GENERAL NEWS
GARDEN CLUB
Spring has sprung in the St Nicholas School garden. Thank you to Mrs O'Mullane and her garden elves. Simply gorgeous!!
LOST PROPERTY
The following items are in our lost property. Contact office staff if any of these items are yours.
STAGE 3 DIOCESAN DEBATING COMPETITION
Today our Stage 3 Debating Team (Erica Holzigal, Seamus Ryan, Sam Thompson and Ella Gallagher) competed in the fourth round of the Armidale Diocesan Stage 3 Debating Competition. We debated against St Joseph's Uralla and had to argue the topic, "The Olympics are overrated and overly expensive." Congratulations to Erica, Sam, Ella and Seamus on winning their debate today.
BIG WRITE
Today our Kindergarten students participated in their first Big Write. It was fantastic to see their enthusiasm for writing and the incredible language that they were using in their writing. The students were so proud of their efforts and how well they could showcase all the skills they've been learning this year.
SSTS - SCHOOL STUDENT TRANSPORT SCHEME
Transport for NSW has moved the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) information and application portal to transportnsw.info. This is an exciting step in helping schools and families find all their travel information in the one place.
From 1 October 2021, customers who visit the SSTS website at https://apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts for school student travel will be automatically redirected to https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ticket-eligibility-concessions/school-student-travel. This means, no matter how customers try to access school travel information, they will land in the right place.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact us via transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/fares-concessions-tickets-feedback
STUDENT BUS PASS 2022 APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
ICAS EXAMS
Earlier in the year, Year 4, 5 and 6 students were given the opportunity to register for the annual UNSW ICAS Exams. With the recent COVID lockdown in the Tamworth LGA, we have moved the online exam dates to the following:
Digital Technologies - Monday 8th November
English - Thursday 11th November
Science - Monday 15th November
Spelling Bee - Thursday 18th November
Mathematics - Monday 22nd November
Catch ups - Thursday 25th November
All exams are held online and in the school auditorium from 11.45am on the above mentioned dates. Registered students will be collected from class.
BIKES AND SCOOTERS
Please be aware that our St Nicholas Bike and Scooter Policy states that children must be over 10 years to ride a bike or scooter to and from school. All children riding a bike or a scooter to school, and their parents, must familiarise themselves with the Bike and Scooter Policy so that they are aware of the expectations. If your child is riding a bike or scooter to and from school, we ask that you please email their class teacher so that they are aware.
KINDER ORIENTATION 2022
The three orientation sessions for Kindergarten 2022 children will begin with Orientation Day 1 tomorrow.
- Orientation Day 1 - Friday 29th October 2021 - 9am -11am
- Orientation Day 2 - Friday 5th November 2021 - 9am - 11am
- Orientation Day 3 - Friday 12th November 2021 - 9am - 11am
The Orientation Days for children are significant in helping children familiarise themselves with the school environment and helping to make the transition to ‘big school’ so much easier. These days are also used by teachers to make observations that may help us to cater for your child’s needs. Children should be dressed in appropriate casual clothing with a hat and closed in shoes. Your child should bring a water bottle and cut fruit for morning tea at each orientation visit.
There will be COVID-19 measures in place in order to comply with the NSW Health Guidelines.
Please note the Parent Morning Tea on Friday, 29th October has been cancelled.
A letter has been emailed to all Kinder 2022 families.
ACCOUNTS
There will be no fee invoices issued this term. We would be most grateful if all outstanding accounts could be paid by the end of November. If you are experiencing any difficulties in paying fees or would like to discuss payment options please contact Mrs Robyn Burke or Mrs Shauna Lee on 67661500.
LIVING WELL, LEARNING WELL
We would like to take this opportunity to remind all our families on our three rules for living at St Nicholas Primary School.
- I am safe.
- I am valued, respected and cared for.
- I am a learner.
If we are following these rules, we are showing that 'Manners Matter' and that we value everyone's right to feel happy and safe at school.
Please take some time to talk with your child/ren about how they can demonstrate these rules at school and at home.
NUT AWARE SCHOOL
Please be mindful that St Nicholas School is a "nut aware" school. This means that we discourage children from bringing nut products to school. We have some children throughout our school who have anaphylactic allergies to nuts and if they are exposed, it can be life threatening. We ask that parents and students support us in reducing the risk of these students coming into contact with nut based products.
This excerpt has been taken from our school's Allergy Awareness Policy.
"Whilst we do not claim to be ‘nut-free’, minimising exposure to particular foods such as peanuts and tree nuts can reduce the level of risk. This can include removing nut spreads and products containing nuts from the School canteen but does not include removing products that ‘may contain traces’ of peanuts or tree nuts. Foods that have ‘May contain…’ statements can be consumed by students without a food allergy in the same location as students with a food allergy as long as they are not shared with students with a food allergy.
We also request that parents/guardians of classmates of a young student (4-7 years) do not include nut spreads in sandwiches or products containing nuts in their lunch box. This is not a nut ban, but a strategy to reduce risk to the student until they are more able to care for themselves."