MPS Newsletter - Week 1, Term 3 - 22 July

Principal's Report

Welcome Back

Welcome to the start of Term 3, after hopefully enjoying a safe and enjoyable winter break. 

This week we are straight back into rich learning experiences, none better highlighted than Year 6 who left early Tuesday morning for their Canberra/Snow Excursion. I have spoken to Mrs O'Brien who has said the students have been absolutely fantastic, with comments made at most places on what wonderful ambassadors the students are. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs O'Brien, Mrs Martyn, Mr Baddock and Mrs Vitnell for giving their time to attend this camp. I also wanted to thank Mrs Harries who along with Mrs Martyn did a large amount of organisation for the camp, and unfortunately was struck with illness last week and couldn't attend. Our campers are due back in around 8.30 tonight and Mrs O'Brien said she will post some expected arrival times on the Mudgee Public P&C facebook site along the way.  

Later in this newsletter, I have also included the Department's COVID Safe measures. Please take time to have a read. 

NAIDOC WEEK at MPS

Next week will be Mudgee Public School's NAIDOC Week. We are celebrating a week later due to Year 6 being on camp. We have a Deadly Door display competition, a NAIDOC BBQ for all students on Wednesday, a NAIDOC Assembly on Friday morning, and we will be engaging and exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and perspectives through a range of learning experiences. Students are permitted to wear their NAIDOC shirts next week. 

This year's Theme for NAIDOC is "Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up" encourages communities to come together and champion collaborative and cooperative change while celebrating those who have driven positive change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over generations. I am proud of the work our school is doing in this space, and I look forward to celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture within our school next week. 

Volunteers for the PSSA Carnival in the Canteen/BBQ

In Week 6, you may remember our P&C is running the Canteen and BBQ at the NSW PSSA Rugby Union Carnival at Glen Willow (Tuesday 23, Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 August). A big thanks to those who have put their hand up to help. We are still looking for a couple of extra helpers - if you are able to do so, even if its just for a small amount of time, contact Myff Clarke   0415539039 or  myffclarke@gmail.com

This will be one of the P&C's biggest fundraisers and will go directly towards supporting teaching and learning for our students. 

Education Week

This year’s Education Week theme is ‘Creating futures – Education changes lives’ and celebrates the quality education we provide and the opportunities available to everyone in NSW public education. We are excited to Open our School on Wednesday 3 August to showcase what Mudgee Public School is all about. 

CLC Art Show

The Cudgegong Learning Community (CLC) Art Show will be on display during Education Week at the Mudgee Arts Precinct in the Conference and Seminar rooms.

The Art Show is an initiative of the Cudgegong Learning Community which comprises the students, staff, families, and community of the public schools (Primary and High) in the Mid-Western and surrounding regions. It is a showcase of the 3000 students in the CLC and the artworks are a great representation of the achievement being reached by our students. Some artworks were created by students in response to thinking about what they wanted to be in the future and considering pathways to get there or researching a role model to see how education helped create their future.

Members of the public and school communities are invited to attend and help celebrate the achievements and share in the success of public education in our region.

Kindergareten 2023: Jolly Gym Registrations & Out of Area Enrolments

Jolly Gym: Begins this Tuesday and Thursday. Whilst the online registrations have closed, you can still enrol by contacting the front office. We can't wait for this program to get started! Enrolments for 2023 also still remain open.

Visit from Finland Educators

This Monday, we have a visit from a Principal and Director from Finland. They are visiting Australia as part of the Leading Educators Around the Planet (LEAP) program, and whilst in Australia they would love to see a regional school - how lucky are we that they chose Mudgee PS. In our next newsletter, I will share more about this experience. 

Pick Ups, Drop Offs and Crossing

This is a friendly reminder to ensure you are obeying the road rules at pick-up and drop-off time, particularly on Perry Street. I have noticed people queuing in the bus bay, as well as lining up alongside the bus bay for long periods of time. If there is not a space in the drop off zone, you need to either park your vehicle elsewhere and walk to the gate, or complete a lap around the school and hope that there is a space later. This is to ensure the safety of all our students, as well as motorists in the community. The police will be doing extra patrols. 

The school crossing  program is still looking to recruit multiple positions across the town; with two positions available at the crossing at Mudgee Public School. If you are interested in these roles please contact Alex Prout - alex.prout@transport.nsw.gov.au

Thank you everyone for your continued support, 

Mr Carters
Principal

Principal and Deputy Principal Awards

Congratulations to the following students who have received a Principal and/or Deputy Principal Award. 

Students of the Weeks

Congratulations to these students who have been recognised as "Student of the Week". Please join us in ackowledging their efforts and contribution.

Term 2 - WEEK 10

 INFANTS    KS - Harvey Schrover / KF - Sienna Cardoso / KC - Jayce Flack / KL - Mavis Johnston-Blewitt / 1B - Tessa Crowther / 1T - Marissa Smith / 1N - Ally Fraser / 1S - Castien Howson-Purser / 2ND - Sharna Robbins / 2GM - Arkie Gordon / 2R - Ben Liney / LS - Raiden Blunt

Term 3 - WEEK 1

 PRIMARY    2/3S - Braxtan Ibrahim 3D - Owen Wray / 3M - Emasyn Kewin / 3/4L - Angel Percy / 4A - Lexie Dinsmore / 4W - Charlie Pye / 5/6B - Ruby Lumsden / 5/6E - Lucia Clarkson / 5/6H - Wailen Barrass / 5/6J - Hamish MacDonald / 5/6L  / 5/6MC - Skye Nelson / SM - Layla Newman / TT / LL - Lachlan Stewart / JC  / MW - Liam Hughes  

Class Corner 1T

1T had a fantastic time in Term 2 learning about dinosaurs (including our fun excursion to the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum and Dinosaur Park in Bathurst). During Term 3 1T will be learning about the following:

English – Characters in stories, how images and symbols add meaning to texts, our own and other people’s perspectives, descriptive writing, poetry, persuasive writing, types of sentences and paragraphs.

Maths – Place value, Addition and Subtraction, Groups (Arrays, etc) 2D shapes and 3D objects, Chance, Position, Data (graphs and tables), Fractions and Measurement.

History – Past, Present and Future as well as Family Life.

Science – Materials and how they change

Art – Australian artists who create artworks on Australian animals (including the techniques they use)

PDHPE – How we can play cooperatively

Mrs Julie Tito (Classroom Teacher)

Meet the Staff - Miss Chloe Smith

Dear parents and carers of Mudgee Public school,

My name is Chloe, and I am a Mudgee Public School Learning Support Officer. I was born and raised in Mudgee. Prior to taking on this new role I was a room leader in an Early Childhood Education and care service for 5 years. I am incredibly honoured to have the opportunity to be a support teacher and work among a range of children in an education setting. I believe that each child is an individual and deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. I will work on developing each child’s strengths, skills, abilities and knowledge to extend on their learning.

If you see me around the school don’t be a stranger and come say hello.

Miss Chloe Smith (SLSO)

Year 6 Canberra Excursion

A beautiful image below of our Year 6 Students on their Canberra excursion in front of Parliament House. More images can be seen on the Mugdgee Public P&C Facebook page. Facebook

We look forward to a full report on their return. 

Mrs Jen O'Brien (Stage 3 Assistant Principal)

From the Office

Need to make a payment to the school? 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARENT PAYMENT ONLINE (POP)

SEARCH ONLINE:  mudgee-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

Enter on the MAKE A PAYMENT button on the top of screen page.

1. Parent/carers enter student details, including details like Class/Year and Date of Birth, and select Next Section.
2. Parents/carers then enter the Contact Details and select Next Section
3. Parents/carers then enter the payment details. 

   Payment type – arrow down: eg excursion / sales to students. Payment Description used for payment: eg “excursion name” and then select Next Section. (The parent/carer should be instructed what to type in the Payment Description field.) Note:  After adding details of a payment item, you can use the Add Another Payment button to add other items.

4. Parents/carers then enter the Card Details and select Proceed to Confirmation. 

   Note: For any option it is mandatory to include both a payment description and payment amount. The parent/carer should be instructed what to type in the Payment Description field.

5. To apply for a refund please complete a student refund application form shown below or contact the office for assistance. 

   Yr 7 High School Enrolment Form 2023 

   IMPORTANT - Year 6 students MUST return their enrolment form for highschool if they have not already done so.

Have your contact details or student medical requirements changed?

It is important that the school has the correct student contact information for families, especially emergency contacts, in case of an emergency and parents cannot be reached, and correct email addresses for Newsletter items and important notices.  

If your child has a medical condition or requires the school to assist in administration of medication then the school requests that you provide any medical plans and necessary documentation as noted by the doctor. Medication must be provided in a clearly labelled container showing student name, medication type, dosage required, and expiry date.

Is your child running late to school or leaving school early?

It is important that when a student arrives late, or needs to leave early, parents need to present to the front office and explain their child's absence. Parents who assist as a visitor within classrooms must sign in at the front office before proceeding to the classroom.

If you have any questions please contact Your Friendly Office Ladies! 

SCHOOL OFFICE PHONE: 6372 2036

Latest Term 3 Covid-Smart Measures

I want to give you an overview of how we are continuing to ensure our school remains COVID-safe throughout this term.

As we continue to prioritise student and staff learning and wellbeing while at school, our layered COVID-smart measures will continue for Term 3. These ‘baseline measures’ are aligned to the NSW Government’s general community settings and include:

• staying home and getting tested if unwell, and only attending school when symptom free

• strongly encouraging mask-wearing for all staff and students, particularly in the first 4 weeks of term

• rapid antigen testing for symptomatic students and staff, and close contacts attending school to learn and work

•  strongly encouraging COVID-19 vaccinations for students, staff and their families, including a booster shot (when eligible)
  

• strongly encouraging students, staff and their families to get a flu vaccination

• strict requirements for close contacts attending school

• good hygiene practices

• maximising natural ventilation

• boosted cleaning during the day, with particular attention given to high touch surface areas

• responding to local COVID-19 conditions when necessary, by working with the department’s Health, Safety and Staff Wellbeing team.

Continuing these baseline COVID-smart measures allows us to prioritise student and staff wellbeing while giving our learners a consistent and productive learning environment this term.

What's New in Term 3?

As winter continues, our COVID-smart measures have been updated in consultation with NSW Health to provide appropriate protection to our school community.

• Vaccinations: The department has updated its policy regarding COVID-19 vaccination for employees following an independent risk assessment of school (and corporate) settings and consultation with unions and relevant stakeholders. While vaccination will is no longer be a requirement for our staff from 1 August 2022, it is pleasing to see that a recent survey highlighted that more than 99% of the department’s active school-based workforce have had at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. We will continue to strongly encourage all our staff to keep up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations as a way of protecting themselves, students, and our school community.

• Boosted day cleaning. The department has made a slight change to its cleaning process. Cleaning of school sites will now be more concentrated during the day, with an increase in cleaning in school hours, and a subsequent reduction out of hours. Boosted day cleaning will continue to focus on high-touch areas and other hard surfaces, door handles, lockers, light switches and handrails in stairways and movement areas

What's New in Term 3?

• Masks. Masks are an effective way of minimising the transmission of respiratory viruses and infections, and protecting our community, especially those who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and flu. We strongly encourage all students and staff wear a mask for the first 4 weeks of Term 3, particularly in indoor settings or when distancing is not possible. The latest NSW Health advice also recommends wearing a mask for people who have recovered from COVID-19 and recently completed their 7-day isolation period for an additional 3 days (from days 8 to 10 after receiving a positive COVID-19 result). Additionally, as outlined in the below section on close contacts, mask wearing is mandatory for staff and high school students returning to school as close contacts for 5 school days and strongly recommended for primary school students returning to school as close contacts for 5 school days. Students or staff identified as close contacts who are unable to wear a mask will be supported to learn or work remotely.

• Rapid antigen tests (RATs). The department will send another round of RATs to our school early this term, which we will provide to you in the form of 1 multipack of 5 RAT kits per student. These RATs can be used as required for symptomatic testing, such as if your child is displaying even mild symptoms. Beyond this provision, if you require additional RATs let the school know that you need more and we will try and assist. Additionally, our school will be maintaining a reserve stock of RATs onsite to support symptomatic testing in the event of an outbreak in our school community. Please also remember that positive RAT results must be registered with ServiceNSW, and students who test positive to COVID-19 must not attend school until their isolation period ends and they are symptom free.

• Close contacts in the mainstream: Students identified as close contacts remain able to attend school providing they are symptom free, notify the school and return a negative COVID-19 test result daily for 5 consecutive school days. Primary students, while not required, are strongly encouraged to wear a mask for 5 consecutive school days (except when eating/drinking or exercising). Please note that students identified as close contacts are still unable to attend overnight excursions, including camps. Visitors identified as close contacts who are engaging directly with students are required to return a negative COVID-19 test result before attending our school and wear a mask.

• Close contacts in the Support Unit: The rules regarding close contacts in SSPs, support units/classes and students using assisted transport programs remain unchanged. Students in these settings are not allowed to attend school as close contacts, and will continue to be supported to learn remotely. Additionally, visitors identified as close contacts are not allowed to engage directly with students in these settings.
• Responding to our local situation. We will continue to liaise with NSW Health and the department’s Health, Safety and Staff Wellbeing Case Management team to ensure our COVID-smart settings keep up with the latest developments. If local conditions require it, this may mean reintroducing temporary additional COVID-smart measures to act as a ‘circuit breaker’, including:
  • mandating mask wearing for all staff and students in Year 7 and above (high school settings)
  • mandating mask wearing for all staff (primary school settings)
  • postponing or limiting non-essential activities like excursions, indoor assemblies and visitors to the school
  • directing cohorts to learn remotely for short periods of time.

• Maximising natural ventilation. The department has reviewed environmental differences across NSW as part of their winter ventilation planning to ensure that local climatic conditions at each school are considered. The department will continue to provide local guidance to schools, including advice on maximising natural ventilation while balancing thermal comfort and the use of indoor and outdoor learning areas for school activities to support schools to adapt to local climate conditions throughout the winter months.

This information is sent on behalf of the NSW Department of Education

P&C

The P&C Uniform Shop will be open every

THURSDAY  Term 3 , 2PM- 4PM.

Shop online at
www.quickcliq.com.au

Email: mudgeepublicschool-uniform@pandcaffiliate.org.au

Community Messages

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