2021 Student Leadership

Last week all Year 5 students participated in a Leadership program run and organised by Mrs Griffith and well-supported by Mr Jamie Davidson. The day was a huge success with all the students learning valuable insights into leadership. A special mention to our current group of Year 6 leaders who led most of the activities on the day. It was a huge success.

The following day the Year 5 cohort voted from their peer group ten boys and girls who they considered would be outstanding school leaders. There are so many worthy students in year 5 that this was always going to be a difficult task. This year it is a Top 21 as there was a three way tie for the ninth spot with the boys.

Congratulations to the following students who are now in the Top 21 and will continue through the school’s process to determine a Top 10.

Kate A, Alex B, Gabbie C, Georgie D, Alma G, Isabelle K, Sophia K, Rebecca L, Lizzie M,  Naomi M, Nate A, Callum H, Benji M, Luke M, Nick R, Callum R, Flinn S, Lennox S, Ronan S, Campbell W, Jimmy W.

Again congratulations to these students. These students will present their leadeship speech on Monday 16 November in preparation for voting across Years 3-6. There are still plenty of opportunities for our magnificent Year 5 cohort to be a leader in our wonderful school.

Staffing Update

Each year at every school there is always some level of change with staff. As we head towards the end of 2020 we have a couple of staff members that will not be with us next year.

Mrs Jeanette Cox after a long and distinguished career has decided the time is right to put away the books. Mrs Cox was a permanent member of staff and retired several years ago. As with all, teaching is in our blood and she came back to do some casual work. However, the time has come to spend more time with her evergrowing family. All of us at PHPS thank her for her dedication to all of her students and wish her the very best in her retirement.

Mrs Carina McSweeney has been at Pennant Hills Public School for six years and her contributions to the Learning Support Team are immeasurable. Her knowledge, passion and dedication for supporting those children that have an extra set of challenges is just amazing. Mrs McSweeney has made the decision to move away from school life. However, she will be continuing to work in the learning and support world and is very excited about the next chapter of her life and career. Mrs McSweeney will leave a huge hole in our school community and we wish her the very best of luck for the future.

After 20 years of outstanding service to our school community Ms Donna Lee has decided to retire at the end of the year. Ms Lee has been a stalwart of the community. She simply knows everyone and everthing about the school. Every single family within our school community knows Ms Lee and her passion for the children and school. Ms Lee has a wonderful sense of humour and is extremely passionate about supporting the teachers. She will be leaving big shoes to fill. Thank you Ms Lee for your unwavering dedication to our school.

We will be acknowledging these staff members at the end of the year. The ‘how’ will depend on the guidelines that are in place at the time.

P&C

Congratulations to the P&C’s Green Team. Their amazing work at last year’s Fete has been recognised by Hornsby Council. If you would like to read more about their work, please go to https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/property/waste/local-waste-champions .

Tonight the P&C is holding their monthly meeting via Zoom. If you are interested in attending please see the meeting details in the P&C’s section of the newsletter.

Opportunity Class (OC) Test

This year’s test is taking place on Wednesday 18 November. This was due to take place earlier in the year, however, the Covid-19 situation has seen this process delayed. The school at this point has not received any further information about the test. As soon this information is provided to us we will be sure to inform the Year 4 families.

Kinderlinks 2020

Today was our first Kinderlinks session for 2020. It was wonderful to see next year’s students and their families. Whilst not the same as in previous years, today’s first session was an absolute success. The students participated in many activities to get a taste of ‘big school’ and were shown around the school. These transition programs are so beneficial for the students and I have no doubt that next year’s kindergarten students are being setup for a successful start to their schooling. Thank you to Mrs Parras and her team for their great organisation. Thank you to all the families who were able to participate and for the following the required processes.

2021 Parent Requests

All parent requests for class placement for 2021 need to be emailed to me via the school email, pennanthil-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au , by this Friday. I can assure you that all requests will be considered, however, I cannot promise that all requests will be actioned. The forming of our classes goes through a rigorous process consisitng of three levels. Firstly, class teachers make recommendations with their grade colleagues about next year’s classes. These staff have been working closely with the students all year and are best placed to make informed decisions to support the child’s academic growth. The next step is for the RFF teachers, specialist teachers and Assistant Principals to run their eyes over the classes and discuss any concerns with their grade colleagues. At this step the Assistant Principals may make some changes based on specific knowledge they have. The final step is when Mrs Wasson and myself look at the classes. This process has already begun and classes will not be finalised until the beginniing of next year. All students’ needs are considered when forming classes.

School Matters

There are a few housekeeping matters that I must remind parents about to ensure a smooth, safe school.

1. School starts at 9:15am sharp every day. Quite often we have students arriving after the bell. Firstly if you arrive after the bell you must take your child to the school’s office and sign your child in and provide a reason. Sending them to the class late without visiting the office is not following NSW Department of Education policy. Being late impacts the learning of the students that have arrived on time as the teacher has to stop what they are doing and catch the child up to where the rest of the class is. It can also cause many students anxiety which can be avoided.
2. If your child is absent from school parents or carers must inform the school of the reason for the absence. This can be done via the SZ app or a written note to the child’s teacher.
3. The staff carparks on both sites are NOT for parent’s use between 8am-4pm. Over the last week I have seen many parents using them for their own convenience inside these hours. Your convenience is selfish and creating an unnecessary risk for staff and students. Whilst on the topic of the carparks please ensure that you drive appropriately when entering and exiting the carparks at all times. Some parents are driving too quickly in these environments which is very dangerous for an environment designed for children. Please slow down!

Year 7 Selective High School applications 2022

Selective high schools cater for academically gifted students with high potential who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic standard. Selective high schools help these students to learn by grouping them with students of similar ability, and by using specialised teaching methods.

Applications for selective high school placement are considered mainly on the basis of the Selective High School Placement Test results and school assessment scores. The Selective High School Placement Test will be held on Thursday 11 March 2021.

If you would like to have your child considered for Year 7 selective high school entry in 2022, you need to apply on the internet using a valid email address (not the student’s email address).

Detailed instructions on how to apply online will be available in late September 2020 at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-7.

The application website opens at that link on 6 October 2020 and closes on 9 November 2020. You must apply before the closing date.

There are no paper application forms. If you do not have internet access, you could apply at a public library. If you have a disability that prevents you from using a computer, you can contact the Team for assistance after 6 October 2020.

You must submit only ONE application for each student.

Thank You

Kind Regards

MR Matt Pinchbeck

Principal

Principal Awards

K-2 = Quinton L, Lucas B, Lucas V, Liam T, Alexandra P, Asher M, Isla A, Maddie P, Jayden W, George Y, Adelaide S, Ezekiel M, Ethan S

Book Week – Curious Creatures, Wild Minds

Another fantastic book week last week with the highlight being on Wednesday when students and staff dressed up as a curious creature. Some very inventive and intriguing creatures to be found – well done everyone and thank you for organising Ms Davis!

Maths Hub

The NSW Department of Education has released a new website called the ‘Everyday Maths Hub’, designed to engage families with mathematical tasks with their children, supporting their learning. Check it out here - https://education.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/mathematics

I will also be going through the navigation of the site and sharing a couple of activities that are easy to do at home during the P&C meeting tonight. We hope to see you then!

Leadership Day

Last week saw the Year 5 Leadership Day run successfully and 21 leadership candidates nominated. Well done to our current school leaders who led fun and interactive activities with the Year 5 students and demonstrated their strong leadership qualities once again. Good luck to all of the candidates for leadership positions in 2021, I look forward to working with you.

Wellbeing Week

For 2020, the Senior Executive team at PHPS were committed to making small changes for our staff to hopefully have a big impact on general wellbeing. One of these changes was to have a ‘Wellbeing Week’, where we have eliminated meetings for one week during each term. A teacher’s week can contain 4-5 meetings, before and after school, sometimes more! These include a whole staff Communication meeting, a Professional Learning session, Learning and Support Team meeting, Stage meetings and then there’s the Action Group meeting and Executive meeting for those who are part of those teams. Having one week a term where there are no additional out of hours commitments has so far reportedly improved teacher wellbeing. Happy Wellbeing Week!

World Teachers’ Day

Last Friday 30 October was World Teacher’s Day. We thank the P&C for the lovely morning tea and gift cards, it is really nice that our community takes the time to make us feel appreciated. I asked some of the teachers to provide their favourite teaching moment for 2020. Please see below for some of their responses.

Year 6 Rappers

6M have been busy getting creative with the stage 3 history unit. Three students decided to compose and perform a rap version of the Australian Goldfields. 

Yes, this is not a typo. You read it correctly. A rap version of the Australian Goldfields! 

The rap includes snippets from the stage 3 novel study 'Yong', along with important events from the Eureka Stockade saga. This exploration of life on the goldfields is not only informative but also highly entertaining. 

Warning: The tune is so catchy, you'll find yourself humming the final chorus for the rest of the day. Apologies in advance.

https://vimeo.com/user111321235/review/474546352/6d3d1fb2e2

Music Count Us in Celebration Day

On Thursday 5 November we are celebrating Music Count Us In and students are encouraged to be inspired by music or dance and dress accordingly. Please see Ms Steven’s flyer on the below for details. Thank you for organising Ms Stevens!

Smith Family Christmas Toy and Book Appeal – Next Week!

WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER...

Don’t wrap your donations – we need to ensure that each item is suitable before our wonderful volunteers add it to a gift pack.

Please give new toys and new books – this helps us ensure that each item is of good quality and is ready to use on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to accept second-hand, handmade or damaged items.

Your gift should be ready to read or play with as soon as it’s opened on Christmas morning. When you’re deciding what to give, remember to include batteries if needed, and colouring pencils for colouring books.

A PDF that details the items that can not be accepted can be found here:

Please note that the Smith Family will bundle all packages. Please do not wrap or bundle your items.

DROP OFF INFORMATION

The drop off point for K-2 is the school hall and for 3-6 is the library stairs. I will at these locations to meet the students with their donations from 9am – 9:15am on the following mornings. Due to Covid restrictions, students will need to bring the donations themselves.

Kindergarten	9am – Monday 9 November	School hall
Year 1	9am – Tuesday 10 November	School hall
Year 2	9am – Wednesday 11 November	School hall
Year 3	9am – Monday 16 November	Library annex
Year 4	9am – Tuesday 17 November	Library annex
Year 5	9am – Wednesday 18 November	Library annex
Year 6	9am – Monday 23 November	Library annex

KD – Esther P, Morgan F, Alexandra M, Vihaan K

KH – Ezekiel S, Dylan H, Reuben L, Eric W, Eleanor P

KP – Marlina T, Lachlan N, Keyan P

K/1R – Asher M, Jack V

1D – Tommy J, Emma K, Parker P

1E – Luc P, Isabel K, Myat T

1S – Jaden W, Naysa D, Isla B, Selena R, Millie V, Christian Z

1/2H – Rehan K, Shaniq F, Ginger M, Nathalie H

2C – Ben H, Amity G, Ava N, Shahab A, Owen S, Gemma D

2M – Lucas V, Lucas B, Charles D, Hannah M

2W – Blake W-O, Adelaide S, Liam C, Daniel-John R, Karina C

COMPUTERS  –

Alexandra P - KH, David H - KP, Calvin S - 1/2H, Emily L 1D, Shahab A - 2C, Lilly N - 2M, Asher M - K/1R, Jordan H -KD, Joey C - 1S, Joshua A - 1D, Blake W-O - 2W

Year 3 class of 2021

Last Tuesday saw the first session of our Year 2 to Year 3 transition. The students were very excited to see the 3-6 site and classrooms. They visited the canteen, playground seats, toilet block, school office, Mr Pinchbeck's office and met the School and Sports Captains. They drew a picture of their favourite animal and watched a video about the life of a Year 3 student.

This Thursday, 5 November 2020 the Year 2 students will need to be dropped off in the morning at the front gate of the 3-6 site (Weemala Rd). The drop off time is from 8.45am and they are to wait on the silver seats as told last week. The BASC staff have been advised of this arrangement.

Looking forward to welcoming the Year 2 students again this week.

Thank You

Mrs Tracy Reid

6M have been busy getting creative with our study into early Australian colonial history. To this end, three students decided to compose and perform a rap about life on the Australian goldfields. 

Yes folks....that's right. No need to adjust your glasses. You read it correctly.  

Click on the link below to view our very own rap of life in the Australian goldfields! 

This incredible composition includes snippets from the stage 3 novel study 'Yong', a story about a young Chinese boy's experiences travelling to the goldfields in Victoria, along with other important events from the Eureka Stockade. 

We hope you find this exploration of life on the goldfields both informative and entertaining. 

Warning: The tune is very catchy. You may find yourself humming the final chorus for the rest of the day (and beyond). Apologies in advance.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ErxE6Nd5zxLeztPUcqeRvMp1jpQJQm4/view?usp=sharing

Thank You

Kind Regards

Mrs Rebecca Macnaughtan

“Curious Creatures, Wild Minds” theme day

Last Wednesday, our school was a hive of creativity as students let their imaginations run wild by coming dressed as curious creatures or book characters that had sparked their imagination. 

It was fabulous to see such a range of “creatures” from Albert Einstein to Alice in Wonderland!  All students are to be congratulated for participating in this Book Week celebration.  Such enthusiasm highlighted the joy that reading brings our students.

Many thanks to the students who donated a gold coin to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.  A “Great Book Swap” is normally held in Book Week to raise money for this fantastic organisation, however, due to COVID-19 this could not occur this year. In total $589 was raised on the day.

Once again, congratulations to all our creative “wild mind” students for participating in this fun event.

Thank You 

Kind Regards

Ms Gai Davis

Teacher Librarian

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY

The P&C was able to celebrate World Teachers’ Day from a #COVIDSafe distance last Friday by dropping in some gift cards and morning tea to the office for the teachers to enjoy! Thank you once again to all our amazing teachers at PHPS, in what has been a very challenging year!

SANDPIT FAMILY PHOTO DAY - SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER!

We are excited to confirm that the Family Portrait Photo Day is going ahead this year! Sandpit Photos’ professional photographers will photograph your family within a 20 minute, fun and relaxed #CovidSafe portrait session. All images are posed outdoors on the grounds of Belthorn Cottage at the K-2 site.

The $15 booking fee goes towards the P&C. All sittings are obligation free thereafter. Families can buy the entire package for only $209. This pack includes  approximately 30 printed photos of varying sizes plus a USB with all images taken on the day.

To avoid disappointment please book NOW on FLEXISCHOOLS. Sessions are now 30 minutes apart to ensure Social Distancing between groups.

* This is a full family portrait session, therefore an adult MUST be included in the group.

** An email will be sent to all bookings outlining mandatory #CovidSafe practices for the day.

P&C BUSINESS DIRECTORY

As mentioned last week, the P&C has brought together a team of passionate parents to build a Business Directory eBook that features registered businesses within our school community. It will be a free advertising opportunity for families who own small to medium sized businesses, by providing a valuable network and an opportunity to share their business details.

Do you have a business that you would like to advertise (for free) in the P&C Business Directory? Click here for Information and Guidelines and then here to apply or contact the team at phpsdirectory@gmail.com for details on how to list your business.

The Business Directory will be launched to all parents in early December, just in time for Christmas! More details to follow.

GREEN TEAM TEACHER UPDATE - by Bridget Dwyer

Recycling around our school

At Pennant Hills Public School, we love to recycle and have many ways in which we can do this. Our soft plastic bin takes chip packets, muesli wrappers, glad wrap, snap lock bags and tiny teddy packets just to name a few. Here’s Alexandra an ‘Eco Warrior’ from KD helping our school environment. You can do this at your home and drop them off to Coles or Woolworths in the REDcycle bins. Check out the link to find your closest one. By working together, we CAN make a difference! https://www.redcycle.net.au/what-to-redcycle/

Did you see our Green Team featured as Hornsby Shire Council’s first Local Waste Champion? Do your kids have a question for the Green Team?Would you like to join our Green Team? Email us at phpsgreenteam@gmail.com

The November P&C meeting is TONIGHT at 7.30 pm by Zoom.

Join us at this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81367742593?pwd=aGtueUd0UkFoRUNwWkdKV2ptZHAvZz09

Meeting ID: 813 6774 2593

Passcode: 579345

If you would like to subscribe to our P&C meeting emails (minutes and agendas),

please subscribe at the following link: http://eepurl.com/dlK3PD

Andrew Passé-de Silva

President, PHPS P&C

pandcpresident@gmail.com

0410 653 878

2021 Band expression of interest:

Last week our band director and some of the SCB students demonstrated the band instruments to the Year 2 students. It was great to hear that there was a lot of excitement. All the Year 2 students should have received an Intro to Band Handout. We encourage all Year 2 students interested in band to fill in the form at the back of this handout and return to their teacher.

Whilst the demos were aimed at Year 2, any students who will be in Year 3-6 next year are more than welcome to join the band program!

If you did not get a copy of the Intro to Band sheet, you can find it here. Please feel free to print the last page and hand it in to your child’s teacher.

And if you'd like more details please contact us at phpsband@gmail.com

Band Rehearsals 

SCB continue as normal in their groups on Monday afternoons and Thursday morning.

ICB also as normal with the entire band on Wednesday morning.

As mentioned last week for TB we are going to switch up a little. As TB are only getting 1/2 the number of rehearsals, what we are going to do is try something which should be a lot of fun and get them some additional rehearsal time.

For Training Band if the weather is fine and sunny then everyone in TB should turn up for rehearsals. The rehearsal will be conducted outside on the grass which will permit us to have everyone and still adhere to the distancing rules. If it is wet (or the ground very wet) then only turn up to rehearsal on your group’s week (Group 1, odd weeks. Group 2, even weeks) and rehearsal will be inside the band room.

We are hoping the weather will be fine enough for this to happen this week. Keep an eye on the WhatsApp group as Rose will be making the call if the weather is bad on Thursday evening.

Hornsby Busking:

Save the Date! Sunday, 6 December at Hornsby Mall!! We have a 2hr time slot from 12-2pm. More detailed information will follow soon so save the date. Word from Hornsby Westfields is that we'll likely be limited to 2 people at a time. Dave and Rose will be talking to the students about doing a few duet pieces each. The busking will be an opt-in event. Whilst we will encourage everyone to take part, we understand if they would prefer not to. We're working on a webform to fill in to book a slot for the busking.

Christmas Carols Video Recording

We are working toward being able to video some performances for Christmas and put together a Virtual Christmas concert. Please keep an eye on your email and the school newsletter for more details to come.

Pennant Hills Public School Band Committe

Interested in strings?

Thinking about learning a string instrument for 2021? 

We keep a list of local tutors to help you on our website: 

http://www.phpspandc.org.au/string-ensemble/string-teachers/

Or register your interest online: https://forms.gle/L2nrW66LkJTgEAsE6

Further details will be sent out via email through class parents, or drop us a message: phpsstrings@gmail.com

If your child is in year 1 or 2 in 2021, our junior strings program is a great way to start learning, in a group setting. The string program caters for absolute beginners, with no prior experience, as well as students that have already begun private tuition.

If you need any information, you can contact us via email: phpsstrings@gmail.com

Junior Strings

Rehearsal each week is from 3:30pm to 4:30pm, in classroom 2W. 

Our parent helpers are: 

• October 27 - Mansi
• November 3 - Carol
• November 10 - Shaheen

Rehearsals 

Our string ensemble rehearsals for term 4 remain split by stage.

The schedule for term is as follows: 

Stage 2

• November 3 - Parent helper - Ellie
• November 17 - Parent helper - TBC
• December 1- Parent helper - Joel
• December 15 - Parent helper - Ying

Stage 3: 

• November 10 - Parent helper - TBC
• November 24 - Parent helper - Kim
• December 8 - Parent helper - Jade

Parent Helpers

Parent helpers are essential to running our rehearsals. If you haven't already signed up for a spot this term. 

Junior Strings Sign Up:

https://doodle.com/poll/tkesrb9rd8gizec9

Full Ensemble Sign Up: 

https://doodle.com/poll/cy68d5dkuw3bvufm

The parent helper responsibilities are detailed here:

http://www.phpspandc.org.au/string-ensemble/parent-helpers/

PHPS String Ensemble

Website: http://www.phpspandc.org.au/string-ensemble/

Feedback: http://www.phpspandc.org.au/string-ensemble/contact-us

Next week’s Tuesday Special will be Teriyaki Chicken or Vegetable Stir Fry with Noodles.

This week’s roster:

While there are no over the counter sales, we do not require any help for the K-2 site.

3-6 Site:

Wednesday 4 November - Help needed please.

Thursday 5 November  - Jenni.

Friday 6 November  - Narelle and Jacqueline.

If you have any questions, or would like to be involved with the canteen, please contact me.

Thank You

Heather Tyler

0425 274 681

canteenphps@gmail.com

New Operating Protocols

At this stage the Uniform Shop will remain closed for over the counter sales during Term 4. Uniform orders can be placed online through Flexischools or alternatively download an order form from the school website.

Please note that all orders will be delivered to the students’ classroom.

If you have an item that you need to exchange for another size please contact the Uniform Shop on the email address below. 

Please note that all items to be exchanged must be unworn, in original condition with packaging and tags intact. There is no exchange on socks, tights or briefs.

Second Hand Uniforms

If you require second hand uniforms, please contact me on the email address below, so that I can check what stock is on hand in the second hand clothing pool.

Boys’ Summer Shirts

Size 14 and size 16 boys short sleeve shirts have sold out. Midford is still experiencing delays out of China, and is not expecting new stock to arrive until December. I apologise for any inconvenience caused by this stock shortage.

Kinderlinks

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Uniform Shop will not be attending Kinderlinks this year.

We encourage existing families who are familiar with the school uniform to complete the Kinderlinks Uniform Order Form that has been emailed to them and hand it in at Kinderlinks, and you will receive an email when your order is ready for collection.

New families who are not familiar with our school uniform will be able to make an appointment to view and purchase uniforms with their child on Sunday afternoon 8 and 15 November and Tuesday evening 10 November.

Appointments can be made by going to www.schoolinterviews.com.au and entering the Event Code: c2zak

Please note that the first Sunday is now fully booked out.

Dr Shoe

Dr Shoe will be attending the Uniform Shop for the Kinderlinks Sunday appointments on 8 and 15 November.  Max can be contacted direct on 0414 912 838 to arrange a home fitting or book your appointment for the Kinderlinks sessions.

Ordering Uniforms

Uniform shop opening hours have been suspended. Uniforms can be ordered by completing an order form and together with payment of cash, cheque or card details handed in at either office.  Orders will be filled and delivered to the students’ classrooms. A combined pricelist and order form can be downloaded from the school website by following the links to ‘Our School’ and ‘What We Offer.’ Uniforms can also be ordered online through Flexischools, however prices will include a Flexischools surcharge.

Please note that uniform orders cannot be paid via the school online payment service

Order forms are available on the school website by following the link:

https://pennanthil-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/p/pennanthil-p/about-our-school/uniform-shop/Term_4_2020_Order_Form_and_Price_List.pdf

 Alison Parker

Uniform Shop Manager

phpsuniformshop@gmail.com