Week 1, Term 1

GUMNUT NEWS

ASHTONFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL Phone: 4934 3584

Emai l : ashtonfie l -p. school@det.nsw.edu.au

WEBSITE: www.ashtonfield-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

FACEBOOK:

www.facebook.com/ashtonfieldpublicschool

SCHOOL HOURS: Supervision from: 8.25am

Classes begin: 8.55am Classes finish: 2.55pm

NOTES SENT HOME:

Yr 3—6 Swimming Carnival

Local Walks and Excursions

Permission to Publish

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Yr 3-6 Swimming Carnival,

Wednesday, 10th February.

Book club due, 3pm

Thursday, 11th February.

Zone Swimming Carnival,

Tuesday, 23rd February.

Welcome back to 2016 and welcome to our new families. Welcome back also to Ms Healey who returns to the deputy principal position after relieving as principal at Tarro. Thank you to Mr Stone and Mrs O’Neill who stepped into that role last year. Mr Stone leaves us for a while this year while he relieves as principal at Vacy. Mrs Holt will be principal at Swansea. This year has started with us not being exactly sure of numbers but the staff are working to ensure students are settled as quickly as possible. This always takes longer some years than others and for some students compared to others. However, we do hope to settle quickly and explain our routines to you at our Parent/Teacher meetings in Week 3 and 4. These are not individual interview meetings but should you require such a meeting these can be booked through the front office at any time throughout the year. We also encourage you to ring for a phone appointment if you see a need to have a less formal discussion with a teacher at any time. Likewise on occasions teachers may phone you. Sometimes you may be able to catch a teacher after school or they may catch you if you have the time but please remember this time may be very busy for teachers. While a less formal chat can often be very productive teachers also have students to see off safely and on some days, meetings to attend so if you can book a phone call or interview for more important issues this would be appreciated. SWIMMING CARNIVAL The Year 3-6 Swimming Carnival is on Wednesday, 10th February at Maitland Pool. All primary students have received a permission note. The cost is $8 each to cover bus and pool entry. Students in Year 2 who turn 8 this year are also invited to attend if they are competent swimmers and can confidently swim 50 metres unaided in their strokes. There will be novelty events (within the pool grounds) for those students who are not participating in the competitive races. Everyone will be busy! Please note: as per DEC guidelines there will be no free swim time. Permission notes for any child in Year 2 turning 8 this year, who feels they are confident to swim 50m competitively can be picked up at the office or on the school website. Please note: this cannot be paid online as the cost is under $10. RESOURCE PACKS FOR 2016 will cost $65 per student ($40 for the third or more child). We ask that this is paid by 12th February. Please send payment in an envelope with your child’s name, class and “Resource Pack” written clearly on the front and place envelope in the silver tin at the school office. You may also pay online via the school website. Please enter “Resource Pack” under the payment description. Students will receive their resource pack in class AFTER THE 12th FEBRUARY and some items may stay in the classroom. This cost will include student access to Mathletics . YEAR 5 & 6 BATHURST EXCURSION Our senior excursion will take place from 15th to 18th February. All places have been filled for the excursion and we do have students on a waiting list to attend. The full amount of $450 must be paid by Thursday, 11th February or students will be removed from the list and places offered to those students on the waiting list. The medical, behavior and YMCA forms must be returned by Wednesday, 3rd February as venues must be advised of dietary and medical requirements. A camp information night will be held on Tuesday, 9th February (as part of the class information session). SPORT DAY All sport will be on Friday this term. Please ensure your child wears their sport uniform on the correct day.

Have a successful week, Narelle and Staff.

Principal’s News WELCOME BACK!!

Thursday, 28th January, 2016

NEXT P&C MEETING: AGM on Tuesday,

16th February at 7pm in the Library

CANTEEN OPEN:

Monday, 8th February depending on volunteers

UNIFORM SHOP OPEN:

Wednesdays, 8.30am—9am 2.30pm—3pm

Thursdays, 8.30am—9am

EFTPos facilities now available

at the Uniform Shop.

WEEKLY ASSEMBLIES:

To be advised

K-6 SPORT:

Fridays

PAGE 2 GUMNUT NEWS WEEK 1, TERM 1

LOCAL SPORTS AND EXCURSION WALKS notes have been sent home with all students today. During the year we will use the park below the school playground for lunch activities, sport, morning PE etc. Students will also walk to Hunter Valley Grammar School to use their facilities and participate in our presentation assembly at the end of the year. Other local walks may include walks to the mail box, around the area for traffic safety etc. All students are required to return this form by Friday, 12th February, 2016. PERMISSION TO PUBLISH notes have been sent home with all students today. Throughout the year students may have their photo taken for such publications as the school newsletter, the year book or for the local newspa-per. Please note that student surnames will not be published. Student faces and surnames will not be posted on social media such as Facebook or the school website. All students are required to return this form by Friday, 12th February, 2016. PERMISSION NOTES AND NEWSLETTERS are posted on our school website. Go to ashtonfield-p.schools.nsw.edu.au. All whole school/class notes are posted but individual/sport team notes may not be posted. A REMINDER THAT PARENT ONLINE PAYMENTS can be made through our school website. Go to ashtonfield-p.schools.nsw.edu.au and click on “Make a Payment” in the menu bar. Follow the prompts to make a payment via Visa or MasterCard. Please ensure you enter the payment description as mentioned in your child’s permission note. Detailed instructions are included on our website under Permission Notes. STUDENT ABSENCES Parents may phone the school office to advise of their child’s absence. Alternatively, an SMS will automatically be sent to parents each day if their child is marked absent. Parents are asked to reply to that SMS and their child’s reason for absence will be recorded. A REMINDER that parents and visitors are not permitted to park in the staff car park unless they have a disabled parking permit. Parents, students and visitors are also asked not to walk through the car park for safety reasons. BOOK CLUB BROCHURES are available from the table in the school foyer. Scholastic has made some changes this year and all students should only need one brochure each. Orders are due by 3pm on Thursday, 11th Febru-ary. A reminder that all orders must be paid online in the following way:

www.scholastic.com.au

Click on Parent Payments (at top of the screen)

Complete credit card details

You will be given a receipt number. Please write your receipt number on your scholastic order form.

Please return your order form to the box in the school foyer with your child’s name and class at the top of each order.

Please do not send cash as it will be returned to your child. INDIVIDUAL HEALTH CARE PLANS will be sent home with students (who already have health care plans at our school) in the near future. Parents are asked to update these plans and return them to the school office as soon as possible. PARENT/TEACHER INFORMATION SESSIONS—Location of meetings to be advised next week. Please note these meetings are a general information session only, not individual parent meetings.

DATE TIME YEARS

Tuesday, 9th February, 2016 5.30pm Year 2

Tuesday, 9th February, 2016 6pm Year 5 and 6 * The Yr 5 & 6 camp information meeting will be included in this session.

Thursday, 11th February, 2016 5.30pm Year 3

Thursday, 11th February, 2016 6pm Kindergarten

Thursday, 18th February, 2016 5.30pm Year 1

Thursday, 18th February, 2016 6pm Year 4

PARENT MEETING

We are very fortunate to have Mrs Deb Gilmore an Executive Director of the Arrowsmith Program talking to our community on Monday, 6th February, 2016. Arrowsmith is a program which began in Canada but which is now world wide. It is a training program for children, teenagers and adults to train areas of the brain which we may under—utilise and for children with learning difficulties in areas which they are not able to use effec-tively. This program was explained last year on 60 Minutes and several You tube explana-tions are available on the Arrowsmith Web Page. What better way to learn about it than from someone directly involved in the program and whose son has undertaken the program. So come along.

ARROWSMITH PROGRAM – Mrs Deb Gilmore

DATE: Monday, 8th February, 2016

TIME: 6p.m. (Approx 1 hr)

VENUE: School Hall

All welcome. Bring a friend, relative or come alone.

During the holidays Mrs Bower, Mrs Larke and Mrs Ryall attended the Arrowsmith teacher training in Sydney. There were 37 teachers there from all over Australia and New Zealand and we had the opportunity to speak with parents whose children had attended the Arrowsmith school in Canada. It was wonderful to hear the stories about their children's progress. We are looking forward to setting up the Arrowsmith classroom this term and having our own stories.

GUMNUT NEWS PAGE 3 WEEK 1, TERM 1

P&C News

The next Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 16th February, 2016 from 7pm in the library. All parents are welcome to attend.

Canteen News

The canteen will re-open on Monday, 8th February, 2016. However, this will depend on the number of volunteers available. If you are able to assist please contact Tracy on 0411 184 571.

Uniform Shop News

We are pleased to advise that EFTPos facilities are now available at the Uniform shop ONLY.

GUMNUT NEWS PAGE 4 WEEK 1, TERM 1

CLASS TEACHER CLASS TEACHER

KF Jenny Freeman 3Mc Natasha McDermott

KM Erin Mackaway 3W Daniel Willis

KS Aleta Snow 4T Allison Taylor

KW Sarah Wilkinson 4K Shaun King

1B Susie Burgoyne 4R Rebecca Roberts

1N Nicole Butler 5J Luke Johnson (AP)

1M Shaye Moss (AP) 5H Nicole Hurney

1E Biannca Earnst/ Keah Tilbrook 5O Alicia Osland

2A Penny Anderson/Dana Williams 6G Richelle Galluzzo (AP)

2Mc Hayley McKinless 6C Phil Cliff

2P Emily Price 6S Kelli Shaunessy

2S Meghan Skelton Reading Recovery Aleta Snow/ Angela Head/ Donna O’Neill (AP)

3M Brigita Meynell

LEAP programs

(Learning, Enrichment and Additional programs)

LaST– Megan Gray

- Michelle Scarpinato

- Bianca Stevenson

Kinder/Arrowsmith/ESL- Cate Larke

Arrowsmith– Belinda Bower

Library & Japanese

Adela Davey & Bianca Stevenson

Technology Max Labecki &Trevor Hadley

Classes for 2016

Term 1 2016 Calendar

Week MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

2

Feb

1 2

Kindergarten

first day

3 4 5

3 8

9

10

Swimming

Carnival

11

Y5 & 6

Parent/teacher

Meeting evening

(time TBA)

12

Zone Tennis

4 15

Y5/6 camp

6 p.m. Hall ARROWSMITH

Parent and

community meeting (All Welcome)

16

Y5/6 camp

P&C

17

Y5/6 camp

Zone BB

18

Y5/6 camp

Parent/teacher

Meeting evening

(times TBA)

19

Zone R.L.

Maitland Debating

5

22 23

Zone

Swimming

24

Shamrock lunch

25

26

6

Mar

ch

29

Hunter Girls Cricket

Trials

1 2

3

Hunter Regional

Swimming

4

Hunter Regional

BB

7 7 8

Hunter AFL Trials

9 10 11

8 14

15

P&C

16 17 18

Zone Netball Hunter RL

9 21

Harmony Day

22

23 24

Zone hockey &

soccer

25

Good Friday

10

April

28

Easter Monday

29 30

Shamrock lunch

31

1

Hunter netball

11 4 5 6 7 8

Hunter

Hockey/Football

LAST DAY OF