the P&C you can email us at executive@irpspc.com - we are always looking for helpers. We are currently looking for someone to help our Student Banking Team when we recommence hopefully in Term 4. P&C Membership fee is $2 a year and we encourage you to join so that you can have a say in your school. We are currently in the process of setting up a new payment system for the P&C Membership fee on Flexischool. We will let you know when it is up and running.

All parents are welcome. We look forward to seeing you there.

COMMUNITY SERVICES hinese characters