Gresford Public School Newsletter Term 4 - December 8th, 2016

4938 9304 www.gresford-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

We have very quickly arrived at our last newsletter for the year. It seems no time at all since the first was issued. It has been another wonderful year for our little school with much to be proud of. Be sure to attend our Presentation Night next Tuesday to join us in recognising our triumphs. Our Combined Scripture Service will be held at school from 9.00am tomorrow. Parents most welcome. You may like to attend our PBL Assembly this Fr iday at 10am to join us in congratulating our respectful students who will be recognised for their efforts in upholding our school values. A group of students displaying outstanding school values will be attending the Principal’s Morning Tea to follow the assembly. We will be rewarding

Principal’s message

another group of students who have strived for excellent behaviour all year with a special excursion to Blackbutt Reserve next Wednesday. We will also be announcing our 2017 school captains at the PBL Assembly who all presented exemplary speeches before the students voted this week. It was certainly a difficult decision. All these students deserve our special congratulations. Reports will be issued tomorrow with a parent ‘Drop In’ session to be held at 3.30 in the library on Thursday, 15th December where parents are invited to discuss any aspects of their children’s reports with teachers. We look forward to sharing these special recognition assemblies with the community and wish our families a joyous Christmas. Kind regards, Pauline

School planning snippets

Teachers spent last Thursday designing our learning journey as a school for 2017. There are exciting times ahead with a wonderful Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Program (STEM) commencing in the second week of school for all classes. We have an expert technology facilitator presenting lessons with class teachers each Tuesday for eight weeks of each term taking our children well into 21st Century learning. How exciting!

Professional Learning for teachers this fortnight has

included: L3, Learning Assistance, Technology, STEM, Early Action for Success (EAfS)

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

Gandhi

Scientists at Work

These scientists invented a water filtration system in rich tasks.

From left: Ryan, Sam & Cameron

PBL AWARDS Hamish Mead, Kammi Conn, Katie Curtin-Edwards, Katharina Lawrence,

Nate Turner, Ewen Mitchell, Jaxon O’Connor, Josie Hodges, Jada Laurie

SCHOOL MERITS Kate Smith, Connor Scott, Bella Sellens, Elizabeth Venter,

Megan Venter, Ethan Crouch, Piper Conn, Cameron Jupp,

Brooklyn Bidner

SPORTS AWARDS Kammi Conn, William Venter, Acacia Galvin,

Harrison Sellens, Kayden Atkins, Lucas Snell, Bryson

Snell, Daniel Craig, Alysha Cowley

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Ebony Briggs, Taylah Joliffe, Jack Hill, Ben Abra,

Verity Spinks, Hayden Wilson, Soanette Venter

LIBRARY AWARD

Pearl Ropata

DECEMBER

THURSDAY 8TH

Year 6 Farewell Dinner @ St Annes

Hall 6.00pm

FRIDAY 9th

Scripture Service 9.00am

PBL Assembly 10;00am on the

Hard Court.

Principals’ Morning Tea to follow

Reports go home

TUESDAY 13th

Presentation Night @

Gresford Public School Hard Court

6.30pm

WEDNESDAY 14th

GAA excursion to Blackbutt

Reserve

FRIDAY 16th

Last day for students

JANUARY 2017

FRIDAY 27TH

Staff Development Day

MONDAY 30th

Students Year 1 to

Year 6 return

FEBRUARY

WEDNESDAY 1st

Kindergarten start

CANTEEN ROSTER

FRIDAY 9 DECEMBER Sylvia Lawrence & Kristy Duncan WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER Jane Maroulis & Sylvia Lawrence

P&C News

Tea Towels While we appreciate people taking the time to take these home

to wash, we are in short supply. If you have any at home could

you please bring them back to the canteen.

Thank you

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our

volunteers for all the hard work they have done over the past

year.

Wishing you all a very

happy Christmas

and

a prosperous

New Year!

Kristy & Sylvia

PBL NEWS The final PBL assembly for 2016 will be held on the 9th December at 10:00am. This assembly will be to congratulate students’ excellent behaviour throughout the year. Students with 3 new PBL awards will enjoy a morning tea with Mrs Mitchell. K/1 and K/2 will also perform a musical item at the assembly on the hardcourt.

A special reminder of the readiness for school program being run for our

prospective Kindergarten students for 2017 TRAIN 4 School

Being run by Dungog Community Centre at alternating sites of Paterson, Vacy and Gresford Schools.

A program which provides a supervised play group whilst parents are given information and support for starting their child at school.

Input from childcare specialists such as speech pathologists and occupational therapists.

Next date at Paterson 8th December from 10.00am to 11.30am.

Next session - Practically Ready To Go

An excellent preparation for supporting Kindergarten entry.

Please pass this information on to any prospective Kinder students for 2017.

Christmas Food Appeal We will be doing our

annual Christmas collection of food items

for the needy.

This collection is organised by Samaritans and encourages children

to support those less fortunate than themselves. Tinned ham, puddings etc

will be gratefully received.

Summer Dress Orders

can now be made $45 each

Please ring Lyndell on

0429949559 to place your order.

NEW EFTPOS Machine

We now have a new EFTPOS machine which

allows us to accept payments over the

telephone.

Class Resources Packs 2017 Next year we will no longer be supplying these for each student. Because of the outstanding accounts for resource packs from previous years, the school can no longer afford to carry these costs. Parents will be advised of the requirements for each grade before the end of the year. We will purchase the necessary text books and invoice families for these and the Spellodrome online subscription early next year.

Year Six Fundraiser

CAR WASH Thursday 15th December

For just $10.00 you can have your car washed and for an extra

$10.00 you can have the inside vacuum as well.

Ring Nicole on 4938 9304 to book your car in.

Why not have a cuppa across the road at the Cross Roads Café while you wait.

Dr Wright Donation Thanks to all families who have donated for a gift for Dr Wright. Please send yours in by tomorrow if you have not already done so.

The John Lill Music Scholarship Each year the eminent, world acclaimed pianist Mr John Lill offers a music scholarship to a talented music student from our school. The scholarship comes with a $300 prize to further the music studies of the winner. It is open to all students from Gresford Public School and children are invited to apply, with their parents’ permission. Entrants will be assisted to write their applications next Monday. If you would like your child to apply, please discuss this with them. The winner will be announced on Presentation Night.

Please Return!

Home Readers Library Books Bring Back Maths Games

Community news

2016 Christmas Giving Tree

It seems only yesterday that we were writing to invite you to participate in

our annual Community Christmas Tree event.

Time flies by so fast and each year we are called on to assist an

increasing number of people enduring economic and social stress.

With this in mind we would like to bring the Dungog community together

by opening up our hearts and if you can donate, we would be ever

grateful. McElwaine Estate Agents welcome you to their new office at

140 Dowling Street Dungog and here, you can place your gift under their

tree.

Gifts for kids, mums and dads, grandparents are all welcome, we

appreciate every gift donated big or small. We know the Dungog

community are big on support and that is what we love!

Gifts can be donated until Friday 16th December.

From our families to yours,

Have a Merry Christmas & a Happy New year

Dungog Community Centre & McElwaine Estate Agents

The Gresford Community Group

proudly sponsors the

2016 GRESFORD CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

COMPETION

Date: 1st December until after Chr istmas Categories: Best Light Display $100 Best Novelty Display $50 ( 2 runners up Prizes in each category) Judging; Monday 14th December Six finalist notified Saturday 17th December Competition Area: Every home within the lim-its of Gresford and East Gresford (1km outside each 50km/h sign)

Winners announced at Carols by Candlelight

From 6pm Saturday 17th December At the grounds of the Therese Doyle Hall,

Park Street , next to the Sports Ground East Gresford

See SANTA, bring a picnic or enjoy the

sausage sizzle, sing away with GAPS and watch the fireworks.

Everyone Welcome

HOLIDAY FUN at MAITLAND CITY LIBRARY

Heroes and Villains Our heroes and villains themed school holiday activities are sure to catch the imagination of children this January. Kids can create a superhero costume or a comic book, participate in a superhero treasure hunt or quiz, or even be a CSI hero or robotics master in our special workshops by Fizzics Education. These activities are being held at Maitland, East Maitland & Rutherford Libraries. Bookings open mid December at maitland.nsw.gov.au/library

Paterson river pony club

Sign up day - Sunday 29th January

Gresford Showground Pony Club Arena, 8:30am

Bring your pony and all riding gear. From Beginner to confident up to 25yrs old – all welcome. Paperwork can be obtained on the day, or by emailing patersonriverpc@outlook.com Interested, but not sure if it’s for you…... Come along and meet the club and have a look at what we can offer. 2017 is promised to be an awesome year. The planner is showing: Trick riding, camp drafting, team penning, show

jumping, mounted games, mini camp weekend, dressage, sporting, certificate work, polo x, working equitation and loads of FUN. Please contact patersonriverpc@outlook.com for any further details.