CLARENCE TOWN PUBLIC SCHOOL

82 Queen Street, Clarence Town NSW 2321 Phone: 4996 4156 Fax: 4996 4392 Email: clarenceto-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: www.clarenceto-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

Kindness Honesty Effort

Term 1, Week 5 Student of the Week: Ben S2/3B Ben has been attending Clarence Town Public School since he started in Year 2. He is a pleasant, well-mannered student who always cares for younger students in the playground. Ben follows the CTPS PBL values Respect, Safety and Learning. He is a kind, fair and friendly class member who always tries his best to complete tasks. We think Ben will make an excellent Student of the Week.

Diary Dates 2020

Wednesday 26 February

Assembly 2:15pm –

S2K Assembly Item

Friday 28 February

Stage 2 & 3 Swimming for Sport

Clean-up Australia Day

Tuesday 3 March

Last Day for Sporting Schools – Soccer

Friday 13 March

Ride 2 School Day

Friday 20 March

Bullying Day

Wednesday 8 April

School Photos

Message From The Principal’s Desk : Welcome to the fifth week of the school year as 2020 continues to shape up as year of excellence here at Clarence Town. Last week saw a number of highlights for our community including the very successful ‘Welcome Back to School’ disco which not only attracted a very large crowd on Wednesday evening, it generated a community atmosphere which was both welcoming and heartfelt. Our students enjoyed the night of dancing, music and food which not only provides our P&C with a vital fundraiser, it brings our school community together. Clarence Town has a long standing reputation for sporting excellence and this was continued with the efforts of Mark Bates, Ellee Maytom and Darcy Booth at the Port Stephens Zone Swimming Carnival held at Tomaree on Wednesday. The students looked fitting in their new swimming caps in our school colours. Thursday saw our Mark Hughes Shield Rugby League team travel to Kurri Kurri where they held their own against much larger schools where Rugby League is a part of the school fabric and history including games against Woodberry and Kurri Kurri. This week coming will see an important community event with Mr Kemp organising Clean up Australia Day activities which coincide with further school leadership opportunities in the form of a Clarence Town School Environment Team which year 6 students have been asked to form and conduct. The first P&C meeting for 2020 was held last Tuesday night and proved a productive evening with forward planning and events for 2020 discussed. It is a great credit to the P&C that this small, yet dedicated group of parents have forward $10000 to the school to support half of the total cost of new benchmarked reading resources which are currently being rolled out by Mrs Brown. Important maintenance work will be completed in the school this week with electrical testing and tagging of all equipment across the school and the imaging of computer software to ensure more devices are available for student and staff use. One of the most effective ways to improve teaching and learning in all schools is to observe others lead in their practice. Today, we have Mrs Oldfield, Mrs Caffery and Miss Ellis visiting Bellbird Public School to observe the teaching of reading in a school recognised for excellence with the intent of bringing back some of this expertise to Clarence Town. The Dungog High school STEAM Fair which Clarence Town has been selected to host is unfortunately postponed until term two due the high school having some very busy scheduling of other events over the coming weeks and we are looking forward to that event when it comes to Clarence Town in May. Our students have been asked to contribute to a local project which runs over the next two weeks with the Clarence Town Football Club committee deciding to rename its club with a more appropriate Australian name and replace the current ’Coyotes’ logo. All of our students will receive a proforma to design and name the new logo with all submissions due by Friday 6th March to the school office. With so much happening at our school, the last week of February will pass by in blink of an eye, so have a great week, Clarence Town.

Port Stephens Zone Swimming Carnival Well done Mark, Ellee and Darcy for your sterling effort last week at Tomaree Aquatic Centre representing our school. Thank you parents for your support in providing transport and congratulations to these three amazing students for your athletic excellence which contributes to the school experience and the development of the child beyond the classroom. Well done Mark on being selected for the regional carnival in Newcastle later this term.

Clarence Town Football Club Enter now to redesign the logo of this famous local club by completing the design sheet which will be distributed with the newsletter today to all students. The winning design will be announced at the Erringhi Hotel on Friday 13th March. This is a rare opportunity to rename a local sporting club and contribute a unique legacy to the sporting landscape of Clarence Town for many years to come.

Welcome Back to School Disco photographs

PM Benchmark Readers Thank you to the P&C for providing valuable funding towards the school purchasing these fantastic new reading resources. Over the coming weeks, hundreds of new titles will be rolled out to classroom teachers providing stimulating and visually powerful texts for our students to enjoy, study and view.

Library news Thanks to Mrs Brown, the library is looking fantastic and represents a welcoming and stimulating resource for our students to visit, experience lessons and use technology in the pursuit of academic curiosity.

Stage 2/3GD Visual Arts It is always a great pleasure to visit classrooms and see quality student work displayed in these learning spaces. Year 5 and year 6 have cleverly designed interesting artworks last week including these stunning landscape designs which depict both a harsh and beautiful landscape encapsulated by the power of the sun against a starker foreground.

School Survey – Winners Thank you to all the parents who took the time to complete the school survey and hand them in at the disco. The winners of the 2 x $50-00 vouchers to the Clarence Town Bowling Club were Rose Preece and Sarah Beynon. Congratulations

Happy Notes Congratulations to all of the students receiving ‘Happy Notes’ from teachers for the excellent behaviour in the playground, their generosity towards others and the overall exhibiting of respect, learning and safety in the classroom and across the playground. Keep up the good work, Clarence Town.

Breakfast Club Every morning, it is very pleasing to see a large contingent of students at the canteen enjoying some breakfast which is prepared by our OOSHC Coordinator, Sue Terry. Toast with condiments such as jam, honey, marmalade and vegemite are on offer each day until just before bell time. This service is greatly appreciated as it no doubt contributes to happier and less hungry students in morning lessons.

National Day of Action against Bullying Coming up on Friday March 20th, Miss Bunn is coordinating activities in our school to focus on the effects of bullying, methods to confront and diffuse bullying and what all of us can do to prevent our friends in the community and at school being harassed. An important day to look forward to.

Voluntary School Contribution

Our 2020 School Fees will be the same as previous years - $20.00 per student or $40.00 per Family. We keep these fees as reasonable as possible. These fees are used to purchase classroom stationery supplies eg exercise books, rulers, pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, glue, scissors, etc.

Meet our school Chaplain: Jody Ferguson

The School Chaplain Program is a Commonwealth-Funded initiative aimed to support students

through the provision of pastoral care services and the promotion of strategies that support the

emotional wellbeing of students and the broader school community. Pastoral care is defined in the

Agreement with the Commonwealth as: "the practice of looking after the personal needs of students,

not just their academic needs, through the provision of general spiritual and personal advice."

What do School Chaplains do?

School chaplains are active in promoting student wellbeing, particularly through the

provision of pastoral care.

School chaplains encourage reflection about the spiritual dimensions of life.

School chaplains have an educative role in the areas of beliefs, values, morals, ethics and religion.

School chaplains work as part of the school support team to facilitate connection into the school network and wider community of students

who are suffering from bereavement, family breakdown or other crisis and loss situations. Chaplains are expected to respect the range of

religious views and affiliations, and cultural traditions in the school and the community, and be approachable by students of all faiths. It is

not the purpose of chaplaincy services to bring about or encourage commitment to any set of beliefs.

It is important to note that school chaplains cannot provide services for which they are not qualified, for example, counselling services or

psychological assessment, or medical assessment. The key tasks of a chaplain may include facilitating access to helping agencies in the

community, both religious-based and secular, with the approval of the School Principal. School chaplains work as part of the school support

team to facilitate connection into the school network and wider community of students who are suffering from bereavement, family

breakdown or other crisis and loss situations.

Chaplains are expected to respect the range of religious views and affiliations, and cultural traditions in the school and the community, and

be approachable by students of all faiths. It is not the purpose of chaplaincy services to bring about or encourage commitment to any set

of beliefs. It is important to note that school chaplains cannot provide services for which they are not qualified, for example, counselling

services or psychological assessment, or medical assessment. The key tasks of a chaplain may include facilitating access to helping

agencies in the community, both religious-based and secular, with the approval of the School Principal. Jody is at Clarence Town Public

School every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She will often be seen in the playground mixing with students and families. Parents may

refer their individual child/guardian to the School Chaplain by contacting the office.

Our Tawny PBL Mascot is going well. PBL stands for Positive Behaviours For Learning and is the

basis of our Student Wellbeing Program in the school.

We are constantly reminding students of our PBL Values and school motto along with our Tawny 5 Rules and I would also encourage parents to use these words when celebrating positive behaviour and discussing negative choices with your child. The Tawny 5 Rules:

I can listen

I can put up my hand and wait

I can work quietly

I can follow instructions

I can control what I do and Say The School motto:

Kindness Honesty Effort The Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Values:

Learning Safety Respect Through working together we create the best opportunities and learning experiences for all our students. Have a great week. David McGaw Relieving Principal

Assembly Merit Awards – Wednesday 12 February 2020

ES1E Zahli McColl, Emma Roddom, Jacob Webster S1O Matilda Booth, Sebastian Pearce, Sophie Sheridan S1W Laura Bagnall, Duncan Berends, Luke Strilchenko S2K Maliyah Bancroft, Taj Metham, Ula Webster S2/3B Cooper Kozis, Jordan Kozis, Jack Marks S3GD Sally Croxton, Charlie Jones, Lane Jones

Assembly Merit Awards – Wednesday 19 February 2020

ES1E Maicee Billinghurst, Vincent, Lewis Wade S1O Levi Bancroft, Leni Beeton, Christian S1W Millie Auer, Boston Gore, Lucas Whitby S2K Marshall Beeton, Angus Dick, Amalia Ziliotto S2/3B Lachlan Gifford, Finn McLean, Summer Stericker

S3GD William Barlow, Matilda Bourke, Piper Fitzpatrick

Remember to like us on Facebook and register for Skoolbag

so you can keep updated on the latest news from our school

Tawny Awards

As part of our PBL we have a Tawny Award process where students are recognised for consistent

positive behaviour. Students can bring in there Merit Awards and Happy Notes to receive Tawny

Awards, as follows:

Three Merit Awards or Happy Notes or any combination of each = White Tawny Award

Three White Tawny Awards = Gold Tawny Award

Three Gold Tawny Awards = Tawny Badge

Canteen News Our school canteen still requires a number of volunteers for Term 1. Please see below a list of dates that volunteers are required for. If you are able to assist on any of these days, please contact the school asap. Please note that if we do not have two volunteers per day, unfortunately the canteen will be closed.

Canteen Roster – Term 1

Week Monday Wednesday Friday

Week 5

24 February Katie Bagnall Alana Hammond

26 February Kerrie Salter Linda Anderson

28 February Julie Saville Amy Berends

Week 6

2 March Rina Rocco Alana Hammond

4 March Kelly Ryan Lisa Zilliotto

6 March 2 x Volunteers Needed

Week 7

9 March Alana Hammond 1 x Volunteer Needed

11 March Kershia Jones-Clark 1 x Volunteer Needed

13 March 2 x Volunteers Needed

Friday 6 March x 2 volunteers Monday 9 March x 1 volunteer Wednesday 11 March x 1 volunteer Friday 13 March x 2 volunteers Friday 20 March x 2 volunteers Friday 27 March x 2 volunteers Wednesday 1 April x 1 volunteer Wednesday 8 April x 1 volunteer

Disabled Parking Please be aware that parking in the disabled space is against the law, without the appropriate permit. We appreciate your consideration towards this matter.

We have had some close calls on the children crossing in Queen Street. When the red flags displaying the words CHILDREN CROSSING are used all drivers must slow down and halt before the stop line when a pedestrian is on the crossing or waiting to cross – and remain stopped until all pedestrians leave the crossing.

Student Emergency Contact Detail Report It is important we verify our records to ensure we have correct contact details for your child. A blue note will be sent home this week with every student. Could you please make any changes if necessary and sign the bottom of the form (even if all the details are correct) and return to the office as soon as possible.

Mathletics Fee

Once again in 2020 we will be implementing the Mathematics Mathletics Program across all grades K-6. This is a brilliant program which offers ability/grade based maths exercises for the year. This is a great supplement to Homework and with easy to follow instructions and explanations is great for students and parents alike. All students will be using the Mathletics program at school and I would strongly encourage all parents to purchase the licence, at the cost of $13.00 per student, so your child receives their password to use the program at home.

Year 6 Commemorative T-Shirt Commitment Note

Our school is currently in the process of ordering our Yr 6 Commemorative T-Shirt. The T-Shirt design will be chosen by the Year 6 students and is able to be worn one day per week (day to be confirmed). Your child’s name will be included on the back of the T-Shirt. We are asking that parents / caregivers commit to purchasing the shirts before we place our order by signing the commitment note and returning it along with a $20 deposit by Friday 28 February 2020. Payments can be made by cash, cheque or via our school website and Make a Payment tab (please contact the school if you have any questions regarding the Parent Online Payment). The shirts will cost approx $60 each (to be confirmed). As soon as we have finalised costs and suppliers, the order will then be placed. Unfortunately, if the note and deposit is returned after the above date, your child will not be able to purchase a T-Shirt. If you are unable to pay the $20 deposit by the due date, please contact the school.

Zone Swimming Report

Last Wednesday Clarence Town sent 3 swimmers to Tomaree Pool to compete at the Port

Stephens Zone Swimming competition. Clarence Town was represented this year by Ellee

Maytom, Darcy Booth and Mark Bates. Ellee competed in one event at the competition and she

was able to finish 6th in a heat of the junior girls 50 metre breaststroke. Darcy competed in 2

events at the competition with positive results in both events. In the boys 10 year old 50 metre

freestyle Darcy came 2nd in his heat and in the junior boys 50 metre backstroke he placed 1st in

his heat. Finally Mark was the swimmer that competed in the most events at the competition with

him entering into 5 different races. In the boys open 100 metre freestyle Mark finished 3rd in his

heat. In the boys 200 metre individual medley Mark finished 2nd in his heat and in the 11 year old

boys 50 metre freestyle he finished 1st in his heat. The most successful events Mark competed

in at the competition were the 11 year old boys 50 metre backstroke and the 11 year old boys 50

metre breaststroke. In both of these events Mark was amazingly able to finish 1st overall out of

all the swimmers competing at the zone competition. After achieving these sensational results

Mark has been successful in being selected to represent the Port Stephens region at the

upcoming Regional Swimming competition that will be held later in the term. Overall Ellee, Darcy

and Mark should all feel very proud of being able to reach the Zone Swimming competition this

year. Their fantastic results once again demonstrate the wonderful sporting tradition that we

continue to enjoy at Clarence Town Public School. Finally a big thanks must go to parents that

provided transport for the students to this event.

Mr Kemp

Community News Saturday 29 February is the Community Markets held at the Bowling Club so please come along and support the markets. Plenty of items to suit everyone from plants to candles, garden equipment, homemade pickles, jams and cakes as well as a wonderful selection of second hand goods and the Scouts Sausage Sizzle. We really need stallholders and customers to keep this market running, so why not come along and enjoy your morning with some friends. Sunday 1 March is Clean Up Australia Day so if you want to be part of this great initiative please meet at the Lions Park (at the top of the Caravan Park) at 8:00am with sturdy covered shoes, gloves, hat, sunscreen and water. We will work from there.