2024 Term 1 Week 6

Important Dates

Principal's Report

Welcome

Eastwood Public School has certainly come to life over the past five weeks. The children have settled well into their new classes and have adapted well to their new routines. I would like to thank all the staff for their tireless efforts to ensure that all students have had a seamless transition into their new classes. I look forward to meeting and chatting with all of our wonderful students throughout the Term, when I visit the classrooms for a catch up and a chat. I look forward getting to know all the new families over the upcoming weeks.

Swimming Carnival

What a great day! The students and staff had a wonderful time at the Ryde Aquatic Centre whilst attending Eastwood’s annual swimming carnival. The students participated with great vigour and zeal and displayed excellent sportsmanship with the war cries shaking the very foundations of the grandstand. Competitors only from Years 2-6 attended the carnival and each student had an enjoyable day, be it swimming competitively or spectating. A special thank you to Mr Leslie, Mr Koums and Ms Hoekstra for planning the day and a big thank you to all the teachers who supported the carnival in various roles. The Ryde Zone swimming carnival was held March 7 and all our competitors did exceptionally well.

School Uniform

Summer uniform is worn in Term 1 and Term 4 and winter uniform is worn in Term 2 and Term 3. If extreme temperature occurs at any given time, parents’ discretion can be used.

Please refer to the school’s website for more information:

https://eastwood-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/parents-and-citizens--association/uniform-shop.html

Absences (Important Changes)

Starting next week, if a family submits a request for extended leave and it is declined, we will send a letter home to notify you of the decision. Please note that the school currently declines around 90% of these applications. This adjustment is being made to align with recent updates to the Department’s attendance procedures.

While you may still proceed with the extended leave, please be aware that it will be recorded as an ‘unjustified absence’ on the student’s record, consistent with our past practices over the last few years.

If your child is absent for any reason from school, could you please ensure that a note is provided stating the date and reason for that absence. This is a legal responsibility and is closely monitored by the Department. An explanation of absence is required within 7 days. If the school has not received a note outlining a reason for the absence, a reminder letter will be sent home after 7 days.

If you are taking a long term of absence, for example a holiday during the school term, you must inform the school’s front office and complete an Application for Extended Leave – Holiday. Any documentation such as travel details, itinerary or flight bookings are needed to issue the certificate.

NAPLAN 2024

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

It is a nationwide measure through which parents/carers, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can determine whether or not young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.

NAPLAN results allow parents/carers and educators to see how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy over time – individually, as part of their school community, and against national standards. 

NAPLAN is made up of tests in the 4 areas (or ‘domains’) of:

• Reading
• Writing
• Conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
• Numeracy.

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills. Each year students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. From 2023, NAPLAN moved to Term 1 and this year will take place from Wednesday 13 to Monday 25 March in 2024. The reason for this change is so that results can be returned to schools earlier in the year which will support teachers to understand the learning needs of their students and plan accordingly. NAPLAN tests are just one part of our school learning assessment program and questions are primarily based on knowledge, understanding and skills gained from the prior year of schooling. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended. In preparation for NAPLAN 2024, our school will undertake activities to help students to become familiar with the format and functionality of the online tests. These activities are not an assessment of student ability and will not be marked. Students and parents can access the public demonstration site (https://www.nap.edu.au/onlineassessment/public-demonstration-site) to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN and the types of questions and tools available. Resources include a link to the NESA NAPLAN website, a parent/carer support page and a video that explains tailored testing If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher.

National testing dates are from 13 March to 25 March, which is Weeks 7 to 9.

Year 6 to Year 7 High School Application Process

To transition your child from Year 6 to Year 7 you need to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI). The EOI allows you to indicate which school you would like your child to attend in year 7.

From 6^th March you will need to complete an EOI for your local or preferred high school. If you are planning on sending your child to a non-government high school, you still need to complete Section E and submit the form.

The last day for submissions is 10 April 2024

To find out which local government high school your child is current in area for you can go to School Finder (nsw.gov.au)

Please ensure you have informed Eastwood Public School of any changes to your personal details including your residential address before you begin the application.

Use this link for more information and to begin the expression of interest for your child.

https://year7.enrol.education.nsw.gov.au/?schoolCo...

Or use the “Enrolment” tab on the Eastwood Public School website and go to the heading “Moving to high school” to begin EOI process.

If you have any difficulties please contact the school.

Eastwood PS Facebook

Eastwood Public School has a lot to be proud of and celebrate, so to showcase all the great talents of our students we post many photos and descriptions on the Eastwood Public School Facebook page. This is a celebration site where we highlight different aspects of the school, be it classroom work, sporting events or special occasions. It will not be a vehicle to communicate the day-to-day happenings of the school or to disseminate notes etc but designed to display the achievements of students at Eastwood Public School.

Please have a look:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064733392222

Deputy Principal's Report

Sarah Balestriere (3-6) Leonie Marshman (K-2)  

Gone are the days where we would assign students a list of words to memorise on a Monday and then give them a spelling test on Friday. Were they really learning about the words – understanding their meaning, how each word is made up, the origins of the word, looking for patterns? I can safely say, NO!

The teaching and learning of spelling is considerably more complex than is often assumed. Research indicates that the ability to spell does not develop naturally through immersion in writing and reading experiences (Farrall, 2012), nor can it be effectively acquired through the rote learning of words (memorisation of spelling lists). In order to spell well, children need to learn how to strategically use knowledge about phonology, orthography, morphology and etymology. It is also a visual activity that involves the laying down and retrieval of visual representations of words and word parts in the memory. Children also need to learn how to use specific words, such as, ‘phoneme’, ‘syllable’, ‘affixes’ and ‘morpheme’ – to help them talk and think about spelling strategies. Thus, spelling is a language activity and also a thinking activity. Ideally, it should also be a meaningful activity that is engaged in with a positive attitude.

(Oakley, G & Fellowes, J (2016). Foundations and Theories of Spelling Development. PETAA)

In Spelling Part 2 (next newsletter) phonology, orthography, morphology and etymology will be discussed in more detail. This is the way of the new curriculum - developing children’s curiosity about words, from Kindergarten.

In the meantime, feel free to:

Mrs Kathy Gounakis

Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction

Kindergarten Happenings

What an amazing start to the term it has been! We've witnessed our students forging meaningful connections with their peers and growing in confidence as they collaborate both inside the classroom and out on the playground.

Inside the classroom, students have been putting in tremendous effort, learning their beginning sounds with some students blending them to read and write two- and three-letter words. They are embracing the joy of learning new concepts through play-based activities and are beginning to demonstrate resilience by tackling challenges independently before seeking assistance from their teachers.

Kindergarten has been busy settling into routines and are beginning to familiarise themselves with the school rules and expectations. This week, we'll be guiding them on the safe use of the sandpit, ensuring they are prepared to enjoy it responsibly when it opens up next week.

We look forward to updating you on their progress in a couple weeks!

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Stage 1 Happenings

Little Green Thumbs in 1C - Growing, Cooking, and Creating!

Year 1C students have turned into little gardeners, chefs, and artists, and we are thrilled to share their exciting activities with you! They have been super busy having fun during their weekly Kitchen Garden lessons!

Now, they're like mini chefs because they learned to make tasty bruschetta. And here's the fun part - they also found out how seeds become plants of different sizes. It's like a tiny adventure in their own little garden every week! They're taking care of their plants by giving them water regularly.

Last Friday was extra exciting – they got creative and made silly faces using corn crackers. They used healthy stuff like blueberries, carrots, alfalfa, cucumber, and raisins. It's all about having a good time while learning to love yummy food and nature.

Stage 3 Happenings

It’s been a very busy and active start to 2024 for 5B students as they dive straight into their learning with lots of collaborative learning games, presentations, science experiments, creative arts projects and storytelling. So far in Science and Technology Year 5 has been making mixtures, specifically sherbet to understand chemical reactions. 5B students have painted their own creative self portraits to share their unique perspectives with one another, and have also been developing their digital pixel art skills. They have been delivering presentations in History about the formation of the Australian states and in Mathematics they’ve been collaborating to develop their maths skills through a lot of practical maths games.

“The class is nice. I have been getting along and learning new things” – Jordinne

“This is an amazing collaborative class and everyone’s caring and kind. During STEM everyone is respectful to one another” – Patricia

GRIP Leadership Course

The GRIP Leadership Conference was a huge success, although the climate was hot and sticky, the students' enthusiasm was not dampened and they participated with excitement and pleasure throughout the day. The Leadership group will be using the fantastic ideas to uplift the schools desire to aspire to lead, achieve and serve in 2024.

Library News

The Library now has an interest table at the front door. Every few weeks the table will be updated with texts that are related to an upcoming event or special day! We recently celebrated World Wildlife Day on the 3rd of March. Our interest table was full of books about animals and sustainability. Later in the Term students will have the opportunity to borrow books relating to Harmony Day and Easter! Keep an eye out!

Earlier in the term Stage 2 celebrated Library Lovers’ Day.  Students shared what they love about the library in a heart. These are now on display at the Library entrance. Many students love the wide range of books, the calm, quiet space, and the air conditioning!

Stage 3 students celebrated Library Lovers’ Day by copying their favourite book cover to add to our EPS Bookflix recommendation wall. They shared their favourite book with their peers and some students even wrote a short review about the book that they love!

3- 6 Book Tasting

Students in years 3-6 engaged in a book tasting this week! Students ‘tasted’ books from six different genres.

This activity presented students with texts that they may not normally select from the shelves such as poetry and biographies.

Many students enjoyed the experience and borrowed something new.  

Premiers Reading Challenge

The Premier's Reading challenge has begun! Our librarians have organised PRC picture books for Stage 2 and Stage 3 in a special section of the library. Students can find books for the challenge in this section by looking on the bottom shelves in the Fiction area. Just follow the PRC book signs!

Sports

NSW State Table Tennis

If you like to play table tennis then you may want to play for EPS at the State school teams Championships which will be happening on Monday, June 3, Term 2. To be selected in the school team, you need to start practising now at home and on our tables at school. 

There are Junior and Senior primary divisions for boys and girls - we would love to see more of our Eastwood girls come out to play this year. Students in Year 2 who play on a regular basis outside of school in competition or with a coach may apply to be part of the school team to play in the infants division.

Players must be able to serve properly plus play doubles as well as singles. At the tournament, players will need to score and umpire each others games.

Team selection will take place in weeks 9 and 10 this term. 

Parents will be responsible for getting students to and from the venue if selected.

Languages

Our Kindergarten Mandarin students explored the twelve Chinese Zodiac animals, greetings, and numbers through games, stories, and chants in the first few weeks. They couldn't have been happier to perform their favorite Zodiac animal chant to showcase what they learned and their confidence.

The Year 3 Mandarin students were enchanted by Chinese dragon culture, learning to write both simplified and traditional Chinese characters for 'dragon' and the idiom 'Lord Ye Loves Dragon.' They also designed their own timeless dragon masks and wrote words to match their designs.

Mandarin K-4

It’s the Year of the Dragon! Our students are celebrating Chinese New Year at school by making various Dragon craft, writing ‘福’ (good fortune) with Chinese calligraphy brushes, doing Chinese paper-cutting and singing and dancing to Chinese New Year songs. What an amazing experience for everyone to start a year with luck, power and success!

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Music

Recorder Ensemble

Our Recorder Ensemble, made up of Years 4-6 students, meet at lunch times on Tuesdays in the Music Room and have already started two of their three pieces.  30 students will have the opportunity to attend the Festival of Instrumental Music (FOIM) at the Banksia Concert on Tuesday 25 June at the Sydney Opera House. There will be a cost for this event.

Our first combined rehearsal will be on Tuesday 21 May.

If your child is in Year 4, 5 or 6 and would like to join, they just have to come to the Music Room on Tuesdays at lunchtime and talk to Miss Hadfield or Mrs Hudson.  We ask that each student has a folder to put their sheet music into for safe-keeping.

Senior and Junior Choirs 

A big thank you to the parents who make sure their children are at school on time to start at 8:10am – it makes a huge difference if they are able to warm up properly.  Both choirs have more students in them than are allowed to attend the concerts later this year at the Sydney Town Hall (Junior) and the Sydney Opera House (Senior), so we are always looking for those who are fully committed to the group. 

There will be auditions for the performance choirs – the children will be told in advance once the dates have been finalised, however ALL choir students will be part of the school choir and will perform at all school events.  There will be a cost for the performance choirs.

This year the Junior choir is in the hall with Mrs Hudson, Miss Poole and Ms Koumi on Tuesday mornings at 8:10am.

The Senior choir is in the hall with Mrs Forster and Mrs Bennett on Wednesday mornings at 8:10am.  

Merit Awards

Community