GORDON WEST BULLETIN V O L U M E 8 2 0 2 0 J U N E 4 2 0 2 0

Principal’s Report Ryde Road Pymble 2073 Telephone: 9498 4644 Fax: 9498 4436 Email: gordonwest-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: www.gordonwest-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

The Ian Jackson designed landscape project adjacent to the “fixed equipment” has finally been completed. The School Building Commi ee was very impressed by Outdoor Retreats Landscaping who completed the project. In fact it was a pleasure having Mr Damien Sonego and his sub contractors working at our school. One of the challenges with the newly designed playground will be to cater for the school “diggers” who love to play in the dirt which is no longer available in the “Quiet Area Playground.”

However we plan to construct a special area for the “diggers” adjacent to the climber. This may take a li le me to implement so we seek your assistance in reminding your children not to dig in the new gardens. Thank you to all members of the School Building Commi ee for their involvement in this wonderful project. Thank you once again for your coopera on with the Department of Educa on’s guidelines for NSW children returning to face to face learning. Overall the first two weeks of Term 2 have been an overwhelming success. Each week the school receives a DOE Situa on Report‐COVID‐19 outlining the current situa on and providing updated guidelines for schools to follow. Unfortunately we s ll have a small number of parents who for whatever reason are not following these guidelines. Although the Principal has the authority to ensure that individuals adhere to these guidelines parents should take responsibility for their own behaviour. A comprehensive guide was published in our 21 May 2020 Bulle n in reference to drop off and pick up procedures which we would expect you to follow unless you have made other arrangements with the school. We have over 834 parents at Gordon West Public School, approximately 825 of whom are following the Department of Educa on guidelines.

Dates to Remember

Mon 8 July

Queen’s Birthday Holiday

Friday 3 July

Last day Term 2

Monday 20 July

Staff Development Day

Tuesday 21 July

Students Resume T3

A number of Kindergarten parents have applied for and been granted permission to enter the school from Pee Wee Park and then drop the children at the corner of the Library. Please talk to your child’s teacher should you require special arrangements to be implemented. We are also having the challenge of more children than usual arriving late to school and we ask you for your assistance in overcoming this unnecessary prac ce. Thank you to the vast majority of Gordon West parents who are working with us to ensure a successful, safe return to face to face learning.

The Department of Educa on has also stated that students cannot share food or drinks. This includes birthday treats, cakes and cupcakes. We will advise the community when this restric on is eased. At this point in me the Department of Educa on has not granted permission for community use of the school’s facili es or for the commencement of the school band program. We will keep you updated immediately of any changes to DOE policy. Congratula ons to Mr Sparke on comple on of the Gordon West Annual Report. Although we had hoped to have published this very important document earlier, COVID‐19 circumstances have prevented this happening. The Annual Report will be submi ed to the DOE today and should be on our website by the end of the week. The Annual Report provides a comprehensive overview of the school’s performance and ac vi es over the past twelve months and is well worth reading. If you have any ques ons rela ng to the report please contact Mr Sparke or myself. You may recall that Mr Sparke chaired the School Valida on Commi ee last year and is very passionate in rela on to school planning and would love to converse on this cri cal component of the school organisa on.

We also thank the school community for adherence to the Gordon West Uniform policy determined in consulta on with the parents of Gordon West Public School. The school expecta on is that all children should now be wearing full winter uniform including wearing a e. Please refer to the school website to ensure that your child is wearing full winter uniform. A big thank you to the Uniform Shop Commi ee for overcoming all of the challenges presented by the COVID‐19 situa on in ensuring the supply of uniforms. I have had a number of parents ask in rela on to school half yearly assessment plans and student reports/ parent interviews. The DOE and all schools across the state, including Gordon West are working on modified student reports. The Gordon West execu ve and teachers are currently formula ng a revised assessment/repor ng plan and hope to be in a posi on to implement the Gordon West plan by the end of next week.

Thank you once again for your ongoing coopera on in

these challenging mes.

J Huckerby Principal

Looking for work or a career change? Can you see yourself working in a school? Need help to find work in the coronavirus craziness?

Schools and other organisations are regularly hiring people for the following roles: Gardener, cleaner, administration, management, canteen, education assistants and many other roles. Starting in July 2020, North Metropolitan TAFE are running a one-semester course on the skills required to be a successful candidate for employment in a school or elsewhere. The course aids in preparation for entry into gardening, cleaning, administration, management, canteen and education assistant work. We have had huge success supporting people to find work and the chances of gaining employment are strong. This course is suitable for existing gardeners, cleaners, administrators etc., and people looking to change career or people looking for a return to work. The course includes:

• Training in skills specific to the role you are interested in e.g. IT skills • Work experience in a school or other organisation • Help and support to find work • Help accessing further training as required e.g. Certificate III in Education Support • Development of your job application cover letter, resume and help with selection criteria

Entry requirements: • 18+ • Strong work ethic • Good oral and written communication • Must be able to read procedures, safety sheets and chemical bottles • Must be able to send and receive emails • Successful completion of an entry interview • Working With Children Check and a Department of Education Clearance

Course details:

Dates - Starts Tue 21st of Jul and finishes Fri 11th of Dec 2020 (20 weeks)

Days - 3 days per week, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9:15 until 2:45

Cost - Approximately $170 (subject to change) total course fee for full 20 weeks

Location - North Metro TAFE Leederville and on work experience

Qualification - GATE (Gaining Access to Training and Employment) Certificate I If you would be interested in this course then please email:Chris Hodson: chris.hodson@nmtafe.wa.edu.au

Disclaimer: North Metropolitan TAFE does not guarantee work after completing this course. This course supports you to find work. The course is run by North Metropolitan TAFE (RTO code: 52786) and is not endorsed by any authority or government department.

Posi on Vacant ‐ Uniform Shop Manager GWPS P&C is looking for an enthusias c person to appoint to the posi on of Uniform Shop Manager. The role includes:

1. Planning, organising, and monitoring the day to day opera ons of the uniform shop, including the ros‐tering of voluntary workers, daily record‐keeping, opening and closing the uniform shop and ensuring all workers sign in and out;

2. Developing, implemen ng and managing procedures to deliver the uniform shop service;

3. Providing leadership to uniform shop employees and volunteers to ensure the delivery of an affordable service to the school community;

4. Ordering, purchasing and checking all supplies against invoices and delivery dockets. A selec on panel will be convened and suitable applicants will be called for interview. An eligibility list will be created to fill vacant posi ons when required and will remain current for 12 months. Employment Type: Casual ($29 per hour) Hours: 8‐10 hours per week during school term Applica ons close: Friday 12th June 2020 If you are interested in applying for the Uniform Shop Manager posi on, please send a brief cover le er and resume to gordonwestpc@gmail.com For further informa on, please contact James O’Keefe on 0422 213 263.

STUDENT NEWS PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE

Jun L KW Zayd N KS Leena C 1G Calla Z 1T

Jayden X 2J Sophie A 2H Ryan B 2P

Nadia W 3W Tiffany W 4/5T

Congratulations to the following students who have completed the challenge:

Emily V 3G Vincent Z 3/4D

Kai H 3W Zara S 3W Evan Z 3W

Matilda D 4C Vanessa W 6S

Zara D 5D