Term 2 Week 5, 2021

Grapevine Term 2 Week 5, 2021

What’s on Dear parents, carers and community,

Tues 25th May Currently, the NSW Department of Education has a focus on Attendance, with the Athletics Carnival key phrase ‘Attendance Matters’. While we do not have a huge issue with attendance at our school, there are a few areas that we need to focus on to keep Thur 27th May - Fri 6th June our data where it should be to meet our statewide target of attendance at or Raw Art greater than 95% attendance for each student. We will be focusing on: working with our parents to ensure that ‘extended leave’ (usually for travelling purposes) is limited Wed 2nd June teachers ensuring that all leave is justified - we encourage our parents to text, write Starstruck rehearsal or phone to explain the leave within 7 days Cast A Keeping our eyes closely on partial attendance. Please know that the policy states that students should not be pulled out of a school day for a doctor or dentist visit Thu 3rd June (although special consideration is given to specialist appointments). Signing students Starstruck rehearsal out early after any school event is discouraged within the policy as well. Partial attendance is awarded when the leave is less than two hours a day and fully Cast B justified. More than two hours partial leave shows up in your child’s data as a full day

leave. Tues 8th June P&C Meeting Creating high visual guides to all stakeholders to inform them of the current status of our attendance data. Fri 11th June This week I have sent a SkoolBag message home around expectations of attendance at our Athletics Carnival. I encourage you to allow your child to stay at K-6 Assembly the carnival and let them enjoy the whole school day, to see the carnival through to the exciting end that we experience each year. Mon 14th June Public Holiday Teacher leave update: Mrs Nicholls needs to continue extended leave at this time and is expected to return in later this term. We are of course, working hard to ensure Wed 16th June consistency for the class and I will be sending a personal message to 3N parents to explain the situation more personally. Mrs Sumbak starts her Maternity Leave next Starstruck Dress week and is being replaced by Mrs Winterbine for the rest of this term. Mrs Pankhurst Rehearsal Cast A will work with Mrs Bone as class teacher and Relieving Assistant Principal. Mrs Turnbull, our treasured Librarian and keeper of all things Technology will be on leave for the Thu17th June rest of this term. Starstruck Dress Rehearsal Cast B I am taking five weeks long service leave from next week. We need to travel interstate to be there for the birth of our first grandchild…a very exciting time in our

lives! During this period Mrs Rich will be in the role of Relieving Principal and Mrs Fri 18th June Pankhurst has been selected through an Expression of Interest process to take on the Starstruck role of Deputy Principal. Matinee Cast A Evening Cast B Shout out to our Starstruck 2021 team, led by Miss Linnane and Miss Stokes. They are rehearsing regularly and are so excited to have this Starstruck opportunity. We were lucky to get a spot this year as Starstruck are running with their 2020 cast for this Sat 19th June show. So proud of their efforts. Thank you to our parents who have jumped in to Starstruck support this amazing opportunity for their children - I promise your child will Matinee Cast B remember this experience for the rest of their lives. Evening Cast A 1

I would like to thank Mrs Rich and Ms Campbell and the Year 3 and 5 teachers for the support of their students during the NAPLAN process. We have finished the NAPLAN assessment process and will now await the results so that we can analyse and use our data to do what we are constantly doing. Aiming for continual improvement in the complex process of teaching and learning.

So much to look forward to next week - good luck and best wishes to students participating in Soccer Gala State Knockout competition, the Athletics Carnival, Boys and Girls State Knockout Softball, Hunter Region Cross Country Carnival, Raw Art lessons running across the school, Hunter Rugby Trials, Premiers Debating Challenge and Eastlake Macquarie Debating Competition rounds. So many opportunities for our talented students. So much gratitude for our talented teachers who lead our students into these opportunities.

Thank you to our P&C - record breaking meeting last week, all done by 8.23pm! This is due to the efficiencies of our new ‘commercial arm’ team meeting every fortnight to keep the work flow going. The P&C are about to establish their own space behind the uniform shop so that they have the opportunity to gather whenever they need to. So grateful for the new faces and the ongoing valuable work of our

long standing members.

Warm Regards, Mrs Saurins Principal

Mrs Saurins

Connect Respect Inspire 2

Absence Notifications Skoolbag If you need to let us know that your child is sick or will be absent, you can do so in the Have you added your year and class groups an Sentral for Parents App, or on Skoolbag. Skoolbag? This can be done ahead of time if you know they won’t be in. From time to time, we do have information that If your child is absent and we have not only some groups or classes are required to been notified, you will get an SMS to say receive, so we have set up individual groups for they aren’t at school , just reply to the SMS each of those. This includes whole year groups, and we will get the response. Band, and sporting groups.

You may find that some teachers don't use the class groups for their own purposes, however, it is very helpful for us in the office to be able to direct the information in the correct way. It also means that you are likely to receive fewer notifications about interactions that aren't involving your child/ren.

What’s Hot

 Starstruck! Well done to the 22 students selected to represent VPS at the upcoming Starstruck.

 Our keen gardeners - our chickens are always well looked after and our gardens are looking amazing!

 Our Coco's Crew - We must acknowledge the crew of students that support our Anti-bullying station each day. They do an incredible job to support our students.

 NAPLAN online - Our Year 3 and Year 5 students completed four NAPLAN tests and showed incredible resilience, adaptability and grit.

 A Matter of Seconds - a fantastic program that upskill our students on the power of getting help. Year 3 will attend Thursday of next week.