Plattsburg Public School Newsletter

When I was researching the history of Plattsburg back in 2015 I spoke to a great many ex-students. The most interesting and entertaining were the students from the late 1930s and the 1940s. They lived through an historic time - the Second World War. Their memories were of the mischief they got up to, air raid drills in Federal Park and eating the boiled lollies they had stored in dilly bags that were meant to sustain them in the event of an air raid. There was no talk of hardship, fear or frustration.

A great many students have passed through the doors of Plattsburg during times of significant global disruption and chaos. These have included the First World War, 1918 Spanish Flu, the Great Depression and the Second World War. In 2020 students experienced the COVID pandemic. I would dearly love to travel forward in time and hear their recollections of school life during this time. I hope their memories are of mischief and friendships. Our students are at the beginning of what I hope are long and healthy lives and like the generations of Plattsburgians that have gone before them I also hope the global condition that we find ourselves in now, builds for them a glass half full perspective.

Thank you to all our families for working with us to get through a year of challenge. Thank you to the P&C for also supporting the school and making sure that fun was still part of school life. Please enjoy a safe and peaceful Christmas. Here's to a 2021 that is full of good news.

Wednesday, 16th December 2020

Last Day of Term 4

Friday, 29th January 2021

First Day of Term 1 for students Years 1 to 6

Monday, 1st February 2021

First Day of school for Kindergarten students

It is with great sadness to inform the Plattsburg Public School community that past student and 2016 Vice Captain, Riley McFarlane has passed away after a battle with illness. Riley was a true Plattsy kid, involved in all aspects of school life. Riley was a gifted soccer goal keeper and represented Plattsburg during PSSA competitions and gala days. He enjoyed the Stage Two camp to the Great Aussie Bush Camp, won the coveted Primary School Solar Car Challenge with his best mates and fellow students, Keiran, Liam and Jack. Riley had positive leadership skills that saw him elected as 2016 Vice Captain and took on this role with responsibility and maturity. Vale Riley "Mac" McFarlane. 

"It's no secret that I love pirates. Riley was such a quiet, contemplative kid and he had a  particular smile he would use (sort of a Mona Lisa style of a smile) and he would use it on me whenever I was off on one of my pirate reveries. I always thought he was thinking what a silly old boiler she is. Anyway, he went on a holiday with the family to the United States and came back from that holiday and presented me with a pirate flag. I was so surprised he had thought of me let alone brought me a gift, maybe he didn't think I was a silly old boiler. He had a different smile for me this day, a big broad one, with that fringe of his falling across his enormous brown eyes. Together we attached it to my office door and it is still there to this day. I couldn't say how many kids I have told that a boy called Riley McFarlane gave me that flag." Ellen Bax, Principal.

"Riley was always ready to help, with a smile and a joke, even when I'd accidentally call him by his brother's name." Donna Brooks, Assistant Principal.

"For me what stands out when I think of Riley is not the passion of soccer or a funny story from the years in the classroom we spent together. For me it is his character. Rarely is someone his age so consistently caring, kind and reliable to all those around him. Riley is simply a great mate."  Marty Henderson, Class Teacher.

"Riley McFarlane will always be known to me as one of the ‘3 Musketeers’ of my very first class 3W. Riley, Liam and Kieran were 3 little boys, who just entered primary school, who formed a solid friendship that continued all the way through High School. This friendship possibly started from their genuine dislike for the singing and dancing we often did in our classroom! Riley did always participate in everything he did with that big smile on his face. Never did you ever have to ask him to do anything twice. I remember thinking that I’d hoped these boys would grow up still being the best of mates. Genuine people, with the genuine, caring and beautiful heart that Riley clearly had is very rare in kids so young. As we all know that inseparable friendship between those ‘3 Musketeers’ continued on. I’m so glad they had so much bonding time together, dancing and singing back in Year 3! " Ashley Whitmore, Class Teacher.

After a year like no other, we were able to celebrate the amazing successes of our students. Unfortunately, due to the weather, we were forced indoors. This could not have been helped but we tried hard to capture all the award recipients to share with our families. A big thank you to Mr. Unthank from Callaghan College Wallsend Campus who each and every year joins us in our weird and wacky antics on our presentation day.

Congratulations to Amanda Mikulski who was awarded a Lifetime Membership Award for 10 years service to the P&C Association. Your contribution to the students, community and staff has been invaluable.

Congratulations to our 2021 Executive. Captains Willoby Simpson and Hayley Williams, Vice Captains Djarayi Henry and Evie Ross and Prefects Dean Reynolds and Phoebe Lee.

Congratulations to our Year 6 students who graduated from Plattsy on Monday evening. This year the ceremony was slightly different but was full of laughter, happy tears, happy memories, and even a surprise guest. They celebrated the end of primary school with a bang where they enjoyed a packed day of trivia, laser tag, pizza in the park followed by some games. Looks like they had a ball! Good luck next year in high school and always remember, you're a Plattsy kid.

Congratulations to our Year 5 candidates who have all presented their election speeches this week. We are all very proud of their organisation, hard work and commitment in preparing their speeches. They have all made it a hard decision on who to vote for and we wish all of them the very best of luck. Our successful candidates will be told what position they have been elected to during our Presentation Day assembly on Friday 11th December.  They speeches can be viewed in the video below and on our school's website.

Plattsburg Public School were part of a program with the Wetlands Centre that enabled us to purchase and get a water pump installed through the Callaghan Sustainable Schools grant. This means that the water collected in our school tank can now be used to water our gardens which will decrease our water usage. Special thanks to Abigail, Djarayi and Willoby for coming up with the action plan to secure the grant and working hard to help our school be more sustainable.

Jesmond Neighbourhood Centre is running is free food program.  This is a service that allows people in need of food an opportunity to get some food for free.

It operates every Wednesday from 1:00pm until 3:00pm and and Friday from 12noon until 2:00pm or until goods are exhausted. There is free bread, fruit and vegetables available, bakery and fresh produce amounts vary from week to week.All welcome, one bag per family, please bring your own bag.Jesmond Neighbourhood Centre also offers a range of other services, including:

• Adolescent and Family Counselling 9-18 years
• Anxiety Support Group (1st Wednesday of every month)
• Condom Credit Card provider
• Telephone cards
• Sanitary products provider
• Free shower
• Free fruit, vegetables, eggs and bread every Wednesday and Friday
• Free use of computer and printer
• NILS loan applications
• SecondHand shop (prices from 50c to $2.00)

 Email JesAdmin@connectabilityaus.org.au or telephone 4979 8555

Latest COVID-19 Information from the Department of Education and NSW Health for parents can be found at:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19