Week 3 Term 1 Newsletter 2025

Upcoming Events

Term 1 

Week 3               Primary Swimming Carnival Friday 14th February

Week 4               Issue 1 Book Club Orders Close - Thursday 20th February

Week 5               School Assembly - Friday 28th February

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

We’ve had a fantastic start to the year, especially with all our students arriving together last Thursday. It’s heartening to see everyone settle in so well and set a wonderful example for our Kindergarten students. A big thank you to all parents, teachers, and students for contributing to such a smooth beginning.

As we experienced a few very hot days last week, we want to remind everyone to stay hydrated. Please ensure your child brings plenty of water, hats, and ice bricks in their lunchboxes. Water is the best option for hydration throughout the day, so we encourage water bottles to be brought into the classroom—please make sure they contain only water. Poppas and juice should only be included with lunch orders.

Class newsletters were distributed last week to all parents, which included details about personal supplies and daily routines. Homework for Years 1-6 will commence this week. Please note that there will be no homework assigned during Weeks 1, 5, and the last week of each term.

We are continuing the Year 5 laptop program this year. Students have already received their laptops and are actively using them in the classroom. Letters have been sent home, along with a responsible usage form that needs to be signed. Additionally, there is an option to purchase laptops for home use at the end of Year 6. All students must return their responsible use of technology forms by the end of the month.

Our Primary Swimming Carnival is happening this Friday, starting at 9:30 am. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help! Miss Dixon still needs a few more timekeepers, so if you are available, your assistance would be greatly appreciated. We look forward to a fantastic day, and a special thanks to Miss Dixon for her organisation. Please note that the district swimming carnival is scheduled for Wednesday, February 26th.

Parents are reminded that our school follows strict guidelines set by the NSW government regarding student attendance. It is essential for children to attend school every day during the scheduled school year. Parents are responsible for ensuring their child's attendance, while the school is tasked with maintaining accurate attendance records. The school can only approve leave for specific reasons, such as illness, exceptional family circumstances, or occasional absences for elite sporting or cultural participation. While it may seem stringent, adherence to these guidelines is mandatory for all schools. Any leave that does not fall under these categories will be marked as "explained but unjustified." We kindly ask that you notify the school by phone, email or reply to the automated text message for free, within three days of any absence. Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring your child's regular attendance.

Wishing everyone a great week ahead!

Kind regards,

Sharon Hawker
Principal

Introducing Our Student Leaders and Classes for 2025!

OOSH UPDATE!

Live Better will be delivering Before and After School Care at Canowindra Public School at the beginning the 2025 school year. Unfortunately, they have been unable to fill the coordinator and educator position up to this date. They are still in the process of seeking applicants for these positions. For any further information please contact before Jenny Nalder before completing the application.

Jenny Nalder - 0428 620 236

If you require Before and After School Care for school aged children in a safe and enriching environment at our school please register via the QR code above. 

New Bell Times

Swimming Carnival

Our school swimming carnival will be held this Friday, 14th February.

There will be no hot food available to buy at the pool, however students will be able to buy lollies and drinks after 11am. Normal high school lunch orders will be available online.

Thank you to the parents who have offered to assist in helping out at the carnival. I will send home a program (helpers list) to the parents on Thursday who have gotten back to me.

If you can help, we are still after a couple more helpers.

Congratulations to the following House Captains for 2025, House Captain badges will be given out at the School Assembly in Week 5.

House Captains

Belubula Jack Daly & Holly-Rose Jacks

Lachlan Andy Wright & Eva Dunn

Nangar Oliver Maunder & Ryleigh Bowd

Tilga George McKenzie & Asha Scifleet

House Vice Captains

Belubula Sam Markcrow & Anaya Thurtell

Lachlan Daniel Greenhill & Sophie Payne

Nangar Cooper Nash & Gracie-Lee Davies

Tilga Noah Grey & Grace McSpadden

Aurora College Applications for 2026

Closing 21 February 2025

Selective high school Year 7 entry in 2026: Apply when your child is beginning Year 6.

Opportunity class Year 5 entry in 2026: Apply when your child is beginning Year 4.

Selective high schools and opportunity classes are 2 of the ways the NSW Department of Education supports high potential and gifted students.

What are their benefits?

• Students learn alongside, and form friendships with, other high potential and gifted classmates.
• Special teaching methods allow students to learn at a quicker pace and in more detail.
• Research shows that students benefit both academically and socially when learning with classmates who have similar abilities.

Selective high schools and opportunity classes are not zoned so you can apply to ones outside your local enrolment area.

Is a selective high school or opportunity class the right fit for my child?

A selective high school or opportunity class might be a great fit if your child. Please contact your classroom teacher for further clarification.

• learns quickly
• asks complex questions
• is highly motivated
• has a good memory
• is intensely focused in their area of interest

Where are selective high schools (Year 7-12) located?

There are 4 types of selective high schools:

• fully selective high schools, where all students attending the school have high potential or are gifted
• partially selective high schools, where there is a mix of students who have high potential or are gifted and local area students
• 4 agricultural selective high schools, including 3 boarding schools
• Aurora College, which provides online selective classes for rural and remote students in their local host schools.

Search for a selective high school near you at Find a selective high school.

Where are opportunity classes (Year 5-6) located?

There are 2 types of opportunity classes:

• full-time opportunity classes in selected primary schools
• Aurora College, which provides online opportunity classes for rural and remote students in their local authorised host schools.

Search for an opportunity class near you at Find an opportunity class.

Students successfully placed attend the opportunity class full-time in Years 5 and 6. In most cases, students who have accepted a place in an opportunity class will leave their current school to attend the school with the opportunity class.

Discuss the opportunity with your child and look through the information together on the Selective high schools and opportunity classes website and in the student resource hub:

• Applying for a selective high school: Student resource hub
• Applying for an opportunity class: Student resource hub

Fair and equitable access

The Equity Placement Model helps make access fairer for more high potential students in our community.

We know that some students may be missing out because they experience educational disadvantage.

Under the model, up to 20% of places in each selective high school and opportunity class are held for:

• students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students
• students from rural and remote locations
• students with disability.

These students still receive offers based on their performance in the placement test.

Learn more at Fair access.

The application process

Complete the online application.

Applications close on 21 February 2025.

Once your application has been submitted and processed, your child will need to sit a computer-based placement test. Learn more at Application process.

Ready to apply?

Apply online at shsoc.education.nsw.gov.au

Further information

Visit Selective high schools and opportunity classes.

Book Club - Issue 1

Issue 1 Book Club Order forms went home with students yesterday. All orders MUST be paid for via LOOP. The school does not accept cash for book club orders.

Visit www.scholastic.com.au/LOOP

Orders close Thursday 20th February 2025.

Our Learner Qualities

We are proud to reintroduce our Visible Learning qualities, which are essential traits that empower our students to thrive both academically and personally. These qualities include:

• I Am Resilient: Our students learn to bounce back from setbacks and challenges, developing persistence and determination in their pursuit of success.

• I Am Creative: We encourage creativity by inspiring students to think outside the box and approach problems with innovative solutions.

• I Seek Feedback: Our students understand the value of constructive feedback as a tool for growth, actively seeking input to improve their learning and performance.

• I Embrace Challenge: We foster a growth mindset, encouraging students to take on challenges and view them as opportunities for learning and development.

• I Am Self-motivated: Our students take ownership of their learning, setting personal goals and striving to achieve them with enthusiasm and commitment.

These Visible Learning qualities are integral to our educational approach, helping students become confident, capable learners who are prepared for future success. Together, we will cultivate these qualities to create a supportive and engaging learning environment.

The Resilience Project continued....

Why are resilience and wellbeing important?

● Research shows us that there is a direct link between wellbeing and academics, therefore children who are not emotionally healthy will have difficulty learning. When we are stressed, the part of our brain responsible for learning does not function effectively.
● Calm children can focus and retain more information.
● Resilience enables children to take safe risks without fear of failure.
● The statistics indicate that the number of adults struggling with mental ill health has increased over the years. Statistics also tell us that mental ill health is affecting young people at alarming rates and the onset is getting earlier. Prevention is the key to seeing these figures improve.

SAVE THE DATES:

Digital Wellbeing for Families - Wednesday 19th March 

Parent Webinar - Thursday 31st July

Sentral Parents App

Please ensure you have your notifications TURNED ON (check in settings). We use this app to send push notifications for all school activities.

We are excited to introduce the Sentral Parent Portal app to all our new parents, designed to enhance communication and engagement between our school and families. This user-friendly app provides parents with easy access to important information about their child’s education and school activities. With the Sentral Parent Portal, you can view your child’s attendance records, academic progress, class schedules, and upcoming events—all from the convenience of your smartphone or tablet. Our goal is to foster a strong partnership between home and school, ensuring that you stay informed and involved in your child's learning journey. Download the Sentral Parent Portal app today and experience a seamless connection to our school community!

The HUB - Canteen Lunches

Can parents please update their child/s class or details before placing an order. Any enquiries please call Sheryn : 0402 441 263

Healthy Snippets

Healthy "Snippets" from NSW Health covering a range of topics including; healthy eating, lunchbox ideas, drinking water and food budgeting. 

Community Notices

Art Mentoring 2025

1^st Term -9  Free art lessons given by Sue Hodge 

All welcome  7 yr old and up 

Starts Tues afternoon 18^th February

from 4 -530pm for 9 weeks.

Contact Sue Hodge ph. 0419571761 to Register