Term 1 Week 10

2 April, 2009

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

           

Monday  6 April                     Easter Raffle Draw

Wednesday 8 April                  Pedlars’ Parade

                       

Text Box: School Holidays: Last day of school Thursday 9 April,2009 Return to School on Wednesday 29 April, 2009                                    

 

Dear Parents & Caregivers,

 

EASTER RAFFLE

Friday is the last day to send in your raffle tickets for the fabulous Easter prizes.  The raffle will be drawn on Monday, 6 April at the whole school assembly.  Don’t miss out.

 

KINDERGARTEN TO 3:00PM

This is a reminder to all Kindergarten parents that school will finish for Kindergarten students at 3pm from the first day of Term 2. This will add to our parking problems and make traffic more difficult around the school at home time. We would encourage parents to PARK and WALK.

 

EMERGENCY EVACUATION

Last week we held a whole school emergency evacuation drill. I was very pleased with the way students, staff and volunteers moved quickly out of the school. The school was well prepared and managed to evacuate the premises within 7 minutes.  This was a little slower than hoped but not a bad start for the very first practice for 2009 with over 1000 people safely evacuated from the school grounds. We hold four emergency drills each year.   Not all of the drills are the same.  We also practice lock downs and lock outs to cater for all occasions.

 

MOTHERS’ DAY GIFTS

Thank you to all parents who are sending in gifts for Mothers’ Day. If you are sending in gifts after the holiday period, could you please wrap the item individually in clear cellophane and tie them with some curling ribbon. They need to be sent to your class teacher and placed in the special box in the room.

 

 

 

PEDLARS’ PARADE

Don’t forget Pedlars’ Parade.  This great event will take place on Wednesday, 8 April, 2009.  Children and the parents have been preparing for this for some time.  This is a great opportunity for children to use their financial literacy skills that they have been studying in class.  They need the opportunity to purchase items from the stalls.    We would appreciate it if parents could send a suitable amount of money along to school with the children.  This amount will depend on the age of the child.  All children will be able to select items from the many different trays available.  The parade will take place between recess and lunch and the children in Yrs 3-6 will attend during lunchtime.

 

SCHOOL SPORT

We have some places left in the following sports for Term 2:

Rockdale Tennis                                           10 places

Swimming                                                        3 places

Mini Tennis at school (Stage 3)                   26 places

Mini Tennis at school Stage 2                     19 places

Basketball at school Stage 3                       19 places

 

These places fill very quickly especially as it gets closer to the holidays.  If you do not have a note regarding costs, please ask your son/daughter to get a note from their class teacher.

 

NATIONAL ASSSESSMENT PROGRAM

Parents with students in Years 3 and 5 should have received a letter outlining the 2009 National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy. This program will be conducted across Australia on the same days for all students according to the following timetable.

Tuesday 12 May                    Language

Wednesday 13 May Reading Test

Thursday 14 May                   Mathematics

Friday 15 May is scheduled as a make up day for students who missed the tests on other days.

 

Please note:  the results of the National Assessment Tests are for the benefit of parents, students and the school in assessing the strengths and weakness of students. The results are not used to promote or repeat students.

 

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL -  SRC

A training day has been set aside for the elected representatives to participate in a full training day next Tuesday.  Ms Uzanovska will send these notes out to the particular students this week.

 

PEER MEDIATION TRAINING

Next Monday, Mrs McElroy and Mrs Meena will train 30 Stage 3 students to be Peer Mediators. These students in Term 2 will wear a yellow vest on the playground and students who are having disputes with other children will be encouraged to go to a peer mediator for help in solving an issue. This is a great opportunity for our Stage 3 students to demonstrate their leadership.

 

STAGE RESOURCES

I have asked all teachers to follow up their records for payment of stage resources. We would like all amounts to be finalized before the end of term. With this money the school pays for items like text books and some dance programs. We can only run these programs if parents pay their Stage Resources. Thank you all the parents who have paid their resources for 2009.

 

STUDENT SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Last year, the Premier announced a decision by Cabinet to introduce legislation to ensure children of compulsory school age are enrolled and attending school. The changes meant that the courts would be able to make School Attendance Orders that were binding on parents.

Attendance at school is a right for all children. We all know that schools play a vital role in the social and emotional development of students as well as meeting broader educational needs. It is only a very small minority of parents who do not appreciate and support the requirement that their children attend school. School attendance orders could require a parent to attend conciliation or mediation, to engage with family counselling services or other therapeutic treatment, or to enrol their child. 

The courts are able to request other agencies such as mental health services, community services, non-government charities or other community resources such as extended families or kinship groups to help get the child back to school. As well, the court can direct the Department to enrol a child if the parent refuses to do so.

Carlton School now has a very good attendance rate.  The Home School Liaison Officer who visits the school regularly to monitor the attendance of students has indicated how pleased she is with Carlton.  Well done parents, let’s keep up our great reputation in the community.

SPECIAL THANK YOU

I would like to thank Mrs Melissa Homann for her generous donations of office items and two televisions for school use. We really appreciate your kindness and will put the donations to good use within the school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BENEFITS OF AN ASTHMA FRIENDLY SCHOOL
Carlton School is an Asthma Friendly School and some of the impacts for students are:   Potentially life saving for students with asthma.

  • Improved asthma awareness and management in the school and its community.
  • Encourages an Asthma Friendly School environment.
  • Improved health and learning outcomes for students with asthma.
  • Complements the school’s responsibility for health and safety of students and staff.
  • Peace of mind for parents of children with asthma.
  • School staff are more confident in managing asthma.


An Asthma Friendly School is one that:

  • Uses AFS program strategies to support the whole school community in understanding and managing asthma.
  • Develops a safe, healthy and supportive school environment for students with asthma.
  • Links with Health and Education sectors, parent representative groups and the Asthma Foundation.

If you have not updated the Asthma Record for you child or you have not notified the school that your child can suffer from Asthma, could you please come along to the school and talk to the staff in the front office?  Please read the information included in the newsletter.  We have also provided children from Chinese and Arabic backgrounds translated materials.  We would like all updated or new forms returned to school by 1 May, 2009.

ACHIEVEMENTS FROM A MEMBER OF THE TEACHING STAFF

Congratulations to Mr Barton Williams on his excellent result in the
47th Australian National Barefoot Water Ski Championships at Mulwala, Victoria, representing NSW for the first time. Barefoot Water Skiing comprises 3 separate events in which the skier is towed behind a boat at speeds in excess of 45mph. The 3 events are: tricks, slalom and jump.

There were a total of 75 skiers competing for national titles and vying for spots on the Junior, Open and Senior Australian Teams for the 2010 World Championships scheduled for August next year.

He was awarded 3rd place behind 2 members of the current Australian team. Unfortunately, he injured his knee during the competition, otherwise I’m sure he would have brought home first place!  He will have to await a pre-selection tournament later in the year and again at the 2010 nationals to see if he can make the Australian team that will compete in Germany.  

 

Mr Williams trains the very enthusiastic and talented Pogo Stick Club and he keeps fit by using the Pogo sticks himself.