St Marys North Public School

The Education Act 1990 requires you to ensure your child attends school each day that instruction is provided unless they are prevented from doing so by sickness or another acceptable reason and for you to provide an explanation for any absence. You are required to explain your child’s absences within 7 days. Failure to do so will result in an unjustified absence being recorded. Attached to this newsletter you will find slips that can be used to notify the school of your child’s absence and the reason.

The school day starts promptly at 9.00am each day. Last year, the introduction of the weekly attendance class trophy was enthusiastically welcomed by our students. This year we have extended this so that each stage will have a trophy meaning that more of our classes will celebrate their attendance each week. We do, however, still have an increasing number of students who are continually arriving to school late or leaving early. Arriving late to school impacts greatly on students academically and socially. Students who are late to class miss vital instruction that forms a part of morning routines and lessons. It can also be uncomfortable for a student to walk into class late as their classmates will be engaged in learning and they will need to interrupt the lesson to receive individual instructions. We are hopeful that 2021 will see all students arriving to school prior to 9.00am ready to start the school day on time and not leaving early. We thank you for your assistance in advance.

A reminder our gates open at 8.30am in the morning. Please ensure your child is not at school before this time as they will not have access to the playground. The gates on Debrincat Ave close at 9.15am and the Willow Rd gates shut at 9.30am. To gain entry to the school after this time you are required to buzz at the Willow Rd gate and the office staff will assist you. A reminder that all non-essential visitors are still not permitted on the school site, unless attending the office to purchase uniforms or for scheduled meetings. Students with siblings are still being released at 2.50pm and all other students at 3pm.

We are most appreciative of the way our community is assisting of a morning and afternoon with the COVID rules that are still in place. Our students are doing a wonderful job of walking themselves into school on their own and again as they leave of an afternoon.

A reminder that smoking on school grounds is strictly prohibited. There is also a 4-metre exclusion zone from the entrance gates. Please be mindful of the health of our students and community members and refrain from smoking near our school. 

Today we bid farewell to one of our much-loved teaching staff who is leaving us to make new memories in retirement. Miss McDonald has worked with us here at Norths for many years. I had the pleasure and enormous honour of walking through the school gates on my very first day as a new teacher, alongside Miss McDonald.

Miss McDonald’s teaching career extends over 31 years – 28 of those have been here at Norths. In fact today is the exact day, 31 years ago that Miss McDonald commenced her teaching career. Miss McDonald started at Norths as a classroom teacher and quickly became a role model of expert practice to her colleagues. This saw her rightfully move into an executive teacher position and soon after, in 2003, Miss McDonald became one of our Assistant Principals. 

Miss McDonald has been instrumental in many school initiatives over her years that helped steer our school in positive directions. I have always stood in awe of this amazing lady who selflessly gave so much of herself to her students and colleagues. She has positively impacted on the lives of countless students and their families who I am certain are eternally grateful. Miss McDonald has been a mentor that we will continue to look up to and we will forever strive to reach the heights of her success.

We thank you for dedicating so much of your life to the service of the students of NSW for 31 years. Your dedication to our students, ensuring that an inclusive learning environment was continually provided for all, will be long remembered. We thank you for leaving a part of yourself that is now woven deeply into the fabric of our wonderful school.

You have changed our world … one child at a time. You have shaped the minds of hundreds of students, believed in them and given them their wings to fly. We wish you well in retirement Miss McDonald, though, the walls of our school will forever feel a little emptier.

I look forward to another exciting year. St Marys North PS is a vibrant learning community where we work together to ensure our students grow into well informed and respectful young people. We have so many wonderful things to look forward to, let the learning begin!

 ‘The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.’ – Brian Herbert

Mrs Parrello

Principal

After visiting S3R last week, I observed the wonderful Emilee-Rose being a ‘switched-on’ learner. S3R were learning to use the features of the software program Microsoft Sway, and we were using the itinerary for the Stage 3 Camp to Canberra planned for later in the year, as our topic for the presentation. Emilee-Rose displayed traits of a highly engaged and motivated learner. She was consistently focused, asked clarifying questions, responded to feedback and even had plans to share her learning with her family and continue to work on her presentation at home. These characteristics are just what we are looking for in all of our students. Well done Emilee-Rose for being a stand-out learner in your classroom so early in the year. Keep it up!

Miss Bishop

Yaama everyone,

I would like to welcome all our new students to our Norths' family and all our existing students back to Norths for what I hope will be a great year.

I would like to congratulate Janitta on becoming our Aboriginal Leader for 2021. Janitta had the opportunity to sit down with our previous Aboriginal Leader, Tiahna and Miss Wallace to personalise her Acknowledgement of Country for 2021. We all look forward to hearing your amazing Acknowledgement at our upcoming assemblies. Congratulations to all the students who were selected for Leadership roles for 2021.

Aboriginal dancing with Uncle Mark and Aunty Teagen has begun again and is open to all students. Any students wanting to participate can come to the Hall every Thursday at second break.

Culture Class lessons will begin in Week 4. This term we are focusing on Geography, this includes learning about the many different Language groups of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as well as their connections to country and sacred sites. Stage 3 will be learning about the similarities and differences between First Nations peoples across the world.

I know that 2020 was a difficult year for many people, I hope that 2021 is a better year for everyone.

Miss Wallace

Many families find returning to school financially difficult especially Term 1. We’ve tried to give our kids a great school holiday break and probably spent a little too much on keeping them entertained and now finding the bank account is struggling to cope with a the lunchbox grocery shopping. Stop stressing, we are here to help.

Every Tuesday afternoon, Willow’s pantry will be handing out FREE food hampers. These boxes contain bread, a great range of fruit and vegetables and some added goodies from time to time.  The food is donated to us by Food Bank and Little Helpers on the Run.  Last year Willow’s Pantry provided our families in need with over 7 tonnes of grocery items.  

Keep an eye out on our Facebook page every Tuesday morning to reserve a hamper for your family. You can either comment on the post, send an email to Nicole.baker18@det.nsw.edu.au or contact us through the office before 12pm. 

Mrs Baker

CLO

Kyle Pannaye