Term 1 Week 2 5th February 2016 Issue No. 2
From the Principal All Aboard
School Calendar
As well as completing our first full week of school, Week 2 of term saw the excitement of the start of a new year for Prep (Our pre-kindy class for four year olds). A lovely morning tea and an opportunity to visit the Prep room on Monday, had all of our Prep students ready for their first day, with the first group of students starting on Tuesday.
Details for the end of Term 4 this year have been finalised, as we balance the earlier start to the 2016 year, the effect of the leap year and also public holidays. We also have endeavoured to ensure that we meet required learning time. Having considered all of this, our final day for students this year will be Friday, 9th December.
The Prep students settled so beautifully into their classes (as did our Kindergartens last week). The work that Mrs Tooler, Mrs Wilson and Mrs Bidstrup are undertaking in Prep is giving students a flying start to their schooling. We are really enjoying seeing the results coming through in our Infants classes’ learning and maturity.
With the start date for school moving earlier into January over the past few years, our end of year date is also moving earlier. Looking at the school calendar over the past few years and the earlier start to this year, the corresponding date to finish in line with the pattern from previous years would be Wednesday, 7th December
(the effect of the leap year moves this date an extra day further forward). However, the public holidays for ANZAC Day and Easter this year are in term time, which also effects the total number of days. To balance all of the above we will be moving away from the traditional Wednesday finish to the school year with Friday, 9th December being the last day of the year. For those families who like to duck away before Christmas this will be the last year where there will be two weeks to do this and possibly secure some cheaper holiday options. In 2017, the calendar will reset to a later January start and a later finish date of 14th December, shortening the time before Christmas but giving more time in January for holidays. To support this change, the Primary End of Year Presentation night will be Wednesday, 7th December and the High School Service Thursday, 8th December. Please mark these dates on your calendar and also Friday, 9th December as our activity day for students. Parent Information Evening The staff are looking forward to you joining us this coming Tuesday, 9th February for our information evening. Primary teachers will be running their information sessions at 6:00pm in their classroom and repeating their session at 6:30pm. These sessions are for the parents to attend and the repeat at 6:30pm allows families to visit more than one classroom and to connect with their children’s teachers. At 7:00pm we will meet in the Church Auditorium, where I will be updating the
school community on our progress as a school and clarifying the direction we are heading in the future. At 7:30pm, information sessions for Year 7, Year 10 and Year 11 families will be taking place. Students are encouraged to attend, so that they have an understanding of key events in the year, how to manage assessments, as well as aiming for success in their learning. We hope to see as many of you as possible on Tuesday. Rich blessings Geoff Peet
On the Cover Our student leaders have a busy year ahead, as they take on the responsibilities of encouraging and representing Maitland Christian School students in 2016. Primary captains and vice-captains are Emily, Tianna, Elora and Charlotte. They will each present speeches to the assemblies, which are held every two weeks. They will also be representing the school at events throughout the year. High school captains are Thomas and Brodie and vice-captains are Wayne and Rebecca. They will often be called upon to represent our student body at events and lead the student community. We trust that each of them will leave a lasting legacy at Maitland Christian School and that the school will be a richer place as a result of the leadership that they display.
Prep How exciting it was on Monday morning to welcome our Prep students to a special Circus morning tea. They had lots of yummy food to eat. Mr Peet told them about how good it is to start their schooling with Prep. They even had a special circus photo booth for Mums and Dads to take photos of this special occasion. From Tuesday to Thursday, the four Prep classes had tours of the school, met the staff and found out what they did, and had the occasional trip to the playground. They also started on the seriously fun experience of learning.
What’s on the Schedule
Dancing in the Quad
2016 Term Dates Term 1: Wed 27/01/16 - Fri 08/04/16 Term 2: Tue 26/04/16 - Fri 01/07/16 Term 3: Mon 25/07/16 - Fri 23/09/16
Upcoming Events Mon 8/02
Pri
Tue 9/02
Pri
Fri 19/02
Primary Swimming Carnival Sec
Parent Information Evening
Sec
Secondary Swimming Carnival
Term 4: Tue 10/10/16 - Fri 9/12/16 Tue 23/02
Primary Zone Swimming Carnival
Pri
Parent Information Evening Our annual parent information evening will be taking place on Tuesday, 9th February. This is an important evening of connecting with your child’s teachers and finding out dates, details and programs for the year ahead. The program for the evening will be as follows: 6:00pm Primary Information Session 1 (Primary Classrooms) 6:30pm Primary Information Session 2 (Primary Classrooms) 7:00pm Principal’s Overview Session (Church Auditorium) 7:30pm Year 7 Information Session (E14/15) Year 9/10 RoSA Information Session (E8) Year 11 Information Session (Church Auditorium) As well as the usual Primary Sessions, there are three concurrent High School sessions this year, to give parents an overview of the process, events and requirements for each of the three stages of high school. We strongly recommend the attendance of families on the evening and look forward to connecting with you at this time.
Mon 29/02
Sec
Year 7 Camp commences
Wed 2/03
Sec
Year 8 Camp commences
Thu 3/03
Sec
Secondary Zone Swimming Carnival
Mon 7/03 Mon 14/03
The sounds of music, clapping and chants filled the quadrangle and the surrounding buildings this week, as our primary students learnt some special dances. Every term we use funding from Sporting Schools to provide interesting and educational sport options for our students. We alternate each year between Gymnastics and Dance to fulfil requirements of our syllabus.
The beautiful people from Dance Fever Multisport (a national provider) are teaching our students the elements of dance as per the NSW syllabus, as well as different forms of dance like Hip Hop, Cha Cha, Ballroom and Jazz. All Primary, from Kinder to Year 6, are participating in this program every Tuesday. Judging by the fun and laughter this week, it will be a happy learning experience.
Primary State Swimming Carnival
Pri Sec
Year 7 Immunisation Day
Kindergarten to Year 6 Assemblies
Primary Sport House Captains
Each fortnight, our primary students have a special assembly, where they receive awards and one class prepares performances for the parents. Parents are invited to come along at 10:10am on the following Fridays to join with the students in celebrating their achievements.
Congratulations to the students who were elected as House Captains for our sport houses; Sophie and Oliver (Crosby), Hunter and Luke (Newton), Laura and Heidi (Watts), and Kaleb and Hannah (Wesley). They will have an important job on Monday to encourage their team members to participate and do their best at the Primary Swimming Carnival.
Term 1
Date
Class
Week 3
12th February
5S
Week 5
26th February
6S
Week 7
11th March
Endless Praise
Week 9
Thu, 24th March
Easter Service
Week 11
8th April
5G
Raising Digital Kids (Part 2) This week we complete the article on Raising Digital Kids which was published in the Australian Council for Educational Leaders magazine, e-leading November 2015 (40). It was researched and prepared for ACEL by Emma Clemens Deputy Head of Primary, Emanuel School, Randwick, NSW.
Music Matters Modelling helpful behaviours It is critical that adults model helpful behaviour when it comes to use of technology. Co-viewing is a useful strategy for parents to engage with their children as they play games, watch television or interact on social media. Research on mirror neurons indicates that children inherit digital behaviours and emulate what their parents are doing. AVG commissioned a study that found 54% of children felt parents checked their devices too often and 32% of children feel unimportant when their parents are distracted on their phones. This demonstrates how vital it is for parents to model a balanced and positive use of technology to their children. School implications
Television Television can be incredibly educational for children. Parents should opt for slow paced shows with a linear and repetitive narrative. Children can be cognitively primed by asking questions before and after a television episode. Parents should consider how often the television is playing continuously in the background. Secondhand viewing can significantly increase screen time. This takes place where children are viewing programs that their older siblings or parents watch. Parents should also think about the impact of reoccurring news footage on young children. They are often unaware that footage of natural disasters or acts of violence is the one clip repeated. Instead children can believe that the event is ongoing and recurring.
Educational leaders must be proactive in their school wide approach to digital citizenship. It is critical that schools have a robust curriculum for teaching students about positive online behaviour and how this contributes to their digital footprint. Education at school is far more effective when supported by parental partnership. However, parents are often looking for guidance on the most effective way to raise their digital kids. This article is an excellent springboard for this home-school partnership. It provides strategies and guidelines that can also be reinforced in the home and school context. School leaders should promote a collaboration between home and school in order to communicate a holistic message on positive digital citizenship. Š Australian Council for Educational Leaders
At Maitland Christian School we have experienced music tutors available to tutor your children in musical instruments during or after school hours. They are taking new enrolments for 2016. If you would like your child to have lessons, please call them to organise enrolment and lesson times.
Piano
Pam I'Anson
0423 693 849
ianson_music@yahoo.com
Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone
Nicole Coombs
0422 596 609
nicolecoombs12@gmail.com
Singing
Sophie Aked
0412 965 260
Sophie.aked@hotmail.com
Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums
Joel Procter
0421 942 551
joelproctertuition@gmail.com
Coming to Our School, Friday, 11th March
Primary Swimming Carnival
2016 School Fees
Year 11 and 12 Blazers
The Primary Swimming Carnival will be held at East Maitland Aquatic Centre on Monday, 8th February.
Important Information For All Parents
From 2016, Year 11 and 12 students have the option to purchase a Maitland Christian School blazer. Lowes have some sample blazers in stock for students to try on. If they are fitted and ordered by Friday, 12th February, there is a $50 discount for our students. Please note: The blazers in the shop are plain but ordered blazers will have logos on the pocket.
All students are encouraged to dress in their house colours, participate enthusiastically and cheer on their teammates. Please remember to bring your school hat and sunscreen for sun protection. We love to have all parents join us for a fun day. Please see the table below for an outline of events. Students wishing to compete in the 4x50m Individual Medley must by dropped at the pool before 8:50am in order to compete. Time
Event
Age Group
8:50am
4x50 Individual Medley 50m Freestyle
8-12 Girls 8-12 Boys 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
50m Backstroke
8, 9, 10, 11, 12
50m Butterfly
8 - 10, 11, 12
50m Breastroke
8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Novelty events
Years 3 & 4
Lunch
Years 5 & 6
100m Freestyle
8-10, 11-12
9.30am
4 X 50m Freestyle Junior & Relays Senior Novelty events Years 5 & 6 Lunch
2:15pm
Years 3 & 4
Pack up, tidy area, sit in house groups Leave for school
Fee Statements have now been issued for 2016. Where possible, statements were sent via email. Please check your junk mail if you have not received a statement to your inbox. If you have elected not to receive your statements via email, they were sent home with your child this week. Should you wish to have the statements sent electronically in the future, please advise the school as soon as possible. Please contact our Financial Assistant, Del Allan, immediately if you have not yet received your statement. A letter explaining fee payment options was attached to your statement. Please read this letter carefully, together with the School’s Fee Policy, which can be accessed via the link provided on the letter. If you have any questions regarding your school fees, please do not hesitate to email Del at d.allan@maitlandcs.nsw.edu.au
School Opal Cards This week, students received the Opal cards that had been sent to the school. They will need to use these cards to tap on and tap off for each bus trip to and from school. Parents who ordered the Opal cards online should receive their cards in the mail. Free travel is a privilege that can be taken away if official Codes of Conduct aren’t followed. To find out more about the Codes of Conduct for student travel, please go to transportnsw.info/school-students
Community News
What’s Happening at Metford Community Baptist Church?
Kids Club is on each Thursday night during term, between 3:30pm and 5:00pm. It is a free program for Years 3 to 6.
*** Please note the change in times *** Metford Community Baptist Church is a community of Christian believers who love Christ, each other and their community. We have services every Sunday (9:30am and 6:00pm) and would love to see you there.
Our Contact details: Pastor: John Cook 83 Chelmsford Drive Associate Pastor: Andrew Sumpton Metford NSW 2323 (Next to Maitland Christian School) Phone: 4934 5350 admin@metfordbaptist.com.au
Church Services: Every Sunday 9:30am and 6:00pm
MCS Netball Club A note will be emailed to all netball families today with registration details, fees and who to contact. Something to note for next week is that you will need to come to room C2 (next to the Primary Art room) and be fitted for your Netball Uniform during one of the following times: Tuesday, 9th February 5:30pm – 6:00pm (before the parent information sessions) Thursday, 11th February 3:00pm – 4:00pm (directly after school) Please email Nicole Teasdale at n.teasdale@maitlandcs.nsw.edu.au if you do not receive the netball note by this evening.