RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY RESILIENCE

Newsletter of the Leura Public School Community Volume 4, Issue 16 Term 4, 2016 Week 2

Coming Events Week 2 21/10 – Stage 3 camp children returning, 6.30pm

Week 3 24/10 – Principal’s Tour – 10.00am 25/10 – Kindergarten Orientation Evening 6pm to 7.30pm

Week 4 1/11 – Kindergarten Orientation Best Start 2pm - 2.30pm

Week 5 7/11 – Principal’s Assembly, 2pm 8/11 – Yr 6 Extra transition KHS, selected students 9/11 - Walkathon 9/11 – Kindergarten Orientation Library visit 2pm-2.30pm

KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION FOR 2017

The first of our kindergarten orientation sessions will be held on Tuesday, 25th October from 6pm to 7.30pm. This will be an information session to welcome our new parents/ carers to Leura Public School and to meet our Relieving Principal, Mr. Nathan Smith, some teaching staff, our school counsellor, admin staff and P&C executive. Information will also be conveyed as to what to expect in the first year at Leura PS. If anyone knows of families wanting to enrol their child at Leura PS it would be appreciated if this information could be passed on.

Dear parents and carers, Welcome back to Term 4. Another exciting, action packed term is ahead of us. Last week was Mental Health week and we celebrated by providing students with a variety of activities designed to increase mental wellness. Classes visited the Hanging Swamp behind our school, exchanged jokes and played games. It was fantastic to see students of different ages laughing and playing together. Even Mr Smith learned a lesson about resilience! He was very concerned about leeches when visiting the swamp but decided to be resilient and not wear plastic bags around his shoes. Well done, Mr Smith. My favourite joke of the week: What did Cinderella say when her photos didn’t arrive? Some day my prints will come. This week Stage Three are in Canberra for three days accompanied by Mr Atkinson, Ms McMahon and Mrs Fendall. This is a tremendous opportunity for students to visit our nation’s capital and they have a very busy schedule including a visit to Parliament House. The effort of our staff is much appreciated for excursions like this as they are very complicated to organise and require teachers to be on duty 24 hours a day.

Notes will shortly arrive home for the School Swimming Scheme for Years 2 to 4. This is a great opportunity for ten days of lessons at the end of the year, provided free, with the only cost being pool entry and transport.

Next week, Kindergarten Orientation begins with a Parent Information Session on Tuesday night at 6pm. Please encourage anyone you know with school age children to enrol quickly so they don’t miss any of the fantastic orientation activities our school provides. Enjoy the term, Paula Forrester Assistant Principal

LEVEL 2 AWARDS The following students have recently received their Level 2 Awards:- Term 3, Week 8 K/1C: Fabian 1AJ:- Monae 1/2W: Mia, Kiara, Hayden, Joseph, Zoe and Tess 2A: Eliza 2/3F: Ewan, Oliver, Emily and Bethany 3/4C: Thalia, Liam, Charlie and Zeke 3/4J: Harry, Eashar, Theo and Toby 4/5M: Jed, Tegan, Stella, Billy and Bridget 5/6F: Evie, Sophie, Trystan, Zoe, Jaelyn and Olivia Term 3, Week 10 KB: Xavier 1AJ: Rory, Lauren, Ellie, Iris and Tahlia 2A: Jesse 2/3F: Ewan 3/4C: Charnie, Quinn, Charlie and Conrad 3/4J: Toby, Caleb, Ruben, Sienna, Harry, Flynn, Anya, Theo, Sienna C, Rylan and Chet 4/5M: Ava 5/6F: Louis and Caitlyn SELECTIVE HIGH SCHOOL (for students in Year 5, 2016) Applications for selective high school placement are considered mainly on the basis of the Selective High School Placement Test results and school assessments. The Selective High School Placement Test will be held on Thursday, 9th March, 2017. If you would like to have your child considered for Year 7 selective high school entry in 2018, you will need to apply on the internet using a valid email address (not the student’s email address). Detailed instructions on how to apply online are available now in a printed application information booklet and at www.schools.nsw.edu.au/shsplacement. The application website opened on 11th October and will close on 14th November, 2016. No late applications will be accepted. There are no paper application forms. If you do not have internet access, you could apply at a public library. If you have a disability that prevents you from using a computer, you can contact the Unit for assistance.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING – Term 4 VALUE OF THE WEEK

Week 3: A resilient student helps others and allows others to help them. Week 4: A responsible student picks up their belongings.

“LOST IN THE HANGING SWAMP” - a story by Jude, 2/3F Hi, I’m Luke. I’m 8 years old. Today we are going on an adventure to the hanging swamp.

I look down at the beautiful glittering gates. My teacher opens them up and I see sparkling trees.

I take a few steps and immediately get stung “Oww!” I scream but I still keep going.

Then I trip over and fall down. “Stupid rock!” I scream. But I get up and started running. But I tripped over again.

When I woke up I was sitting in a tree. I hopped off then I felt something surprisingly squishy. I had stepped on a poor beautiful giant dragonfly.

I started running again but I stepped in squishy mud. I came to a big stop with so much force that I tripped over.

Then I slowly started sinking. I pushed with all my might and I came out. Then I found a short cut. I recognised one of the paths and ran that way. I jumped the fence like a Gangsta. Then I got back home/school. I was very happy to be back.

In conclusion: Never get too excited when you go to the Hanging Swamp. PHOTOS FROM THE HANGING SWAMP VISITS - (MENTAL HEALTH WEEK)

UPPER BLUE MOUNTAINS MUSIC FESTIVAL On Tuesday evening, 11th October I attended the Upper Blue Mountains Music Festival for the first time. I was entertained for 1½ hours with the beautiful singing voices of the combined UBM choir, and the musical talents of solo performers including Leura Public School’s Tegan and Mali.

What a wonderful performance! I was proud to be associated, in a small way, with the UBM’s school community and more importantly, proud of our beautiful students who sang with gusto on the night. I look forward to next year’s festival.

Mrs Vidler, School Administrative Manager. NEPEAN DANCE FESTIVAL PHOTOS Ordered photos from the recent Nepean Dance Festival are now available to be picked up from the school office. CRAZY CAMEL FUNDRAISER All children are currently working on pictures in their art classes for transfer on to products, eg. diaries, greeting cards, calendars and planners, tea towels etc. for the Crazy Camel fundraiser for our school.

Order forms, together with payment need to be returned to school no later than Friday, 28th October.

R. de Croos Art Teacher Community Announcements Museum of Fire, Penrith - 28th Annual Doll, Bear and Craft Fair – Saturday, 29th and Sunday, 30th October Blue Mountains Australia Day Awards – these awards recognise those citizens who have a consistent record of excellence, who have made outstanding achievements in their field and have contributed in a significant way to the Blue Mountains community. oNominations are now being sought for Blue Mountains residents of excellence from all backgrounds and fields of endeavour including community service, humanitarian, business, science and technology, arts and entertainment, sport, education and environment. Categories include Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Sportsperson of the Year. Nominations close Friday, 25th November, 2016. Nomination forms and guidelines are available from www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/yourcouncil/australiadayawards.

NOTES/PAYMENT REMINDER To assist families, the following is a list of activities and associated costs, for which permission slips and/or monies are to be returned to the school. If there are any difficult circumstances in regard to any payments by the due date, for incursions/excursions, please do not hesitate to contact the school. EXCURSION/INCURSION AMOUNT DATE/PAYMENT DUE Band Tuition Term 3 $80.00 Overdue Band Instrument Hire Term 3 $120.00 Overdue

Swampcare Our next session is 1-3pm on Thursday, 17 November.

Please consider joining us for the last couple of Swampcare activities for the year!

With their teacher’s permission your child can join us too; they could also bring a friend (with their parents’ and teacher’s approval of course).

This month in addition to getting stuck into the holly and privet we have been trimming along the access track and preparing for ‘pollinator month’ in November, which will see students involved in the preparation of nesting materials to encourage pollinating insects.

Our group received some wonderful recognition recently when at the annual Bushcare picnic the Blue Mountains Council Landcare Awards for 2016 was presented to Lisa. The various activities and achievements of the group over the last 8 years were applauded including a large swathe of regenerated bushland, plantings, bush and swamp activities for students and more.

For further information please contact Lisa Scott-Smith on 0414 642 512 or lisa.scottsmith@gmail.com

Alison, Sarah and Lisa being treated to a scrumptious lunch

at the Bushcare Picnic

Sunday 6th November 9.00am – 2.00pm

Celebrating 23 years!

Hot food, Coffee, Live Music, Eating Area

Discover something new each month.

Come along & check out the ‘Kids Zone’: Crafts, Face Painting & Jumping Castle

Come join in the Birthday Markets Fun!

Contact Markets Manager: Di 0432 021 863

leura-markets@hotmail.com

Next P&C Meeting

7.00pm – 8.30pm on Thursday, 27 October

Learning Support Room (adjacent to the office)

Canteen

Now open on Fridays in Term 4

We would love to open again on Mondays, so please let us

know if you can help out for an hour or so sometime this term.

Canteen profits = resources for our wonderful children!

Halloween canteen Special Halloween treats

on sale Friday, 28 October.

Walkathon Wednesday, 9 November

Helpers needed – email us at lpspc.secretary@gmail.com

Friday, 9 December Details TBA