Term 3 Week 9 Newsletter (pdf 2 MB)

Ironbark Ridge PS
Cnr. Ironbark Ridge Road and Withers Road, Rouse Hill, 2155
Ph: 8814 5687 Fax: 8814 5698
Email: ironbarkrg-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Webpage: www.ironbarkrg-p.schools.nsw.edu.au
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Nurturing personal growth through inspired learning…
Newsletter 2016
Term 3
Week 9
16th September, 2016
Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful
DATES FOR THE DIARY
st
21 – China Excursion Departs, Special Awards Assembly
rd
23 – Last day of term
SEPTEMBER
rd
23 – ES1 Excursion to Calmsley Hill Farm
OCTOBER
th
10 – Students return to school
** Subscribe to our ‘Ironbark Ridge – Events’ Google calendar (see the app or the school website)
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Year 6 Fun Day
A great day of fun activities was had by all today thanks to the hard work and
organisation of our Year 5 and Year 6 students. They have been planning, designing
and making games, prizes, posters and decorations for their stalls for many weeks.
Today was a huge success so congratulations to all involved. The day has raised
some extra funds towards the end-of-year celebrations for Year 6.
External Validation
Tuesday this week was our school ‘Interview’ day as part of our school self-assessment and validation
against the Department of Education’s ‘School Excellence Framework’. Many staff across the school
contributed evidence and information to support our submission. We, of course, have been shown to be
performing extremely well, with future steps made clearer during the process for further growth and
development. We look forward to sharing our very positive ‘Report Card’ with our P&C early next term. Huge
thanks to all staff involved!
One way to become involved in helping us improve is to give us some feedback through the Tell Them From
Me survey for parents and carers – now open and mentioned below in Ms Pho’s column.
China Tour 2016
We are off to visit Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Ningbo (where our
Friendship School is located) in China next Tuesday. Our 22
students are buzzing with excitement! Look out early next term
for a report about our amazing excursion. Parents of attending
students will have the opportunity to interact with us all through
our online travel blog and via the usual text messages, etc. It’s
amazing how close we all stay regardless of physical distance
and geographical separation!
Uniform transition to Summer
With Spring weather arriving, as usual we encourage our students to wear their summer uniform from the
Fathers’ Day weekend onwards, if warmer weather warrants. Please also feel free to dress your children in
their winter uniform during this transition period until the end of term. However, from the beginning of Term 4
we insist that the correct uniform choice is the school summer uniform.
Hills Performing Arts - Excellence!
Not that I'm biased or anything, but our performers last week at the Hills Performing Arts Festival were
simply stunning! I was so proud!
Well done to our sensational Band, Kindy, Year 1 and Year 2 Dance Groups as well as our Choir and School
Leaders.
Parking vs Stopping…
As you know the streets surrounding Ironbark Ridge school are busy in the mornings and afternoons. The
parking/drop-off area directly out the front of the school has two different sets of rules for parking depending
on the time of day. In the morning, between 8.30am and 9.30am the rule is ‘No Parking’ which means that
you can stop to let students out of the car, and in fact you can get out to assist them with getting their bag
out of the boot, etc. However, the rule states you cannot move away from your car – or that would constitute
‘Parking’.
For all other times of the day the front of our school is a free parking zone with no time limits… except of
course for the Bus Zone.
Please make sure you are courteous and aware of other drivers at all times, and we’ll all stay happy 
MADD 2016
Music, Art, Dance and Drama...
Our nextdoor neighbours, Rouse Hill High School, are holding their annual performing arts concert next
Monday evening, 19th Sept, from 7pm in their Hall. Our Performance Band will be performing with the
combined schools band. Tickets are on sale online (see the flyer later in the newsletter & scan the QR code).
Last year's performances were awesome. This year will no doubt lift the bar even higher, so see you there at
MADD 2016!
Continuing Chess success!
Our top chess team are currently playing in a range of finals and today were placed third in Sydney in a
special team competition hed at Strathfield. Congratulations on a great effort from Yifu, Edison, Michael,
Winston and Kashish.
See you soon,
Nick Thomson
Principal
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Whole School Assembly
Next Wednesday afternoon we will be acknowledging many achievements from across the school at our
whole school assembly. We will present awards for students involved in: Hawkesbury Eisteddfod,
Tournament of the Minds, Debating, Spelling Bee, Athletics ribbons (3-6 and K-2) and Stage 3 Writing
Competition. All parents and friends are invited along to share in the achievements of our students. The
assembly will begin at 2pm in the school hall.
China… Bon Voyage (yīfānfēngshùn)!
22 students, 5 teachers and 1 parent will all depart for China next Tuesday afternoon. We wish them a safe
and exciting journey. Trips such as this do not happen overnight – 18 months of organisation has prepared
the students and teachers for the journey - many thanks to Ms Przyrembel for all her hard work and efforts.
We look forward to the group sharing lots of photos and stories with us.
Tell Them From Me – Parent and Caregiver Survey
We would love to hear your thoughts on our school and how we can improve. Running this survey will help
our school understand parents’ and carers’ perspectives on their child’s experience at school. These include:
communication between parents/carers and staff, activities and practices at home and parent/carer views on
the school's support of learning and behaviour. This valuable feedback will help our school make practical
improvements. The survey is conducted entirely online at home or on public computers. The survey will
typically take 15 minutes or less to complete and is completely confidential. The parent survey is live now
until 22nd October. Participating in the survey is entirely voluntary, however, your responses are very much
appreciated. We will arrange for some of our school computers to be available for those parents who wish to
complete the survey in the morning before or after school next week. For those who wish to complete the
survey at home, please use the following link:
https://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/mgb67
Maths Forum
Thank you to the many parents who came along last Wednesday evening for the Maths Parent Forum. We
were absolutely blown away with the response! Mrs Cauchi and Mrs De Jager did an outstanding job
presenting the strategies and methods for teaching Maths at our school. As you can see from the photos
below, many parents also enjoyed becoming the students!
Hills Performing Arts Festival
It was such a pleasure to be on the organising committee for the Hills Performing Arts Festival last Thursday.
Our Band, Choir, Kindergarten Dance Group, Year 1 Dance Group and Year 2 Dance Group gave
spectacular performances and were a pleasure to supervise on stage and back stage. It takes a great deal of
time, energy and imagination to coordinate each performance. Our thanks to Mrs Barton, Mr Hurley, Miss
White, Mrs Shorten, Mrs Turner, Mrs Sexton, Mrs Goddard, Miss Furnell, Mrs Pratt, Miss James and Mrs
Laws for their hard work and assistance on the evening.
Ridges Athletics Carnival
Congratulations to our 55 students who represented Ironbark Ridge
at the Ridges Carnival last Friday. It was a wonderful day with terrific
sportsmanship and personal best results on show. 12 of these
students went on to represent Ridges at the Sydney West Carnival
on Wednesday. We couldn’t be more proud of these outstanding
representatives.
A Parent Planner for Term 4 is included in this newsletter. Please note that some dates are subject to
change.
Kerrie Pho
Deputy Principal
WEEK 8
KB
Austin, Bree, Akshay
KG
Safwaan, Ella
KT
Himanshu, Amber, Jaden
1F
Sarvin, Elizabeth, Jeremy, Gwyneth
1G
Hayeon, Ariel, Addison
2A
Mohammad, Gaeden, Ivin, Shelby
2/3L
Jonah, Grace, Shaan, Ben
3/4C
Ekam, Jordan, Asher, Henry, Laveshayal
3/4M
Jorge, Brody, Hannah, Kematip, Benjamin
3/4W
Ali, Daniel, Miguel, Taylor, Jesse
5/6A
Emily, Cooper, Chalise, Luke
5/6B
Charlotte, Jade, Etana, Montana, Ryan
6S
Shreya, Yifu, Connor, Huey
Principal
K-2 Choir for an awesome performance
Chinese
5/6B, Charlotte – 5/6B
Library
3/4M, 1F
Art
Sarah-3/2L, Paige-3/2L, Sienna-KT, Kiana-KG, Amnah-5/6A
WEEK 9
KD
Ishaan, Holly, Amalia
KS
Anna,Imogen, Anish
1J
Noah, Ashlee, Chanae, Morne, Ruby
1S
Trisha, T’miah, Anakin, Charlotte
2I
Harmony, James, Rachelle, Nathan
2P
Jessie, Austin, Brooklyn, Lara
3/4K
Sahaj, Jaymes, Sona
3/4S
Harry, Akrisha, Jack, Macayla, Christian
5H
Yejin, Owen, Martin, Dhwani, Sussana
5/6J
River, Caleb, Tara, Chloe, Mackensie
5/6T
Sunya, Aly, Ethan P, Sujal, Jack
Art
Hayley-5/4M, Alex-3/4S, Ansh-1S, Chloe-5/6J, Bronte-5/6T, Angela-2P
Chinese
5 Honduras
Library
3/4C, MacKenzie 5/6T, Erika 5/6T, Simone 5/6J
KINDY CAPERS
The end of term is almost here! Congratulations to Kindergarten Bahamas who did an
amazing job hosting their very first assembly. Thank you to everyone who supported KB and
came to watch.
Kindergarten had a fantastic time on Friday as they took part in the Year 6 Fun Day. There
were many exciting activities to be involved in and fun was had by all. Well done Year 6 for
organising terrific day.
Thank you to all of the parent helpers who have assisted in our Kindergarten classrooms this
term. The time that you spend with us in the classroom is very much appreciated. If you would
like to help out next term and have not done so yet, please let teachers know so they can
provide the necessary documentation for you to complete.
This week is the last week for homework in term 3. There will be no homework in last week of school.
On Friday, September 23rd Kindergarten will visit Calmsley Hill Farm.
Students will need to:
- Wear full uniform, including their hat and jacket;
- Bring a strong plastic bag with their name on it that can be
thrown away.
- Bring morning tea and lunch in separate plastic bags that are
clearly marked with their name (it is best if students do not
bring any containers for their food so that they can throw
away their plastic bag when they have finished eating. This
reduces the chance of anything being left behind);
- A disposable water bottle with their name clearly marked.
Students will depart at 9am and return at 3pm.
Continue using Reading Eggs in the holidays. Please have a very
happy and safe holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone after the break, ready for term 4.
The Early Stage 1 Team
STAGE 1 SNIPPETS
We are days away from the end of Term 3 and what a busy
term it has been! Stage One teachers would like to take the
time to thank all our students and parents for all their help over
the last 9 weeks with the various activities and events that
have taken place.
It has come to that time of the year where your lovely children
will be coming home with requests for more stationery. We still
have one more jam packed term to go, so topping up your
child’s pencil case with more glue sticks and other stationery
will help them to have the tools they need to complete their
daily lessons and activities.
Stage One participated in the drumbeats
program in week 6 and loved it. The session
was fun, engaging and allowed every student
who attended, a chance to work on their rhythm
and beat whilst trialling different types of drums.
In Geography this semester, students have
been looking at seasons and weather and have been enjoying learning about wind and rain in more detail.
The students even got to participate in different experiments relating to wind, with some classes making
tornadoes in a bottle and others making paper bag kites. These fun experiments have been an excellent way
for students to learn more about the weather.
Year One and Year Two dance groups
attended the Hills Performing Arts Festival
at Penrith Panthers last Thursday and
represented Ironbark Ridge beautifully.
They displayed safe, respectful and
responsible behaviour throughout the long
day of dress rehearsals and late night
performances. It was a delight to watch
our excellent little dancers proudly
perform their dances that they have been
working hard to perfect over the past 8
months. Thank you goes out to all the
parents and teachers who helped the
Year One and Year Two dance groups, it
was a great team effort!
Stage 1 Teachers
STAGE 2 SNIPPETS
It has been another busy term for the students in Stage 2.
Fortunately, with time running out, the rain stayed away and the last two Year 3 classes were able to attend
their CARES excursion. Although it was quite cold in the morning, the sun eventually shone and the students
in 3/2L and 3/4L had a fantastic day. They practised stopping at red lights, giving way to oncoming traffic and
riding on the correct side of the road. We are pleased to report that not one student lost their licence,
although Mrs Laws and Miss Lewis had a lot of fun issuing demerit points.
Students in Stage 2 were also very fortunate to
be given a chance listen to a ‘rock’ talk by
Annelise Walker, who bought along her
extensive rock collection for our students to
view. Students were able to see examples of
sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks,
as well as gemstones, fossil samples and a
space rock that scientists estimate formed over
135 million years ago. The students were
fascinated with the samples they saw and
asked lots of thoughtful questions, adding
to their knowledge of our integrated unit,
‘Beneath Our Feet’.
As we approach the end of term and the
weather warms up, students are now able to transition to the summer school uniform. Winter school uniform
can still be worn until the end of term 3. Winter PSSA has now concluded for the year, with summer PSSA
resuming from the first week of term 4.
Many students are now running low on school essentials, with lead pencils and glue being in short supply.
The holidays are a great time for students to restock, ready for another busy term of learning.
Stage 2 teachers
STAGE 3 SNIPPETS
Another busy term has come to an end. Firstly I would like to congratulate the Stage 3 students who
attended the Ridges Athletics Carnival. A special mention to Lucy, Sienna, Charlotte, Ruby, Jacob, Kye,
Ethan, Adam, Srinidhi and Max, who progressed through to the Sydney West Athletics Carnival. We have
some superstars amongst us!
Year six has worked extremely hard to organise our annual Funday, which was held today. What a fun-filled
day it was! Thank you to all parents for your support towards the preparation of this event. Let us not forget
about the Year 5’s who have become little entrepreneurs during Kidz Biz preparation, looking forward to
seeing their skills and talents showcased next term.
The term has come to an end and unfortunately so has our
debating. This year we had two debating teams who
represented Ironbark in two competitions, the Blacktown
District Debating and the NSW Premier’s Debating Challenge.
For most of these students, this was their first time debating
and what a fantastic job they did! To cap off the debating
session in style, Team 1 placed 2nd in the Premier’s Debating
Challenge.
Congratulations to Darshpreet and Jordan who attended the
Regional Senior Spelling Bee Finals yesterday at Quakers Hill
Public School.
It has been a fantastic term, yet again, filled with opportunities within and beyond
the classroom. We wish you all a safe and relaxing holiday and looking forward to
an even bigger and more fun-filled Term 4.
Stage 3 Teachers
Spelling Bee
On Thursday 15th September, we had four amazing students
represent our school at the regional finals of the NSW
Premier’s Spelling Bee.
Representing Stage 2 in the junior competition, Aditya and
Liam. Representing Stage 3 in the senior competition,
Darshpreet and Jordan.
Overcoming nerves, the boys stepped up to the challenge and spelt their words with
confidence and poise. Both Aditya and Darshpreet progressed through to round 5,
Jordan to round 4 and Liam to round 3. What a fantastic effort from all four boys,
they should be extremely proud of their achievements!
Miss Antoniazzi
Celebrating Diwali at school!
‘
Diwa’ means ‘Lamp’. ‘Diwali’ means the Festival of Lights. ‘. It is the most significant festival celebrated by
Hindus and Sikhs around the world and is a National holiday in countries like Fiji, Singapore, Nepal,
Malaysia and India.
This year the festival falls on the 30th of October.
At Ironbark Ridge we are extremely proud and privileged to have students from diverse multicultural
backgrounds. We would like to nurture this diversity and plan to celebrate ‘Diwali’ at school this year
on Thursday, 27th October!
We would like to extend an invitation to parents, grandparents and carers who could help us celebrate
‘Diwali’ at school. If you enjoy making the intricate ‘Rangoli’ patterns please walk into the Library on
Thursday, Term 4 week 1(13th October) at 3pm. We would be keen to meet and share some ideas from
the Parent Community!
Mrs Cameron, Mrs Childs and Ms Dhillon
(Multicultural Committee)
Chinese News!
Nǐmen hǎo! 你们 好!
Only a few days to go and we will be on our way to China! The students and teachers are so excited. We will
be visiting 4 major cities – Beijing, Xi’An, Ningbo and Shanghai.
The fun begins!
Home
In Beijing we will be visiting the Forbidden Palace – home of the Emperors for hundreds of years, climbing
The Great Wall, The Temple of Heaven, The Drum Tower for an amazing musical performance and the Zoo
to see the Pandas. We will also have traditional Peking Duck for dinner and see a Kung Fu Show.
We will then take a 5 hour trip on the bullet train to Xi’An, China’s Ancient Capital city and home of the
extraordinary Terracotta Warriors. We will be cycling on the city wall and visiting the Wild Goose Pagoda, an
ancient Buddhist Temple, and then finally enjoying a traditional Dumpling dinner after a light and fountain
display in the town square.
In Ningbo, we will visit the Nine Dragon Lake Primary School where we will have the opportunity to
experience school life in China. We will see a traditional flag raising ceremony, do some Chinese painting,
learn the art of the tea ceremony, participate in a dragon dance class and learn how to make rice dumplings
(and eat them!) We will also join in a game of basketball and have a go at playing some traditional Chinese
instruments. Before we head off to Shanghai we will visit the Xuedou Monastery and climb the steps to the
Giant Buddha.
In Shanghai, we will be visiting a Science and Tech Museum, the beautiful Yuyuan Gardens, going up the
amazing Pearl (Telecommunications) Tower and shopping at the local markets. More amazing food and an
Acrobatic show will finish off our extraordinary tour. We are all extremely grateful for this opportunity, it will be
an amazing experience for the students and it will definitely improve their language skills and understanding
of the Chinese culture.
We will let you all know how it went when we get back! 再见！Zàijiàn!
Mrs Przyrembel – Chinese Teacher K-6
COMMUNITY NOTICES
DISCLAIMER:
Ironbark Ridge Public School newsletter contains paid advertisements which assist with the cost of
publication. The publication of such advertisements does not imply endorsement of any product or service by
the NSW Department of Education and Communities or Ironbark Ridge Public School.
Try something new. Give hockey a go this summer.
Join a 9 week program starting week of Monday 10 October.
Training will incorporate skills, development and fun games.
Wednesday evenings at Jonas Bradley Reserve, The Ponds:
5:15- 6pm
6- 8 yr olds
6- 7pm
9- 11 yr olds
7- 8pm
12- 14 yr olds
8- 9pm
open age
Or Thursday evenings at Cavanagh Reserve, Lalor Park:
5:30- 6:30pm
9- 11 yr olds
6:30- 7:30pm
12- 14 yr olds
7:30- 8:30pm
open age
Saturday afternoon games
Also or instead you can participate in 4 a side games on Saturday
afternoons commencing from 3pm at
Cavanagh Reserve, Lalor Park
Fees from $35 per player, $100.00 family cap.
For more information go to;
hockeyblacktown.org.au or kingslangleyhockey.org.au