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Dear Parents and Carers,
We are all aware of the current situation and the impact this has had, and is having on our daily lives. We will get through this very challenging time, however, we all must remain positive and focus on the opportunities that the forced restrictions have provided us. We are all in this together.
I would like to thank everyone for their feedback about the Learning at Home. We are very aware of our community and are continuing to evolve as time progresses in how learning is being sent home for the students. Sadly, this is an area that we are not going to be able to please everyone, as we are all different with very different circumstances. In the last several days, our school has received many compliments about the learning that has been sent home. To balance the equation we have had people provide us their thoughts on areas we can improve. We are more than happy to receive constructive feedback as the teaching staff and I are constantly looking to improve for the students. However, in the last few weeks, everyone’s world has been turned upside down and this includes the staff at PHPS. I ask for patience and tolerance during this very challenging time. Yesterday I personally checked in with all staff to see how they were going. Every single staff member commented on his or her workload - how it has changed and how it has increased. As a school, we have made decisions to utilise all staff to continue to have a link between students and the school. As I have mentioned previously students in Kindergarten and Year 1 should expect to receive two calls a week. A School Learning Support Officer (SLSO) and/or the classroom teacher will make the calls. Students in Years 2-6 are able to check in each day with the teacher through Google Classrooms and students should also expect a call once/week from a SLSO to check-in. Teachers are incredibly busy at the moment planning future learning opportunities and managing their class daily on Google Classrooms. Providing feedback through this platform is also very time consuming, hence why we are utilising school staff to support our teachers. I thank you for your understanding during this difficult time, and we all look forward to getting back to ‘normal’ and having all the students back at school. I must also thank the entire staff at PHPS for their incredible efforts over the last few weeks as it has been nothing short of monumental.
We are very aware of the demands on families during this time. Many are working from home trying to manage the learning. Some families are extremely worried about their future employment, loved ones that they are not able to see and many other factors that have arisen lately. As a family, you are best placed to determine your ability to manage the learning being sent home. If you are not able to manage it, please leave it until a later date. This is not to be an area of angst. At this time your health and wellbeing are paramount. When we return to normal our school has extensive processes in place to assess students to be able to identify their needs to ensure that each and every one of them is supported with their learning.
As of today all three play equipment areas have been completed and they look fantastic. I cannot wait for this crisis to be over so the children can return to school and enjoy the equipment. Many thanks to the P&C for their support with this project. Together we have been able to provide a safer place for the children to play, when they return. The photos show the recently completed play equipment on the 3-6 site.
Kind Regards
Mr Matt Pinchbeck
Principal
Google Classroom
I have set up a Google Classroom and invite all of our students to participate in the weekly mathematics problem solving activity I will be posting. Anyone can participate! It would be wonderful to receive photos of a variety of approaches and strategies being used. I will publish some of the submissions in this weekly newsletter.
Class code - ifzc2kp
Last week’s task was: My partner created an ascending (increasing, getting bigger, going up) pattern.
What did it look like?
Try and think creatively – it does not need to be a number pattern and if it is, it does not need to use whole numbers. You also don’t need to start from 1. Challenge yourself.
Tahlia shared her pattern - 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, 1.75, 2.00. Great work in not starting from 1!
Anthony also shared the pattern on his glockenspiel – excellent creative thinking!
And Mesa – wow! I love the use of numbers and letters, I wonder if other people can work out your pattern - 4z, 8w, 12t, 16q, 20n, 24k, 28h, 32e, 36b, 40y
It helped me to write this one down!
This week, I’m asking you to cut 4 right angled isosceles triangles out of a square piece of paper and then make some other shapes. There are some restraints, so you’ll need to check out the Google Classroom! Please upload photos of your findings.
Music for Mateship
Due to our current COVID-19 situation, we are unable to commemorate ANZAC day as we would traditionally. Music for Mateship is a campaign to encourage everyone to continue to commemorate ANZAC day, in their driveways. The campaign is endorsed by the Returned Services League (RSL).
The Last Post and Reveille are available on the website. A great way to connect to each other and commemorate ANZAC day. If you or your street do decide to get involved, be sure to send the school some pictures via the school email with subject – Mrs Wasson ANZAC.
Our school leaders are also working on a way to commemorate ANZAC day at PHPS. Please see Mrs Griffith’s message below for more details.
Around Penno
We must remember during these times, to stay connected in the safest way possible. Although they are referring to ‘social distancing’, it makes more sense to call it ‘physical distancing’, as we physically keep away from others. This does not mean we shouldn’t be connecting with others. Remember to call a friend if you are feeling lonely.
I found this image on the P & C Facebook page and I think it is an accurate representation.
Below are some pictures of what some of our families have been up to! Many are continuing on the bear hunt, doing some cooking, puzzles, making treasure maps, a bit of backyard camping, board games and a whole lot more!
If you and your family come across something that warms your heart or a community initiative that you think would be great to share, please email the school email with subject: Community item for Mrs Wasson. I would love to include these items in our weekly newsletter.
Kind Regards
Mrs Kate Wasson
Deputy Principal
KD - Esther P, Morgan F
KH - Toby S, Ezekiel S
KP - Abhaya S, Lauriel S, George Y
K/1R - Aston A, Sarina L
1/2H - Shaniq F, Nathalie H
1D - Siddharth D, Emily L, Arya B
1E - April F, Luc P
1S - Kieran H, Amira R, Tyler D
2C - Heart S, Isabella N
2M - Liam T, Tanvi D, Ethan S
2W - Karina C, Daniel-John R
Computers - Nathanael C
Music - Noa S (KD), Parker P (1D), Olivia Y (1S), Zayd M (2M)
Due to the global outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the Australian Government has cancelled all Anzac Day ceremonies. All students are encouraged to continue to mark this important national commemorative date by logging onto our website to watch a short ceremony by our school captains, Jess and Joel and the Last Post and Rouse being played by our talented year 6 trumpeter “Elise Burden”
Have a very Happy Easter
Please stay safe and keep smiling.
Mrs Melissa Griffith
Assistant Principal
No doubt, like me, your head has been spinning over the last two weeks from the enormous amount of change we are all experiencing in our daily lives.
There are however some aspects of our lives that are slowing down. Perhaps this is an opportunity for the entire family to take time to relax and escape for a while from everyday life through reading or listening to a good book or podcast.
Below are some suggestions and links, which will help you during these uncertain times.
* Please join the Hornsby Shire Library if you are not already a member. It is just so important that everyone in your family is a member of your local library. You can join for free online and have access to a wide range of eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines. The library website clearly outlines the apps you need to install on your mobile device to access these items. They can be accessed via a desktop too. There are also many other resources you can access, such as Encyclopedia Britannica.
* PHPS library website – All public school libraries use a web based interface which is known as “Oliver Library”. Students can access this through their DoE student portal using the username and password they use at school. The icon link to the library will then be found on the left sidebar of their student portal. On the school library website students have access to a variety of resources and links. “Orbit” is the easier version of this interface and generally used by the younger students.
* World Book Online – The library subscribes to this digital encyclopedia which can be accessed on the library website or simply typing into Google “World Book Online”. Normally our subscription is for the “Kids” and “Students” products, but like many other organisations schools have been given access to all the World Book products e.g. eBooks and Early Learning, for the next two months. Our school login details are:
Login ID: penno
Password: penno
* Story Box Library – Story Box Library is a subscription based educational website created for children to view stories by local authors and illustrators. The books are read aloud by fantastic, predominantly Australian and New Zealand, storytellers. This is usually a paid subscription, however, all schools have been offered a free two month subscription. Our school login details are:
Username: penno
Password: penno
This website is also free to access as part of your local library membership too (you use your library membership number to log in).
* Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) The challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in the students and to enable them to experience quality literature. All students at our school are encouraged to participate in this challenge.
To complete the challenge, students are required to read and record the required number of books for their year level:
- Kindergarten – Year 2: need to read, or have read to them, 30 books.
- Years 3 – 6: need to independently read 20 books.
3-6 students independently complete this challenge. Normally, all the rules and instructions on how to log their reading is explained and demonstrated during a number of library sessions towards the end of term. However, this obviously did not occur this year. On the PRC website there is a link to the student site. Students then log in using their DoE username and password.
Here is a short video produced by the PRC organisers explaining how the challenge works.
Please note that normally for K-2 students, the class teachers read the books and Mrs Rudd organises the books to be logged. More information for K-2 parents will be provided next term.
* ABC Education website provides thousands of free, curriculum linked resources for primary and secondary students and teachers.
* Behind the news (BTN) is a fun, accessible way for upper primary and secondary students to learn about what's happening in the world around them.
* ABC ME website and app is a place for school-aged children to watch the best stories, news and cartoons from Australia and around the world that reflect and celebrate the lives of young Australians. Here you will find games, activities, podcasts and heaps of other things to keep children entertained.
* ABC Listen app has some fabulous podcasts for children eg News Time, Little Yarns, Imagine this, Fierce girls (just search for these under the Family, Health and Education topic).
I hope this information will help you over the next few months. Stay safe and well over the school holidays, keep smiling and read a good book.
Ms Davis
Teacher Librarian
Please join us on TONIGHT (Tuesday 7th April) at 7.30 pm at this link: https://sanofi.zoom.com/j/559966690
If joining via laptop or PC, please click on the link and use your laptop speakers and mic. If using a smartphone, please download the Zoom app.
Raffle Corner
We are well on the way with $3,000 raised already - You can purchase your fete raffle book tickets on Flexischools – if we all buy our 3 books, together we can raise $20,000– thank you to those families who have already purchased their books. If you can, drop your books into the office at school during school hours or 33 Ramsay Rd mailbox anytime - no cash please, only Flexischools.
Congratulations to our Earlybird 1 winners and also to 2W and 4T for leading the charge!
There is a second Earlybird drawn on April the 30th after the school holidays - if you order on Flexischools you are automatically entered in the draw, just drop your books off when you can.
The class with the most books sold will win a class party when school resumes!
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
0410 653 878
NEW OPERATING PROTOCOLS
The Uniform Shop is currently closed for over the counter sales. Orders for uniforms can be placed online through Flexischools or alternatively an order form can be downloaded from the school website.
If you have an item that you need to exchange for another size, please contact the Uniform Shop using the email address below.
Please note that all items to be exchanged must be unworn and in original condition with packaging and tags still attached. There is no exchange on socks, tights or briefs.
WINTER UNIFORMS
All students are required to wear winter uniform in Terms 2 and 3. In readiness for next term, winter stock is now available for sale. Orders can be placed for winter uniforms online and the items will be delivered to the 3-6 office for collection.
The boy's winter uniform is a long grey trouser, a unisex long sleeve sky blue shirt and a unisex tie. The girl's winter uniform is a grey and blue tunic or a navy pant, with a unisex long sleeve sky blue shirt, navy tights and a unisex tie. In addition to the compulsory winter uniform, the Uniform Shop sells optional winter uniform items. There is an optional winter weight polar fleece jacket that can be worn in place of the summer weight zip jacket, and a navy track pant that can be worn instead of the sports shorts during the colder months.
PRICE LIST
There are a few small price changes that will be effective from the beginning of Term 2. A new price list will be available on the school website at the end of this week.
DR SHOE
Dr Shoe will not be attending the Uniform Shop in the foreseeable future, however Max can be contacted direct on 0414 912 838 to arrange a home fitting.
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 then delivered to the 3-6 office for collection. An email or text will be sent advising you when your order is ready for collection. 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 the 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/New_Design_Order_Form_and_Price_List_Term_1_2020.pdf
Alison Parker
Uniform Shop Manager
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.