THE CALENDAR

Term 1 Week 8 16 March 2020

9875 3100 9875 3762

[email protected] www.johnpurch-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

For future dates please refer to the ‘calendar’ tab located on the school website

www.johnpurch-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

Important Parent Information Yesterday, I emailed all families regarding changes to our school routines and special events, effective from today. I have decided to repeat this letter in today’s newsletter. It is so important that the school has your correct email address, as this is the best way to communicate the most up-to-date information en masse, to all families.

TUES 17 MAR Mufti day

‘M and F’ theme Gold coin donation

WED 18 MAR Yr 6 Canberra

6:30–8pm ‘Got It’ Parent Training CANCELLED

THURS 19 MAR Yr 6 Canberra CANCELLED

FRI 20 MAR Yr 6 Canberra CANCELLED

WED 25 MAR School Cross

Country Carnival at Greenway Park CANCELLED

THURS 26 MAR Harmony Day POSTPONED

SAT 28 SUN 29 MAR

Band Camp POSTPONED

TUES 7 APRIL Principal’s

Morning Tea for Bronze Award POSTPONED

WED 8 APRIL Principal’s Morning

Tea for Bronze Medallion

POSTPONED

THURS 9 APRIL Easter Hat Parade Last day of Term1

CANCELLED

FRI 10 APRIL Good Friday

Public Holiday

TUE 28 APRIL Students Return

for Term 2

THE CALENDAR

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

http://www.johnpurch-p.school/

http://www.johnpurch-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/


P&C Welcome BBQ What a delightful way to enjoy a sunny Friday evening! Thank you to Anh Holland and her enthusiastic P&C team, for hosting a friendly barbecue for school families. Everyone who attended, appreciated the tasty sausage rolls and sweet treats on offer.


Science Learning in 2N When I visited 2N last week, students were learning to categorize living things, depending on their features. Miss Nelson led us on a picture search for animals which might be mammals. Emily and Angela were placed in the interview ‘hot seats’ and, when questioned, were able to provide accurate justifications for their reasoning.

Mathematics Learning in 1M

1M students were demonstrating their mathematical thinking to Miss Moore, last week. In Year 1, students represent and solve simple addition and subtraction problems using a range of strategies. Number lines are an excellent way to model the difference between two numbers. Great thinking 1M!


Introducing the Stage 2 Teachers

Our dedicated Stage 2 teachers are (from left to right): Miss Kate Scholz (3S), Miss Clare O’Brien (4O), Mrs Joanne Lovell (3/4LJ), Mrs Serah Pettitt (3P), Mrs Noeli Lara (4L), Mrs Therese Rowley (3CR and EAL/D), Mrs Margaret Collier (3CR) and Miss Samantha McCracken (4M and Relieving Stage 2 Assistant Principal). Mr Nicholas Johnson (3/4LJ) is currently Relieving Deputy Principal. Mrs Christina MacGuinness (not pictured) is also teaching 3/4LJ, with Mrs Lovell, while Mr Johnson is relieving in the DP role. Parent Information Sessions Last week, Mrs Cole (Learning and Support Teacher), Mrs Musgrove (Relieving Assistant Principal Early Stage 1) and Miss Brooks (EAL/D Teacher), presented two informative sessions to parents. Content covered included: supporting reading at home, the organisation of EAL/D and JPPS volunteer parent training. Session feedback was very positive from the parents who attended. Thank you to our staff for preparing such valuable sessions and sharing their specialist expertise. Changes to Working With Children Check Procedure Last week, the Department of Education announced amendments to these child safety measures, in response to feedback from schools and the community. From now on, new declaration forms will be used with all new parent volunteers. Screenings already conducted this year will remain valid.


I have included the pertinent sections relating to many of our parent helpers below: Section 4.2 Parent specified volunteers on overnight excursions – must have a current Working With Children Check. Section 4.6 The following categories must complete a WWCC– Declaration for Volunteers and Non Child-Related Contractors form, which will replace the Appendix 5 used previously:

• people under the age of 18 years • any parent volunteers (unless they are a specified volunteer – see section 4.2 above) coming into

their child’s school are exempt from obtaining a WWCC clearance. This includes parents volunteering:

• to attend excursions during school hours • for reading groups in primary schools • at school events and • in the canteen.

Section 4.7 The following are not considered child-related roles, and do not need a WWCC or Declaration for Volunteers and Non Child Related Contractors form:

• parents and relatives of students, who are visiting the school but are not working as a volunteer or contactor (for example, attending a sports carnival)

• unpaid speakers and guests invited by the school on special occasions (e.g. Harmony Day), where the person's contact with children is minimal and supervised at all times

Mrs Adela King Relieving Principal


JOHN PURCHASE PUBLIC SCHOOL Purchase Road, Cherrybrook NSW

2126 Telephone 02 9875 3100 www.johnpurch-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

Changes to School Routines and Special Events

2:00pm Sunday 15th March 2020

Dear Parents and Carers

At the time of writing, our school will continue to be operational tomorrow, Monday 16th March. It is with the wellbeing of our students, staff and school community in mind, that I write to inform you all of the decisions that I have made, in relation to the organisation of some aspects of John Purchase Public School.

Based on the statement released on Friday 13th March by Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) coronavirus (COVID-19), which advises limiting gatherings of large groups and maintaining social distances, the following changes will be implemented:

• Before school and after school care – OOSH remains open • 8:55am Morning Assemblies will be cancelled until further notice. Executive staff will

continue to supervise early arrivals from 8:25am in the canteen courtyard area. At approximately 8:40am, all students will be sent to classrooms, where teachers will be present. Parents may choose to walk younger students directly to classrooms, closer to 8:55am. Lessons will still commence at 8:55am. Purchase Pride badges will be awarded in class.

• Thursday afternoon assemblies – cancelled until further notice. School awards will continue to be published in the newsletter, but presentation will be held over to a later time.

• Canteen – will continue to operate. Uniform Shop will be open tomorrow (Monday 16 March). • Recess and Lunch times – executive staff are currently preparing changes to class

locations, to reduce the number of student-to-student interactions • Classrooms – operational (including the library and gymnastics) • Library closed before school and at lunch times • Special Religious Education and Ethics – classes continuing at this stage • GOTIT parent evening planned for this Wednesday evening 18/3/20 - postponed • Tuesday 17 March – ‘M’ and ‘F’ Mufti Day – students may wear mufti as planned • Year 6 Canberra Excursion – cancelled • Stage 1 Zoo Excursion – cancelled • Stage 2 and Stage 3 PSSA – cancelled until further notice • Paul Kelly Cup – cancelled • School Cross Country Carnival – postponed until further notice • Harmony Day Assembly – postponed until further notice • Band Camp – in consultation with the P&C, this event is postponed for the time being. The

P&C will advise further details to band members in coming days. • I politely ask that parents exercise patience, while staff coordinate monetary refunds for

excursions. • Easter Hat Parade – cancelled. Easter Raffle and Morning Tea cancelled. • Bronze Award and Bronze Medallion – Principal’s Morning Teas – postponed until Term 2 • End of Term Parent Teacher Interviews – will be modified to be audio telephone interviews,

rather than face-to-face meetings. More information will be sent home regarding these plans.

http://www.johnpurch-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/


2

• For information about after school activities at JPPS, such as dance and chess etc, please contact the private provider.

• Parent helpers may choose not to assist us at school at this time. Please advise class teachers of your decision.

• If your child is late to school, please accompany him/her to the office and provide and explanation to the office staff.

• If your child is absent from school please provide an explanation in writing to the teacher, as soon as possible.

• Please make sure all of your contact details (including email addresses) are up to date at the school office.

• The last day of Term 1 is Thursday 9th April. • Planned Term 2 events will be re-assessed closer to the end of term. • Monday 27th April is a designated School Development Day for teachers. The first day of Term

2 for students is scheduled for Tuesday 28th April. In the event of a school closure, executive staff are currently looking at the possibility of using online learning platforms, such as (but not limited to) Google Classroom. This is one of the platforms recommended by the Department of Education. As previously advised, students would need parental permission to access this. If you have not returned the ‘permission to disclose’ note, regarding accessing third party platforms, or, if you would like to amend your previous decision to an affirmative response, please send in a brief letter to your child’s teacher to let him/her know, as soon as possible.

As always, should I be notified of any change in school operations planned by the NSW Department of Education or Department of Health, I will advise the community, as soon it comes to hand.

Your understanding and flexibility under such worrying circumstances, is very much

appreciated. Sincerely

Mrs Adela King Relieving Principal


Parent Teacher Interviews Our teachers highly value opportunities to discuss their students’ learning with parents. Previously, classroom teachers would meet face-to-face with parents. Due to current health concerns, we have decided that to minimise risk, these meetings will be via audio phone interviews. We appreciated your understanding and support during this difficult time. Changes to Playground Routines Based on the statement released on Friday 13th March by Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) coronavirus (COVID-19), which advises limiting gatherings of large groups and maintaining social distances, we have made some changes to the playground. These include:

• Sending students to class at 8:40am from the COLA. Purchase Pride badges will be awarded in class.

• When the weather is fine, students from each stage have been allocated the following areas: - Kindergarten - The K-2 Shade area - Stage 1 – The K-2 Grass area - Stage 2 – The COLA and Basketball courts - Stage 3 – The 3-6 Oval - The canteen and toilets will also be supervised during this time.

We appreciate how our staff are rallying to support the extra supervision required, in order to implement these changes. NAPLAN The NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy) tests will be held at our school from Monday 11 May until Friday 22 May. (A detailed test timetable will be published in the newsletter next term.) Students in Years 3 and 5 participate in four tests: reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. Practice tests will be held this term to test our computer systems. Students at John Purchase Public School will sit the NAPLAN online tests, except for the Year 3 writing test, which will be completed on paper. Parents are invited to use the public demonstration tests with their children, to familiarise themselves with the type of questions and related functionalities available in the NAPLAN online assessment. Please note, that as familiarisation is the aim of this site, there are no published answers to the practice questions shown. Some of the key features of the online format include a range of question types, onscreen tools, timers and interactive navigation. Students are encouraged to try all the tests for their year level to practise the complete range of question formats available in the online assessment. The link to the public demonstration site is: http://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site NAPLAN tests provide point-in-time information in relation to student performance and are intended to complement the existing range of school-based assessments. While our students will be provided with an opportunity to become familiar with the test format and online platform, we do not recommend excessive practice. Formal exemption from the test program may be available to non-English speaking students who have recently arrived in Australia, or for students with a disability. Please refer to the exemption form, which will be emailed home to all parents of Year 3 and Year 5 students. All exemptions must be discussed with the principal. For your information, the NAPLAN Online fact sheet for parents and carers is included in this newsletter.

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

http://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

http://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site


Our School Expectations

This week’s expectation is: Respect the environment by using paper and soap wisely.

Congratulations to the students who have demonstrated our school expectations of RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY or who have tried to ASPIRE.

Purchase Pride Badge (10 Purchase Prides) Students will be presented with their Purchase Pride badge in their classrooms next week. Congratulations to the following recipients: Charithu (4M), Joanna (3CR), Austin (4L), Sydney (2B), Thomas (3CR), Jaxon (4O), Ojas (4O), & Shrriya (2B) Bronze Award (10 Class Awards) Please note that these awards are usually presented once per term. However, due to recent circumstances this has been pushed back until a later date, possibly in Term 2. I have quite a number of Bronze Awards currently in my office already, which is wonderful to see. Bronze Awardees and their parents, will receive an invitation to the Principal’s Morning Tea, when a new date is established. Prior to the event, I will publish the list of Bronze Awards recipients in this section of the newsletter. Silver Awards (20 Class Awards) Please note that this award will be presented when assemblies re-commence. Nicole Y (6L) Gold Award (30 Class Awards) Please note that this award will be presented when assemblies re-commence Isaac T (6L)

Mr Nicholas Johnson Relieving Deputy Principal



FROM THE TEACHERS

Help your child learn to respond rather than react.

STOP reacting and notice how you are feeling. Take a few deep breaths.

THINK of your options and what will happen if you act on them.

DO what will work best

HOME ACTIVITY

Design a stop sign poster with your child to put up to help them remember to STOP THINK DO if they are having a big feeling.

BOOKS

This book helps children to understand anger and start to learn strategies for managing their anger.

The Red Beast By K. Al-Ghani This book helps children to learn how to solve problems that may arise when we are feeling angry. Moody Cow Meditates By Kerry Lee MacLean


Promoting Student Engagement and Deep Understanding

We had the privilege of hosting the ‘Thinking for Learning Day’ at John Purchase PS last Wednesday. The purpose of the event was to empower teachers in fostering a ‘culture of thinking’ in their classrooms, i.e. a classroom that is focused on thinking, learning, deep understanding and collaboration.

Approximately 40 teachers attended the event, from 8 different schools. Here are some reflections from some of our JPPS teachers: A truly thought provoking day with Simon Brooks at the helm, sharing his deep knowledge and understanding about education and how to facilitate learning in classroom settings where students can become creative and critical thinkers. I was really motivated by how open-ended questioning and challenging students to explain the ‘why’ behind their responses in class, can really help them become more deeply engaged in their learning. The Thinking for Learning Day was very valuable for me, spending time reflecting on the routines presented and how even little changes can be effective in the classroom to create "an atmosphere hospitable to good thinking". For example, the subtle use of language in the classroom and thinking time. The overarching powerful theme of the day for me was that "learning is a consequence of thinking". I liked how Simon talked about "Guess what's in the teacher's head?" and how we should really think about the questions we ask. For example, why ask a question you already have the answer to? Why not just tell students instead of wasting valuable learning time that could be used for deep discussion. I loved the ‘Catch and Pass’ strategy, which shows to students that you're genuinely interested in what they are saying. My goal is to implement this in my classroom. I would really like to unpack what my students say, and teach the value of building upon their peers’ thinking. For example, by using the ‘Ice Cream Scooping’ strategy. Inspired by the event, Miss Childs created the following resource to help her students build on each others’ thinking:


We thank Simon Brooks, our Cultures of Thinking facilitator for sharing his knowledge and expertise with us. Stephanie Salazar Assistant Principal/Cultures of Thinking Coordinator Mini-Fete Mufti Day Tomorrow The mufti day tomorrow (Tuesday 17th March) to raise money for the Year 6 Mini-Fete will go ahead as planned. Students are encouraged to dress in mufti with the theme ‘M’ or ‘F’ for inspiration. Please remember to bring in a gold coin donation. We look forward to seeing all the creative costume ideas! The Stage 3 Teachers


SPORT REPORT

Knockout Cricket - Round 2 vs Thornleigh West Public School Last Wednesday Miss McDonald and 10 Stage 3 students went to Thornleigh West Public School to participate in Round 2 of the Knockout Cricket competition, after having a bye in round 1. The boys were outstanding in their behaviour and sportsmanship. Some noticeable achievement were Isaac T making two catches, Adi P making a catch, Billy H making a catch and bowling a student out as well as Finlay H bowling an opponent out. The team worked very well together to ensure the entire field was marked. The boys went to bat after Thornleigh West and were chasing down 106 runs. They boys did a phenomenal job, particularly Abduallah S who couldn't stop hitting fours. It was a great day to be outside and participate in this sport. A massive thank you to Mr Rob Hitchcock for volunteering to umpire the match. Your support was greatly appreciated.


STAGE 3 PSSA As you are aware, Stage 3 PSSA has been cancelled for the remainder of this term. Could ALL students please return their JPPS representative shirts to Miss McDonald ASAP for stocktake. Could all softball players please return their glove to Miss Gallagher ASAP. Miss McDonald Sports Coordinator

SPORTING CANCELLATIONS The media release from Mark Scott, Secretary - NSW Department of Education, last night indicated a ‘phased social distancing strategy’ is to be implemented from Monday 16 March 2020. As part of this strategy 'Arts, Sports and Initiatives events will be temporarily ceased until further notice'. The Sydney North Schools Sports Association advises that the following trials/championships/knockouts will not proceed:

• Primary girls football trials • Central venue water polo days • Primary Australian Football trials • Secondary Rugby League trials • Buckley Shield Central venue days • University Shield Central venues days • Secondary Boys Football trials • Secondary Boys hockey trials • Secondary Girls hockey trials • Secondary Girls football trials • Primary boys hockey trials • Primary girls hockey trials • Secondary swimming

Primary Swimming • Primary rugby league trials- opens and 11s • Secondary basketball central venue day • Secondary table tennis central venue day

Secondary Touch Football – 15s boys Secondary Touch Football – 15s girls

· Primary boys football trials • Secondary girls rugby trials • Secondary bowls trials • NSWCHS Baseball • NSWCHS Girls Volleyball • NSWCHS Swimming • NSWCHS Diving • NSWPSSA Swimming • NSWPSSA Diving All training sessions for Sydney North Schools Sports Association teams will not proceed.

All Zone, Sydney North, NSWPSSA and NSWCHSSA activities will be 'temporarily ceased until further notice'. This includes all NSWPSSA Knockout competitions and all draws and matches of the NSWCHS Statewide Competitions (formerly NSWCHS Knockout). This situation will be regularly reviewed and updates provided as they are available. We thank you for your understanding during this time.


FROM THE CANTEEN

FROM THE BAND

Volunteers - we are still looking for volunteers to help one day a month in the canteen. If you could spare a few hours once a month from 9:30am - 1:15pm that would be much appreciated. Please see Donna or Anna in the canteen if you can help.

Canteen/Uniform Committee - we are also looking for two volunteers to join the Canteen/Uniform Committee as we have had some volunteers leave as their children are no longer at the school. We usually meet once a month to discuss any issues. If it is something you might be interested in, please see Donna or Anna.

Training Band Registrations Registrations for the Training Band 2020 are now open. If your child is interested in joining please register via the My School Music system at: https://portal.msmusic.com.au/jppsband

All the details are available in the Band Information Booklet which can be found on the JPPS website under the Canteen, Band, Uniform, P&C heading: https://johnpurch-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/p-c.html

Any questions can be directed to the Band Committee at:

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


SKOOLBAG APP

Attention: All parents

Please download the Skoolbag App and attach your name to your child’s year group, class group and any other extra-curricular groups your child is in. You will receive important information regarding changes to routines, class notices and sport information via this app.


FROM THE P & C


Please note our school publishes events for the convenience of families but does not endorse any activity, person, product

FROM THE COMMUNITY


Documents

THE CALENDAR