Five Dock PS Newsletter Term 3, Week 6 2023
Relieving Principal's Report
Ferragosto Festival
What a wonderful opportunity our school band and choir had last Sunday, performing at the Ferragosto festival. The students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity and performed beautifully for a huge audience. Well done, Five Dock PS students! We were so proud of them. Thank you to Kelly the band conductor and to Mrs Alessi for giving up their time on Sunday to give the students this opportunity. It was fabulous that the students had the opportunity to be part of this important community event.
Book Week and Book Parade
What a fantastic week we have had celebrating Book Week. It was wonderful to see the students dressed up as their favourite book character and proudly parade in front of their peers, parents and teachers. It was also lovely to see so many parents and carers here supporting the parade and their children. It was a fabulous feeling of community and the students thoroughly enjoyed the morning. Thank you to Mrs Christopoulos for organsing the morning and to Mrs Bolton and Mrs Alessi who assisted with all of the coordination. We appreciate the time spent to ensure students had an enjoyable day.
The book fair has been very successful and we have now raised over $1000! Thanks to everyone who has supported this year's book fair. The theme for this year is "Read, Grow, Inspire". The Children's Book Council of Australia has been running since 1945 and each year since 1945 and has brought children and books together across Australia through Children's Book Week. Schools and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. Below you will find an image of the winners and honours for this year, as well as a gallery from the Book Parade at Five Dock.
Ferragosto
Book Week
Student Representative Council (SRC)
This week we inducted and presented badges to our Semester 2 SRC class representatives at Monday morning's K-6 assembly. Congratulations to the following students:
ES1 Classes | ||
Mulgu | Raf Hamill | Audrey Kalk |
Badu | Amelia Spina | Henry Suttor |
Yarra (½) | Reuben Byrne Year 1 | Harrison Sticka ES1 |
Stage One Classes | ||
Bunul | Reggie Palmer Yr 1 | Aluna Geary Yr 1 |
Murawung | Julian Seabrook (Yr 1) | Maebh Walsh (Yr 2) |
Buru | Khalea Russo (Y1) | Tim Nguyen (Y2) |
Burra (2/3) | Bonnie Palmer | Perry Milner |
Stage Two Classes | ||
Birrung | Xavier Willis(Year 3) | Grace Millett(YEAR $) |
Guwing | Wyclef Fotofili (Yr 3) | Adam Bornhorst (Yr 3) |
Yanada | Alessia Siwak (Year 4) | Alexandra Szewcow (Year 4) |
Stage Three Classes | ||
Bulu | Fergus Sinclair-Kydd | Naomi Cahill |
Warin | Kabir Suriya (Y5) | Nina Stajcic (Y6) |
Guru | Mari Tran (Y6) | William Mullins (Y6) Jesse Wright (Y5) |
Support Classes | ||
Gura | Benny Grisdale |
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Mulumulu | Hunter King |
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Mungi | Matthew G (Y4) | Asher Gonzales (Y1) |
Yarang | Frankie-Rose Burnicle (Y2) | Taihan Ahmed (Y2) |
This semester the SRC's continued focus will be on recycling and sustainability. Members of the SRC are expected to fulfill their leadership role by encouraging others and supporting initiatives within the school to reduce our dependency on single use plastics. Our SRC representatives will also have a key role in providing student voice to the development of our new 2024-2027 Strategic Improvement Plan. Good luck to all of these students and thanks to Ms Virgona for her leadership of the SRC.
Draft Plan for NSW Education
The draft plan for NSW public education outlines how we will create an outstanding and equitable education system and uplift trust and pride in the teaching profession. You can read more about this plan using the following link:
The Department of Education is inviting all stakeholders to have a say in this new plan and we encourage everyone to participate and shape the future of public education. Use this link to participate:
https://nsweducation.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bIpnDwd3qVc5um2?Source=Internal.html
RUOK?Day
R U OK? Day 2023 is Thursday 14 September and is a national day of action when we remind Australians that every day is the day to ask, ‘are you OK?’ and start a meaningful conversation whenever they spot the signs that someone they care about might be struggling with life.
On Thursday 14 September the P&C's OOSH wil be holding a fundraiser for RUOK? day. Wear yellow and bring a gold coin donation on this day, along with other events.
We hope as many students as possible support this day.
Sentral
Have you downloaded the Sentral for parents app yet? The majority of parents have downloaded the app successfully, but we do know that around 25 families are yet to download the app, which is our main form of communication. If you have not downloaded the app, or know someone who has not yet downloaded the app, use this link for support:
https://www.sentral.com.au/getting-started
You will need an access key. If you do not have an access key as yet or have lost it, please contact the school. If any parents/ carers would like assistance with the app, they are more than welcome to come in to the school and receive technical support.
Remember there is a different way to connect with Five Dock, depending on whether you are already connected to another school or are using the app for the first time. Please see the image below that will explain.
Wear it Purple Day
Wear It Purple Day is held on the last Friday in August each year and strives to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for the diverse population that make up our young people. This year it takes place on Friday 25 August with the theme of 'Write Your Story', encouraging young people to embrace their unique perspectives and share their stories.
Founded at Burwood Girls High School in 2010, Wear It Purple has grown into an international movement.
The department is committed to providing inclusive, engaging and respectful schools for both students and staff. It supports and stands behind schools who choose to recognise and celebrate Wear It Purple Day.
Inclusivity and diversity in education is an opportunity to celebrate differences via the creation of shared learning experiences that offer all students equal opportunity to participate and succeed.
If you would like to learn more about Wear it Purple Day you can visit this website: https:// www.wearitpurple.org/
Ribbon Awards
We held our ribbon assembly last week where all students who received a place at the Athletics Carnival were presented with their ribbons. Congratulations to all the students who were successful in receiving a place and to those who are now going on to the Zone Athletics Carnival.
3-6 Ribbon Assembly
Lost Property
Where has the lost property gone? See the image below ... all lost property is in a chest in the middle playground behind the canteen. Thanks to Emily Walton for finding this more aesthetic solution to where this lost property can be stored. A reminder to please ensure that all clothing is labelled to make finding it easier.
Suzi Chosid
Relieving principal
Parenting Tip from Michael Grose
Michael grose's simple forula for parenting
- Show kids how to behave.
- Keep pets to develop nurturance and responsibility.
- Be the adult in the parent-child relationship.
- Cultivate good manners.
- Build character daily.
- Catch kids being kind, gentle and strong.
- Establish healthy habits early.
- Stick to routines.
- Have fun.
- Eat together every day.
- Focus on excellence, not perfection.
- Spend individual time with each child each week.
- Expect kids to change.
- Keep an adult only place at home.
- Admit it when you’re wrong.
- Choose time and place to deliver big messages.
- Keep the meal table free from arguments.
- Prepare for tomorrow the night before.
- Expect children to help.
- Encourage siblings to apologise.
- Send kids to school with breakfast, a kiss and a smile.
- Celebrate success as a family.
- Spend time in nature together.
- Let go.
In the Classroom
Here are some photos of all of the wonderful learning experiences our students have been engaging in.
Support Unit
Preschool
Flynn, Hugo & Finn were rubbing the stones they had found together - thinking they could start a fire - but without success. Hugo thought it looked like sand and when they added some water it became a colour that Flynn painted on his arm. I explained that this is how our First Nations Peoples make their paint or ochre. We had a picture of Mrs K our First Nations teacher with her unique face paint that she designed when she went back to her country recently.
Some Blue Buruwang learning last week:
- Chloe painted a portrait of our outside turtle
- Iris & Ellie had a fabulous go at our tinkering table working out how to put the chair back together
- Leila & Margot exploring representing with our sponge stamps
Early Stage 1
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on school students with disability (NCCD)
P&C News
Cake Stall
Thank you to the parents who supported the cake stall held this week. We appreciate all donations that were provided and thank the parents who volunteered their time today to run the cake stall that would raise money for the school.
Father's Day stall
Father's Day is only a few weeks away and to celebrate our wonderful FDPS dads, uncles & grandfathers we are running our annual Father's Day Stall on Thursday 31 August from 9:30am.Each class will have the opportunity to visit the stall with their teacher and pick out a gift! Please send your child/ren in with a bag to transport their goodies home.
Attendance
Once or twice a term, our school is visited by the Department of Education’s Home School Liaison Officer (HSLO), whose job it is to monitor attendance rates and the justification for absences. It is important for schools and families to work together so that students have an attendance rate of at least 90%. As part of the department's strategic plan, attendance is monitored closely and each school's goal is: “To increase the percentage of students attending school greater than 90% of the time”.
Please remember procedures for applying for leave, if the leave will be greater than ten days. If parents know their children are going to be absent from school for more than ten days due to holidays, they are required to apply for permission for the leave from the principal, who will then need to approve it. This is a requirement from the Department of Education. In the past, the HSLO has discussed the importance of organising holidays during school time, where possible. It is important for families to plan family holidays during the school vacation periods rather than during the school term. Absences due to family holidays or similar will be known as leave. Absences for long trips or overseas holidays will not be exempt from the attendance totals for students and will be reflected in the semester reports. We ask parents to ensure that your children attend school regularly and only stay at home when they are unwell. If they are unwell, please inform the school and explain the absence as soon as possible.
Dates for your diary
