There have been a number of events over the last 2 weeks that have provided opportunities for students to showcase the valuable learning experiences that they have engaged in to parents and families. It has been great to welcome parents to our first showcase assembly for the year and our Harmony Day assembly. The feedback from everyone involved was really positive and we look forward to continuing these showcases of student learning throughout the year.

HARMONY DAY

An overarching theme for Harmony Day across the school was that everyone belongs, and everyone is accepted. A value that runs strong at Erina Heights. Dorothy in Year 3 shared her leaning through a quote “we are all ingredients in a recipe, and when we are together that’s when we really shine.” This made me think about a recipe that represents our students and community at Erina Heights, and I thought this summed it up perfectly.

NAPLAN

Congratulations to all Year 3 and Year 5 students who completed NAPLAN assessments over the last 2 weeks. Students showed determination and patience as they navigated the new online test platform.

2 WEEKS UNTIL HOLIDAYS

It’s hard to believe there are only two weeks of the school term left, and what a busy two weeks we have ahead. We look forward to Rewards Day on Monday and Stage 3 heading off to Canberra on Wednesday. In Week 11 amongst other activities and events, we look forward to welcoming parents and families along to our Easter breakfast and hat parade.

Mrs MacDonald

Time flies when you're having fun and this term has certainly flown. We have had a fantastic term. I feel very lucky to be greeted everyday by an enthusiastic and excited class of learners. We have all been working together to create a positive and supportive environment, which is evident in the way the students all encourage each other.

In Mathematics we have been focused on whole number, addition and subtraction and multiplication and division. We have been busy exploring the relationship between division and fractions. 2/3K students have loved completing warm up activities on their white boards and enjoy extra challenges.

We have been working hard with reading, phonics and writing skills. Some of our focus texts include Peggy, Sophie Scott Goes South and Where the Wild Things Are. These texts look at various aspects of a narrative and provide a stimulus for creative writing.

I am extremely proud of our 2/3K students as they approach learning with a smile and are always keen to gain new knowledge. It is an absolute pleasure to be a part of their learning journey and see our beautiful students make new discoveries. I am looking forward to a fantastic year ahead.

Mrs Kerry

I am flabbergasted that next week will be the penultimate week of Term 1 and we have had a scintillating time so far! Please note how I have used several of our words of the day in my opening sentence. Our class loves being at school and our attendance rate is astonishing! It’s so important to be here so we don’t miss out on important lessons at school and we are champions at turning up every day.

We began the year by getting to know one another and delivered speeches about the things in which we were experts. We also brought in items to share so we could learn a little more about our classmates. Each child also wrote their own Acknowledgement of Country and we begin each day with a different one before we start our lessons.

During our writing lessons we have been using figurative language and are now very good at including similes to help paint a picture for our reader. In our Maths lessons our class have learnt so much already and are busy taking things from our short term to our long term memories. In visual arts we learnt all about Pop Art and we are so chuffed with our own creations! Please drop in and check them out.

Mrs Anderson

I cannot believe it is Week 10 next week! 4B have been packing so much into our busy days and I am so proud to watch the growth in confidence and learning along the way. We are starting each day with our beautiful, collaboratively written Acknowledgement of Country and this is a great source of pride for many students.

In Maths, we have been working on Fractions. Students created learning posters and completed a variety of open-ended tasks to explore their knowledge. We have also been enjoying our daily Times Tables Tournament of Legends, combining some agility and ball skills, while practising our weekly multiplication focus.

In Literacy, we are working on building sentences that are more advanced in terms of structure, description and grammar. Beyond this, we have been loving working on our Pop Art, Tennis Skills, Harmony Day and Personal Development lessons.

We are looking forward to Rewards Day next Monday, our History excursion to Sydney in Week 11, as well as the Cross Country, Easter celebrations and ANZAC commemorations. Lots happening at EHPS, and 4B are thriving.

Ms Bailey

Did you know that over half of all Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was born overseas? This is why it’s so important to celebrate our country’s diversity. Harmony Week is all about inclusivity, from our traditional owners of the land to all of our most recent arrivals. It should not matter what clothes you wear, what food you eat, what language you speak or how you look. We are encouraging people to embrace differences.

This week at Erina Heights Public School we have been celebrating Harmony Week. We had a special assembly where parents were invited to come and see some of the things we have been doing and to enjoy a song which opens our eyes to the different ways in which many countries say hello.

At our assembly, each class or stage shared what they did for Harmony Week and we all wore something orange to show our support for an inclusive Australia. It was so lovely to see everyone come together to demonstrate how we ensure everyone belongs at EHPS.

Mrs Anderson

Like all NSW public schools, we can request contributions to enhance our educational and sporting programs including elective subjects. School contributions help provide additional educational resources for the benefit of students. The contribution is set at $40 per student or $100 per family of three or more. While contributions are voluntary, student resources are maximised when each family makes its voluntary contribution.

Young children develop their own need for personal space as they grow. It is quite possible that many conflicts you manage daily arise because children's personal space is not respected or understood. If one child enters another child's "bubble" too quickly, it may lead to frustration, screams, shoving, etc. Children are often clumsy when expressing themselves and for this reason, we must teach them adequate methods to express their feelings, ask others to step back, and ensure their personal space is respected. Beyond that, we must help them become aware of the fact that others have their own personal space that must also be respected.

How can we teach children about personal space?

Be a model. As parents, we can feel as if our own personal "bubble" no longer exists. Children learn by example. You can teach your children when they are in your "bubble" and kindly ask them to step back. The more they hear you talk about your "bubble", the more they will be able to use this positive model on their own. It is important to ask permission if you wish to enter someone’s personal space. This is especially the case when they are playing with someone they don’t know very well. Remember, it all comes down to the consistency of your daily interventions. Be patient and your efforts will be rewarded.

Help tomorrow

We have our fundraising Election BBQ & Cake stall tomorrow from 8am. If you would be able to help for 1 hour while you vote please click the link and give a helping hand to your child’s school. We still need helpers from 11am onwards! Many thanks to the fabulous families & teachers who have already offered their help. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DADAD2BA4F5C43-election1

Cake Stall tomorrow

If you could “fake it or bake it” & contribute to the cake stall please drop your item directly to the stall outside the hall anytime from 8am on Saturday. Please include a brief contents list (or side of packet-let’s keep it real). Get the kids involved & into the kitchen for some afternoon fun too! If you would like more information or offer some extra assistance please contact secretaryehps@gmail.com

Easter Eggs for the Raffle- Due Wednesday

We are still accepting chocolate Easter Egg donations for our raffle now! Please send in your chocolate to the front office. We would love all Easter eggs in by this Wednesday April 29.

Raffle tickets

Dig deep in those school bags…Easter raffle booklets went home last Friday to the eldest child. Extra booklets are available at the front office. Prizes awarded for most sold booklets & the class with the most booklets returned (fair formula applied). Please return all unsold, partially sold & sold booklets to school by Monday April 3. Raffle drawn Thursday April 6. Good luck!

P&C AGM

Thanks to the parents who attend the P&C meetings this week. We held the AGM and elected the P&C executive on Tuesday night. We take this opportunity to sincerely thank Amy Ferrier for her amazing President and Vice President roles that she has held for many years as she now steps into the Secretary position. We thank Linley Lea for her wonderful work in the secretary role last year and Amy Bickerton for her amazing efforts with Fundraising events. Many thanks to Gail for her exceptional contributions to the treasury role and all events. We still have positions vacant and discussions in place for a joint Fundraising committee. We encourage all to become more involved with the P&C this year.

2023 P&C Executive

President- Felicia Horne

Vice President- Vacant

Secretary- Amy Ferrier

Treasurer- Gail Wood

Fundraising committee- Discussions ongoing