10 March 2023

Newsletter Articles

A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

I am thrilled to announce that next year will mark a milestone for Sherwood Ridge PS when the school celebrates 20 years, having opened in 2004. The planning has begun and we are looking for parents and carers who are interested in joining the organising committees. We will reach out to our community in the coming weeks and look forward to working together to celebrate this special event.

Our favourite policeman, Youth Officer Senior Constable Ethan West visited our support unit students this week. There was much excitement and interest as the students met a real-life police officer! The positive partnership that we have with our local police is valued and of great benefit for our students. Constable West will be returning to SRPS later in the term to meet with our Stage 3 students to discuss relevant topics and to provide support to our teachers and leaders in delivering important messages and lessons to our senior cohort.

I’d like to share some lovely news with our community - Mrs Kate Raines delivered her baby girl, Elsie Madeline on Friday 3 March. We send Kate and her family much love and happiness at this special time.

Next week there will be a blitz on Uniforms, where we reward all students who wear full school uniform each day and sports uniform on their sports day. Caught You Being Good tokens will be generously handed out to those students who meet our uniform expectations. We ask that parents and carers support the school and ensure that their child is wearing full school uniform, including a school hat each and every day. Refer to the SRPS Uniform Policy located on the School Website at the following link -

Finally, I’d like to wish our Year 3 and Year 5 students all the best as they sit the NAPLAN assessments next week.

Kind regards,

Mrs Jody Sullivan
Principal

Sherwood Ridge Public School I From Each Their Best

Sherwood Ridge Public School, an inclusive school where wellbeing and student growth and achievement for all is at the centre of what we do. Students and teachers actively engage in learning, with parents and carers as partners in this journey, all striving together to create a future generation of strong, capable and driven lifelong learners. At Sherwood Ridge every student, every teacher and every family is known, valued and cared for. SRPS School Vision 2021-2024

ATTENDANCE - EVERY DAY MATTERS

We want to do all we can to be sure your child achieves their potential and enjoys being in school. Being at school every day boosts student learning and confidence and helps them build and maintain friendships. One way we can help make this happen is to be sure your child attends school each day unless they are sick, have COVID-like symptoms or are absent for a justified reason.

Protecting the wellbeing of our students through the reporting and monitoring of student absences is the responsibility of both parents/carers and schools. Notifying the school either before or on the day that your child is away helps us keep accurate student attendance records to support you and your child.

When your child is unwell

If your child is unwell they will need to stay home, get tested for COVID-19 if they are experiencing symptoms and only return to school when symptom free. Isolation when positive for COVID-19 is no longer compulsory, however, parents and carers are still required to explain the absences of their children from school. An explanation for absence must be provided to the school within 7 days of the first day of any period of absence. Our school has a daily SMS (text) system to make this process easier for families.

Medical appointments

Families are asked to make medical appointments outside of school hours, this includes paramedical appointments such as therapies. Medical certificates must be provided to explain the leave and if the principal accepts this explanation, then leave will be approved. Without a medical certificate, the leave will be registered as an explained, yet unjustified.

Applications for Leave

We have recently had a large number of requests for approval to take leave to go on a family holiday. A reminder that holidays should only be booked during school breaks and students should be at school every day during the school term, right from beginning to end. Please be advised that holidays taken by students outside of school holiday periods will now be registered as absences. A Certificate of Exemption can no longer be granted for this purpose.

A Certificate of Exemption may be issued by the school in advance of the leave period if an explanation of the absence has been accepted by the principal. This may be due to: misadventure or unforeseen event; participation in special events not related to the school; domestic necessity such as serious illness of an immediate family member; attendance at funerals; or recognised religious festivals or ceremonial occasions.

Missing a day here or there may not seem like much, but absences add up and can impact your child’s learning more than you think. When your child misses one day a week over a year, that’s 40 days of school, 8 weeks of lessons and 2.5 years over their school life lost. As your child’s education has already been interrupted through periods of learning from home due to COVID-19 over the last few years, now is the time to prioritise face-to-face learning and making the most of every school day.

Our school strives for the expected attendance rate which is above 95% of students at school each day over the year.

We know that school is the best place to learn and regular attendance means students can stay on top of their schoolwork and get the most out of their learning. If you are having trouble getting your child to school every day or on time, please talk to our school staff so we can work together, because every day counts.

SHERWOOD RIDGE AWARDS

K-2 Assembly Badge Recipient Lists

3-6 Assembly Badge Recipient Lists

K-2 Merit Award Recipient Lists

3-6 Merit Award Recipient Lists

Caught You Being Good

Kindergarten Caught You Being Good

Stage 1 Caught You Being Good

Stage 2 Caught You Being Good

Stage 3 Caught You Being Good

FROM THE TEACHERS

SRC Meetings

During Week 6 our K-2 and 3-6 SRC teams had their first meeting for the year with teacher representatives Mrs Carter, Ms Clark, Mr Dixon and Mr Lee.

It was a great opportunity for the teams to meet each other for the first time and begin to talk about what was involved in these prestigious positions they have been elected into.

To celebrate our first meeting, the students were given Snakes, Rollups and Chips (SRC) to reward them for what they have done so far in taking on their role.

It is hoped that the K-2 and 3-6 SRC teams will meet regularly each term in at least Weeks 3, 6 and 9.

We look forward to a very productive year with lots of opportunities for students to share their voice and suggest improvements to our school.

SRC members will receive their badges at K-2 and 3-6 assemblies in the coming weeks.

SRC Team

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

Sherwood Ridge Public School implements Positive Behaviour for Learning. PBL is an educational process that brings together the whole-school community to contribute to developing a positive, safe and supportive learning culture. The PBL framework assists schools to improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for children and young people.

The PBL framework can be used to strengthen the existing systems, structures and processes within the school which underpin the school’s ongoing improvement and effectiveness. For example, the PBL framework encourages the use of school-wide data to identify patterns of problem behaviour, monitor student progress, reflect on teaching effectiveness and inform decisions that strengthen the learning environment.

PBL is a framework applied to create safer and more effective schools by structuring the learning environment to support the academic and social success of all students. The adoption and long-term implementation of efficient and effective discipline throughout the whole school environment is critical to the process. PBL is based upon research and is proven to significantly reduce the occurrence of problem behaviours in schools.

When PBL is effectively implemented, teachers and students have more time to focus on relationships and classroom instruction. Students and staff benefit from:

• reduced problem behaviours.
• increased time focused on instruction.
• improved social-emotional wellbeing.
• positive and respectful relationships among students and staff.
• better support for teachers to teach, model and respond effectively to student needs.
• a predictable learning environment where staff and students know what is expected to deliver effective practices that can be sustained over time.

Recognising and Reinforcing Student Achievement at SRPS

Sherwood Stars

Sherwood stars are awarded to students for demonstrating school expectations. A student who receives, on average, one Sherwood Star per week, will receive one badge per year. While we encourage students to follow the expectations and do their best for intrinsic reward, we also recognise that students enjoy an external awards system.

Merit Awards

Four merit awards per class are handed out at the school’s fortnightly assemblies. These are to describe a behaviour that aligns with the core values of Learning, Respect and Community, or the school’s expectations of: Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be a Learner.

Caught You Being Good Tokens

Tokens are given to students during all settings when they are caught displaying ‘good’ [expected] behaviour. These tokens are more readily given out in playground settings. Students place these in the K-2 and 3-6 boxes located on the playground. Each week, students are randomly drawn from the ‘Caught You Being Good’ boxes and are rewarded with a canteen voucher.

Celebrating Harmony Day @ Sherwood Ridge!

Australia is a vibrant and multicultural country — from the oldest continuous culture of our first Australians to the cultures of our newest arrivals from around the world.

Our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. It makes Australia a great place to live.

An integrated multicultural Australia is an integral part of our national identity. All people who migrate to Australia bring with them some of their own cultural and religious traditions, as well as taking on many new traditions. Collectively, these traditions have enriched our nation.

The ongoing message for Harmony Day is “Everyone Belongs”.

The day aims to engage people to participate in their community, respect cultural and religious diversity, and foster a sense of belonging for everyone.

Students and staff are encouraged to wear their traditional cultural dress, or the colour orange on the day. Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Day. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.

Please watch the following videos about the purpose of celebrating Harmony Day:

What is Harmony Day?

Harmony Week – Behind the News

We can’t wait to see you!

Mrs Greer Misela & Mrs Catherine Rose
Harmony Day coordinators

 

NAPLAN INFORMATION

NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake.

As students progress through their school years, it’s important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy.

NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national standards and over time.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It doesn’t replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular school curriculum. Students sit assessments in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The questions assess content linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics.

What can I do to support my child?

Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. Some familiarisation and explanation of NAPLAN is useful to help students understand and be comfortable with the format of the tests. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance.

ACARA does not recommend excessive preparation for NAPLAN or the use of services by coaching providers.

See the types of questions and tools available in the online NAPLAN assessments at the Public Demonstration Site. We encourage all students to use the Public Demonstration Site to familiarise themselves with the structure and format of NAPLAN. Our students will use this site in class and we encourage families to access the site at home as well.

When is NAPLAN online taking place?

All students in Years 3 and 5 will participate in the four NAPLAN tests across the testing window starting from Wednesday 15 March through to Monday 27 March 2023.

FROM THE LIBRARY

Library News

The Library at Sherwood Ridge is a pivotal part of our school, fostering a love of reading and engagement with texts.

Students will be provided with class time each week where they can borrow books to take home to read.

Information about class borrowing days will be communicated by the class teacher.

Scholastic Book Club is an easy and affordable way to buy books kids love. Book Club books are age appropriate and well-priced. Every book purchased earns bonus coupons which the school uses to purchase books for the Learning Centre. Please note that there is no obligation to buy Book Club books.

Twice per term children will receive Book Club catalogues to bring home. Parents and children may choose which books they would like to purchase. Payment options available for your child’s Book club order are:

ONLINE: Place your order online by going to the link below:

PHONE - Call toll free 1800 021233 (Hours are: Monday to Friday - 8:30am - 5:30pm)
BY MAIL - send your order and cheques payable to Scholastic Australia:

Book club Scholastic Australia, PO Box 579, Gosford, NSW 2250

The effectiveness of our Library depends greatly on our volunteers and we would love it if you could provide some time.

This could be to;

• Assist with the return of books each morning (approximately 30 minutes)
• Covering new books with plastic / contact (these can be taken home)

Training will be provided at no cost!

Volunteers or parents who have direct contact with children in the provision of administrative, clerical or providing assistance in the school ie: classrooms, library, canteen etc. will need to complete their working with children’s check.

A Working With Children Check is a prerequisite for anyone in child-related work. It involves a national criminal history check and review of findings of workplace misconduct. The result of a Working With Children Check is either a clearance to work with children for five years, or a bar against working with children. Cleared applicants are subject to ongoing monitoring, and relevant new records may lead to the clearance being revoked. The Check is fully portable which means it can be used for any paid or unpaid child-related work in NSW for as long as the worker remains cleared.

Go to the following link to find out more information and apply online:

Regards
Mrs Keller

Library Volunteers Return Slip

If you can help in the Library please fill in your details and what you would like to help with.

The NSW Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is an initiative of the NSW State government. It aims to encourage in students a love of reading for leisure and pleasure and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student - to read, to read more and to read more widely.

In order to complete the Challenge, students must read the following number of books based on their Challenge Level:

Challenge Level Number of books you must read Minimum number of PRC books Maximum number of Personal Choice books PRC booklists you can read from

2023 Challenge dates

Students can include any books read from the end of the 2022 challenge on their 2023 reading record. Key dates for the 2023 challenge are:

27 February 2023 - challenge opens for student entries
Friday 18 August 2023 - challenge closes for student entries.

How do students access the challenge?

A link to the Premier’s Reading Challenge website can be found in the Student Portal under the Learning section. Students are also able to add a link to the PRC in the My Link List section to make the PRC easier to find. The URL to use is the link below:

Public school students can also log in directly to the PRC website using their Department of Education (DoE) username and password. These are the same details a student would use to access the Student Portal and the computer network at school. If you are unaware of your username and/or password, please contact your class teacher and ask for your Student Portal username and/or password.

Being safe @ SRPS

Pedestrian Safety
Stop! Look! Listen! Think! every time you cross the road
Always hold a grown-up’s hand
When a grown-up’s hand is not available, hold a pram, bag or their clothes
Always cross the road with a grown-up
Hold a grown-up’s hand when you cross the road
Hold a grown-up’s hand when you’re on the footpath
Hold a grown-up’s hand when you’re in a car park
Use a safe place to cross the road

The Hills Chinese School

The Hills Chinese school have returned to face to face classes at Sherwood Ridge Public School.

For any enquiries or enrolments please contact Mary Yan Li - Principal - 0411 085 882.

Hills Community Aid

Hills Community Aid is here for you!

At this time we are practicing physical distancing while encouraging social inclusion.

We are providing over the phone, email and video support for a range of our services.

If you would like to speak with one of our staff please call and leave a message on our answering service (02) 9639 8620 or email and a member of staff will be in contact.

Follow our Facebook page to stay up to date with our social support services

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS

The Hills Community Aid and Information Service Inc.

390 Windsor Road, BAULKHAM HILLS NSW 2153
Phone: 02 9639 8620 Office hours 9.30am – 3.00pm
Fax: 02 9686 3100

P&C News & OTHER GOOD STUFF TO KNOW

Email: srpspandc@gmail.com

SHERWOOD RIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL P&C FACEBOOK PAGE

Please like our official P&C page on FB... a great way to know what is going on at our school and keep up to date with news and views from other parents and members of the school community.

The new P & C executive for 2023 are:

President: Leanne Hagerty
Vice President: Vacant
Treasurer: Kathryn Pollastrini
Secretary: Corinne Keane
2nd hand uniform Coordinator: Nicole Susic

UNIFORM SHOP INFORMATION

Uniform shop has reopened for over the counter sales and fittings.

Website: https://k12uniformstore.com.au/srps/
Email: srps@k12uniformstore.com.au
Phone: 02 9894 7213

TRADING HOURS

Monday - 2.00pm - 3.30pm
Wednesday - 8.30am – 10.00am

THE HILLS SHIRE COUNCIL PARKING PENALTIES & RULES

COOL KIDS MUSIC

SHOP FOR YOUR SCHOOL

SCHOOL CROSSING SUPERVISOR VACANCIES

The School Crossing Program is advertising for permanent and casual School Crossing Supervisor’s.