Dear Parents, Carers, students and community,

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, with the Mother’s Day Stall, Mid-South Cross Country Carnival, Preschool Interviews, Yanggaa Garaba On Country day, as well as plenty of amazing teaching and learning in our classrooms.

I hope all the mums, carers and special loved ones had a fabulous Mother’s Day and were showered with love and cuddles. Thank you to the P&C and the huge number of volunteers who provided our students with an opportunity to buy something special for their mum. It is always lovely to see the care students put into choosing the perfect gift and the excitement created by the gesture of giving.

Pedestrian Crossing

Council has received funding to construct a raised pedestrian crossing on Wentworth St, in place of the existing flagged crossing area.

Works are planned to take place from Monday, 29 May to Friday, 9 June weather permitting. It will be done under a continuous road closure, meaning that Wentworth St, adjacent to the school grounds, will not be accessible for through traffic for the duration of the project, therefore causing surrounding streets to be highly congested during this time.

To ensure the safety of our students and families, access to our school through the Wentworth Street gate will not be available during this time. In addition, cars will not be able to do a loop around the block, when waiting to access the Kiss and Go zone. If you reside a short distance from the school, it is recommended that families walk to and from school. If you are required to drive to school, parents and carers are encouraged to park in nearby streets and walk a short distance to avoid further congestion, particularly on Griffiths Street.

We apologise about the inconvenience, but know this will be of great benefit to the safety of students and our community.

Kiss and Go Area – Griffiths Street

We have recently become aware of infringement notices (fines) being issued within our Kiss and Go Zone on Griffiths St. Although our community should be congratulated for the orderly and patient way students are collected, unfortunately this mean that often cars are ‘double parked’.

Some key expectations about the ‘Kiss and Go’ zone include:

· Stand only for 2-3 minutes, no parking

· Stay within your car, where possible, or within 3 metres of the car

· Fill the kiss and drop area from the front first

· If you are waiting and a car leaves from in front of you, please more forward to fill the space if safe to do so

· If your child has not come out of the gates, do a loop around the block and re-join the ‘kiss and go’ area

· Children should always exit or enter on the kerb side, unless supported by an adult.

Kindergarten Enrolments for 2024

Do you have a child who will be ready to start school next year? We are currently taking enrolments for students from our local intake area for 2024. If you or friends/neighbours within our area have children ready to start school next year, please log onto the school website where you can find further information and complete the enrolment online. If you have any concerns or question regarding your child starting school, please don’t hesitate to contact our school office on 4256 1405 to speak with someone.

P&C

Last week I was able to attend my first P&C meeting at OFPS and meet some of the amazing community that come together. It was great to witness their commitment to our students and school, the laughs and the support of one another.

Thank you once again to the P&C for their generous donation of Mathematics resources for every classroom. These resources have arrived, are in rooms and being actively used. Staff participated in professional learning in effectively integrating these resources into their teaching and learning programs.

In addition, the P&C passed a motion to provide additional funding to Southern Illawarra Music Festival (SIMF) and Dance Festival, effectively subsidising the costs for parents. Thank you to the P&C for their generous donation and desire to support families and opportunities for our students.

Student Assistance

Our school provides amazing opportunities for learning and experiences beyond our classroom, such as Dance Fest, excursions, sporting events, and more. Often these opportunities come at an additional cost. If you have any concerns in paying for these opportunities, please don’t hesitate to contact the office to discuss payment plans or assistance.

In addition, our school has a great partnership with The Smith Family. The Smith Family offers learning scholarships to those meeting specific criteria, such as positive school attendance, and parents having a Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card. If you would like further information, please also contact the office.

Student Academic Reports

Our teachers are beginning to write Semester 1 Reports, which will be distributed to families in Week 10 of this term. Parents are reminded that at any time you can contact teachers to share concerns or gain information on your child’s progress. Of course, teachers are busy with a range of other commitments, meetings and planning requirements, but will always make time to speak with you as required.

Kind regards,

Jodi Niedermayer

SRC