2 August 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

We have all classes at the moment participating in the whole school “On Your Soap Box” public speaking competition. This competition takes place as a class event and then class finalists are selected to compete in a grade and eventually stage finals. This competition is our major speaking and listening activity for the year and all children must participate in this important part of our English curriculum.

Stage finalists from stages 2 & 3 go on to compete in the Premier’s Bear Pit competition at Parliament House on Monday 27 August.

Athletics Carnival

The Manly Vale Public School Athletics Carnival is one of our major events for the year. All children from Kindergarten to year 6 compete in various events of the day. For our K-2 students the carnival is an introduction into running races against other children but the focus is on fun rather than competition. Our children in Year 2 (who are 8 this year) up to our year 6 students will compete against other students in their age groups with finalists going off to represent our school at the Zone Athletics carnival at Narrabeen Athletics field on the 29 & 30 August.

It is always a fabulous day! Thank you to Mr Dylan, Mrs Humphreys, Mrs Birrell and Mrs Lucey for their extensive organisation of the day. Field events including long jump, high jump and shot put will take place during school time next week. These events will be offered to those students who wish to compete and go on to the Zone carnival.

Congratulations to our Drama Group

Last night our school drama group performed “Why oh Why She Swallowed a Fly” to a packed audience at the Chatswood Concourse as part of the Arts North Drama Festival. Their wonderful stage presence and humorous performance was a crowd pleaser. The drama group includes Morgan Andrews, Matilda Graham, Will Curson, Grace Green, Trish Khapung, Mia Lougher, Pipi Te Pania and Phoebe Crowe who are all tremendous actors who will also perform at the Open Day next Wednesday 8 August. Thank you to Ms Jaala Kemp for all her work with the students and for her dedication to drama in our school. We are very lucky to have her skills, passion and expertise in drama at Manly Vale. The group are hoping to be invited to the State Drama Festival after their performance last night.

Congratulations Charlie Kanu, Joseph Scoon and Ebrika KC

This week Manly Vale Public School was notified that one of our year 6 students Charlie Kanu was successful in receiving an offer to Manly Selective Campus for 2019. This is a fantastic achievement and Charlie is to be congratulated on this outstanding academic achievement. Joseph Scoon also received an offer to Gosford Selective High School and Ebrika KC is currently on the reserve list for Ryde Secondary College. Congratulations to these very successful year 6 students.

Life Skills

For the next 2 terms the teachers and students at Manly Vale Public School will be trained in skills that assist with building resilience, improving wellbeing and facilitating a positive growth mindset in ourselves so as to improve overall health. The students from Kindergarten to year 3 will have a lesson once a week this term and years 4-6 will participate in this program next term. Lessons include positive growth mindset strategies, meditation and yoga activities.

The teaching staff at Manly Vale Public School will participate in professional training, which began this week, to learn the research and skills behind this program with the intent to integrate mindfulness and positive wellbeing lessons into our daily routines and lessons. This program has been partly subsidised by the school with the remainder of the cost to be paid with your school fees.

Band Camp

Last weekend our junior and senior band had their annual camp at Camp Kedron in Elanora. All students enjoyed the opportunity to practise their instrument with one to one tutoring and have additional rehearsals with their conductors Ben and Gergely. The Saturday afternoon activities included archery, volleyball and rack climbing. Thanks you to all the parents who assisted in the camp and to Ben and Gergely and all the tutors for their expert tuition. The concert on Sunday was a highlight and showed the tremendous progress of all our band members. Thank you also to Ms Kate Stacey and Mrs Sarah Humphreys for staying overnight at the camp and assisting with supervision and organisation. Special mention to Suzie Burton and Mel Corner (parents) who slept over on the weekend. We look forward to the band’s upcoming performances at Open Day next week (Wednesday 8 August) and the solo nights on 15 & 16 August.

Open Day - Wednesday 8 August “Today’s Schools - Creating Tomorrow’s World”

Next Wednesday 8 August we would like to invite all parents, friends and grandparents of our Manly Vale Public School students to a picnic lunch (BYO) on the oval at 1.00pm. A program for the day is attached to this newsletter. There will be performances by our school bands, dance groups, choir and drama group. We will also have our weaving display for NAIDOC week on display outside the library. All classrooms will be open from 2.00pm-2.45pm for visitors to visit to see futuristic lessons and displays in them. Our annual school Book Fair will also open that day in our tech room.

Good Luck Debating Team and Choir

Next week our debating team will compete at Forestville Public School on Monday 6 August. This school debating team has been very successful this year winning all of their debates to date. Thanks you to Mrs Banham and Ms Martin for their organising of our debating teams and accompanying them to their debates this year.

Our school choir is also performing at the Sydney Town Hall on Tuesday 7 August. This is a great experience for all students involved. Thank you to Mrs Lucey and Mrs Mason for accompanying and training our choir for this event. Ms Mason will also be performing in her choir that night as part of the concert.

Kaleidoscope Science Incursion - cancelled

Unfortunately due to a double booking of our school hall we will not be able to host the Kaleidoscope Science incursion this year in Science Week. The $5 charged on your current school fees (Whole School Program) will now go towards resources and experiments done in class by our science teachers during science week.

Congratulations Manly Vale Public School student - Finlay Dennison

On Saturday 21 July the Manly Daily published the names of 2 students who were to be recipients of the Tuckwell Scholarships ($21,000 scholarship) for ANU. One of the recipients of this fabulous scholarship is an ex-school captain of Manly Vale Public School, Finlay Dennison. It was exciting to read about an ex-student of our wonderful school being so successful in his academic career after Manly Vale! Well done Finlay!

Tina Lee

K-2 Assistant Principal’s Report

Developing independent, resilient students within a safe and supportive learning environment.

Welcome Back

Dear Parents and Carers,

We have had a wonderful start to term 3. All students have settled in well to their class routines and all K-2 programs are in full swing. This week you will receive a newsletter listing programs and initiatives being covered this term.

Just a reminder that Mathletics and Reading Eggs are parent paid programs that aim to consolidate student learning that takes place in the classroom. Kindergarten, year 1 & year 2 teachers often incorporate these programs as part of set homework. So we advise that they be utilised as part of your child’s home study routine throughout the week.

This semester I will be running some Parent Information Forums. These forums aim to:

• Inform participants of policies, curriculum and programs that guide and support their child’s education
• Empower parents and carers with strategies to support their child at home
• Enable participants to become informed leaders within their school community
  and…
• Open the lines of communication and welcome you as a significant contributor in your child’s learning journey at Manly Vale Public School.

Each Parent Information Forum will be offered twice, one session within school hours and the other session outside of school hours. The first forum is being offered to Kindergarten parents. It will focus on NSW primary syllabus documents and Kindergarten outcomes. The two sessions available for this forum are:

1. Friday 10 August from 2.00pm to 3.00pm
2. Wednesday 15 August from 3:30pm to 4:30pm

Please refer to the flyer. Kindergarten parents can register for either of these forums at the school’s front office. There will be a maximum of 30 places available. Thank you.

Gains in learning are most prominent when parents/carers and educators work together to facilitate a supportive learning environment both at home and school. With this in mind, our parent information forums aim to strengthen parent-teacher relations in order to foster positive parental engagement that will help to improve student academic achievement, wellbeing and productivity.

Kind Regards,

Carol Speight

Waste Free Wednesday

A Change to Waste Free Wednesday (WFW)

In an effort to engage students in small environmental initiatives that can have a big impact we have been participating in Waste Free Wednesday and what an incredible start we have had! We would like to say a huge thank you to all of the families who have helped support Waste Free Wednesday. As well as a thank you to the canteen for jumping on board and helping to keep the school as waste free as possible.

Due to our huge success with Waste Free Wednesday’s, Manly Vale Public School will be introducing recess as waste free. Please bring recess and lunch from home with all food/beverage in reusable, washable containers. If you are struggling for ideas or solutions, there are plenty of handy hints online for ways families can pack waste free lunches for school.

The Environmental Committee

Dates for Your Diary

Library News

The Life Skills Group

During term 3 all students in years K-3 will be participating in a weekly Life Skills session on Tuesdays. Years 4-6 will undertake this program in Term 4. This program involves curriculum-based social emotional and physical learning for the students and teachers. Each session begins with a mindful technique, followed by yoga, a collaborative social skills game, relaxation and visualisation. Students have embraced this opportunity to develop healthy life skills by learning self-regulation strategies to deal with busy lifestyle, stress and anxiety. Our staff will be involved in two professional development sessions to support the implementation of this program.

Nicole Blackband

Rugby League Gala Day

Last Thursday our Junior and Senior Rugby League teams competed in the Manly All Schools Gala Day Competition at Lionel Watts Reserve, Belrose. The weather was on our side and the sportsmanship and behaviour from the boys and girls was excellent.

Thank you to all the players and parent drivers for their involvement. I would like to extend a special thanks to Tua Marsters (Toby 5M) for helping coach the Senior Team on the day.

Melinda Ward

What is an ARCO?

Each school has a trained Anti-Racism Contact Officer (ARCO). The role of the ARCO is to facilitate the complaints handling process, receiving and mediating complaints from students, parents or teachers. The ARCO is an impartial facilitator.

Manly Vale Public School has two ARCO’s: Mr Patrick Dylan and Ms Cadence Abrahams. Both these teachers have received training specific to this role. Should you experience racial prejudice please make contact through our school email address or call the office.

For more information please see the Complaints Handling policy guidelines.

Below are some great sites for kids about anti-racism.

Cadence Abrahams

NAIDOC Week – Education Week Art Project

We hope you have been busy collecting plastics and non-recyclable items over the past few weeks! Now is the time to start sending your collections into class, if you haven’t already done so. Please bring in only clean or washed items in a small bag or container.

We are also asking for any unwanted CDs, small hula hoops, wool or ribbon. Please send them in if you are happy for us to use them in our project.

Thank you for your support.

Aboriginal Education Committee

Science/STEM Stage 2

‘The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.’ Albert Einstein

During term 2 stage 2 students were exploring direct and distant forces. Students learnt about friction and magnetism and as the culmination of the unit, they were looking at gravity and air resistance.

In small groups, students were designing parachutes that would help the test pilot (hard boiled egg) to land safely. We were fortunate to have two high school students James Waddington and Angus Freeman on work experience at our school and they were very enthused with the project and creative ideas of our teams.

I am pleased to report that many of our teams were successful and the test pilot survived its maiden launch from the hall veranda and climbing equipment. The success rate was so high that students begin to question some variables and suggest changing test conditions commenting ‘the grass was too soft and it cushioned the landing’ or ‘could we try it again and land it on the other side of the veranda? There is just dirt over there’ or ‘Mrs Banham, I think you boiled this egg too hard’. Probably! I am looking forward to term 3.

Aga Banham

Wellbeing & Welfare Support

RAISING YOUR CHILD IN A DIGITAL WORLD – PARENTING SEMINAR

Do you need some guidance when it comes to raising little ones in this busy digital world?

Recently, Manly Vale Public School teachers were fortunate to hear from local mum, researcher, speaker, author, and technology and development expert, Dr Kristy Goodwin. Being a mum who deals with techno tantrums and worries about the health effects of screen time, Kristy is on a mission to help parents ditch their techno guilt and raise happy, healthy kids.

Dr Kristy Goodwin is conducting a parenting seminar to help parents understand the latest risks to kids’ online safety and digital wellbeing as well as the health and learning implications of young kids growing up in a world of screens. There will be opportunities for you to ask your 'digital dilemmas' throughout the talk.

Parenting Seminar: Raising your Child in a Digital World
Audience: Parents and carers of children aged 4-12 years
Date: Thursday 20 September
Time: 7-9pm
Location: Beacon Hill Public School
Cost: $35

To purchase tickets, go to the link below:

Sarah Humphreys - Welfare Committee Member

Winter PSSA Sport 2018

ICAS Science Results

ICAS Digital Technologies Results

Scholastic Book Club

Orders are due back at school no later than Friday 10 August 2018.

Canteen News

Waste Free Wednesday

We are fully supportive of the ‘Waste Free Wednesday’ initiative and from next Wednesday will be offering waste free lunches!

Here’s how it will work:

1. Place your order on Flexischools or at the counter and choose items from our Waste Free Menu.
2. Your child will need to drop a lunch box/container (labelled with their name! and class) to the canteen on Wednesday morning to put their lunch in.
3. The lunch will be placed in the class basket as usual for collection
4. Don’t forget to send in a fork if you order salad, pasta or butter chicken!

We will trial this service for a month to see how it goes.

Frozen Treats

A reminder that we do NOT put frozen treats in to the lunch order bags as they will melt. Please remind your child to come to the canteen counter, with their bag, to collect their treat once they have eaten the rest of their lunch. This also applies to smoothies as they are now served in reusable cups.

Help needed

There are still a few gaps in this term's roster, please have a look and let us know if you can help out at all.

Kerry & Robyn - Canteen Supervisors

Canteen Volunteers Roster Term 3, 2018