An Amazing Term 1 at Anzac Park
As we come to the end of Term 1 our students are to be congratulated on their transition to the new school year. They have embraced many first time experiences and I have been constantly impressed by their curiosity, their passion for learning and the care they have demonstrated towards their peers.
All of our students have been assessed in literacy and numeracy and all students have begun to make significant leaps in their learning. Our Student-Led Conferences provided a timely opportunity for teachers to meet with parents and to set learning goals for each child as we move into Term 2.
Our teachers have worked collaboratively to develop and implement units of work across the Key Learning Areas. Our Kindergarten students have transitioned into school routines and are confident in their new learning environment. Stage 1 stepped into the role of historians to explore the history of our local area and how it has changed over time. Our Stage 2 students have embraced our BYOD program using a range of apps to reflect, collaborate and create. Finally our Stage 3 students have been outstanding leaders and role models for our school. It was an absolute pleasure to spend three days with them in Canberra last week as wonderful ambassadors for our school.
As a school, we have been working busily behind the scenes developing systems and structures that reflect our vision for our new School Improvement Plan and we continue to be a school that is recognised as leading the way. This has included work to ensure that our policies and practices reflect what we know will have the greatest impact on learning and put into practice what the recent research tells us about making an effective school. Our structures for tracking individual students in literacy and numeracy for students continue to develop. We continue to implement programs that support our innovative and flexible learning spaces and programs to support students develop core learning capabilities that we believe our students need to succeed in the twenty-first century.
Our Parents and Citizens Association has continued to be an active and committed group. Our next P&C Meeting will be held on Tuesday 11 May and it is exciting to hear about the wonderful initiatives and ideas that our community have to support our school. I congratulate all our students for their love of learning and success in all areas of school life. I encourage the children to rest and enjoy the time away from school. Thank you for your support in this time of transition. On behalf of myself, and the Anzac Park Team we wish you all a safe, relaxing and enjoyable holiday break. We look forward to supporting and educating your children through another period of growth, development and discovery next term. Monday 19 April will be a student free day and all students will return to school on Tuesday 20 April for the beginning of Term 2.
Student Led Conferences
It has been excellent to see so many parents in and about the school last week meeting teachers for the Term 1 conferences. I would especially like to acknowledge and thank our teaching staff who have given up many extra hours to conduct the conferences. We all appreciate their efforts. If you have been unable to make an appointment, please contact your child’s teacher to arrange one. We would like to ensure we have had the opportunity to talk to all parents.
Stage 3 Canberra Excursion and the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate
Stage 3 students have recently undertaken an education tour of the national capital. We visited a range of locations including Parliament House, the Museum of Australian Democracy, the Royal Australian Mint and the Australian Institute of Sport. Students were provided the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.
Stage 3 App Design Project
This term, Stage 3 students had the opportunity to explore a range of political speeches and propaganda that were historically effective in shifting societal perceptions on major social issues. In teams, students selected a current issue (local, state or federal) to investigate and developed their ideas on the topic. Teams then dived into the app design process to brainstorm, plan, prototype and evaluate their own apps to further persuade members of their community. On Tuesday 30 March, students pitched their apps to a panel of judges that included Mr Trent Zimmerman, Mrs Taylor-Hill and a member of the technology community. We are so proud of our students demonstrating an understanding of their chosen issue and the app design process, developing their citizenship and critical thinking skills.
Applying for Year 5 Entry to an Opportunity Class in 2022
Opportunity classes cater for academically gifted and high potential students who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic and social level. Online applications for Year 5 placement in an opportunity class in 2022 open on Tuesday 20 April 2021 and close on Friday 7 May 2021. Parents and carers will be able to apply from the website at that time. Please note that late applications cannot be accepted. Please read 'Applying for Year 5 entry to an opportunity class in 2022' (see below) for information about the process and important dates. More information about this process will be sent to you via email.
Welcome to our new Crossing Supervisor
Mrs Sackville was jumping for joy this week as she hung up her high-vis vest and officially welcomed Charles to the Anzac Park community in his new role as our Crossing Supervisor. Charles will be ensuring our students are able to safely cross Anzac Ave each morning and afternoon during school term. A big thank you to our P&C for your support in ensuring that we have a dedicated school crossing supervisor!
Winter Uniform Reminder
At the beginning of next term we will have a short cross-over period between winter and summer uniform with all children expected to be in their full winter uniform by Monday 3 May. Noone Imagewear will be open during the school holidays. Please remember to label all uniform items, particularly your child’s school jacket and school hat.
ANZAC Day Commemoration
Our ANZAC Day assembly will be held on Friday 23 April at 12.30pm. Student representatives from each class will be presenting floral tributes. Parents and families are invited to attend this special assembly.
The North Sydney RSL sub-branch has made a special invitation to our community to attend the ANZAC Day Ceremony on Sunday 25 April at 5:45am at the War Memorial at Ridge St, North Sydney. Mrs Taylor-Hill will be attending this service on behalf of Anzac Park Public School to lay a wreath and it would be wonderful if a few members of our school community, including a few children in school uniform, could join her for this occasion. The North Sydney RSL sub-branch used to meet at the historical Anzac Club site, which is our new school site and I am keen to build a positive and lasting relationship with this organisation.
Harmony Week - Everyone Belongs
Thank you to everyone in the Anzac Park community who helped us celebrate Harmony Week. During this week, students engaged in learning activities to celebrate Australian multiculturalism and learned about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians.
Students wore a ‘splash of orange’ to symbolise their support for Harmony Week. They also contributed to a whole school, collaborative artwork symbolising where they are from in the world. This has been displayed for all to see in our school front office, so please check it out next time you are in!
Thank you to everyone who entered the Harmony Week competition. We were overwhelmed with the amount of entries, and loved the range of items that we received. Congratulations to all the students who won the prizes for the competition. Please keep an eye out for these around the school!
2021 Tell Them From Me Survey
Early in Term 2, our school is taking part in the Tell Them From Me student survey. The survey will provide us with valuable feedback on what our students in Years 4-6 think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. Schools in Australia and around the world have used the Tell Them From Me survey to help them improve. The survey is completed on-line and is run by an independent research company, The Learning Bar, which specialises in school-based surveys. Staff in schools will not be able to identify individual students from their responses. To ensure confidentiality, participating students will receive a unique username and password. The survey typically takes 30 minutes or less to complete and will be administered by the school during normal school hours. Once the surveys are completed by students, reports are prepared and in most cases and available to schools within three business days. As well as schools getting student feedback, the Department of Education, through the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE), has access to data from across NSW and is running a research project to look at state-wide patterns of student wellbeing, engagement and effective teaching practices. The research is looking at how these things impact on student outcomes, including academic performance. Individual students will not be identified in any CESE publications, and all information will be handled in accordance with the relevant privacy legislation. Students’ personal information will not be disclosed by the department to any other person or body other than as required by law. This research will help us to better understand how to improve student wellbeing and engagement. It will also help teachers and principals discuss what works to improve student outcomes. If you do not want your child to take part in the survey, please let the school know via email by Monday 26 April . More information about the survey and the research is available via the following link:
National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2021
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. Our school will be participating in NAPLAN Online between 11 and 21 May 2021. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN Online is not recommended. Students do not need to be able to touch type to complete NAPLAN Online as the tests are not about keyboard skills (just as the paper test is not about handwriting skills). Students can use the public demonstration site to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and tools available in the NAPLAN Online tests.
LIBRARY NEWS
What a fantastic start! It’s been 4 weeks into the start of this year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) and we already have over 600 super APPS stars who have registered for the challenge. This is an amazing start to this year’s reading challenge. Remember you or your child can register for the challenge any time before 20 August to participate in the challenge. News flash - Those hubs that complete the reading challenge or any students that double the minimum required number of books will be invited to a lunch party with Mrs. Taylor Hill! Watch this space for more details. If you have any questions regarding the reading challenge please contact me (alice.bennett3@det.nsw.edu.au)
Snapshot from STEAM
During Term 1, Kindergarten have been exploring ways to share stories and personal histories. We found out that in the past people would create paper books to share, but now with digital technology, we can create eBooks that contain multimedia and can easily be shared with many people at once.
Using our iPads, the students have learnt how to create eBooks using the Book Creator App. This process has involved taking photos, selecting backgrounds and design features, adding text and recording our voices.
The students really enjoyed sharing their books and are looking forward to creating more books later in the year. Book Creator is a great App for students to share their learning, their interests and their creative writing, so maybe consider using it at home and sharing your eBooks with your class!
A big thank you to our Foundation parents for sharing these photos of our Bamboo Grove. We have grown in so many ways in our five years!
Gold & Silver Award Recipients
Upcoming Dates
Tuesday 20 April - First day Term 2
Thursday 22 April - Yrs 2-6 Cross Country Carnival
Friday 23 April - ANZAC Day Assembly @ 12.30pm
6/7 May Stage 1 Drumming Incursion
Tuesday 11 May P&C Meeting @ 7pm