Term 4 Week 10 12 December 2012

Dear Parents / Caregivers Dates to Remember Term 4 Week 10 Newsletter Week 10/12/12 Year 6 Farewell 11/12/12 P&C Meeting 12/12/12 Principals’ Gold Morning Tea 13/12/12 Starting School Group (Old Hall) 14/12/12 Reports sent home Term 4 Week 11 17/12/12 Talent Quest 18/12/12 Picnic Day 19/12/12 Last day of term for students 20/12/12 Staff Development Day 21/12/12 Staff Development Day, last day of term for staff This is the last newsletter for the year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank students and staff for all their hard work this year. Thank you also to the P&C Executive, P&C members and the school community for supporting our school. We will be farewelling three of our staff members at the end of the year. Mrs McErlaine has been training to become a School Counsellor and will next year complete the practicum component of her training. I would like to thank her for her care, commitment and dedication to the students, staff and parents of our school. We wish her all the very best for the future. Miss Lynn, one of our fabulous School Learning Support Officers, will be retiring at the end of the year. Miss Lyn has been working with one of our students who is vision impaired since she was in Kindergarten. This student is leaving us for high school next year. I would like to thank her for her tireless commitment and dedication to the education and wellbeing of this student. Mrs Bradley, an Itinerate Vision Support Teacher, has also been working with this student for a number of years. I would like to thank her for all her work and dedication to the student and her family and wish her all the best for the future. You shall all be missed. I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas. School commences for Year 1 to Year 6 students on Wednesday 30 January 2013. Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten) students will commence the following week after Best Start Assessments are completed. Best wishes for the coming year. I look forward to seeing you all in 2013.

KINGSWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL

Quality Teaching in a Caring Environment

Opportunity Class (OC) Orientation Meeting On Thursday 29 November we held our Opportunity Class Orientation Meeting in the New Hall. It was wonderful to welcome our new students and parents to our school. Thank you to Ms Napper for her organisation of this meeting. Presentation Assembly Our Presentation Assembly was held on Thursday 6 December. Congratulations to all our award winners. Thank you to Ms Napper for coordinating this event and to all the staff that assisted her and/or prepared the students to perform. Thank you to the parents who attended the presentation. Thank you also to our special guests Adriana Abela who represented OI Sydney and Jo Galea from the University of Western Sydney. Our 2013 school leaders were announced at this assembly with some very proud parents pinning on their badges. Our 2013 student leadership team is: Captains Ella W and Akshay W Vice Captains Storm Mc and Max T Prefects Georgia B, Amy D, Aryan D and Zain R I would like to congratulate these students. We are all very proud of you. Year 6 Farewell Our Year 6 Farewell was held on Monday 10 November. The students had a wonderful night. I would like to thank Ms Napper, the Year 6 teachers and staff for organising this evening for our students and parents. We wish all our Year 6 students all the very best for the future. Principals’ Gold Morning Tea The Principals’ Gold Morning Tea will be held on Wednesday 12 December. This year 154 students reached gold level. This number keeps increasing each year which is wonderful. Congratulations to all of you. Kindergarten (Early Stage 1) 2013 We are currently enrolling students for Kindergarten (Early Stage 1) 2013. Enrolment forms are available from the office. Parents will need to provide proof of residency, a birth certificate and immunisation certificate. Students in Not Returning in 2013 Please notify the office in writing if your child/children will not be returning in 2013 (except Year 6 students). This will assist us greatly with the formation of classes at the end of this term. Breakfast Club Thank you to the wonderful volunteers from Real Life Church who hosted a Breakfast Club each Thursday morning where cereal and milk was served from 8:30am to 8:50am under the shade shelter in front of the Old Hall. Our students appreciated the opportunity to enjoy a healthy breakfast with their friends. Your efforts were a wonderful initiative for our school. Care Packages for Troops in Afghanistan We received a very touching letter and photos from Marianne Keegan, who initiated and organised 150 care boxes for the troops and dogs deployed in Afghanistan, thanking our school community for supporting her efforts with wonderful donations and letters for the care package boxes. Hopefully we can support this worthwhile project again before next Anzac Day. I would also like to thank Mrs Kim Sampson for highlighting and organising our donation efforts. Marianne’s letter and some photos of the boxes at Kingswood Post Office are included in this newsletter. Wishing all our fellow Australians who are serving our country a very safe Christmas and New Year and a speedy return to your families, loved ones and friends.

Supervision of Students The supervision of students commences at 8:30am each morning and concludes at 3:00pm each day. Students who catch the bus are supervised until they are safely on their bus. Please ensure that your child/children is promptly collected at 3:00pm. If for any reason you are running late please contact the school office so we can inform your child/children. Children can become very distressed if you are not here to pick them up. Student Assistance The school is able to provide limited financial assistance to families who are experiencing financial difficulties paying for school excursions, activities, events and the school uniform (school camps are excluded). If you require assistance, please contact the office for further information. Excursion Notes In 2009 the Department of Education and Training introduced a new Excursion Policy. Parents now need to indicate if their child/children have a medical condition that the school needs to be aware of. Please be aware that the school is no longer able to accept hand written notes or verbal permission. A school permission note must be completed for each excursion or incursion. It is really important that the original permission notes and money is handed to the office by the due date specified on the permission note. This avoids students missing out on excursions or incursions as the office staff need to complete the administrative requirements for each excursion or incursion by a certain date. Late payments significantly impacts on this being able to be done effectively. School Car Park Our school car park is out of bounds to all students. It is used solely for staff parking and deliveries. Please do not walk your child/children through the car park or drop off or pick up your child/children in the car park at any time. Two public car parks are available for your use opposite the school for this purpose. Please help us to keep our students safe. Dogs in the School Grounds The Companion Animals Act 1998 – Sect 14 states that dogs are prohibited from school grounds. Please do not bring your dogs into the school grounds as many students are frightened of dogs and we are trying to keep all students safe. School Website The school has a fabulous website that parents can access for further information about the school including permission notes and the school newsletter. Thank you to Mrs Fox who maintains the website. The website address is http://www.kingswood-p.schools.nsw.edu.au Norma Petrocco Principal New Canteen Operators in 2013 The current lease period for our school canteen expires at the end of this school year. During this term we have undergone the process of seeking tenders for new canteen operators. After careful consideration by the panel the successful company is Healthy Canteens Australia. They will commence as our canteen operators from the beginning of the 2013 school year. Attached to this newsletter is a copy of their price list and menu. Belinda Clarke Assistant Principal

Voluntary Contribution Each year families are ask to pay a voluntary contribution. The voluntary contribution is $30 per child or $50 per family. These funds have been used to support the schools air conditioning program.

Name: _____________________________ Child’s Name/s and Class/es: ________________

Enclosed (please tick):

□ $30 per child □ $50 for 2 or more children