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Carlingford Public School

Carlingford Public School

Telephone02 9841 5100

Emailcarlingfor-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Principal's Report Term 3 Week 8

SOCIAL MEDIA WARNING

As you may already be aware, there are distressing reports of a video circulating on social media, in particular, through the hugely popular TikTok.  Please be aware that due to the way that TikTok presents content, if this video continues to be re-shared and viewed, unsuspecting users may be presented with it through their ‘For You Page’ without actively seeking out the video.  We have included some guidance for managing this situation below.

The Terms and conditions for all these platforms restrict access to children 13 years of age and under.  Thus, our students should not legally be on any of these sites.

We have reported our concerns to the eSafety Commissioner and are reassured that students cannot access such sites from school devices.

Please think about ensuring your child does not have access to these sites.  For parents wanting to limit access at home, I recommend a program called Family Zone

 https://www.familyzone.com/anz/families, which is downloaded onto devices. 

If your child is experiencing distress please contact the school. The following support services are available: 

Kids Helpline. 1800 551 800.  Phone support is there all day, every day. Online support is open from 8am-midnight every day (AEST).

Suicide Callback Service. 1300 659 467. Phone support all day, every day, and follow-up calls.

eHeadspace. 1800 650 890. Open 9am-1am daily (AEST).

Lifeline. 13 11 14. Phone support all day, every day. Online support 7pm-4am daily (AEST).

Beyondblue. 1300 22 4636. Phone support all day, every day. Online support 3pm-midnight every day.

 

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

Hoping all our Dads had a great Father’s Day last Sunday.  Unfortunately we were unable to hold our traditional Father’s Day stall due to COVID-19 guidelines.

 

WHS & FINANCIAL AUDIT

Next week Carlingford Public School will undergo a Department of Education audit for finance and Work, Health and Safety. This is a cyclic process where schools are audited approximately every three years. Thanks to Jill Belme, Tania Cochrane, Suzanne Williams, Anna Michales, Jackie Gordon, Fiona Tramonte and our WHS committee for their efforts in preparing for the audit.

 

STAFFING UPDATE

Over coming weeks, we will be advertising for our unfilled classroom teacher position, vacated by Mr McBain. The position will be filled through merit selection, with applicants having to submit a CV, before being selected to proceed to interview.

The panel will be run by Mrs Kristensen, our relieving Deputy Principal. Panel members will consist of Mrs Pogainis (teacher rep), Emily Wong (community rep) and Priyanka Malhotra (EAL/D community rep). The successful applicant will commence duty in 2021.   

 

2021 KINDERGARTEN ENROLMENTS

Enrolments for Kindergarten 2021 are now being accepted. Children born between 1st August 2015 and 31st July 2016 are eligible to enrol. 

Parents wishing to enrol a child for the next school next year should visit the School website www.carlingfor-p.schools.nsw.edu.au then click on the enrolment tab and complete an online enrolment. Once your enrolment has been received parents will receive an email detailing the following steps with regards to documents required.

Parents wishing to enrol an International student must contact the International Student Program https://www.deinternational.nsw.edu.au/study-options/study-programs/international-student-program before approaching the school.

Parents wishing to enrol a child and who are Temporary Residents are requested to visit the School Office between the hours of 10.00am and 2.00pm during the school term to complete a Temporary Residents Application Form. This form and information is also available by clicking on the link https://www.deinternational.nsw.edu.au/study-options/study-programs/temporary-residents.

Parents are requested to complete the enrolment process by Friday 25 September 2020. This will allow the School to ensure adequate planning and staffing levels are in place for 2021.

UPDATED ENROLMENT POLICY

Last year the Department of Education updated its enrolment policy with schools now having an enrolment cap. Under the guidelines, it is much more difficult for families to enrol their children in a non - local school.

Currently, we are still able to enrol non-local Kindergarten students with siblings at our school, however  this situation may change. I strongly encourage all families who are yet to enrol their children for 2021 (especially those out of area families with a child/ren currently enrolled at CPS) to begin the enrolment application process immediately.  At present, my Director is still approving out of area sibling enrolments at our school, however he cannot guarantee that this will always be the case, depending on total school numbers in relation to our enrolment cap. Be sure to complete the 2021 enrolment process before the end of Term 3 (25 September).   

 

KINDERGARTEN TRANSITION FOR 2021 STUDENTS

Normally at this time of the year, we would be planning our Term 4 Kindergarten transition sessions for next year’s intake of students. However under current Department of Education and NSW Health guidelines, all Kindergarten transition programs have been placed ‘on hold’ until further notice.  

As a school, we value strong partnerships between families and school as a key ingredient to a successful transition into our Carlingford Public School (CPS) community. In coming weeks, you'll see a new tab on our school's website under Kindergarten 2021.  New families will be able to access information about: 

  • How to enrol
  • Getting Ready for Primary School 
  • What will I need to pack in their school bag? 
  • Where do I buy the school uniform? 

Next term, we will be releasing videos for families to get a taste of what it's like to be a part of our school. :

These videos will include,

  • A day in the life of a Kindergarten student at CPS
  • What do the school grounds look like? 
  • What does a Kindergarten classroom look like? 
  • Who will I meet?

If the decision to cancel all Kindergarten transition program is made, we will hold our Kindergarten Transition Program in the first few weeks of 2021. More information regarding Kindergarten Transition and starting dates will be communicated as soon as we know. In the meantime, if you know of any families who would like to join our Kindergarten cohort next year but have yet to enrol, please encourage them to do so as soon as possible so that we can personally update them via email.  

 

P&C PARKING ZONE SURVEY

We receive regular feedback from our community regarding the parking zones surrounding the school and how they operate during Pick-up and Drop-off times.

We have worked with our P&C Committee to develop a brief survey to understand community needs with regard to parking zones in Rickard Street, and to gather feedback on potential changes or solutions. 

Thank you to all those who have filled out the parking survey - we have received almost 100 responses so far. However in the interests of getting as much feedback as possible, we have decided to keep the survey open for the remainder of this week as well. 

Please have your say by COB Friday Sep. 11, by clicking on the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5MT638T

 

SCHOOL UNIFORM REMINDER

Carlingford Public School prides itself on teamwork and everyone working together. As with any successful team, a uniform is an essential part of creating a sense of belonging and pride.

Unfortunately, we are starting to see an increasing number of students presenting at school not wearing CPS uniform. Just a reminder that students are expected to wear full school uniform to school (including correct hat & black shoes).

Congratulations to our families who are sending their children to school in correct school uniform every day. Any families facing financial hardship, unable to provide a school uniform for their child/ren, are urged to contact Mr Hinton for assistance.

 

OPPORTUNITY CLASS TEST RESCHEDULED

The Opportunity Class Placement Test for entry in 2021 has been rescheduled to 18 November to give schools time to comply with the latest NSW Health advice to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

The test will now take place on site at Carlingford Public School rather than in examination centres where physical distancing will be more difficult.

 

AFTERNOON STUDENT PICK UP

The school gates are open from 3:00-3:30pm in the afternoon for student pick up. Please ensure you collect your child/ren quickly in the afternoon and move off the school grounds promptly. The equipment and playground are not open for play in the afternoon. It is important that parents maintain social distancing when on the school grounds. If these guidelines are not followed the school will be required to revisit afternoon pick up protocols and parents may need to be excluded from onsite pick up in the afternoons for the safety of the school community. 

MULTI PURPOSE SPORT COURTS

We are currently planning, with the Department of Education, to have two multi-purpose sports courts constructed during Semester 2. They will be located on the grass area bordered by the asphalt, Keeler St path, Keeler St boundary and the oval hill. The all-weather courts will have line markings for various activities, enabling a multitude of sports to be played.

Draft drawings completed by the Department of Education are currently being finalised. The current plans can be viewed at:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/do8789crtr2gvc3/AAAnVn9h-Wl3puD-WlNKdLmfa?dl=0

Plans will be finalised in coming weeks with the project being put out to tender towards the end of term. Construction on the project will commence next term, with the courts being operational day one, 2021. 

Neil Hinton

Principal.