Principal's MessageWelcome to Week 10! Dance2Bfit Concert Congratulations to everyone for contributing to the great success of the Dance2Bfit concert! The feedback has been positive and the energy during both the shows was electric! For the students and teachers who went outside of their comfort zone to dance on stage I commend you and thank you for giving it a go. A big thank you as well to our SLSO and administration staff who also went above and beyond to make this work. I acknowledge the work that went into the day and evening and really appreciate the extra time required to make this work for our kids and their families. The P & C were incredibly supportive during the day and evening and I particularly thank Lisa J and her executive team. Overall whether you danced, supervised, planned, decorated, recorded, cooked and/or everything plus more I am very grateful and I know the children and the whole school community is too! Thank you! Stage Planning Week During week 10, the teachers worked together in teams off class to plan for term four teaching and learning activities. These collaborative planning sessions for teachers are critical to inform decision making and resource allocation for the term ahead. Where possible we utilised familiar staff on site to replace the classroom teacher and any necessary adjustments for individual students have been considered. School Carpet Cleaning and end of term clean up. This happened Tuesday afternoon after school in all classrooms. Students are reminded to take all unnecessary items from their desk home so they can refresh and rest for term four. School Crossing The school crossing supervisors have been experiencing some concerning behaviours in the mornings and afternoons with children running across the crossing before or just after they have stopped traffic. As you can imagine this is very dangerous. We have had transport officers come out from Wollongong Council to observe the afternoon traffic. As yet we do not have a resolution to the traffic congestion during this time but are working on some ideas. Please remind your children that they are not allowed to cross the road without permission from the crossing supervisor and under no circumstances are they to run across the road. I have also been informed that some students are crossing the road at the shops rather than at the crossing area which is very dangerous. The safety of our students is paramount and I once again ask that families discuss the safe ways to walk home with their children. I do acknowledge and thank all parents and teachers who work hard each afternoon and morning to assist all of our students to depart our school grounds safely. Queen Elizabeth II (21 April 1926- 8 September 2022)- Public Holiday, Thursday 22/9/2022 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away on 8 September 2022 at the age of 96. The NSW Government, on behalf of the people of NSW, has respectfully offered its sympathies to the Royal Family at this time. To recognise her passing a public holiday has been announced for Thursday 22 September 2022 and our school will be non-operational on this day. Princess Elizabeth became Queen of England at the age of 25 after the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952. Her Coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II went on to become the longest-reigning British monarch, Australian sovereign and leader of the Commonwealth of Nations, which she navigated for more than seven decades. Check in assessments 2022 Check-in assessments are online assessment for students in Years 3 to 9. Students in year 6 have recently completed these two assessments which are reading and numeracy. Years 3, 4 and 5 will be completing these assessments during the first part of term 4. Each assessment is designed to be quick and easy to administer, consisting of between 40 to 50 multiple choice questions. The feedback from these assessments supplement our current school practices to identify how students are performing in literacy and numeracy and further assist teachers to tailor their teaching more specifically to student needs. NAPLAN NAPLAN is an annual assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The tests cover skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy. The assessments are undertaken every year. From 2023, the NAPLAN test window will move to mid-March. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is responsible for the overall management of the Australian National Assessment Program, in collaboration with representatives from all states and territories and non-government school sectors. Families of students in years 3 and 5 will have all received their NAPLAN results. Overall Year 3 achieved state average or above in reading, writing and spelling. We will now need to work more on grammar and punctuation and numeracy. Overall, Year 5 achieved well above state in spelling and we will continue to work on improving in the areas of reading and grammar and punctuation. We acknowledge that these tests are a window in time rather than the full picture of each child’s learning achievements. Reviewing our morning routine procedures, dedicating each morning as uninterrupted learning time and further professional learning, later this year and into 2023, will be part of our whole school focus to address the improvement required. The teachers look forward to using this data, along with all the other forms of data being collected with the support of Mr Hosler (Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction) and the other Assistant Principals, to continue to support positive student learning and growth kindergarten through to year 6. Colour Explosion The UPS Colour Explosion will be held on Friday 14 October. Students will have an early lunch 12:30pm-1:15pm. Parents will be invited to watch the run from 1pm and will be organised to remain on the grass areas behind the stage 2 classes. Teachers and students only will be involved in the race. Children will be able to leave early with their family once they have signed out via the front office. We will have six colour stations that will be headed by SLSO staff and SRC representatives. We are most appreciative of the support and work done behind the scenes from the P & C committee. Ice-blocks will be provided to students once they have completed the running course. UPS Spellathon reminder Students will have until Friday 21 October to collect sponsors and learn their spelling words. While the children will be practicing the words at school, your encouragement at home would be great! Students will participate in the written spelling test on Friday 21 October in class. Sponsor sheets should also be returned on this day for the teacher to sign off. Completed sponsor sheets will be returned to students, ready for them to collect money from their sponsors. If you would like to submit funds raised electronically please email the sponsor form/s to [email protected] and make a direct debit payment to: Gymnastics Program reminder to pay During Term 4 all students from K-6 will be participating in a Gymnastics program as part of the mandatory Department of Education PDHPE K-10 syllabus. The program is being delivered by a team of specialist PE instructors from Got Game, who bring all of their own equipment and activities to our school throughout Term 4. The program has been split across the term with Stage 2 and Stage 3 classes participating between weeks 1-5 and Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 classes participating between weeks 6-10. Classes have been allocated a time slot each to participate in this program. Please complete the permission note and return it to the office, along with your $20.00 payment by Friday 23 September 2022 Kindergarten Orientation- Change of Date letter By now you will have received your letter in the mail, inviting you and your child/ren to our three Kindergarten Orientation sessions and the Parent/Carer Information session. We are still very excited to run all of these sessions, however, due to unexpected scheduling conflicts that have only just arisen, we now need to change the date of our Parent/Carer Information session and one of our student sessions. The change in student session does allow us to also invite families to come and check out our school ‘Book Fair’ in the library. The new dates for all of the sessions are as follows, with the changes highlighted: Student Sessions: 1. Wednesday 19th October, 9.15am to 10.30am 2. Wednesday 26th October, 9.15am to 10.30am 3. Wednesday 2nd November, 9.15am to 10.30am- You are invited to bring your child/ren to have a look at the books and resources we have on sale in our school library space from 8.55am until 9.15am when the student session begins. Parent/Carer Information Session: • Wednesday 19th October, 6.00pm to 7.00pm Please still refer to the previous note posted to each of you for the organisation details. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused and we look forward to seeing you all during these orientation days and parent information session. Smart Start Wrap up We have just successfully completed our Smart Start program, transition to school program supporting all children in our local community intending to start Kindergarten in 2023 with the skills and experiences required to have the best start to school. The five sessions this term included both student and parent sessions with a focus on social skills development and sharing what literacy, numeracy and technology integration looks like at our school. It was wonderful to be able to wrap up the sessions with a joint ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’ and celebrate all of the learning and connections that have been made throughout the program. This worthwhile school initiative is something you will continue to see at Unanderra Public School in the future so please spread the positive news. PBL Rewards day After the mammoth task of collecting 25 000 bees this term, the whole school was rewarded with a ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ reward. From Kindergarten to Year 6, students participated in a wide range of activities such as playdough making, dance parties, art activities, technology sessions, movie watching, board games and Burroinjin. Buster Bee had a wonderful time visiting the different activities around the school, and congratulating the students on being safe, responsible and respectful throughout the term. We look forward to Term 4 being full of Positive Behaviours for Learning, and our end of year rewards day. This term 3/4J have engaged in learning experiences based around our integrated unit ‘Australia, This Is Us’. The students have been following the Alison Lester book, Are We There Yet?, and have been learning about all of the Australian States that they visit in the story as they make their way around Australia. For each state they have investigated and learned about some of the iconic natural and human made landmarks that make each state unique. They have then used this information to create a range of presentations including written information reports, brochures and Powerpoints. The students have enjoyed sharing their knowledge of Australia through reading, writing and artworks. 1M enjoyed some time in the Yarning Circle singing an aboriginal lullaby called Inanay Capuana. K-6 AssemblyKB Merit: Jasper W & Skylar-Rose Student of the week: Amaleah B KS Merit: Savannah V & Ahmad O Student of the week: Jett W KN Merit: Austin W & Brooklyn J Student of the week: Luna W 1/2AP Merit: Natalya J & Allya D 1M Merit: Caius J Student of the week: Millie B 1P Merit: Taj T & Caige J Student of the week: Daisy 2L Merit: Allira P Student of the week: 3/4D Merit: Memphis H & Kayleigh H Student of the week: 3/4S Merit: KJ T-S & Hayley C. Student of the week: Memphis W-W 3/4J Merit: Zoey C & Khatiya M Student of the week: 3/4R Merit: Brock D-W & Jeremy A Student of the week: Caylee J 5/6K Merit: Ruby H & Finn M Student of the week: Yerremurra W 5/6D Merit: Ebony C & Phoenix I Student of the week: Ella R 5/6M Merit: Sophie G & Aya S Student of the week: Braxton Z 5/6S Merit: Pearce W & Aliesha F Student of the week: Nevaya T Bronze & Silver AwardsCongratulations to the following students for receiving a bronze & silver award: Bronze Awards: Kayla C Chase K Savannah V Annabelle C Ashton P Penny H Charlotte A Marcel M Elijah L Abby D Chase N Kayla C Miranda J Keyara W Jaylen L Jayden S Latia J Isabella H Leanne O Lucy L Stefan V Branden N Silver Awards: Aliesha F Aiden M Ashton P Lexii T Jake F Ryan H Lexi C Mylah K Lekeisha S William P Jemma C Premier's Spelling Bee FinalDuring term 3 students in years 3 - 6 were busy learning words in anticipation of the Premier’s Spelling Bee Finals. All classes held amazing spelling competitions in their own classrooms, with the best 2 students from each class being chosen to represent their stage in the schools finals. Stage 2’s top eight were: Sam C, Chase C, Haley H, Mason H, Ollie, Aliye, and Emily P. Stage 3’s top 8 were: Angus.J, Charlotte.W, Shari.J-P, Zoe.M, Isabella.H, Sophie.G, Jasmine.D and Caleb.P. The atmosphere in the hall was filled with excitement, nervousness, and amazement as the students all did their personal best with the spelling words, as their peers watched on. The UPS PSB finalist for stage 2 was Emily. P and for Stage 3 it was Emily’s brother Caleb.P. In week 8 Emily and Caleb represented Unanderra PS in the first ever on-line regional finals of the Premier’s Spelling Bee. Caleb worked hard and reached round three. Emily made it all the way to round seven in a lengthy nail biting spell off with a student from another school. Emily came in second place, what a wonderful achievement, all her studying paid off. A big congratulations to both Emily and Caleb on the wonderful effort they put into the Premier’s Spelling bee experience. Regional Athletics CarnivalOn Friday 2nd September 10 of our finest athletes from Unanderra Public School, along with their families, traveled to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra for the South Coast Regional Athletics Carnival. The day started off very frosty but ended up being very pleasant and even quite warm at times. As always, the competition was extremely strong with all of our students giving their best and representing our school and district with distinction. Congratulations to the following students for their excellent efforts for making it to the regional carnival: Amy S Braxton S Emily P Gemma C Lachlan C Matilda C Rhydian J Ryan H Samuel F Xaviar L Renae Scruby Sports Co-Organiser Multicultural Public SpeakingWell done to the following students who represented Unanderra Public School at the Multicultural Public Speaking local finals. This year, the students had to film their speeches and send them in to be judged.
Well done to Brodie K and Shari JP for making it to the finals. A big congratulations to Sophie G and Serena R for getting a highly commended award for their speeches.
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Principal's MessageWe are nearly at the end of another term which is exciting yet feels so fast. SASS Recognition Week Last week we acknowledged the incredible work done by our school administration, general assistant, and school learning support staff. UPS staff held a special morning tea and all students in the school wrote a message of appreciation on a beautifully coloured in butterfly. These are now displayed in our administration corridor! UPS are fortunate to have many School Administrative and Support Staff who contribute to our school success. These roles include the office administration, the library, school grounds maintenance or in a classroom setting and all are important contributors to the success of the school and learning outcomes of each student. Thank you to our P&C Congratulations and thank you to our incredible P&C who have been working hard to prepare Father’s Day Stall gifts for our students to purchase. The organisation and preparation are always very involved and we thank all who were part of this great fundraiser. Dance2Bfit Matinee and Evening Performances- 13 September 2022. We are so excited to be hosting this school event onsite. The students have been working hard to make this event spectacular! We have reached capacity with our seating allocation for each performance and thank our school community for their support and enthusiasm. Book Parade Congratulations to Miss Prior for her outstanding organisation of the Book Week parade! It was a fabulous effort and everyone on staff looked amazing. I received a lot of feedback from parents and grandparents about the great feeling that the school vibe projects. It was wonderful to have families on site to celebrate this great event. The children looked incredible too! PBL Focus This fortnight we are focusing the “Play Smart, Play Fair’ motto. Please continue to remind students of the expectations and pre‐correct students before they go out to play is often another opportunity to remind them. Applying for Extended Leave As the world becomes more accessible once again we have noticed that some families are wishing to take extended holidays. We encourage our families where possible to take these family trips during school holiday periods to reduce the absences children have from school. However, if this cannot be the case it is important to revise leave requirements for our school. Any family wishing to take five or more school days of extended leave (for travel purposes) should contact our school and complete the relevant paperwork. A certificate will be completed by the school and provided to the family, prior to their trip. This certificate can be used, whilst on your trip, should you ever be requested by authorities. Please note that this is an expectation from the NSW Department of Education. It is important to also note that requests should be made, where possible, well in advance of the leave occurring, to ensure that all paperwork can be completed.Please contact the office via email or phone, should you require this documentation. We will soon have an application for extended leave form online for you to complete. Staff Professional Learning Variation to Staff Development Day – 20 December 2022 The teachers and SASS staff will be attending two twilight SDD sessions on Monday 17th October and Monday 24 October both between 3.30pm and 6pm in lieu of Teacher Professional Learning on Tuesday 20 December 2022 (this is a pupil free day and the final day of the school term for 2022). There will be two parts to these session with the first part being Supporting Students’ Health and the second part focusing on Teaching Numeracy and developing a pedagogy in line with current thinking and the New NSW Curriculum implementation. Unanderra Public School will be non‐operational on Tuesday 20 December 2022. Aboriginal Education Committee The AEC have been working very hard and really have been positively impactful in building the culture of understanding and embedding Aboriginal perspectives in our day‐to‐day teachings and routines. Recently Miss Bell and Miss Scruby attended Connecting to Country for the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed this significant professional learning. Thank you to Mr Scotland, Mrs Elston and Miss Bell and the team. Smart Start Smart Start was a great success! Thank you to Mrs Newman for the coordination of this and to all the other staff involved. We had a great turn out with the local preschool attending and parents participating in the workshops. Parent/carers who are interested in attending the workshops are invited to contact the school for further details. We look forward to the next three sessions with the final one being a Teddy’s Bears Picnic. We have already had great feedback! Gala Day Changes and Extra‐ Curricular Sport Activities The Gala Day organisation continues to create lots of confusion. It was cancelled due to the grounds not being available with their status being non operational. Thank you to Mr Le Breton and our administration staff for rearranging things. At this stage it is likely that there will be another Gala Day in term 4 in week 6. We will know more details in the next few weeks. We appreciate the patience provided from our students and their families. The Reading Project This term, we have introduced the Parent Reading Project, an initiative where parent/carer volunteers will come into the school and read with students. This program is fully supported and supervised by classroom teachers. Volunteers were required to attend an induction presentation, have a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) and be fully vaccinated. Mrs Brennan will be conducted two induction presentations on Wednesday 20 July and Friday 22 July 9:00‐9:30am in the school hall. The reading project has been a great success! Thank you, Mrs Brennan. Reading Club. Each Tuesday morning Miss Prior hosts a morning book reading club. Students are invited to grab some toast and read a book in the library. Thank you to Miss Prior. This has been a great success as usual the children love this time each week. Have a great fortnight ahead! Anissa Rajendra Upcoming EventsWeek 9 Monday 12th September: Dance2Bfit dress/tech rehearsal Tuesday 13th September: Reading club - 8am in the Library Dance2Bfit Matinee Performance + Evening Performance Wednesday 14th September Smart Start - Kindy Transition Week 10 Tuesday 20th September Reading club - 8am in the Library Wednesday 21st September PBL Rewards Day Friday 23rd September K-6 Assembly at 11:30 Last day of term 3 5/6D have been busy this term learning about the wonderfulness of poetry writing. We have been looking at different types of poems such as, acrostic, cinquain, shape, limerick and haiku. During our poetry writing we have been implementing our learning, including the use of elements of poetry. This has enabled us to use figurative language and sound devices to create poems with effect and interest, giving us the tools to express our thoughts and feelings about different topics. Sound devices are fun to use, like, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and repetition. The shells, in the photos below, have cinquain poems written inside them and the rain drops that you can see have haiku poems written on them. If you are standing at the front of the school, look up at the first class room and you can see them hanging in our window. In 3/4R we have continued to embed Aboriginal perspectives throughout each of our routines. Each morning, 3/4R takes time to reflect, refocus and rebuild our community links in our morning yarning circle. It is here that we take the time to get to know our classmates, discuss our thoughts and share our stories and worries. In numeracy we have begun using symbols and gestures to help us solve addition, subtraction, and multiplication questions. Throughout our integrated unit ‘Australia This Is Us’ we have been learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and perspectives. So far, we have explored South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory and have looked at significant Indigenous places that each state and territory have and the importance each of these hold. We enjoy embedding Aboriginal perspectives and culture into 3/4R, but most of all we love how it has strengthened our classroom community. Term 3 Gold AssemblyToday we celebrate the students who have achieved their gold award. For some it is the first time they have achieved their personal best, for others it is their second, third, fourth or even fifth gold award. Every award handed out is a magnificent achievement, and recognises the students who have consistently followed our school values of being safe, responsible and respectful. A very big congratulations to the following students: Bronze and Silver AwardsWell done to the following students who received a bronze and silver award for this week's assembly. These students are working hard and working towards their gold award. Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 Awards: Bronze: Anna A Bentley C Emrah S Ashton F Isla Ava Silver Awards: Zayden M Amelia K Chelsea Stage 2 and 3: Bronze Awards: Gemma C Amy S Casey P Jake B Decklyn. H Ruby H Sedra S Lachlan C Yarra M Jake B Billy K Jake F Kim T Lexii T Addison Nabiha M Diesel W-W Silver Awards: Charlotte B Brodie K Ava C Memphis W-W Jordi O Isabella M Jacob M Ebony C Sienna M Billy P Jackson K Jeremy A Alyson A Loralee H Chris G Charlotte B What a wonderful book week we had this year. It was lovely to be back together rather than online and our school had fun all week. On Tuesday, students were intrigued by the appearance of large foot prints in Area B, a giant cloak and an enormous golden trumpet in trees nearby, as well as a table full of what appeared to be dream jars and potions. Students were able to examine the scene and use it as a writing stimulus to come up with some truly imaginative stories. We also had a book tasting during Reading Club, where students got to try new books they might not have tried before. On Wednesday we had another ex-library book sale run by our fabulous Stage 3 Library monitors. Books sold for 10 cents and much excitement was had as students stocked up on books to read at home. Friday was our big day. It began with literature rotations run by teachers across each stage K-6. Students participated in reading stories followed by fun activities from cooking, to craft, to creating artworks, playing games and much more. Take a look at the fun we had. This was followed by our annual Book Week Parade. Teachers and students came dressed as either characters from a book or something to match the Book Week theme ‘Reading with Eyes Open’. Taking inspiration from the Book Week theme, teachers came dressed up as characters from Lewis Carol’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’. It was wonderful to have our families and carers back on site to watch the parade on the basketball court. Despite getting a little chilly, the rain held off and many families had picnics in our school grounds. You can check out some of the fabulous costumes here… There were many prizes announced during the parade, with the winners of the Book Week Poster Competition and the Costume Draw being announced. Each winner received a book. Poster Competition Winners: Kindergarten – Ashton F Year 1 – Austin D Year 2 – Lani M Year 3 – Lexi C Year 4 – Izaiah L Year 5 – Charlotte W Year 6 – Taneeka M Costume Draw Winners Kindergarten – Emilia J Year 1 – Ella O Year 2 – Amelia P Year 3 – Amelia H Year 4 – Cameron J Year 5 – Ozzy L Year 6 – Jenaya R Thank you to all the parents for putting together costumes for their children. It is always a memorable day. Rachel Prior Teacher Librarian Southern Stars Yanggaa Garaba Dance EnsembleA huge congratulations to our wonderful students who had the opportunity to perform in the Yanggaa Garaba Aboriginal Dance Ensemble at Southern Stars. Amelia Hayes, Axel Cook, Arinya Locke, Charlotte Simpson, Memphis Withers-Wheatley, KJ Thomas Smith and Dakota Forster were amazing representatives of Unanderra Public School. The Yanggaa Garaba Aboriginal Dance Ensemble consisted of 90 students from many schools across the Illawarra and South Coast. The students put in hours of rehearsal time and danced in three performances over four Southern Stars shows. The Yanggaa Garaba dance provided an opportunity for the students to connect to their First Nations ancestors, culture and histories, while telling their story. It was a truly breathtaking performance, giving audience members goose bumps every time they performed. It was tiring and exhausting work and their efforts did not go unnoticed. Thank you to the parents that spent a lot of their time dropping off and picking up their children from rehearsals and performances. It meant a lot to not only your children but our school. We are so very proud of them and Mrs Elston felt honoured to work with such a great group of students. Science WeekUnanderra Public School was hosted Science Week during Week 8 of Term 3. Students were treated with unique lessons all around this years theme of "GLASS - More than meets the eye". Each stage looked at the fascinating ways we use glass in today's society from fun toys to investigating techniques utilising microscopes. Early Stage 1 students used magnifying glasses to explore the world of magnification, exploring our school grounds to find a whole manner of creepy crawlies. They finished off by looking at preserved creatures and materials under the microscopes and seeing how glass plays an important role in how we explore the microscopic world. Stage 1 and 2 students dissected one of the worlds most well known toys 'the kaleidoscope'. Students learnt about how glass plays an important role in reflecting images, pulled apart a kaleidoscope to see how they are constructed then created their own variation of a kaleidoscope called a teleidoscope. The students had a lot of fun customising the images you can see as you can see in the photos below. In stage 3, students made glass disappear through the exploration of refraction. Refraction is the ability of light to bend (change direction slightly) when it passes through different materials, such as glass, water, or plastic. Students experimented with different liquids exploring this phenomenon before seeing how certain liquids can make glass appear to disappear due to their refractive qualities. We all had a lot of fun exploring the world of glass at Unanderra Public School. Mr Synnott Science Teacher (RFF) The Fathering ProjectDad-proof tip: How to strengthen the relationship with your sonWhen dads work to strengthen the relationship with their son, it not only positively impacts the relationship, but his development too.
Fathers have a strong influence on their sons, sometimes without even realising it. The most important way fathers influence their sons is by spending time with them and by being involved in their lives. There is clear evidence now that boys with dads actively involved in their lives do better emotionally, socially and academically. Top Tips
Principal's MessageIncredibly we are at the end of yet another busy fortnight at UPS. The students and staff have enjoyed participating in play time clubs including dancing on the gorgeous grass, building in lego club and creating amazing art and craft pieces with Mrs Mc Cabe. The staff continue to encourage the children to participate in an activity of choice throughout each play time and to build on their friendship skills by turn taking, agreeing on the rules of the game and recognising when to take a break. At times situations may arise where children disagree and feel that they have been unfairly treated by a peer or a teacher. Our school is guided by the Department of Education Behaviour Code for Students and utilises Positive Behaviour for Learning as the framework underpinning classroom and playground expectations. All students are guided and supported to use strategies that keep them safe and heard when necessary. There are many teachers and support staff on the playground during each break time wearing florescent vests who are always available to assist. Please encourage your child/ren to go to these adults if they would like help to resolve a situation in the playground. The staff at UPS are committed to ensuring that each child is truly known, valued and cared for and we ask that parents/carers contact the school if they have any concerns or questions as usually these can be resolved quickly and successfully. Thank you to our P&C Congratulations and thank you to our incredible P&C who have been working hard to prepare Father’s Day Stall gifts for our students to purchase. The organisation and preparation is always very involved and we thank all who were part of this great fundraiser. Toys Please remind your child/ren not to bring any toy or treasure to school that they may lose or break etc. We are happy to have children bring a small toy to play with during break times, however it must not be too precious or irreplaceable as accidents do happen and the staff are not always able to monitor the whereabouts and care of these belongings. Food Containers It is great to see children choosing to eat fresh fruit and vegetables for snacks and lunch. Please ensure that your child/ren does not bring a metal can to open as these lids are dangerously sharp and can become slippery when wet. Place all the contents from these metal tins in a plastic sealed container to avoid injury. Due to health and safety please do not send lolly pops, poptops and sherbets or wizzfizz sweets to school with your child. Thank you for your support and understanding. Afternoon Dismissal Procedures. The staff at UPS send a huge thank you to all of our parents/carers who assist in the smooth afternoon departure procedures. Please remember that the drop off zone is not a parking area and drivers must remain in the car. Students will not be permitted to enter any car outside of the safe area for stopping. Drivers are respectfully reminded to park and turn legally around the school and to refrain from manoeuvres such as U-turns and three-point turns which are dangerous during busy school drop-off and pick-up times. We understand that at times this can be frustrating however the safety and wellbeing of our children and the families is paramount. The children are doing a great job when leaving the school grounds and I thank them for this. Dance2Bfit Matinee and Evening Performances- 13 September 2022. The Dance2Bfit tickets have been distributed. Please check that your child has brought them home. Although we were limited with the number of tickets (4 per family) allocated for distribution we are pleased that this performance has been strongly supported by our school community. Planning around COVID Smart guidelines, ventilation and the need for social distancing were among the many considerations that needed to be made for this event to proceed. We acknowledge that some families may have not be given their first option however with this being our first face to face event in over two years, we are appreciative of the opportunity to hold such a momentous shared school community experience. We have also been fortunate to have the P & C support this event and host food and sweets sales on site before both the matinee and evening performances. Unanderra Public School acknowledge the significant donations made by South32 and the continued efforts from our fabulous P & C executive and membership. The children are very excited to show off their many talents and perform on our school stage in a few weeks! Extra-Curricular Sporting Activities There have been several PSSA and regional athletics events, state cross country, soccer and football trials and additional extracurricular activities for many of our representative sporting students. Congratulations on these great accomplishments to those students selected. I also commend your respectful and sportsperson ship while competing and representing UPS! Thank you to Mr Le Breton and the administration staff for their work behind the scenes in following up with the organisation for these events. We always look forward to hearing your personal best achievements! Aboriginal Education The Aboriginal Education Committee have been working very hard and have made a positive impactful to build the culture of understanding and embedding Aboriginal perspectives in our day to day teachings and routines. Thank you to Mr Scotland, Miss Bell and the team. All classes across the school have been successfully integrating units of work. Kindergarten have focused on the bush and desert through play-based learning and created art works that represent Country as the knowledge holder. They have also read the Dharawal book in the Yarning Circle and used playdough to building on their understanding. Stage 1 have enjoyed very successful mathematics lessons doubling numbers using Aboriginal symbols and images. Stage 2 have enjoyed successful mathematics activity tasks embedding Aboriginal perspectives using symbols to tell stories and to solve number problems. Stage 3 have enjoyed success focusing on Narrative Mountains: Symbols and images and by creating their own symbols as well. In addition, using Country as the teacher and storytelling in number talk. 5/6M start their morning with a Yarning Circle reflecting on what they are grateful for. Smart Start This pre- kindergarten program began last week. We welcomed more than twenty-five local children including some from the local pre-school which was a great success! Thank you to Mrs Newman for the coordination of this and to all of the other staff involved. We look forward to the next four sessions. We have already had great feedback! Southern Stars A big congratulations to Mrs Jackson, Miss Ryman, Mrs Elston and Mrs Brennan and all of our wonderful students who performed in Southern Stars this year. Students from Unanderra Public School performed in both the combined Choir and the Aboriginal dance group. Rehearsals for this spectacular show began many months ago and required a long-term commitment from not only the students and teachers but also from the families who were responsible for transporting their children to and from the venues at all hours of the day and late evening. It was an amazing community event to celebrate public education inclusive of all and an opportunity to showcase the many talents of our students across over 130 public primary and high schools. We thank the coordinators of Southern Stars and recognise that without all of the volunteers and hard work behind the scenes none of this would be possible. Congratulations everyone! We cannot wait for next year! Have a great fortnight ahead! Anissa Rajendra 2L has been enjoying reading and learning in the Yarning Circle, especially when the weather is nice. This term 2L has been learning about persuasive texts, students have had to learn how to express their own opinion about various topics with a focus on health. We have been reading and viewing a variety of texts this term to explore what students both like and dislike. This allows students to express negatives and positive aspects on a given topic and build their vocabulary to implement in their writing. This term, KN have been engaging in a variety of exciting lessons within our ‘Wilderness Explorers’ integrated unit of work and learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and perspectives. We have explored how our special places and spaces are used as well as different plants and their varying uses when in the bush. It was exciting to find lots of paperbark in our nature walk in the back playground. KN added this and other dry leaves to our ‘Koala in a Tree’ artworks. We have included Dharawal words for different animals in our writing while understanding the importance of Country. We are also very proud of our Kindergarten Acknowledgement of Country which references Grandfather Mountain and Grandmother Mountain – both of which we have learnt more about their significance this term. Assembly AwardsKB Merit: Wren A.R & Romano.G Student of the week: Bonnie.A KS Merit: Loretta S, Ramon M.G. Student of the week: Daniel L KN Merit: Evelyn W, Lyla R Student of the week: Skye S 1/2AP Merit: Lindzee LB & Leo D Student of the week: Myles S 1M Merit: Zayden M & Oliver Y Student of the week: Brianna J 1P Merit: Student of the week: 2L Merit: Ayah S & Keyara W Student of the week: Tempe W 2B: Merit: Kiara C Student of the week: Lola R 3/4D Merit: Kymani J & Abby D Student of the week: Nate M 3/4S Merit: Jake B & Izaiah L. Student of the week: Ava C. 3/4J Merit: Lucas M Student of the week: 3/4R Merit: Elliot S & Chris G Student of the week: 5/6D Merit: Yarra M & Rhydian J Student of the week: 5/6M Merit: Isaac F & Taliah C Student of the week: Aiden M 5/6S Merit: Matilda C & Oscar T Student of the week: Anjali K Bronze and Silver AwardsKindergarten and Stage 1 Bronze Awards: Abigail J Bonnie.A Saxxon M.S Oliver Y Jarli L Mariah G Abigal J Tyler L Silver Awards: Mackenzie C Aaliyah H Cameron K Stage 2 and Stage 3: Bronze Awards: Ryan H Cameron Amelia B Holly L Lindsay D Daniel P Billy P Lexxi T Lexi C Kymani J Oliver B Silver Awards: Memphis H Zara W Jasmine D Brooklyn R Jasmine Ridit T Elliot S Brock DW Principal's MessageDear parents and carers, The middle of the term is certainly creeping up on us and we still have so many exciting events ahead. It has been great to finally enjoy some dry weather and give our grass a chance to dry and the children time to play outside. Cola Roof Construction As you are aware work has been underway to complete the cola roof in Area A. The work is currently ahead of schedule and we certainly appreciate the way this has been managed by the project manager. Currently the concrete has been cut and the holes are now ready for the concrete pour which at this stage will happen on Friday 19 August between 9.15am and 1.30pm. The front gate access will be restricted and an alternative pathway into the administration building will be created for this short period. During this time there will be concrete trucks blocking the front entrance, however this should all be completed before pick up on this afternoon. Thank you for your patience during this time. Dance2BFit The children have been participating in Dance2Bfit lessons each week with a qualified dance instructor. This is part of our school curriculum and I am impressed with how positive all of our students and teachers have embraced this opportunity. UPS will be inviting parents and carers to a performance in week 9 of this term. There will be a matinee and evening performance with further details to be shared in the coming weeks. Afternoon Dismissal Firstly, I thank all students, staff and parents for their patience each afternoon during pick up time. The care, safety and supervision of all of our students and school community Is paramount. This is a reminder that students are to follow the safety instructions provided by the supervising teacher at all times. Unfortunately, we have had some neighbour complaints that students are walking in gardens and knocking on residents’ doors. Please remind your children to walk sensibly to their destination and to always remain on the grass or pathways rather than walking on to private property. I also ask that all parents and carers using drop zone wait patiently while children get into cars, remain in their car where possible and refrain from reversing anywhere near the crossing area. Thank you for your support in this. Book Week – Week 7 In two weeks, we will be holding our book week celebration. Start planning your child’s costume for what is always a great highlight. The book parade and literature rotations will be happening on Friday 2 September and Dapto Library will visit for a book presentation to K-2 students. A big thank you to Miss Prior for your enthusiasm and passion for books and learning in bringing this event together. Southern Stars Our Southern Stars performers have been preparing and working hard for this fabulous event, which will be held at the end of Week 6. The students and teachers involved have been attending many rehearsals and participated. To everyone involved, enjoy the moment. The experience will be one that I am sure all involved will remember for life. Thank you to Mrs Jackson, Mrs Elston and Mrs Brennan for their work in coordinating the choir and our Aboriginal Dance Group. Kindergarten 2023 We have already had a number of students enrol for Kindergarten 2023 which is so exciting. If you are planning on enrolling your child next year, or know of a family considering this who lives in our school drawing area, please complete the enrolment, by visiting our school website https://unanderra-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/ for more information. We look forward to welcoming all the new families to UPS in 2023. Wollongong City- Play Experts On Tuesday 9 August, some children were selected to be a ‘play expert,’ and invited to share their ideas on playing and playgrounds with Wollongong City Council. The council is looking to revive our local playgrounds. As part of this process, they met with a group of students from Unanderra Public School across a number of stages, children were aged between Year 1 and Year 6. On the day, they worked in small focus groups. Each focus group had an aerial plan Unanderra Park and Skate Park, and the students were tasked with goal of making park more child and family friendly, accessible for people of all abilities and to improve the functionality of the park. In addition to making suggestions, they voted on the types of play they like engage in when they go to the Park. Their ideas and feedback were practical, creative and spectacular! The representatives will now compile the information we shared and will come up with a plan for the play space with a Landscape Architect. Later this year, if their project runs on time, they will return to get the children’s opinions of the draft plans. If there is an official opening of the playground, the students will be invited to attend the opening including our Year 6 students, who will be in high school next year. This was an exciting opportunity for the ‘play experts’ in our school, we look forward to working with Wollongong City Council on this project. My thanks are extended to Mrs Rebecca McCabe for coordinating this exciting opportunity. Have a fabulous fortnight ahead. Kind Regards, Anissa Rajendra 3/4D Yarning CircleThis week, we participated in a learning experience on Country. We kindly greeted each other and settled into the non-judgemental environment. As a class, we discussed the meaning of respect. We made connections to respect ourselves, each other and respect for Country. In 5/6M we have been embedding Aboriginal perspectives throughout our routine. We start our day by building community links through our morning yarning circle. Where we share stories, get to know each other and discuss what we are grateful for. In writing, we have been using symbols to plan our quest narratives. We draw our plan, using symbols, then share it with our peers for feedback and in maths we have been using symbols to help solve our number talks. One of our favourite ways to celebrate Aboriginal culture and perspectives is around our 'campfire.' Here we share our work with each other, provide our peers with feedback and apply that feedback into our work. Sometimes if we are lucky, we share a marshmallow or two around the campfire too. We enjoy embedding Aboriginal perspectives and culture into 5/6M, but most of all we love how it has enhanced our classroom community. K-6 AssemblyCongratulations to the follow students for receiving a student of the week award and merit awards for this weeks assembly; KB Merit: Stefania G & Mmuti T Student of the week: Luke.W KS Merit: Zach S Student of the week: Ashlee A KN Merit: Thoolika & Hugo D Student of the week: Ava D 1/2AP Merit: Noah P & Cody J Student of the week: Axel H 1M Merit: Sophia G & Jemma C Student of the week: Lily B 2B Merit: Isabella F & Amelia P Student of the week: Bronte W 2L Merit: Will T & Maddison W Student of the week: Ella M 3/4D Merit: Ryan H Student of the week: 3/4S Merit: Aliye Sen & Jordi O Student of the week: Cooper E 3/4J Merit: William. P & Audrey.Y Student of the week: Latia.J 3/4R Merit: Kaitlin A & Lachlan C Student of the week: Loralee H 5/6K Merit: Zander H & Izzy H Student of the week: Taytum Z 5/6D Merit: Kylah-Rose T & Oscar W Student of the week: Daniel P 5/6M Merit: Aya S & Max T Student of the week: Lily E 5/6S Merit: Charles H & Ella H Student of the week: Peyton M-L Bronze and Silver AwardsEarly Stage 1 and Stage 1 Bronze Awards Felicity B Ashlee A Abigail J Bowie C Zach S Jasper. W Skylar-Rose.T Mmuti.T Wren A.R Romano.G Ariella.G Jax.F Stefania.G Amaleah B.S Luke..W Abraham.M Evie.A. Silver Awards: Axel H Stage 2 and Stage 3 Bronze Awards: Brooklyn R Shari J-P Asher. G Victoria S Jarvis J Amelia H Isaac F Lexie S Aya S Silver Awards: Mandela M Ella H Matilda C Pearce W Nevaya T PBL UpdateThe focus for weeks 3 and 4 is “Let’s be safe and respectful in the playground!” This focus looks at the changes that are occurring in our playground due to the construction work that is currently happening. It is important that our students are aware of these changes and understand their expectations whilst being outside the classroom. With this focus, teachers are having classroom discussions surrounding the school values of respect and safety. Students are learning how to move safely around construction areas, how to communicate to teachers if the noise becomes overwhelming at times, how to share the playground and how to help others in the playground. Students are also engaging in conversations about how to be respectful to the workers. An example of this is ensuring that they are not calling out to the workers whilst being in the playground or walking around the school. The PBL Team Library Updates from Ms Prior!Principal's ReportDear parents/carers, Opportunity Classes- 2023 Opportunity classes cater for intellectually gifted and high potential students who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic and social level. Students successfully placed will usually have to leave their current school to enrol in a school with an opportunity class for Years 5 and 6. Testing has been completed and submitted. Thank you to Mrs Brennan and Mr Hosler! Cola Cover Just a reminder that temporary fencing has been installed this week and work on building the new cola roof will begin on Monday. It will be noisy on Monday while they cut concrete and staff will take measures to support the classes close by as best as possible. Education/NAIDOC Week We will be celebrating Education week in style this week. It will be a great opportunity to showcase the amazing work all our students have been doing in class with their teachers and their peers. Education Week 2022 will be held from 1-5 August (Week 3, Term 3). This year’s theme is ‘creating futures – education changes lives’ and celebrates the quality education we provide and the opportunities available to everyone in NSW public education. NAIDOC Week is a time to reflect and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, recognising them as the ongoing Custodians of the land. Our school will be recognising this important time in many different ways. Stage 3 Camp Congratulations to all students in Stage 3 who attended what was a very successful and exciting camp excursion to Canberra. There were many positive and complimentary comments made to our students on their uniform presentation, behaviour, and overall conduct. Thank you very much to all of the staff who attended and really did a remarkable job in caring for our students and providing them with a memorable experience. Dance2Bfit We have once again begun Dance2Bfit program for 2022. The students are already excited for the upcoming concert which will be held in week 9 of this term. More information will be provided in the weeks to come. Southern Stars The choir students and Aboriginal Dance students have been rehearsing for what will be a spectacular performance. Thank you to all staff, teachers, and parents for assisting in the transport and preparation of this huge Public Education production. Anissa Rajendra Principal UPS CalendarWeek 3 Monday 1st August NAIDOC Assembly Wednesday 3rd August Premier's Spelling Bee for Stage 2 & 3 Friday 5th August Education Week - Parents invited in Week 4 Monday 8th August Southern Stars Aboriginal Ensemble Rehearsal Surf Safety - Yrs 2, 4, 6 ICAS Week Wednesday 10th August Sibling & Staff Photos KB and Kindergarten 100 Days of Learning KB and the rest of Kindergarten celebrated their first 100 days of learning at school on Friday of week 1, Term 3. Kindergarten was very excited to reach this 100-day milestone of their schooling journey. They celebrated by dressing up as 100-year-old people or wore 100 different items such as pom poms, sequins and money. Student across Kindergarten completed a variety of 100 themed activities this including counting to 100 in Morning Routine, writing something their Kindergarten teacher had said to them 100 times, ‘The 100 Chart Hunt ‘were students had to find all the hidden numbers around the kindergarten room and finishing off the celebration with a Dance and Bubble party on Terry’s Turf. KB enjoyed all the activities from the day, but their favourite activity was the 100 Day Workout with Miss Bell. Congratulations again Kindergarten for reaching your first 100 days of school! In geography, 1/2AP have learnt about natural, constructed and managed features in the environment. As part of this unit, we investigated some well-known natural features in Australia, such as Uluru and Kakadu National Park. We explored the connection that Aboriginal people have with these places and traditional ways they care for the land. We have enjoyed listening to various dreamtime stories, particularly ‘Oola-boola-woo’ , which has been retold by local Indigenous author Jodi Edwards. This is a story about the creation of Mount Keira and The Five Islands and has given us a greater insight into the Aboriginal perspectives of our local area. We have also enjoyed recreating dreamtime stories using traditional Dharawal symbols. We were so lucky to have Mrs Talbott bring in a didgeridoo, bull roarer and clapsticks for one of our lessons. Mrs Talbott explained what each of these are used for and their connection to Aboriginal culture. We are now looking forward to incorporating Aboriginal perspectives into our number lessons by using traditional Aboriginal symbols to record number sentences. Pen PalsIn term 2, Mrs Abel and Mrs Perry asked us if we would like to write real letters to some children at a school in London! That is all the way over the other side of the world in England. Miss Begum and Miss Brennan of 1SB at Our Lady & Philip Neri RC Primary School, Sydenham, sent us letters from the class. In the letters, our new pen pals told us some things about themselves, their favourite colour, games, and things. Amie who is 6 and Michael who is also 6 wrote to us. Last week sent a big parcel back to the class with letters from all of us. Miss Brennan who teaches at the school in London is on summer break and came to UPS to visit us. It was really funny to listen to her speak about some of the things that are different and the same. Did you know in England they call lollies “sweeties”, and they call chips “crisps”? Mrs Brennan said when the class did a Google Earth search of our school, they could not believe how many people had swimming pools in their backyard and how big our play areas are at UPS. Their school does not have any grass and even has a play area on the roof of a classroom. Miss Brennan also gave us a lovely book all about Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. We thanked her for visiting and are looking forward to our next delivery of letters. Olivia H & Bentley C 1/2AP K-6 AssemblyWell done to the follow students who received a student of the week away and a merit award for this week's assembly; KB Merit: Ariella & Evie.A Student of the week: Saxxon M.S. KS Merit: Aria K & Emelia J Student of the week: Felicity B KN Merit: Isla G-H & Leo L-G Student of the week: Dylan M 1/2AP Merit: Hailey N & Lola W Student of the week: Anna A 1M Merit: Max R & Chelsey M Student of the week: Archie B 1P Merit: Student of the week: 2L Merit: Tempe. W & Allira. P Student of the week: Lekeisha S 2B: Merit: Harper B & Kaimia W Student of the week: Lani M 3/4D Merit: Billy K & Bridget B Student of the week: Marshall F 3/4S Merit: Dominic S & Casey P. Student of the week: Olivia J. 3/4J Merit: Eden.W & Keira.G Student of the week: Daniel.M 3/4R Merit: Nabiha M & Charlotte S Student of the week: Diesel W-W 5/6K Merit: Drew R & Decklyn H Student of the week: Lucas S 5/6D Merit: Brayden H & Penny H Student of the week: Charlotte W 5/6M Merit: Student of the week: 5/6S Merit: Braidyn P-W & Sofie W Student of the week: Halil S Bronze and Silver AwardsEarly Stage 1 and Stage 1 Bronze Awards: Archie B Maddison W Logan H Silver Awards: Alya D Leo D Arlo M Millie B Harlem H Brianna J Will T Willow W Stage 2 and Stage 3 Bronze Awards: Aya.R Silver Awards: Eli C Reading ClubWe are back!! Giving students the opportunity to share their love of books and reading, ‘Reading Club’ has always been a great way to create a strong reading culture at our school. At 'Reading Club' positive reading behaviour is modelled by our teachers and as a school community we are able to demonstrate our belief in the value of books and reading. A love of reading is important because research shows children who read for pleasure achieve better school performance than those who don’t. Michael Rosen, The Guardian With the lure of toast each Tuesday between 8.30am and 8.55am, students at UPS are able to come to the iLibrary and mix with teachers and other students. In this space, students are able to read the latest books to hit our library shelves and are exposed to a wide variety of rich literature. Please encourage your children to come along to the iLibrary on Tuesdays! Learning LabsPhonics Screening ChecksPrincipals ReportDear Parents and carers, End of the term We have reached the end of yet another busy but productive term So much has been achieved during each school day and also outside of these hours. Our wonderful parents and friends have hosted BBQ’s at Bunnings, co-ordinated pie drives among other fundraisers and joined our students and staff to commemorate Reconciliation Week and the Gold assembly. All these events require lots of planning and consultation and I thank the UPS staff and P & C members for their ongoing commitment and hard work to make these things happen. I wish our fabulous school community and staff a relaxing, safe and enjoyable holiday and I look forward to seeing everyone return to school on Tuesday, 19 July. Donations for the P & C Bunnings BBQ We thank the following companies for their generous donations · Unanderra Woolworths · Unanderra Country Grocer · Bakers Delight (Figtree) · Illawarra Small Goods · Cordeaux Caffeine Absences Our school community, both with staff and students, have experienced a significant increase in absences. We understand that this can cause disappointment to our students and teachers particularly when planned activities need to be postponed or classes need to be split. This is far from ideal, but please know that every effort is being made to minimise disruption. I thank the community for understanding as we navigate our way each day through this challenging period. Traffic Flow and Road Laws We have had several concerning issues raised regarding traffic around our school. These issues have made their way to local police, who have indicated that they will have a much larger presence in the area in the coming school moths. The police have asked me to again let our community know of the expectation in following road laws, especially around the drop off and pick up zone, parking in the correct places and not disrupting the local community by parking across or in driveways. The police have explained that fines will be presented to those who are not following the laws. The health and safety of all of our students is paramount and we appreciate your support in adhering to these to ensure the safety of everyone in and around our community. Semester 1 Reports Your child’s Semester 1 report will be sent home this Friday. These reports are a culmination of months of work and I congratulate teachers on their professional approach in completing them and students on their hard work this semester. Please know that these reports are in the format of the COVID-19 Interim policy standards – Semester 1 2022. Teachers have collaborated and taken great care to provide professional judgements on students and their achievement. If you would like to discuss your child’s report further, please contact the classroom teacher to organise a mutually convenient time to meet. Kinder 2023 Our school has already had a number of students enrol for kindergarten 2023. This is great news! If you are planning on enrolling your child next year, or know of someone who is thinking about it, that lives in our school drawing area, please complete the enrolment online, by visiting our school website for more information. Annual School Report Please see the link below for viewing of our Annual School Report 2021. A big thank you to all staff and parents involved in the creation of this document. https://unanderra-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/about-our-school/school-planning-and-reporting.html Community Service Information For supported accommodation, community social housing, counselling, mediation, support and programs to improve the life situation of children, young people, and their families you can contact Southern Youth and Family Services (SYFS). SYFS are based in the Illawarra and have a range of support services and programs. SYFA can be contacted on 4221 7700 or you can check them out online at https:// www.syfs.org.au/ Bus Pass Compliance Premier Illawarra have been notified by multiple school bus drivers that students have not been using an opal card when boarding the bus. Premier Illawarra would like to take this opportunity to remind all students that if a student does not have a valid opal card they are not able to catch any bus. Starting from Monday 13th of June 2022, any student that does not have a valid opal card will be handed back to the school via the teacher on duty. Please see below Premium Illawarra's website outlining the Student Code of Conduct as displayed on Transport for NSW’s website. https://transportnsw.info/student-code-conduct If you have questions Premier Illawarra can be contacted on 02 4271 1322 Have a great and safe holidays, Anissa Rajendra Have a look at the video below to see what 1M have been up to this term. K-6 Gold AssemblyK-6 AssemblyCongratulations to the following students who received a merit award and a students of the week award; KB Merit: Amaleah B & Luke W Student of the week: KS Merit: Ashlee A & Ashton F Student of the week: Harlem F & Zach KN Merit: Austin W & Kyen C Otis M & Amelia D Student of the week: Hollie M & Lara V 1/2AP Merit: Austin D-W & Lara V-L Moriah G & Bentley C Student of the week: Olivia H & Willow W 1M Merit: Max R & Chelsey M Millie B. & Caius J. Student of the week: Zayden M Harlem H 1P Merit: Aaliyah H & Airlie S Emilio V & Winter-Rose M. Student of the week: Ruby S & Harlee G. 2L Merit: Lekeisha S & Willow E Student of the week: Dominic W 2B: Merit: Van M & Kiarra C Student of the week: Amelia K 3/4D Merit: Abby D Student of the week: Marshal F 3/4S Merit: Casey P & Emily P Avi D & Liam M. Student of the week: Madeline O & Brodie K 3/4J Merit: Brianna.M-M & Ruby.J Dean.S & Chloe.O Student of the week: Jaydan.S & Ruby 3/4R Merit: Jackson K & Rocky R Mason H & Elliot S Student of the week: Kayla C 5/6K Merit: Bentley & Dom Taytum Z, Jacob M & Stefan Student of the week: Alana 5/6D Merit: Ella R Ridit T & Nevaeh B Student of the week: Jenaya R 5/6M Merit: Aiden M & Adina M Blaire C & Sienna M Student of the week: Lindsay D & Isaac F 5/6S Merit: Callum L & Anjali K Eli C & Shari J-P Student of the week: Xavier L & Oscar T Bronze & Silver AwardsWell done to the following students who received a bronze and silver award; Stage 1: Bronze Awards Cali F Zayden M Silver Awards: Myles S Lindzee L-B Eddie C Noah P Stage 2: Bronze Awards Chase C Lachlan C Zoey C Willow W Silver Awards: Ryan H Amelia H Lexii T Holly L Amelia B Lachlan C Stage 3: Bronze Awards Charlotte A Adam C Amy S Ridit T Ella H Adina M Silver Awards: Yarra M Angus J Anjali K Xaviar L Gemma C Be Kinder DayOn Thursday 23 June, Unanderra hosted ‘B Kinder Day’ in support of the Fly High Billie Foundation. The purpose of the day was to discuss kindness, empower children and people and enable them to see they each have the capacity to make a positive difference in the world. This year, thank you to the suggestion of Amelia from 5/6M, we sent some positivity and support to our community by donating to the Purple Pantry at the Unanderra Community Centre. This is a food provision service, helping locals in need. To support this initiative, we are asking for donations of non-perishable food items. We also end the day with a Disco where the theme was 'Rainbow'. The students had such a great day and their were prizes handed out for the best dressed and dances. Parent Reading ProjectHave you thought about helping out at school? Are you available one morning a week from 9-9:30am. Next term, we are introducing the Parent Reading Project, an initiative where parent/carer volunteers will come into the school and read with students. This program is fully supported and supervised by classroom teachers. Volunteers are required to attend an induction presentation, have a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) and be fully vaccinated. Mrs Brennan will be conducting two induction presentations on Wednesday 20 July and Friday 22 July 9:00-9:30 am in the school hall. If you would like to participate in this program please email the school office [email protected] .and indicate which induction presentation you will be attending. For further information please call Mrs Natalee Brennan on 42728730. Principal's ReportDear parents/carers, What a wonderful fortnight we have had. We have really celebrated in style. Congratulations ! Reconciliation Week Thank you and congratulations to our Aboriginal Education Committee for a most impressive Reconciliation week assembly and whole school walk to commemorate significant milestones in the reconciliation journey- the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision. Asking everyone to play their part in building relationships and communities that value First Nations peoples and their history, culture, and their future is embedded in the theme ‘Be Brave. Make Change’. I know that our school community will continue to persevere to encourage and model brave actions in their daily lives where they work and socialise to make positive change for all. District Cross Country UPS came first in the District Cross Country last Friday. A big thank you to our parents and teachers for encouraging and coordinating the attendance of many of our students. Congratulations to all participating students. We are so impressed with your achievements and determination. Well done on your exemplary behaviour, you made us all so proud! Kindy Expo The Kindy Expo was a huge success! Thank you to Mrs Newman and everyone involved in the preparation and presentation of this great event. The students who represented our school did a fantastic job! I am very appreciative of the P & C representatives and the staff who spent time preparing for the evening and who then welcomed the prospective 2023 kindergarten parents. Our school community were unified in showcasing our great school and this was truly a standout! Dance Festival A huge thank you and congratulations to Miss Bell and Mrs Ryman for their hard work and perseverance in what was a most impressive dance performance by the UPS student dance troupe. They had a huge weekend concluding this experience for 2022 with a final performance at 8pm last Saturday evening. The children were spectacular and made themselves and UPS so proud! This did more than just achieve a great dance item, children developed inner confidence, developed new friendships, and moved out of their comfort zones to achieve beyond their potential. Developing the whole child is certainly something our school staff work very hard to achieve. I believe our students will enjoy looking back on these learning experiences with fondness and a sense of pride. Once again, my thanks are extended to all staff involved in creating all of these opportunities and to the families who provided so much assistance and support. The work done by the PBL team to prepare the focus values and skills each fortnight is greatly appreciated. This fortnight our school is focusing on ‘Right Place, Right Time’. This means that When I am in the right place, at the right time, I am being safe, responsible and respectful. Each class teacher works through an explicit teaching and learning program to unpack what this means and how this looks in the classroom, in the playground and through transition times of the day. Parents and carers are encouraged to talk about these focus rules at home so that we all share the same language and expectations. Air Conditioners As you would be aware the air conditioners have been once again checked and the company installing them called BOAB have been out to talk with the staff and follow up on any concerns. Hopefully, the job will be completed in the next month or so. Staff Professional Learning. UPS staff have been engaging in professional learning around Formative assessment following the Dylan William’s professional learning package. They are currently focusing on feedback and how that can look in the classroom for individual students. In week ten of this term all teachers will be involved in planning days with their colleagues. Students will be taught by a familiar teacher on staff. Gala day- Cancelled We have been advised that the 3-6 Gala day scheduled for 24 June has been cancelled due to the state of council grounds. The gala day which was scheduled for the end of Term 3 will now go ahead with the sports we had meant to have for Term 2's gala day. The gala day in Term 4 will give students an opportunity to participate in the sports we had chosen for Term 3. Some of the events that have taken place this term. · NAPLAN · District Cross Country- UPS came first! · Dance Festival- Amazing performance · Reconciliation Week activities, walk and assembly · Silly Scientist · Pie Drive · Kindy Expo · Stage 3 Camp meeting · Library Book Sale · Finals of Multi-cultural Speaking competition Coming Up · Athletics Carnival · Dental Van- 9 &10 June · Regional Cross Country- Nowra · Stage 3 Camp (Early term 3) · Southern stars audience expression of interest due on 8 June · Public holiday- 13 June · NAIDOC celebrations- June 17 · Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser 18 June · Stage 2 Excursion- 22 June · UPS Rainbow Disco party -23 June · Premiers Sporting Challenge- selected year 5 and 6 students · Year 5 opportunity Class placement test- 28 June · PBL Reward day- 29 June · Year 6 Fundraiser @ Flip out- 29 June · Reports will be sent out in week 10. I understand that we have been very busy and will continue to have hectic weeks ahead but please know that the staff at UPS appreciate the partnership they have with parents and carers. At times we recognise that decisions made by the school staff and/or principal are not fully understood by parents and carers. When this does happen, we ask that respectful communication is made to the teachers and school staff at all times. Our communication platforms such as Seesaw are intended for short but essential messages. Any concerns or questions requiring context and longer conversations need to be done either over the phone or face to face. Parents and carers are always welcome to contact their child’s teacher to arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient time. Conversations using respectful language is expected at all times when speaking with teachers and other school staff. We appreciate your support and understanding. I extend my thanks to the P & C for the incredible work that was done to prepare and deliver the orders from the bakery. The pie drive involved lots of organisation and hard work. Thank you!Kind Regards, Anissa Rajendra Principal Upcoming EventsWeek 8 Friday 17th June K-6 Gold Assembly Didjeribone whole school performance & BBQ Week 9 Wednesday 22 June Stage 2 History Excursion Thursday 23rd June Be Kinder Day DISCO Friday 24th June Stage 2 & Stage 3 Gala Day Week 10 Monday 27th June Premier's Sporting Challenge Refugee Walk Tuesday 28th June Peer Support Afternoon (Yr 4 & Kindy) Wednesday 29th June Peer Support Afternoon (Yr 4 & Kindy) PBL Rewards Day Yr 6 P&C Fundraiser 5:30-7:30 Thursday 30th June Peer Support Afternoon (Yr 4 & Kindy) In mathematics this week, 2B has been focusing on the strand of statistics and probability. The students have had fun learning to collect data through the process of class surveys and observations. They were able to record their data on a variety of charts and tables, and then represent their findings in the form of bar, line and picture graphs. We have learned that in 2B, our favourite animals are tigers and our favourite fruit is watermelon. During writing, 5/6S has been investigating how the elements of a narrative work together to convey the theme 'quest'. Over the past few weeks, we have been looking at the element of setting. We looked at a range of different settings, including the ocean, forest, space, futuristic and medieval. Students then got to choose a setting of their choice, planned what they wanted it to look like and then used materials found around the house to create their setting. We called this 'Loose Parts'. Take a look at what the students in 5/6S created :) In preparation for Reconciliation Week which takes place from the 27th May to 3rd June, 3/4J visited the Yarning Circle to reflect and think about what Reconciliation Week means to them and how we can ‘Be Brave and Make Change’ which is the theme for this year. We spoke about the importance of Country to our local Aboriginal communities and the significance of the 1967 Referendum, Sorry Day and Mabo Day. We then began creating our posters which will be displayed throughout the school during Reconciliation Week. These posters show our understanding of Aboriginal Culture and how we can help bring unity, make a difference and build respectful relationships between the wider Australian community and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Reconciliation WeekLast week UPS commemorated Reconciliation Week. The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2022 was "Be Brave. Make Change ". This is a challenge to all Australians – individuals, families, communities, organisations and government – to be brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can make change for the benefit of all Australians. It started 27th of May, which is the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, when 90 percent of Aussies voted to change the constitution to make sure Aboriginal people were counted as Australian citizens. It ended on the 3rd of June, also known as Mabo Day. This marks the day, Meriam man, Eddie Mabo successfully convinced the High Court of Australia that First Nations people had rights to land their ancestors had lived on for 1000's of years. Reconciliation Week is an important time to come together to listen and learn from each other. The students engaged in a variety of activities such as a Reconciliation assembly and walk, a gallery walk featuring Aboriginal artworks they created, and class activities. Our Aboriginal students were invited to participate in a Reconciliation walk and art lessons, with community, at Figtree Primary School. Reconciliation Week was a time for our students to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. K-6 Assembly AwardsCongratulations to the following students for receiving a merit award and student of the week award; KB Merit: Skylar-Rose & Evie Jasper Student of the week: Ariella G KS Merit: Daniel & Ahmad Abigail & Jett Student of the week: Aria & Bowie KN Merit: Skye S & Dylan M Student of the week: Lyla R 1/2AP Merit: Trinity & Anna Xavier F & Daniel L Student of the week: 1M Merit: Ella & Hayley Student of the week: Oliver 1P Merit: Taj Student of the week: Fletcher 2L Merit: Milah Dominic W & Logan H Student of the week: Axel 2B: Merit: Callum R & Jett K Student of the week: Harper B & Eva H 3/4D Merit: Chayse N & Cameron K Student of the week: Hudson L & Oliver B 3/4S Merit: Jake B Casey P & Olivia J Student of the week: Izzy B & Cooper E 3/4J Merit: Corey & Aya R Kasey R & Zoey C Student of the week: Lincoln.Q & Ayse H 3/4R Merit: Brock D & Loralee H Sama O & Millie B Student of the week: Sedra S & Jeremy A 5/6K Merit: Levi R & Tyler R Zane H Student of the week: Izzy H & Evie D 5/6D Merit: Daniel P & Adam C Student of the week: Angus J & Jaymes D 5/6M Merit: Axel C & Luca R Max T & Jasmine D Student of the week: Lexi S & Ozzy L 5/6S Merit: Tahlia D & Jett F Cooper E & Halil S Student of the week: Matilda C & Aliesha F Bronze & Silver AwardsCongratulations to the following students; Bronze Awards: Stage 1 Leah M, Cohen O, Milah K, Piper B Stage 3 Gemma C, Mendela M, Anjali K, Matilda C, Peyton M, Ella H, Charles H, Jacob M, Angus J, Jenaya R, Charlotte W Silver Awards: Stage 1 Alex M, Lara V-L, Olivia H, Austin D, Kayla S, Nate W, Lola M, Eva H, Bronte W Stage 2 Hudson L, Nate M, Addison C, Piper B, Abby D Stage 3 Mohamed M Sam F PBL Weekly MessageSo far this term we have looked at “Let’s Talk About It” and “Rules are about because the sun is out”. We might have been optimistic for our last focus- it did rain for a portion of it! This focus gave the students opportunities to look at the rules in the playground, the correct use of equipment and what areas are out of bounds when in the playground. The focus for this fortnight is “Right Place, Right Time!” This is a focus we are looking at inside the classroom, playground and whilst in the community. This focus encourages students to be in the right place at the right time by listening to our teachers and following their instructions. An example of being in the right place at the right time for students is being in lines waiting for their classroom teacher when the bell rings at the end of recess and lunch. Another important example is being ready to learn within the classroom. This focus will end at the conclusion of Week 8. The PBL Team. UPS Wins Dapto District Cross Country!Congratulations to all of the children from Unanderra P.S. who participated in the District Cross Country on Friday 3 June, at Blackbutt Reserve. All of our children finished the long and difficult course successfully and represented our school proudly. With so many great results across all age groups, we were the overall winning school on the day! Thank you to the family members who came along to support their children. 11 of our wonderful runners went to represent our school and district at the South Coast Regional Carnival today, Friday 10 June. Congratulations to the following children: Samuel (3/4J) Jordi (3/4s) Ryan (3/4D) Lucas (3/4J) Lachlan (3/4R) Adam (5/6M) Isaac (5/6M) Rhydian (5/6D) Charlotte (5/6D) Pearce (5/6SS) Matilda (5/6S) Congratulations to all of our competitors! South Coast Dance FestivalLast week our students from the UPS Dance Troupe performed at the South Coast Dance Festival. Our students were in a total of 5 shows ranging from the 1st to the 4th of June. We would like to congratulate these students on a fantastic show week and thank them for all their hard work in the lead up to Dance Festival. Miss Bell and Miss Ryman would also like to thank their parents and carers for their time and support during this amazing week. The UPS Troupe showed professionalism and respect the entire festival. Congratulations on a job well done! Miss Bell and Miss Ryman Athletics CarnivalOn Thursday, around 300 competitors, teachers, parents and spectators from the Unanderra Public School community braved the cold weather at Kerryn McCann Athletic Centre at Beaton Park Wollongong, for our school athletics carnival. The competition was impressive with all students giving their best, competing in a sportsmanlike manner and having a great deal of fun too!
A very big thank you to the wonderful and very capable staff at Unanderra Public School, as well as our awesome parent helpers who gave their time and helped the day run so smoothly. Also, thank you once again to the Unanderra Public School P&C for subsidising most of the cost of the carnival. It was a great day to be a part of. Renae Scruby Sports Organiser Principal's MessageWelcome to our first Newsletter for Term 2. As you are aware I have returned after taking some personal leave and am really glad to be back. I extend my thanks to Mrs Brennan and the executive team for taking on board all of the additional responsibilities that go along with my absence. They did a remarkable job and I am super proud to be working alongside them and the entire staff at UPS. Thank you! Welcome Mr Troy Hosler who has joined the UPS team as Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction. I know that he is looking forward to getting to know the students and school community in the months ahead. We are excited to learn from Mr Hosler and share the great things that UPS has to offer with him as well. The wet weather continues to have an impact on the grassed areas of our school grounds which has made it difficult to maintain. The children are to be congratulated for their patience as they play on the hard surfaces while the grass dries out during these sunny days. Southern Stars Our school is excited to be once again participating in Southern Stars in 2022. After the disappointment of last year being cancelled, we are confident that this year will go ahead. Southern Stars is a wonderful event that provides students with a passion for performing arts to engage with a professional and accomplished production. We wish all the students participating all the best as they work hard in the coming months to prepare for what will be an event they will remember for life. Dance Festival Miss Bell and Miss Ryman have been working hard with our school dance troupe in preparation for multiple performances at the Illawarra Performance Centre in Wollongong during week 6 of this term. We wish them all the very best of luck and look forward to watching this great performance. NAPLAN NAPLAN for our Year 3 and 5 students began last week. Congratulations to all our students who have been participating. NAPLAN testing will continue throughout this week, with the final day of testing on Friday 20 May. Students will have completed four tests during this time. Well done Year 3 and 5 students. We are all very proud of your hard work and effort. Reconciliation Week Reconciliation Week is coming up in Week 6 and is always an important learning experience for all of our students. The theme for 2022 is “Be Brave. Make Change” with students being involved in a number of activities throughout the week: Student leave during the term Families are encouraged to holiday or travel during school vacations. Holidays taken by students outside of school vacation periods are included as absences. Accepting or declining an application for leave is at the discretion of the principal. If the principal does not believe the absence is in the student’s best interests and does not accept the reason, the absence will be recorded as ‘A’. In this case, a Certificate of Extended Leave – Holiday will not be issued. This should be communicated with the parent. Reminder of guidelines for close contacts Last month NSW Health announced changes to isolation rules for close contacts which mean that students and staff identified as close contacts and showing no symptoms can return to school with certain requirements. Close contacts attending school need to adhere to the following in addition to the NSW Health guidelines:
For up-to-date information please click on the link below: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/stay-safe/advice-for-parents-students Drop Off and Pick Up Zone Our routines for drop off and pick up are continuing. It is our preference that parents ‘kiss and drop’ at the gates in the morning and pick up in the afternoon as per current routines. Morning supervision commences at 8:30am, parents are asked not to drop their children off until this time. The morning bell rings at 8:55am, students arriving after this time will collect a late note from the school office. The routine for afternoon dismissal is:
To assist with the safe arrival and departure of students in the pick-up zone, all families will be given a laminated card with their surname on it this week. Families may also create their own sign if they wish. We encourage users of this zone to clearly display the surname of the child/ren they are picking up on their dashboard. Please display family cards on the dashboard on the passenger’s side of the car. This will allow for a quick and safe collection of students. Please email of call the office if your card needs replacement or changing. Parents must remain in their car unless they need to buckle their child into a seat. The staff member on duty will call out the family name over the microphone for your child/ren to move to the car. Children will not be dismissed if parents have double parked. If a parking space is not available, parents will need to drive around the block until a space becomes available. SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS: • Always drop-off or pick-up your child from the designated area, following the school's procedures. • Make sure child/ren use the footpath-side door when getting in and out of a car. • Make sure the hand brake is applied when the vehicle is stationery. • Never double park. • Never park across a pedestrian crossing or driveway. • Never undertake a U-turn in close proximity to the school. SAFETY TIPS FOR STUDENTS: • Stay buckled in until the vehicle has stopped in the ‘Drop-off and Pick-up' area. • Make sure your school bag and other items are in a safe position, e.g. on the floor. • Be ready to get in or out of the car with your belongings when the car has stopped and you have unbuckled your seatbelt. • Always get in and out of the backseat of the vehicle through the safety door – the rear footpath-side door. • Wait until your name has been called out before going to meet your parents. National Walk Safely to School Day This Friday 20 May is ‘National Walk Safely to School Day.’ This day is one where we encourage students and their families to ride or walk safely to school. We hope that some of our families who don’t traditionally walk take the opportunity to enjoy some exercise on their way to school. If driving to school, maybe you could drive and park a little further away so you can enjoy some walking. Parent-Teacher Interviews Teachers spent time over the last two weeks meeting with parents and carers face-to-face in classrooms and via phone. This was a great opportunity for us to meet families and for families to get to know our teachers. The parent-teacher interview is not the only time you can discuss your child with the teacher, and we understand that not all families had the opportunity to make a booking. Our teachers are always available and can be contacted through the Seesaw app, via email to the school or contacting the front office. We encourage that families stay in touch with the teacher as best they can, and when a concern arises, make contact to discuss the issue. Mother’s Day Stall Thank you to the P&C who spent time over two Thursdays selling a variety of gifts for our Mother’s Day Stall. We are always appreciative of the many hours and work you put into our school to ensure that special days are able to be celebrated by everyone. Thank you! Fundraising Thank you to our wonderful school community who together raised over $14000 during our Colour Explosion fundraiser. A special mention to Savannah in KB who raised $1300! This money will be used to develop our playground and support our students in the UPS Athletics Carnival later this term at Beaton Park. Unfortunately, the unpredictable weather and the state of the school grounds has seen the event moved to Friday 23 September, the last week of term 3. The Year 6 Fizzy Spider Fundraiser last Friday was extremely successful. Thank you to the Stage 3 families who donated cups, spoons, drinks, etc. and thank you to everyone who purchased a special drink or two. The $500 raised will go directly to supporting the Year 6 farewell at the end of the year. Dental Van The Australian Dental Health Dental Van will visit UPS on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 June for those students who returned their consent forms on time. Communication Getting out correct and timely information to our families is extremely important to us. There are 3 main lines of communication we use so you can keep up to date with what is happening at UPS:
Kindy Expo! We will be holding our annual Kindy Expo on Tuesday 31 May at 4.30pm in the school hall. This will be an opportunity for Unanderra Public School to showcase the vast array of valuable teaching and learning, and extra-curricular experiences we have to offer for any prospective parents/carers of children looking to enrol in Kindergarten for 2023. We will also provide a walk around our school to see what fabulous things UPS has to offer. Thank you to Mrs Newman for organising this event. Please share this information with your family, friends and neighbours. Full School Uniform We are all proud to be a part of the Unanderra Public School community and, as such, expect that each of our students wear their uniform with great pride. As the weather becomes cooler I understand that additional clothing may need to be worn. Parents/carers are reminded that only school jumpers are to be worn to school and long colourful socks or colourful jumpers are not permitted. UPS are always willing to discreetly support families with school uniforms, etc. where necessary. Families requiring support are encouraged to contact the school for further information. Please also note that all children who are representing UPS such as attending high school master classes, etc. are expected to wear their full school uniform. Annual English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) Survey 2022 The EAL/D Annual Survey collects information about EAL/D students’ English language needs and EAL/D education practices in schools. EAL/D teacher Data collected through the survey:
Have a great fortnight ahead! Mrs Rajendra Throughout Term 2, Stage 2 is focusing on writing imaginative texts, with an emphasis on the idea of good vs. evil. This week, 3/4S has been working hard to understand the internal features (personality) and the external features (appearance) of different good and evil characters. The students came up with some fantastic ideas, and were able to use their knowledge on adjectives to truly distinguish between good and evil characters, and their differing appearances and personalities. Yullanga! KS have been exploring family structures, who we are and what are characteristics. We have been lucky to be able to share some of our learning journey so far. So far this term we have listened in News all about our families and where they are from. We recently read a gorgeous book called ‘A is for Aunty’ by Elaine Russell. This taught KS all about family structures in Aboriginal Families and the importance of Aunties in these families. We acted out selected scenes from the book like “K is for Kangaroo”. We were lucky enough to read this book on Country in our Yarning Circle. This was an opportunity for KS to explore ‘A is for Aunty’ whilst being connected to Country. K-6 AssemblyCongratulations to the following students for receiving a merit award and student of the week award; KB Merit: Jax F & Saxxon S Student of the week: Romano O KS Merit: Loretta S & Ramon M G Student of the week: KN Merit: Ava & Kairo Student of the week: Brooklyn 1/2AB Merit: Kayla S & Lindzee L B Student of the week: Jarli 1M Merit: Archie B Student of the week: Annabelle C 1P Merit: Glory P & Millie G Student of the week: Tyler L 2L Merit: Cameron K & Cali F Student of the week: Will T 2B: Merit: Nate W & Alexander M Student of the week: Kaimina J 3/4D Merit: Lexi C & Kymani J Student of the week: Zara W 3/4S Merit: Izaiah L & Hayley C Student of the week: Avi D 3/4J Merit: Jaxon M & Anastasia W Student of the week: Asher G 3/4R Merit: Student of the week: Sedra S 5/6K Merit: Taytum Z & Layla H Student of the week: 5/6D Merit: Charlotte W Student of the week: Charlotte A 5/6M Merit: Logan WP & Amelia H Student of the week: Faith M 5/6S Merit: Nevaya T & Amy S Student of the week: Charles H Bronze & Silver AwardsCongratulations for the following students for receiving their bronze and silver awards; Bronze: Glory P Kaleb M Harlem M Millie G Hailey N Chelsey Xavier F Tahlia D Aiden M Eli C Silver; Fletcher N Orielle F Isabella F Anjali K Charlotte A Nevaeh B Adina M Daniel P Cross CountryWell done to all the students who participated in our school cross country on the first day back of Term 2. Students 8 year - 13 years participated in the event, and all did such a great job. Due to the wet conditions of the school grounds, the cross country track had to be modified to allow for this event to take place. We would like to thank all the students, teachers and parents for your flexibility and understanding during the carnival. The District Cross Country will be held on Monday 23rd May at Kembla Joggers and the top 7 runners from each event get to represent UPS on the day. Congratulations to the following students; 8 Years Girls and Boys Lola RV & Samuel H Freya S & Parker P Harper B & Paxton M Layla F & Alex M 9 Years Girls and Boys Keira G & Jordi O Aliye S & Sam C Alexi C & Chris G Kimberley T & Diesel WW Amelia H & Oliver B Aya R & Izaiah L Lexii T & Levi F 10 Years Girls and Boys Charlotte S & Lachlan C Zara W & Lucas M Madeleine W & Jayden S Madeline O & Ryan H Adina M & Stefan J Kymani J & Daniel M Emily P & Jake F 11 Years Girls and Boys Matilda C & Rhydian J Amy S & Isaac F Zahlia L & Elijah L Charlotte W & Ben A Anjali K & Yerremurra W Lexie S & Alex W Nora S & Callum L 12/13 Girls and Boys Aya S & Adam N Taneeka M & Pearce W Jenaya R & Xavaiar L Gemma C & Caleb P Charlotte A & Diesel RF Tahlia D & Daniel P Taytum Z & Jahkobi W Kindergarten 2023 InformationPeer SupportThis week our wonderful Year 4 students participated in and successfully completed Peer Support Training. The Peer Support Program provides a fun and engaging environment for students to investigate relationships, resilience, optimism, values, and anti-bullying. Modules are designed to equip students with skills to deal proactively with life experiences, promote wellbeing, build positive relationships and connectedness, and to encourage a sense of responsibility. The students had fun learning the key skills to being great peer leaders and are very excited to put their training into action with their Kindergarten group. PBL UpdateTo settle back into Term 2, our previous focus for PBL was examining our rules and expectations within the classroom, playground and overall school life. This gave our students time to settle back into school routines. Now that we are well and truly into Term 2, the PBL have come up with the new weekly focus of “Let’s Talk About It”. “Let’s Talk About It” focuses on using kind words when speaking to others and to use kind words when talking through problems. Using kind words when speaking with one another links back to our school value of being respectful. Our focus will be encouraged in all year levels across the school community, inside and outside the classroom. Well done to KB and 5/6S for earning the most bees in the infants and primary classes for the first two weeks of Term 2! The PBL Team. The Fathering ProjectFamily values and why they’re important for As a father or father figure you are a powerful influence in shaping the beliefs and values of your children, both through what you say, and what you do. Family values define what you as a family, think is important, what is good and how you want to live. Your family values may differ slightly from other families, however, there are some fundamental core values that tend to match within most societies and cultures. Some of the common core values are kindness, trust, honesty, respect, generosity, courtesy and fairness. Defining, discussing and role modelling your own family values can help your children to make good decisions and healthy choices as they move through their teen years and into adulthood. For further tips on family values click on the button below. Pie DrivePie Drive is on again this year. Thank you to our wonderful school and community for supporting this fundraiser. We appreciate you placing your orders by email and EFT or by completing the order form and returning form and money to the office. Orders are due 9am Tuesday 17th May. All orders with more than 3 items will be contacted directly to arrange a time for collection to minimise people on school grounds. Collection of yummy pies and goodies is set for Friday June 3rd 2022. Colour ExplosionAmazing effort, together, we raised $14,528.50 with our Colour Explosion School Run 4 Fun! This money will go towards playground equipment and Beaton Park athletics carnival hire and ribbons. Your prizes have been distributed to the school, so make sure you keep an eye out 👀. To our Fundraising MonSTARS, congratulations and you will be receiving a MonSTAR bag tag, well done! Thank you again for your support and generosity! 🤗 We couldn’t do it without you! #schoolrun4fun #funrun #australianfundraising #fundraising #colourexplosion Congratulations to Savannah in KS for raising the most money towards our Colour Explosion School Run 4 Fun fundraiser 🙌 Thank you for raising a whopping $1300 that has gone towards our goal🤩 Savannah has now gone the draw to win a JB Hi-fi $10,000 shopping spree from @Australian Fundraising The prize will be drawn at the end of the year. Good luck 🍀 #schoolrun4fun #funrun #australianfundraising #fundraising #colourexplosion Learning LabsPrincipal's MessageDear parents/carers, What a way to end the term! My thanks are extended to the remarkable work of the staff at UPS who have gone above and beyond throughout the term to ensure that not only the teaching and learning of all students is paramount but also their health, safety and wellbeing is a priority. Additionally, I commend our students for their amazing resilience and outstanding behaviour throughout the most challenging of weather events and the complexities COVID has given us throughout the term. A huge thank you to our parents, carers and whole school community for also supporting UPS staff unconditionally and encouraging us each day even when plans are changed, and events are cancelled or postponed. As you are aware we recently advertised for the position of Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction. Troy Hosler was successful in gaining this position and will begin in his role day one of term two. Troy comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience in Instructional teaching and supporting teachers and students and we look forward to welcoming him to our fabulous UPS Staff and school community. Opportunity Classes- 2023 Opportunity classes cater for intellectually gifted and high potential students who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic and social level. Students successfully placed will usually have to leave their current school to enrol in a school with an opportunity class for Years 5 and 6. Testing and assessment Applications for opportunity class placement are considered on the results of the Opportunity Class Placement Test alone. Students who wish to be considered for opportunity class placement will sit the Opportunity Class Placement Test on Thursday 28 July 2022. How to apply If you would like to have your child considered for Year 5 opportunity class entry in 2023, you need to apply between Tuesday 26 April 2022 and Friday 13 May 2022. You will need to access the online application at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-5 . You must not use the child’s email address. Late applications are not usually accepted. 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 Team for assistance after Tuesday 26 April 2022. You must submit only ONE application for each student. Figtree High School Enrichment Class Applications for 2023 Figtree High School values excellence for all students. The Enrichment Class is one way we have broadened our curriculum to better support high potential and gifted students to develop their knowledge, application, thinking skills and attitudes to a degree of complexity appropriate to the student's developmental level. At the forefront of the Enrichment Classes, future-focused learning is a student-centric approach where fun, interest, wellbeing and interactivity are valued. Teachers differentiate teaching and learning to meet the needs of high potential and high achievement students across the four natural ability domains (intellectual, physical, social emotional and creative). Application forms can be downloaded from our school website. Applications close 16 September 2022 The Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) for Unanderra Public School has been reviewed by Reconciliation Australia and this has been approved. Colour Explosion and Cross Country Due to the health and safety of all students, staff and visitors we could not hold both the colour explosion or the cross-country last week which was very disappointing. The Colour Explosion will now be held on the new date of Friday 29 April. Please note that the Cross Country both K-2 and 3-6 (including 8-year-olds) will be held on the new date Wednesday 27 April as originally planned. This means that students will be required to wear sports uniform and/or house colours on the first school day of term 2. We anticipate that the grounds will be dry and safe to run on however, if the weather once again is wet and the grounds are saturated, we will plan for a competitors only cross country. Participating students will be required to wear suitable running shoes each day until they have had the opportunity to run the cross country. ANZAC DAY- Assembly This important day will be acknowledged on Thursday 28 April at school. Mother’s Day Stall This will be held on Thursday 28 April at school. Individual students will be given the opportunity to purchase a gift for a significant adult at home to celebrate this day. The maximum cost of the gifts will be $5. I thank the P&C for coordinating this event and thank them all for the time that they give to support our students. Easter Hat Parade Like all our families and school community we are disappointed that we were not able to go ahead with our famous and really exciting Easter Hat parade. We do have many great photos showcasing the great effort many students went to in designing their Easter Hat, poster, or diorama. Congratulations to you all and thank you for the amazing work you have put into these creation. Check in Assessments are nearly completed across Stage 2 and Stage 3 and we congratulate all students who participated and we look forward to using this data to continue to inform our teaching and learning programs across the school. NAPLAN practice went ahead last week and as a result we have purchased a number of headphones and mice to ensure everyone is covered. Thank you to Mrs Jackson and the team supporting her for ensuring this is being implemented efficiently. The Silly Scientist has been postponed to 27 May in term 2.Thank you to all the families who have already paid for this valuable incursion. Just a Reminder of the COVID- 19 Smart Start to 2022 (Information also on UPS website) We will continue to work in partnership with NSW Health to help to minimise transmissions at school. The health and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our priority, and these measures are designed to help to keep our school open and our students learning in the classroom. Unwell at school Any student or staff member who is unwell and/or displays symptoms of COVID-19 will be asked to go home and stay until they can complete a RAT or PCR test. If symptoms continue, they should stay at home and take another RAT in 24 hours or have a PCR test. The results of the PCR test need to be returned to the staff or student before returning to school. If the second RAT or initial PCR test result is negative and they are displaying no symptoms OR they are diagnosed as another condition such as hayfever, the student or staff member can return to school. In NSW, positive COVID-19 cases are provided a Medical Clearance Notice after 7 days and allowed to leave self-isolation as long as they do not have COVID-19 symptoms. What happens when a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19? Under the new close contact rules, schools are no longer included in contact tracing. I will inform the school community when there is a positive case in our school and advise families on public health advice, including monitoring for symptoms. Cola Cover We have been liaising with Assets and are now up to the design stage of a cola cover being built. This is still a few months away and we will advise families of the progress as we know more. Thank you once again to the school community for the support and have a lovely Easter holiday break. Anissa Rajendra Our wonderful Kindergarten students in KN have had a fantastic start to school at Unanderra Public School this term and are continuing to grow, learn and make new friendships every day. We have been learning about rhyming, syllables, words, and letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes) through a range of nursery rhymes. It has been particularly enjoyable creating actions to go with our singing and various artworks of the main characters in each nursery rhyme. We have loved counting our days at school each day as part of our morning routine. We use our class tens frames to track our days and we are getting very close to filling half of the first 100 days of learning. KN are also great at representing numbers to 10 in lots of different ways, including on dice, using tens frames, as numerals and by having the number of items needed. In KN we are very proud of the learning we have been doing and we can’t wait to showcase even more as we head into Term 2. In English, we have been learning about persuasive writing and reading the text "Boy Overboard" by Morris Glietzman. A big focus for 5/6M, this term, has been spelling with a focus on morphology and recognising prefixes, root words and suffixes to help spell and understand the meaning of a word. In maths, we have been writing the room to solve maths problems and are quickly becoming multiplication masters. In art, we have been studying artist and replicating their work. Our Picasso inspired self-portraits contained out initials. In sport, we have adapted to the wet weather and enjoyed playing in the hall. Completing the exercise circuit with 5/6D was a big hit. Speaking of sport, we have been lucky enough to have been visited by both the Dragon's WNRL players and Illawarra Hawks Basketball players this term, who talked about healthy lifestyles and ran us through a few drills. In history, we have learnt about our family and Australia's Migration, while in PDHPE we have learnt about making good decisions with Healthy Harold. We've enjoyed getting to know each other and working together on many tasks, we have even been helping Buster hand out trophies, count bees and present at assembly. We've had an amazing start to our year and are looking forward to learning more in Term 2. As part of our Morning Routine each day a different student reads out the 2L Acknowledgement to Country. All students in 2L contributed to making the personalised Acknowledgement to Country by listing why they were grateful to be able to learn and play on Dharawal Country, the document was then reviewed and finalised by Mrs Talbot. Our class has been learning about the Dharawal culture, customs, beliefs, language and seasons. Through Dreamtime stories as well as information presented in Morning Routine, we now know there are six seasons in the Dharawal calendar and that the Dharawal people identified the changing seasons for farming or to leave both fauna and flora for regeneration purposes. We have explored the many ways that information was passed down through story lines, art, secret business and ceremonies. Our artworks below represent the sugar glider (Djubi) which are found within our local area - the Illawarra, along with flying foxes (Wirambi) and lyrebirds (Wiritjirbin). One of our favourite dreamtime stories has been “The Great Eel” who carved its way through the streams to make rivers and lakes. Term 1 Gold AssemblyThe Unanderra Public School motto is ‘strive to achieve’, and the 7 students receiving their gold awards this term have certainly demonstrated their commitment to achieving their personal best over a substantial period of time. Gold Level 1 2B Amelia P 3/4D Katherine D Gold Level 2 3/4D Amelia H 3/4D Kymani J 3/4J Lincoln Q Gold Level 3 3/4S Emily P 5/6K Jacob M K-6 Assembly |
Unanderra Public School
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