From the Principal's Desk
Welcome to Week 2, Term 4!
Welcome back to term 4! We have another very busy term coming up with lots of great learning, swimming lessons and life saving, excursions and fireworks!!
Congratulations to Jake Simpson who represented the Northwest at the Cricket State Championships last week. Jake is certainly doing very well in the cricket circuits and we are very proud.
Athletics State Championships
Good luck to Logan, Harry, Nixon, Kieran, Brodie, Ryder, Alex and Charlotte who head to Sydney this week to represent the Northwest and MGPS at the State Athletics Championships. We will be cheering you on from here!!
Stage 3 Camp
Last week Stage 3 went to the Great Aussie Bush Camp for the 2024 Stage 3 camp.
Once again, our students represented MGPS with outstanding manners, respect, determination, persistence and resilience. We all had such a great time, stepping outside our comfort zones!! We all got to do canoeing, shelter building and damper making, jumping off an 18m tower, beach games, running up and down huge sand dunes, team building, running our own county fair and zipping across the dual flying fox.
You can see all the fun we had by checking out our Martin's Gully Facebook page. Here is just a snippet! A huge thank you to our teachers for giving up their family time to make sure our students get these experiences.
https://www.facebook.com/MartinsGullyPS
New England Sings!
This weekend our senior choir will be rehearsing on Saturday and then performing on Sunday at the amazing NE Sings concert. We are very proud of all of our students and wish them all the best.
A huge thank you to Mrs Ruthie Clendinning and Miss Landow for preparing and rehearsing with the students for this amazing event.
Year 6 Fundraiser
Halloween Year 6 Bake sale and Out of School Uniform gold coin donation day. Year 6 will be holding a dress up for a gold coin donation on Thursday 31 October to raise money for their Year 6 dinner and gift to the school. They will also be selling a variety of baked yummies at recess and left overs at lunch.
Thank You
Thank you to Nathan Kentwell, Adrian Cuttle and Dan McLean for giving their time and resources to build the Year 6 gift to the school. It is very exciting and we can't wait for the opening of the GaGa pit.
Swimming and Lifesaving
Today we started our swimming and lifesaving programs. Through the School Sporting grants program, School Swimming Scheme and the one off excursion fee, we are able to offer our students 5 weeks of swimming lessons with qualified Royal Life Saving instructors. It will be wonderful to see students water confidence grow over this time.
ASC Transition for Year 6 into 7
Parent Information Evening Week 4, 7th November (date TBC)
Armidale Secondary College will have an information session in week 4 for parents and carers. This will be held in the MPC 4.30 - 5.30. They will introduce key staff for 2025, book packs, uniforms, etc. There will then be a 30 min break with tea/coffee followed by a CAPA evening showcasing our amazing students at 6.00.
Orientation Day, 3rd December
This is a whole day program for all enrolled students. Can we please encourage all students to get their enrolment forms back ASAP.
Students will need to bring their lunch or bring money for the canteen.
Students will also receive information packs during this visit.
Assembly Roster
This term we will be holding assemblies in weeks 3, 5, 7 and finishing off with our formal Celebration of Learning on Friday 13 December at 10am.
The Assembly schedule will be as follows:
Week 3 - 3-6 Choir will perform
Week 5 - Creative Arts - for students who learn a musical instrument or have dance lessons. Students need to see Mrs Pennington by Monday 4th November to put their names down.
Week 7 - K-2 Choir performing and Grandparents or Grandfriends are invited to come and share a book at 12pm
Week 9 - Celebration of Learning
PAX Word of the Week: Determination
DETERMINATION IS WHEN YOU NEVER GIVE UP ON SOMETHING. YOU STICK WITH SOMETHING ALL THE WAY TO THE END, EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS TOO HARD. IT IS PART OF BEING PERSISTENT AND RESILIENT.
Determination is the quality of being determined; having a firmness of purpose,
and succeeding through sheer grit and determination. How can you show determination this week, and into the future to achieve your goals?
Outdoor Learning day -Thursday 7th November 9:30am-2:30pm.
Spending time outdoors is as important for children’s development as learning to read and write. We want to show how learning outside of the classroom engages and excites children in spectacular ways. Outdoor play and learning is great for children’s health, wellbeing and happiness. Our local radio station FM 100.3 will also be broadcasting from our school in the morning!
Icy Pole Friday
Icy Pole Friday is back. At recess time students can purchase an icy pole for $1. Money raised goes towards the Year 6 gift to the school.
ATTENDANCE MATTERS
Dates for your calendar:
Dates for Term 4
Week 2
Wednesday 23rd October - Swimming Program
Wednesday 23rd to Thursday 24th October - State Athletics Sydney
Thursday 24th October - New England Sings Rehearsal
Saturday 26th October - New England Sings Final Rehearsal (Lazenby Hall)
Sunday 27th October - New England Sings Performance (Lazenby Hall)
Week 3
Wednesday 30th October - Far Out Science - UNE - Year 6 only
Wednesday 30th October - Swimming Program
Thursday 31st October - Music Viva and Halloween Bake sale and dress up
Friday 1st November - Assembly - 3-6 Choir
Week 4
Monday 4th November - Kindergarten's Teddy's Bears Picnic at Thalgarrah
3-6 Choir to sing at RFBI Armidale Masonic Retirement Village 1:30- 2:30pm
Tuesday 5th November - Kindergarten 2025 Transition Morning 9:30-11am.
Wednesday 6th November - Swimming Program
Thursday 7th November - Outdoor Classroom and Open Day
Week 5
Wednesday 13th November - Swimming Program
Friday 15th November - Assembly - Creative Arts performances
Week 6
Tuesday 19th November - Kindergarten 2025 Transition morning 9:30-11am
and welcome BBQ for 2025 Kindergarten students and families (5.30pm)
Wednesday 20th November - Swimming Program
Week 7
Friday 29th November - Assembly - K-2 Choir
Week 8
Tuesday 3rd December - Year 6 Orientation Day - Armidale Secondary College
Friday 6th December - P&C Christmas Party and Fireworks
Week 9
Thursday 12th December - K-2 Choir to sing Christmas carols and share a favourite book at RFBI Armidale Masonic Retirement Village - 1:30- 2:30pm
Friday 13th December - Celebration of learning Assembly 10:00am
Week 10
Tuesday 17th December - Whole school pool day
Wednesday 18th December - Year 6 Final Farewell Assembly and the last day of the year.