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Student Artwork
Amelia C in 4M has entered the following artwork into a local community choice competition. Her artwork has been shortlisted and in the final group. Her magnificent artwork is very topical given our current climate and may very well prove to be true in the future.
If you would like to view Amelia’s artwork, and others, please use the following link and follow the instructions below to vote. Voting closes in two weeks and prizes are awarded.
Learning from Home Packs – Week 7
For those families that require hard copies of the Learning from Home packs please book in via the system we use for Parent Teacher interviews. Please use the following link, School Interviews and enter the code, q2wsg. Select your desired time to come to the 3-6 site. This booking site will be open from Thursday morning at 10am. All packs will be able to be collected this Friday or Monday for next week’s pack. Please only come and collect a pack if you need one. Please do not just call in to the office to try and collect a pack as you will be politely turned away. We have this process to ensure we are following our Covid-19 Safety Plan to assist you and the wider community.
Covid-19 Update
Unfortunately, over the weekend all of NSW was put into lockdown. Certainly not a great result, but hopefully these tighter measures will have the desired effect and see us come out of lockdown sooner rather than later.
Relating to the school and how it operates, nothing has changed for us from previous weeks. Just a friendly reminder The Public Health Orders are very clear that schools are open for students whose parents are essential workers. This is the wording all Principals and the community in Greater Sydney have been provided, “Parents and carers must keep children – across primary and secondary school – at home unless they need to be at school. Schools and outside of school hours care (OOSHC) services are open for any child that needs it.”
I thank the overwhelming majority who are following the advice and thank you for supporting our school and the wider community as we battle through the worldwide pandemic.
Please find some information below on resources to assist everyone during this difficult time. Whilst we are all in this together everyone will have a different experience. If you or a member of your family is struggling then these may be of assistance.
OC Testing
The latest advice from the NSW Department of Education is that the Opportunity Class test that had been previously scheduled will now take place on Wednesday 6 October. This is Week 1 of Term 4. Our students in Year 4 who have already applied to participate in this process will sit the test at Pennant Hills Public School. When more information is provided, I will inform those students and families involved.
Kind Regards
Mr Matt Pinchbeck
Principal
National Science Week
This Week is National Science Week with the theme Food: Different by Design. We had planned on a SPECTRA showcase and a family STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) evening with a Science show and STEAM activities to be completed around this theme, unfortunately this was unable to go ahead. However, our SPECTRA students have been working extremely hard on their research projects and have put together an amazing online interactive showcase! Well done Stage 3 SPECTRA students, you should be extremely proud of the amazing work you have put into this. Thank you Mrs Macnaughtan for your tireless efforts in supporting the SPECTRA students and putting it altogether.
Science Program Exciting Children Through Research Activities is a national science award program developed by the Australian Science Teachers’ Association (ASTA).
At Pennant Hills Public School the program is open to students in Stage 3. We currently have 40 students in the program.
We had planned to hold a SPECTRA Science Open Day to coincide with National Science Week. In view of the current lockdown we have come up with an alternative way to showcase our work.
Click this link (or copy the URL below into your search engine) to view the wonderful discoveries being made by our SPECTRA scientists. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dINYFi5ueGzTWhMZJgYh6KY8AH6-38Z8-Qz2B1yknqI/edit?usp=sharing
Don’t forget to check out the ‘Science Rhymes’ link on the National Science Week website which features works of prose by our very own poets, Alma G and Jacqui M - 6R.
Each stage has added additional Science or STEAM activities into their Learning from Home for this week – have fun exploring, researching and creating! If you would like to delve a little further, visit the interactive Sydney Science Trail where there are live stream events, online games and activities for you to complete.
Wellbeing Week – Week 7
Next week, we take an extra moment to acknowledge and promote the many facets of wellbeing, including emotional, social, physical, career, financial, mental, community and environmental. During this week we are supporting Screen Free Wednesday, where our students will be completing all activities unplugged with a focus on connection (to others and nature), exploration and play. Further details of Screen Free Wednesday will be outlined in the class Zoom sessions and in the Learning from Home Packs. Please note that there will be no Zoom meetings on Screen Free Wednesday – 25 August.
Around the School
This week we take a look at the wonderful work our Stage One students are submitting via SeeSaw. Well done on continuing to produce such high quality work – very impressive!
Dioramas of the Great Barrier Reef. Researching the Great Barrier Reef as part of our Geography Unit. Chelsea – 1A, Lily – 1M, Joshua – 2W
Acrostic poem inspired by The Story of Rosy Dock by Jeannie Baker. Xavier – 1A, Natalie – 2W
Sculpture based on their chosen Olympic sport pictogram. Aroon – 2W, Sean – 2B, Isla – 1/2P
An Olympic Medal - Eloise 1E
Olivia and Theodore - 2A. 2A completed the Olympic STEM challenge to create a class flag for the Olympics. The challenge was to make the flag pole as tall as possible. Theo used Lego to achieve this and Olivia used natural resources to achieve her tall flagpole.
Mathematics - Emily – 2W – Playing a fractions game with her dad, Ella – 2B – Learning about money, and some Fraction work with Emma – 1/2P and Shriya – 1E
Facts about the Daintree Rainforest. Kurtis – 1M
Creating a map of your backyard – Elena – 2B, Fred – 1/2P
Eco Warriors at Home
Kind Regards
Mrs Kate Wasson
Deputy Principal
Next Week We are Celebrating Book Week at Home!
Every year the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has brought children and books together across Australia through its annual Book Week and Book of the Year awards. The aim of Book Week is to highlight the importance of reading. During this time schools, libraries, bookshops, authors, illustrators and children celebrate Australian children’s literature.
Next week, Book Week returns with schools around Australia celebrating the CBCA’S 75th Book of the Year awards. This year’s theme “Old worlds, new worlds, other worlds” evokes thoughts ranging from the ancient to futuristic times.
Calling all Characters From Old Worlds, New Worlds and Other Worlds!
Due to the current lockdown we will be celebrating Book Week at home by holding a “virtual” book character/theme day on Tuesday 24 August.
On this day, we are asking students to dress up as a character from a book or one related to the theme. Though this is a virtual event this year it will still be lots of fun.
Throughout next week the students will also be participating in a variety of Book Week webinars.
We look forward to seeing characters from many different worlds - the past, the present and the future.
Mrs Griffith & Ms Davis
Relieving Deputy Principal & Teacher Librarian
KB - Leroy I, Claire L, Will G
KC - Janaki P, Alex E, Adriaen D
KD - Emma K, Zahara M, Wali A
KL - Will H, Ciel Y, Siara D
1A - Sidney M, Michelle A, Eva G
1E - Chloe J, Krisav P, Hannah C, Toby S
1M - Julie K, Ezekiel S, Aliya A
1/2P - Vihaan K, Jayden W
2A - Anton R, Nathalie H, Sunnee G
2B - Max C, Isabel K, Luke Z
2W - Henry H, Natalie S, April F
3D - Ben H, Owen S, Yuvraj L
3H - Willow H, Christian S, Madeleine W
3R - Jasper C, Ari K, Zanna P
4B - Tyesha B, Julia V, Zaal N
4F - Raiyan A, Henry P, Nafi D
4M - Daniel C, Flynn K, Parmis N
5B - Samara R, Daniel L, Tahlia C
5M - Mathieu C, Lucas P, Deanna S
6R - Emily N, Haniya K, Vivaan M
6S - Kayla Y, Alexis Q, Lennox S
Heather Tyler
0425 274 681
The Uniform Shop is closed due to the current Covid-19 restrictions introduced during the school holidays. Once the lockdown restrictions have eased, we will advise you of the operating procedures that will be put in place for the remainder of Term 3.
Any outstanding Flexischools orders will be processed as soon as the shop re-opens.
Order forms are available on the Uniform Shop page of the school website or by using the link below
Opening hours are currently suspended
Alison Parker
Uniform Shop Manager
Senior Concert Band - Lockdown Performance
A big thank you to all the SCB members and to Dave for recording and compiling a lockdown recording we're entitling "COVID in the Deep."
We hope to have further lockdown performances coming in the next few weeks!
Messages
Both our conductors are sending messages via the WhatsApp groups about Google Classrooms and the Zoom sessions they will be running. Please ensure you are keeping an eye on those groups so you have the most up to date information.
If you have any questions, please post them in those groups or send us an email.
If you are not in these groups please send us an email and we will add you in.
Google Classrooms and Zoom for Band
Please make sure you are logging into the Band Google Classrooms and attending the Zoom sessions. Links for the Zoom sessions are going out via the WhatsApp groups.
Tutoring
We think it's important that your children remain engaged with the band program during the time we have to learn from home. It's also important that they continue to receive tutoring. If you are having issues with tutoring due to the lockdown, please let us know and we will see what we can do to assist.
Future Events at a Glance
At present all events are on hold until the current COVID outbreaks are brought under control and the DoE and Department of Health have lifted restrictions to enable events to take place.
We are keeping our fingers crossed that we may be able to do the Christmas Carol concert, but other than this we think it is highly unlikely that any other events will take place this year.
August
Thursday 5, 9:30am: JB. Ryde Eisteddfod - POSTPONED (Sept - unlikely)
Early August: All bands. ASBOF. Video submission - POSTPONED (Nov)
Sunday 15: All bands. Ryde East Music Festival - POSTPONED (Term 4)
4th week: All bands. School concert night. Exact date - CANCELLED
September
Saturday 12: SCB. Music By Moonlight NWPS - TBA (highly unlikely)
Wednesday 15, 2:15pm: TB & ICB. Performance Assembly -TBA (highly unlikely)
Term 3 Fees
We hope to issue Term 3 fees soon. If you are under any financial pressure due to the lockdown and are concerned about band fees, please reach out via email. Any correspondence will be treated under the strictest confidence.
Award Worksheets
Please keep your children working on their worksheets with their tutors.
Can any completed worksheets please be submitted as soon as possible through the new Worksheet Submission Web Form.
https://forms.gle/NpPEG9jk2FsYdmmq7
If you have issues with the web form you can still send through to phpsband+worksheets@gmail.com
A Note From the Committee Convener
I'd like to thank everyone for their continued support during this time. Conducting a music program online is a difficult task. We're all trying our best and will endeavor to keep it as interesting as possible for the students. But we'll need your help in encouraging your children to continue to take part in the band exercises.
Pennant Hills Public School Band Committee
Website: http://www.phpspandc.org.au/band/
Dear Strings parents
All communications regarding the String Ensembles will be via email until kids return to school.
PHPS String Ensemble
Website: http://www.phpspandc.org.au/string-ensemble/
Feedback: http://www.phpspandc.org.au/string-ensemble/contact-us/
DISCLAIMER
Advertisements placed in the School’s Newsletter do not reflect an endorsement or otherwise by Pennant Hills Public School of the product or service.