September - Hurstville South Public School

HURSTVILLE SOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOL
Maher Street, Hurstville 2220
Telephone: 9580 2695
Fax: 9580 8984
WARATAH NEWS – 13th September, 2012
GIFTED AND TALENTED WORKSHOP - ANTARTICA UNCOVERED!
TRAINING BAND PERFORMANCE ON MONDAY
GLOBAL WORLD CHALLENGE
From Ms Jobson
Students’ in classes 3/4M,4J, 4B, 5G, 6S, 6M and 6F are participating in The Global Children's
Challenge. This program encourages students to increase their level of fitness and to record their
activity level, keep healthy and take part in a virtual walk around the world while learning about
health, nutrition, exercise and the places they visit over the 50 days of the event. The 2012
challenge begins Wednesday 19th September and finishes Wednesday 7th November.
Each student will be given a pedometer and record their step count in the step-by-step booklet
provided. Students should wear their pedometer every day for 50 days (both at school and at
home). The class is encouraged to work as a team, ie the more active the class the further they
progress on the virtual walk around the world. While on the virtual work students will learn about
other countries, towns, cities, and the day-to-day lives of similar aged children from different cultures
around the world.

From the Principal
DANCESPORT CHALLENGE
It was my great pleasure to see our Year 5 and Year 6
boys and girls representing our school at the gala
evening of the Dancesport Challenge last Thursday
evening. The team looked wonderful in their outfits
and danced to a level beyond the twelve lessons that
they received. Our whole team of 32 students, 15 boys
and 17 girls, danced with poise and flair and looked as
if they were really enjoying the challenge. Our finalists
made it beyond the first round in each of the dances,
the Cha Cha, Salsa, Tango and Jive and all of the
participants now not only have a new set of skills and
understandings but a very special memory to keep
forever. I would like to thank Mrs Goodyear for her
coordination of the program, Ms Atkinson, Mrs Holland,
and Mrs Widjaja for their support. A large number of
staff came out on the night and we all went away
having had a wonderful night. Congratulations to all
the dance team they will receive a special medal at an
assembly shortly and will perform for the rest of the
school next term.
BASC REPORT
The panel are awaiting a final decision upon which
group will be administering the Before and After School
Care as a private concern. The granting of the licence
is based on a three plus three year lease (six year
period) and the Department of Education and
Communities has an expectation that it will deliver
beyond just a cost recovery basis over the next 6 years
within a climate of increasing utility costs and potentially
reducing budgets. It is hoped that the decision
will not only deliver a quality, good value program for
all users but deliver funding to the school for the six
year period that will enable us to support some
innovative programs to continue to make our school
the best it possibly can be.
SICK BAY & GARDEN UPGRADE
A huge thanks is to go to our two very talented and
hard working General Assistants, Garry and Richard,
for all the work they have done in keeping our school
looking so good. They have recently completed the
extension near the office that we are now using as our
sick bay and lost property area. This has not only
added a more comfortable and light amenity to our ill
students but has been completed with skill and
precision. They have been working very hard in
renovating the waterfall area near the library entrance.
It now has a fully functional waterfall, some lovely
plants and a recently planted turf area which delights
us all!
PAINTING GRANT
Our local member for Oatley, Mr Mark Coure, has informed
me that one of the grants we applied for has
been successful. The grant from the NSW Government
maintenance program is to the value of some $70
000 which we will self-manage to upgrade the inside of
the Denman building currently housing our Kindergarten
and Year One classes. This program will go out to
tender early next term and if possible work would be
done during the coming Christmas holiday break to
ensure as little disruption to our students and staff as
possible. As a self-managed grant I will be utilizing
the expertise and talents of our P&C to assist me in the
delivery of this project. We will be able to negotiate the
works that we see as a priority and all works done will
complement the outside painting recently completed on
this building.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES
Fri, 2 September Last Day Term 3
Mon, 8 October First Day Term 4
2012 DEADLY KIDS AWARD
Congratulations to Talara Tonna-Riley on receiving a
Deadly Kids Doing Well Award at a special ceremony
held at the Carriage Works, Redfern, last Friday
September 7. Talara received a very special certificate
and book award at a gathering led by our regional
director, Dr Phil Lambert, and a number of politicians
along with 150 other students from Kindergarten to
Year 12. Talara is one of our Year 6 students and has
led the school through her work in peer support, delivering
our Acknowledgement to Country, involvement in
sporting teams and her general work as both a leader and
great role model for our younger students. Well done
Talara and thank you for all of your efforts!
SELECTIVE HIGH SCHOOL PLACEMENT TESTS
Any student currently in Year 5 will be able to access the
application forms from October 22 nd , with the actual test
for Selective High School to take place on March 14,
2013. The test this year was held at Oatley Senior College
and I expect that to be determined early next year.
Applicants are encouraged to apply online through the
Selective Schools Unit website but the school will also
have several paper copies from the 23 rd of October, 2012.
GIFTED & TALENTED WORKSHOP
ANTARCTICA UNCOVERED
from Ms TaIri & Mrs Morgan
Last Wednesday 26 Year Six students went to the NSW
State Library to learn about Antarctica and the early explorers
who braved the harsh conditions to race to be the
first to the South Pole. After a very informative introduction
the students were split into four groups. They were
set the task of researching using primary and secondary
sources and answering a set of questions on their chosen
explorer: Scott, Shackleton, Mawson and Amundsen.
Next each group had to write a script for a short play
about a critical incident that happened on their explorer’s
expedition. They also had to make props, dress up and
practice their script within a very short timeframe. The
groups then took turns to perform their plays and video
record them. A whole lot of fun learning was packed into
our three hour workshop and we are looking forward to
sharing our plays with everyone at a Y3-6 assembly.
TRAINING BAND
from Miss Alchin
Years 3-5 attended a wonderful performance by our
Training Band on Monday. The students in the Training
Band have been practising hard all year and have a learnt
a lot of songs. The students in the band also showed the
audience the different types of instruments they play in
the band. The audience enjoyed the performance and
many students are thinking about learning an instrument
and joining the Training Band next year. Notes have
been handed out this week with information about joining
our bands, please return these notes by Thursday, 20 th
September to Miss Alchin.