Pennant Hills Public School eNewsletter

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Zone Swimming Carnival

Best of luck to the students who will be representing Pennant Hills Public School this Thursday at the Zone Swimming Carnival. I mentioned to the students yesterday that it is a wonderful achievement to compete at this level. I encouraged them all to try their best, be proud of qualifying, remember to have fun and most importantly to cheer each other on. Thank you to Miss Griggs and Mrs Wasson for supervising students at this event and to parents for transporting their child to and from the carnival.

All zone swimmers were gifted a school drink bottle by the P&C. Thank you to the P&C for this lovely gesture.

Clean Up Australia Day

To mark Clean Up Australia Day (Sunday 3 March) students took some time out of their day yesterday to tidy up a part of the school. Teaching students to take pride in their school and care for the environment is one small way we can raise awareness about caring for our planet.

Discos

I look forward to seeing many students on Wednesday afternoon/ evening at the Discos. Thank you to Year 6 and their teachers for organising this event.

K-2 Disco is 4pm-4:45pm and 3-6 Disco is 5:15pm – 6:15pm.

Warm Regards

Alison Filipic

Principal

Learning Goal Meetings

Thank you to all of the parents/carers who took the time to meet with their child’s teacher to discuss their strengths and goals for the year. The teachers found it a very valuable experience and we hope you did too!

Clean Up Australia Day

PHPS worked together to clean up our school on Monday – what a fabulous job they all did!

A School Clean Up is a great way to inspire students to learn about the impact of rubbish on their local environment while playing an active role in their community.

Students and teachers work together to clean up an area which is special to you. It can be the playground, a local park or bushland near your school - it's up to you.

Thank you Mrs Mortimer for your organisation of the day!

NAPLAN

This term, students in Years 3 and 5 will undertake the NAPLAN assessment.

NAPLAN provides schools with valuable information about your child’s learning progress in literacy and numeracy. NAPLAN is only one way we assess student learning in years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

NAPLAN will take place from Wednesday 13 March to Monday 25 March in 2024.

Your child's teacher is getting students ready for NAPLAN and will provide appropriate support and guidance. Students will become familiar with the types of questions in the tests and the online testing platform that we use. In addition to school preparation, I want to share with you some information on how you can further support your child for NAPLAN.

Preparation for NAPLAN

Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN and do not need excessive preparation or the use of services by coaching providers. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program. If you or your child/children would like to know more about the NAPLAN online platform you can go to the public demonstration site and do some practice tests and past NAPLAN papers are also available online.

Participation in NAPLAN

Adjustments are available for students who have diverse functional abilities and needs. On a case-by-case basis, reasonable adjustments for individual students can be made so they can complete NAPLAN. Speak to your child’s teacher to discuss the adjustments available. For more information read the Guide for schools to assist students with disability to access NAPLAN (PDF 96 KB).

Assessment tips

You can support your child by reminding them to simply do their best. You can also encourage:

a healthy diet
drinking lots of water
getting enough sleep
exercise and relaxation time

These along with arriving at school on time ready to sit the test will help prepare our school to bring their best on the day.

We ask that all students bring in a pair of over-the-head headphones, labelled with their name and class by Friday 8th March. The headphones require a standard headphone jack to plug into the laptops, similar to the picture below.

Students may also bring in a computer mouse if they wish.

NAPLAN begins on Wednesday 13th March and is planned as follows;

Wednesday 13 March - Writing
Thursday 14 March - Reading
Monday 18 March - Conventions of Language
Tuesday 19 March - Numeracy

If your child is absent on one of these days, we are required to conduct the assessments in order and they will complete the assessments upon their return, if within the timeframe provided by ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority).

NAPLAN is not something to worry about and it is definitely not something we want our students to worry about. It is a one-off assessment of literacy and numeracy skills that assist in data trends across several years and for different cohorts.

As a school, we use this information to create areas of focus that help inform our goals for our School Improvement Plan. We also use this information to adapt our programs, both within the classroom and through additional programs like those implemented by the Learning and Wellbeing Team to ensure we are supporting, extending and engaging our students in their areas of need. Our teachers analyse the data from NAPLAN and make reference to it, along with their own observational data, anecdotal records, work samples and internal assessments to differentiate their programs for your child.

As parents/carers you may be interested in your child's NAPLAN results as an indicator for how they performed comparatively to students across the country. Keeping in mind, that it is a one-off assessment, we all have good and bad days. Although NAPLAN results will not be provided until much later in the year, discussions about your child and their engagement with the curriculum can occur during parent/teacher meetings which are scheduled for next term. Your child's teacher will be able to provide you with the most accurate information.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please email the school, attn: Mrs Wasson.

Kind Regards

Kate Wasson

Deputy Principal

We have a bit of lost property accumulating

If any of these items belong to you or your child please collect from the office

K-2 Lost Property

3-6 Lost Property

Ms Klimoski

Student Administration Manager

We hope you have a lovely week!

Burumin Award Winners

1. Zoe S (4M) - Aspire

2. Emily H (5B) - Aspire

3. Yuvraj L (6M) - Responsibility

RESPECT

RESPONSIBLE

ASPIRE

3C

Helia J

Zahara M

Obie R

Phoenix G

Amelia D

3M

Marc M

Maya V

Chloe N

Ella S

Shernelle L

Lucas K

3/4R

Emma K

Finn R

Blake W

Dylan S

Reuben L

Lily B

4M

Anna V

Logan S

Eva GB

Stella B

Nathanael C

David H

5B

Audrey W

Ajai D

Amelie M

Parker P

Reyansh S

Rina B

5M

Kira B

Diyaa M

Emily W

Aroon M

Nathalie H

Adi S

5N

Luc P-L

Emilija L

Fred K

Calvin S

Yitian C

Clara D

6I

Yoninah F

Dhaval G

Karina C

Hannah M

Liam B

Yumo Z

6M

Mia M

Jayne K

Zach C

Charles D

Ethan S

Jasper C

6O

Chloe H

Amelia K

Sotirios J

Sebastian H

Quintin L

Stephanie L

Stage 2

Last Friday 1 March, Stage 2 played West Pennant Hills PS.

Tee Ball

Boys: W defeated PH 4-1

Girls: Draw 7-7

League Tag

Boys: W defeated PH 7-3

Girls: PH defeated W 11-6

To view the Summer draw click here

Miss Dy and Mrs Cumming

Stage 2 Interschool Sport Coordinators

Stage 3

Last Friday 1 March, Stage 3 played Epping West PS.

Softball

Boys: PH defeated EW 13-4

Girls: PH defeated EW 5-0

League Tag

Boys: Draw 1-1

Girls: PH defeated EW 7-4

To view the Summer draw click here

Mrs Nelson and Miss Ings
Stage 3 Interschool Sport Coordinators

For more information on zone sport click here or scan the QR code below

The Premier’s Reading Challenge in now in Week 2. Many students in year 3-6 have logged on to the Premier’s Reading Challenge site to add the book they have read so far.

Don’t forget Friday Book Club in the Library with Teddy, where we will read a book from the list during first half lunch.

PRC Book of the Week

846168 : Drover by McMullin, Neridah & Anthony, Sarah (ill)
A drover's life is one of hardship and daring, but also one of mateship and adventure. This tells the story of Edna Jessop who was one of the few female drovers who worked at this dusty and dangerous job.

Topics / Year 6 easy reads / Australian author/Illustrator / Biography / Year 5 easy reads /5-6 booklist

Ms Stevens and I spent the day completing the Oliver Training Course. We are very excited to implement this training into our daily practice.

Mrs Griffith

Teacher Librarian

Clean Up Australia Day

Sunday the 3rd March was the official Clean Up Australia Day.

We were extremely lucky on Monday to have beautiful weather and students who were eager to get out and do their part for the environment. All staff and students got out and about in different areas to tidy our school.

Across K- 6 students engaged in learning around the impact of rubbish on the environment and animals.

Classes discussed ways to reduce the rubbish we find around our school.

Thank you for your support.

The Green Team

Wellbeing News

We have a very exciting year ahead and to start we would like to introduce our school values and our school totem to our new families.

Our school Values are:

Respect
Responsibility
Aspire

Our school totem is Pem the Poss, created by Kelsey in Year 6 2023.

Each year, students learn about our values and Pem the Possum in class.

Each fortnight the Wellbeing Team will share a value with some examples of what these look like in and around our school.

Thank you for reading

Wellbeing Team

The PHPS P&C Annual General Meeting will be held in person tonight, Tuesday 5 March, in the hall on the K-2 site.

All are welcome to attend, and paid P&C members can nominate and vote for Executive and Committee role for 2024.

Luke Whenman
P&C President
pandcpresident@gmail.com

Gardens and Grounds

Working Bee March 16th and 17th 10am-3pm

Save the date folks. This month we have the wonderful team of volunteers from Mirvac coming in to spend their annual community day working on our gardens. They will be here on Thursday March 21st. BIG thanks to school parent Elly. C for organising this for the second year now.

To prepare for their visit we need some school volunteers to help weed out the Greycliff garden beds. Once that is done the Mirvac folks can come and mulch it for us. With plantings planned for later in the year now is a great time to get it tidied up!

We have set aside both days (16th & 17th) in case of bad weather so if you could spare an hour or two either of those days we would be so appreciative.

Please bring (if you can):

Garden forks (tall)
Hand forks
Trowels
Buckets or plastic bins (even if they have a hole or two), wheelbarrows or even a green bin if you live close by.

Don't forget your gloves, hats, sunscreen and water bottles either.

Really hoping to see a bunch of your lovely faces there.

#manyhandsmakelightwork

#doinitforthekids

Join the Garden Gang Whatsapp group for quickest comms and updates https://chat.whatsapp.com/IsRzRCTVf8976QPJekoC62

OR drop us a line at: phpsgardensgrounds@gmail.com for info and details.

Cheers from the Gardens and Grounds Team

Uniform Updates

Year 6 Sports Polos are expected to arrive within the next week and will be delivered to your child’s classroom.

Winter Uniforms will be available for purchase towards the end of March. You can already purchase pre-loved winter items on Flexischools, or in-store from the $5 second-hand buckets.

Second-hand Uniforms

With the generous uniform donations at our second-hand uniform stall, we have second-hand stock available to purchase in-store or via Flexischools. The Uniform Shop continues to accept donations of second-hand items throughout the year as all profits go towards supporting the school and provides great uniform options for other families. We kindly request items are pre-washed and in good resale condition. Donations can be given to the 3-6 office or directly to the Uniform Shop if open.

Preloved – are items which have been sorted and in very good condition. Only available via online Flexischools.
Second-hand – if you cannot find what you are looking for in Flexischools, you can book an appointment to inspect unsorted/unlisted items from the $5 buckets at the Uniform Shop.

Appointments

Please click or scan the QR Code below to make an appointment, you will be redirected to our square booking site.

Pease select the appropriate appointment type for your visit:
- Standard appointment times are in individual 5-minute increments. (Choose this for returns, exchange is sizes and simple purchases).
- Double appointment times are in individual 10-minute increments. (Choose this for larger orders, second-hand purchases, new enrolments).
Appointments are at the uniform shop located on the 3-6 campus.

UNIFORM SHOP APPOINTMENTS

Flexischools Ordering

Order on Flexischools via the “SHOP”. If the “SHOP” icon doesn’t appear on your page, you may need to refresh your browser or pull down the screen for mobile devices.

Currently, all uniform orders will need to be placed by 5pm on Sundays prior to the delivery date.
Your order will be delivered on Tuesdays to your child’s classroom. Please allow 3-5 days from delivery date for your child to receive their order from their teacher.

If you have any queries regarding Uniforms, the school website or Uniform Brochure will be the best place to look, and if you can’t find the information you need, please do not hesitate to e-mail the Uniform Shop at phpsuniformshop@gmail.com

Nicola Lee
Uniform Shop Manager
phpsuniformshop@gmail.com

HARMONY DAY is on Thursday 21st March.

The canteen is offering a special menu to celebrate this. You can order now through Flexischools.

Harmony Day orders must be placed by 5pm Sunday 17th March or you will miss out!!

There are lots of delicious options to choose from. See below for the menu.

There will be no other Lunch/Recess orders on this Day.

Reminder

Lunchtime counter sales

K-2: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
3-6: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

If you are available to help serve we would love to hear from you!! Please contact Claire Phillips - 0403 810 391 if you are keen to help or would like to know more.

Stage 3 PSSA

If your child is in a Stage 3 PSSA Team PLEASE remember to click on the Alert when ordering lunch on a Friday. It is at the top of the menu page.

These lunches need to be ready 30 minutes earlier than all other lunches. We cannot guarantee that they will be ready on time if we do not know in advance. Thank you.

Harmony Day Menu

Hot Dog - no sauce $4.00
Hot Dog - Tomato Sauce $4.00
Vegie Delight Hot Dog - no sauce, Vegan $5.00
Vegie Delight Hot Dog - Tomato Sauce, Vegan $5.00
Beef & Bean Burrito $5.00
Bean Burrito $4.50
Coconut Chicken Thai Curry with Rice, GF $5.50
Spring Rolls (2), Vegetarian $1.50
Gluten Free Spring Rolls (3), Vegan $2.50
Rice Paper Roll - Vegetable, GF, Vegan $5.50
Rice Paper Roll - Teriyaki Chicken $5.50
Lamington Finger 50c
Want Want Crackers (2) 50c
Orange Jelly Cup 125g, GF $1.30
Orange Poppyseed Muffin, homemade $1.50

DRINKS

Chill J’s $2.80
- Apple Coola, Grape, Lemonade, Orange Passio Raspberry, Watermelon, Blackcurrant
Just Juice $2.00
- Apple, Apple/Blackcurrant, Paradise Punch, Orange
Spring Water $2.00

Heather Tyler

0425 274 681

canteenphps@gmail.com

Band AGM recap

Apologies for the lack of band entry in the newsletter, was a bit busy getting things together for the AGM as we had our Band Subcommittee AGM a couple of weeks go.

Band SubCommittee members for 2024 have been nominated.

Committee Convener – Mike Stalenberg
Events Convener – Christine Lee
Treasurer – Carol Huang
Secretary – Amita Maharjan
Worksheet officer – Melina Donovan (new)
Librarian – Sonya Tong
Instrument Officer – Bec Stalenberg

As per the band subcommittee rules we can only have 7 committee members, but other official volunteer roles are filled as follows:

Senior Band Events Manager– Karen Fu
Intermediate Band Events Manager– Claire Philips
Training Band Events Manager – Liz Fowler (new)
Senior Band Roster Manager –Faren Fu
Intermediate Band Roster Manager – Kathryn Aliberti
Training Band Roster Manager – Lara Shadloo (new)
IT support - Nee Trairattanasirikul

As per last year all parents listed in My School Music have had their financial membership to the P&C paid for as part of their band fees. A list of these people has been provided to the P&C for their records.

What to be Practising

SCB - Please practise the following for the Easter Show Performance:

Back To The Future - Listen: https://youtu.be/zU1g04YJSx4?si=-kHFxCxMdbws67Q0
Friend Like Me - Listen: https://youtu.be/K8e1uVwiqE8?si=R1Knu98BLIMjMHG7
Brass In The Basement - Listen: https://www.jwpepper.com/Brass-in-the-Basement/10071196.item
Mamma Mia (band camp 2023 combined item) - Listen: https://youtu.be/7T05SnvESO8?si=eWVVa2nxFjUZHPlP
Colours Of The Wind - Listen: https://www.stantons.com/sheet-music/title/colors-of-the-wind/08724382/
Shadows Unleashed - Listen: https://youtu.be/jp1o4dBPVPs?si=ru-_PjUYeqdoDnnA
The Mandalorian - Listen: https://youtu.be/QvJI4ay661k?si=YSxh69zWCzhTzRHu
Rolling In The Deep - Listen: https://www.halleonard.com/product/8725339/rolling-in-the-deep (click on “sample audio”)

ICB - New exercises in your new Blue workbook. Plus the following.

Fire Dance - Listen: https://smp-cdn-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/items/4779614/sound_clips/sample_1.mp3
Meet the Flintstones - Listen: https://youtu.be/wqSxQyQnAN0?si=E2KkDXpPJfv8BLUO
Blue Note Rock

TB - work on the exercises in your Red Book for your Term 1 worksheet. Pages 5 & 6

Worksheets

Please make sure you have printed off the worksheet for this term for your child to work on. They can be found on the Band web pages here. Can these please be submitted as soon as they're complete through the Worksheet Submission Web Form.

ICB & SCB students, if you didn't complete all your worksheets from last year please try to get these submitted ASAP. There are a number of students close to receiving awards from last year who need to do either solos or submit compositions.

Parent Helper Roster

The new Google Sheets based parent rosters are now open to fill in for Parent Helper slots. Please remember the band doesn't function without parent helpers. And if we don't have a parent helper for a rehearsal it will not go ahead.

http://www.phpspandc.org.au/band/band-roster/

Great work to the new Training Band families who have already filled all of Term 1.

SCB - There are still spots needed to be filled for weeks 8, 9 & 11

TB & ICB - You can start filling in Terms 2-4 slots if you like.

BASC

If your child attends BASC on a rehearsal afternoon, or Morning, or has an instrument tutorial on an afternoon please ensure you let them know. I believe you need to fill in a form to enable the tutors to collect and return the students to BASC.

Future Events

The only event we currently have on the list for Term 1 is the Senior Concert Band playing at the Royal Sydney Easter Show. More information about this will be forthcoming.

We'll be working with the school to figure out what other events we can play throughout the year in the coming weeks.

Parent Helpers

A full list of parent helper duties is available here.

When walking the students, especially Training Band, back to the 3-6 site try to have them line up in pairs on the path to the side, count them twice, check with Rose head count. Tell the students to walk nicely and stick together on the walk & you should stop at the driveway, Weemala corner, school crossing at the 1st driveway at the big site to be recounted. If possible, have a parent front and end and discourage wandering. Once all accounted for you are free and thank you for helping.

Big thank-you to this weeks helpers

TB Friday - Liz F & Reetu M

ICB Wednesday - Katie W

SCB Monday - Louise G

SCB Thursday - Karen F

PHPS Band Committee

phpsband@gmail.com

www.phpspandc.org.au/band/

Community Feedback

You are probably aware about the terrible vandalism that occurred at Wollundry Park near Pennant Hills Library last year which left playground equipment burned to the ground.

Hornsby Shire Council is rebuilding the play area and has asked the community to provide feedback during the consultation period on two new proposed designs. Many families at our school regularly use the park and it would be great if everyone is aware they can have a say in the final design.

Community feedback is welcome by Monday, 11 March 2024.

Further details can be found at the link here: https://yoursay.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/wollundry-park-pennant-hills-playground-upgrade

Youth Orchestra

The Northern Sydney Youth Orchestra is excited to present a special concert designed just for children between 2 and 6 years old. Around the World With The Orchestra will comprise two mini-concerts (at 2 pm OR 3.30 pm) and will feature music from around the world. This is a wonderful opportunity for young children to experience the joy of music with a live symphony orchestra. Following the performance, children are invited to chat with our musicians and experience individual instruments being demonstrated.

Cost is $15 per child and tickets are limited

Book at this link:

www.trybooking.com/CPBIO

Autumn School Holidays are fast approaching, and we know you're eager to plan an exciting holiday calendar for your children ?

We love to be instrumental in assisting children to broaden their minds, get creative, and aid personal development in being confident communicators!

Our Holiday Workshops will be running between the 15th - 28th of April; click here to view the timetable-----> Holiday Workshops.

For more information, click here.

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.

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