ENewsletter

Principals Column

Hello

It was a big day last Monday when Bu Gillian our beloved and respected Principal shared with the school and community body of her new role as a Behavioural Specialist Advisor for NSW. Bu Gillian also let us know she is unwell. This news was heartfelt by everyone and we congratulate her on this new position where her expertise will benefit many schools across the state and we all wish her a speedy recovery.

As Assistant Principal I have immediately assumed the role of Relieving Principal, which takes me off being the Year 1/2 full time teacher. Bu Debra will be the Year 1/2 class teacher for the next 2 weeks which will take us up to the holidays.

I have had a clear directive from the Senior Education Director Sue Brown that I will be remaining in the role of Relieving Principal until the end of Term 2 to maintain consistency within the school. This clarification now means that the Year 1/2 class will have a new teacher for the whole of Term 2. This person has not been identified as of today but everyone will be informed when the staff member is confirmed.

Last week we saw the beginning of the WAVES program down at the beach where all students attended and accessed our beautiful coastal learning environment.

Our student leaders have also begun working with their Peer Groups across the school developing and fostering practical skills to enhance social and emotional wellbeing facilitating positive social behaviours, attitudes and skills such as empathy and teamwork. Peer Groups across the school generate and maintain the positive, unique Scotts Head Public School culture.

Thank you for your ongoing and continued support during this transitional period. I am missing being the classroom teacher to all the amazing Year 1/2 students but am passionate about Scotts Head Public School and everything it represents when stepping into this leadership role.

Mrs B - Relieving Principal

Our School Values

School News

This Week's Award Winners

Classroom Spotlight on Learning - Year 3/4

In Year 3/4 we have had a busy term!

Writing: Our focus has been on character and narrative. Currently the students have been working through the process of creating their own character, planning their story and then creating their own comic. They are looking fantastic!

Art: We love art and adding colour and happiness to our classroom. The students have been using oil pastels to create beautiful artworks.

Maths: This term we have been looking at Place Value, Area and Length. Students have also been using our Essential Assessment platform to work on their personal Numeracy learning goals.

Science: We are looking at the Growth and Survival of Living Things. The class loved planting our seeds and watching them sprout, some faster than others. We have also just started a google slides project around this topic and they are all very excited to learn some new tech skills along the way.

We have had such a wonderful first term together and Mrs C and I (Bu Deb) have enjoyed getting to know the class.

Bu Deb

Peer Groups - Year 6 Student Leadership

It was an exciting time last Wednesday for all Year 6 Student Leaders when their peer groups were announced for 2021. After successfully completing the Leadership Camp earlier this term, Year 6 Students will now work in pairs to support and mentor students from K-5 in small peer groups.

Peer Groups empower students to support each other, increase connectedness and allow students to form and develop healthy relationships. Student Peer Group Leaders develop practical skills to enhance social and emotional well-being facilitating positive social behaviours, attitudes and skills such as empathy and teamwork. Peer Groups across the school generate and maintain the positive, unique Scotts Head Public School culture.

Waves Program

Scotts Head Public School WAVES Program is off to a great start after two weeks students are improving their surf skills, rescue techniques and personal fitness levels as well as developing their understanding of safety at the beach. It is evident that all students are demonstrating resilience when working in the changing outdoor learning environment at the beach. The program is designed to educate the children of SHPS in personal wellbeing, surf safety, beach awareness and surf fitness in our idyllic beach setting.

A big thankyou to the local Macksville Scotts Head Surf Life Saving Club who provide qualified volunteers, and equipment to safely conduct our program each week.

District AFL Trials

Congratulations to Harry who has progressed to the Mid North Coast AFL trials. Harry is also attending the District Rugby League Trials this Friday. Good luck, Harry!

District Soccer Trials

On Friday 12 March, Santai, Wolfe, Noah, Tex, Gem, Xander, Ziggy, Reed, Sonny and Arlie went to the District Soccer Trials in Nambucca. They all tried their best and played really well. Congratulations to Wolfe, Noah, Gem and Arlie who made it through to the Mid North Coast Trials to be held in Coffs Harbour in the coming weeks (date to be advised).

Indonesian Lunch - Monday 29 March

As a special end-of-term treat, we are holding an Indonesian Lunch for all students K-6. Pak Mur has offered to make his famous "Bakso" (a kind of meat-ball noodle soup). Most students will be familiar with the Bakso song which we will sing together before we eat. Students will also get a spring roll "Lumpia" which is vegetarian and gluten-free. (Those who can't eat Bakso, will get two spring rolls instead). To help cover costs, we are asking for a donation of $4 per student. Please send correct money on the day.

COVID-19 and School Attendance

Students should be at school unless:

they have a medical certificate which states that they are unable to return to school due to an ongoing medical condition and the expected timeframe
they are currently unwell.

In accordance with advice from NSW Health, parents and carers are reminded NOT to send children to school if they are unwell, even if they have the mildest flu-like symptoms.

NSW Health has requested that schools encourage anyone who is unwell or has even mild flu-like symptoms, to arrange to be tested through their local medical practitioner or one of the COVID-19 clinics.

Students with flu-like symptoms will need to be tested and provide a copy of a negative COVID-19 test result and be symptom-free before being permitted to return to school. Please screenshot the text message you receive and email the school: scottshead-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au.

Parent Information

Upcoming Events:

Term 1

18 March 2021 - Book Club Orders due in

22 March 2021 - Cross Country

26 March 2021 - Visiting Performance "Cyber Wiser"

29 March 2021 - Indonesian Lunch

1 April 2021 - Easter Activities

1 April 2021 - Last Day of Term 1

Term 2

19 April 2021 - Staff Development Day

20 April 2021 - 1st Day of Term 2

6 May 2021 - Photo Day

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

year of schooling
category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.

The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).

Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).

If you have any questions about the NCCD, please contact the school.

Book Club Issue 2 2021

Please remember to have your Book Club orders in by Thursday 18 March 2021

Visiting Performance - "Cyber Wiser"

Now that restrictions have eased slightly we are able to have a visiting performance come to the school, we have one organised for each term this year. These performances provide opportunities for students to engage in learning experiences through music, drama and dance as part of their natural growth and development. However, learning in each of the art forms does not occur automatically. Regular learning experiences that are thoughtfully planned, sequenced and related are essential for developing students’ skills and knowledge and understanding within the art forms. These experiences contribute to the development of the whole child.

This term “Cyber Wiser” from School Performance Tours will be coming to school on Friday 26 March at 2.00pm. The cost is $6.00 per student. Please send in note and money by Tuesday 23 March 2021.