Five Dock PS Newsletter Term 2, Week 4 2024

We Learn on Wangal Country

Principal's Report

Welcome Five Dock families to this fortnight's newsletter update. I hope everyone has been enjoying this beautiful sunshine that we have been getting, though it has been quite chilly in the mornings. A reminder to ensure that students have their names on all of their belongings as this is a time students wear their jumpers to school and then take them off as it warms up during the day. Traditionally at this time we get a huge amount of lost property piling up. We are encouraging students to look after their belongings, but it always helps when items are clearly labelled. 

Public Education Day 

Yesterday 23 May was Public Education Day. This is an important day to recognise the significant contribution public education makes to the lives of students and to contributing to the fabric of our society today and in the future. Australia’s public education system provides students with hope, opportunity, and a sense of purpose. No matter where you come from or where you live, you’re entitled to a high-quality public education. We are proud to be a part of that system and I am proud to lead a school that contributes to this. I am a product of public education for all of my years of schooling and I thank each teacher who impacted my life and who played a part in where I am today. Thank you for choosing and supporting public education and for your contribution to making public education the best education money can't buy. I would also like to thank the teaching and non-teaching staff for choosing public education and for all of their hard work in promoting equity and giving students opportunity and sense of purpose. Here is a video of Craig Reucassel reflecting on how public education changed his life and inspired him to be involved in social justice. 

https://www.aeufederal.org.au/news-media/public-education-day/craig-reucassel

P&C Events 

The P&C have organised two major fundraising and community events for this term. The Moonlight cinema event will be held next Friday 31 May. Tickets for this are still available (see below for how to order). The second event is the Colour Fun Run, scheduled for Wednesday 26 June. Thank you to the P&C members who have worked hard to organise all of these events and we strongly encourage our whole community to support these events as they raise much-needed funds to improve the learning and outcomes for students at our school. 

Attendance 

Please read carefully the information on attendance below. Attendance matters and missing a day here or there may not seem like much, but absences add up and can negatively impact your child’s learning and wellbeing. Please make an appointment to speak with your child's teacher if you believe your child may be refusing school. We can work together to support you and your family. 

Parent Information Session for Term 3

In Term 3 we would like to hold a parent information session on student wellbeing. Could you take a couple of  minutes to respond to these two questions. 

https://forms.gle/84n4UbQWiHxWGAkK7

National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week 

Next week our school will mark two important recognition points in the year. The first is National Sorry Day which will be on Sunday 26 May and the second is Reconciliation week, which will be marked at next Friday's whole school assembly. 

National Sorry Day acknowledges the harm caused to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly by policies which forcibly removed children from families and communities, known as the Stolen Generations. It is a day when we reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and nation. 

National Reconciliation Week marks both the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and the Mabo decision and invites all Australians to continue the journey towards reconciliation. We use this opportunity to reflect and learn about shared histories, cultures, achievements and how we can all contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Thank you to our Aboriginal Education Committee for organising events for next week that will help to mark these important dates. We are committed to using education to create a strong, culturally responsive and inclusive education system. 

Gardening Club 

You will be able to read all about gardening news below in the newsletter, however, I would like to thank Mr Sharp for his enthusiasm and committed to providing this fantastic extra curricular opportunity for students. We are grateful for his time and as a result, students are able to experience learning in a fun, meaningful and collaborative way. Thank you, Mr Sharp!

Good News Story 

Congratulations to Olive Milner in Year 5 who was successful in gaining a position in the 2024 Years 5-6 Dance Workshop with the Arts Unit. Well done and we wish her all the best with the opportunity. 

Have a wonderful fortnight, 

Suzi Chosid

Attendance Matters

We want to do all we can to be sure your child achieves their potential and enjoys being in school.

We know that school is the best place to learn. By attending school every day your child will get the most out of their learning and improve their career and life options.

When your child is absent it is important you let the school know, including the reason why, on the day or the day before. This helps make sure we know where our students are and offer support for you and your family if needed.

If you are having trouble getting your child to school every day or on time, please talk to our school staff so we can work together, because every day counts. 

Missing a day here or there may not seem like much, but absences add up and can negatively impact your child’s learning and wellbeing. When your child misses one day per fortnight, that's 4 weeks of missed learning in one year. Over an entire school journey this adds up to 1 year of lost learning.

In The Classroom KW

In The Classroom - 4M

In 4M we have been learning about argument and authority supported by the text Ned Kelly and the green sash. This has led to some engaging persuasive writing task, artworks and inspired our class assembly item. Congratulations again to Olive, who received our deadly award for 2024. We are also working on a science and geography project and designing our dream home. We can’t wait to see what creative ideas 4M come up with for their designs and how they consider the location and environmental factors.

4M

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SRC News

This week I atteneded the SRC meeting where the students were discussing their special project, inspired by the student leadership team's attendance at the Young Leaders Day conference last term. More information will be provided in an upcoming newsletter, however, I would like to share with you all the email I received from them. It demonstrates the impact that student leaders can have on a school and that it is never too early to inspire critical thinking and advocating for social issues that affect people. I was proud and humbled to hear their ideas and the way in which they discussed the issue. Well done to the SRC and student leadership team!

The SRC have organised a fundraiser for Wednesday 5 June - Pyjama Day. please get behind this important initiative and support it on behalf the students at our school. 

Dear Mrs Chosid,

We are writing to request a meeting with you.

The Student Leadership Team has a school improvement project proposal
that we would like to share with you. It is called the School Toilet
Project and is a proposal to renovate our school bathrooms.

We would like to share with you our research, our plans and ideas, in
the 6E classroom. We look forward to meeting with you at your
convenience.

Kind Regards
Ethan, Isobel, Jaden, Zadie, Fred, Naomi

What is Cognitive Load Theory and why is it important in Education?

At our twilight session two weeks ago, the staff conducted professional learning on Explicit Teaching and the importance of Cognitive Load Theory during the process. The images below exlains this. When teachers are planning for explicit teaching, they are guided  by the iterative nature of the teaching and learning cycle, teachers use evidence to plan for the intentional use of explicit teaching strategies. This allows them to manage the cognitive load of students as they learn, providing the right balance of challenge and support for every learner.

P&C Update

Deadly Award Winners Weeks 3 and 4

Congratulations to Lara in 2T and Havana in 3B for their achievement of a Deadly Award this past fortnight. 

Merit award Winners Weeks 3 and 4

Free home internet offer open for eligible families

The Australian Government’s offer of free home internet until 31 December 2025 is available for families with school aged students who do not currently have an internet connection, through its School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI).

Who is eligible for the SSBI?

The SSBI aims to help families with school-aged children who may be struggling with cost-of-living issues and are unable to maintain a broadband internet connection at home.

To be eligible for the SSBI, families must:

• have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school (from Kindergarten up to Year 12 in NSW)
• not have an active nbn® internet service in the previous 14 days. Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility
• not have had an active nbn connection in the previous 14 days
• live in a premises that can access a standard nbn service
• either be referred by a nominating organisation or have your suitability determined via an assessment conducted by the National Referral Centre (NRC).

How can families check their eligibility?

The initiative’s National Referral Centre (NRC) is still working to help Australian families that meet the eligibility criteria to have the nbn® connected at their home. To check their eligibility, families should be advised to follow these simple steps.

1. Contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 (Mon to Fri, 10 am to 6 pm), visit their websiteExternal link or email studentinternet@anglicarevic.org.au. Callback and webchat functions are also available via the Anglicare website.
2. Check their eligibility – the National Referral Centre team will assess the family’s eligibility for the SSBI, including a check of their residential address and current financial situation.
3. If eligible, the family will be issued a voucher which can be redeemed at any of the participating SSBI retail service providers. The National Referral Centre is also available to assist with contacting your SSBI internet provider of choice or providing follow-up support.

The NRC is set up to answer questions, assess eligibility, issue vouchers and provide information regarding participating retail service providers. Centre staff can also provide follow-up support for anyone experiencing challenges redeeming the voucher.

For people from non-English speaking backgrounds, or people with accessibility challenges, the NRC can offer translation services through Language Loop and some of their own bilingual staff; and their website is equipped with ReciteMe technology.

Libray News

Last week our library monitors were presented with their badges at assembly. They have been very busy helping in the library creating book displays, tidying and organising the books and supervising the lunch time activities. We are an enthusiastic team looking forward to creating a library space that is inviting and welcoming so please come and visit us anytime.Congratulations to:

Sophia Deacon

Amy McCormack

Yasmina Kaddour

Adriana Coluccio

Alessia Carlos

Erica Piccenna

Naomi Seelaus

Siena Gatto (absent)

Alyssa Meijer (absent)

Carer Getaway

Gardening News

A big hello to all the Garden Club families. Plenty of exciting news coming from the garden this week. The pumpkins everyone has been admiring and watching grow in the garden throughout Term 1 have finally been turned into pumpkin soup!

I admit Pumpkin soup is not the first thing you think of for breakfast. However, it appeared to make little difference to our little gardeners. Growing your food and preparing it into a hearty meal is a very inspiring process and provides an opportunity for city children to learn through participation what their peers in the country experience as an integral part of daily life: living with the land, the seasons and nature.

Many students asked for a second helping of the freshly prepared soup, which was served with sour cream, parsley and roasted pepitas, and of course, they polished off all the bread.

The Student Learning Support Officer trainees who have been doing practical experience at our school the last two weeks played a hand in serving the students. They were amazed by the Garden Club and its benefits to the student experience. They are looking forward to sharing their fabulous experiences, not only in the garden but across our whole school, when they get back to TAFE.

I must finally thank our students, who make our school garden a great place through their enthusiasm and curiosity for the natural world.

On another note, if any of our newest school community members missed the Term 1 invitation to join our garden club, there is always time to come along. There is plenty to do in the coming weeks. We meet in the garden at 830am on Friday mornings. No sign-ups or commitments are required. Younger non-school-aged siblings are encouraged to join in, providing they are well supervised.

Mr. Sharp

School Learning Support Officer

& Garden Club Co-Ordinator