Dundurrabin Public School Newsletter Term 4, Week 8 2024

Principal's Message

Welcome to week 8- can you believe it's almost the end of the school year?

End of Term Attendance 

As term 4 draws to a close, I encourage all students to attend school every day. Our planned teaching and learning programs continue to be delivered alongside end of term celebrations. Let's push through to the end with continued excellent attendance for all.

Swimming Success

Last week saw all students participate in our annual school swimming and water safety program. We attended Dorrigo Swimming Pool each morning for two hours of intensive swimming and water safety lessons. We are proud of the personal growth of each child and pleased to have offered this program prior to the commencement of the summer holidays. Swimming progress certificates will be handed out at our presentation assembly next week. Well done everyone on a very successful program- the weather was great too!

Student Reports 

Semester 2 reports are currently being finalised and will be handed out to parents and students at our presentation assembly next week.

Presentation Assembly

Join us next Friday 13 December at 11:00am for our 2024 presentation assembly. This assembly is an opportunity for us to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our students this year. Each class has a short drama item to present and the P&C Christmas raffle will be drawn. A shared lunch will follow the presentation. I look forward to seeing you all at school for this special occasion.

Have you seen our new mural?

The mural our students painted with Uncle Allan is all but complete. It was hung in position last week right along the side of the school admin building - it looks terrific! Uncle Allan has one final visit to make to add some finishing touches, and then it will be complete. We've thoroughly enjoyed working with Uncle Allan to produce this magnificent piece of work, with all students sketching their chosen local fauna and transferring it to the background designed from our school logo. It certainly catches your attention when you drive by. Thank you Uncle Allan, we hope to work with you again soon.

Leah Keough

Every Day Matters

Attendance Matters

Please remember to explain all days away from school. This can be done in person, by phoning the school or sending a text to the school mobile: 0411 939 188.

Attendance Reminder-Late Arrivals & Early Departures

If your child/ren arrive late to school in the morning, please remember to sign them in the register book in the office. Alternatively, you can let a staff member know the reason to why they are late, and we will update the roll. This also applies for early departures from school in the afternoon. All partial absences must be explained the same as for a whole day absence. Thank you.

What's on for Term 4

• Tuesday 3 December - Year 6 DHS Transition Day - 8.55am to 3:15pm
• Friday 6 December - Kindergarten Transition - 9am to 3.15pm
• Tuesday 10 December - Kindergarten Transition - 9am to 3.15pm & Tennis - 2pm to 3pm
• Wednesday 11 December - Gubi Gabun Playgroup - 10am to 12noon 
  
• Friday 13 December - Presentation Assembly & Luncheon - 11am
• Tuesday 17 December - Clean Up and Water Fun Day & Special BBQ Lunch Order
• Wednesday 18 December - End of Excursion "Big Day Out" & last day of Term 4 

Consent Notes to be Returned

• Presentation Attendance RSVP
• Big Day Out Excursion Money Due - $15.00 per student
• Lunch Order Forms - return by Monday 9 December

Fortnightly Awards

Term 4 - Week 4

K-2 Class

Lachlan Bergs for identifying 3D objects in memory builders.

3-6 Class

Tyson Talbot for enthusiastic performing in the class play.

Hunter McGuire for excellent researching about pandemics for informative writing.

Success at the Dorrigo Show

Student artwork, cooking and vegetables from our school garden looked fabulous at the Dorrigo Show.

The preserves we made this term in the kitchen did extremely well at the show. Nearly everything we entered won a prize. We received fifteen first places and four second places. We also received a $50.00 gift certificate to our local Dorrigo Hardware Store.

Our vegetables were also amazing. We received four first places, one second place and a $25.00 gift voucher to Pam's Fruit & Veg in Dorrigo.

With all our successful entries we were the most successful exhibitor in the pavilion, receiving a 'Most Successful' ribbon, a serving platter, a 2025 calendar and our name on the perpetual trophy for the pavilion for the second year in a row. 

The students should be very proud of what they have grown in the garden and made in the kitchen throughout 2024. Congratulations to everyone.

Thank you to our teachers for organising the produce and student artworks for this special community event.

Swimming Highlights

Our Swimming and Water Safety program was terrific and the weather was just perfect! Following a week of intensive swimming lessons and lots of pool fun, all students are now demonstrating improved water confidence and swimming skills. Well done - bring on the summer swimming season!

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden News

Week 6

Unfortunately the weather was not good for outdoor gardening, so students continued to work on their garden artworks.

For the show, we harvested cauliflowers, cabbage, rhubarb, tomatoes, arrowroot, broccoli, silver beet, two types of beetroot, two types of lettuce, shallots, pak choi, parsnip, snap peas, peas, asparagus, lemons, mandarins, raspberries,  strawberries,  alpine strawberries,  blueberries and a single boysenberry,  plus 18 different herbs. 

In the kitchen, students were busy finalising all their show preserves.

Week 7

Due to our swimming scheme, we had no time to do any gardening, harvesting or cooking this week.

A big thank you to Katherine and Leanne who made a beautiful lunch of Turkish pide, muffins and a delicious fresh fruit platter for our students on their return from the pool. 

Fun Indoor Bowling

A rainy afternoon last week called for indoor sport.... Indoor bowls it was.  

Dress Rehearsal

Our upcoming end of year performance is taking shape and we are looking forward to entertaining our audience with our dramatic skills. 

Last week a list of costume requirements was sent home with your child/ren. Please send costume requirements to school in a bag labelled with your child/ren's name.

If you do not have the the required items, please let us know so that we can source them for you.

We plan on doing a full dress rehearsal soon and would appreciate it if all items can be sent in by this Friday 6 December.

Year 6 - Dorrigo High School Transition

Year 6 will have their last High School orientation tomorrow, Tuesday 3 December. This will be a full day. They may catch the bus to and from the High School on the day. Do not forget to pack recess, lunch and water as well as swimmers and a towel. 

The last date and itinerary is as follows:

• Tuesday 3 December – 8.55am - 3.15pm - Official Statewide Yr6 High School Orientation Day (Whole Day) Periods 1-3 – mini lessons / Period 4 – Year Meeting & Peer Support Activities / Period 5 to 6 - Swimming

2025 Kindergarten Transition Program

Our next kindergarten transition program will be this Friday 6 December.

Gubi Gabun at Dundurrabin PS

Presentation Day

Save the date! Friday 13 December - 11am. Everyone is welcome! 

Please come along and help celebrate the achievements of our students this year! Join us for our 2024 Presentation Assembly on Friday 13 December starting at 11am. Students are to come to school dressed in full school uniform (sport shirt) ready for the presentation.

Our students will be performing two theatrical items and receiving awards for their ongoing efforts and achievements.

Our P&C will be providing some cold meats to share. We are asking everyone to please bring a plate of finger food / salad / dessert to enjoy after the presentation for our shared lunch.

Please return the RSVP that was sent home last week with your child/ren as soon as possible.

Fun Clean Up & Water Play Day

Get ready to get wet! On Tuesday 17 December all students are encouraged to bring their swimmers and a towel to school for a water fun day. Students may come to school in non- uniform for the day.

We'll be giving our chairs and book trays a spruce up and also enjoy some water play fun. We will also be watching "Moana" (rated PG) in preparation for our Big Day Out movie the next day.

Special Lunch

We will have a special "BBQ" style lunch day on Tuesday 17 December. Lunch orders are being sent home today. Please return them with money by Monday 9 December, on time, as it makes organising catering so much easier.   Thank you.

Last Day of Term

Wednesday 18 December is the last day of school for 2024 for students.

This will be our Big Day Out Excursion to Nambucca Heads.

See below for the more details. 

Big Day Out Excursion

We are planning our Big Day Out excursion this year to Nambucca Heads. We will visit Nambucca Cinema to watch the PG rated movie "Moana 2", followed by a hot chips lunch and play time at Bellwood Park.

There will be a reduced cost for this excursion, only $15.00 per student, thanks to the P&C and the School. 

We will travel there and back on Wykes bus. We will need to leave from the Tyringham Store at 8.00am sharp and will return to the Store by 3.45pm.

Thank you to everyone for returning their consents promptly. If you have not yet paid for this excursion, please do so by next Monday.

End of Year Reminders

Year 6 Library Books to be Returned
Year 6 students are reminded to return any library books and bags they may have at home.

Holiday Readers
If families wish to organise home readers for the school holidays, please contact your child’s teacher.

2024 Learning Contributions

Outstanding Amounts for Students

Invoices are being sent home again today. If you have an invoice with an outstanding amount owing for your child/ren, please pay it promptly by the end of this week. So that all finances for 2024 can be finalised.

If you have P&C lunch order money owing still, please also pay it this week.

• SAKG Program Fees - $40.00. This goes towards our SAKG program which has ongoing costs each week, such as cooking ingredients for our weekly lunch meal, seeds and seedlings. (SAKG Fees are not voluntary)
• Voluntary School Contribution - $30.00 for the costs of student items provided by our school

Thank you to those families who have already paid.

P&C News and Community News

AGM & P&C Meeting

Notice of AGM Meeting for Dundurrabin Public School P&C – Monday 17 February - 4pm
Our P&C AGM will be held next year on Monday 17 February at 4pm. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. All positions Vacant. Membership costs $2 and will need to be paid before the AGM to allow you to vote.

This will be followed by our first P&C Meeting for 2025. We would like to have as many people as possible attend. This is a wonderful opportunity to find out about and get involved with what is happening within the school. Please come along, share a cuppa and enjoy a relaxed friendly gathering.

Dundurrabin P&C Christmas Raffle

The P&C are running a Christmas Raffle with some wonderful prizes. Tickets have been sent home already.  The P&C is asking kindly, if all families to sell these tickets to family, friends or community members. Thank you.

Please ensure tickets and money are returned to school by Tuesday 10 December, ready to be drawn at our Presentation Assembly.  Remember "You have to be in it to win it".

P&C Meat Raffles at Ebor Hotel

Below is the remaining 2024 date that our P&C are holding our Meat Raffles at Ebor Hotel on Thursday evenings 

• 19 December

Tickets available at Tyringham shop or phone Leonie Pankhurst on 0413 158 466