The Punchbowl Press

2022 Term 4 Week 5

7 November- 11 November- Year 2 Swim Scheme

8 November - Stage 3, Symbio Wildlife Park excursion

15 November - Stage 1, Symbio Wildlife Park excursion

16 November - Selective High School Applications CLOSING DATE

29 November - Year 6 Graduation Dinner

6-7 December - Year 6 Camp

13 & 16 December - Preschool Graduation

14 December - Presentation Day 

16 December - Last day of Term 4 for all students 

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and carers, 

We are already halfway through Term 4 and what a busy term it has been.  I would like to highlight firstly the wonderful Centenary celebrations.  The school was a buzz with performances, a classroom in the SaCC which took us on a journey from 1922 through to 2022.  The Museum and photo gallery proved very popular with all our ex-students who loved reminiscing and sharing their memories of PPS.   

From the school’s research through Trove, there is evidence of a strong community push for a school in Punchbowl from as early as 1916, with public meetings being held to push the establishment of the school and even protests against delays. 

Turn the clocks forward 100 years and our families are still our biggest supporters both of PPS and public education.  As Punchbowl and our families have changed over the years, the school has met those changes.  Always putting the student at the heart of what we do.  The relationship between home and school has always been strong and that is what makes Punchbowl so special.   

In 2022 we have over 30 language groups represented in our school, and we champion the diversity of our community every day.   

Thanks to the hard-working Centenary Committee made up of staff and parents.  Eleni Kontakos, Deborah Doolan, Asenati Mareko, Fay El-Esh, Analise Alkiviardou, Cris Brisigotti, Abeer Arja, Midori Jobling, Helen Iriarte and Amal Farhat.   

To all the teachers who prepared performances and created artworks, many thanks.  Thanks you to the dedicated team of parents and community members who also worked hard behind the scenes with our performances and helping out on the day. 

Secondly, our choir and dance ensembles were again centre stage at the Combined Public Schools Music Festival at Bankstown Sports.  Again, I was a very proud Principal, being part of the audience who were blown away by the enthusiasm and smiles that shone from the stage.  Congratulations to Mr Potten, Mrs Robinson, Miss Mantzavrakos, Miss Crawford, Ms Stojecska and Mrs El Esh who supported, encouraged, rehearsed and cheered these ensembles along.  I look forward to another performance at the Presentation Day assemblies. 

Thirdly, it was my privilege again to be on hand at the Network Awards Ceremony where our entire team of School Learning Support Officers were recognised for their dedication and work across many setting in our school.  At Punchbowl Public School we acknowledge the significant role our School Learning Support Officer (SLSO) team play in helping to facilitate teaching and learning for every child so they can be safe, learn, grow and achieve.  

The team from Preschool, the Support Unit and our Mainstream go above and beyond to support everyone in our school from the teaching staff to the students and families, as well as each other. Their knowledge and understanding of diverse learning needs is testament to their ongoing commitment to professional and personal learning, and it is supported by their individual and collective passions and strengths. 

Their hard work and dedication make a difference in the lives of students and teachers, and we thank them for the valuable work they perform and the contribution to supporting great teaching and learning in our school. Congratulations to the SLSO team. 

We are looking forward to all our end of year events in the second half of the term, including Presentation Day. Our Year 6 students are involved in transition to high school activities, and our Kindergarten Orientation for new students in 2023 will also get underway in Week 9.   Keep an eye out for all information on Skoolbag and through School Bytes.   

Donna McGeary 

Principal 

 

Preschool & Early Intervention

The children in Kangaroos and Wombats are enjoying learning through play. While continuing to observe the safe and healthy learning environment, students are engaging in meaningful interactions and positive learning experiences. They are continuing to develop literacy and language skills during individual and group learning. We have been focusing on learning to sort items into groups based on different attributes and noticing patterns around our learning environment.  

Early Intervention classes have been working hard in preparing for starting school next year. We are focusing on wearing hats when outside, getting used to school shoes, sitting for table time activities, and working as a team. The culmination of what we have been working on all year shows that the children are showing their independence, improved communication and starting to follow routines. Smashing out goals!! Well done, everyone 😊

School Hats

We actively teach, promote, encourage, and support sun protection strategies at our school. Please make sure your child brings a hat each day. The rule is 'No hat, play in the shade'. 

School hats are available at the front office for $19.

Payments can be made online by visiting the school website and selecting 'Make a Payment'. Enter your details and include a note in the Payment Description - ‘School hat’. You will only need to complete the fields marked with an asterisk*. Alternatively, place $19 in an envelope, labeled with your child's name and class, mark it with 'School Hat' and drop it in the silver letterbox outside the office. Please note the office does not keep change. Please include the correct money!

The office will make sure your child receives their hat.

Kindergarten Orientation - 2023

We are looking forward to welcoming our new Kindergarten students and their families during Kindergarten Orientation Week (daily from Monday 5 December to Friday 9 December). Families who have already enrolled their child will receive additional information via email and post in the coming weeks.

If you are yet to enrol your child follow the link to apply for Kindergarten online.

Enrolment forms can also be collected from the school office or mailed out to you at your request. These are also available in languages other than English.

Contact the school on 9750 5055 for more information.

Early Stage 1

This term, Kindergarten students are exploring the Science units “Living Things” and “Material World”. To support these units of work, Kindergarten students visited Calmsley Hill City Farm in week 2. Students interacted with a range of native and farmyard animals. They had a wonderful time learning how to milk a cow, petting farm animals, riding on a tractor around the paddock and watching sheep getting sheered. They also had a go at cracking a whip and watching an entertaining dog show. Students had such an enjoyable day exploring the farm and learning about different farmyard and native animals. This excursion provided Kindergarten students with an opportunity to see their learning come to life!  

Stage 1

A number of Stage 1 students have been participating in a new and exciting program at Punchbowl Public School. The Song Room Program began in Term 3 and continues in Term 4 to provide our students opportunities to develop their communication skills, resilience, creativity, confidence and social and emotional wellbeing through the arts. Students are immersed in fun and interactive music, drama, visual arts and dance activities alongside their fellow peers.  

There's lots of different games and activities. I like playing with students from different classes. I like dancing to the song 'It's raining tacos' – Joshua O’Donnell (Year 1) 

The games are new and fun. I like playing the games with my friends and we have learned to take turns. My favourite is the zombie game!  – Jasper Chen (Year 2)  

It is so fun because we play games. We also learned how to be good friends. We apologise when we bump into each other or have an argument and try hard not to let it happen again. It is one of my favourite things to do at school - Mohammad Alawie (Year 2) 

Stage 2

During Term 4, Stage 2 students have learned, achieved and enjoyed much in English, Science and Technology, Mathematics and Creative and Practical Arts programs. Students became part of the performance by joining the Bell Shakespeare actors on stage and in other activities connecting our students with dramatic play. Many students in Stage 2 have also been learning about equivalence in mathematics meaning ‘the same as’ by using concrete materials. Students also have learned about chance by hands on activities in mathematics. For example students worked out the chance of an event occurring, by drawing different coloured items from a group. In science and technology they had lots of messy fun exploring states of matter using cornflour. Look at these photos to see our Stage 2 students in action. 

K/6 Owls & K/6 Kookaburras

All students have returned to school in Term 4 eager to learn. Ms Clare has brought the garden program into the classroom as a result of all the rain we have had. Kookaburras and Owls have learnt all about house bees and how they take the nectar inside the colony and pack it away in hexagon-shaped beeswax honey cells. Students were given the opportunity to taste fresh honey collected from different plant species. Transition to high school has started for our Year 6 students this term. They participated in a variety of learning experiences which gave them a glimpse of what to expect in Year 7. As we draw closer to the end of the year, we will farewell these amazing students who will embark on a new schooling journey. Zayd, Samuel, Ali and Uriah will be sadly missed by Mr Eliaali, Mrs Park, Mrs D and Mrs Lili. 

Stage 3

During Term 4, Stage 3 students have been participating in the Peer Support program.  The program starts with Stage 3 students undertaking training to acquire the necessary skills to lead small groups through activities which explore both social and emotional skill development. Once students have completed their training, they work with students from grades 1-4 to help them build resilience, develop empathy, gain a sense of responsibility, strengthen their self-esteem and improve their communication skills.  

Selective High School Applications closing soon

Dear Parent/Carer of students in Year 5

Selective high schools cater for academically gifted students with high potential who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic standard. Selective high schools help these students to learn by grouping them with students of similar ability, and by using specialised teaching methods. 

If you would like to have your child considered for Year 7 selective high school entry in 2024, you need to apply on the internet using a valid email address (not the student’s email address). 

Detailed instructions on how to apply and the link to the online form are available on the website.Applications opened on 18 October 2022 and close on 16 November 2022.

You must apply before the closing date. You must submit only ONE application for each student. The Selective High School Placement Test will be held on Thursday 4 May 2023.

If you have any further questions please make an appointment to see me. 

Regards

Eleni Kontakos 

Deputy Principal, Student and Community Engagement.

Community Language - Arabic

 Stage 1 have been learning about the topic ‘My Home’ "بــيــتــي". They are learning about the different rooms in the house, what they are called in Arabic and what are the main features in them. They learnt the topic through cutting and pasting the words on the picture, building a house using Legos and playing with the doll house. Students enjoyed the learning through the varied activities. 

Library

“During our library visits we love listening to stories. The story Amira’s suitcase is about friendship. We learn different words. It helps us to build our vocabulary”. 

Aya and Kathy (Year 3). 

“Amira’s suitcase is an enjoyable story. From the story I learnt that living conditions means how people are living if they are rich or poor. Or if they are healthy and can buy what they need when they get sick. Sometimes the living conditions are bad, and children can’t go to school. I feel lucky that I can go to school”. Saafia Year 3. 

Rubik's Club

Rubik’s Club membership has grown with friends coming along to learn from their friends.  Our students are surprising themselves by just how much determination and resilience they have. The level of collaboration and attempts at explanations among the students are incredible and delightful to see. 

Chess Club

Meeting with friends and other students for a game of chess is lots of fun. We learn from each other and a tutor from Sydney Academy of Chess. Chess helps us to think ahead and plan. Kevin, Year 6. 

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Congratulations to our wonderful PBL Team on the finalisation of the new bespoke PPS Problem Solving Wheel! 

Students who act out or find themselves in challenging situations often do so because they struggle with identifying solutions to their problems. A problem-solving wheel can help teach students to learn how to independently solve a problem. 

A problem-solving wheel also known as the wheel of choice or solution wheel is a great way to give students a visual of choices to help them either calm down when they are upset or to help them solve a problem with a classmate. 

Children don’t always know what to do when they are experiencing conflicts with others. When students are stressed and in the moment of a conflict, they can often forget how to solve the problem. A problem-solving choice wheel can help them learn different ways to solve their problems. 

The new PPS Problem Solving Wheel will be used as our focus for lessons over the coming weeks. 

Attendance Matters

We have seen a huge improvement in students arriving to school on time and being ready for learning by 9am sharp! Congratulations

Remember -

* Canteen orders MUST be made before the morning bell. Using the My School Connect app to order online is also a great option as this can be done in advance.

* Payments, handing in of mobile phones and other office business MUST occur before 9:00am, if being made by students.

ARRIVING TO SCHOOL ON TIME EVERY DAY MATTERS

The school day begins at 9:00am.

Let’s be on time everyday because EVERY minute counts.

Canteen News

The School Canteen is now using environmentally friendly cutlery and straws in line with the NSW Government bans on plastic. 

DID YOU KNOW OUR CANTEEN SERVES BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING?

BREAKFAST IS SO IMPORTANT TO HELP US POWER THROUGH OUR DAY

The Canteen Breakfast Menu is attached.

- Kathy (Canteen Manager)

Preschool Enrolment 2023

Enrolments are now open for Punchbowl Public School Preschool 2023.

Follow the link to download an enrolment form in English or other languages.

Children can enrol from the beginning of the school year if they turn 4 on or before 31 July that year.Department of Education preschools enrol children for one year only – the year before they start kindergarten.If you would like more information about our Preschool please follow the link to view the website https://punchbowl-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/preschool.html or phone the school office on 9750 5055.

An important message from the school office

Dear parents and carers

We are in the process of implementing a streamlined system for the payment of invoices and permission forms using School Bytes. Parents will now receive an email where they can give permission and pay for school activities online. Please check your emails for instructions on how to complete this process online.   

If you have recently changed your email address please make sure you provide these updated details to the school. 

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we transition to this process. 

Contact the school should you have any questions. 

Did you know that the newsletter can be translated to many different languages?

- Scroll all the way to the bottom until you see the ‘Select Language’ option. Select your preferences language

You can now read the news in your chosen language.

Local Community News and Events

School Uniforms

Dear Parents and Carers

Midford Uniforms are offering 15% off Punchbowl Public School uniforms from Monday 5 December to Monday 12 December for all new and existing families to help prepare for 2023! 

Visit the store at 1608-1612 Canterbury Rd Punchbowl to take advantage of this fabulous offer. 

Kind regards,

Reina Francis

Georges Apparel Punchbowl Uniform Shop Manager

Ph 8708 0099

1608 Canterbury Rd, Punchbowl NSW 2196

Midford - Punchbowl Public School Uniform Pricelist

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Perinatal Mental Health Week

Perinatal Mental Health Week is on from 6th to 12th November. Visit Bankstown Central on Tuesday 8 November between 10am-12pm.

A message from Campsie Police Local Area Command

Please be aware that local police will be patrolling all local schools and issuing infringement notices to those not complying with the rules.

 Remember to always choose safety first.

Download the flyer for more information. 

 

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This page provides the latest advice for parents and carers on the department’s response to the pandemic. This guide is updated regularly based on advice from NSW Health. Please check this regularly.