Edition 64: 8 May 2020 Welcome to Term 2 and a big welcome back to our students

Just feels so right that our students are coming back. The school has been so quiet and lacking its normal purpose which is the education of children. Once again thank you so much for your patience and your super parenting skills of being both parents and home learning experts over the last few weeks. This of course will continue on days the students are not at school but the phased transition will see students back at school very soon. With other businesses opening back up it also means more of you will have the opportunity to return to your work places. A little normality to everyone’s lives and we all know now what we need to do to keep us on this exit out of COVID -19 track. Feels good doesn’t it?

A big Happy Mother’s Day for all our Mums, Nanas and significant women in our lives. We hope you have a warm and wonderful celebration this Sunday. It is definitely a Mother’s Day to celebrate as we all move forward out of the isolation world of COVID -19. So good to be a mum right now.

“To the world you are a mother. But to your family you are the world”

Enjoy your day!

Thank you to our school community

All the school staff just want you to know how grateful we are of your kindness and expressions of appreciation of what we do. We feel so humbled by your gestures of food, yummy chocolates, flowers, well wishes, messages of support and oh yes! the coffee van. School staff are carers and caring for children, their educational and social needs is our business, but it is also our passion. We can’t wait for the children to be back!

Mathletics for the school

Due to the quick necessity to move into online learning from home the school saw a real need to engage our students in the Mathletics program. This Mathematics program is designed to support teachers and parents to deliver lessons in their own time and way. Mathletics provides in-depth reporting that will help you see the progress of classes and individual students, helping you assess now and plan for the future. The school fronted this cost for all students to be able to access this program of a cost of $5,000. Well worth it!

More Laptops secured and provided

Learning from home soon high-lighted another need for our school. That of purchasing more laptops as the need became apparent that families were in need of a device or more devices in their homes to facilitate learning from home and the needed connection with their school and teacher. The school purchased 15 more Laptops to support learning from home at a cost of approximately $10,000. It is so important right now to make sure every student has the support they need.

Lots of work being done around the school

As you have all been working and learning from home there has been a lot of work going on here at school on our buildings. Many spaces have been painted. The 4-6G, K-6O and 3-6E demountable classrooms have all been painted on the inside. Flooring has been replaced in the Preschool office and kitchen areas, a wall repaired and the hollow area painted. The outside of the Early Interventions is being painted and some office spaces and the staffroom will be painted on the interior this weekend. The veranda on the 3/4 classroom block has had the edge and facia repaired. The veranda has been wood stained and the new facia painted in to match the school colours. Our community kitchen space has had the side store floor replaced and has been painted. Also a door through to the kitchen has been added to this space for easy access to another storage area for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program supplies. The uniform storage rooms have been painted on the interior and the whole of the inside of the community room will be done as well. The outside of the Wall near KY has been repaired and prepared ready to be painted and there is some more guttering to be replaced and painting done near the entry to the side hallway of the B Block near KW and KB. Many great upgrades going on around our school. Something very positive for us all.

Lots of new equipment surprises

Last term a huge furniture order was completed. When students return to school they will find all sorts of wonderful new pieces of furniture in their classrooms. This is part of the school’s innovative forward planning to implement flexible learning spaces. Very exciting!

Canteen

Our Canteen will be operating from Week 3, starting Monday 11th May. Online ordering through Flexi schools will be open. Breakfast, lunch and recess items will be available for students to buy but the more you order online the more efficient it will be for us during this time. If you order recess or snacks for your child, your child will be able to pick them up from the canteen. Lunch orders will be delivered to classrooms.

Strict social distancing will occur around the Canteen. Money is an item that is of concern so we will have one person handling the money and one the food items. Sanitising and hand washing will be done regularly and canteen staff will wear gloves.

There will be NO ordering onsite. If you are not using Flexischools to order then please write your order on a brown or white paper bag (available from supermarkets) with your child’s name, class and whether it is a snack, lunch or recess. Please place the correct amount of money inside for your child to take to the canteen on arrival to school.

Extra teacher supervision will be provided at break times when the canteen is open. Our Canteen Manager Anne is so excited to be able to open for business that she is thinking up all sorts of special new healthy treats for our future menu. Meanwhile we will use our current menu until the end of this term. A copy of the menu for ordering is attached for you as well as a leaflet on Flexischools.

Welcome back to an open canteen.

Uniform Shop

The Uniform shop will open next Monday 11th May from 9:00am for an hour for anyone who wishes to purchase winter or other items of school uniform. Please remember that items can also be purchased online to be sent home with students or picked up by you at the school office.

To ensure everyone’s safety social distancing measures and hygiene precautions will be in place around the uniform shop. Please enter the uniform shop through the back car park and along the side of the canteen. You will see the signs to direct you and prompts for social distancing. We are all now very aware of practising social distancing and what we need to do.

As you know we cannot have any trying on of garments at this stage as is the practice in all retail outlets at present. Holding up and checking sizes can be done and the uniform items will be displayed for you to do this in groups of 3 inside the Community Access Room.

Thank you for your cooperation and respect for the COVID -19 restrictions.

Many positive, happy things happening in our school for our students to enjoy as they come back to us.Take care and keep safe everyone

Ona Buckley and Dan Betts

Welcome back! I hope you all had a relaxing, safe and healthy holiday. This fortnight teachers will be talking to students about how to ‘Be Proud’ especially when they are at school or in public places. Lessons will have a focus on wearing our Woy Woy Public School uniform as a badge of pride both when at school and when in public. As part of our school wide approach to Positive Behaviour for Learning all teachers P-6 will explain the importance of wearing our school uniform and reinforce the schools expectations that all students wear the correct uniform.

Positive Behaviour for Learning is an evidence-based whole school process to improve learning outcomes for all students. It brings together the whole-school community to contribute to developing a positive, safe and supportive learning culture. Now is certainly a great time to focus on developing positive emotions and discussing issues that may be causing your child/ren concern. If your child has demonstrated or communicated to you that they are scared or confussed about what is happenning in the world at the moment in regards to the COVID 19 situation I have added some usful resources from NSW Government for you to use at home. Please remember that we are all here to support you if you need any further assistance please contact the school.

Michelle Williams Assistant Principal Student Wellbeing.

The Brave Program

BRAVE-Online home page

Smiling Minds

Smiling Mind home page

ReachOut Breathe

Reach out home page

"We are looking forward to welcoming back our Guliyali Preschool children in Week 3. We ask that families continue to regularly engage with Storypark for updates, particularly concerning measures put in place during this phasing in period. We would also like to inform you that Mrs Kleppen will not be returning on Wednesday for the remainder of Term 2. See you all next week." Whitney Williams Preschool Teacher

Accessing School Counsellor Support

Moving forward into Term 2, if you or your child/children would like some extra support, I will be available for appointments either in person at school or via the phone, on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10am and 2pm. If you would like to arrange an appointment, please contact the school office to arrange a time.

Montana Wood School Counsellor

Hi students, 😊😊

Let’s take some time today to be thankful! What are you thankful for? We can always find things to be thankful for when we take some time to think about it! My challenge for you today is to think about what you are thankful for and then make some thankfulness art. Why not try one of the following ideas?

Miss Campbell The School Chaplain

Day 1

Make some thankfulness art

Day 2

Tell someone what you appreciate about them

Day 3

Write down 3 things you are thankful for today

Day 4

Make a thank you card and give it to someone special

Day 5

Watch a video clip on thankfulness

Day 6

Make a thankfulness jar

Day 7

Thank your friends for their friendship

Book Club issue 3 is open now! Please go to the scholastic website for access to the catalogue and place your orders online using the LOOP platform.

NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge 2020

SPECIAL RULE AMENDMENTS FOR 2020: Updated April 15 2020.

The Challenge is well equipped to support student participation from home. The following adjustments will be applied to the Challenge in 2020:

• Students on all Challenge levels are able to read 10 choice books - an increase from five. Please see the support article about adding these additional choice books to your reading record.

18th May 2020

• Students on all Challenge levels will be able to include books on their reading records that they read collaboratively as a class, in person or online with their teacher or at home with their parents/carers.

• Students who complete the Challenge in 2020 will be able to count this towards cumulative awards.

• Students who do not participate in the Challenge in 2020 will not be disadvantaged in the receipt of cumulative awards.

• The Challenge will include Year 10 students in 2021 to allow all students the opportunity to meet the gold and platinum certificate and Challenge medal requirements.

If you have any questions about the adjustments to Challenge rules for 2020, please contact your PRC coordinator or email the PRC team at prc@det.nsw.edu.au.

https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html

National Simultaneous Storytime 2020

Woy Woy Public School has registered and will be participating in National Simultaneous Storytime on Wednesday 27th May 2020. Students who will be participating from home will be sent a link to access the story online. National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 20th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6. https://www.alia.org.au/nss#About%20NSS

Congratulations to the following students who have reached their 25 & 50 nights of home reading! 25 Nights Zavier Pratt 3/4B, Bella Healey 3/4LB, Saraya Taylor 3/4C, Layla Refalo 3/4LB, Olivia Shannon 3/4C, Alyce Cawley-Boyden 3/4LC

50 Nights Olivia Shannon 3/4C, Saraya Taylor 3/4C

Important Parking Message

The staff parking area inside the school gates on both Park Road and Bowden Road is for Staff Use Only. Parents dropping off and collecting their children from school, Music Bus or Cubbyhouse BASC are asked to park outside the school grounds and walk their children to and from their car. This is a

Department of Education directive.

Office Hours School phones are manned from 8.30am until 3.15pm. The office window is opened at 8.30am and closed at 3.00pm however office staff are available until 3.15pm. There is a teacher on duty at the bus lines until 3.20pm. Changes to Going Home Arrangements Could you please ensure that your child is aware of how they will be going home in the afternoon.If these arrangements change during the day it would be appreciated if you could contact the office prior to 2.00pm to ensure that the message is passed on to your child. Skoolbag APP and Website You can download the WWPS Skoolbag APP to both iPhone and Android devices. Event updates and important information will be sent out via our Skoolbag APP and you can record your child’s absence from school here as well. You will also find our School website at http://www.woywoy-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/ which is regularly updated with events happening in our school. The School email address for correspondence is woywoy-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au. Student Mobile Phones Students who bring their mobile phone to school are asked to leave them at the office on their arrival and collect it at the end of the school day. Students are not permitted to have their phone with them during the day. It is also helpful if their name is on their phone. Late Arrival / Early Departure If your child is late arriving to school or needs to leave early for an appointment, a partial absence slip is to be collected from the school office prior to going to your child’s classroom. This slip is given to the classroom teacher. Payment of Money to the School School fees and activity costs can be paid by credit card via the Woy Woy Public School website (http://www.woywoy-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/) using the ‘Make a Payment’ tab. If you are making a cash payment please place the money in an envelope with the child’s name, class and the reason clearly noted. We have cash collection envelopes at the school office for your use. All money is to be given to your child’s teacher. When making payments for multiple children, separate money and envelopes for each child is appreciated, as it is very time-consuming to sort out at the time of receipting. Annual Permissions Please keep a look out for permission booklets going home with all students next week. Booklets will contain all general permissions to be signed and returned to the school. Thank you Linda Goldsmith – School Administrative Manager

Welcome back to Term 2 The canteen will be open as of week 3. We encourage Flexischools for orders but will still be accepting cash. Download the app and register or you can login from flexischools.com.au I am looking forward to seeing all your smiling faces again. Thank you

Anne Canteen Supervisor

Shop 30 Railway Street Woy woy NSW 2256 Ph: 4339 4941

Hi Everyone, I hope you are all keeping safe and well and not climbing the walls yet. The local SaCC facilitators across the coast and staff have been hard at work over the past few weeks bringing new online programs to stay connected to our families. Please have a look at our Facebook page each day for new sessions. We are live at 9.30am every day and 3pm for recorded sessions. Monday to Friday. We also have some closed pages for those that may need some help with speech therapy, parenting and babies. We are hosting all these for FREE and have guest speakers in that would normally charge! Just ask to be connected to any of these free pages. Also, we have a survey that we would love for you to complete to help with our planning for Term 2 online programming. Come and have a look and take care out there! https://www.facebook.com/CCSaCCs/ or have a look at the website for more information on what we can do for you over this strange time! Cheers Philippa Skipper Facilitator Schools as Community Centres Woy Woy m: 0477 317862 e: philippa.skipper@det.nsw.edu.au w: www.ccsacc.com