prettybch-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Message from the Principal Welcome back to the 2019 school year. I hope that everyone has had a relaxing and safe Christmas holiday. Our 1-6 students returned on Wednesday 30 January, our 2019 Kindergarten students completed the Best Start testing in Week 1 and attended their first day of ‘big school’ on Monday 4 February. We are very proud of the way our students have transitioned into this new school year and look forward to another great year of learning. Mrs Callender remains on leave for Term 1 and further information regarding her return will be communicated when details are confirmed. We wish Deb all the best with her ongoing treatment and send her lots of love and best wishes moving into this new year. Thank you all in advance for your ongoing support and cooperation as we enter Term 1. Your positivity towards our amazing school and learning in general plays a huge role in the attitudes and behaviour of our students and we look forward to fostering this relationship as the year unfolds. Please speak to your classroom teacher if issues or concerns arise but keep in mind that class structures, student placement and staffing have been developed with your child’s learning and development in mind and we are very confident that our Term 1 school structure is the best model possible with our current student enrolment numbers. We are also very confident that our experienced and professional teaching staff can successfully cater for any concerns you may have, so please respect and embrace these relationships. Classes for 2019 are as follows: K - Mrs Emma Gordon K/1 - Mrs Lee West 1/2 Red - Mrs Kassandra Bulman & Mrs Kate Keyes (Due to return P/T Term 3) 1/2 Blue - Ms Laura Metcalfe 3- Mr Robby Barron 4- Mrs Michaela Bridgeman (Mon-Thur) & Ms Kate McKinney (Fri) 5- Mr Andy Podmore 6- Ms Eliza Hansen & Mr David Rattray (Relieving Principal Term 1- TBA) We would like to welcome Mr Barron and Ms Hansen to the team and know that our school community will make them feel very welcome. Both Robby and Eliza will be filling Temporary Engagements at our school for Term 1 and possibly further into 2019 and we are very grateful to have them on board.

We would also like to welcome our new school counsellor, Sharon Read. She will be replacing Briget O’Brien and will be available to contribute to our LaST and assist with student/family inquiries on Wednesdays. School counsellors work with students of all ages and their families, providing valuable support and counselling and psychological assessment for students with specific needs. Their daily work activities may include counselling students, assessing students' learning and behaviour, helping families make informed decisions about their child's education, identifying impediments to students' learning and liaising with external agencies regarding students' wellbeing. If you or your child requires a referral to see Sharon, please see your classroom teacher. They will provide you with the document to complete and pass it onto our LaST. Thanks you to the wonderful parents and staff who attended Monday night’s P&C meeting. This association has, and continues to, build on the school’s capacity to provide a holistic learning environment. They have also recently provided much needed funds to purchase a Smartboard for the new Yr4 classroom and generously given each teacher additional funds to purchase individualised classroom equipment and resources. The P&C are always welcoming new members and are currently seeking enthusiastic parents to fill office bearer positions. Please see the P&C blurb in this newsletter for more information. A note regarding school contribution and text book payments was sent home this week. This payment covers workbook and stationary items provided, student access to EBooks and online Mathletics (cost already subsidised by Cathy Baker at Belle Property) and handwriting text books (K-4 only). Please make this payment as soon as possible as the school has already purchased these items and students have already begun using them. We are trialling a new positive reward tracking system this term. Bouddis are still awarded for Respectful, Responsible behaviour and demonstrating Excellence (our school values), however we are moving paperless and tracking them online using ‘Class Dojo’. Students will continue to swap their Bouddis at ‘Trade Days’ for a range of student-suggested activities/privileges on ‘Reward Days’ (twice termly). Not only will this save in paper and printing costs and reduce our environmental footprint, it will also enable us to monitor our school-wide behaviour management system more effectively.

Term 1 | Week 2 | Thursday 7 February 2019

prettybch-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

Term 1 Week 2 Thursday 6 August 2015

Thursday 7 February 2019

2

I have put together a Term 1 calendar of events to keep you up-to-date with the many additional events and activities happening throughout the school. Please ensure notes and payments are returned before due dates.

What’s Happening at PBPS? Please visit our website for more details and spare notes…

https://prettybch-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

When? Events & Due Dates Who?

T1 Wk1

Mon 28/1- PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Tues 29/1- SDD (Staff only)

Wed 30/1- Students Return

Best Start Testing- Day 1/3

Thur 31/1- Best Start Testing- Day 2/3

Fri 1/2- Best Start Testing- Day 3/3

-

Staff

Yrs 1-6

K

K

K

T1 Wk2

Mon 4/2- Kindergarten’s First Day

P&C Meeting 7-9pm

Fri 8/2- Peer Support Training Day

Strings program payments are due

2:10 Assembly- Led by school leaders and Strings

K

Parents

Yr6

Strings

K-6

T1 Wk3

Mon 11/2- Peer Support Lessons Begin

Wed 13/2- Strings program begins

Stg 2 Parent Info Sessions 3:15pm

Thur 14/2- ES1 & Stg1 Parent Info Sessions 3:15pm

Fri 15/2 – Stg 3 Parent Info Session 3:15pm

K-6

K-6

Yrs3&4

K-2

Yrs5&6

T1 Wk4

Tues 19/2- Debater’s Training Day

Fri 22/2- Welcome Breakfast 8-9am

2:10 Assembly- Led by Yr6

8xStg3

Parents

K-6

T1 Wk5 Tues 26/2- PBPS Swimming Carnival

Fri 1/3- Clean Up Australia Day (for 3/3)

Yrs2-6

K-6

T1 Wk6 Mon 4/3- P&C AGM

Fri 8/2 - 2:10 Assembly – Led by Yr5

Parents

K-6

T1 Wk7

Tues 12/3- SCCPSSA Swimming Carnival

Wed 13/3- KHS Meet & Greet 6pm

Thur 14/3- Selective HS Tests

2-6Reps

-

Yr6

T1 Wk8

Tues 19/3- 2020 HS Exp of Interest Due

Thur 21/3- Harmony Day

Fri 22/3- KHS Sports Day

Ride to School Day

2:10 Assembly – Led by Yr4

Yr6

K-6

Yr6

K-6

K-6

T1 Wk9

Wed 27/3- 5 Lands Walk Photography Workshop

Thur 28/3- Syd Nth Swimming Carnival

Fri 29/3- KHS Sports Day B-Up

Stg3

2-6Reps

Yr6

T1 Wk10 Fri 5/4 – 2:10 Assembly – Led by Yr3 ZK-6

T1 Wk11

Thur 11/4- NSW Swimming Carnival Day 1/2

Fri 12/4- NSW Swimming Carnival Day 2/2

Last Day of T1

2-6Reps

2-6Reps

-

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

T2 Wk1

Mon 29/4- SDD (Staff only)

Tues 30/4- Students return to school

Wed 1/5- School Photos

Staff

K-6

K-6

Red = New addition to calendar or changes made since last newsletter

Green = Notes &/or Money Due

If you haven’t already got the Pretty Beach SkoolBag App, get to it! (Just search ‘Pretty Beach SkoolBag’ in your App Store) It’s our best means for effective communication regarding all upcoming events and reminders. You can also update your details, submit absent notes and make payments using this App. Dave Rattray Relieving Principal

P&C Important Information Our Parents and Citizens association at Pretty Beach Public School is a parent and citizen body that has been established to provide greater understanding for our school community on what goes on in our children’s classrooms, school and greater learning community. As a P&C we play a very important role within our children’s school, as we support both our staff and students in a positive environment to build greater opportunities whilst working towards their future. Being a member of our P&C gives you a chance to not only have a say in future school endeavours but is also a wonderful way to meet other parents and get to know staff members in a different setting. All parents and citizens are welcome and are encouraged to attend our 7pm meetings held approximately once a term. Meetings provide a great opportunity to know what is going on within our school, offer insight and suggestions relating to school life. Apart from helping to provide insight into your child’s education the P&C fundraises to offer our children programs and experiences that they may otherwise not have. Our P&C have held many fundraisers both big and small varying from mufti days to whole school fun runs. These fundraisers have helped provide our children with; Scope IT, The Strings Program, new equipment and furnishings for every classroom and an extensive revamp to our library enabling our children the chance to participate in STEM learning, as well as both a Stephanie Alexander garden and Sensory garden to name a few. We would relish the opportunity to hear some new ideas or some old favourites to add to this year’s fundraising list. Our AGM is being held on the 4 March at 7pm, at this time most positions will become vacant as a number of our members children have gone off to high school. We only meet once a term and meetings are finished by 9pm. As this will be one of our first meetings of the New Year we will also be looking for class parent representatives. The class representative will liaise with both the teacher and P&C to keep parents informed of events and activities going on at school. This can be anything from school excursions and fundraisers to social events for both parents and children. As with all schools without our wonderful P&C volunteers our children will not have some of the opportunities, facilities, equipment and programs that enhance their learning. Please join our P&C to enable more of these opportunities to be available for our children. Year 7 2020 Expression of Interest Expression of Interest to Year 7 for 2020 sudents will be coming home soon to all Year 6 students. They will be due back to school by March 19 2019. Please ensure this vital information is returned on time so we can begin our HS Transition programs with Year 6.

Term 1 Week 2 Thursday 6 August 2015

Thursday 7 February 2019

3

Australia Day at Wagstaffe 2019

Even though it was a Saturday and school holidays, our 2019 captains, Georgia and Jasper, suited up in school uniform to raise the flags and begin the Wagstaffe Australia Day ceremonies. Thanks to our fabulous leaders and their families for making the extra effort and representing our school at this great community event!

2019 Leaders

Our Captains and Vice Captains for 2019 Ruby, Jasper, Georgia and Alex

Our House Captains and Vice Captains for 2019 Charlotte, Ryan, Jamie and Lily

Kindergarten 2019

The 2019 Kindergartens started full time schooling this week. They have done an awesome job of leaving their parents and coming into the classrooms with a smile, ready to start their learning. We have read a special story called “The Kissing Hand’ that talks about leaving our parents with a kiss that lasts all day. We have then completed a lot of activities related to this text. We have made hand puppets, painted our hands, written our names, counted and matched numbers, played with cars, blocks and gears. The list is endless!!! It has been a fantastic week so far and we can’t wait to carry on our learning throughout Term 1! Thanks Mrs Gordon and Mrs West

Peer Support 2019

Year 6 are as keen as mustard to undertake their Peer Support Leadership training tomorrow. During the day, Year 6 will participate in a number of activities designed to teach them the skills to be effective Peer Support leaders. The training includes learning skills like assertiveness, team work and cooperation. We practise how to lead a session and to be organized with our resources. Peer Support sessions start on Monday and the student leaders and teachers will help all of the students to be in the right place at the right time. Ask your children what they have been learning about on Monday afternoon! Andy Podmore Coordinator

Term 1 Week 2 Thursday 6 August 2015

Thursday 7 February 2019

4

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

Welcome back to an exciting year for PBL in 2019. This year we have new rewards on our PBL rewards menu coming soon. We will be starting the year by teaching our whole school values of Excellence, Respect and Responsibility in all classes. We have also decided to go paperless with our Bouddi Tickets this year and are trialling a new online recording system so keep up the great work everyone and we are looking forward to the year ahead in PBL.

School Banking…each Monday Next Monday 11 February will be the first banking day for the year. This year the students will be taken on a adventure to the Ice Cave of Savings. There are 8 new reward items for 2019 from the Polar Savers range with the Scented Stackable Highlighters and Snowy Origami Set available Term 1. Are you using the CommBank Youth App yet? Did you know if you use this app your child can:

Check the balance of their Youth Saver account

View school banking deposits in their transaction history

Track the number of times they have banked towards their next reward

Set up savings goals and monitor progress

Create lists of chores they can do to earn pocket money

So explore the CommBank Youth App to help encourage regular saving.

The first time your child banks this term an information pack will be sent home with further tips on helping your child to save and full details of the new rewards items. Your child doesn’t have a bank account? To open a bank account just go to any Commonwealth Bank or this can be done on line. The bank have advised if you do this the deposit book, with their account details and yellow wallet will be sent to you by mail within 5-7 working days. Could you please ensure that the account number details are completed in your child’s deposit book, prior to your child bringing the book in on their first School Banking Day.

Canteen News

The canteen will commence operating tomorrow 8 February. Make sure you are using the 2019 Menu which was sent home Wednesday or an electronic version is available on the website. Ordering students lunches will follow the same process as last year where orders are placed in the gold box in the office every Thursday for Friday’s lunches. If your child is sick on Friday just phone the office and the order can be held over for the following week or a refund will be given. Lunch orders will be accepted on Friday before 8.45am at the Canteen.

Thank you also to those who have volunteered to help in the canteen so far this term (roster below)

Date Volunteer Names

8/02/2019 Melissa West

15/02/2019 Karin Witanowski

22/02/2019 Anjing Sun

1/03/2019 Danae Dela Paz

8/03/2019 Emma Webb

15/03/2019 Clea Langton

22/03/2019 Lara Keogh

29/03/2019 Rene Podmore

5/04/2019

12/04/2019

Term 1 Week 2 Thursday 6 August 2015

Thursday 7 February 2019

5