We always have reasons to celebrate at the end of each term, and today is no exception. Perhaps the highlight for us was to finally welcome parents back onto our school grounds. We are proud of our school community and enjoy having opportunities to engage with our families.
Thank you to the parents and community for supporting the Easter Hat Parade. It was wonderful to see the majority of students joining in this celebration and we thank our families for their support in making it so successful. The P&C raised close to one thousand dollars, which is an amazing effort! Thank you all for your ongoing commitment to our school. Photos from the parade will be available on the school website and Facebook page.
We will have lots of events happening throughout next term, so please make sure you access the Skoolbag app and Facebook page to stay up to date with the most accurate information.
Have a wonderful break and a safe holiday.
Ms Phillips
STAFFING UPDATE
Due to fluctuations in student enrolment numbers, Mrs Smith has been transferred to Campbelltown Public School. We thank Mrs Smith for her service and dedication to Kearns Public School. We will miss your enthusiasm and willingness to go above and beyond for the Kearns Community. We wish you the best of luck at your new school.
Ms Blayden will relieve in the role of School Administration Manager at the beginning of the term.
SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT DAY
School development days are used by schools to improve the skills of our teachers, school leaders and administrative support staff. They improve the learning outcomes of students by enabling whole school planning and enhancing teacher quality, school leadership and management practices. Our teaching staff will attend professional learning at Wests Leagues Club at the beginning of term two. Effective reading practices will be the focus for the day as it is one of our targets. Our administration team will be onsite working on school management practices. Students return to school on Tuesday 20 April 2021.
TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE
As you are aware, we have be planning the network and cabling upgrade for many months. These works are going to occur during the school holidays. The ITD team will complete the final configuration on the school development day. We are very excited about the possibilities this upgrade will enable.
SCHOOL LEADERS
Our school leaders recently attended the GRIP leadership conference. It is an interactive conference designed to strengthen the leadership skills and confidence of upper primary students. Students had an opportunity to interact with leaders from other schools in a series of engaging activities. We are looking forward to them bringing new skills into their leadership positions at school. Thank you James Meehan High School for loaning your bus to KPS. Our leaders had a fantastic time at the GRIP conference. We value this connection and support. This is a wonderful example of public schools working together to get the best outcomes for all students.
LIBRARY
Some of our Year 5 students have been taking part in Library Monitor training. Those who have been committed to the role and who wish to continue, will receive their badges early next term. Mrs Woods has appreciated their hard work and commitment throughout the term.
Our school will be acknowledging World Book Day on Friday 23rd April 2021. We will be encouraging students to share their favourite books with their class. It will also give us an opportunity to promote our involvement in the Premier’s Reading Challenge this year. More details will follow early next term.
RACE AROUND AUSTRALIA
Next term all students and teachers will participate in the Race Around Australia. This is a virtual physical activity challenge where teams and schools race alongside each other around Australia. Race Around Australia is part of the NSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge as part of the suite of programs available to DoE schools and corporate staff to motivate more students and staff to be 'more active, more often'. More information will be provided next term. We look forward to seeing how far out students will go.
ATTENDANCE
Our recent whole school attendance figures have been excellent! Thank you for consistently notifying the school if your child is unwell and not attending school. School attendance will continue to be a focus of the new school planning cycle from 2021-2024. We will also be closely monitoring partial attendance. If your child has fallen below the 75% attendance rate, our staff will be in touch to see if there are any strategies or help we can offer to get your child to school every day. If a student misses even one day a fortnight, this ends up being 4 weeks of school missed at the end of the year. Our Home School Liaison Officer (HSLO) is Mrs Karen Bates. Her role is to support our community with attendance. Contact with her can be arranged via the front office. Thank you for valuing your child’s education.
PLACEMENT PROCEDURES FOR YEAR 5 ENTRY TO AN OPPORTUNITY CLASS IN 2022
Opportunity classes cater for academically gifted and high potential students who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic and social level. Successful students will usually have to leave their current school to enrol in a school with an opportunity class for Years 5 and 6.
If you would like to have your child considered for Year 5 opportunity class entry in 2022, you need to apply between Tuesday 20 April 2021 and Friday 7 May 2021. You will need to access the online application at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-5 . You must not use the child’s email address.
WINTER UNIFORM
The transition from Summer to Winter Uniform begins in Term 2, with all students expected to be in full Winter Uniform by Tuesday 1st June.
The Girls Uniform consists of the Winter Tunic with a long-sleeved white blouse, tie, blue stockings and black shoes.
The Boys Uniform consists of a long-sleeved white shirt, navy pants, tie and black shoes.
School jackets and jumpers can also be worn, and school hats should be worn year-round.
Thank you for your support in ensuring our students wear their Kearns Public School Uniform with pride each day.
FOOD ALLERGIES
Food allergies are becoming increasingly common among children. We are asking our students and families to help make the school environment safer for all students, by following these simple suggestions:
• Please avoid sending foods such as nuts, peanut butter or nutella sandwiches to school with your child.
• Please always contact the Classroom Teacher before sending any food for sharing with the class for special celebrations like birthdays, Easter or Christmas.
• Please remind your child never to share his/her food and drinks with other students.
• Please wash your child’s face and hands thoroughly before they leave home, especially if your child has eaten peanuts prior to coming to school.
• Please remind your child often to wash their hands before and after eating
We greatly appreciate your support for children with allergies. Together we can make a difference.
SAFE, RESPONSIBLE, AND RESPECTFUL USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Our children and young people have grown up with digital technology and it is woven into their lives. During COVID-19 many young people are using digital technology more often to learn and to socialise.
Supporting children and young people to use technology in a safe, respectful, and responsible manner allows for more active online learning that can increase student engagement and participation. It also supports access to a broader range of content and learning resources that can supplement students’ learning experiences.
Being safe online is a shared responsibility for students, teachers, parents, carers, and the broader community.
It is important that families can communicate with their children about the how to use digital technology in safe, responsible, and respectful ways.
Here are some key reminders for children and young people of how to stay safe online:
- Protect personal information, including name, address, school, email address, telephone number, pictures, and other personal details.
- Never share usernames or passwords and only use your own
- Ask a teacher or other responsible adult for help if anyone online asks for personal information, wants to meet, or offers money or gifts.
- Let a teacher or other responsible adult know immediately if anything online that is suspicious, harmful, or inappropriate.
- Never hack, disable, or bypass any hardware or software security, including any virus protection, spam, and filter
Further information can be found at:
- Digital Citizenship website: https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/
- Esafety Commissioner: https://www.esafety.gov.au/
The department’s Student use of digital devices and online service policy supports schools to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks of digital environments, and prepare students for life beyond school.
