‘Endeavour to Excel’ ‘Excellence, Opportunity, Success’ 121 PACIFIC HIGHWAY, OURIMBAH 2258 PHONE: 4362 1033 FAX: 4362 2531 Email : ourimbah-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website : www.ourimbah-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

‘Communicating with our Caring Community’

Wednesday, 5th August 2020

DATES TO REMEMBER

PRINCIPAL Stars of the Week – Learning and Support Programs (Mrs McLean and Mrs Golding) This week I had the pleasure of meeting some of the students who benefit from one of our many Learning and Support programs, which are co-ordinated by Mrs McLean and Mrs Golding. Mrs Golding and Mrs McLean are our school’s Learning and Support Teachers who work closely with the classroom teachers in supporting those students who may require some additional support to successfully

access aspects of the curriculum, often with a particular emphasis upon literacy and numeracy. They also provide professional specialist advice, support and mentoring for those students with identified disabilities and work collaboratively with staff and the School Counsellor to establish highly individualised learning programs and learning adjustments for students from Kindergarten to Year 6. It was great to visit Mrs McLean during one of her literacy lessons with Gabrielle B, Jamison K-G and Georgia M who were doing some language work with their weekly spelling words. This week they have been learning all about homophones (words that sound the same but are spelt differently and have different meanings) with Mr Edwards. This clever trio had to write a sentence using the homophones ‘need’, ‘knead’ and ‘kneed’. Check their great work out – • Gabrielle – “My baby brother can knead the

playdough.” And “I need to be on time for my swimming lessons.”

• Jamison – “I kneed my brother in the leg.” And “I need breakfast.”

• Georgia – “You knead the dough when you work in a bakery.” And “You need to eat your vegetables.”

I also had a special visit by Mia F-B from 1K. Mia works with Mrs Golding and Miss Kimpton on improving her reading and vocabulary. Mia read the book, ‘Kitty Cat and the Paint’ before doing some word work with magnetic letters and a whiteboard – great job, Mia! My final visitor was Christian B from 2ME. Christian works hard with his teachers to help improve his reading

DATE EVENT

3-7 August Education Week Theme - ‘Learning Together’

6 August Issue 5 Book Club Due tomorrow 10 August CANTEEN CLOSED 10 August 4E Parent/Teacher Interviews 14 August P&C Zoom Meeting 17 August CANTEEN CLOSED 17 – 21 August Parent/Teacher Phone Interviews 18 August Science Competition 24 August CANTEEN CLOSED 25 August English Competition 1 September Maths Competition 3 September Father’s Day Stall 7 September School Photo Day

and writing. Christian confidently read the book, ‘The Mice have a Meeting’ to me before answering some comprehension questions about where the mice lived and doing some vocabulary work with the word ‘live.’ Keep up the fantastic work, Christian!

Road and Pedestrian Safety Please note that the staff car park and bus bay along Dog Trap Road must not be used as a ‘Kiss and Go’ area. We had an incident earlier this morning where 3 vehicles were pulled up in the bus bay when one of our school buses arrived – the students had to get off the bus in an unsafe manner putting them all at risk. Thank you to those families who are putting student safety first and utilising the RSL carpark to drop-off and pick-up their children before and after school.

Education Week - Celebrations This week we have been celebrating Education Week with our staff and students. This year’s theme, ‘Learning Together’ reflects an incredible year for Ourimbah PS students, staff and parents, and the partnerships that have been strengthened in response to the challenges that our community has faced and overcome in 2020. This Education Week, we embrace the whole NSW public education community, highlighting the achievements of local schools and the support that we have provided each other whilst adjusting to remote learning and the phased return to school following the ‘Learning From Home’ period. As Principal of this wonderful school, I continue to be amazed by the resilience and support demonstrated by our staff, our students and our families during a year of bushfires, floods and COVID-19. The key messages of Education Week celebrations include the following important elements – Schools are the cornerstone of communities, Change and resilience and Connect better and learn together. Unfortunately, due to the social distancing regulations, we are unable to host our annual Open Day as part of our Education Week celebrations. However, our staff and students have decided to celebrate ‘Learning Together’ in the virtual world by creating a whole school video to bring the celebration to you. I would like to thank all of the teachers and students for embracing this new way of celebrating Education Week, particularly Mr

Hughes who has compiled all of the photos and created a slideshow showing you all how we are learning together during these new and interesting times. The slideshow will be shared with the parent community this Friday 7 August via the school website. A link to a closed YouTube group will also be shared with all families via the Seesaw Platform – we hope you enjoy the show!

Central Coast Public Education Awards 2020 Each year, the local network of Principals of the Department of Education, in partnership with a number of local Consultative Groups and Associations, holds an Appreciation Awards Ceremony to recognise the outstanding contributions made by individuals to public schools across the Central Coast. We are able to nominate two people for these awards each year. This year, I would like to congratulate Mrs Jodi Golding and Mr Graham Abbott on being nominated by the Ourimbah PS staff to be the recipients of these awards. Mrs Golding has been nominated for being, ‘A dedicated and compassionate teacher devoted to improving student learning outcomes through innovative and evidence-based teaching practices as an L3 Trainer.’ Graham’s nomination reads - ‘Graham has dedicated 20 years of support to the staff and students of Ourimbah PS as a caring and passionate volunteer.’ They are both very well deserved and I would like to thank them both for having such a positive influence upon the lives and minds of our Ourimbah PS community.

Physical distancing Please remember that during this time of uncertainty, with increased numbers of people testing positive to COVID-19 in NSW we ask that all adults maintain physical distance from each other (1.5m) when dropping off and picking up your children.

The temporary security fencing near the main entry and exit point to the school has now been removed providing more room for families to social distance at bell times. Please collect your child / children as quickly as possible from the Dog Trap Rd gate and depart the school grounds promptly to ensure we are following social distancing guidelines and maintaining good infection control practices. We thank those parents who refrain from entering school grounds unless it is an essential visit or has been pre-arranged with school staff.

We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone, but thank you for your ongoing understanding and patience.

Primary Ethics As scripture and ethics classes resume at Ourimbah in Term 3, we would like to accommodate more families with the option of ethics. Currently ethics is available for Stage 3 only, however, if volunteers become available, we will offer the classes in other stages. Stage 1 ethics did not go ahead due to the unavailability of a teacher. For more information about the curriculum and our organisation, visit primaryethics.com.au and submit your application, or contact the Volunteering Manager, Maria McCarthy, at maria.mccarthy@primaryethics.com.au. A flyer has been included with this week’s newsletter.

Semester 1 Student Reports - ‘2 Stars and a Wish’ A reminder, we request that parents and carers take the time to reflect upon their child’s Semester 1 Report and complete the ‘2 Stars and a Wish’ sheet and return it to your child’s class teacher as soon as possible. This process provides students and their families with the opportunity to share the wonderful achievements made in their learning to date at school and at home during the ‘Learning From Home’ period, and will also enable the class teachers to work with the students on establishing SMART goals for Semester 2. A copy of this document has been attached with this week’s newsletter. Parent and Teacher Phone Interviews will be held in Week 5 of Term 3 – commencing on Monday 17 August for all classes except Mr Edwards (4E). Mr Edwards will be on leave during this period and will conduct his phone interviews during Week 4 (Monday 10 August).

School Maintenance Works The new long jump pit is nearing completion and should be completed in the coming weeks. Phase 1 of the A-oval upgrade has been completed with 300 square metres of the playground being resurfaced with synthetic grass.

We are now in the process of replacing an existing water tank which will be used to supply rainwater for the irrigation system that is planned for A-oval. Mr Rainger is also busy upgrading some of our garden beds to improve the safety and physical appearance of our school playground - looks great!

P&C News In line with current NSW DoE advice, P&C meetings are to be conducted on-line in preference to face-to-face meetings. The next P&C meeting will be scheduled as a Zoom meeting for Wednesday 12 August – we look forward to you joining us with further information to be released later in the week.

Father’s Day Celebrations To celebrate the marvellous men in our lives we will be having our annual Father’s Day Stall on Thursday 3 September - so save up those coins kids! Enhanced hygiene practices will be implemented to ensure gifts and parent volunteers follow social distancing guidelines including the use of disposable gloves and hand sanitiser as part of our infection control measures. Gifts range from $3.00 - $15.00. Please remember to send money in with your child if you would like them to purchase a gift from the Father’s Day stall – a small number of gifts will be available from the front office if your child forgets to bring their money in on the stall day! Kind regards, Greg Francis (Principal) CLASSROOM EFFORT & BEHAVIOUR POINTSCORE Week 2 - Winning House – Emus Emus – 37.5 Koalas – 36.5 Platypus – 30.5 Kangaroos – 25.5 Week 3 – Winning House – Emus Emus – 35 Koalas – 34 Platypus – 33 Kangaroos – 27 CLASSROOM AWARDS K-2 Week 2/3 – Amilia O, Raiden D, Jack E, Violet K KA; Sophia A, Natalia C, Logan H, Elijah W KL; Archie W, Imran L, Ava S, Florence N KSB; Cassius K, Indy P, Cooper R, Mia F 1K; Faith M, Sian C, William A, Paige H

1/2Y; Oakley C, Hudson B, Grace F, Capri F 1/2N; Alexis V, Peter H, Stella H, Noah C, Evie C 2ME; Cooper W, Blayne D, Tori M, Phoenix R 2B; Elijah W, Ava S Library CLASSROOM AWARDS 3-6 Week 2 – Liam W, Blake K 3AG; Maison G, Emily F 3/4B; Archer N, Kade B 3/4R; Toby D, Ethan W 4E; Aila B, Jensen F 4/5EA; Ella T, Jayden C 5C; Carrera B, Fletcher M 6C; Krystal K, Gabriel K 6F; Zenon B, Lily K Library Week 3 – Mali G, Indianna M 3AG; Stephanie H, Lily H 3/4B; Sophia D, Chloe B 3/4R; Tanner B, Rucci F 4E; Ash C, Chloe O 4/5EA; Tameka W, Declan K 5C; Bronson M, Giada B 6C; AJ M, Taneisha P 6F; Riley M, Emma W Library LEARNING AND SUPPORT: CLASSY ARTICLE This year, we have had the privilege of working with around 100 students within our school. Together, we have been working on a range of literacy, numeracy, social and emotional skills. Sometimes, we work in the classrooms as an extra teacher, while at other times we teach from our own rooms with small groups of students at a time. Year 2 children love riding on the pedal bikes while they read their familiar texts, before starting a new book with Mrs Golding and writing about it. Many of the Year 1 students like manipulating the magnetic letters to make words from the text they have read, as well as new words. Many Stage 2 and Stage 3 students have enjoyed participating in hands-on learning activities for Maths, as well as reading and writing with Mrs McLean. Checking-in with student well-being is another of Mrs McLean’s important roles. Having a positive mindset can make all the difference to a student’s learning. Helpful Tips for Home: Listen to your child read daily. They might prefer books, magazines, recipes, online stories or articles - the back of the cereal box is better than nothing! Comprehension is important: always discuss what your child has read. Find incidental opportunities for learning: play eye spy in the car, have your child write out the shopping list, play a card or board game, follow a recipe to make something, or research an area of interest. Talk to your child: introduce new vocabulary through meaningful conversations. This will also help with their well-being. Mrs Golding & Mrs McLean

BOOK CLUB DUE TOMORROW Issue 5 of Book Club is due back at school by tomorrow, Thursday, 6th August. Orders and credit card payments can be made via the Scholastic LOOP platform or cash payments and orders can be sent to the office.

LOST PROPERTY – NO NAMES (what a shame!) Attention all parents!!! This is a photo of the unnamed lost jumpers in lost property from just the first two weeks of term 3. Approximately the same number of unnamed and unclaimed jumpers were donated to the uniform shop or placed in charity bins at the end of last term. Lost property cannot be returned to the students if they are not clearly marked with your child’s name. Please note: unclaimed lost property is donated or disposed of at least twice a term.

EXTERNAL VISITOR DECLARATION Before external visitors are allowed on a school site, they must sign an External Visitor Declaration Form. This form acts as evidence that the visitor is aware of, and will abide by their obligations to comply with the health advice when on site, including hygiene and distancing requirements. The visitor must provide personal contact details to the school to be used in an emergency or when performing contact tracing is required. This form is available from our front office and must be signed every time you visit the school. KINDERGARTEN ENROLMENTS 2021 We are now taking enrolments for all students who are eligible to start school in 2021 in our Kindergarten classes. Children may be enrolled in Kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn five years of age on or before 31 July in that year. By law, all children must be enrolled in school by their sixth birthday. Please advise the front office (4362 1033) of your child’s name and date of birth and we will send enrolment forms home for you to complete and return. You will also need to provide your child’s original birth certificate, statement of complete immunisation from Medicare and proof of your current address.

P&C NEWS FATHER’S DAY STALL The P&C Father’s Day stall is going ahead on Thursday, 3rd September. There will be a new selection of gifts available to purchase, ranging from $3.00 to $15.00 each. Wrapping sessions have been cancelled, as gifts will now be placed in bags on the day. Strict hygiene practices will be in place on stall day for parent volunteers and students. Venessa - P&C Fundraising Coordinator

UNIFORM SHOP Operating Hours – Mondays & Thursdays The opening hours for the uniform shop are as follows:

Mondays 8.30 am - 9.15 am Thursdays 2.30 pm - 3.15 pm

COMMUNITY NEWS

OURIMBAH PUBLIC SCHOOL 121 Pacific Hwy, OURIMBAH NSW, 2260 Phone: 4362 1033 Email: ourimbah-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Fax: 4362 2531 Website: www.ourimbah-p.schools.nsw.edu.au "Excellence, Opportunity and Success"

Ethics classes at Ourimbah Public School Dear Parents and Carers, An opportunity exists for you to become a volunteer ethics teacher at Ourimbah Public School. As scripture and ethics classes resume at our school in Term 3, we would like to accommodate more families with the option of ethics. Currently ethics is available for Stage 3 only, however if volunteers become available, we will offer the classes in other stages. With many people now working from home, the upside is that more parents may now have time flexibility that enables participation in school-based volunteer activities. Ethics classes are thought-provoking and give children a chance to practise skills like disagreeing respectfully with others and that they don't have to think something because their friends think that way. Volunteering for Primary Ethics is a great opportunity for children to learn more about ethical decision-making, how to ask good questions, to respect the views of others and be open to diverse opinions and values. Teaching a weekly discussion-based ethics class is a great opportunity to give back to the community and to ‘pay it forward’ to our society of the future. Anyone with an interest in lifelong learning, and an openness to listen to a child's ideas, is a great fit to volunteer for Primary Ethics. The curriculum is approved by the Department of Education as age-appropriate and training is available online. Volunteers will need to be available fortnightly at 2pm on Thursdays to deliver their class. For more information about the curriculum and our organisation, visit primaryethics.com.au and submit your application, or contact the Volunteering Manager, Maria McCarthy, at maria.mccarthy@primaryethics.com.au or 0410 348 574. Greg Francis Principal