Allambie Heights Public School Grapevine

Term 1, Week 2

4 February 2020

Principal's Message

Welcome back to an exciting year of learning at Allambie Heights Public School. I trust you all enjoyed a

relaxing and enjoyable festive season. It is wonderful being back and working with the students, staff

and parents in our wonderful school community. I would like to welcome all new families to our school

community. There are many new families across each grade and we look forward to working with all

families in our school as we promote a positive learning environment where everybody is inspired to be

their best. A warm welcome to our new staff - Miss Shelby Ryder (KS), Ms Leonora Doyle (1D), Miss

Rachel Florence (2R), Mrs Siobhan Harburg (3H), Mrs Leonie Lincoln (4L), Mrs Susan Barrett (5H), Mr

Marc Pardy (6G), Mrs Maisie Buncombe (library) and Ms Sandra Zebic (K-6 writing and mathematics

enrichment and EAL/D). I’m sure our school community will make our new staff members feel very

welcome as they settle in over the next few weeks.

Quality teachers making a difference

I would like to thank all staff for the smooth transition they have provided for all students moving into

their new grades and classes. As I walk from classroom to classroom it is wonderful to see settled

students working co-operatively, listening carefully and smiling beautifully. It certainly sets the tone for a fabulous year.

This year, our school is funded by the Department of Education for 21 classes. As communicated

through the P and C throughout 2019, the school is using various funding sources to form a 22nd class so

that a more favourable school structure could be implemented and so that classes did not start the year

with huge numbers. I am sure our community is thankful that we could form our classes on the first day

of the school year and that the structure we have implemented is favourable to the learning needs of all

students in our school.

Classes have been formed with consideration given to the needs of all students. Staff spend many hours

looking very closely at the grade cohort, individual skills across all areas of development and social

groupings of peers before a decision is made on the placement of each child. As a staff, we believe your

child has been placed in the best class for their individual growth and development. Change can be a

very positive experience for students - a time to make new friends and work with new teaching styles.

Being worried and experiencing anxiety is a normal reaction for most people and in particular for our

children. As parents, being positive and supportive of the change is imperative to build ing confidence

and resilience in children. Look for the positives and not the negatives of your child ’s new class. The first

few weeks are an adjustment for all. Please allow children time to settle in to their new environment.

Early bedtimes, establishing routines and providing a relaxed environment at home is very important.

Enjoy the excitement of the beginning of the school year.

The first point of contact relating to your child is always the classroom teacher. To assist with a smooth

morning routine, I ask that parents do not contact the teacher as they are entering the classroom at the

9.10am bell. Please contact the school office or write a note to the class teacher should you need to

make contact. Information that may be sensitive or confidential is best discussed face to face with the class teacher. Teachers will respond to your request for a meeting at their earliest availability.

To assist parents with our 2020 staffing, a full list of staff has been included in The Grapevine today.

Your community school

Meet the Teacher evenings

We look forward to meeting many of our parents at our ‘Meet the Teacher’ evenings being held on

Tuesday 11 February 2020 for all K-2 classes and Wednesday 12 February 2020 for all year 3 – year 6

classes. All sessions will commence promptly in your child’s classroom. Access for our Meet the Teacher

evenings will be via the gate at the back of the hall (near the shops and the gate used by Before and

After School Care access). There will be no access from the electronic gates on Allambie Road or

Roosevelt Avenue.

Each session will run for approximately 30 minutes. Session times are as follows:

• Tuesday 11 February 2020 – all Kindergarten classes. The Kindergarten parent session will

commence at 6.00pm in the classrooms for KH, KM, KR and KS. Please make your way to your

child’s class a few minutes prior to the scheduled starting time.

• Tuesday 11 February 2020 – all Stage 1 (year 1 and year 2 classes). The Stage 1 parent session

will commence at 6.30pm in the classrooms for 1B, 1D, 1/2M, 2B, 2F and 2R. Please make your way to your child’s class a few minutes prior to the scheduled starting time.

• Wednesday 12 February 2020 – Stage 2 (year 3 and year 4 classes). The Stage 2 parent session

will commence at 6.00pm in the classrooms for 3C, 3H, 3/4P, 4L, 4R and 4Y. Please make your way to your child’s class a few minutes prior to the scheduled starting time.

• Wednesday 12 February 2020 – Stage 3 (year 5 and year 6 classes). The Stage 3 parent session

will commence at 6.30pm in the classrooms for 5D, 5H, 5M, 6B, 6G and 6M. Please make your

way to your child’s class a few minutes prior to the scheduled starting time.

To coincide with this evening, grade newsletters will be emailed home to all families next Tuesday.

Please take the time to peruse your child’s class newsletter so that any questions you may have can be answered during our ‘Meet the Teacher’ evenings.

As this is a parent information evening, we request that alternate arrangements are made for the

supervision of your children as the school cannot provide supervision for children who attend the

evening with their parents. If there is absolutely no other alternative available, children who attend the evening will need to sit quietly outside their classroom during the parent information session.

P and C welcome BBQ

Our P and C welcome BBQ will be held on Friday 21 February 2020 from 5.00pm - 7.00pm in our

playground north area. This is a fabulous way to welcome in the new school year and to welcome new

families to our AHPS community. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to the school office as

soon as possible. This will assist the P and C with catering needs. A reminder that the Department of

Education does not permit the consumption of alcohol on school grounds when children under 18 years

of age are present.

School communication

At Allambie Heights Public School, Tuesday is our ‘note day’. All correspondence from the school is

distributed through SchoolEnews. Parents who are yet to subscribe can do so by accessing

http://www.allambieht-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/newsletters-and-notes. If you have changed your email

address, don’t forget to update the SchoolEnews app with your updated email address. This can also be

done via the school’s website. An app is also available for all smart phones. Printed copies of “The

Grapevine” are also available in the office. The SchoolEnews app is also linked to our school ’s Google

calendar and also has a facility available for parents to electronically submit a student absence.

If you know of any of our families who are not receiving our weekly school communication, please direct

them to the school website. If you need any assistance signing up to SchoolEnews, pl ease contact the school office.

Our school website is also a wonderful source of information about what is happening around our

school. The school calendar on the website is updated weekly, so please take the time to have a look at

what is coming up during the year by clicking https://allambieht-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/

Whole school assembly

Each even week Friday we hold our whole school assembly in the school hall. This assembly commences

at 2.00pm and is a time where we come together to celebrate student achievement. As a part of our

reward system, Bronze, Silver and Gold awards and School Medals are presented during our assembly.

All parents are more than welcome to join us at our assembly. Our first assembly for the year will be held this Friday – 8 February 2019. All K-6 assembly dates are also on our school calendar.

Nurturing your child

Accessing the school during the school day

Our school gates are open from 8.30am – 9.30am each morning and 2.40pm – 3.40pm each afternoon.

The only exception to these times is the gate behind the hall for OSHC access from 7.30am (this gate is

locked at 9.30am) and until 6.00pm each afternoon (this gate is opened at 2.40pm). The gate behind the

basketball court is also opened by 7.45am to allow access for students coming to band from the

Roosevelt Avenue direction. This is for the safety of the students so that they don ’t have to walk through

the carpark at the rear of the Allambie shops. Parents accessing our school between 9.30am and 2.40pm

must come to the Allambie Road access gate where they will be provided access by the office. All visitors

to the school must report to the office prior to entering the school grounds. Parents volunteering in the

school need to wear a volunteer lanyard to signify that they have followed the sign in procedures with

the front office. Parents who have been provided an access code for the long day care centre are not

permitted to use this access to enter the school area during the hours of 9.30am and 2.40pm. We thank you for your support in helping us maintain a safe and secure environment for our school community.

WORKING WITH CHILDREN (WWC) – VOLUNTEERING IN SCHOOLS

We highly value parent volunteers within our school. On a daily basis parents assist us in classrooms, the

canteen, uniform shop, band, at carnivals and in so many other ways. The current DoE guidelines for

working with children, even as a volunteer, require you to register on the Working With Children

website to apply for a WWC certificate. This process is mandatory in any situation where you are

working with children. This process is relevant to all volunteers across the school. This certificate is free.

What you need to do now

Step 1 - WWC - Application Number

Start by going online to the Working With Children website:

http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/Working-with-children/working-with-children-check Click on the

blue box “Start Here” then select “Apply for your check”. Complete your personal details following the

prompts. When you press submit you will instantly receive your application number. It will also be sent to you by email.

Step 2 - RMS

Take your printed email with your Application Number to the Roads and Maritime Service (formerly the

RTA). You must also take forms of identification to ensure you meet 100 points of identification

(passport, driver’s licence etc).

Step 3 – Certificate and Clearance

Once your identity check is completed by the RMS, you will be emailed a Working with Children

Certificate (this can take anything from 1 day to 4 weeks). You must forward this email to the school –

allambieht-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au or copy and hand in to the office. When forwarding the certificate

to the school, please list your child’s name and class. Once we have received your clearance you may volunteer at the school.

Transporting Students

The WWC certificate is required as well as a current copy of vehicle insurance and a copy of your driver’s licence.

Congratulations…

Congratulations to Kaley Wright and her family - Kade, Piper and Hudson - who welcomed gorgeous little

Teal MJ into the world at the end of the 2019 school year. Congratulations also to Cassie and Tom

Cutting who welcome their gorgeous little Ted into the world early in the new year. I ’m sure you join me in congratulating the Wright family and the Cutting family on this wonderful news!

Warm Regards

Angela Helsloot

Principal

2020 Staffing

Deputy Principal's Report

Deputy Principal’s Report

Nurturing your child

Student Parliament

Allambie Heights Public School Student Parliament elections are being held this week. All classes from

year 1 - year 6 will elect two Members of Parliament for 2020. Parliament will then meet on Friday 13

February 2020 for the first time this year. During this session, Members of Parliament will elect our new

Prime Minister and the Ministers for 2020 from our year 6 leaders. Each class Member of Parliament will

join one of the following committees and will work with their Minister on various school projects:

• Aboriginal Affairs

• Environment

• Fundraising

• Health

• Public Relations

We are honoured to have Michael Regan Mayor of Northern Beaches Council to present Student

Parliament badges at assembly on Friday 6 March 2020.

We look forward to another successful year of Student Parliament.

Warm Regards

Sarah Swift

Deputy Principal

Calendar Term 1 2020

Home Reading

Home reading will commence in week 4 on Monday 17 February 2020.

Students from year 1 to year 6 will have the opportunity to participate in the Club 100 program. A

reminder to parents is that only one entry per day should be recorded on your child ’s Club 25 sheet. The

dates students are eligible for receiving their Club 100 book and Allambie Arrow during 2020 are as follows:

Club 100 – Wednesday 27 May 2020

Club 200 – Friday 4 September 2020

Club 300 – Monday 14 December 2020

This home reading incentive is a fabulous way to encourage your children to develop a love of reading.

Your class teacher will be able to provide you information about what days your child will borrow.

Emma Murphy

Literacy Leader

Music News

Music News

Welcome back everyone. We have an exciting musical year ahead that will be filled with loads of musical

opportunities, rehearsals and performances. If your child is interested in joining an ensemble that

requires an audition, a little tip, it’s a comfortable environment and all they need is to give it their best and enjoy the process. A little practice always helps, too.

On another musical note, we are very pleased to mention that Jasmine Thorsen of year 4 has been

accepted to represent AHPS on her double bass at the Festival of Instrumental Music later in the year. Well done, Jasmine!

Senior Choir

Does your child love to sing?

Senior Choir is open to interested students in year 5 and year 6. The choir rehearses each week during

lunch on Thursdays and sings a variety of repertoire, performing both at school and at outside venues

such as retirement homes. Participating in choir gives students an opportunity to improve their

musicianship, work with others in a team, learn about commitment, increase their confidence, and have a lot of fun!

Auditions for Senior Choir will be held on Thursday 6 February 2020 at lunchtime in the music room.

Students should bring their lunch and meet Miss Wells at eating time. Children do not need to prepare

anything for the audition. Rehearsals will begin the following week.

Allambie Singers

This choir is open to any student in year 3 and year 4. Rehearsals will begin in week 3 and take place in the music room each Friday at lunchtime (finishing roughly 15 minutes before the full time bell).

Last years’ Allambie Singers auditioned for the Primary Proms concert (run by the Arts Unit NSW) and

the good news is that we’re in! This particular concert has a limited number of students per school. The

Allambie Singers is usually quite a large choral group, so for the Primary Proms concert only, we will be

taking year 4 students, though all students will learn the same pieces. The students who are in year 3

this year will have the same opportunity in year 4 next year. All students will rehearse new music and have great performance opportunities throughout the year.

To be part of the Allambie Singers, students need to attend a 2 week trial after the audition where they

can experience the rehearsals and demonstrate their commitment.

Recorder Ensemble

This year we are excited to continue with the Recorder Ensemble. The ensemble will explore various

notes on the descant recorder, learn a variety of new music and take part in the Festival of Instrumental Music at the Sydney Town Hall later in the year.

Rehearsals begin in week 3 and will take place in the music room each Tuesday during lunch.

To join the recorder ensemble, students need to demonstrate their ability to play the keys B, A, G, high

C and D. The auditions will be brief and take place this Friday during lunch in the music room.

All recorder students from 2019 are encouraged and welcome to continue with the group as both mentors and performers. You’ll be inspiring your recorder peers.

Stage 1 Recorder (years 1-2)

All students in year 1 and year 2 will be studying recorder in music class in term 2. Parents will need to

provide a descant recorder for their child to bring to school. Further information will be communicated later this term via the Grapevine.

Have a great musical year everyone and we look forward to rehearsals.

Miss Kristin Wells and Mrs Jasmine Tan

Music Teachers

PSSA information year 3 – year 6 students

PSSA Sport is a competitive inter-school sporting competition. The following sports are offered to

specific age groups over the year - Eagle Tag, softball, t-ball, cricket, netball, soccer and AFL. The

competition is organised into three seasons: summer over term 1 and 2, winter over term 2 and 3 and a

new summer season in term 3 and 4.

To participate in PSSA sport children have to go through a trial process. Teachers who have experience

and skill in specific sports undertake the trials. All sporting trials are conducted in the same manner -

children nominate to trial for a sport, teachers conduct the trials and look for children with skills specific

to the sport.

Selecting teams is always challenging and we are quite fortunate at Allambie that we can give so many students the opportunity to participate in PSSA. Trials did take place last Friday for the summer season.

The 2020 Summer PSSA season will commence on Friday 14 February 2020, week 3. PSSA games will take place each Friday morning. Buses will leave the school at 9.00am.

Eagle Tag Mrs Brown and Mrs McClean

Year 3 – year 4 boys and girls (mixed teams)

Senior boys (year 5 – year 6)

Girls

T-ball (year 5) Miss Codling

Softball (year 6) Mr Pardy

Boys Ms Barrett

Cricket (year 5 – 6)

Permission notes for summer PSSA have gone home via SchoolEnews today. Training for T-ball, softball

and cricket will be held on Friday mornings. Coaches will advise their teams where to meet and what

time to be at school for training.

Louisa Brown

PSSA Coordinator

Admin News

AN IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR ALL PARENTS:

All parents must report to the school office prior to accessing the playground or classrooms. This is not

just for parents volunteering in P and C roles or classrooms but also parents delivering items to their

child during the school day. Parents volunteering in classrooms or in P and C roles must sign in at the

school office, wear a volunteer lanyard and sign out at the school office when they have finished

volunteering. This is a safety requirement so that we are aware of who is on the school premises at all

times and should an emergency situation arise, all students, staff and parents onsite can be accounted for. We thank you for your co-operation in following these safety measures.

Uniform Shop

The uniform shop is open on Friday mornings from 8:45am to 9:30am. Any orders placed on Flexischools

prior to 12:00pm Thursday will be ready for collection on Friday afternoon from the school office. If you have any questions regarding the uniform shop please contact us by email:

Please note the Uniform Shop is now located in the school hall. Follow the corridor opposite the main

entrance and we are located in the office through the second door on the left. The Uniform Shop

information can be found on the school website at the following link: https://allambieht-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/p-c/uniform-shop.html Uniform Shop Coordinators

Snack Shack

For a full Snack Shack menu, details on how to order and volunteer information and what to do if your child has forgotten their lunch, please go to the Canteen folder in SchoolEnews.

Mel and Mandy

Canteen Managers

Community Notices

Allambie Netball Club

Allambie netball club is a small friendly club that welcomes new players of all ages and ability.

Registrations are now open for Winter 2020 competition.

We're looking for players across all age groups (players turning 8 years old in 2020 through to adults).

Find out more at: http://allambienc.nsw.netball.com.au/

Contact Us

For further information on any of the above news or to chat to one of our friendly office staff please

contact us using the details below:

Allambie Heights Public School

165 Allambie Road

Allambie Heights NSW 2100

p: 9451 5440

e: allambieht-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

w: visit us on the web at www.allambieht-p.schools.nsw.edu.au1

1http://www.allambieht-p.schools.nsw.edu.au