SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Week 8, Term 4

Principal's Report

Well here we are... The end of Week 8 Term 4. The year is quickly drawing to a close, but not without lots of exciting activities and events between now and the end of the year. 

Presentation Day: I am still on a high as I reflect on our recent Presentation Day, which was a remarkable celebration of our students. Despite the heat in the hall, as I looked around from the stage, I got a real sense of pride and happiness as we recognised the outstanding accomplishments of our students.

A special shout out to our talented guitarists, who set the tone for a great day opening up for the Primary Ceremony. There was some serious skill on show and as I looked around, I saw many people (Special guests included) rocking and singing along. Our infants dance group were also super cute with their routine, showcasing the creativity and enthusiasm of our youngest learners. As always, our school band delivered some lovely music (even my surprise introductory music).

We really were delighted to see such a fantastic turnout from parents and the community, which speaks volumes about the support and involvement we have. A really big thank you to our special guests who joined us to celebrate this significant occasion.

Special congratulations to all our major award winners (some images below), as well as our class award recipients. Each of you is truly deserving of your award. For more wonderful images head to (20+) Mudgee Public School | Facebook

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Student Leadership Speeches: Another highlight on Presentation Day was the announcement and introduction of our new student leadership team for 2025, comprising eight enthusiastic and dedicated individuals: two captains, two vice-captains, and four prefects (Images below). This expanded leadership team reflects our commitment to supporting and encouraging student agency within our school. The democratic process through which these leaders were selected not only highlights the importance of student voice but also ensures that a diverse range of perspectives is represented.

I am really excited to see our student leaders operate as a cohesive team, working collaboratively to support their peers and enhance the overall student experience. Next Friday, we will hold a meeting with our 2024 student leaders alongside our incoming 2025 leaders to discuss strategies for promoting this leadership team and ensuring that all voices are heard within our school. 

I would also like to acknowledge the eight candidates who ran for leadership positions but were unfortunately not selected. Your courage and commitment to stepping up as leaders is commendable, and I encourage you to continue being proactive in our school community. Remember, leadership isn’t just a title; it’s an action. I am certain that all of you will continue to embody the qualities of great leaders, contributing positively to our school culture in many ways.

Beginners: This week marked the last sessions of our Mudgee Beginners program, which is our program that supports our incoming Kindergarten students as they transition to school. It has been a real pleasure to see our future learners engaging in all the activities and making new friendships. We are proud of the progress they've made and look forward to welcoming them officially to "Big School" next year. Thank you to all the staff and families who have contributed to making this program a success. More images MPS (20+) Facebook

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Roger Wotton and Kevin Pye Public Speaking:

On Monday, MPS hosted the annual public speaking competition for Stage 2 and Stage 3 students.

In the Stage 2 competition the winner was Lucas Pryor from Mudgee Public who presented an excellent speech on potatoes ruling the world. Lucas will now have his name engraved on the Kevin Pye Public Speaking Shield. Charlie Stevens was awarded Highly commended and received high praise from the adjudicators.

In the Stage 3 competition, Jake Colley from MPS and Tessa Ferrie from CVPS were declared the joint winners and will now have their names engraved on the Roger Wotton Public Speaking shield that has recognised winners for over 30 years! Congratulations to Jake who has displayed outstanding public speaking skills over the past four years. Three students from MPS were awarded Highly Commended: Chloe Clarkson, Toby Pryor and Zean Villamer. These students presented excellent speeches, highlighting the depth of talent we have at MPS.

Mrs B also congratulated the large number of students who prepared and presented a speech to their class as this demonstrates the enthusiastic approach both, students and teachers have towards public speaking at MPS. Congratulations to all participants!

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Class Structures for 2025: As we look ahead to 2025, we are pleased to share a preview of our class structures for 2025 (see image below). Our aim is to create an engaging and supportive learning environment for all students.  Our teachers and leaders are currently investing significant time and effort into structuring the classes. Their goal is to create an environment that best meets the needs of all students. I have emphasised the importance of ensuring that the classes are well balanced, taking into consideration various factors such as academic abilities, social dynamics, and learning styles. An essential aspect of this process is making sure that every student has at least one friend in their class. We understand how important social connections are for students’ wellbeing and engagement in the learning process.  We are planning to hold a "Meet the Teacher" session on Tuesday of Week 10, where students will have the opportunity to meet their teachers for the next year and get to know their new classroom setting.

In 2025, there will be some composite classes, which consist of students from different year levels learning together. Composite classes come with numerous benefits, including the opportunity for individualised learning experiences and fostering peer relationships across age groups. Students in composite classes often develop stronger social skills, as they learn to collaborate and support one another. Additionally, teachers can tailor their instruction to meet the diverse needs of their students, ensuring that everyone can thrive academically. 

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work diligently to finalise class placements that will provide the best possible outcomes for our students in the upcoming year.

Semester 2 Reports: Our teachers have been hard at work behind the scenes preparing Semester 2 Reports. We want to remind all families that student reports will be available on Tuesday, 17 December, via the Parent Portal App on Sentral. As part of our commitment to sustainability, we will not be providing paper copies this year, so please ensure that you have the Sentral app installed to access your child's report easily. If you have any questions or need assistance with accessing the Parent Portal, please don’t hesitate to reach out via the front office. Thank you for your cooperation, and we hope you enjoy reviewing your child's achievements and progress

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

• Swim School Begins: Tuesday, 10 December
• Year 6 Raging Waters: Wednesday, 11 December
• 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.

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 7 - Term 4

INFANTS SUGREY - Jayden Hall / SUPINK - / SUORANGE - / KNH - Maddie Butler / KO - Hudson O'Kay / KR - Zane Moynahan / K/1C - Ellie Hawkins / 1N - Ariah Flack / 1RD - Skylar Peterson / 1/2S - Declan Robinson-Smith / 2E - Elouise Swords / 2M - Shiloh Harvey / 2SP - Rosie O'Regan

PRIMARY SUBLUE - / SUGREEN - / SURED - / SUYELLOW - / SURED - / 3D - Nirvana Barrass / 3FM - Victoria Stimson / 3S - Cleo Kirk / 4B - Vienna Letourneau / 4O - Allira Arndell / 4W - Beau Hawkins / 5H - Aiden Leonard / 5HM - lily Clapham / 5/6T - Jamie Boyton / 6C - Lyra Johnson Barnett/ 6S - Alannah Watson

WEEK 8 - Term 4

INFANTS   SUGREY - Sameet Singh / SUPINK - / SUORANGE - Shakira Bateman / KNH - Olive Harvey / KO - / KR - Ryder Reid / K/1C - / 1N - Chloe Stanford / 1RD - Charlotte Brennan- Armstrong / 1/2S - / 2E - Lily-Rose / 2M - Elsie Sharp / 2SP - Lindsay Tomkins

PRIMARY   SUBLUE - / SUGREEN - Zoe Roche / SUORANGE - Lily Memorey / SURED - / SUYELLOW - / 3D - Lucas Pryor / 3FM - Romeo Maxworthy / 3S - Kean Cortesiano / 4B - Sharna Robbins / 4O - Connor Clifford / 4W - Sophie Dale / 5H - Surayah Davis / 5HM - Jimmy Anderson / 5/6T - Bonnie Thomson / 6C - / 6S - Charli Statham

Library News

Book Club - Issue 8 Book Club orders have been completed. The orders should be arriving next week. Thank you for supporting the MPS Library this year, through the purchasing of books from Book Club! 🙂 

Premiers Reading Challenge - Certificates have been handed out!  Congratulations to all those students who received one. 

Overdue books - Borrowing has finished for 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. 

I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable Christmas break and find some quiet time to read! 🎄🎅

Merry Christmas and 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 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