23 May 2023

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

International Day of Families

What a great time we had to celebrate this new event for our school, celebrating the International Day of Families across our school community. In the past we had tremendous fun with our Mother’s and Father’s Day activities whereas this year we went in a new direction with this all-inclusive event which celebrated everyone’s different family. We are hoping you had as big a blast as our students and staff who really had fun and enjoyed our community coming together in celebration. I would like to thank all our staff for their commitment and effort in organising the activities with Mrs Wright doing an amazing job in leading the organisation. The student performances were excellent and I congratulate all our students on their hard work to achieving such an excellent performance. We have been blown away with the positive feedback from parents, carers and friends in regards to the event. We love those thankful emails to our school email account. Keep them coming! Most of all the event was about our families and we hope that your family feels welcome and included in our school and that you spent some time celebrating your family during the day.

Staffing News

This week our wonderful Mrs Wright will be on leave for the week. We welcome Ms Madeleine Tucker as the class teacher for Waterloo for this week. I know you will all join me in welcoming Ms Tucker to our school. Please make her feel welcome with a wonderful hello if you catch her around.

PSSA Basketball Knockouts

Today, our Stage 3 boys and girls competed in the PSSA Knockout competition in basketball. I was so proud to see their efforts and enthusiasm in what turned out so be two very challenging games. Unfortunately, we lost both games and will not proceed to the next stage in the competition. A big thank you to Mr Kristof for your commitment in coaching and training our students prior to today’s competition.

Zone Cross Country

Tuesday last week, a number of our students participated in the Zone Cross Country at the Regatta Centre Penrith. In what turned out to be wonderful day, all our students were respectful and gave their all when competing against schools across the district. We had some personal bests and a number of students were successful in qualifying for the Sydney West Carnival. We wish you all the best at the next stage in the competition and I am sure you will do us proud!

Multipurposed Goal Posts

How amazing was it to officially open our top grass with two newly installed multipurpose goal posts. The goal posts have been a huge hit with our students and our playground has never been busier with continuous games of soccer and football. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the St Marys Rugby League for their generous donation towards the goal posts. I would like to extend this thank you to our wonderful P & C and Mrs Adams for their commitment, dedication and hard work making our school look fantastic!

NSW Curriculum Reform Professional learning

The NSW Curriculum Reform aims to support and streamline what is taught in our schools. The curriculum reform is an opportunity for our teachers and executive to engage and reenergise what we teach and how we teach it. It focuses on making learning content clearer while identifying what are the essential building blocks for learning. Throughout this week our staff have been engaging in the collaborative process of investigating the new curriculum reform. This has included discussion around student phonic knowledge, collegial reflections and a focus on improving quality teaching practices through lesson observations.

Have a wonderful two weeks!

Adam Wynn
Principal

Event Date Closing Date

Reading Eggs 2023 – for all students

Mathletics 2023-for all students

General Voluntary Contributions

Kindergarten My Chinese Program 2023

Stage 1 My Chinese Program 2023

Stage 2 and Stage 3 My Chinese Program 2023

Class Waterloo My Chinese Program 2023

Class Willandra My Chinese Program 2023

Stage 2 Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Excursion Tues 6/06/2023 Due 26/05/2023

Class Willandra, Renaissance and Krakatoa (including Year 5 students)

Stage 2 Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Excursion Tues 7/06/2023 Due 26/05/2023

Class Babylon and Byzantine

4 – 6 Students Forensic Science Workshop Mon 4/07/23 Due 19/07/2023

Stage 3 Dubbo/Bathurst Camp Excursion Mon 6-9/11/23 Due 15/08/2023

A deposit of $100 will be required by Tuesday 14th March, 2023. Deposits are non-refundable as student numbers will be confirmed with the bus company on this day. Please be aware, we will confirm the final cost and update the instalment plan below once we have finalised accommodation and activities:

Please note:

For any above Excursion/Incursion Notes attached, ALL Notes must be returned by the return date of the note for the purpose of Risk Management, confirming numbers with Venues/Performers and payments received.

Online Payments cannot be made after the return date of the note. Only Cash will be accepted after the return date, as long as the note has been returned on time.

REFUNDS are not possible after the return/closing date as all above Excursions/Incursions are priced and planned to include all students.

National Sorry Day and Reconcilaition Week.

National Sorry Day is held on May 26th and marks the day the landmark Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Federal Parliament in 1997. It is a time to remember the past policies of forced child removal and reflect on the sad and painful stories of the Stolen Generations. It is a time to recognise the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the power of saying Sorry.

National Reconciliation Week is held every year from 27th May to 3rd June. There are two important historical milestones that fall during National Reconciliation Week: the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision.

On the 27th of May 1967, Australians voted in favour of two changes to the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

The first change meant that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples would be subject to the same laws as the rest of the population. This meant that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples could be protected by the same laws as the rest of the population, whereas previously their rights were inconsistent between states.

The second change meant that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples were included in the census. This was significant because it gave them visibility and access to essential funding and services they were previously deprived of.

These changes are a positive step towards reconciliation, along the road to equality and justice. National Reconciliation Week is a time dedicated towards bringing Australia closer to the goal of unity, while reflecting on the struggles of the past.

Kindergarten 2024 Enrolments

ATTENDANCE

Over 300 students achieved an attendance rate of over 90% last term! What a fabulous result! We celebrated with Class Awards and ice blocks for all Club members.

It is looking like our Term 2 results will have similar numbers. Well done to everyone for engaging with school and turning up every day for lessons. It is so important for the futures of our students that their attendance remains high. When your child misses time at school, they miss opportunities to learn, build skills through fun and make friends.

This term however, we are aiming even higher than 90%. Can your child become a VIP member of the 90% Club? To join this elite group, a Very Impressive Percentage of 95% or above is required. At the moment, we have over 200 students on track to be VIPs!

We are of course aware that illness has impacted on a number of students and their attendance has dropped below acceptable rates. There is going to be a special incentive if we can see if these students can improve their attendance significantly as the term progresses.

I’m looking forward to seeing as many students as possible being recognised in Week 10!

Alison Patrick
Assistant Principal - Attendance

The Anxiety Project

As you are aware, our school is participating in the Anxiety Project for the next two years. We would appreciate your anonymous participation in a survey to best guide our direction when providing support with the implementation of the Anxiety Project in our school and community.

We will have the below survey open for the next two newsletters. If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to contact me.

Casey Hetherington

Tell Them From Me survey

Our students in Years 4 to 6 will shortly be participating in the first Tell Them From Me survey for 2023. This survey provides us with different perspectives about the engagement and wellbeing of our students. It gives us very valuable information which can be used to identify strengths and successes as well as areas to target for improvement. The survey, which takes approximately 20 minutes to compete, will be conducted during class time in the next few weeks. The survey is completely confidential.

The following fact sheet may answer some of your questions:

If you do not want your child to participate in the survey, please complete the consent form obtainable from the following link below. The consent form needs to be returned to us by Friday 26th May, 2023.

Alison Patrick
Assistant Principal - Attendance

Changes to reporting NAPLAN results

From 2023, NAPLAN results will be reported against 4 proficiency standards rather than numerical bands as in previous years.

NAPLAN reports will contain 4 easy-to-understand proficiency standards:

• Exceeding
• Strong
• Developing
• Needs additional support.

The new reporting standards will provide parents, carers and teachers with simpler and clearer information about how students are performing.

Parent reports available early Term 3

Print copies of individual student reports (ISR) and additional student reports (ASR) are expected to be sent to schools for distribution to parents and carers early in Term 3.

If you have any questions, feel free to call Mr Hunter or Mrs Hetherington on 4730 1201.

Beau Hunter
Assistant Principal – Stage 3

Kindergarten News

What an exciting time all our students and families shared at the International Family Day on Monday 15th May. The K to 2 song and actions to We Are Family were most entertaining. Many of our students have displayed excellent beat, rhythm and vocal skills.

The Term 2 Kindergarten Visit the Classroom will occur tomorrow, Wednesday the 24th May from 1:30 to 2:15pm. Prior to this, at 12:30, Mr Wood and Mrs Williams are conducting an information session on the implementation and teachings of the new Mathematics and English Curriculum in the library. This will be an informative session, giving you a better insight into the changes of both curriculums and practical ways to assist your child at home.

Rose Antonelli
Assistant Principal – Kindergarten

Stage 1 News

Stage 1 Open Classrooms

Thank you to our wonderful parents and carers who joined us on Monday 8th May for our Stage 1 open classrooms. It's always fabulous to see our parents and students sharing in such quality time together and really strengthening those home-school connections. Our Year 1 & Year 2 students are always so excited to share their latest learning with you in such a fun and interactive way and I bet our parents were impressed with the achievements of our students. We hope you enjoyed the afternoon, especially the fairy bread making, as much as we did!

Alanna Vella
Assistant Principal – Stage 1

Stage 2 News!

We are half way through Term 2 and really enjoyed our Family day last week with all our families. We are looking forward to the Stage 2 excursion in the next few weeks. Please remember to make payment for this lovely day of learning at The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney.

Class Renaissance

Renaissance have had a busy start to the term preparing for our multicultural speeches and practicing our item for International Families Day. It has been fantastic seeing different personalities pop through as we were preparing for these exciting events. We have been working on our adding and doubling skills during our TENS time activity this week and having fun with our friends while doing it. We are looking forward to our excursion to the Botanic Garden Sydney in a couple of weeks and we hope to see all of Stage 2 there.

Casey Hetherington
Assistant Prinicpal – Stage 2

Library News

The library timetable now continues to run smoothly since all previous adjustments. Lessons will not occur in Week 5 and Week 9 this term due to Curriculum planning days for all stage teachers. See the timetable below for a reminder of your child’s scheduled Library day and encourage them to borrow weekly. Exposure to good literature enables your child’s vocabulary, ability to develop meaning, spelling, and writing all improve as a result of exposure to reading.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The Premier’s Reading Challenge runs until the 18th August 2023. Children can include and record any books read since September 2022 in their online log. The following keen readers have already completed their Premier’s Reading Challenge. Well done for all your fantastic efforts in making reading a focus during your leisure time. You will all receive a well deserved class award.

Completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge

Lachlan Day: Class Waterloo, Year 1
Emmett Rhodes: Class Vikings, Year 2
Carter Bryant: Class Babylon, Year 3
Elayna Bryant: Class Humanity, Year 5
Louis Rhodes: Class Dynasty, Year 6

Book Club

Issue 3 orders should be arriving shortly. Your child’s order will be sent to their classroom for them to take home. Thank you to the families who purchase and support reading through ordering online at Ashton Scholatic Book club. There are always some great bargains available in each issue.

Issue 4 pamphlets will be distributed when they arrive.

Rose Antonelli
Teacher/Librarian

Zone Cross Country 2023

On Tuesday 16th May, successful nominees from Cambridge Gardens PS participated in the Zone Cross Country Carnival held at the International Regatta Centre.

We looked fabulous in our uniforms and displayed exemplary behaviour. I was very impressed with all the cheering and support that the students were displaying. It was really beautiful to watch!

Congratulations to all the students for getting in there and having a go, we are all very proud of your efforts.

We would like to wish Eva Sylvester, Blake Miller, Justin Agianaku, Tatum Crocker, Steve Cochoco, Lachlan Adams-Bennett, Ethan Robinson and Jaxson-James Elkins all the very best as they head off to represent Penrith Zone at the Regional Carnival on the 14th June.

Click on photo to enlarge:

A very proud,

Felicity Nelson
Coordinator

SYDNEY WRITER’S FESTIVAL

This is a reminder that the Sydney Writers Festival is on Monday the 29th May 2023 at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. Children who were successful in securing a ticket have been notified. Please remember to drop your child off at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre at 9:30am. Pick up is around 2:15pm. Don’t forget to send your child with all food and drinks required for the timeframe. Looking forward to a fun and inspiring day.

Picture of Cristy Burne, one of the presenting authors and her many published books.

Rose Antonelli
Excursion Co-ordinator

International Day of Families

What a fantastic turn out at last week's International Day of Families celebration here at Cambridge Gardens Public School. It was the perfect opportunity to celebrate all types of families and the important role our families play in our children's lives. A huge thank you to Mrs Wright for her leadership of this event and to all of our wonderful staff for hosting so many fun activities for you all. Nothing beats the smiles on our kid's faces and the joyous feel amongst the community as you enjoy this special time together!

Alanna Vella & the International Familes Day Team

NSWPSSA Boys Football (soccer) Knockout Competition 2023

On Friday May 5th, our boys’ soccer knockout team participated in a Round One match against Werrington County PS. The team had never played together before and had not had many opportunities to train together prior to the match.

In the first half, Steve and Lachlan A scored two goals each. Steve’s first goal was an outstanding solo effort seeing Steve run through more than half of the opposition before using his power to beat the goalkeeper. Henry finished the half, with a deflected shot to score his first goal and send us to half time leading 5-0.

The second half started in similar fashion, with Ethan R coming out of goals to score an impressive early goal. Henry also scored his second goal early in the second half. Lachlan N then joined the scoring with a great solo effort before Steve scored his third goal from the penalty spot. Lachlan A was unlucky not to score a hattrick of his own with a very acrobatic bicycle kick just being saved on the goal line. The match finished 9-0.

The boys played well as a team, looking out for each other and accepting many positional changes and substitutions. They acted with great sportsmanship throughout the match.

Player of the Match: Steve Cochoco

Our Round 2 took place on Wednesday May 17th against Jamisontown Public School. The boys played against much tougher opponents, however also stepped up their game with an outstanding performance, winning 6-2.

Lachlan N scored the first goal with a powerful shot into the corner before Steve added the second. The pace in our defence looked almost unbeateable for most of the first half, however Jamisontown were able to score, despite a courageous effort from Ethan R. Jaxson scored his first for the year to finish the first half at 3-1.

The second half was very much the same from the boys, with Steve adding another goal to his tally for the year with some fancy footwork and Henry scoring the fifth for the day from just inside the 18-yard box. Jaxson showed his pace all match and used it again to break clear and score his second before the boys switched off for the match. Jamisontown scored a late consolation goal but it was too late with Cambridge Gardens advancing to Round Three with another big win.

Player of the Match: Jaxson Elkins

Unfortunately, the girl’s team are yet to play, advancing straight to the third round through two forfeits. Both teams are looking forward to playing in Round Three against Orchard Hills.

Jeremey Dearie
PSSA Coordinator

Community Health Notices

Live Life Well

Alanna Vella
Live Life Well at School Coordinator

P & C News

Contact Us

P&C are more than happy to discuss matters pertaining to the P&C. Please get in touch via Facebook or email cambridgegardenspublicschoolpandcaffiliate.org.au and we will get back to you as soon as possible. For all matters pertaining to school business, please discuss with the school via telephone or direct message on Facebook.

Katy
On behalf of the P&C

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