Term 1 Week 6 5 March, 2015

Congratulations to our swimmers who competed in our Swimming Carnival and those who went further last Friday to compete in the Wagga PSSA Swimming Carnival. We were able to celebrate the successes at school level at our Combined Assembly on Monday. We had record student involvement this year and it was great to see the spirit and enthusiasm displayed by our students. Well done to our award winners and the best of luck to those students who have made it through to the Riverina PSSA Swimming Carnival. We also wish luck to our Year 6 students who are sitting the Selective Schools test on Thursday 12th March. This testing gives these students the opportunity to be considered for placement in selective classes in high school.

Our students are offered a wide variety of experiences and one of the great pleasures the staff and I have, is when we get positive feedback about the behaviour of our students. So far this year, we have had a number of students representing the school at sporting trials and the feedback has been outstanding regarding our students’ behaviour, sportsmanship and persistence. We also had a delightful visit from author Belinda Murrell, last Friday. Once again, Belinda was very complimentary about our students, in particular their manners and enthusiasm for her presentation along with their intelligent and varied questions. In fact, they were so taken with her work that a number of students presented at Gateway Bookshop on Saturday morning to purchase Belinda’s books and have them signed.

At Sturt Public School, we have a well-developed student welfare policy to ensure consistency across the school. Students are rewarded for good behaviour in a number of ways including Wow Cards, Merit Certificate, How2Learn Awards, Student of the Week, Good News Letters and Red Cards. All these types of awards serve a different purpose as they reward particular targeted behaviour. Red Cards are purely designed to reward good behaviour, attitude and participation within the school.

When students earn 3 Red Cards, they then hand them in to their Stage Leader, Miss Wood for Early Stage 1 and Stage 1, Mrs Gooden for Stage 2 and Mrs Seaman for Stage 3. They are then presented with a Green Card at assembly.

3 Red Cards = 1 Green Card

When a student has earned 5 Green Cards they hand them to their Stage Leader who passes them on to the principal. These students will be presented with a Gold Card at assembly, along with a school badge.

5 Green Cards = 1 Gold Card and a school badge

If a student has earned two Gold Cards, they then have a meeting with the principal and choose a special lunch of their choice, eg MacDonalds, KFC etc, or healthier options such as School Canteen or Ebb & Flow.

2 Gold Cards = a special lunch of their choice

We have a number of support personnel here at Sturt to ensure that all students feel safe and secure as they progress through school. Along with our teachers, office staff and counsellor, we have our wonderful Learning Support Officers Ms Jan Cronk and Mr Kent Livio and our Chaplain, Mr Jeremy Polkinghorne. Jeremy is here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Mrs Kerry Barker, Principal

REMINDERS Thursday 12 March Selective Schools Test Monday 16 March Combined Assembly 1.45pm Thursday 19 March Stage 2 The Rock Excursion

NOTES SENT HOME THIS WEEK Concert Band-Parent Survey

Create your own Lunch Order Form

VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS Each year we ask families for Voluntary Contribution (school fees). It is $40 per student or $80 per family. This money is used to cover the many expenses in running the school, including the supply of exercise books, cardboard, coloured pencils, reading books in the library and much, much more. Invoices will continue to be sent out progressively over the next few weeks. The money can be placed in a plastic zip lock bag and posted into the posting box. A receipt will be forwarded to your child.

PEER SUPPORT This week in Peer Support students discussed skills and how to communicate their feelings and needs to others. The students discussed skills they use when participating in a variety of activities. When children understand they already have many of the skills needed to succeed, they can feel more confident when trying something new. The students were asked to identify events which trigger different feelings. Encourage your child to remember the skills they have used in one activity when trying something new. Also encourage your child to communicate their feelings and needs.

“NOBODY WANTS BULLYING” Dealing with bullying is another area of our Student Welfare process and at Sturt Public School our slogan is: “NOBODY WANTS BULLYING”. All classes have units of work on Bullying in their PD/Health programs each year. I am including the following excerpt from our Discipline Code for the information of all parents.

What is bullying? Bullying is the intentional continual harming or hurting of a person, or their belongings, by another person or persons. It is distinguished by how the targeted person feels. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. Bullying is damaging to both the person who does it and the person who is bullied.

Bullying includes:

Every student is required to return an Anti-Bullying Contract at the beginning of each year, with the student’s signature and the parent’s signature.

Notification of Bullying: first offence (as this is a repeated behaviour, it is expected that students would have at least one and possibly two warnings, depending on severity.)

Consequences: letter home, reflection and interview with either classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal or school counsellor to discuss bullying offence and appropriate behaviour. The above staff will monitor the student’s behaviour and may include the student in a social skills program aimed at reducing bullying.

Notification of Bullying: second offence Consequences: letter home, reflection, taken off the playground for one week, interview with appropriate

staff, completion of anti-bullying lessons at home and parent interview with the principal.

Notification of Bullying: third offence Consequences: suspension and appropriate support program put into place after re-entry meeting.

Racism: Sturt Public School has a designated, trained Anti-Racism Officer as per NSWDEC policy. In the event that

any actions by students or staff are deemed to be racist, they are immediately reported to the Anti-Racism Officer, who deals with the incident and makes a record of incident and follow up actions. Please note: there are no warnings in the event of racist behaviour.

If you have any queries with these processes please feel free to contact either the Assistant Principals or myself for further clarification.

Taking other’s property Kicking/Hitting/Punching Using stand over tactics

Chasing Pushing Spreading rumours

Damaging others’ property Writing insulting notes Excluding children from activities

Daring/Manipulating Biting Name calling

Invading other children’s space Threatening Putting down

Teasing Talking about Hat hitting

Bribing Racism Ganging up

CONCERT BAND Sturt Public School would like to begin a Concert Band this year and is surveying the interest of our parents and staff. Please complete the Parent Survey and return to Mrs Seaman by 13th March.

BANKSIA’S study of

History unit: “First Contact”

Aboriginal dot pictures, Captain Cook’s HMS Endeavour and Dreamtime stories

ROLL OF HONOUR SOUNDSCAPE Last week we were offered a great experience to participate in a project titled “The Roll of Honour Soundscape” for the Australian War Memorial. This involved recording the voices of Stage 3 students reciting the names and ages of the 62 000 fallen Australian soldiers from World War I. The objective for this project was to engage young Australians in their understanding of Australia’s involvement in conflicts both past and present. The recordings will be used to celebrate the centenary of World War I (1914-1918). Mrs Seaman selected us to coordinate this project on behalf of Sturt Public School. This involved completing a tutorial, establishing an account, recording, trimming and uploading each student’s soundtrack to the Remember Me website. This has been a great opportunity to work closely with our peers and to show responsibility and leadership.

By Bryce Hagen and William Meiklejohn

ABORIGINALABORIGINAL CULTURAL WALKCULTURAL WALK

“GOING BUSH” IN WIRADJURI COUNTRY TO

MARSHALLS CREEK AND WOLLUNDRY

LAGOON

STAGE 2

MERIT CERTIFICATES

Awarded for Class Achievement

Term 1—Week 5

Koala Wafik Zaman

Kookaburra Elouise Hinds-Salter

Kangaroo Cruz Kemp

Bilby Jack Gillard

Emu Martin Ayedero

Goanna Leea Clark

Platypus Freyja Strappe

Acacia Ava Rosetta

Waratah Callan Schwarz

Banksia Lincoln Smith

Snowy Danny Himiari

Darling Ashlee Rapmund

Lachlan Chinmay Sholapurkar

Murrumbidgee Ashleigh O’Halloran

HOW 2 Learn Awards

Awarded for weekly habit or disposition

Term 1—Week 5

Koala Nate Atwell

Kookaburra Libby Gibb

Kangaroo Cooper Nelson

Bilby Ella Garland

Emu Shanae Kerr-Bright

Goanna Aidyn Moore

Platypus Wil Atkinson

Acacia Taylor Golle

Waratah Riley Collins

Banksia Owen Rafferty

Snowy Jazz Rosengren

Darling Bethany Ryan-Hawley

Lachlan William Meiklejohn

Murrumbidgee Charlotte Burton

RED CARD AWARDS

Behaviour, Participation and Citizenship

Term 1—Week 5

Koala Tahlia Brennan-Clark

Kookaburra Drew Murray

Kangaroo Daasebre Amponn-Nymeke

Bilby Madeline Thornely

Emu Rivith Herath

Goanna Izabella Worton

Platypus John Leonord

Acacia Xyah McLaren

Waratah Cameron Chyb

Banksia Alex Cochrane

Snowy Kayla Horne

Darling Imogen Norton-Fraser

Lachlan Claudia Boulton

Murrumbidgee Riley Norton-Fraser

LIBRARY AWARDS

STUDENT OF THE WEEK

Poppy Williams

Waratah

A positive attitude to learning and exceptional

behaviour at all times.

Class Borrowing K-2 Kookaburra

Class Borrowing 3-6 Lachlan

Early Stage 1 & Stage 1 Effort &

Application to Work

Bilby

Stage 2 Effort & Application to Work

Georgia Sargeant Waratah

Stage 3 Effort & Application to Work

Yujin Julia Chung Darling

2015 SWIMMING

CHAMPIONS

Winning House—Clayton

Brianna Alexander Junior Girls Brock Forge Junior Boys

Hannah Nielson 11 Years Girls Jack Forman 11 Years Boys

Jeremy Piercy Senior Boys Ruby Gillard Senior Girls

STURT P&C CANTEEN FACEBOOK GROUP

Roster – Week 7 Term 1 10.00am-1.30pm

Monday Annette Ewins Tuesday Mel Chyb Wednesday Fiona Pinney, Anita Collins Thursday Shamina Binta Zoha Friday Dhana, Mageda 9.00am-12.00pm Warwick Lenord, help needed 12-30-1.15pm

CREATE YOUR OWN LUNCH TUESDAY 17th March, 2015

Order form in today’s newsletter. Please return notes to canteen—not the school office. Please note there are no other lunches on this day and last day to order is Monday morning 16th March, 2015.

The order form will be available on the Sturt P&C and Canteen facebook group.

For online orders the last day to order is also Monday 16th March, 9.15am. There is an “Event” created for this lunch.

This is a popular and healthy lunch event and needs lots of help, please let me know if you can assist at any time from 9.00-2.00pm. Thank you.

Joanne Klimpsch Canteen Supervisor P: 0400 840 223

SPORTS DATES MARCH 2015 9th Riverina Swimming Carnival 10th WWPSSA Football Trials (Boys & Girls) 13th WWPSSA Softball Trials (Boys & Girls) APRIL 2015 28th Sturt Public School Athletics

SPORTS REPORT Good luck to Charlotte Burton, Ruby Gillard,

Hannah Nielsen and Nadia Gunn who are representing Wagga PSSA in Albury on Monday.

Well done to all our students who were part of our school swimming team this year and represented Sturt P.S. at the Wagga PSSA Swimming carnival last Friday. Thank you Heidi Cockburn who was our team manager for the day.

Congratulations Hannah Nielsen who was the 11 years girl age champion at the Wagga PSSA Carnival.

Koala, Kookaburra and Kangaroo will now be having sport on Thursday afternoon. Could all these students please wear sports uniform on this day.

On Tuesday afternoon all 8 year olds in Year 2 will be taking part in high jump. Could all these students please wear their sports uniform on this day.

Congratulations to Jeremy Piercy, Sam McNaughton and Macauley Armstrong who will be representing Wagga PSSA at the Riverina Aussie Rules Trials.

Good Luck to all our students who are going to the Wagga PSSA soccer trials on Monday.

P & C NEWS Election BBQ – on Saturday 28th March we will be holding a BBQ for Election day, we are asking for volunteers to help out on the day, cooking the snags and serving the food. A note went home earlier in the week, so please let us know which time suits you best to help out. We are also looking for donations for a cake stall on the day, contact Heidi on 0447 457 667 for info.

Uniform Orders – due Monday 9th March...it’s time to have a look at your winter uniforms and place an order so you are ready when the weather changes. You can now place orders online through School24, you only need to register once for School24 and can use the account for both canteen and uniform orders. Please note: money in your canteen account cannot be used for clothing orders. 1. Go to http://www.school24.com.au/register 2. Click on “create account” 3. Enter school ID 2530963 4. Complete details 5. Login using email address and password created 6. Go to the uniform section (preferred plan is for

canteen orders only) 7. Complete your order 8. Payment by PayPal (credit card) or Direct Debit 9. Please add your child’s name and class to the

comments section

Easter Raffle.....watch this space for more info coming very soon!

Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Tuesday 17th March, we are asking for all parents to come along and show their support. If you are interested in taking on a position in the committee e.g. President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Clothing Pool Coordinator, Canteen Representative, but would like more information please contact us on sturtpublicpandc@gmail.com

Kristen Whiticker P&C President

TELL THEM FROM ME Students in Years 4, 5 and 6 are being asked to complete a survey which will provide feedback about student engagement, wellbeing and teaching strategies, from the perspective of the student. The survey is compiled by the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation. It will provide the school with valuable information to assist in the identification of emerging issues and assist us to plan for school improvement.

The survey: is conducted online; will take 35 minutes; will be held weeks 8 & 9 during computer

lessons; and is confidential and cannot identify individual

students

If you would prefer that your child does not participate in the survey, please notify the front office by Monday 16th March, 2015. Mrs Fiona Hawkins