Banksmeadow Public School

e-news 2016

Term 3, Week 2

In This Issue

- ICAS

- SMS System

- Education Week

- Library News

- New Office System

- Dance - Showcase Tickets

- Open Night and Kindergarten Orientation

- Tree Day - REPEAT

- Volunteers - REPEAT

- P&C News

Don't forget the important events this week:

* Dance Fever begins today. Please ensure you return permission notes and money

* Parent-Teacher interviews this week. Please see your child's teacher to make an appointment

* Please return your Education Week RSVP by Friday so that we can cater for the sausage sizzle

* There will be no guitar lessons held this week. Lessons will resume as normal in Week 3

* PSSA games on Friday. Please note that there will be no training on Friday morning due to Tree Day activities

Last week was a busy one for our first week back this term. We braved the weather on Wednesday and held our Athletics Carnival at Hensley Oval. We got through most of the events and students completed their field events at school on Friday morning. Results will be announced and notes for the zone carnival will be sent home early this week. I would like to congratulate all students on their wonderful behaviour on the day. Due to the weather there was a lot of time where students were required to sit and wait, and myself and the other teachers were very impressed with how patient and well behaved the students were throughout the day. Well done to all students!

SMS System

We have begun to use our SMS alert system to communicate brief reminders or changes to information about upcoming events. These messages are generated from a computer so please do not initiate messages to this number, instead contact the office on 9316 9608.

In order to ensure that messages are sent to the correct mobile number, and in case of the event of an emergency, it is necessary that the school office has the correct contact details for parents and carers. If you need to update your contact details please send your new information to the school office.

Education Week

Education Week is a celebration of public education. Education Week 2016 will be celebrated from 1 - 5 August. The Education Week theme for 2016 is 'Shared stories, better learning, stronger communities'.

Banksmeadow Public School will be celebrating Education Week on Wednesday 3rd August with the following events:

9:30-10:30 Open Classrooms

10:30 - 12:00 Sausage Sizzle lunch

12:00 Assembly - performances by Junior Dance Group, Senior Dance Group, Hippopotamus Choir, Senior Guitar Group

Please return your RSVP for the sausage sizzle by Friday 29th July (this week) so that we can cater accordingly.

Library News

Thank you to all families who provide a protective bag for their library book. Unfortunately, last week I noticed that a large number of children are not bringing library bags to school to protect the library books that they borrow and take home. Beginning next week, if a child doesn’t have a protective library bag they will be unable to borrow any books. Books are expensive to buy and if they are lost or damaged it is expected that they are paid for. Please provide a library bag for your child.

Carol Macdonald

Teacher Librarian

New Office System

The Department of Education has developed a new and integrated IT system to better support the many aspects of teaching and learning in NSW Public Schools. The Learning Management and Business Reform (LMBR) program will improve the management of financial and student data, including student wellbeing and learning data, and will improve collaboration between teachers in regards to student achievement on the learning continuum. This new system will be implemented in our school this year.

Our office staff will undergo a number of training days throughout Term 3 in order to familiarise themselves with the new program before its full implementation in Term 4. There may be some minor disruption to the running of the office, and we appreciate your patience and understanding at this time. All payments (online and cash/cheque) will proceed as normal for this term.

Dance - Showcase Tickets

All ticket orders for Showcase@the Juniors need to be returned to the school office by Wednesday 3rd August. Dancers will receive a note this week about the requirements for the Education Week performance at school in Week 3.

Open Night and Kindergarten Orientation

Dates have been set for our annual Open Night and Kindergarten Orientation Days. If you have relatives, friends or neighbours who may be interested in enrolling their child at Banksmeadow Public School next year, please encourage them to come along to our Open Night to learn a little more about the school. Dates are as follows:

Open Night - Wednesday 31st August

Kindy Orientation Morning - Wednesday 14th September

'Kids Into Kindy' Transition Program - each Tuesday from Week 1 (11th October) to Week 6 (15th November) of Term 4

Tree Day - REPEAT

Last term our school was approached by Frasers Property Australia (the company who are currently progressing the Tailor's Walk development). They wished to join with us for Planet Ark's Tree Day, to be held on Friday 29th July. Around 50 volunteers from the company will be working with Ms Hoskins, some of the teachers and students, and local tradespeople, to undertake beautifying works, equipment repairs and landscaping on the school grounds.

The work will include: the development of a vegetable garden near the demountables; corrective works on the deck in the Preschool; planting of trees around the outskirts of the field to provide increased shade cover; and some work to promote the growth of the pepper trees near the Banksmeadow sign on the netball court. Some of this work has already begun in preparation for the day, with the majority of the work to be carried out on Friday 29th July. There will be some disruption to the use of the playground next Friday.

We are extremely appreciative of all of the work that Frasers Property Australia are donating to our school. I will post some "before" and "after" shots when the works are complete.

Volunteers - REPEAT

We are very appreciative to all of our parents and relatives who volunteer their time to help at school functions and in the classroom. It is a requirement of the Department of Education that all volunteers are asked to complete a Working With Children Declaration, as well as show 100-points of identification. If you are a regular volunteer, please see the office staff at your convenience for a copy of this form. Thank you to everyone who volunteers their time - it not only assists the teachers in the classroom, but the students love to see their parent/carer/grandparent/aunt or uncle helping out in their classroom.

P&C

P&C Email

bpspandc@hotmail.com

Please send us your email address if you would like to be on the P&C circulation list.

Next P&C Meeting

Monday 1st August, 7pm in 6M demountable classroom. Everyone welcome!

Dates for the Calendar - TERM 3

WEEK 2

Monday 25th July

Tuesday 26th July

Parent-Teacher Interviews

No guitar lessons

Wednesday 27th July

OC Placement Test

Thursday 28th July

No guitar lessons

Friday 29th July

Tree Day

PSSA

WEEK 3 - Education Week

Monday 1st August

P&C Meeting @ 7pm in the 6M classroom

Tuesday 2nd August

ICAS - English test

Wednesday 3rd August

Thursday 4th August

Friday 5th August

PSSA

Other Dates For Your Calendar...

Monday 8th August: ESPSSA Athletics Carnival (Day 1)

Tuesday 16th August: ICAS Maths Test

Friday 19th August: Premier's Reading Challenge ends

Tuesday 23rd August: ESPSSA Athletics Carnival (Day 2)

Thursday 25th August: School Photos

Wednesday 31st August: Big Band Bash; Open Night

Tuesday 13th September: Sugar Workshop; SEPSSA Athletics Carnival

Wednesday 14th September: Kindy Orientation Morning

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