PRINCIPAL’S REPORT…. I can’t believe that I am now writing the last Principal’s Report for the year! I have been popping in and out of my office to the Year 6 Mini Fete as I am composing this report. The year has certainly ended on a wonderful high.

Past Panania PS community parents, Mr and Mrs Waters and their son, Luke (who has just finished his first year at university) organised, cooked and served all students who participated in the Principal’s BBQ Lunch last Monday. I really admire their community spirit and their continuing sense of connection to Panania PS. (They promised to come back each year to support the end of year BBQ until I retired….see later!) The BBQ is my small way of thanking the Captains, Vice Captains, Prefects, Flag Monitors, House Captains and Vice Captains, SRC Representatives and the Gold Awardees for their contributions to the life of the school.

The sausages were yummy! Thank you to the cooks and servers!

The Year 6 Farewell, held last Tuesday evening, was a lovely night. The students were dressed beautifully, they danced the night away and really enjoyed seeing the changes in their peers, since Kindergarten, on the slideshow. Mrs Ernsteins was presented with her retirement medal (very quietly) at the Year 6 Farewell. I passed on her best wishes from many parents who hadn’t had the chance to say good bye. Mrs Ernsteins is a good advertisement for retirement…she looks so rested! Mmmmm!

A dedicated educator!

We had our last Fitness Club session last week, with a yummy bacon and egg breakfast at the conclusion. I am absolutely in awe of Mrs Barton and her team of volunteers who run this club, on behalf of the P&C, with military precision.

Opportunities abound for our students!

The Year 6 Mini Fete, held on Monday, was an outstanding success. This is an educational activity for the Year 6 students and their “customers” and a fun-filled community day for all involved. There is an amazing amount of organisation for this event which the Year 6 teachers managed seamlessly. The students raised $9,650.20 which covers the cost of the Year 6 Farewell (and what a fantastic night that was!) and also supports the purchasing of a new drinking fountain for student use. In a few short days we will say goodbye to Year 6 students and students from other grades who are leaving our school and their families (the Franks, Tsaoucis, Harris (Y1), Winkler, Cohen, Rawcliffe, Simcox, King (Y3), & Cassar families) at our Farewell Arch….. On behalf of the whole school community, we wish all students a successful transition to the next stage of schooling and a new school. We hope you will always have fond memories of Panania PS. We will also be farewelling 2 staff members who are moving to different locations and 1 who is no longer seeking casual work. Mr Engelen is moving to England with his new wife, Mrs Moffitt is seeking work closer to home and Mrs Stanic has decided not to pursue casual work. We wish them well and thank them sincerely for their commitment to the school community; Mrs Stanic for many, many years. Mrs Kennedy, one of the Assistant Principal’s Learning and Support has been successful in obtaining the new Assistant Principal Support position, through merit Selection, at Padstow Park PS. We wish Kerry all the best in her new role and thank her also for her many years of service based in our HUB. Miss McIntyre, who has been working at Berala PS this year, will return to us in Term 2 after some well-deserved long service leave.

Term 4 Week 10

18/12/2018 CHATTERBOX

Panania Public School 21A Lawler Street, Panania NSW 2213 Phone: 9773 9017 Fax: 9792 3907 Email: panania-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

http://www.panania-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

Finally, a BIG public thank you and acknowledgement to all staff, both teaching and non-teaching, for your dedication to our school and our students. Thank you most sincerely for your support this year. It has been an extremely hectic but very fulfilling year. I would also like to sincerely thank all members of the school community for your support in so many ways this year. As this is the last newsletter for the year I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful, peaceful Christmas, a Happy New Year, safe travel and most of all lots of fun times as a family. We have sent off a truck load of Tucker to Anglicare again this year and the toys have been driven by AusRelief to needy families in Coonamble (see the Panania Public School Facebook page for lots of photos). I know that this generosity will be appreciated by those families who benefit from our desire to help.

Kindness is in abundance at PPS.

I know we will all return in 2019 feeling rested and ready for the year ahead. On that note, and I guess this is a bit of a STOP PRESS moment, I would like to inform the school community that I will be retiring in May 2019. I announce this with very mixed feelings as I have loved my job so much. My Director, principal colleagues, the Executive, Staff and P&C Executive are aware of this and I felt it only right to share with you before the year ends. All Staff will return to school, rested, relaxed and ready for 2019 on Tuesday, 29 January 2019. Students in Years 1-6 return on Wednesday, 30 January. Kindergarten 2019 students will be commencing full time on Monday, 4 February but will be coming in for a one-off “Best Start Assessment” session prior to starting.

Thank you 4S for keeping our Learner Qualities “front and centre” right until the end of the year! We have certainly had a year of Persistence, Curiosity, Reflection, Creativity and, very importantly, Collaboration! In 2019 we will continue to grow the concept of “Learner Qualities.” Principal’s Network Awards At the recent Bankstown Principal’s Network Awards, held at Georges Hall PS, the Executive Team and School Canteen Committee both received awards. The awards acknowledged the collaborative approach both teams demonstrated to growth and change. This was in an endeavour to bring about positive change that benefits the school community and its students. These awards are a reflection of enthusiasm, commitment and dedication. Congratulations to both teams.

With my very best wishes,

Sandra Palmer.

NSWPSSA KNOCKOUT SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018

Congratulations to the Boy’s Softball Knockout Team who competed at the Blacktown International Softball Stadium in the NSWPSSA State Softball Knock Out Competition.

The boys played their semi-final game against Wyralla PS with a convincing win of 11-0, enabling them to play the final on Diamond 1 against Caves Beach PS. Team skills and great sportsmanship came into play with a 15-0 win: Softball Knockout Champions for 2018!

Thank you to all the boys for their commitment to the team and to all the parents for travelling down to Wagga and out to Blacktown to achieve their softball goal for the year. Two years in a row is pretty impressive!!! Mrs Rowland and Mr Newman Softball KO Coaches 2018

YEAR 6 MINI FETE UPDATE A great day was had by all on Monday at the Year 6 Mini-Fete raising $9,560.20 and we would like to thank the following sponsors: Better Electrical – Bill Pejovski Bisaro’s Chemist BODYLICIOUS Beauty, Tanning, Nails Brite Dental Bunnings Butcher’s Bakery Bulldogs Charlie’s Liquor Christmas Wonderland Cincotta Chemist Event Cinemas First National Day Star Real Estate Flexineon Ledlights Gloria Jeans Panania Glory Gym Milperra Heavenly Hair Household Essentials JB HiFi Inflatable World Kylie Kumu Fresh Food Services Milperra Amcal Pharmacy Officeworks Punchbowl Panania Diggers Club Panania Florist Panania Pharmacy Pikkio Restaurant PRD Real Estate Revive Beauty Clinic Revesby Workers Club Shelley’s Hair Silky Lounge Stutch Data The Heights Café The Shop @Picnic Point The Wright Salon Toymate Venus Bakery Whereaboutsupply Zippoli Cook Family Fulton Family Geers Family McMullen Family Muldoon Family Philip Family Sakla Family Vajdevski Family Congratulations to the following students who were the Mega Raffle major prize winners: 1st – Apple iPad: Tristan Mitrevski 5N 2nd – BOSE Soundlink Speaker: Mrs Malaxos 3rd – BBQ Pack: Harry Dunstan 5N 4th – HP Printer: Connor Jeffcoat 1/2N

ART ENRICHMENT PROGRAM 2018 The 2018 Stage 2 and 3 Art Enrichment Program was a combined program which centred on the theme Bugs, Spiders and Insects. Through this theme, students were introduced to and experimented with, the art form of Printmaking. Students learnt to etch into a fine foam board, apply ink and transfer their works of art through friction and pressure. To add to this, students also applied various mixed media and mediums such as collage and water paint pencil. The completion of this program saw students create a body of 3 amazing artworks. Congratulations to all students on a fantastic job! Miss C. Simpson, Coordinator.

SYDNEY SOUTH WEST SCHOOL SPORTS ASSOCIATION YEARBOOK

The Annual SSWSSA Yearbook has been posted online at the following link -: https://app.education.nsw.gov.au/sport/PageByName?name=NEWS&assoId=9&tempId=10&layId=20 This is the first time that the Yearbook has been online. It outlines the year in sport for all SSW sporting teams and highlights the students that have represented. This is a great memento for those students who have competed for SSW and reflects the hard work that goes on in schools such as Panania PS and zones like East Hills that help produce our future sporting stars! Mr B Dodd, Coordinator.

DIARY DATES

TERM 4, 2018

Wednesday, 19 December

Last day of school for students Thursday, 20 December

Staff Development Day

TERM 1, 2019 Tuesday, 29 January

Staff Development Day Wednesday, 30 January

Students in Years 1-6 commence Wednesday 30 January – Friday, 1 February

Best Start appointments for Kindergarten 2019 Monday, 4 February

All Kindergarten 2019 commence Tuesday, 12 February

Swimming Carnival Tuesday, 26 March

School Photo Day

WRITING AWARDS

Congratulations to Class 2A for excellent writing about Goldilocks and the Three Pigs. Congratulations to Tiana Vo K/1R, for great story writing.

Writing samples can be viewed on the Writer’s Wall of Fame near the School Office.

We sincerely thank our advertisers for their support of our school. The Department of Education and Panania Public School do not necessarily endorse these companies or their services and products.

Wishing you a wonderful Festive Season

and a Safe and Happy Holiday.