Newsletter 4 2019
Principal's Report
P&C ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
On Monday night we have our AGM for the P&C in the library at 6:30pm. PLEASE FEEL WELCOME TO ATTEND. The P&C are a great group of parents who do a fantastic job supporting the teachers and students through fund raising and assisting with school activities. In 2018 the P&C ran a trivia night, were successful in a grant submission for the installation of the fixed shade shelter over the sand pit, selling Kindergarten art work t-towels, BBQ's at the school discos, opening of the Alstonville Swimming pool and Bunnings, financially sponsoring children who qualify for and attend state events, the mother's and father's day stalls and a myriad of other activities including school banking, book covering and library shelving, classroom helpers, canteen helpers, assistance with the chickens, help in the classrooms and multi lit reading program support. If any parents have any special abilities, passions or careers and you would like to share your expertise with a class/es please let the P&C know as we are always looking for new people, innovative ideas and special guest speakers or activities for our students.
TERM 1 REVIEW
As another week of learning draws to a close, I am reflecting on the fact that we head into Week 9 next week and the term concludes two weeks after that on Friday 12 April. Term 1 has flown by at a rapid rate and classes are up and running with solid routines now established. The term has been a busy one with students joining the school parliament, chess club, craft club, debating, band, K-6 choir, sporting teams for tennis, cricket, touch, soccer, rugby 7's and netball, the gardening team and the school swimming carnival.
Interrelate, a personal development program, has now concluded for Years 5 and 6. Next week Year 6 attend a leadership camp at Lake Ainsworth Wednesday-Friday. In Week 10 Years 1 and 2 journey to Byron Bay for their dolphin dreaming excursion as part of this term's geography unit "My World". We also welcome Alstonville Preschool in Week 11 where Stage 2 will present their learning showcase to the preschoolers to conclude their unit on "Toys".
Our Meet the Teacher evening in February was very successful with families being able to meet the staff of the school and visit the classroom to meet individual teachers. Parents are always most welcome to meet with teachers to discuss their children. Please contact the office on 66280775 and an appointment will be made for you, or a telephone call back if you are unable to attend the school due to work, young children or other commitments.
NAPLAN ON LINE
Trials will occur next week for Years 3 and 5 during their library or computer lab time. Mr Duley is coordinating this, if you have any enquiries. This is not the official NAPLAN test that begins on 14 May 2019. It is a practice of the new computerised system.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
4/5 Argentina will run their conferences for parents in Week 9 next week. 4 Spain and 2 Wales will run their conferences in Week 11. The remainder of the school will run their conferences in Week 10. To book a place please go to schoolinterviews.com.au and use the access code that came home in a note to you this week.
Kate Moore
PRINCIPAL
WANTED: OLD LEGO
If you have any old lego that is no longer in use, please consider donating it to the school. Any donations (large or small) can be dropped off at the front office and would be gratefully received. Thank you
Angela Jude (Learning & Support Teacher)
Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.
The Five Operational Principles are:
Privacy and confidentiality
All young people are treated with respect
All young people can choose the gender of the counsellor they speak to
Young people are able to access the same counsellor if they wish to call back
Young people are encouraged to give feedback about Kids Helpline & the service they receive.
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
P & C Annual General Meeting
The 2019 Annual General Meeting of Alstonville Public School’s P&C will be held on Monday 25th March 2019 commencing at 630 pm in the school library. The March general meeting will follow.
All current office bearer positions will be declared vacant and nominations called for the following positions; President, 2x Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and a Fundraising Coordinator.
All current P&C financial members are encouraged to attend the AGM to vote and/or nominate for vacant positions.
Please come along to support your school. It is only together that we can build a strong community and supportive environment for our kids and staff.
Parliament Matters
Selling treats like these helped us to raise $948.60
Cooking For Cancer
Parliament ran a wonderfully successful cake stall on Thursday to raise money for the Kids Cancer Project. We were overwhelmed with the time and effort students and their families had made to create delicious goods for us to sell. In fact, so many cakes were donated that we had to run a second, after-school sale for parents as their picked their children up. There were even enough cakes left over after for us to make another donation, of cakes, to the very appreciate residents at the Seventh Day Adventist Retirement Home. Thanks to the generosity of our school community we raised a grand total of $948.60. Well done, and thank you.
A selection of amazing cakes
Students bought treats at lunch time
Mums bought cakes after school
Early Stage 1
A special visitor to Kindy
Allan is a proud Gamilaraay man from Moree. He talked to the Kindergarten children about his life growing up and spending time in the bush (around Moree and Brewarrina). He spoke about when his son Rowan (K Finland) grows up he will take out bush and teach him all about the special places, fire and animals.
Allan taught the Kindergarten how to say hello and goodbye in language "Yaama", taught them how to dance as a bandaar (kangaroo), how to sing Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in language and played animal sounds on the didgeridoo which Kindergarten had to guess.
Stage 2
Students in 3/4 Romania are enjoying Think Tanks in Mathematics. Think Tanks are an opportunity for us to share our problem solving strategies and think about our thinking. This week students used arrays to create a visual representation of multiplication facts.
Stage 3
6 Sudan
In 6 Sudan we participate in reading and math groups every day. We play games and complete activities that help us to develop our understanding on the topics that we are learning about.
Year 6 Camp
Year 6 Camp is happening next week
Students who still owe money or haven't yet filled in their medical and consent forms were given reminder notes this week. Please ensure all payments and forms are up-to-date prior to camp commencing on Wednesday 27 March.
Students have also been given a letter explaining what they need to bring to camp.
Please note that no electronic devices or phones are allowed. Instead, pack a deck of cards or a book for quiet time in the cabins.
Students will not require any money at camp as there is nothing to buy.
Students need to be at school at normal time on Wednesday in anticipation of a 9:30am departure. Lunch will be provided at camp but it would be a good idea to pack a big snack.
We expect to be back at school by 2pm on Friday.
Positive Behavior for Learning
Week 9
Sandpit
Week 10
Hall/Assembly
Sports News
Tennis
Our successful tennis team.
Four students played at Mullumbimby on Friday 8th March. They were Max, Lewis, Anna and Sophie-Anne.
Lewis won his singles match 6-3 and Max won his match 6-0. Anna also won her singles 6-3 and Sophie-Anne lost hers 3-6.
In the doubles, Max and Lewis won 6-2. Anna and Sophie-Anne won their match 6-3. Finally we played the mixed double matches and Max and Anna won 6-1 and Lewis and Sophie-Anne won 7-5 after a tie breaker.
We look forward to the seeing who we play in the next round of the competition.
By Max
Clubs and Groups
The Alstonville Public School Chess Team
Michael competing at the tournament
Chess Club
On Tuesday 14 March the Alstonville Public School chess team took part in the NSW Northern Rivers Inter-School Term 1 Tournament at St John's College Woodlawn in Lismore. It was a wonderful opportunity for the students to make new friends and improve their chess, with each player taking part in seven matches across the day. Only one member of our team had played in a major tournament before but the team adapted quickly.
Our A team finished fourth in the top division, behind three teams from Emmanuel, so were happy to stake a claim to being 'the best of the rest'. Our B team finished second in their division, only half a point behind the winners. Despite only having one member (teams are supposed to have four) our C team finished in a very creditable 18th place.
This was an excellent result for our first major tournament. All the students who competed are already looking forward to next term's inter-school tournament in which we hope to field five full teams. Next on the horizon is our visit to St Joey's in week 10.
Chess club meets every Tuesday lunchtime in 5/6 USA. New members are always welcome.
2019 Term 1 NSW Northern Rivers Primary A
Place Name Score 1 EAC PS 1 21.5 2 EAC PS 2 20 3 EAC PS 3 16.5 4 ALSTONVILLE A 14.5 5 ST JOSEPH'S A 13 6 HOLY FAMILY A 12 7-9 DUNOON 11 CASINO CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 11 SHEARWATER PS 11 10 ST CARTHAGES 1 10.5 11 HOLY FAMILY B 7 12 ST BRIGID'S 6 
2019 Term 1 NSW Northern Rivers Primary B
Place Name Score 1 EAC PS 5 17.5 2 ALSTONVILLE B 17 3-4 EAC PS 7 16.5 ST JOSEPH'S B 16.5 5 CASINO CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 14.5 6 EAC PS 6 14 7 ST CARTHAGE'S 2 13.5 8 EAC PS 4 12.5 9-10 ST JOSEPH'S C 12 SHEARWATER PS 12 11 EAC PS 8 11.5 12 HOLY FAMILY D 10.5 13 HOLY FAMILY C 10 14 ST JOSEPH'S D 9.5 15 HOLY FAMILY E 7 16 ST JOSEPH'S E 5.5 17 ST BRIGID'S 5 18 ALSTONVILLE C 3 19 HOLY FAMILY F 1 
Dance
The K-2 and 3-6 Dance Groups who practice on Thursday lunch times will be putting together an online video application for School Spectacular and The Far North Coast Dance Festival on Friday 5th April at recess.
Dancers are requested to bring a black shirt and shorts or leggings to wear on this day as a requirement of the festival organisers . Dancers may wear jazz shoes if they have them but they are not required.
The online application for each event will be submitted by the end of Term 1. Students will be notified if applications have been successful as soon as information is to hand in Term 2 and permission forms with relevant details will follow.
Please contact Caroline Harris if you require any further information.