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Newsletter Name School Name

Tuesday, 27 August 2019 Issue 1 - Term 1 - Week 1

Mount Keira Demonstration School Established 1861 “Learning and Caring” 255 Mount Keira Road MOUNT KEIRA NSW 2500 Ph 02 4229 1446 E mtkeira-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website www.mtkeira-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

The Summit Term 2 Week 6 Tuesday 27 August 2019

Term 3 Week 6

Tuesday 27 August Coding program commences for 5 weeks Wednesday 28 August Book Week parade 9.30am and in-school performance 2.05pm Thursday 29 August EV Panel Meeting Thurs/Fri 29/30 Aug P and C Fathers’ Day stall

Term 3 Week 7 Book Week

Monday 2 September Yr 5/6 Botanic Gardens Enviro Day Monday 2 September Monday Munch- Kebabs Tuesday 3 September ICAS testing- Digital- nominated students Tuesday 5 September ICAS testing- Science- nominated students

Term 3 Week 8

Monday 9 September Premier’s Spelling Bee final-Austinmer PS- selected students Tuesday 10 September Yr 5/6 Science fair at WHSPA departing 9am Tuesday 10 September ICAS testing- Writing- nominated students Thursday 12 September ICAS testing- Spelling- nominated students

Term 3 Week 9

Tuesday 17 September ICAS testing- English- nominated students Thursday 19 September ICAS testing- Maths- nominated students

Other important dates for Term 3 2019

Wednesday 25 September Showcase Assembly 2.15pm Friday 27 September Last day of term PLEASE NOTE: WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS EACH WEEK REQUIRE SPORTS UNIFORM.

Dear Families During my time at MKDS one thing that has always stood out - apart from the fabulous educational experiences provided for your children - has been the community spirit and participation which has enabled our beautiful school to continue to flourish.

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27 August 2019 Term 2 Week 6

Last week thanks to our dedicated and committed P and C members, logs and branches were removed from our orchard area so that the area could be cleared for the removal of the tree stump. Our wonderful GA, John - who won’t let a petrified wood tree stump, stump him - removed the offending root, aided and abetted by Trevor with his winch. At last the fence has been completed and hopefully we will soon be able to use our fruit orchard in the coming months. Thanks also to Stephanie who planted out our gardens near the pine tree. My thanks also go to Rob who assisted us by erecting a temporary wire fence when the fencing work was halted. We are so very fortunate to have such dedicated people working with and for us and my heartfelt thanks go to all of you who assisted us in this project. Southern Stars Once again the schools in our region produced the most spectacular performance. The theme of this year’s show was “Come Alive” and it was truly wonderful to see so many children enthusiastically embracing this theme in song and dance. Our children were well-behaved and not too many belongings were lost. Thanks must go to the children for their maturity and independence in coping with the long days and late hours and also to the parents who helped with the delivery of children and most importantly - the food - on Saturday afternoon. Congratulations to Sarah who performed so beautifully in the massed choir. My gratitude goes to Mrs Gehrke and Miss Ford for undertaking this enormous task and for giving up your own time to ensure that our children have such positive educational experiences. The children are fortunate indeed to have such committed, caring teachers. Thanks also to Mrs Christlo for her behind the scenes role in ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Congratulations Congratulations must also go to Riley G who participated in a hip hop competition in Arizona. Riley’s crew came 27th out of 51 - IN THE WORLD! He told me that it was exciting and somewhat overwhelming to see what other crews were doing and how different their dancing was to what he was used to. Well done, Riley! I am sure this experience will stay with you forever. Best of luck to Sarah who will perform at the Opera House next Monday as part of the Illawarra Junior Vocal Ensemble.

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27 August 2019 Term 2 Week 6

Class of the Week- Lili Pilli This term Lilli Pilli have been having so much fun writing persuasive texts. We read the book 'The Day the Crayons Quit' by Drew Daywalt, then wrote persuasive letters from our favourite coloured crayons. After we spent time working on our writing, we published our work just like real authors. Here are some of our finished pieces.

Book Week A reminder that tomorrow we will celebrate Book Week with our Book Week parade which will begin at 9.30. I know the children are all very excited about the costumes they will wear and have been talking about this event for weeks. It is so pleasing to see how much our children love reading and I thank you in advance for encouraging them by making costumes and entering into the spirit of the day. We hope you can join us to watch the parade. In the event of rain the children may still wear their costumes however the parade will have to be cancelled. We will let you know on Class Dojo if it is cancelled. After lunch the children will participate in a Trivia quiz which the teachers have designed to showcase and explore the Book Week books. In the afternoon there will be a performance based around the theme of “Reading is my Super Power” entitled “Big Dreams”.

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27 August 2019 Term 2 Week 6

EV Panel meeting On Thursday the final stage of the External Validation process takes place when our panel convenes to discuss the school’s findings. Mrs Carroll, Mrs Robinson, Miss Ford and I will meet with two Principals to discuss the evidence which the teachers collected about professional learning, teaching/ learning programs, student wellbeing and community engagement. They will assist us to determine future directions for the school over the next few years when writing our new school plan. They will also be undertaking a walk around the school so that they can soak up the ambience and culture of the school. We look forward to showing our new play spaces and our beautiful environment and, of course, our children and the learning that takes place at MKDS. Tournament of the Minds Presentation day is this Sunday at UOW. Our team will be presenting at 1.30pm. Best of luck to the team and thank you to Miss Green for her work with our team Year 5-6 Excursion to the Botanic Gardens Our Stage 3 students will be attending an excursion to the Botanic Gardens next Monday 2 September to take part in the annual World Enviro Day program. Schools from across the region will come together to focus on creating sustainable environments and improving the health of our planet. Please ensure you have read the information sent via Skoolbag and submitted your permission note. Children are to be dropped by 9.15am at the Murphy’s Lane garden entrance and they will return to school by bus at 2pm. They are to wear sports uniform, a hat and sunscreen. We ask that all students bring “nude food” to eat throughout the day in keeping with the environmental theme on reducing rubbish. Coding Once again we welcome back our Scope IT consultants who will be leading the children in classes on this specialised field. It is a wonderful for our students to work with these professionals embracing technology. The cost of the program is $50 per student ($25 for Wattle students) which will appear on the Term 3 invoices. Fathers Day Stall Our P and C Father’s Day stall will take place this Thursday 29 and Friday 30 August. Please make a note in your diaries to remember to send your child with money on the day to shop for their dads and special people! District Athletics – From Miss Ford Last Thursday and Friday we had over 30 students represent the school at the Central Wollongong District Athletics Carnival. We were lucky to have two beautiful days of sunshine while we cheered

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27 August 2019 Term 2 Week 6

each other on. Everyone gave 100 % effort and we had a number of students make it to the finals in their targeted event. Congratulations to Kobi Newton who came first in the final for the 100m sprint. Kobi will be representing our District at the Regional Athletics Carnival in Canberra on September 13. We wish him good luck and cannot wait to watch him compete! Thank you to the parents and carers who came along for the day and help support. A special thanks also to Mrs K for being a team official. These carnivals would not run without the support of staff and schools. Road Safety The footpath down Mount Keira Road can be a dangerous area due to the number of driveways that cross it and the poor visibility for drivers due to the trees. If you do allow younger children to walk down the hill they should ideally be in the company of an older child or preferably an adult. Before you allow children to walk unaccompanied please ensure they understand that they must never run down the hill and they should pause at each driveway to check for incoming and outgoing cars. They also should not walk along the edge of or on the road. If you do allow younger children to walk down the hill they should ideally be in the company of an older child or preferably an adult. Science Fair Our Stage 3 students have been busy designing, making, testing and drawing conclusions to their projects for the upcoming Science Fair. In Week 8, the students will participate in the Wollongong Performing Arts High School Science Fair, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their research projects. Each group of students will present their ideas and display their findings on large poster boards. Judges will be walking around on the day asking students questions and discovering all about their findings whilst giving all students positive feedback. The Science Fair is a great opportunity for students to develop their scientific skills and investigate the incredible universe around us. We thank WHSPA for coordinating this enrichment activity as a precursor to the UOW Science Fair. Term Invoices Invoices for this term’s activities will be sent home this week. Families have indicated this method of payment makes budgeting easier for them with one simple payment per term rather than finding money for each activity. Payments are due Friday 20 September. Please assist us by finalising payments as soon as possible as we have usually paid most of the suppliers before the invoices are issued. Our preferred method of payment is online via the School’s website. If you are unable to meet the full payment by the due date please begin by making partial payments and discuss a repayment plan with us before the due date. Student assistance may also be available for families upon application to the Principal.

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27 August 2019 Term 2 Week 6

SASS Week This week is SASS Week, a week to recognise the amazing work done by our School Administrative and Support Staff. This includes Mrs Christlo and Mrs Cook who work in our school office to guarantee our school runs smoothly. It also includes Mr John, our general assistant, who makes sure the school is looking its best, and Mrs Kerrigan our School Learning Support Officers who helps students in the classroom and on the playground. This band of hard workers do a lot of “behind the scenes” work that ensures the school runs efficiently. Please pass on your thanks to them as you see them working around the school this week. We are all truly appreciative of what they do for us. Mount Keira Demonstration School is definitely a great team- students, teachers, SASS staff and parents all working together in the best interests of students. Thank you SASS staff for the wonderful job you do each and every day. Thank you as always for your support of the school and your children. Mrs Lanyon Relieving Principal What’s Due?

Activity/ Note Students Involved Due Date Monday Munchies- Kebabs $5 Interested students-

except Banksia Thurs 29.08.2019 3.15pm

Fathers’ Day Stall $5 or $10 per jar Interested students Thurs 29 & Fri 30 Aug WCC World Enviro Day- Skoolbag sent 12.08.2019 Years 5 & 6 Overdue Overdue library book notices- sent home last fortnight

Selected students Please return notice if you are unable to locate the book

Scholastic Book Club Interested families 6 September Term 3 invoices- will be sent home next week All families Friday 20 September

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27 August 2019 Term 2 Week 6

WHATS ON! Father’s Day Stall Thursday and Friday 29 & 30 August Thank you to those who have donated jars, volunteered to help on the stall or are assisting Heather in creating some great treats for dads this Father’s Day. The store will be run from our new outdoor kitchen area on Thursday and Friday at lunchtime. This year we are offering glass jars of tasty treats. Jars will cost $5 or $10. Please try and send your child with the correct change. Have a great Father’s Day on Sunday. NEWS AND REMINDERS

Term 3 P&C Meeting Thank you to Mrs Lanyon and the parents who attended the P&C meeting. Look out for the minutes on Skoolbag. Outdoor projects Please continue to bring in any interesting items for the creative space/ mud kitchen including twigs,seed pods, pine cones etc. The kids love building and decorating with them and including them in their mud meals. Anything natural, interesting and safe can be dropped off in the mud kitchen area and would be greatly appreciated. Monday Munchies – This coming Monday we will be having Kebabs. Please ensure orders are placed by 3.15pm Thursday 29 August. Banskia will not be at school that day. How to order – Kebabs $5

• Your child will have to collect a kebab bag from the library. • Fill in your selection directly on the bag. • Please write child’s name and class on the side of the bag, not the top as it is rolled down when

the kebab is put inside. • Return your order and correct money (no change given). Do not place loose money in the

kebab bag please put it in an envelope so that the kebab bag is not contaminated. • Orders close Thursday 3:15pm, (No late orders accepted)

*If you have more than one child ordering, you can pay the total amount for all your children rather than paying for each child individually.

MKDS Newsletter 27 August 2019

mkds.pandc@gmail.com

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27 August 2019 Term 2 Week 6

Free event at Edmund Rice College Tuesday 10 September 6pm – 8.30pm Refer to flyer and book via TRYBOOKING.COM/BELFV