From the Principal's Desk
I posted on Facebook last Friday (21/8/21), about how LPS had the highest number of students, on average, learning from home in Week 6. This is since the lockdown began. In very positive news, these high numbers have continued this week. We continue to have a very small number of staff onsite, to supervise students. I thank parents for doing everything they can to keep students learning from home, minimising the movement and therefore, ensuring that the community is safe.
I expect that more information will be provided to school staff about the road map or plan for the next four weeks and beyond for education, later this week. When I have that I will communicate with our community about the implications for LPS.
Book week
This week is Book week. A time when we look at exemplary student books and celebrate characters by dressing up and parading. This year’s theme, ‘Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds’, is a very timely theme for this year. As an avid reader, I can get lost in all those worlds. I love the escape that reading provides and as an educator I have strived to pass this passion on to students.
Look online at this year’s Children’s Book Council of Australia shortlisted books.
A team of staff has put together some fun activities for students this week. Keep an eye out on Facebook and Seesaw to see our students engaging in these.
New canteen operator
Di Matos, our school canteen operator, was recently successful in gaining a lease at a large local high school. I thank Di for her contributions to our school community over the past ten years, five years whilst operating as Di's Canteen and five years with the previous provider. We wish her all the best in the future.
Recently, Mrs Leanne Pritchard (School Administration Manager), Ms Rosemary Badger (parent representative from the P&C) and I went through a tender process to find a new canteen operator for LPS. I would like to congratulate and welcome, Mel’s Lunchbox, who were successful as a result of the tender process. Mel’s Lunchbox already services several local Campbelltown schools and will begin operating at LPS from the first day of Term 4, that is if she is able to open. This will depend on COVID restrictions and school operations.
Confirmed COVID cases
I request that any school families, who have a household member become COVID positive, contact the school. It doesn’t matter if the children in the house are negative or learning remotely. I need to report this information to the Department of Education, who will then engage and work with NSW Health.
I thank families, who have been close contacts, for informing the school and then keeping their children at home, working remotely, during their isolation period.
Your cooperation in this process is greatly appreciated.
Stairs to the bottom oval
As you are aware, in the holidays, concrete stairs were installed, replacing the existing ramp down to the bottom oval. This area still has temporary fencing around it as the handrail has yet to be installed. It was scheduled to be attached to the steps in the first couple of weeks of term, however with restrictions, has not been able to be completed. I have heard from the Asset Management Unit, that this work will take place over the coming two weeks. Be assured that the contractors must abide by COVID safety processes and plans. The contractors will only work outside and will have no interaction with school staff and students.
School photos and Year 6 shirts
Unfortunately, school photos and Year 6 shirts arrived during the lockdown. We are unable to have families pick these up from the school. This is not essential travel, poses a health risk to staff and we simply do not have enough personnel onsite to be regularly meeting people at the gate.
As we realised that lockdown was not going to finish soon, we communicated via Facebook and Seesaw, offering to have photos and shirts couriered to those families who would like to receive them. Thank you to the large number of respondents to these surveys. We are organising for these to get to you soon.
If you did not see these surveys and would like to receive your photos or Year 6 shirt, you must contact the office as soon as possible.
Mrs Linda Hambley and Mrs Donna Bates
I want to thank Mrs Hambley and Mrs Bates for everything that they are doing to support the students attending school. Both Mrs Hambley and Mrs Bates are the only executive staff who reside in the Campbelltown Local Government Area (LGA). With the recent lockdown restrictions, the school has needed to only be staffed from within the Campbelltown LGA. With at least one executive needed onsite each day, Mrs Hambley and Mrs Bates, have had to share this time just between themselves. Thank you to them both for their commitment to the students, staff and community at LPS.
#proudprincipal
I would like to thank all our remote and face to face learners for their efforts this term. Shout out to these amazing learners who have made the #proudprincipal list this newsletter.
Congratulations to Angel (5/6T) who created a video of her learning in a science lesson about forces. Angel modelled her experiment, discussed her control. In addition to this, provided a hypothesis, tested her theory and then reflected on the outcomes. Well done Angel! You are demonstrating real scientist skills.
In Stage 3 students have been focusing on using similes in their writing to make it more descriptive. Well done to Aryan (5/6K) who used similes to show how a person feels, rather than directly telling the reader. Congratulations on your descriptive piece of work and exemplary use of similes.
Continuing on with the simile learning, congratulations Ella (5/6G) for her example similes. I look forward to seeing these included in her writing. Keep up the hard work with your learning Ella!
Also in Stage 3, Dhruvi (5/6T) has continued a story from the stimulus. Dhruvi has demonstrated some excellent examples of description in her writing. Thank you for your continued efforts with your learning Dhruvi!
Stage 1 students have been learning about imaginative texts this term. They have been practising using adjectives to describe their favourite characters. Congratulations to these amazing Stage 1 learners for their descriptive writing, Ole (1/2B), Tahlia (1/2T), Ryan (1/2H), Manseerat (1/2C), Liam (1/2R) and Davish (1/2E). Keep up the amazing writing Stage 1!
On Friday, Stage 1 had fun with an Olympics Day. They designed Olympic torches and medals. Look at the creative torches and medals designed by Arya (1/2H), Pippin (1/2T), Jeremiah and Jorja (1/2H). Well done Stage 1! That looks like so much fun.
In addition to writing descriptively, Stage 1 have also been writing new endings to favourite stories. Here is an example of changing the end to, ‘The Three Little Pigs’, written by Junaina (1/2H). That was a different way to end the story! Great writing Junaina.
In science in Stage 1 they have also been learning about the phases of the moon. Mohammed (1/2H) has drawn and labelled the phases of the moon to demonstrate his learning. Great examples of drawing and science learning Mohammed!
Kindergarten have been learning about animals as a stimulus for their writing. Each week, they focus on one animal, learning information about it each day. At the end of each week, students write sentences about what facts they have learnt. Sky (KE) has written about a koala. She has produced three sentences about facts about koalas. Very impressive writing and learning about koalas Sky!
Kindergarten students have also been learning about how to correctly use capital letters, full stops and provide more detail to their sentences. Well done to Violet (KC) who has written a compound sentence about Blinky Bill. Violet has also used capital letters and full stops in the right place. Outstanding writing Violet!
Students in Kindergarten have been playing games to help them learn their weekly sight words. Well done to Lucy (KB) and Gowtham (KW) who are playing sight word bowling to learn their words. As the cups or pins are bowled over or down, they must say their sight words. This is a fun way to learn. Great bowling Lucy and Gowtham.
It’s fun learning when you get to use your toys to help! This is what Kindergarten are doing to help with their maths and subtraction. They model the subtraction using their toys and then write the number sentence. Well done to James (KB) who is demonstrating his maths learning using toy cars. Congratulations on your achievements with your maths learning James.
Stay safe and well. I hope to see our community soon.
