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Opportunity Class Placement for 2021
The process for applying for an Opportunity Class placement for Year 5 - 2021 has changed slightly due to Covid-19. The applications will now open on 9 June 2020 and close on 26 June 2020. All parents wishing their child to sit the placement test need to register online. The following website contains all the necessary information for this year’s process and links to enrol.
https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/updates
General information about Opportunity Classes are available on this website.
The OC Placement test will be held on 16 September 2020. An “Intention to Apply” form has been sent home with every Year 4 student. If you do apply, please ensure you complete the form and return it to the school. This will ensure that everything is completed properly by all involved.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Parent/Teacher interviews will be conducted via Zoom. I have included a detailed “How To” guide for families to allow you time to create a Zoom account and prepare for the meeting. If you are unable to participate in a Zoom meeting, please contact your child’s teacher to arrange an alternative method of communication. Later this week you will receive a specific note with all the details regarding the Parent/Teacher interviews for later this term.
Parent teacher Interviews on Zoom
Before the Interview Day
- Make sure you have a Zoom account. To sign up for Zoom, see https://zoom.us/freesignup/.
- Make sure the device you are using has audio and a microphone. If you wish, you can use a headset. An appropriate device for Zoom can be a laptop / computer, smartphone or tablet such as an iPad. If you are using a smartphone or tablet you can download the Zoom app.
On the Interview Day
If you experience technical difficulties or need help on the interview day, please call 9484 1134 between school hours.
- Each teacher has their own Zoom meeting room.
- Go to zoom.us. Sign in, or open the Zoom app on your phone or tablet.
- Go to Join a meeting.
- Enter the Meeting ID for the relevant teacher according to your interview schedule.
- Enter your own name and your child’s name so the teacher can check their interview schedule.
- You will be asked to enter the room’s password. The password for all rooms is penno.
- You will enter the teacher’s waiting room. The teacher will let you in when they are ready.
- Leave the teacher’s Zoom meeting room when the interview is over. Please try to keep within the scheduled time.
School Uniform
As the weather has certainly changed, most students are wearing their winter uniform, which is fantastic. All students are to be wearing their winter uniform from Monday 22 June. Please ensure your child is wearing the correct school uniform, this includes jackets, hats and shoes.
If you need to purchase any items please order with Alison from the Uniform Shop. Please see her section in the newsletter below for specific information.
NCCD
Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).
Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:
- year of schooling
- category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
- level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.
This information assists schools to:
- formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
- consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
- develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability
The NCCD provides state and federal government with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.
The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any additional testing processes. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified - the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information.
More information about the NCCD can be found at https://www.nccd.edu.au/
If you have any questions about the NCCD, please contact the school Learning and Support teacher, Mrs Carina McSweeney via the school email address.
Kind Regards
Mr Matt Pinchbeck
Principal
PRINCIPAL’S AWARDS
3-6: Lucas P, Mathieu C, Thenuk T, Sidharth G, Leo W
Around the school
6M were experimenting with flight and the impact that the material has on a paper/alfoil plane. They compared heights, lengths and air time and discussed the external factors that could affect the experiment such as throwing technique, accuracy of the measurement and wind. It was a really fun activity, well done 6M!
This week our school leaders and Mrs Griffith organised for our 3-6 assembly to go ahead via zoom. The leaders advertised a beanie day and gathered in the library to conduct the assembly. Ms Stevens dialled in to lead the school song and the National Anthem. I popped into each class to choose the best behaved and the class with the most beanies in support of our first assembly back. We had a couple of technical glitches but in general, it was a great first zoom assembly. Thank you to the leaders and Mrs Griffith.
Best behaved class – 3B as they were so sensible moving from their classroom into 3R after realising the sound wasn’t working well.
Class with the most beanies – 4M. Well done!
Staff profile
This week’s staff profile is for Mrs McSweeney, one of our Learning and Support Teachers. Mrs McSweeney is a very knowledgeable resource, particularly in terms of literacy development and is an advocate for supporting all students to reach their full potential.
Kind Regards
Mrs Kate Wasson
Deputy Principal
3B - Cassius H, Indie M, Reuben T, Zaal N, Leo W, Sidharth G
3D - Kiric C, Jack C, Amelia C, Elsie G, Liviru L, Francesca I, Hamish K
3R - Henry P, Julia V, Katelyn G, Lewis D, Dana C, Ben A, Giselle H, Jamie K, Lewis W
4G - Megan C, Sebastian C, Bryan L, Emma C, Angus W, Joshua C
4M - Amelia M, Aadya G, Callum D, Lachlan C, Katie Z, Shima A
4T - Alie J, Anthony L, Clancy T, Nathan C, Anaiah B, Jackson W
5F - Akhash K, Flinn S, Haniya K, Kate A, Ethan S, Mathew M
5N - Ilaria D, Maya G, Bryan M
5P - Martha M, Celine A, Vivaan M, Ava N
6B - Zoya K, Bryce H, Sienna N, Lucas B, Abbey F, Bronson M, Cooper L
6M - Archie S, Jasmine O, Riley F, Avandika L, Morris W, Jade F
6P - Rebecca W, Oscar G, Anjali S, Elise B, Sihyun Y
Library - Atticus P (3B), Giselle H (3R), Gemma P (3R), Christian P (4G), Darcy P (5F), Willow P (5N), Jessica P (6P)
Music - Atticus P (3B), Sofia E (4M), Nathan C (4T), Liam P (5N)
Due to the current Covid 19 guidelines, we have had to postpone our school photo days until the end of Term 3.Please mark the following dates in your calendar.
Sibling Photos – Monday 21 September.
Class Photos – Tuesday 22 September
Group Photos - Friday 25 September
- Dance, choir, band, strings, sport, library monitors, computer monitors etc
Further information will be sent out closer to the date.
Kind Regards
Mrs Melissa Griffith
New Parking Restrictions on TREBOR ROAD
We understand that some families may not be aware that parking conditions have changed near the K-2 Site on Trebor Road.
Several parking spaces (on the left, as you drive up the hill towards the school) have now become 'No Parking' spaces. This restriction is in place from 8-9:30am. Families are asked to assist their child to get out of the car, watch them walk into the school if required, and then leave immediately. If you need to walk your child into the School, please do not park in the No Parking zone. Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this!
Green Team Update
Clean-up-Australia is holding a Plog-a-thon until the end of August to help clean up Australia, and to raise funds for educational resources and materials for schools and youth groups. What’s a plog-a-thon? Plogging is a mash of ‘jog’ and the Swedish word for ‘pick up’, ‘plocka upp’, it means to pick up litter as you jog (or plod - walkers are encouraged!).
If you want to join in, you pay a $20 registration fee and receive a plogging kit containing gloves, hand sanitiser and bags. As with traditional walk-a-thons and other fun runs, you can register as an individual or join a virtual team, setting targets for fundraising, distance covered and litter collection.
For more information check out the Clean-up-Australia website: https://www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/event/plogathon/home
Now that restrictions are easing, Hornsby’s Recycling Centre is back in action. You can also order composting bins and worm farms online, and pick them up at the Recycling Centre. They offer a 50% discount if you complete the online ‘I Dig Compost’ tutorial!
Find out more here: https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/property/waste/organic-waste/Compost-and-Worm-Farming
Contact us with questions or ideas at: phpsgreenteam@gmail.com
P&C President
0410653878
Band rehearsals will continue with Zoom and Google Classroom activities until we are able to resume rehearsals onsite. At present we do not know when this will be as we are waiting for the Department of Education to decide when they will allow external contractors back onsite.
The students have been working hard, submitting individual recordings which will be compiled into Virtual Performances. Senior Concert Band has finished theirs, and Intermediate should be done shortly. We plan to publish these on both the P&C Website and the P&C Facebook page. If parents of band students have any concerns with us putting the performances on the public forums, please let us know.
Term 2 band fees will be distributed soon. If there are families concerned about these or who may be suffering financial difficulties due to COVID-19, please feel free to contact us on the email below.
Please continue to send through confirmation of completed worksheets to email phpsband+worksheets@gmail.com so we can get awards organised. If you believe your child should have received their Bronze or Silver band award please let us know so that we can get them organised.
The Band Committee
Thinking about joining strings?
We welcome students who have completed a full term of lessons.
Registrations are open all year round.
You can register online here: https://forms.gle/L2nrW66LkJTgEAsE6
Or if you would like more information about learning to play the violin, viola, cello or double bass, please contact us, via email phpsstrings@gmail.com, or come and chat to one of the committee members at one of our performances.
The Strings Committee
phpsstrings@gmail.com
Website: http://www.phpspandc.org.au/string-ensemble/
Feedback: http://www.phpspandc.org.au/string-ensemble/contact-us/
Winter is here!!
Check out all of the delicious hot food options on Flexischools.
To ensure safety and wellbeing, all purchases must go through Flexischools as we are not offering over the counter sales at the moment. Recess orders are available for the 3-6 site.
This week’s roster:
K-2 site:
We will not require any help until over the counter sales resume
3-6 Site:
Wednesday 10 June - Claire P
Thursday 11 June - Lisa S
Friday 12 June - Stefanie and Narelle
If you have any questions, or would like to be involved with the canteen, please contact me.
Heather Tyler
0425 274 681
New Operating Protocols
The Uniform Shop is currently closed for over the counter sales. Uniform orders can be placed online through Flexischools or alternatively, download an order form from the school website.
Please note, now that students have recommenced attending school fulltime, all orders have resumed being 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.
Polar Fleece Jackets
New stock of size 12 and size 16 polar fleece jackets have arrived.
All sizes are now in stock and available for sale.
Lost Property
Please ensure that you label all uniform items, particularly hats and jackets, to ensure that if your child misplaces them the lost items can be returned to you. If your child has inadvertently brought home a hat or jacket that does not belong to them, kindly return it to the school office.
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. Now that students have resumed school fulltime, orders will be filled and delivered to the students’ classrooms.
Please note that uniform orders cannot be paid via the school online payment service
Uniforms can also be ordered through Flexischools, however prices include a Flexischools surcharge.
Order forms are available on the school website using this link.
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.