Dundurrabin Public School Newsletter Term 1, Week 5 2023
Principal's Message
Parent Teacher Interviews- This Week
This week we're looking forward to meeting with students and parents for our Term 1 three-way interviews. These meetings will focus on student learning goals, interests and attendance. They are an opportunity for parents to connect with our teachers about their child's learning progress and needs at school. We have 100% of families booked in to meet our teachers. Great!
Unexplained Student Absences
Our school is working hard to encourage and support every student to attend school every day, unless they are unwell. Students who attend school regularly are advantaged in many ways including better academic outcomes and mental health, being able to make and maintain healthy friendships and they are less likely to drop out of school early.
Everyone plays a role in improving attendance at school - students, parents, carers and teachers, and we need to work together. To help us better support your child's attendance at school, I ask that you provide us with an explanation when they are not at school, within seven days of the first day of their absence. This can be provided to us in an email: dundurrabi-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au, by phone: 02665 78133 or by replying to the text message sent from the school mobile.
Reducing the number of unexplained student absences is a focus of all schools across the Mid Coast Valleys and we appreciate your assistance in minimising these at our school.
Leah Keough
Every Day Counts
Fortnightly Awards
Term 1 - Week 5
K - 2 Class
Carter Freeman for a magnificent start to learning at school.
3-4 Class
Sunny Baff for great effort in all learning.
5-6 Class
Quill Pankhurst for asking well thought questions during guided reading activities.
Small Schools Swimming Carnival
Lucy, Henry and Quill participated in the Small Schools Swimming Carnival last Friday at Bellingen Pool. Congratulations to the team on a wonderful day of impressive competition and sportsmanship. Their encouragement of each other was noteworthy. Results:
Quill: 1st place 50m Freestyle and 2nd place 50m Breaststroke.
Lucy: 1st place 50m Freestyle and 2nd place 50m Breaststroke.
Henry: 3rd 50m Freestyle.
Quill and Lucy will compete at the District Carnival on Monday 27 February. Good luck!
Learner Qualities
The learner quality in focus this fortnight is 'We Challenge'.
We feel that being challenged is at the core of developing a growth mindset. Without it, students don’t get the opportunities to take risks, learn to fail and figure out how to pick themselves up again.
Ways in which we challenge students at school:
- Ask open questions and let them think.
- Encourage them to share opinions.
- Provide high level differentiation tasks.
- Offer choice.
Presentation Assembly
Thank you for joining us for our Presentation Assembly last week. It was an excellent opportunity for us to come together to welcome in the new school year and to celebrate the achievements of our students and school from 2022. Congratulation to all students on their achievement of personal learning goals and a wonderful year of learning together.
Recipients of sponsored awards:
Dundurrabin Community Centre Young Scientist of the Year: Lucy Tyler
Dorrigo RSL Sub Branch Application and Effort: Quill Pankhurst
Dorrigo Rotary Citizenship: Nikita Cheers
Premier's Sporting Challenge Medal: Joseph Slater
Ian Braid Memorial Award: Kai Chambeyron
Dorrigo CWA Kitchen Garden Award: Quill Pankhurst
We welcomed our 2023 School Captains; Lucy Tyler and Quill Pankhurst into their leadership roles. A fine effort from both hosting their first formal event. Well done!
SAKG News
Week 3: We had a productive gardening session, cleaning seedling trays & pots, and planting some seeds including cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, beetroot and interesting beans which will hopefully fruit before the first frost. We harvested zucchini, shallots, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers and a variety of herbs. In the kitchen we cooked cheese and herb bread rolls, smashed and roasted potatoes, caramelised spring onion dip, homemade crackers topped with a variety of seeds, and a fruit and vegetable platter.Award: Nikita Cheers, for focus in cooking.
Week 4: To ensure a good harvest later in the year, each gardening group chose a citrus tree to be responsible for. On Friday the groups began by fertilising and watering each tree. We also looked at how strawberries grow new plants and potted some up to take home. Harvesting this week included more eggs, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, shallots, butter beans, shallots, capsicum, chives and marjoram. In the kitchen this week we had a special cooking, to farewell and thank Robyn for her many years at our school. Thank you Robyn! We hope you enjoyed your special lunch. We cooked handmade fettuccine, tomato pasta sauce, zucchini fritters, a fruit and vegetable platter, and a chocolate zucchini cake. Recipe for easy homemade crackers: https://moorlandseater.com/easy-homemade-crackers/ Award: Lucy Tyler, for amazing pasta making.
In the Classroom
This week's learning snapshot comes to you from Mrs Keough and our 5/6 classroom.
What a terrific start to 2023. Nikita, Lucy, Quill and Talia are each demonstrating their commitment to learning on a daily basis.
We've been getting up close and personal with "Rakali".... A Rakali is a water rat. An interesting topic guiding our reading and comprehension work last week. Did you know that Rakali were once hunted for their soft, water-repellent fur?
Our thinking is put to the test with daily number talks in maths. We are honing in on developing our number skills to solve complex problems using mental and written addition and subtraction strategies.
Look at our fabulous dot paintings below. We've enjoyed this creativity as we learn about the importance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who belong to a local area.
Preschool Afternoons- Term 1
For our first preschoolers afternoon of the year, we had Beth, Maisie, Chase and Harvey join us. We began the afternoon making a group sandcastle and decoraating it with things from nature. We engaged with a book about a very cranky bear, looked at real lions roaring and enjoyed participating in the song, "Roar Like a Lion". Next, we all made lion puppets, painting with spray bottles and playing together with puzzles and the play food. Thanks to our year 5 helpers, Talia and Nikita who did a fantastic job assisting and cleaning up. Next preschoolers afternoon will be on Wednesday 15 March at 1.30 with an Easter theme.
Clean Up Schools Day
On Friday 3 March we will be participating in Schools Clean Up Day. We will be cleaning up in the school grounds as well as out the front of the school. Inspiring children to care for the environment is a vital part of Clean Up Schools Day.
Year 6 Parents - High School EOI Forms
Our Year 6 student's parent information on Year 7 Enrolment Procedures for Public High Schools and "Expression of Interest for Placement in Year 7 at a NSW Government Secondary School in 2024" form was sent home last newsletter. Please complete and returned by Wednesday 22 February. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to phone and ask Mrs Keough.
School Information
Update Driver and Registration Details for 2023
If you are transporting your child/ren or any other students for excursions, sporting events etc.… the principal must sight your current driver licence, vehicle registration details and comprehensive insurance details. If you have not updated this travel information from previous years, please come into school soon and we can record your details for 2023. Under the current working with children requirements, all parents who drive other students or volunteer in any capacity at the school need to fill in a form and provide 100 points `ID, or have a WWCC. See Mrs Keough or Melissa for further information.
Student Travel Subsidy
Do you need to drive your children to a school bus stop or school each day? There is a government subsidy available for those students who meet the age and distance criteria. To see if you’re eligible, and to apply online, visit www.transport.nsw.gov.au/school/schooldrive For parents who have a student already claiming subsidy, please remember to log on to the site and update your child’s yearly details.
Bus Travel Procedure
All bus travel applications are now online. To update your details, go to www.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts/updatedetails For more information, call 131500.
2023 Learning Contributions
Learning Contribution fees for 2023 remain the same - $30.00 for the costs of student items provided by our school and $40.00 towards SAKG program which has ongoing costs each week, such as cooking ingredients, seeds and seedlings. Families can use their child/ren's flood funding to pay the SAKG subject fees if you chose. Please let Melissa know if this is what you would like to do.
P & C News
What a lovely start to the new school year with our delightful, belated 2022 Presentation Night. Congratulations to all award winners and our best wishes go with all those who have moved on. I think many will agree though, that once a part of the Dundurrabin PS family you are always a part of it. We enjoy and welcome that sense of community and belonging.
Our Annual General Meeting was held on the 6th of February. We were fortunate to have ‘only just’ enough members present to form a quorum and to fill necessary positions so we could continue to function as a committee. The newly elected (and re-elected) Office Bearers are:
President: Leonie Pankhurst
Vice President: Cassie Sharman
Secretary: Susan (Suzie) Freeman
Treasurer: Nickey Tyler
All parents and members of our community who have our school, its students, educators and facility at heart are welcome and encouraged to join the P and C. We do achieve some wonderful outcomes from our contributions.
Meetings are held every 3rd and 8th week of school term, Mondays at 3.30pm at school. The dates are confirmed in the newsletter. We’d love to see more faces for new ideas and support. Our next tabled meeting will be a week later than usual on the 20th March.
Our next fundraiser will be the 25th March Election Day Sausage Sizzle “the democracy sausage”. Cakes and, or any other produce that could be sold on the day is most appreciated. Not sure how we are off for sausage sizzlers or cake and raffle sellers yet but if you have time and would like to help contact a committee member or leave a message at school office.
How fast it comes around the next cab off the rank is the ever popular Easter Raffle. Donations toward this can be left at the school. Dare I say it, but they don’t have to include chocolate and sweets, maybe other treats, fun holiday games or wares could be included.
We are always grateful for any support that we receive and are pleased that ultimately it is the children who benefit.
Leonie