Upcoming Events

WEDNESDAY, 30 JANUARY School resumes for students on

Wednesday, 30 January, 2019

WEDNESDAY, 6 FEBRUARY Swimming Carnival at Oak

Flats Swimming Pool

READING OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK

There are lots of important messages around Christmas time and here is another

one……Research is clear that children who don't read during the summer holidays

can lose up to three months of reading progress and that loss has a cumulative,

long-term effect. As a child’s first and most important teachers, parents have a

major role to play in motivating children to read. Over the coming holidays, please

take time to consider some of the following ideas about how to make reading a fun

part of your child’s Christmas holiday and help them maintain their level of

achievement and not fall behind next year:

• Visit the library - If your child doesn't have a library card, summer is a

great time to sign up for one. In addition to a wide selection of books to

borrow, many libraries have fun, child-friendly summer reading programs.

• Lead by example - Read the newspaper at breakfast, pick up a magazine at

the doctor's office, and stuff a paperback in your beach bag. If kids see the

adults around them reading often, they will understand that literature can

be a fun and important part of their summer days. Talk it up. Help kids find

time to read. During the school year, children have busy schedules and

often have required reading for classes. Summer is a time when children

can read what, when, and how they please. Don't set daily minute

requirements or determine the number of pages they should read. Instead,

make sure they pick up books for fun and help find ways for them to

choose to read.

• Relax the rules for summer - You may even want to make bedtime a little

bit later if you find that your child can't put down a book. Talking with

your kids about what you have read lets them know that reading is an

important part of your life. Tell them why you liked a book, what you

learned or how it helped you – soon they might start doing the same.

• Use books to break the boredom - Without the regular school regimen,

adults and kids need more activities to fill the hours. Books that teach kids

how to make or do something are a great way to get kids reading and keep

Shellharbour Public School Newsletter - Term 4, Week 10

Website: www.shellharb-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

Phone: Phone: 4295 1334 Email: shellharb-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Fax: 4297 2399

them occupied. Don't forget to take your kids' favourite reading series along on long road trips.

• Read aloud with kids - Take your children to see a local storyteller or be one yourself. The summer

months leave extra time for enthusiastic ‘read-alouds’ with children, no matter what their age. Don't

forget to improvise different voices or wear a silly hat to make the story that much more interesting!

Over to you ……..

CHOIR IN ADDISON STREET AND IN LITTLE PARK

Our choir provided some impromptu performances in Addison

Street at five locations last Thursday, including two encores! My

thanks to Chris Girvan who has brought this together over the last

three years. Thanks also to the parents who turned up in support of

this choir, particularly the hard core groupies who miraculously

seemed to be at every venue enjoying the entertainment and the

food!

THANKS MRS DORRIAN, MISS KENCEVSKI and YEAR 6

Year 6 were exceptional over two matinee performances and one evening performance last week. Doubts

about the ability of these two fine teachers to pull this together within a term were quickly extinguished after

the first student confidently appeared on stage. There was no better way to celebrate what has become a

cohesive, committed and talented group of students. As they have moved through the school they have just

gotten better and better and we will miss them enormously in 2019. As I said at the evening performance, it

takes a very brave and talented teacher to suggest to their colleagues at the end of Term 3, “Let’s do a

production with Year 6 in Term 4 …” Elissa Dorrian is that brave and that talented and, with Rebecca

Kencevski, was responsible for making it all happen. Great effort everyone.

KINDER TO YEAR 2 CLASS LIBRARIES

A huge thank you to all those parents and grandparents

who were able to assist with covering all the beautiful

new books for our Kinder to Year 2 students. The

teachers all made a wish list for the books they wanted

their students to have permanent access to and the

range was amazing. We also have brand new

bookshelves on the way and no doubt the children will

enjoy having them in their classroom next year. We

really couldn’t have managed without all those

wonderful helpers who either came along to our covering mornings or took a pile home for contacting! You are

all AMAZING!!!! Here are some of our students exploring some of the 465 new books.

Mrs Rowe and the Kinder to Year 2 Teachers

ARE YOU LEAVING US? At the end of each school year, we have a number of families who move to another area and

leave our school. If you know your child will not be a part of this school in 2019, it will assist

our planning enormously if you could let the school know now. Please contact the school office on

42951334 if that will be the case.

END OF YEAR PRESENTATION ASSEMBLY

Our annual Presentation Day was held on Wednesday, 5 December. This was an opportunity to recognise

particularly meritorious performances. All our winners were very worthy. Special mention to the following

students: Bendigo Bank sponsored awards for Dux and The Mackenzie Medal - Dux for 2018: Kade Bradley,

The MacKenzie Medal for 2018: Owen Jessop, Sportsperson for 2018: Jorja Rhind, Premier’s Sporting

Challenge Award: Nate Hillcoat, Rotary Club Shellharbour/Colin Willetts Award: Thomas Hogg,

Stephen Jones Active Citizenship Award: Ginger Cummins, Anna Watson Community Spirit Award:

Claire Barter and Shellharbour City Council Community Service Award: Nash Balmain

Our presentation day quite rightly recognised students who had experienced the highest level of success, and

this is appropriate. However, I encouraged those present to recognise and celebrate all the student learning

and individual improvement that has occurred over 2018. True nobility isn’t about being the best, but about

being better than you were. Any child who has worked hard to become better than they were last year or last

week, or yesterday should be proud of their effort and what they have achieved.

GOODBYE 2018

Thanks for your support in 2018. Education at Shellharbour Public School really is a whole

community effort. The support we get from both parents and community members in this

school is exceptional. Your contribution may appear small at the time, but it is vital. If 2018

marks the end of your association with this school, I know your memories will be overwhelmingly positive and

enjoyable ones. The staff loves to hear how our former students are going, so please stay in touch. My

personal thanks to the entire staff of this school. I feel very privileged to turn up here each day surrounded by

such a dedicated group of people. Their level of contribution is just outstanding. Have a great festive season

and enjoy your kids in this beautiful place we are all so fortunate to be able to call home. If you get the chance

over the holiday period, please support our great neighbours in Addison Street. School resumes for students

on Wednesday, 30 January, 2019.

Dr John MacDonald, Principal

PRESENTATION ASSEMBLY AWARD WINNERS We congratulate the following students who have received awards at our Presentation Assembly held on Thursday, 6 December 2018:

GOLD MEDALS

Evie Dorahy

Kynan Fernandes

Jack Bailey

Lachlan Lome

BANNERS

Zara Hughes

Lucy Dominish-Cutter

Rebekah Dalby

Aaron Cox

Finn Rowan

PENNANTS

Kynan Fernandes Jacob Coleman Bailey Bedford

Zara Hughes Evie Dorahy Molly James

Allira Finkernagel Isaac Gordon Zari Crouch

Oscar Roberts Nash Carter Jai Tamayo

Kalani Smith-McCormack Miah Raward Ayla York

Layla Flint Damon Payne Domanic Jovanovski

Mackinzee McCullock Ruby Sheargold Malachi Kirchberg

Pennants continued over page…..

Brydee Miller Jaxson Ismail Laynie Munro

Mitchell Sherriff Elinore Dunningham Marley Kelly

Lachlan Lome Summer Bedford Lucy Dominish-Cutter

Jack Bailey Rebekah Dalby Aaron Cox

Jonathon Yeo Layla McIlquham Sam Palermo

Finn Rowan Jorja Carey Hayley Frances

Beau Monie

Please support our neighbours in Shellharbour Village…..

Ray White Shellharbour (42965233)

Oak Flats (42562000) Group