Dundurrabin Public School Newsletter Term 4, Week 2, 2023

Principal's Message

A Flying Start

Welcome back to school for the final leg of 2023. To think we are almost at the end of the school year- crazy! Term 4 is a busy one with exciting opportunities planned for every learner. The warmer weather makes it an ideal time for school swimming scheme planned for mid-term and a beach safety day for our end of year big day out- more details later in the term.

Bushfire Preparations  

Our school is in a bushfire prone area and is listed as Category 1 on the NSW Department of Education’s bushfire risk register.

To ensure the health, safety and welfare of students and staff, the department has determined that on days when NSW Rural Fire Service declares a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating for our area, our school will temporarily cease operations for the following day.

The Fire Danger Rating does not mean there will be a bushfire, but rather weather conditions that could pose a high risk for a bushfire event. The measure is proactive to ensure staff, students and the community remain safe.

Our school will inform our school community after 4pm if there is a change to the operational status of the school for the following day. To assist the school in contacting all families please ensure that you have provided us with up-to-date contact details.

Leah Keough

Every Day Counts

What's on for Term 4

• Tuesday 17 October - Crazy Hair Day
• Thursday 19 October - Kindergarten Transition - 11.20am to 3.15pm
• Monday 30 October - Year5&6 - Far Out Science - UNE Armidale
• 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
• Thursday 9 November - Dorrigo RSL Veteran Talk & Dorrigo Museum Excursion
• 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

• Dorrigo RSL & Museum Visit Consent Note
• Swimming Consent Note - Being sent home tomorrow
• Year 5 & 6 UNE Far Out Science Day Consent Note
• Year 6 DHS Transition Consent Note
• $2.00 NAIDOC Day Bus Cost - if your child has not already paid 

Crazy Hair Day - Tomorrow

Ready to go crazy! Tomorrow 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! 

Term 3 Assembly

Our skipping extravaganza was a sure hit at our Term 3 Assembly. Thank you for joining us for a re-cap of our learning for the term. We enjoyed sharing a game of “Oz Tag” with our parents. Congratulations to the parents for their win.

Oz Tag

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden News

Term 3 - Week 10 

This week students worked on making garden design modules for our fence line and path way using playdough and other craft items.

We harvested eggs, herbs, lettuce, garlic chives, snow peas, silverbeet, English spinach, mushrooms, beetroot and shallots. 

In the kitchen we cooked vegetable and bean taco filling, home-made corn and flour tortillas, rice, tortilla chips, green tomato salsa, sour cream and chives, a variety of salad toppings and a chocolate topped churro cake for dessert.

We had a wonderful day and an excellent lunch!

Cooking Award: Congratulations to Henry Tyler for showing real enthusiasm and maturity while cooking and also to Sunny Baff for excellent cleaning up in the kitchen.

Term 4 - Week 1  

First week back we worked hard in the garden adding soil from the chook pen to many gardens in preparation for spring planting, along with some weeding. We also watered many fruit trees to ensure good harvests in the future. We harvested eggs, snow peas, lettuce, green and purple broccoli, thyme, parsley, chives and asparagus.

In the kitchen we made curried egg sandwiches, a vegetable platter with a sour cream dip and grissini, with a creamy bacon and broccoli salad.

Cooking Award: Congratulations to Florence Budd for amazing egg peeling skills.

Thank Your Cleaners Day

Thank Your Cleaners Day —  this Wednesday 18 October

Thank Your Cleaners Day recognises the hard work cleaners do and lets them know how valued and appreciated they are. We are lucky to have our wonderful hard working cleaner here at school. Laz keeps the school clean and sparkling.  So if you see him this week, don’t forget to say thank you!.

Kindergarten Transition Program

Beth and Lachie joined the K-2 class for another afternoon at big school on 21 September.

They are both enjoying participating in all our classroom learning and activities. Last visit we all made robots pictures from shapes and had fun dancing like robots.

Our next transition day is this Thursday, 19 October from 11.20am to 3.15pm.

World Teachers Day – Friday 27 October

The theme of World Teachers' Day 2023 is “The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers”. The aim is to celebrate the transformative and critical role that teachers play in growing learners’ potential.  World Teachers’ Day is an opportunity to recognise all the primary, secondary and early childhood teachers worldwide. It’s a chance to celebrate teaching and for communities and students to thank teachers. We are lucky to have wonderful teachers here at Dundurrabin PS who go above and beyond for our students. So from all of us here at school and the community, thankyou Mrs Keough, Mrs Sangster, Ms McNeil, Mrs Bingle, Ms Cunningham, Mr Williamson and Ms Jones and all our casual teachers. School would not be such a happy and positive learning place without your hard work and dedication.  Hats off to teachers this World Teachers’ Day! 

Dorrigo High Visit

Our Year 6 students had a visit last term with staff from Dorrigo High School: Ms Cameron the Principal, Mrs Atkins the Learning Support Teacher and Mr Wamara the 2024 Year 7 Advisor. It was nice to meet and greet with them and discuss what our students can be looking forward to in 2024. We got to show them around our beautiful school as well.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths - STEM

Look at these very strong Lego bridges. Our STEM learning last term focused on bridge design and building. The challenge was to build the strongest bridge to span 1 metre and to hold the heaviest weight. 

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. 

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

Please return the consent note sent home today by Monday 23 October.

Preschool Afternoons

Our next Preschoolers afternoons Wednesday 1 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 Swimming and Water Safety Program 2023 in Weeks 5 & 6

Our school swimming will be run over ten days during weeks 5 and 6. The School Swimming scheme will begin on Monday 6 November and finish on Friday 17 November. 

Thanks to grants from Sporting Schools and NSW School Sport Unit Swimming and Water Safety there will be miminal cost, if any, for swimming this year. 

Please advise the school if you are a season ticket holder for Dorrigo Swimming Pool and show your ticket pass for a reduction in our swimming costs.

Travel will be by Wykes bus to and from the pool daily. We will leave school at 9.15am each morning and return to school by 12noon for normal school activities.

Students must come to school dressed in their swimmers (rash shirt and hat) and either sandals or thongs, as there will be limited use of the pool change rooms.

They must have a packed uniform (shirt, shorts, trousers, jumper, underwear, socks & shoes) to change into, as well as a towel (or 2) to dry themselves with. The school will provide SPF50+ sunscreen. All children will need to have sun protection reapplied throughout the day, so please send any special sunscreen with your child on the day. Students will need to pack a big recess, lunch and plenty of water as swimming can make students extra hungry.

Students will only be able to purchase from the kiosk on the last Friday with a minimum of $3.00 each.

Please fill out and return the attached consent note as soon as possible.

Chess Tournament

We started our annual chess tournament last week.  We will have three weeks of general competition before our semi-finals and grand final in Week 4. Games are held during our recess break and the children look forward to the competition each day.

Good luck to all our students.

Year 5&6 - Far Out Science - UNE Armidale

Years 5 & 6 students will be travelling to Armidale on Monday 30 October to participate in Far Out Science at the University of New England. The day will kick off at 9:30am in Lazenby Hall at the University of New England campus in Armidale, and finish at 2.45pm.

There is no cost for this excursion. Travel will be by parental transport.

Mrs Keough and Katherine Sangster will meet our students at Armidale UNE and attend the event with our students on the day. Students will need to bring recess, fruit, packed lunch and water bottle. Students must wear full school uniform (sport shirt), bring a jumper and a hat (some activities will be outdoors) and have enclosed shoes (no sandals). All students and adults attending must wear appropriate clothing and in particular shoes (these must be fully enclosed as the students will be entering labs). Students wearing open shoes will not be permitted entry into some activities. It is also advisable that anyone with long hair brings something they can tie their hair back with. Please also ensure your child is prepared for any weather. Hats/sunscreen if it is hot and jackets etc. if it rains.

It will be a fun filled day with hands-on workshops where students take on experimental challenges and get to see what happens in real university science laboratories with the scientists who are at the forefront of research and education. They will get to understand chemistry in our everyday lives, connect neural pathways in neuroscience, learn about the science of food, try and unravel forensics, build a rocket launcher, and discover other amazing things in physics, animal science, botany, agriculture, maths and IT, and much, much more.

Please sign the consent note sent home today with your child and return them by Monday 23 October so travelling arrangements can be finalised.

Dorrigo Museum & RSL Excursion

On Thursday 9 November, students will be visiting the Dorrigo RSL for a Remembrance Day Veterans talk and to look at wartime memorabilia. After the RSL we will walk to Pioneer Memorial Log Park for lunch, then walk to the Museum for an afternoon of local history.

Cost for is this excursion is $1.00 per student (cash) for the Museum. This is a whole school excursion.

We will leave the pool after swimming at 11.30am for our walking excursions and then depart town at 2.30pm and return to school on Wykes bus in time for our normal afternoon pick-up / bus routine.

Students will need to bring fruit break, recess, lunch and plenty of water with them. They must also have full school uniform (sport shirt) packed to wear after swimming along with their enclosed school shoes (joggers - no thongs) and a hat. 

Please sign the consent note that was sent home with your child/ren today and return it school by Monday 23 October along with your child's $1.00.

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 last term with your child/ren.  Maybe consider stocking up on uniforms for future use! Please do not leave it until the last minute at the end of term to nominate how you would like to spend the funds as things get busy in the office the last few weeks. Thank you!

Presentation Night

Save the date! 

Tuesday 12 December.

We will be holding our End of Year Presentation Night on Tuesday 12 December starting at 5.30pm.

Everyone is welcome!  More information to come.

Bookclub Issue 7

Bookclub Issue#7 brochure was sent home today.

If you wish to place an order from this issue, please have your loop online order completed or your order forms and money (cash) back at school by next Monday 23 October. 

P&C News and Community News

P&C Meeting-Monday 23 October-3.30pm

P&C Meat Raffles

Our P&C's next meat raffle will be drawn on Thursday 26 October.

Prizes consist of three $30.00 meat trays, a $30.00 Ebor Hotel voucher and a voucher for Fusspots at Ebor.                     

Contact Leonie Pankhurst on 0413 158 466 or Tyringham Store if you want tickets. 

P&C Christmas Raffle

The P&C are having a bumper Christmas Raffle with lots of great prizes. Tickets will be sent home in the coming weeks. Please ensure tickets and money are returned to school by Monday 11 December, ready to be drawn at our Presentation Night.  Remember "You have to be in it to win it".

Upcoming Community Events

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.