Dundurrabin Public School Newsletter Term 3, Week 10, 2023

Principal's Message

Welcome to the final week of school for Term 3.

We will welcome parents and friends to school on Thursday afternoon for our term assembly. Each class will share some of their writing work and wow the audience with a skipping show. Please join us from 2pm for assembly and a game of parent Vs student Oz tag to follow.

We have some staff changes for the end of term. Mrs Sangster will continue her long service leave this week with Miss Jones teaching the K-2 class. Miss McNeill has commenced sick leave today for her long-awaited knee surgery.  Ms Cunningham is in for Miss McNeill. 

Our final newsletter for the term is jam packed with our recent learning highlights below. Enjoy!

I wish all families a safe and relaxing spring holiday. School resumes for students and teachers on Monday 9 October 2023. Please note there is no school development day at the beginning of Term 4. 

Leah Keough

Every Day Counts

What's on for Term 3 and Term 4

• Thursday 21 September - Kindergarten Transition - 11.20am to 3.15pm
• Thursday 21 September - Term 3 Assembly & Adults 'v' Students Sport - 2pm
• Friday 22 September - last Day for Term 3

TERM 4

• Monday 9 October - Staff and Students return to Shcool for Term 4
• Tuesday 10 October - School Photos
• Tuesday 17 October - Crazy Hair Day
• Thursday 19 October - Kindergarten Transition - 11.20am to 3.15pm
• Tuesday 31 October - Year 6 DHS Transition - 12noon to 3.15pm                                                                                                                         & Kindergarten Transition - 11.20am to 3.15pm
• Wednesday 1 November - Preschoolers Afternoon - 1.30pm to 3.15pm
• Monday 6 November to Friday 17 November - 10 Days of Intensive Swimming Scheme                                                                                                                              at Dorrigo  Pool from 10am to 11.30am Daily
• Wednesday 15 November - Year 6 DHS Transition - 8.55am to 12noon
• Wednesday 22 November - Life Education at Ebor PS
• Thursday 23 November - Kindergarten Transition - All Day
• Tuesday 28 November - Year 6 DHS Transition - All Day   
• Wednesday 29 November - Preschoolers Afternoon - 1.30pm to 3.15pm
• Thursday 23 November - Kindergarten Transition - All Day
• Friday 1 December - Kindergarten Transition - All Day
• Tuesday 5 December - Kindergarten Transition - All Day
• Tuesday 12 December - Presentation Night - 5.30pm
• Thursday 14 December - Clean Up and Water Fun Day
• Friday 15 December - Sawtell Surf Beach Excursion & last day of Term 4 

Consent Notes to be Returned

• $2.00 NAIDOC Day Bus Cost - if your child has not already paid 
• School Photos Order Forms

Term 3 Holidays

This Friday 22 September is the last day of Term 3.  Staff and students will return together to school on Monday 9 October. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable spring break.

Term 3 Assembly

Please join us on Thursday 21 September at 2pm for our Term 3 Assembly. Students will present some of their learning from the term and a skipping extravaganza. Parents are encouraged to stick around for the parents V students Oz Tag game. 

Special Lunch - Today

Thank you to Gigi, Midi and Leonie for organising the special lunch order today. We had Chinese style pork belly with vegetables and rice and jelly cups. Thank you to everyone for returning your orders promptly. If you have not yet paid, please send the money in tomorrow with your child/ren.

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden News

Week 8 

In the kitchen we cooked Tandoori style cauliflower, vegetable pilaf, egg curry, samosas, cucumber raita and jalebi for dessert.

Cooking Award: Congratulations to Jaxon Bennett for enthusiasm in the kitchen.

Week 9 

In the kitchen we cooked vegetable sushi with soy braised carrot filling, fried vegetable noodles with egg, mushroom dumplings and fruit for dessert.

Cooking Award: Congratulations to Quill Pankhurst for amazing leadership.

Kindergarten Transition Program

Beth and Lachie joined the K-2 class for another afternoon at big school on 7 September.

They are both enjoying participating in all our classroom learning and activities, especially our classroom dancing. Last visit they learnt about patterns and made fantastic patterned giraffes.

Our next transition day is this Thursday, 21 September from 11.20am to 3.15pm.

Haiku Poetry

Year 4 has been learning about Haiku poetry. Haiku poems are written in present tense, using a three line and less than 17 syllable structure, and include sensory language and specific verbs.

We have been taking nature walks to draw inspiration for our poems because Haiku are always written about nature and a 'Kigo'.

We look forward to sharing our favourite Haiku poems with you at our assembly on Thursday.

Gumbaynggirr Language

Students are learning all about "Where I am from" with Lesley in Gumbaynggirr language lessons.

Preschool Afternoons

We had Beth, Maisie, Chase, Harvey, Lachie and Tahn-Lui join us for a fun Preschoolers afternoon on Wednesday 6 September.

We listened to the story about "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and then had fun making some caterpillar and butterfly artworks.

Our Preschoolers afternoons for Term 4 will be Wednesday 1 November and Wednesday 29 November from 1.30pm to 3.15pm.

Bring along a packed lunch/snack to join in with lunch and play with our students. Then there will be educational activities to help develop gross and fine motor skills as well as art and craft. All preschool children aged 1-5 welcome.

School Photos

Our 2023 school photos have been rescheduled to Tuesday 10 October. This is the first Tuesday back after the Term 3 holidays. All students will need to wear their best school uniform and a big smile for our school photos. So that everyone looks their best, we are asking that students please wear their sports shirts and full uniform (navy shorts or trousers). We also ask that students refrain from wearing long, multicoloured socks on that day. Short, dark or white socks would be preferred. Individual order forms were sent  home with your child/ren two weeks ago. Please do not lose them as each student is only provided with one which will have a unique code. Envelopes must be returned by this Thursday with payment either enclosed or paid online to the photographer. Thank you to those families that have returned theirs already. Remember that Flood Funding can be used for purchasing photos. Please let Melissa know if you would like to use these funds.

Share our Space

Share Our Space is a program that runs during school holidays when we open schoolgrounds to the public. Through Share Our Space, we are able to meet our commitment to ensure that everyone has access to quality outdoor facilities during school holidays.

The outdoor facilities at your school will be open from Monday 25 September to Sunday 8 October 2023, from 8 am to 5 pm every day during the school holidays, including public holidays.  

Our school is designed to be welcoming and inclusive and the Share Our Space program helps us go even further by ensuring that everyone can benefit from these facilities. 

Year 6 - Dorrigo High School Transition Dates

Next term Year 6 will begin their High School orientation. During these days, they will orient themselves with the staff, students and routines of Dorrigo High. Consent notes will be sent home next term.

The dates are as follows:

Tuesday 31 October - 12 noon– 3.15pm

Wednesday 15 November – 8.55am - 12.00 noon 

Tuesday 28 November – 8.55am - 3.15pm - Official Statewide Yr6 High School Orientation Day

Crazy Hair Day

Ready to go crazy! On Tuesday 17 October we will have a Crazy Hair Day gold coin fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (also called CF) is the most common, life limiting genetic condition affecting Australians. 3,500 people are living with CF in Australia and 1 in 25 people carry the recessive CF gene change.  1 in 2,500 babies in Australia are born with CF, both parents must carry the recessive gene. There is no cure for this mortal disease which affects the lungs and digestive system. Cystic Fibrosis NSW is there to support children and young adults with CF. 

Students may come to school dressed in red clothes (official CF colour) and with the craziest hair they can think of: teased, coloured, gelled, twisted, wigs and scarves, punk or just plain messy! 

North Coast Flood Recovery Support Package.

Last year our school received Education Hardship funds as part of the North Coast Flood Recovery Support Package.  Each student enrolled at Dundurrabin Public School at the beginning of the 2022 school year received $500 available in 'Fees In Advance' to help with educational costs. The grant aims to help families with school related costs and must be spent by the end of the year. This money remains with the school and cannot be given out as cash.  A balance of what families have remaining was sent home yesterday with your child/ren.  Maybe consider stocking up on uniforms for future use!

Daylight Saving—Starts in the Holidays

Daylight Saving will begin again in NSW on Sunday 1 October 2023, when clocks will go forward one hour at 2:00am. This is during our holiday break.

So, don’t forget to reset your clocks before students return for term 4.

P&C News and Community News

ENJO Afternoon Tea & Zero Waste Cleaning Demonstration

Join us for our next P&C fundraising event, an "ENJO Afternoon Tea and Zero Waste Cleaning Demonstration" at Dundurrabin Public School on this Wednesday 20 September at 2pm.

10% of sales will go to our P&C. School and wider community invited to attend. Parents please bring a plate to share.

Upcoming Community Events

Nature Play "Gondwana Birdsong"

As the days get longer, the air feels warmer and the sounds of incredible birdsong fill the rainforest at Dorrigo National Park. These spring school holidays, we’ll take your curious young explorers under our wing for this season’s Nature Play ‘Gondwana Birdsong’ activity, informed by Ranger Andrew Turbill, our very own bird expert. Learn to find bird nests and to track the movement of predators (goanna, snakes and birds of prey) through the landscape by listening to bird language. The ranger-guided session will introduce them to understanding bird language through sensory and hands-on activities and a short guided walk, to connect with the fascinating bird life flourishing in Dorrigo National Park.  Sessions are running each Tuesday in the school holidays at 10:30am and 12pm for children (ages 5-12), at only $10 per child - places are limited. The early bird catches the worm, so book your spot book at Kids Gondwana nature play: 5 to 12 years | NSW National Parks.

NERAM School Holiday Workshops The Home Program

Join us at NERAM during these school holidays to be inspired and create art in one of our fantastic workshops run by skilled and experienced facilitators. From making Kokedama’s to creating stitched artworks, we have something for everyone. There are workshops available for the entire family and different age groups. There is something for everyone. Head to our website www.neram.com.au or contact us on 6772 5255 to find out more.

The Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival

The Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival is a three day celebration of local, national and international acoustic folk, bluegrass and old-time music. The festival is a boutique, family friendly event with concerts, workshops, dance and jam sessions. Patrons have opportunities to perform and learn from the best traditional, contemporary and exploratory acoustic music exponents of these genres. 

With the festival now recognised across the globe, it attracts artists from the USA, Canada, UK and NZ  and Australia, presenting a full program from 6pm Friday evening through to 5pm Sunday. It is the longest running folk festival on the Mid North Coast. All venues are alcohol, drug and smoke free zones. Environmental sustainability is actively promoted. There are workshops across the weekend to cater for young and old, including a full program of children’s workshops and activities including the much loved Pitts Family Circus. 

You can book tickets and camping or find out more at: https://www.dorrigofolkbluegrass.com.au/

The Dorrigo Old-Time Music School takes place before the festival. Three full days of workshops emphasize the cultural heritage that informs the music and how it sounds.  Tutors in 2023 are Foghorn Stringband (USA/CAN), Erynn Marshall & Carl Jones (USA),  and Ian Alexander (AUS),  collectively representing a wealth of knowledge, tradition and exceptional skills as acknowledged exponents of the genre. This year's Old-Time Music School is currently fully booked and we are accepting prospective participants to our waitlist.