Prestons Post
Term 4, Week 2
Principal's Message
Welcome to our Week 2 newsletter. I am so proud of all of our students for the way they have returned to school and settled straight back into learning. We have had such a busy and fun week so far with the commencement of our MInifit program every Friday, our COVID style Book Character Parade and a special visit this week from Russ the Bus.
Kindergarten Transition
We are so excited to welcome our new Kindergarten students to Prestons this Friday and for the following two Fridays. Please if you know of anyone who is in area for our school and has a child who will be starting school next year let them know to contact the school so that their child does not miss out on transition.
COVID Update
While most of the restrictions remain in place, we are able to plan for Year 6 Graduation and sporting activities at school such as soccer, tag and basketball are now allowed. We are planning a fun day for all students for the end of the year. Our teachers are ensuring that all students wash their hands regularly and hand sanitiser and soap are available in every classroom. Please remember to keep your child home from school if they are unwell and if they have cold or flu like symptoms they will need to have a negative COVID test before returning to school.
Staffing Update
As mentioned in last week's newsletter, congratulations to Mrs Beavis and Mrs Lloyd who are our new Deputy Principals. The panel have met and submitted the ad for our new Assistant Principal positions, we should know the outcome of this by the end of Week 6. We are also running a merit selection panel for a new classroom teacher which also should be known by Week 6.
Have a wonderful week and don't forget to ask your child what they are learning. We also love seeing our families engage with classes and their learning through Seesaw.
Liz Van Der Meulen
Principal
Our PBL focus is 'Wear Your Hat'.
Dates to Remember
23/10/2020 - Kindergarten 2021 Transition - Enrolled Students Only
29/10/2020 - Book Club orders due
30/10/2020 - Spook-tacular Friday
30/10/2020 - Kindergarten 2021 Transition - Enrolled Students Only
6/11/2020 - Kindergarten 2021 Transition - Enrolled Students Only
8-15/11/2020 - NAIDOC Week
16/11/2020 - Yr 7 Selective HS 2022 Applications Close
9/12/2020 - Yr 6 Farewell
16/12/2020 - Last day for students
17/12/2020 - Staff Development Day
18/12/2020 - Staff Development Day
Spotlight On Learning
Spotlight On Learning
Spotlight On Learning
Spotlight On Learning
Book Club - Issue 7
Orders are due by Thursday 29th October, 2020.
Summer PSSA Refunds
Due to visitor restrictions, refunds will ONLY be processed Term 4, Week 2 between 10am and 1pm on the following days:
Tuesday 20th October, 2020
Wednesday 21st October, 2020
Thursday 22nd October, 2020.
Please complete the form that was sent home with the parent / guardian name and signature and bring this form with you on the day your refund is to be processed.
If you require any further information please contact the office.
Year 6 Farewell - Save the Date
More information will be sent home soon.
NBN Installation - Update
Should there be any phone outage and you need to contact the school please do so via email, Skoolbag or Facebook.
Student Absent Notes
Parents are requested to notify the school of their child's absence on the first day they return to school after their absence.
Notification can be made by sending a signed note to the office, medical certificate, submitting a notification via the Skoolbag App or by telephoning the office.
Absent notification via seesaw will not be accepted.
Year 7 Placement in a Selective High School in 2022 (Year 5 Students 2020)
Selective high schools cater for academically gifted students with high potential who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic standard. Selective high schools help these students to learn by grouping them with students of similar ability, and by using specialised teaching methods.
Applications for selective high school placement are considered mainly on the basis of the Selective High School Placement Test results and school assessment scores. The Selective High School Placement Test will be held on Thursday 11 March 2021.
If you would like to have your child considered for Year 7 selective high school entry in 2022, you need to apply on the internet using a valid email address (not the student’s email address).
Detailed instructions on how to apply online are available at https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-7.
The application website opens at that link on 13 October 2020 and closes on 16 November 2020. You must apply before the closing date.
There are no paper application forms. If you do not have internet access, you could apply at a public library. If you have a disability that prevents you from using a computer, you can contact the Team for assistance after 13 October 2020 on 1300 880 367.
TO APPLY YOU WILL NEED TO REGISTER AND THEN APPLY THROUGH THE HIGH PERFORMING STUDENTS WEBSITE:
https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes
You must submit only ONE application for each student.
Kindergarten 2021
We are now accepting enrolments for Kindergarten 2021.
Children who turn 5 by the 31st July 2021 are eligible to enrol for Kindergarten 2021.
Enrolment forms can be collected from the administration office.
Kindergarten Transition 2021 - Enrolled Students Only
Due to recent changes in NSW Health restrictions, we are now able to hold a Kindergarten Transition program, to be implemented with COVID-safe restrictions and guidelines.
This program is only available to students who have enrolled for Kindergarten 2021 at Prestons PS.
This program will take place in Term 4 from 9:20am -11:00am on:
Friday 23rd October
Friday 30th October
Friday 6th November
Our transition program is an important opportunity for your child to become familiar with our kindergarten environment, meet other children who will be in their year group and to experience some of the routines of school. It is also an opportunity for the kindergarten teachers to meet your child and begin to plan for their learning needs for 2021.
Unfortunately, we are not able to have parents and carers remain on school grounds for the Transition Program. You will need to drop and collect your child according to the following times:
surname begins with the letters A to M – drop off between 9:20 and 9:30am and collect between 10:40 and 10:50am.
surname begins with the letters N to Z- drop-off between 9:30 and 9:40am and collect between 10:50 and 11:00am.
These staggered entry and exit times will help us ensure safe social distancing requirements. We ask that you maintain a 1.5 metre distance from others at all times.
If you have a child who is eligible to enrol for Kindergarten 2021 at Prestons PS please ensure you have completed their enrolment application so they can attend this important program.
If you have any further enquiries, please contact our school office on 9602 7435 or check our facebook page.
Classroom Chat with K Possums
K Possums have had a fun start to learning for our last term of Kindergarten.
A snapshot of Term 3 included celebrating 100 days of learning, learnt fun facts about dinosaurs in writing, watched a dinosaur egg hatch and enjoyed a day with our favourite teddies for Kindergarten’s Teddy Bear Picnic.
We have completed many dinosaur STEM challenges with Mrs Claydon in the library and this term for Book Week we created our very own Stop Motion STEM Challenge based on the book “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” by Michael Rosen. K Possums worked with K Platypus to recreate the different scenes from the book using a range of materials from around the classroom.
We are continuing to build our confidence to write independently and enjoy creating sentences on texts we are reading. In maths, we have been practising counting to 30 and adding and subtracting numbers up to 20. After lunch we enjoy mediation from smiling minds to allow us to refocus on our learning.We look forward to continuing to share all our wonderful learning achievements with you all. Miss Bates and K Possums.
Classroom Chat with 4 Killerwhales
Year 4 Killer whales have been doing some amazing work in the classroom this term. I'm incredibly proud of their hard work and efforts. Last week we were learning how to create a stop motion movie. Students created a scene, background and a creature to fit in with the book week theme. Some of our students were able to create voice over and dialogue to enhance meaning and effect to their movie.
Great job KW!
NSW School Updates app
The app will complement the other means of communication available to parents and carers from schools and the Department of Education to ensure families receive timely, accurate information in a crisis.
The app is free and available now for iOS and Android users.
You can opt in for notifications about the operational status of as many NSW public schools as you choose.
Privacy information
The app doesn't store any personal or identifiable information. When using the app, it communicates with the department's servers storing a unique identifier for your device; the schools that you wish to receive updates for; and if you've opted into receive push notifications information to send notifications to that device.
School Travel 2021
2021 school travel applications are now open
Applications for student travel in 2021 opened on Monday 12 October 2020.
Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass for 2021 can now apply online. A new application should be submitted if a student is applying for a school travel pass for the first time or requesting an additional pass as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation (e.g. joint custody).
Students who have changed school/campus, changed address, repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should re-apply or update their details.
*Applications must be completed by the student's parent or legal guardian if the student is aged under 16 years. Students 16 years and over must complete the application form themselves.
Where there is a change of distance eligibility based on a student’s grade, the system will automatically update a student’s entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, they will receive an expiry notification via email.
Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition which is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.
Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply.
If a student needs to update their information or re-apply, they should go online to https://apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts/updateDetails
Applications need to be submitted before 31 December 2020 to ensure that current student entitlements are updated and their current entitlement/card remains valid. If their application is submitted after 31 December 2020, the system will automatically cancel an entitlement/card and a new one will need to be issued.
Students in the Opal network applying for a SSTS or Term Bus Pass entitlement for the first time will receive their card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2021.
Students residing in Rural and Regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the commencement of the new school year from their nominated operator, this may be distributed via the school or sent direct to their address. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/Parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.
New Concession Entitlement Cards
Transport for NSW will be replacing the below cards with Transport Concession Entitlement Cards (TCEC) from October 2020:
Senior Secondary Student Concession Card (16 years and over) – also used by Mature Secondary Students (18 years and over), Distance Education Students and Home School Students
Proof of Age card (when a student under 16 years of age looks older)
Boarder Rail Pass.
All previous cards will be valid until they expire. Students who require a Transport Concession Entitlement Card should speak with their school administration staff.
Enquiries regarding school student travel can be submitted to Transport for NSW at: https://transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/passes-concessions-feedback