Principal’s Message

Term 1, Week 2

Tuesday

4th February,

2020

Welcome Back

Welcome back to all of our returning families and a special welcome to families who are joining our school for the first time. The holidays

went very quickly and 2020 is off to a flying start. Our kindergarten students started yesterday and have settled beautifully. We all look

forward to seeing the growth in the children’s learning throughout the year.

Classes

Students returned last Wednesday and we told them their new classes in the hall straight after the 8:55 bell. We wanted to get the

learning under way as soon as possible. The classes for this year are;

KS – Mrs Stallard (Assistant Principal) KW – Mrs Wynter

K/1M – Mrs Merchant & Mrs Singh 1C – Miss Cheney

1/2W – Mrs Winterbine 2Z – Ms Zawierta (Assistant Principal)

& Miss De Coster

2/3T – Mrs Thomas 3/4J – Mr Jardine

3/4M – Miss Murray (Assistant Principal) 4/5E – Ms Ellis

5/6H – Miss Hibbert 6C – Mr Carlin (Assistant Principal)

Preschool – Miss Brook Preschool SLSO – Mrs Roberts

Learning and Support Teacher – Mrs Gallagher Library – Mrs Conrick

Computers – Mrs Downes & Mrs Woods AP Release teacher – Mrs Martin

SLSO – Mrs Nash SLSO – Mrs Harkin

General Assistant – Mr Nesbitt Library Assistant – Mrs Onions

Office – Mrs Reedman, Mrs Mitchell, Mrs Ambrose

I would like to welcome Mrs Petrice Martin to our team. Mrs Martin will be working in the Assistant Principal’s classrooms on Tuesday,

Wednesday and Thursday to allow our Assistant Principals to work with their teams to continually improve classroom practice. Cardiff

South is Mrs Martin’s first permanent appointment as a teacher – I reckon she is very lucky to be coming to such as fantastic school.

While Miss Murray may not be new to our school she is taking on new responsibilities as a relieving Assistant Principal. She will be an

outstanding addition to the school leadership team.

We have two teachers returning from maternity leave in Week 6 this term. Miss Zawierta will be back on Monday, Tuesday and

Wednesday each week and Miss De Coster will be here on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. They will share responsibility for 2Z. 2Z will

have Mrs Toohey for the first five weeks but the three teachers have worked together during the holidays to plan a great start to the year.

I have had a couple of people ask me about why we have the number of composite classes that we have this year. The short answer

is that it is determined by the number of students we have in each grade, the number of teachers that our school is entitled to and

the number of classrooms that we have. The NSW Department of Education uses a complex formula to determine how many

teachers each school is entitled to and Cardiff South has been allocated twelve teachers for 2020. Class sizes are smaller in the K-2

classes than in Years 3-6. We then start creating classes using the number of children we have enrolled. This year we have

44 kindergarten students. The recommended maximum in Kindergarten is 20 so we need to form three classes with kindergarten

students in them. This is why we have two kindergarten classes and a K/1. We continue this process until we have all student

numbers in classes from K-6. Once we have decided on class structure we then decide which children will go into each class. We

consider a number of things such as friendships, social groupings, matching students to teachers, teachers who have had particular

students before, the ability of children to work independently, academic mix and others when forming classes. Our team spends a

lot of time making these decisions but we are bound by the number of teachers, classrooms and children each year. Rest assured

the same conversations happen at all schools at the end and beginning of each year.

Please come to talk with me if you would like more information about how we structure classes.

Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to Mr Jardine for organising a really well-run swimming carnival. The races were very competitive and everyone had

lots of fun. I enjoyed getting into the pool and being pelted with balls during the water activities. Some of our Year 2 students have

very strong arms.

There was no cost for the swimming carnival and there will be no cost for the athletics carnival, which will take place on the last day

of this term. We have also made the decision to not have bookpacks this year. All classes will be equipped with all the resources

students need, such as books, pencils, coloured pencils, rulers, scissors, glue sticks, etc. We will ensure that all students have what

they need to be successful at school.

The major costs for families will be for any extra-curricula activities that your child might participate in during the year. Each class

will participate in an excursion (more details will come home from class teachers) and the school will once again participate in

Starstruck, PSSA sport and various other activities. We also have Southy Showtime scheduled for later in the year.

We have set our voluntary contribution for 2020 at $50 with all money raised being dedicated to the purchase of a class set of iPads.

I stress that this contribution is not a fee but a completely voluntary contribution to the purchase of additional resources. You will

see this on your invoices that come home but it is at your discretion to pay it. Please come in to talk with me if you have any

questions.

Preschool Places Available

We still have a number of places available in the preschool if you, or someone you know, is looking for an affordable preschool

experience. Please see the ladies in the office for more information.

Smart Watches and Mobile Phones

Santa was very generous to some of our students during the holidays and a number are wearing new smart watches or have new

mobile phones. If your child’s smartwatch is capable of taking photographs they should not be worn to school. There have a number

of incidents at schools across the country involving students taking photos of other children against parent’s wishes.

Most concerning are the reports of photos being taken in toilets.

Mobile phones should be dropped to the office in the morning where they will be stored safely until the end of the day. If you need

to contact your child during the day please do so via the school phone. If your child is unwell or needs to contact you for any other

reason we will contact you through the office.

Motiv8Sports

A large number of our children enjoyed the sports afternoon run by Motiv8Sports last year. Aaron would love to run the program

again at Cardiff South on Thursday afternoons this year. If you would like to know more see the flyer that came home today or

contact the office for more information.

Have a fantastic fortnight everyone.

Mr Meek

Custody Orders and AVOs

If your child is subject to custody orders, could you please ensure a copy of these orders are lodged with the office staff. Custody orders and the like can often impact on school life in some form or another, so having them on site gives us the best opportunity to support your family. This needs to be kept update to ensure the best care for your child. If there are any changes, please provide us with a copy.

Personal Details

If you have changed personal details e.g. address, phone numbers including work or mobile please contact the front office asap so that we can update our records. Also, if there has been a change in emergency contact details please speak to one of the ladies in the front office, or email changes to the school. This will ensure that we contact the most appropriate people in the event of an emergency.

Absence from School

If your child is absent from school, you are legally required to explain the reason for their absence within 7 days. This can be done, by sending a note in to your child’s class teacher on the day they return or by using the eForms section of the Skoolbag App. If your child’s absence is unexplained, you will receive an SMS from the school asking for the absence to be explained at 10am on the day of the absence.

If your doctor provides you with a medical certificate for your child, a copy can be provided to school to support their absence if you choose. From time to time, families plan holidays during the school term. Family holidays are no longer an accepted category for exemption from school attendance. If your family is planning a holiday during a school term, please speak to the office staff about the process involved, in some cases you may meet the Department’s guidelines for ‘Extended Leave – Travel’. It is always best to do this in advance and to also inform your child’s class teacher.

What to do if you have an Issue?

We are often asked – ‘What’s the best thing to do if there is an issue regarding or involving my child?’. The best course of

action is always to speak to your child’s class teacher first. They are at the ‘coal face’ so to speak and have the best idea of the

things impacting upon your child. Often concerns about their learning or friendship issues can be best resolved at the

classroom level. If after you have spoken to the child’s class teacher the issue remains unresolved – please make contact with

the appropriate Assistant Principal who supervises your child’s grade:

P - 1 Alison Stallard

2 - 4 Louise Murray

5 - 6 Rohan Carlin

Mon – Wed Nicole Zawierta

If after you have spoken to the class teacher and AP the issue is unresolved, you can certainly bring your concerns to the

Principal. For all matters involving school policies and procedures an appointment with the Principal can be arranged through

the school office.

Children going to the toilet

Children at CSPS are permitted to use the toilets during class time if it is necessary. However, we do encourage using the toilet

at the beginning or end of breaks and just before school so as to have less impact on their learning. Any child that needs to go

to the toilet is expected to take a friend with them. If we believe that your child is using the toilet to the point that their class

work is suffering, the Principal has asked the classroom teachers to mention this to you for your guidance on the most

appropriate action.

Attendance at School

Regular attendance at school for every student is essential if students are to achieve their potential, and increase their career

and life options. Schools in partnerships with parents are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students. While

parents are legally responsible for promoting the regular attendance of their children, school staff, as part of their duty of care,

record and monitor part and whole day absences. (Source DEC School Attendance Policy 2015)

Canteen Helpers

Our canteen is open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and is run by a very faithful group of volunteers, led by our

Canteen Supervisor, Mrs Jenny Sweeney. Despite good support we always need more volunteers, particularly on Wednesdays

and Fridays. If you have a spare day a month or fortnight and would like to volunteer in the canteen, please see Jenny in the

canteen on either of these days. Your support would be very much appreciated, not only by Jenny, but also the students.

Mosquito Reminder

With the ongoing humid weather that we experienced throughout February it is not uncommon for the mosquito population to

increase. We’d encourage all parents to consider putting a suitable roll-on insect repellent in your children’s bags so that they

can apply some before each break. Please remember that aerosol repellents are not permitted at school.

Permission Notes

For most of the extra activities we do through the school year, such as excursions and performances, you will be given a

permission note containing the details of the event and the cost (if there is one). These are usually sent home with the term

statements, as outlined above, but can also be found on the Skoolbag app which can be printed off at home if one is misplaced.

Other helpful notes and info, such as ‘Prescribed Medication Forms’ can also be found here. Notes and money are always due

two days before the activity.

Drop off and collection of students

Supervision in our school commences at 8:30am in the mornings, as a result, students are not permitted to be on the school

grounds before this time. To ensure their well-being we ask that parents do not linger in the playground before school as it

presents us with some supervision issues. It is best if you kiss them and wave goodbye particularly if they are a child that is a

little anxious at the start of the day. At the end of the day, our gates which are locked during the day will be opened at 2:50pm

(once Kindergarten are full-time) and parents can wait for students to come out after the bell. Again, it helps us identify

students who have not been collected on time if families are quick to leave the school grounds once their children are

collected. Please do not linger in the playground or around the COLA area.

Term Statements

Each term in Week 3 (approx.), we send home a term statement, one per family, which outlines all of the anticipated expenses

for that term. It will include excursions, in-school performances, discos etc. We’d ask that families pay the statements

promptly where possible. If yours is a ‘split’ family and the invoice has gone home to the other side of the family, the office can

update you on what money is outstanding. As has been our policy, students will not be permitted to take part in activities for

which they have not paid. If your family is experiencing financial difficulty at any point during the year, please make an

appointment to speak with the Principal to discuss your circumstances, as you may be eligible for some assistance.

School Assemblies

In 2020, assemblies will continue to be on Thursday afternoons at 2pm in the school hall on a fortnightly basis. Classes will

continue to have the opportunity to lead the assembly and build their public speaking experience. Family members are always

invited and welcome to join us for our assemblies. Keep an eye on the newsletters for an indication of when your child’s class

are leading the assembly. The first assembly for the year will be in Week 3 on Thursday 13th February and will be led by the

School Captains. Join us if you can.

Timetable

For families that are new to our school, our school timetable is as follows:

8:55 Assembly

9:00 Morning session

11:00 Recess

11:25 Middle session

1:10 Lunch

2:00 Afternoon session

3:00 Home time

Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop is now open on Tuesday 8.40am – 9.30am (from 5th February 2020) and also via Quickcliq.

Volunteering at School

Volunteers and parent helpers play a vital role in our school and the education of our children. Volunteers help in classrooms,

in the canteen or uniform shop and sometimes at specific events. If you visit our school as a volunteer, please remember that

in order to do so, consistent with DoE policy, you must first have completed a working with children declaration at the office.

This has to be done annually. So even if you did this last year, it must be done again at the commencement of each new

school year. When you complete a declaration you also need to provide proof of identification up to 100 points (just like when

you renew your driver’s licence). Once this is finalised, please ensure that each time you visit our school you sign-in at the

office, collect and wear a visitor’s lanyard and also sign out and return the lanyard when you leave. Our helpful office staff will

talk you through it if you are coming in for the first time. Your assistance in our school is such a big help and we appreciate all

our volunteers.

P&C Meeting

At Cardiff South PS, P&C meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Therefore, the first P&C meeting for 2020 is

scheduled for Wednesday 19st February. Our P&C are a valued part of school and they do a wonderful job of managing our

canteen, running the uniform shop and raising funds for specific school needs. Joining P&C is a great way to meet and get to

know other school families. Meetings are held in the library starting at 7pm. New members are always welcome to come along

and join us.

Student Banking

CBA student banking day will be every Monday for this year and will start on Monday 10th February, 2020.

Facebook

The school has a Facebook page where you can find information about what is happening each week. Search for Cardiff South PS.

Making Appointments and Communication

If you wish to make an appointment with your child’s teacher at anytime throughout the year, please contact the office to arrange a suitable time. If you wish to send an email to an individual staff member, it needs to be sent to cardiffsth-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au. The office staff will forward the email to the appropriate staff member.

Payment Reminders

All payments to the school can be made through our online POP system. Simply search for the school website and go to the ‘Make a Payment’ tab. Cash and EFTPOS are available at school, but please remember we do not keep change, so the correct amount is appreciated. PLEASE NOTE Any payments related to the P&C (eg. Uniforms) must be in cash only. Please do not use the online system for these payments.

Library

Welcome back to another wonderful year of reading. The theme amongst libraries this year is Curious Creatures,

Wild Minds – which I think is a great way for kids to be. I hope over the year our students will have plenty of

opportunities to be curious, ask questions, learn, explore and use their imaginations.

Term 1 Library Days:

I encourage all students to borrow on a weekly basis and have a library bag to protect our books. The home reading

journals were sent home this week for students to start entering their regular reading habits.

Book Club

Our school uses Scholastic Book Club as a way of promoting quality books at a reasonable price. Issue 1 will be sent

home this week. Book Club is a fabulous way of supporting our library, 20% of all sales come back to our school and

allow us to purchase quality reading resources. Issue 1 ordering needs to be finalised by Tuesday 18th February. If

you would like to place an order you can pay at the office with cash, eftpos, cheque or online via LOOP through

Scholastic’s website. Please ask if you’d like any more information regarding book club and ordering.

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

3/4J 2Z 4/5E 1/2W

6C 3/4M KS K/1M

1C 5/6H 2/3T

KW

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Wk 2 3.2

Kindergarten’s first day

4.2

Newsletter

5.2 6.2

7.2

Wk 3 10.2

11.2

12.2

13.2

Assembly

14.2

Wk 4 17.2

Scripture starts

18.2

Newsletter

19.2

Life Education Visit

P&C Meeting 7pm

20.2

Life Education Visit

Zone Swimming Carnival

21.2

Life Education Visit

CSPS Swimming Carnival report

The CSPS swimming carnival was held last Friday, 31st January at Wallsend Pool. The weather was hot and sunny as

busloads of students excitedly rolled into the pool ready for the day’s events. To begin proceedings each house

loudly and passionately presented their cheers that they had been practising all week. Afterwards, events began

with the 50m freestyle age races, followed by the stroke events of backstroke and breaststroke with great

participation from students in all houses. After a recess break students were back in the water with the open 100m

freestyle and 50m butterfly for our elite swimmers to try and make qualifying times for zone. In between these

events was the hectic splash and dash 25m freestyle races which thrilled the crowd. Students enjoyed the

opportunity to be involved in some structured games to relax after their competitive races. To end the carnival the

boys and girls relay events took place after lunch. Standout swimmers on the day included Bailey Johnson, Riley

Neill, Alex Butler, Charlie Ivey, Milla Carmont, Mia Hanlon and Abigail Butler. A massive thank you to all students

who attended and participated, family members who cheered on their children and staff who assisted to make the

day a success for everyone involved. We will send a large team to the zone carnival on Thursday 20th February. We

wish them the best of luck against tough competition.

Zone Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to all the students selected to represent CSPS at Zone level. This carnival will be on Thursday 20th

February at Speers Point pool. A note will be coming home shortly for these students.

New Uniform Shop hours

Uniform Shop hours will be changing. As of the 5th February, it

will be open on Tuesday Mornings 8.40am – 9.30am weekly.

For this week hours will remain the same - Wednesday 8.40am – 9.30am

Uniform shop accepts Cash and Online Ordering through QuickCliq. Orders

can also be left at the office to be completed the following week.

QuickCliq allows you to order from the uniform shop without having to come

in during open hours. You can also place orders for the Canteen on this platform.

Payments are Direct Debited from your nominated account. To sign up, use the following link and follow the

prompts.

https://www.quickcliq.com.au/

Orders processed through QucikCliq are processed during open hours in the Uniform Shop.

Orders can be collected from the office or sent home with the student.

Canteen On-line Order

Due to the new year all parents using the Canteen On-line Order System will need to update Student class and

teacher name. Please find the steps on how to do this listed below:-

Student Profile Update Steps.

Log into – quickcliq.com.au

If you are an existing user type in your email address & password to log in.

Click on the word Student. If you have one child it will automatically show. If you have two or more you need to

click on select a student.

Click on the year and click on your child’s year eg: 1 or 4

Click on the Room and select your child’s class.

Click on Teacher’s name and select your child’s teacher.

Click on Health Warning and list any Allergy Warnings that canteen needs to know about Food Allergies.

Click on Update to store your child’s details.

Then start all over again for each child and update from steps 3 to 8.

You are now ready to start the New Year for our Online Canteen Orders.

TERM 4 CANTEEN ROSTER OPEN WEDNESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS

Wednesday 05/02/20 Thursday 06/02/2020 Friday 07/02/2020

Renee Ridgeway

Jess Burndred

Madelyn Thompson Kay Caroll Donna Wise

Courtney Simpson Meagan Clarke

Wednesday 12/02/2020 Thursday 13/02/2020 Friday 14/02/2020

Tracey Urqhuart

Fran Storey

Janine Pilarski Danielle Fletcher Linda Lavelle

Karen Nesbitt Janine Pilarski

Wednesday 19/02/2020 Thursday 20/02/2020 Friday 21/02/2020

Wednesday 26/02/2020 Thursday 27/02/2020 Friday 28/02/2020

Wednesday 04/03/2020 Thursday 05/03/2020 Friday 06/03/2020

WK 2

WK 3

WK 4

WK 5

Wk 6

The Canteen is run by volunteers supervised by Mrs

Jenny Sweeney. Willing and dedicated volunteers are

always welcome. The Canteen is currently looking for

new volunteers for 2020. Names can be given to the

Office or to Jen in the Canteen.

Tuesday 18th February

2019 Term 4 and 2020 Term 1 Parent Planner

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week One

27.01.2020

Staff Development Day

Students Years 1-6 Return to School

Kindergarten - Best

Start

Kindergarten - Best Start

CSPS Swimming Carnival

Kindergarten - Best

Start

Week Two

03.02.2020

Kindergarten students start school

Newsletter

Week Three

10.02.2020

Assembly - School Captains

Week Four

17.02.2020

Newsletter Life Education Visit

P&C Meeting 7pm

Life Education visit

Zone Swimming

Carnival

Life Education visit

Week Five

24.02.2020

Life Education visit

Assembly - House Captains

Week Six

02.03.2020

Newsletter

Week Seven

09.03.2020

Assembly - 4/5E

Week Eight

16.03.2020

Newsletter

Week Nine

23.03.2020

Yr 5 Teen Talk Yr 6 Young Teen Talk

Assembly - 2/3T

School Disco

Week Ten

30.03.2020

Newsletter

Assembly - 3/4M