Stockton Public School Newsletter

I thought I had sent my last newsletter for the year, but there are a few more things....

As 2021 draws to a close I couldn’t be more proud of our wonderful school. We’ve taken on every challenge this year has thrown our way in the most difficult year we have ever known. Teaching and learning continued through dual platforms both face to face and remote learning. I would like to thank our school community and parents/carers who embraced and supported the learning through these difficult times. COVID has highlighted the critical importance of helping young people build the mindset and skillset to successfully navigate an uncertain and fast changing future. This year has forced all of us to adapt quickly and be resilient in the face of relentless challenges.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Nicky Denny, Mel Denny and Jordan van Wyck for their dedication, passion and commitment to the students and families, particularly through this year’s craziness. These fabulous teachers will not be with us in 2022, but I have every confidence that they will all succeed in whatever direction life takes them. Amy Hadwell is continuing her leave in 2022. Sam Schultz has recently given birth to a baby boy, Owen. Sam will be on maternity leave next year. We will see many new faces at Stockton Public School next year.

Congratulations to all recipients of awards, medals, trophies and book vouchers at  our Presentation Day assemblies. This year the special assemblies were split into cohorts, according to where the student classrooms were housed, to keep in line with the current guidelines.

Leadership assembly

At Stockton Public School we believe in inclusive practices and for our Student Leadership team we want six outstanding school citizens who will be good role models for the rest of the school population. We would like to give all students this opportunity and so have six students regardless of gender to take on the Leadership roles. Our 2022 school leaders were announced at our leadership assembly. I could easily have 17 leaders next year as they all did such a wonderful job, doing themselves and their families proud. I congratulate them all for completing the process, showing determination and resilience.

Next year all Year 6 students are all leaders and role models in our school and community, whether they wear a badge or not.  They are reminded of their status in and out of the school, with the younger students looking up to them, watching what they do and how they speak. We have talked about other opportunities to lead such as house captains and other ventures throughout the 2022 school year. I look forward to seeing each and every one of Year 6 carrying yourselves as leaders next year, as United, Safe and Engaged students at Stockton Public School.

Hopefully early next year we can invite our leaders' parents into school for an assembly to badge out 2022 leaders.

Our leaders for next year are:

School Captains: Toby and Kenny

School Leaders: Bronte, Kingston, Ella and Ivy.

Congratulations!

A big thank you to our P&C for their continued support this year. We had great plans but COVID got in the way. We were, however, able to complete, open and celebrate our I Spy garden, which is the spoils of years of fundraising. The P&C had a plan and together we turned the plan into a vision, and look at the end result. It is an exciting playground for all students P-6, and a joy to watch different age groups interact with it. Thank you for supporting our canteen, Mrs Hunt and Mrs Daubney. It is a valuable resource that supports families and students)

I would like to acknowledge the staff both teaching and non-teaching who had the added challenge of being on the front line of supporting students through the difficult times COVID presented and continued to ensure the teaching and learning didn’t stop.

To our current Year 6 school leaders - thank you! You continued to be outstanding school leaders and role models despite the fact that it wasn’t a ‘normal’ year of leadership.

A big congratulations to our Year 6 students who leave us this week headed for high school. Well done to all of our Year 6 students on an outstanding year of achievements and reaching goals. As Year 6 leave primary school I hope they reflect back on all their years here with us and not just this year but I am sure in years to come they will never forget 2021 as the year not only of COVID but the year they graduated primary school with fond memories. We wish you well for the next stage in your schooling.

I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and wish families a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year and look forward to an even better 2022.

Ms Jodie Holt

Principal

As in 2021, next year we offer families the opportunity to purchase resources for their children at a very low cost of $35. Other schools can charge above $65 and up to $95. Each class will have a small amount of items to be purchased from Kmart/Big W and sent to school. What do you need to do?

• Pay $35 to the Office for each child in your family

• $35 can be paid in full, or in instalments during the year

• Keep your receipt from the Office to claim on your tax

• Benefit from the bulk buying power of the school

• Sit back, relax and let us do all the shopping!

• Simply send your child to school with their hat, lunch box and water bottle each day!

What you won’t have to worry about: -

• Buying pens, lead pencils, glue sticks, erasers, rulers, work books, folders, art supplies (and the list goes on…)

• Sending your child to school with a pencil case (or two!)

• Going to the shops with a long list of equipment to buy

• Worrying about your child’s property getting lost

• Replacing items that break or run out during the year

• Venturing into expensive stores that sound like ‘Hypo’, ‘Office Perks’, and ‘Wiggle’! 

As I have always promoted, we are constantly looking for new opportunities for the students. This year we had after school classes in art, Spanish and guitar. I am hoping these will return in some form in 2022. The extra opportunities offered to our students allow our students to excel both in and out of the classroom. It also gives students new experiences that they may not have tried before or even know they are interested in.

Next year we have decided to supplement our PDHPE program with a specialist athletics program for all students. This will give all students the skills to better participate in our Athletics carnival in Term 1. A note will be coming home this week so that families can prepare and plan for the payment. We have applied for and received a grant to subsidise the program, reducing the cost to $8 per child. Another great opportunity for all students at Stockton Public School.

As we move towards the end of the year, my focus has turned to many organisational aspects to prepare our school for 2022.

As a NSW government primary school, we are staffed on the total number of students enrolled. Public schools in NSW are staffed on average class sizes of 20 in Kindergarten, 22 in Year 1, 24 in Year 2 and 30 in Years 3-6. When I am confident of student numbers, I will be able to proceed with plans for how the school will be structured and how our classes will be formed.

If you know anyone, a neighbour, a work colleague, a friend that has a student ready to start Kindergarten but has not enrolled can you please ask them to do so as soon as possible. Our enrolment numbers K-6 determine our staffing and therefore how many classes we can operate next year.

If anyone knows they are leaving Stockton Public School and has not notified the office or a class teacher, could you also do this as soon as possible.

The allocation of students to classes is the professional responsibility of the teachers and the school leadership team.

A great deal of time and care is taken on the placement of each individual child with our ultimate goal being the placement of each child in a class where she/he will be given optimal chance for success and happiness. We feel positive that the extensive time and care that we give to this process, together with the talent and commitment our staff puts into forming the classes, means that we are able to produce the best possible class combinations to benefit each and every child. Once formed,  I am reluctant to make changes due to the large impact that one move can make. Your trust in our decision making, your appreciation of the time and care that goes into this process, and your respect for the competence and dedication of our staff, are greatly appreciated.

Semester 2 reports will be coming home today for students K-6. They will be a modified report consistent with Department of Education guidelines due to learning at home during COVID19 restrictions and the consequent disruptions to class learning and assessments. The report will include a comment on your child’s progress in English and Mathematics. As well as future learning goals. We have also included Commitment to Learning, Wellbeing and Social Development markers. There will be no grades this semester.

Please note we are not accepting cash at the front office. Please call the office and arrange to make a payment for uniforms. Payments can be made via our website using the "Make a Payment" link or tapping your card on our EFTPOS machine from the Clyde Street gate.

You may be unaware that our school does not have an internal phone system. We are also cohorting as a staff and our office ladies cannot enter all classrooms across the school. For that reason, as from 2.00pm we will not be taking and passing messages to students about changing pick up arrangements at the end of the school day. It is a difficult process to get messages to classrooms as they are now on a staggered leaving time plan. We also run the risk of the message not making it to your child and then perhaps leaving a child stranded or anxious about the change in  plans. It is paramount that your child knows how they are getting home each day before they come to school each morning. This will avoid disappointment and confusion in the afternoons when parents/carers call and we tell you that we are unable to fulfil the request.

Should you become aware of a security incident at our school please contact the School Security Unit's hotline 24/7 on 1300 88 00 21.