Cowan Public School - Newsletter

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Issue

3rd August, 2018

Chandler Avenue, Cowan NSW 2081 9456 1065

Dates to Remember

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to another exciting term at Cowan. I trust that you have all had a wonderful holiday and that your children are feeling re-energised and ready for the term ahead. We have already had a very busy start to Term 3.

What an amazing day it was at school yesterday. The 6th Cowan/Brooklyn Children’s Writers’ Festival was held at school and the students from both schools were immersed in the creative genius of 6 wonderful Australian authors and illustrators. All of them were extremely impressed with our school and children. More about the day later in the newsletter.

Parent/Teacher interviews have been happening this week and will continue next week, and many parents have met with their child’s teacher/s. The interviews are an invaluable way to find out about how your child is progressing this year and the teachers have been able to elaborate more on the Semester One reports. If you have not booked an interview time yet, I urge you to do so.

Our annual Athletics Carnival was held last Wednesday at Foxglove Oval, Mt Colah. Brooklyn also joined us for the day. It was the best weather we have had in a long time for a carnival and the participation of the children in all the events was amazing. We were also able to complete all events again this year except for High Jump. We are hoping to have High Jump events within the next two weeks down at Brooklyn. Ribbons for all events will be presented at an assembly after the completion of High Jump. A very big thank you to all our helpers on the day and to the family members who came to support their children. The Hornsby Zone Athletics Carnival is to be held

Please refer to website for all calendar dates

Book Week, Performance—BPS Jul 7th

Cake Day 8th

Information Morning—9am 15th

Red Day Lunch Ordering 16th

Teddy Bears’ Picnic—K/1 20th

Book Week Parade & Assembly 21st

Cowan Band—Wednesdays at 7.30am

Music Tutor Program—Individual Days

Peer Reading—Tuesdays & Thursdays

Cowan Dance Group—Fridays 8am

PSSA AFL Sport—Fridays 12.15-2.30

cowan-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au www.cowan-p.schools.det.nsw.edu.au

Wow—What A Children’s Writers’ Festival!

With More Inspiring Events To Come This Term

Photography: PicMii by Kristiina

on Friday 31st August at Narrabeen and Zone notes will be going home soon.

PSSA Sport was played last Fr iday at Foxglove Oval with the Juniors playing against Warrawee and the Seniors against Turramurra. Although both teams lost, they were competitive matches where our teams continually get better and better. Next Friday is the final competition match for the season at Foxglove Oval and then we will be heading back to Rofe Park for two weeks during the finals series.

Next Tuesday, 7th August, the whole school will be visiting Brooklyn Public School to watch a performance for Book Week. It is based on the theme for this year of Find Your Treasure. All permission notes MUST be back at school by Monday.

We now know our next opponent for the Small Schools Football Knockout. Our Round 3 match is against Tullamore Central School. Tullamore is an hour North West of Parkes so we are going to play the match in Bathurst on Monday 13th August. The notes went home with the team this week and I am sure they will do their best. Result in the next newsletter. As you can see, always lots of things happening at our great school. Hope you saw our ad in the Bush Tele this week. A reminder that our Information Morning is on Wednesday 15th August at 9.00am, so spread the word.

Until next time.

Paul McSweeney Principal …..continued Page 2

Cowan Public School … a vibrant and caring learning community

Congratulations to the following students

who have received awards recently:

Bronze: Claire Suari Georgia

Sophie Joshua Liam

Molly Archie Cedar

April Fira

Silver: Suari Georgia Archie

April

AWARDS

P age 2 I ss ue 11 Cowan Public School … a vibrant and caring learning community

Children’s Writers Festival… What an extraordinary day! With Captain McSweeney at the helm and his team of dedicated pirates, the children of Cowan and Brooklyn schools celebrated the 6th Cowan /Brooklyn Children’s Writers’ Festival. What an incredible and memorable experience.

The Festival was officially opened by Mrs Margaret Bull, the retired Librarian from Brooklyn, a passionate advocate of children’s literature.

Everyone was dressed in fine costume looking for treasure, by being immersed in a world of fantasy, learning and honing their writing and illustrative skills.

How privileged were we to share the inspiring talents of not one but six internationally acclaimed Australian authors and illustrators, in small intimate workshops. John Heffernan, Lisa Shanahan, Lesley Gibbes, Jules Faber, Deborah Abela and Stephen Michael King. Our presenters were instrumental in bringing to life the words of Walt Disney, “There is more treasure in books than all the loot in a pirate’s treasure chest”.

A massive thank you and appreciation to the best school staff and helpers ever, Mr McSweeney, Mrs McSweeney, Mrs Hope, Mrs Kershaw, Mr Kershaw, Mrs Ruzek, Miss Roberts, Mrs Shepherd, Mrs Hodder, Mrs Adnum, Mr Janssens, and Mrs Veiga-Magalhaes. Lynne Scanes

Book Week Excursion... Tuesday 7th August

Brooklyn Public School—‘Treasure Hunt’ theatrical concert

Meet at Cowan Railway Station by 8.20am for roll call and assembly for the 8.37am train

Wear full school uniform including school hat

Bring morning tea, drink, lunch and a bottle of water in an excursion bag

Students will return to school, on the train, by 12.50pm.

Book Week Parade... Tuesday 21st August

9.00am

Family and community members are invited to attend the parade and assembly

Students to dress up as a great book character of their choice

Morning tea will be provided for guests

Please invite playgroup and pre-school age children from the community to share in the fun.

Information Morning… Wednesday 15th August—9.00am

Open to 2019 Kinders and any school-aged child who doesn’t attend our School—tell one, tell all!

Teddy Bears’ Picnic… K/1 Excursion

Monday 20th August

Muogamarra Nature Reserve

Meet at Muogamarra NR gates (opposite Pie in the Sky) at 9.30am sharp—parent transport

Dress in mufti, for bushwalking, with closed in shoes and hat

Bring morning tea, lunch and bottle of water in a backpack

Bring a teddy bear or soft toy animal.

P&C SPOT

In preparation for what appears to have been a very successful writers festival day for our students, a small but dedicated group of families assembled on Sunday for a working bee to help tidy up the school grounds and do some general yard maintenance. My thanks to those families that did come along to assist. We will be looking to have another working bee either towards the end of this term or early in term 4 to continue some work on the school grounds and gardens. We will also be looking for some plant donations at that time to fill in some of the garden beds. A date will be sent out soon, please look to support it when it comes out. We will also be looking to confirm dates for a Bunnings BBQ (with hopes that the weather and support for it are better than our last one. Please also look to support this key fundraiser when the date is circulated.

The breakfast/homework club continues on. Invoices for the last couple weeks of term 2 have now been distributed. can I please encourage these to be settled with the school office as soon as you are able. As we have communicated before, the current system, whilst not ideal, is working, but relies on the prompt payment of our invoices in order to pay the staff that are providing the care for our students. Any delay on these payments provides a significant challenge to paying the staff which has to be covered somehow and is reliant on the minimal fees that we are charging. The P&C continues to sponsor the supply of food and other consumables so these are not included in our fees. I thank the majority of families who have been prompt in settling their accounts or even going into a credit balance For those that have outstanding balances can I ask that these settled ASAP or a discussion had with either myself or Mr McSweeney on arrangements for a payment plan. Any large outstanding debt may result in our not being able to provide ongoing care.

Thanks also to those that came along to our P&C meeting last night where we were updated on staffing matters for the school, key dates for the end of the year planning, updates on the upcoming Band Camp and plans for looking at uniform revisions for the girls. Further details of all of these will come out from those responsible for the planning and running of these in the near future, but we encourage everyone to come along to our P&C Meetings that are held in the school library. Our next meeting is planned for Thursday 23rd August commencing at 7.30pm.

Peter Marshall P&C President 0468 392 081 www.facebook.com/cowanpandc

School Photographs… If you would like to purchase a whole school, School Leaders, House Captains, Senior League Tag, Junior League Tag and/or Dance Group photo, please collect an envelope from our School office, or order & pay online at www.advancedlife.com.au with the online code of 5VT DT2 N4R. All group photos are $18.00 each. These photos are displayed in the School office foyer, or they can be viewed online on the above website.

Cake Days... Our cake days in Term 3 are as follows:

Wednesday 8th August with the Tunny, Belcher and Laird families providing

Wednesday 29th August with the Turner, Edwards and Hodder families providing

Wednesday 19th September with the West, Balnave and Lomas families providing.

Thank you to these families in advance.

If your child forgets their cake money on cake day, we do allow IOUs, however, these must be paid by the following cake day. If not paid that student will not be able to purchase a cake. Unfortunately many are not honouring the IOU system.

What’s Coming Up Later in Term 3… August 28th Sushi Tuesday 29th Cake Day 31st Zone Athletics Carnival—no PSSA Sport September 13th Red Day Lunch Ordering 19th Cake Day 20th Science Day 25th Sushi Tuesday 28th Last Day of Term 3

Please refer to the Calendar on the School Website for all dates.

Page 3 I ss ue 11 Cowan Public School … a vibrant and caring learning community

New School Website… The Education Department is currently in the process of rolling out new school websites. Our new school website was scheduled for the end of this current week. When it is live, you will be automatically directed to the new website when typing in our old website address. Our new website is currently, and will be for the near future, being brought up to date with all our necessary information, calendar dates, news and gallery pages, We appreciate your patience in seeing our new website complete.

Tissues… Thank you to our families who have already supplied tissues. With winter well underway we are running low on our supplies. Therefore, we once again ask our families to provide a box of tissues, especially if you have not done so already this year. This does not need to be an expensive brand, just the ‘no frills’ variety is fine. These can be left at the school office. Thank you for your cooperation. Entertainment Book… Please support this fundraiser for our COOSH. A sample book is on display in our School office, so please take a look. The cost of the book is $70 but can save you thousands. There are many great savings to be had. Thank you for your support.

No Lunch Orders on Fridays… A reminder that due to PSSA sport over the Friday lunch period in Terms 2&3, lunch orders are not able to be collected from Cowan’s The Great North Café. So, no lunch orders on Fridays unless you can deliver it yourself.

Sushi Tuesdays… Term 3 Sushi Tuesdays are:

Tuesday 28th August

Tuesday 25th September

Please write student’s order on a brown paper bag, or envelope or snap-lock bag, stating child’s name, with money enclosed. Hand in at the school office on the day before Sushi Tuesday. Red Day Lunch Ordering… On the following days this term:

Thursday 16th August

Thursday 13th September Please order at Cowan’s Great North Café.

Positive Behaviour Focus...

Week 3:

RESPONSIBILITY : Take PRIDE in doing the right thing

Week 4:

ASPIRE : Aspire to be a SUCCESS. Always give your

best EFFORT

ASPIRE

RESPONSIBILITY—Take PRIDE in doing the right

thing :

Having a duty of taking care of something or doing

something you are expected to do. A feeling that you

respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other

people. A feeling of happiness when you do

something good or difficult.

RESPONSIBILITY

ASPIRE—Aspire to be a SUCCESS and always give your best EFFORT :

Aim for and work towards achieving a goal; doing well; doing your best and

being pleased with the result. Effort is work done by the mind or body; a

serious attempt to doing something.