Mount Ousley Public School News

A small school with big opportunities.

Term 4 Week 9, Wednesday 1 December 2021

Principal's Report

With the end of the school year fast approaching there is lots to do before the Christmas break.

Teachers and students are working hard on their twilight video item, from the sneak peaks I have had, it is looking like another amazing performance. This video will be sent out to families in the final week of school via SeeSaw. It is extremely important that no parts of the video are shared on social media as some children do not have permission to be published on those platforms. 

We are busy preparing for our presentation day assemblies. Due to restrictions we will only be able to have the families (limited to 2 adults) of the children receiving awards in attendance. These families will receive an invitation in the form of a letter. Our presentation day will be split into two assemblies to minimise mixing and reduce the number of adults onsite. To attend, all adults must provide proof of full vaccination and sign in using the school QR check-in code. Entry will be via the Vereker street gate only. The assembly for students in K/1 Shine, K/1 Explore, 1/2 Thrive and 2/3 Connect will be held at 9:30am, while the assembly for 3/4 Super, 4/5 Loyal, 5/6 Focus and 5/6 Gusto will be held at 12 noon. 

In recognition of the amazing teaching and learning that has occurred over the past 18 months, last week our school was awarded an Excellence in Education award by Executive Director, Kathy Powzun and  Director, Education Leadership Mr David Lamb. The award recognises the growth in student achievements and the outstanding commitment to learning that is demonstrated by our students, families support staff and teachers. Congratulations everyone, this is an outstanding achievement.  

Emily Jones 

2022 Swimming Carnival

The 2022 Swimming carnival will be held on Wednesday 2 February 2022. This is the second day back at school for the year, so it is important that we have the permission notes and organisation finalised prior to the end of this year. Please fill in the attached note and return it to the office no later than Monday 13 December 2021 to secure your child's participation in the event.  

Koolyangarra Yearbook

KOOLYANGARRA 2021

Every year, we produce a yearbook to celebrate our students. It is an 80-page, full colour magazine that contains a piece of work from each student in the school, along with photographs of school events. The yearbook is now available to be ordered at a cost of $18. Orders will be accepted until 11th February 2022, with delivery in early March. Orders will be taken via the Google Form link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aCKRK9gKCdcSGbHr8ns_0zw8HzGlY0T2U7gMCAKwjQ/edit?usp=sharing

Please fill in your details, and complete payment as soon as possible. Payment can be made online, or by sending cash to the office in a clearly marked envelope.

Twilight raffle and Giving Tree

We will once again be collecting donations for the Twilight Raffle and the Giving Tree. If you would like to donate to either of these, could please send gifts to the office clearly marked with either twilight or giving tree.  

Raffle tickets will be in your child's bag today. Please do your best to sell them and return the tickets and money to us no later than Monday 13 December. All tickets must be returned, even if they are unsold. The draw will take place on Wednesday 15 December. 

We are hosting a BBQ and cake sale on Saturday 4 December at the hall on election day. This is the first opportunity we have had to come together to raise funds for the school in quite some time. We are asking  volunteers (must be fully vaccinated) to spare just 1 hour of their time to help out. All funds raised will go towards creating a new creative play area near the canteen. It will have giant chess/checkers, drawing, reading, dolls, dinosaurs, farm animals etc for students to play with. We are also planning on covering the concrete with marine carpet and painting a large mural on the walls to brighten up the space. 

Staffing changes

With the end of the year upon us it is time to farewell staff and welcome new faces to our beautiful school. 

We will say farewell to Miss Roser who is embarking on a new adventure as she relocates to Queensland with her family. We have loved having Miss Roser as part of the team and wish her all the very best as she begins this journey. I know the children and staff will miss her and the new school will be very lucky to have her.

Ms Fitzpatrick is following her passion for Aboriginal education, embarking on a new challenge for 12 months, working with the Illawarra Aboriginal Land Council as an Education Project Officer. This role will help Aboriginal groups and schools work more closely together to help close the achievement gap for Aboriginal students. Congratulations, Ms Fitzpatrick.

Ms Van Dragt is also embarking on a new journey and expanding her experiences and skillset by accepting a role teaching Year 1 at Nowra East Public School. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with children from a variety of backgrounds and grow her skills in a school with 53% Aboriginal students. I would like to thank Ms Van Dragt for her commitment to her students and our school and wish her all the very best in her new role. 

Last, but certainly not least, Mrs Kerron after her 12 months with us has been successful in gaining a Lead Specialist position at the Campbelltown Education Office. This role will have Mrs Kerron share her expertise in professional learning for teachers in Literacy with many teachers across that network. I would like to thank her for her enthusiasm and the knowledge that she has brought to our school this year. 

 With these changes we will be welcoming a number of new faces to our team. Claire Carradice, Michelle Kaim, Angie Geisajtis are all exceptional teachers who will be joining our team. They have a wide range of experiences and expertise to offer our students and the school as a whole. We are looking forward to having them join our team. I know you will make them feel welcome. A more detailed introduction will take place in the first weeks back at school next year. We will also welcome back Mrs Drysdale on a part-time basis.

The merit selection process, to fill the vacant Assistant Principal position, is currently underway. Once an applicant has been appointed to this position we will let you know. This will not happen until the last week of term.  

We understand that changes can be challenging and that this is a lot to take in. Please know that we will be talking to the children and answering any questions they may have to ease their worries and concerns. As a parent, if you have questions you can send them through to your child's teacher and they will respond or forward your concern to Miss Jones. 

Uniform Shop

We are once again able to have our uniform shop open to our families. The shop will be open on Monday from 2:45pm. There are NO EFTPOS facilities, so please bring cash with you. Please remember you must be fully vaccinated to enter the school grounds. 
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Canteen News

All items that children would like to purchase from the canteen will need to be by ORDER ONLY, which will then be delivered to the classroom by the canteen helper attached to each class.  There will be no lining up at the canteen to purchase incidentals as we need to avoid having students from different cohorts mixing.

The last day for canteen will be Friday 10 December. 

Also, because of Work, Health & Safety rules, students will not be allowed inside the canteen to spend time with parents.

Calendar of Events

Term 4

December                1      Kindergarten Orientation session 3

                                   4    Election day BBQ and cake sale

                                   8      Presentation Day

                                  10    Last canteen day

                                  14     Year 6 farewell evening

                                  16     Last day of term 4


Camp Australia Newsletter

COMMUNITY NEWS

Mount Ousley Public School is a very tech savvy school with so much to celebrate and share. To make sure you are always well-informed and up to date please like our Facebook page, visit our website and stay in touch through SeeSaw and of course Skoolbag.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mount.ousley

Website - https://mtousley-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/


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Proudly opened in 1959, Mount Ousley Public School has a long history of providing high quality education to the children of Fairy Meadow. With a unique setting and innovative classrooms, along side the integration of technology, Mount Ousley is a small school creating big opportunities for your students.