6 May 2021

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

This week we had another visit from Eddie the echidna. The staff and students enjoy seeing Eddie around the playground and this week some of our teachers were met by him outside the carpark. How lucky we are to work in this wonderful bushland environment.

Weeding Working Bee - Monday 31 May

Following up from our Bushcare maintenance last week, Tom Hazell will be running a school weeding information and working group for parents on Monday morning 31 May from 9.15am. Interested parents who would like to come along and give our Bushcare community group assistance with weeding and maintaining our gardens, can come along that morning and volunteer. Tom has a lot of expertise on bushland maintenance and care and is happy to share his knowledge and kick start a volunteer group. If you have a spare hour or two from 9.15am please come to the office that day and join in.

Mother’s Day - Friday

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mums for Sunday. The Mother’s Day stall will be run by our Kindergarten parents and all students who have brought in a gift and have $10 to spend can purchase from the stall on Friday. This stall is a fundraising activity for our P & C and all funds this year will go towards the replacement of our fixed playground equipment. Please remember to send in $10 with your child in order to purchase a gift. Thank you to our Kindy volunteers for setting up and running the stall.

NAPLAN – Week 4 & 5

From next Tuesday 11 May right through until Friday 21 May our Year 3 and 5 students will be sitting the NAPLAN tests (National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy). All of the tests are administered online apart from the Year 3 writing assessment. There is no preparation required as the tests are based on work covered within our school curriculum.

The only preparation required for these tests is a good night’s sleep and making sure that students come to school every day and on time. Most tests will be administered in the morning sessions. Catch up tests for students who are away sick can be done later in the fortnight if time allows. The closing date for all testing is Friday 21 May and no tests can be caught up past that date.

If you wish to have more information about the tests please follow the link below:

Band Meeting - Wednesday 12 May

Next week we will have our band committee/parent meeting. All parents who have a child in our band program are welcome to attend in the staffroom from 7.00pm. We will also have some parents attending via a Zoom link. Please contact the band committee if you wish to be sent the link.

We will be discussing performances for the year and our Annual band camp on Friday 16 July- Sunday 18 July. Thank you to the outstanding committee members who support this excellent program within our school.

Parking

Please do not park illegally around the school. Neighbours are again reporting cars that are parked across driveways and on top of the pedestrian crossing. The rangers were out last week and will be regular visitors to our school. Please respect our local residents and park just a little further away at pick up and drop off times.

Tina Lee - Principal

Dates for your Diary

Library News – Meet the Monitors

Ali Webster – Teacher Librarian

Scholastic Book Club

Scholastic brochures have been distributed and are due back at school no later than Monday 10 May 2021.

Canteen News

URGENT HELP NEED IN THE CANTEEN

Dear School Community

The Canteen is requiring more volunteers for the rest of the term.

The following days/dates next week are most urgent but there are still many slots open throughout the rest of the term.

The canteen cannot run at 100% without this help and could cause it to either shut on the days without helpers or the vast menu may have to be limited. Both options would be devastating to implement, and would have such an impact on a service that is so well used.

No experience is needed and it’s a great way to see the school in action.

Friday 7 May – 12.00-1.45pm
Monday 10 May – 9.00 - 11.30am
Wed 12 May - 12.00-1.45pm
Thursday 13 May – 9.00-11.30am
Friday 14 May – 12.00-1.45pm

Please sign up via the following link:

Flexischool’s orders

At the start of this term we have had to change the way children collect their Flexischool ordered frozen ice treats. Could you please remind them, if they have a frozen treat that they have to pick them up separately.

They have been given instructions on where and when to pick them up, we are just not wanting them to forget to check their lunch bag to see if they have a frozen treat and a helpful reminder in the morning from you would be really helpful.

Thanks for your help in this matter.

Robyn, Kerry and Becky - Canteen Managers

Stewart House Donation Drive 2021

Celebrating 90 years of caring for public school children in need from all parts of NSW and the ACT. Our journey began with the vision and drive of the staff of NSW public schools, who petitioned for a facility to address the declining health of school children during the height of the Great Depression. Into our future, as is repeated throughout our rich 90-year history, we will continue to deliver our unique residential program by adapting to the ever-changing landscape of hardships encountered by thousands of children.

The Stewart House Donation Drive has been our major annual fundraising event in NSW public schools. Staff and students are encouraged to enter the draw, for as little as $2.00, you could win a prize valued at $4,000. Envelopes have been distributed and are due back by no later than Wednesday 19 May 2021.

Community Notices

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

Time to give blood and change lives? 1 in 3 people in Dee Why will need blood, and they need people like you to give it. We’re rolling into town from 24 May to 28 May. Don’t forget to pre-book your spot at the link below on our app or on 13 14 95.

Dee Why Mobile Blood Donor Centre

Monday 24 May 9:00am – 2:00pm
Tuesday 25 May 1:00pm – 6:00pm
Wednesday 26 May 1:00pm – 6:00pm
Thursday 27 May 9:00am – 2:00pm
Friday 28 May 9:00am – 2:00pm

Dee Why Beach Car Park, Cnr Dee Why Parade and The Strand, Dee Why

School Information