SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Week 6, Term 4

Principal's Report

I hope this newsletter finds you well. As we approach the end of the school year, I would like to share some important dates and information regarding upcoming events at our school.

Presentation Day: We are excited to announce our Presentation Day, which will take place on Wednesday, 4 December. The schedule is as follows:

• Primary Students: 9:45 AM
• K-2 Students: 12:00 PM

A formal invitation will be sent home next week to our award recipients. We will also be announcing our new student leadership team during this event. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our students together!

RSVP Link for parents and family attending: https://forms.gle/T38VzrKSzDYC1L3V9

Student Leadership Speeches: I am so very incredibly proud of all the students who delivered their captain speeches yesterday. Each speaker showcased their unique talents and perspectives, presenting wonderful speeches that truly reflected their passion and dedication to Mudgee PS. There were lots of insightful messages, plenty of laughs but most importantly really well crafted speeches from very clever people. Congratulations and good luck to all 16 candidates as they embark on this exciting journey. I would also like to extend my congratulations and pride to all the other Year 5 students who nominated themselves; your willingness to step forward and share your ideas demonstrates great courage and leadership potential. As mentioned above, I look forward to announcing our new student leadership team on Presentation Day. 

Year 5 Excursion to Broken Bay: A reminder that our Year 5 students will be off on their 3-day excursion to Broken Bay starting on Monday. We wish them all the best for a fantastic adventure! A special thank you to Mr. Hough, the organiser, and to all the staff who will be accompanying the students. Please note the early 4:45 AM arrival on Monday morning. Have fun, Year 5!

Student Achievements: We are thrilled to celebrate a remarkable number of achievements happening at our school at the moment! Our debating team made it through to the zone finals, showcasing their exceptional skills in argumentation and critical thinking. A big thanks to Mrs B for her work with this team.

Additionally, we have four Stage 2 students (Lucas, Charlie, Dimity and Annie) advancing to the finals of the Kevin Pye Public Speaking Competition, along with five Stage 3 students (Chloe, Jake, Toby, Zean and Addisyn) competing in the Roger Wotton Public Speaking Competition. Best of luck in the final and a huge congratulations to all students who presented a speech in these competitions either in class or at the Stage school final!

Our Mathematics team also deserves a massive congratulations for winning the M-Cubed Mathematics Competition held at St Matthews, demonstrating their outstanding abilities. Furthermore, we recently released a new podcast featuring interviews with the school leaders who visited us last term, highlighting our commitment to student voice and engagement. These accomplishments reflect the amazing work of our students and staff, and I really couldn't be prouder!

Roger Wotton & Kevin Pye Public Speaking

Final P&C Meeting for the Year: We invite you to join us for the final P&C meeting of the year on Monday, 2 December at 6:00 PM in the Residence. To show our appreciation for your support throughout the year, pizzas will be provided. During the meeting, we will also preview and plan for the upcoming year. All are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there!

Professional Learning Achievements: As part of our commitment to professional learning, our staff has been focusing on Visible Learning for Mathematics this year. On Wednesday afternoon, we celebrated our progress with a "ghost walk" through four classrooms, where educators shared effective strategies and showcased student achievements. During this collaborative event, we observed various evidence-based best practices, including heat maps illustrating pre and post assessments that highlighted student growth, completed exit tickets reflecting understanding, and a WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like) to guide students. Additionally, we examined great evidence-generating tasks, peer assessment methods (TAG - Tell, Ask, Give; 3 stars and a wish), and student individual goal setting. The use of anchor charts, examples of LISC (Learning Intentions and Success Criteria), and engaging activities in student workbooks further demonstrated our commitment to effective, best-practice teaching. We also featured a bump-it-up wall, showcasing photos of student progress, as well as work samples accompanied by constructive feedback. This event not only celebrated our achievements but also reinforced the importance of using evidence to inform and enhance our teaching practices, ultimately benefiting our students' learning outcomes.

Pick-Up and Drop-Off Safety Reminder: As we continue to prioritise the safety of our students, I would like to remind everyone about the importance of safe pick-up and drop-off practices on Perry Street. Please make use of the designated Kiss and Drop section and encourage your children to use the pedestrian crossing. It is vital that we model safe behaviours for our students; running across the road or the bus bay to reach vehicles can lead to dangerous situations. I have observed some concerning behaviours recently, and I urge everyone to work together to ensure the safety of all children during these busy times. If the Kiss and Drop area is full or the line is too long, please consider doing a lap around the school or parking your vehicle and coming in to pick up your children. By following these guidelines, we can create a safer environment for our students and help them develop good habits that will serve them well in the future. Thank you for your cooperation and support in keeping our kids safe!

Important Dates to Save
As we wrap up the current school year, please take note of the following important events:

• Kindergarten Graduation: Friday, 13 December
• PBL Assembly: Monday, 16 December
• Year 6 Farewell: Tuesday, 17 December
  
• Last Day for Students: Wednesday, 18 December

Start and End of Year Dates
Please also be aware of the following key dates:

• School Development Day: Thursday, 19 December (No students)
• Office Non-Operational: Friday, 20 December

The Department of Education has added two extra School Development Days (SDDs) to our calendar:

• Friday, 31 January
• Monday, 3 February
• Tuesday, 4 February
• Wednesday, 5 February

The first day for all students (K-6) will be on Thursday, 6 February. Please note that Kindergarten students will not have a different start date this year. Starting times for kindergarten will be communicated personally with each family.

Upcoming Events: See below the info-graphic which maps out all the events over the next few weeks of school.

Have a lovely weekend and a great week ahead.

John Carters

Principal 

Yr 3 & Yr 5 parent/carers - Opportunity Classes & Selective High Schools

Applications for Year 5 entry to opportunity classes and Year 7 entry to selective high schools in 2026 are now open. From this year on, the application period is at the same time and over an extended period, 7 November 2024 to 21 February 2025. The placement tests will be computer-based and held at external test centres.  

Please share this information with parents/carers of children currently in Year 3 and 5.

More information about the application process and the application link is at Selective high schools and opportunity classes.

Learn more about the changes to the application process at Changes to the application process for 2026 entry.

Applications close on 21 February 2025.  

2025 Student Bus Pass Applications

Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel New students to our school and students progressing from year 2 to year 3 and from year 6 to year 7 need to apply/re-apply for a bus pass.

Where a student meets the new distance eligibility, the system will automatically update their entitlement. If they do not meet the new eligibility, they will receive an expiry notification. Students who change address, school, campus location, have repeated a year or received an expiry notification for their school travel entitlement need to renew or update their details before the end of term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications, so their travel entitlement can remain valid for the start of the 2025 school year. Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply. Rural and Regional Students Students living in rural and regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. It may come via the school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Please see fact sheet below from Ogden’s on how to apply for a school bus pass

Principal's Awards

Congratulations to the following students on receiving a Principal Award or Deputy Principal Award in the past fortnight.

Students of the Week

WEEK 5 - Term 4

INFANTS SUGREY - Nickolas Morley / SUPINK - / SUORANGE -  / KNH - Jesse Crowe / KO - Evelyn Williams / KR - / K/1C - April Smith / 1N - Benedict Cortesiano / 1RD - Nixon Wood / 1/2S - / 2E - Nelly Spradbrow / 2M - / 2SP - 

PRIMARY SUBLUE - / SUGREEN - April Powell / SURED - / SUYELLOW - / SURED - Jed Patten / 3D - Jemima Williams / 3FM - Scarlett Peterson / 3S - Jasper Pileggi / 4B - Noah Harrison / 4O - / 4W - Malakye King / 5H - Harrison Wall / 5HM - Tory Oakenfull / 5/6T - Charlie McKenzie / 6C - / 6S - Ezekiel Langton

WEEK 6 - Term 4

INFANTS   SUGREY - Atticus Brown / SUPINK - / SUORANGE - Lillie-Mae Harring / KNH - Dexter McKay / KO - / KR - / K/1C - / 1N - Nugah Shrestha / 1RD - Bella Cole / 1/2S - Mavis Johnstone Blewitt / 2E - Sienna Cardoso/ 2M - Rickia Foster / 2SP - Arthur Curtis

PRIMARY   SUBLUE - Brax Drewe / SUGREEN - Sierra-Lee Cottee / SUORANGE - / SURED - / SUYELLOW - / 3D - Maddie Baskerville / 3FM - Isla Munn / 3S - Adrian Brown / 4B - Will Cole / 4O - Darcy Gallen / 4W - Hudson Riesinger / 5H - Baylen Palmer / 5HM - Claudia Williams / 5/6T - Lottie Harvey / 6C - Violet Healy / 6S - 

Library News

Book Club - Issue 8 Book Club brochures have been handed out. This is the last one for the year. All online, and cash payments must be completed by Friday November 29th. No late orders can be accepted. If you are in year 6 and you have a Gold Book Award, this is the last time to cash them in! Just bring your award and order form to me in the Library, and I will order your item for you. 1 item up to the value of $20. 

Premiers Reading Challenge - Certificates have arrived! The students who completed their PRC earlier in the year, will be given their certificates next week. Congratulations to all those students! 

Overdue books - As we are nearing the end of the year, it is time to check at home and return any books that belong to the MPS Library. There are a lot of overdue books, so please check! There will be no borrowing over the Christmas/New Year Holidays. 

Happy Reading! 

Mrs Vitnell - Teacher Librarian

Office News

PARENTS / VISITORS ONSITE

Parents / Visitors that come to the school during school hours MUST report to the school office prior to visiting classrooms and indicate the reason for being onsite. For safety reasons, and in case of an emergency, you may be requested to show ID, and complete any necessary paperwork depending on the reason for your visit.

We thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we ensure the safety of all students and comply with the Department of Education policy. 

PICKING YOUR CHILD UP EARLY

In the event that you have to pick your child up early, we ask that you come to the office and sign them out.  You can then go to your child's classroom to collect them.

If you need to make a change to student routine at the end of the school day, we ask that you call the office by 2.30pm. A message will then be provided to your child indicating this change. 

CHANGE OF STUDENT DETAILS - IMPORTANT

It is important that the school have correct student contact details in case of an emergency, including residential address, parent/carer email, phone numbers and any additional emergency contacts. If you wish to check your student details, or wish to make any changes, please phone the office for assistance. 

SENTRAL FOR PARENTS PORTAL - 2024 & beyond

The Sentral for Parents Portal App allows you to pay online rather than sending cash with your child to school or coming into the office to pay in person.  

It is really advantageous to have a portal account as more features will be rolled out in due course as we settle into the features that Sentral has available. Currently through the App, parents can notify the school of student absences, make online payments for excursions or incursions, and access Student Academic Reports to view and/or download. 

The invoicing system may send an invoice in advance of a note coming home with your child. Please ask your child for any notes so you are fully aware of the details around the event or activity you are paying for. DO NOT pay an invoice until you have signed and returned any permission/consent forms.

As always, we are here to help if there are any issues. For further assistance with the App please visit https://www.sentral.com.au/parents

If you require an ‘Access Key’ to login, please contact the school office for assistance by phone 02 6372 2036 or email mudgee-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au .

Discover the possibilities, download the app today:
Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sentral.mobile
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ro/app/sentral-for-parents/id1238744022?mt=8

To contact the MPS Office phone - 6372 2036

Your Friendly Office Staff  - "We're here to help!"

P&C Update - Canteen menu

CANTEEN HELPERS - Our Canteen requires your support!!!

Volunteers play an important role in keeping the Canteen open so if you can provide any amount of time, on any day, your assistance would be greatly appreciated. As little as an hour in the morning would be greatly beneficial and assist in keeping the canteen open 5 days a week.

No need for a qualification... please contact our Canteen manager via the school office on Ph 6372 2036

Please find below our NEW Canteen Menu

PCYC After School Care

Parent/carers wishing to access the PCYC After School Care provided at Mudgee Public School, please visit the website for further information https://pcycoosh.org.au/

or  click on the link below to enrol; 

 https://prodadmin.myxplor.com/enrollment_v2/centre/FAMWLCTVxjaH4QZ12435694231iENg

Schoolzine App - Stay Connected

Have you followed us on Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/MudgeePublicSchool

Twitter? https://mobile.twitter.com/mudgeeps or @MudgeePS

Have you downloaded the Schoolzine App to receive all our newsletters directly? https://www.schoolzine.com/szapp-installation

Community Notices

DENTO RYU KARATE

Traditional non-contact Karate 6pm - 7pm Tuesday & Thursday 

Mudgee Public School Hall  $3.50 per lesson - Ages 5yrs over 

For further information contact: Harvey Mb 0427 435 930