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SAMUEL GILBERT PUBLIC SCHOOL
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
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September, 2007 |
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Issue No. 14 |
ENROLLING NOW FOR KINDERGARTEN 2008 |
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
School Fete:
Congratulations to everyone concerned with the wonderful school fete on Sunday, 26th August. After a week of very doubtful weather, it turned out to be a beautifully fine day and from all accounts it was a fantastic fete.
To our hard working P&C President, Executive and members may I say a very big thank you for all your hard work and organisation. I would also like to thank all those parents and staff members who offered their support both leading up to and on the day of the fete. The combined effort of all involved made Sunday a roaring success both as a family day out and as a fundraiser. Well done!
Investing in our Schools Program:
Earlier this year a working party finalised a submission for funding to this program for the erection of a shade cloth COLA to be erected in the assembly area and for the purchase of an additional computers. The school received information last week that our submission had been successful on both counts and that a sum of $99 850 would be forwarded to the school. This is tremendous news as it will allow us to upgrade computers ($26 910) in the computer laboratory as well as classrooms and to proceed with the erection of the shade shelter ($72 940). The Development Application for the shade structure will be on its way to Council shortly and hopefully construction can begin at the end of the year. Many thanks to Miranda Ransome for all her help both with the submission and the Development Application to Council.
Annual School Report:
At the end of next week the school will be sending home surveys to randomly selected parents seeking your views on the school’s performance throughout the year. It is your chance to provide us with meaningful feedback and to influence the direction the school takes in the future. If you receive a survey it would be greatly appreciated if you would complete it and return it to the box in the front office before the end of this school term. Your help in this matter will be greatly appreciated and your views will be valued.
Road Safety:
The movement of vehicles around the school particularly at the end of the school day continues to be a great concern. As I have mentioned before the area is regularly patrolled by Council Compliance officers and police and unfortunately many parents have been fined for parking and traffic infringements. Very costly!!
It is of great concern to see some parents doing U-turns over unbroken lines in front of the school (in particular in Ridgecrop Drive into the “kiss and drop” zone) and this particular action puts the safety of other motorists and our students at risk. Please do not do this! Be patient, follow the road rules and not only will you avoid a significant fine but you will not put the lives of our students, staff and parents at risk. It is also very frustrating for other road users who are doing the right thing. We need your cooperation!
APEC Summit:
A final reminder that the State Government has declared a public holiday for schools in this area and our school will be closed tomorrow Friday, 7th September. Enjoy your long weekend!
Gordon Fraser
- 2007 Fete Sponsors -
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FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
TIPS for Parenting Course:
On Monday, 10th September at 6:30–8:30pm in the Staffroom there will be a workshop run to explore 2 modules in the Parenting Program – “Making children feel good about themselves” and “Let’s Work Together”. This session will be repeated on Friday, 14th September in the Library commencing at 9:00–11:00am. In Week 10, Monday, 17th September the sessions covered will be “Responsible Children” and “Dealing With Tantrums”, repeated on Friday, 21st September and Week 11 the sessions covered will be “Instead of Hitting” and “Keeping Children Honest”, repeated on Friday, 28th September. You may choose to attend only one session or both. If you’ve attended the ‘Feelings’ session run over the last two weeks we’d love to see you there.
Father’s Day Stall:
A big thank you to Emma Brock and her team of willing helpers who gave their time so readily to organise and run a wonderful Father’s Day Stall last week for our students. I know there were lots of delighted students who carefully chose their gifts for Dads and Grandfathers and I’m sure those gifts were a wonderful surprise.
Hills District Performing Arts Festival: Congratulations to our students who performed so capably at the Hills District Music Festival on Monday evening. Our School Captains were delightful comperes. Our Performance Band, Vocal Ensemble and Year 5 students who sang in the combined choir all represented our school admirably. Thank you too, to Mrs Spears, Mrs Percossi and Miss Cater who worked so hard to train the choir and to Mrs Eldridge, Mrs Evans and Mr Strykowski who trained the Vocal Ensemble and Band.
Mobile Phone Fundraiser:
Thank you to those parents who have already sent in their old mobile phones. There is a box in the duplicating room where they can be left. The school receives $5 for each phone we collect and we are helping the environment as they contain harmful toxins that shouldn’t find their way into landfill so keep those phones coming in.
Don’t Risk Injuring A Child:
The 40 km/h speed limit in schools operates between 8:00–9:30am and 2:30–4:00pm on school days – be aware of the time or you could get fined. Children can be unpredictable and hard to see. It’s important that parents and carers observe these rules when dropping off and collecting children. A reminder too that there are double yellow lines in Ridgecrop Drive and it is illegal to do a U-turn where double lines are marked.
Penalties are high, new fines and demerit point increases include:
- Speeding – minimum fine of $128 and four demerit points.
- Approaching a children’s crossing too quickly to stop safely - $384 fine and four demerit points
- Double parking - $231 fine and two demerit points.
- Stopping on or near a children’s crossing - $308 and two demerit points.
- Illegal use of mobile phone in school zone - $308 and four demerit points
Please help to keep our children safe.
Mindquest Program:
The Mindquest Program for Gifted and Talented students will be operating on Saturday, 27th and Sunday, 28th October. If you are interested in your child participating in this program brochures are available from the school office.
Mary-Anne Martin
- 2007 Fete Sponsors -
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THE HILLS NETWORK PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION
At Samuel Gilbert we are committed to providing our students with enrichment and extension activities beyond the school gates. Recently, a large number of students in Years 4–6 participated in The Hills Network Public Speaking Competition. This year we were one of 11 schools in our local network that chose to participate. Students from Years 4, 5 and 6 were invited to write a speech.
Aims of the competition:
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to build self confidence
- to extend students’ skills in oral communication, speech writing and research
- to encourage and foster proficiency in the art of public speaking
- to provide an opportunity to further gifted and talented students in English
- to develop a relationship with our network schools.
Topics:
Year 4 – My Favourite Thing
Year 5 – The Future
Year 6 – Own Choice
Following a “class competition” finalists were selected. Grade finals were then held with 3 students being awarded “Grade Finalist”.
These students will compete in the Grand Final to be held at Oakhill Drive Public School on September 20th. We wish them luck!
Helen Eldridge, Coordinator
LOST PROPERTY
Mobile Phone:
Three lost mobile phones are being held in the school office. A silver Sony Ericsson, blue Nokia and blue Sagem flip mobile phone. If you have recently lost a mobile phone at school please call into the school office.
Eye Glasses:
We also have a pair of children’s lilac framed glasses in a maroon Betta Vision case and adult glasses in a silver frame. Please call into the school office to view these articles.
School Uniforms:
There is a large amount of waterproof jackets, zippered jackets and hats in the ‘Lost’ boxes in the duplicating room. Most of the articles of clothing do not have names. Please ask your children to collect any lost clothing at recess or lunchtime. At the end of this term any lost property without names will be sent to charity.
- 2007 Fete Sponsors -
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SOFTWARE SPECIAL
One of our parents has drawn the school’s attention to some excellent Microsoft products at significant discounts. The SI Group are promoting student prices with up to 70% discounts. Interested? Visit –
https://www.sigroup.com.au/microsoft
FROM THE CANTEEN
We would like to offer a very big thank you to Roz C. for all her hard work and help in the Canteen over the many years that she has volunteered her time. We wish Roz and her family all the best in the future. We will miss you Roz!
Thank you also to our volunteer helpers on the Astronomy Night – Wendy , Donna and Christine.
Julie Dalmazzo & Carolyn Chamberlain
Canteen Supervisors
BAND REPORT
Thank you to al the wonderful school musicians who played so well to start the school fete. It is always exciting to hear our own students creating such a fantastic sound. Well done!
The Performance Band played well at the District Music Festival on Monday night.
Thank you to all the parents who support the band program by taking their children to and from performances, bringing them to and from rehearsals, organizing private instrument tuition and listening to them practice!!! Thank you for your support and encouragement.
The Performance Band will be playing at the Anglican Retirement Village on Thursday, 13th September in the morning during school hours. Could all students please attend the normal morning rehearsal on this morning to complete a final practice. The residents truly love listening to our school band perform. Permission notes will be sent home soon and need to be returned as soon as possible. Full school uniform (either summer or winter) to be worn and best behaviour of course.
The Concert Band will have an opportunity for a community performance in Term 4. Details will be published when they are finalised.
The next band meeting will be Thursday, 20th September at 8.00pm in the Staffroom.
Sue Lack
Band Committee
FROM THE P&C
Another Successful Fete
Our 2007 Fete was bigger, busier and more exciting than last year. What an assortment we had to choose from: rides – 10 in total; more stall holders – 21 in total; bungee jumping, show bags, face painting and lots lots more. We were even able to get some past parents to play, who form part of De Ja Voo, along with past students joining in for a bit of a jam session. Our very talented models stunned us on the dance floor and the Deborah Johnson kids had everyone jigging in their seats.
Thanks to EVERYONE who came along and enjoyed the day. No fete, or event for that matter, is a success without the parents, carers, family and friends to support it.
Another EXTRA BIG THANKYOU must go to Stuart J., Tracy I., Emma B. and Bronwen R. who put the day together. I think we’d all agree they do a fantastic job.
It takes a lot of people to get this day to function but special thanks to Karen P. for the very yummy cake stall, Elizabeth B. for her wonderful hosting of the chocolate wheel, Richard R. who kept us fed and hydrated throughout the day, Karen S. for her help with advertising and marketing and the mums who compiled and sent out countless letters to secure sponsors, Sandra W. and Donna E. for their very creative face painting, Lynnette C. who comes back year after year with her plaster stall, Michelle M. and the Year 6 children for the hair spraying, Anne A. for taking on the huge task and tackling Trash N Treasure, all the parents who took on the not so glamorous task for set-up and pack-up, the teachers who rally their classes together to bring an assortment of stalls, the Band and Choir to the students, conductors and especially the parents who get the kids there on time and all the parents who took time away from their families on the day to help out and pitch in on the stalls and canteen.
I’d also like to mention that our major sponsors donating $1,000 were Starr Plumbing, Louis Carr Real Estate and Robert Cliff Master Jewelers along with $500 from Knightsbridge Pharmacy and IGA – please support these VERY generous businesses whenever you can.
Of course it always takes a while for final figures to come in due to accumulating expenditure costs, but I’m thrilled at this stage to report that we look like recouping in excess of $16,500 which is a fantastic effort. As soon as we have confirmed figures we’ll let everyone know.
To this I’ll be sending home the feed-back of the “where do we spend the fete money”. All the comments/feed-back will be passed on to Gordon Fraser for comment and thoughts and then will be presented for approval at the next P&C meeting. We’ll keep you posted.
Finally, we have our BUSH DANCE coming up in a couple of weeks. THIS ISN’T A FUND RAISER but an opportunity for everyone to get together for a fun night with their family and the Samuel Gilbert School Community. Ming has put together what will be a very exciting night so I hope you will all come along with your cowboy boots and ten gallon hats for some boot scooting fun.
Lynnea McGowan
President
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FETE TRASH AND TREASURE STALL
A huge thank you to everyone who spent one hour or many hours sorting, pricing, selling and packing up all of the treasures. We made over $1,000 on the day which was great! Thank you again to all involved.
Ann Anderson, Stall Organiser
Abseil, bike ride, canoe, fence, fish, orienteer, swim and loads more! Applications close 30th November. For more information contact 1800 645 130 or www.asthmansw.org.au
OF COMMUNITY INTEREST
. Joeys, Cubs & Scouts – would your child, boy or girl, like to have fun while involved in a variety of outdoor activities including camping, hiking and canoeing? Your local Scout is currently enrolling new Joeys, Cubs and Scouts aged between 6 and 14. For more information call Jan Carter on 9639 2488 for your closest group and meeting night.
. Hills Touch at Baulkham Hills is non-contact, aerobic and fun. Improve your fitness, coordination and friends. Juniors U9-U15, mens, mixed, supertouch and dads over 30. New competition starts Thursday, 18th October. Register www.touchfootball.com.au or call 0433 766 655.
. Southern Cross Cultural Exchange – expand your family’s horizons and make a friend for life by being a host family for overseas students who will arrive in January 2008 for a few months. SCCE is a non-profit organization with 24 years experience in exchange programs. Hosting is voluntary and students bring their own spending money as well as being covered for medical and educational expenses. Please ring 1800 500 501 for more information.
. Hillsong is holding a school holiday Kidsfest as an affordable and fun day on 10th October from 9.00-4.00pm at the Hillsong Convention Centre, Baulkham Hills costing $15. Please ring 8853 5318 for more information or go to www.hillsongkids.com/kidsfest
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