Norths’News A Community with Expectations of Achievement and Success

School Phone Number 9623 1443 Fax Number 9833 1283 Office Hours 8:30am – 3:30pm Email: stmarysnth-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: www.stmarysnorth-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

6 March 2015 St Marys North Public School is an extraordinary place. I keep being amazed at how well our parents, staff and students work together to achieve the best possible learning environments for all our students.

The K-2 team under the excellent leadership of Mrs Smith and Mrs Du Ross-Smith have been working very hard with implementing our new programs of L3, Targeting Early Numeracy (TEN) and reading recovery strategies into the classrooms. Mrs Du Ross-Smith and I will be attending professional learning around the Early Action for Success next Thursday and Friday to ensure we are implementing the latest current research in our school. We also welcome Mrs Dalton to our school as our TEN intervention teacher (Tue-Thurs) in K-2. Mrs Dalton brings great experience with her K-2 background and will work with our students who need extra assistance.

Below is our draft version of our 1st Strategic Direction for our 2015-2017 school plan. Successful, engaged learners is a major priority for our school. Please take the time to read over and look at where our school is headed in the coming years

Important Dates to Remember Tuesday 10 March School Photos Tuesday 17 March Harmony Day- Wear Orange Thursday 19 March P&C AGM Thursday 2 April Easter Hat Parade

A huge congratulations to our SRC Representatives for Semester 1 2015.

Zoe-Jane Hill 2D Astin Taylor 2D Noah Smith 2W Leilani Siafolau 2W Lucy Doole-Dunham 2/3B Jeremias Peniamina 2/3B Chesea Koprvcic 3P Simon Ankuma 3P

Shaylee Blanchard 3R Ryan Hyde 3R Tru Whitton 4M Joshua Guevara 4M Jett Ryan 4S Jazel Verdadero 4S Nenase Filo 4McB Peter Nafoi 4McB Isabella White S3A Blake Archer S3A Vitolina Siafolau S3B Que Te Nana S3B Hunter Verdich S3R Isabelle Higgison S3R Liam Jackson S3M Taina Holden S3M Kryzjhynn Guevara S3M

SCHOOL PHOTOS Just a reminder school photos will be on Tuesday 10 March. Please send your child in full school uniform with a clean and tidy appearance. Photo envelopes are to be brought in on the day and handed directly to the photographer with the correct money inside. Sibling envelopes are available from the office. No change will be available from the office or canteen

COFFEE AND CHAT This term our parent “Coffee and Chat” afternoons will be held on Wednesday 11 March and 1 April at 1.30pm. We would like to share with our parents the wonderful opportunities our Neighbourhood Centre offers our Community especially, our parents, carers and students. Our school has a great relationship with the Community Centre and we, unlike many schools are fortunate enough to have the Centre right next door. Our students have benefited greatly

in time gone past with the programs provided. “Coffee and Chat” is aimed at supporting parents and carers with special needs – learning difficulties, anxieties, disorders etc. all parents and carers are very welcome. Please come along to the Centre and meet some new friends and join a group who supports our school and each other. Watch for the notices and reminders.

RIDE2SCHOOL DAY – MARCH 13 2015 Bicycle safety is important for those students who ride their bike to school. Please talk with your child regularly about their riding: - Are they choosing good places to cross the road? - Have they been wearing their helmet? - Are the bicycle tires pumped up properly? Please consider riding to school with your child on Ride2School day! Today is a great chance to review the basics of bicycle safety. Here are some links: http://www.mynrma.com.au/media/kidsonwheels.pdf http://www.mynrma.com.au/images/About/T3-3296_Parent_Bike_Safety_Brochure_V3.pdf

HARMONY DAY Harmony Day celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. This year Harmony Day is celebrating its 15th year. St Marys North will again celebrate Harmony Day on Tuesday

17th March. Children will participate in class and school based activities. Children are asked to wear something orange on Harmony Day. Please remember sun safe clothing and covered in shoes. Some interesting facts:

• Around 45% of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was • 85% of Australians agree multiculturalism has been good for Australia • Apart from English the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Italian,

Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Vietnamese, Tagalog/Filipino, Spanish and Hindi • More that 60 indigenous languages are spoken in Australia • 92% of Australians feel a great sense of belonging to our country

(These facts are taken from 2011 Census Data and Mapping Social cohesion National Report 2014) BOOKCLUB Book club is due back to school by Monday 16 March. Please bring you order and money to the office. If your child received a $10.00 voucher for reading 150 Home Readers, remember they can be redeemed on any issue of Book Club until the end of June 2015.

EASTER HAT PARADE On Thursday 2 April 2015 the K-6 classes at Norths are having an Easter Hat Parade. All Parents and community members are invited to attend this event. The parade will commence at 9.30am and conclude before 1st break. We encourage all children to make a hat at home, so everybody can participate in this event.

READING WITH YOUR CHILD AT HOME When your kids see you reading and writing in everyday life - whether reading for pleasure, sharing a story with them or making a shopping list - it ̀ t̀eaches them that they are useful skills. Here are some things you can do at home to help your kids with reading. Find out more: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/en/homework-and- study/enqlish/enqlish-tips/readinq-with-your-child-at-home REMOVING HEAD LICE AND NITS Mention head lice and most of us instantly develop an itch. While head lice and nits, (the eggs of head lice) are certainly annoying and persistent, they're not dangerous. Here's everything you need to know to rid your kids of head lice and nits. Find out more: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbei nq/health/removinq-head-lice-and-nits P&C NEWS The P&C Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 19 March, 2015. The meeting will start at 9.30am. This meeting is the meeting where all roles for the following year will be nominated and voted on so new member are very welcome to come along. Please note that to be a voting member of the P&C parents need to pay their $1.00 membership. fee before the 19 March, 2015

HISTORICAL HOMESTEAD BUS TOUR WITH NORMA THORBURN Last year, the Coffee & Chat with the support from the St Mary Neighbourhood Centre offered a great bus tour for our parents, carers and friends. We are able to offer this tour again. The date for the bus tour for the school is Monday March 30 leaving

the Neighbourhood Centre at 9am. We will be back at the Centre at around 2.30pm and the cost is $10 per person. There will be a light lunch served. We only have a couple of seats left to offer, as word of mouth has filled the bus quickly.If you are interested please show your interest at the school office. If you miss out this time, we can start a new list for hopefully another tour!

KIDS MATTER

PLAYGROUND AWARDS – Week 6 Playing Sensibly

KB Aveai Pologa

2/3B Troy Vale KJ Alexi Lyons 3P Caroline Faapo KR Oceana Kemara 3R Jordyn Duffy KT Bryanna Walsh 4McB Skye Brough 1B Imogen Page 4M Joshua Paton 1C Jireh wood 4S Shania-Lee Simmons 1L Emily Bartlett S3A Jayden Farr-Robinson 1SB Lachlain Moore S3B Connor Hepenstall 2D Jermaine Marshall-Taylor S3M Brooklyn Ritchie 2W Ethan Schempp S3R Leroy Brown

VALUE AWARDS – Week 6 Cooperation

KB Susmita Boopathi

1. 1. 1.

2/3B Alana Elphick KJ Ajai Namoli 3P Arasi Pologa KR Jack Gullo 3R Maylanee Anae KT Abubakar Abdul-Rehman 4McB Pranav Angrish 1B Kiarna-Lee Pagett 4M Alison Duong 1C Saige Spaulding 4S Tanisha Llige 1L Phoenix Reynolds S3A Katalina Maile 1SB Bianca Pestridge S3B Kyla Warren 2D Nikora Rogers S3M Yasmin Pijov 2W Janarri Morgan S3R AJ Anae