Greenacre Public School Newsletter - Term 1 Week 8

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Security Cameras 

Our school security cameras are now installed throughout the school premises. I want to assure you that the privacy of our students and staff is of utmost importance. The footage will be monitored in accordance with Department of Education privacy policies and will only be accessed when necessary for safety or security purposes.

The primary goal of these cameras is to ensure a safer environment for all students, staff, and visitors and will help in the following ways; 

Enhanced Safety: The security cameras will help deter inappropriate behaviour and ensure that any incidents are quickly identified and addressed.

Support for Students and Staff: In the event of any concerns or incidents, the footage from the cameras can provide valuable insights, allowing us to respond more effectively and support those involved.

Secure Environment: The presence of cameras contributes to a more secure environment, fostering a sense of safety for students and staff alike.

Monitoring Common Areas: The cameras will be positioned in common areas, helping us monitor student interactions and ensure a positive school climate.

Changes to Canteen Closing Times 

To ensure that students have ample time to enjoy their food before returning to class, the canteen will now close 10 minutes prior to the end of both recess and lunch each day.

The new closing times are as follows:

Lunch: 12:10 PM

Recess: 1:50 PM

This adjustment is designed to encourage students to purchase their food earlier and have sufficient time to eat and relax before the bell rings. Thank you for your understanding and support in implementing this change. 

Meet the Teacher BBQ 

Earlier in the term we had our Meet the Teacher BBQ and I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who attended. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and to welcome new families to our school community.

The event provided a fantastic opportunity for us to connect in a relaxed and informal setting, and it was a pleasure to chat with each of you. Building strong relationships between teachers and families is vital as we embark on another exciting school year together.

Thank you for making the evening such a success. We look forward to working together to support your children’s learning and growth.

Melissa Proctor,
Principal

OUR DEPUTY PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Strategic Direction 1: Student Growth and Attainment

High Expectations

At Greenacre PS we have high expectations in three main areas: learning, attendance and behaviour. Teachers promote high expectations when they differentiate instruction, provide individualised feedback and engage in frequent, meaningful classroom interactions in order to challenge their students and encourage continuous improvement.

Students who experience high expectations have improved learning outcomes and are also more likely to have:

• increased interest and motivation in lessons.
• academic success.
• greater attendance.
• more positive school behaviours.
• enhanced self-esteem.
• a higher likelihood of completing school.

You play a crucial role in supporting your child/children to maintain high expectations:

• promote positive learning attitudes and a growth mindset.
• support regular attendance and arriving on time.
• support positive behaviour and celebrate the successes.
• provide emotional support.
• encourage involvement in school activities such as choir, dance, drumming, debating, public speaking or sport.

By working together, we can create a consistent and supportive environment that fosters high expectations in all aspects of school life.

Bullying - No Way! program

Bullying and racism have been two behaviours that our school has seen a rise in over the last year. Recently the staff participated in professional learning around bullying. Later in the semester they will also participate in professional learning around racism. Over the next six months all classrooms across K-6 will be expected to teach explicit lessons on bullying and racism to ensure we are creating a safe and inclusive environment for all students. 

There is a nationally agreed definition of bullying which all Australian schools now use:

Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.

Bullying has three key features. It:

1. involves a misuse of power in a relationship.
2. is intentional, ongoing and repeated.
3. involves behaviours that can cause harm.

Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social. Bullying can be easy to see (overt), or hidden (covert), such as spreading rumours about another person or excluding them.

These sequenced lessons will aim to raise awareness, promote empathy, and equip students with the tools to stand up against these harmful behaviours. It is important that we not only address these issues in the classroom but also encourage open conversations among students, staff and families to foster mutual respect and understanding. By working together, we can create a community where everyone feels valued and supported.

Ines Matanovic

k-2 Deputy Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Strategic Direction 2 - Transparent Learning Culture

In Direction 2, the school emphasises the use of data to inform practices, as well as collaborative practices and feedback. This direction involves analysing student progress and achievement data to improve teaching methods and enhance student development. Teachers adapt their approaches based on trends observed in student performance at the individual, group, or whole school level.

The school will maintain a collaborative culture that is integrated with evaluative practices. These systems promote professional dialogue, teamwork, classroom observations, the demonstration of effective practices, and the delivery of specific, timely feedback among teachers within the school.

NAPLAN

This term, NAPLAN was administered to our Year 3 and 5 students. The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 that evaluates their literacy and numeracy skills as part of their regular school curriculum. The assessment covers Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language, and Numeracy.

The online NAPLAN tests are designed to deliver accurate results while engaging students. These tests are adaptive, meaning that the level of difficulty of the questions adjusts based on a student’s responses, helping to keep them engaged throughout the assessment.

The results from NAPLAN are utilised to inform the school’s future planning and strategies aimed at enhancing student growth and achievement.

Slavica Markovski

3-6 Deputy Principal

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3

Strategic Direction 3 - Connection and Wellbeing

Family Engagement

Family engagement is a vital component of student success and a thriving school community. Research shows that when there is a strong partnership between schools and families in regards to a child’s education, students achieve higher academic outcomes, develop better social skills and exhibit greater motivation to attend school to learn.

When we talk about family engagement here at Greenacre, we refer to the research of Karen Mapp who has found that 'a full, equal, and equitable partnership among families, educators and community partners to promote children’s learning and development’ throughout their life.

We would like to better understand how to work alongside you, our parents, carers and families - our students first teachers. Our goal in this is to determine how we can best collaborate with you in the learning process and to ensure that the transition between school and home is as streamlined as possible. In turn, we aim to ensure that:

• our students feel more supported and reassured that teachers and parents/carers are working alongside one another, 
• staff gain further insights about how best to support students through the valuable opportunities to communicate with families, and,
• families gain skills and confidence to help their children in the learning process.

Please fill in this form to help us to develop a strategic plan on how we can create authentic opportunities to engage you in activities, and build your capacity with learning and development.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMiWuvc9ZDYvfVcH1IvS9FmntjZbIZYwCGoGgchH0fyqx1Yw/viewform?usp=header

Andrea Gavrielatos

A MESSAGE FROM OUR WELLBEING TEAM

This term, classes across the school have begun delving into the 24 character strengths.

We have started to learn about what the strengths are and why they are important. It has been very interesting to learn and discuss the signature strengths of ourselves and our peers. 

Here are some testimonials from our Year 6 students about what they think of the new character strengths lessons that they have been engaging in.

We have been learning about our unique character strengths and how they help us as a person, and how they can help others. Creativity is one of my top strengths. I use it in learning, or when I have a problem. - Aleena

I have been learning about showing kindness, fairness and gratitude. Showing kindness is about showing respect to others and being grateful to people who we like is important. Using the strengths feels good and helps me alot when I’m with people I don’t know. - Jibril.

We have been learning about gratitude, teamwork and fairness. One of my personal favourites is gratitude because we need to think more about being grateful for what we have. Some kids in the world don’t have much so we need to be grateful for the things we have. - Gasan

So far, we have explored the character strengths of:

• kindness,
• fairness,
• gratitude, and,
• teamwork.

Below, you will see four flyers which explain each of these strengths as well as outlining how you can build on these strengths at home with your children.

Each week, a new character strength will be taught and a flyer will be uploaded onto Seesaw for all families to read together at home. This will give you a chance to practise using the strengths at home.

We can’t wait to see the positive impact that using a strengths based approach has on the wellbeing of students and community here at Greenacre!

Wellbeing Team

LEARNING IN YEAR THREE

English - Reading warm ups

In Year 3, our students engage in Reading Warm-Ups —short, fast-paced lessons designed to strengthen their literacy skills. These engaging sessions take place four times a week in every Year 3 classroom and focus on key reading foundations.

During Reading Warm-Ups, students recap phonics, break apart and code words, and practice camera words and vocabulary. They also explore morphology and comprehension, helping them understand how words work and improving their reading fluency. Throughout these activities, students are actively writing and sharing their work, ensuring participation and allowing teachers to check for understanding.

These daily exercises build confidence and reinforce essential skills, setting students up for reading success. We encourage you to ask your child about their Reading Warm-Ups and celebrate their progress at home!

Maths - place value and addition  

Students have been learning to solve addition and subtraction problems using a variety of strategies to help them develop a deeper understanding of math concepts. By exploring different methods such as regrouping, using number lines and bar models, students build flexibility in their problem-solving skills.

Character Strengths 

Students have been introduced to the 24 Character strengths and have begun to uncover their unique profile of strengths. These strengths help students believe more in themselves and others, building self-appreciation and appreciation of differences between people. They learnt how these strengths benefit society, as these strengths are used in everyday life Students undertook starter activities to stimulate their engagement in lessons. They participated in morning circles, supported conversations where everyone is heard and valued. 

They were explicitly taught each strength (kindness, fairness, gratitude and teamwork) through practical lessons and reflected on what strengths were used at the end of the day.

History 

This term year 3 have been investigating what life was like for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders before contact with European explorers. Students study the cause and effect of these new contacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. They are learning about how individuals, groups, and events have played a significant role in contributing to changes in the local community over time.

Science - changing states

Writing

LEARNING IN YEAR FOUR

English - Reading warm ups

Each class take part in Reading Warm-Ups four times a week to strengthen their literacy skills. These fast-paced lessons focus on phonics, word decoding, camera words, vocabulary, morphology, and comprehension.

Students actively write and share their work, ensuring participation and understanding. These sessions help build confidence and fluency, supporting their reading growth.

Maths - Place value and addition

In Year 4 Maths lessons, students have been developing their problem-solving skills by exploring addition and subtraction strategies. They have been using regrouping, number lines, and bar models to build a deeper understanding of number relationships.

By practising different methods, students gain flexibility and confidence in their thinking, helping them tackle Maths problems more effectively. Encouraging your child to explain their reasoning at home can further support their learning.

Science - Changing states

In Science, students are learning about states of matter which are solids, liquids and gases. They have participated in a chocolate egg experiment and were really excited to eat them at the end!

Character strengths

Students have been learning about certain character strengths including kindness, fairness and gratitude. By participating in a range of activities including morning circle, we hope students can develop stronger connections by applying what they have learned in real world situations.

History

This term, students have been exploring what life was like for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before European contact. They have been investigating the cause and effect of these interactions and how they impacted Indigenous communities.

Students are also learning about the role of individuals, groups, and events in shaping changes in our local community over time. These lessons help develop their understanding of history and its lasting impact on society today.

LEARNING IN YEAR FIVE

5R has hit the ground running this year, diving into their learning with enthusiasm and curiosity.

From building strong classroom connections to tackling new challenges, 5R have already shown a great love for learning and collaboration.

Written by 5R

English 

We’re reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio, a powerful story about belonging, accepting differences, and seeing the world through different perspectives. Through discussions and activities, we’re exploring what it means to be kind, how everyone experiences life differently, and why it's important to include others. We are learning to step into the shoes of different characters, write from their perspectives, and reflect on how we can make our own school a place where everyone feels valued. This unit is helping us understand empathy and the impact our words and actions have on others.

Mathematics 

In Mathematics, we have been developing our number skills through rounding, place value, and working with decimals. We have also applied our addition and subtraction strategies to complete a budget, making sure our calculations are accurate and our spending stays within limits! Learning about elapsed time has helped us understand how to read timetables, plan schedules, and solve real-world problems. 

Science 

We are learning about the habitats of different animals/creatures and the awesome adaptations that help them survive! We have been looking at how creatures live in different environments—like how camels store fat in their humps for the desert or how penguins stay warm in freezing temperatures. We are investigating how animals find food, stay safe, and thrive in their habitats.

Character Strengths 

We have begun learning about character strengths and how they help us in everyday life. So far, we’ve explored kindness, fairness, gratitude, and teamwork. We’ve discussed what these strengths look like in action and how they can make a difference in our friendships, schoolwork, and community. Through fun activities and real-life examples, we’ve learned how small acts—like helping a friend, sharing, saying thank you, and working together—can have a big impact. We’re excited to keep discovering more strengths and how they help us become the best versions of ourselves!

Got Games

In Got Games, we’ve had so much fun learning gymnastics skills like balancing, rolling, jumping, and creating sequences. We’ve also played exciting team games that challenge our teamwork, communication, and strategy skills. Along the way, we’ve developed coordination, strength, and confidence while working together to improve our techniques. Whether it’s perfecting a forward roll, mastering a cartwheel, or working as a team in fast-paced games, we’ve enjoyed every moment of being active and learning new skills!

LEARNING IN YEAR SIX

6R have had an amazing start to the year. We’re digging deep into our learning and can’t wait to see where the rest of the year takes us!

English - Justice, Sarah, Jaafar, Jibril

In English, we have been learning about the book Wonder, by R.J Palacio. Auggie is an extraordinary boy that has never been to school at all. Then it changes when his parents want what is best for him and sends him to school. He made a friend named Jack Wil. But he got bullied by Julian, the popular boy. He would make fun of him.

On Halloween, he changed costumes at the last minute. He was dressed as the bloody scream. Jack Will was backbiting and was talking about him with Julian. He said “how are you friends with him” and he lied and made fun of him. When Auggie got home he started crying and didn't want to do his favourite event trick or treating. 

While we are reading the book, we are learning to understand different perspectives. Auggie has taught us that our differences are what makes us amazing!

Maths - Serene, Elias, Emma

Two weeks ago we did a long jump experiment in the kindergarten area. We were learning how to measure the lengths of group jumps. We added and subtracted the lengths of our jumps. Some of us got more than 3 metres some of us got less than 2 meters, but we all had a go at jumping. We spent one hour jumping, subtracting, and adding the sum. We all wrote the total sum on a paper and glued the paper in our Math books.

Science - Ali, Raheel & Rayannah

In our wonderful amazing class, 6R, participates in the extravagant learning of science. During this privileged time, we learn about the world, and how we adapt to the earthy surroundings. We also learn about how animals adapt to their habitats around the world, such as deserts, forests, woods, mountains, and etc. As we learn about science, we also learn the definitions of specific tier three to two words. We dedicate a bit of our time to bush tucker, learning about specific plants such as June banana, daisy yam, native parsnip, finger lime, and mint bush. 

Geography - Malekai & Seraag

In geography we have been learning about countries and their famous landmarks.

We have been learning about Uluru, The Three Sisters and the Great Barrier Reef and more. We have learnt how to understand a map of the world and identify continents, countries and oceans on it. Soon we will be investigating one of Australia’s neighbouring countries to understand it better. 

HAT - Aleena, Khadijah, Shifa

This term, we did our HAT lesson.

It was learning to breathe because it helps our bodies create an anti-stress system to calm down. Breathing in big ,deep breaths. Another part of that lesson was to write what worries us.

Another lesson we did was linked to character strengths and how our signature strength is our gift to the world! Did you know there are 24 character strengths and 1 TRILLION COMBINATIONS to it!?

It's our character strengths that make us unique yet very similar.

 Strengths - Gasan, Noah, Saniya & Rama

In strengths we are learning about kindness, fairness, gratitude, and teamwork. We can start with gratitude first, gratitude is being grateful for what we have. For example being grateful for a roof over our head, food, water, family, gifts, and what we have. For teamwork we saw a video clip about different animals working together to stay safe, like a group of crabs grouping together to protect one of them from a seagull. Kindness is the key to light because with kindness you can make new friends and be safe, but being rude can cause you trouble like getting into dangerous fights, especially in public if you are rude to others you might get sent to jail. Now about fairness. To be fair you must treat others equally so that they don't feel left out or be jealous. For example, if you're playing a game with your friends and you see another person all alone, you could ask them if they want to join. Fairness is not when someone else has something YOU don't need.

TOOLBOX - Hussain, Adam, Jasmine, Aydin

BASELINE

This term in TOOLBOX, we have been learning about baseline. Baseline is when you're calm and ready to learn. Our emotions can change all day, but when we are in class, we need to use our Tools to make sure we are ready to learn. When you are above baseline you're angry and frustrated and below baseline is when you’re sad and feeling depressed.

PROBLEM SOLVING

When you have a problem you need to make a decision. Will you respond above or below the line? When you're below the line you blame other people and make up excuses to get out the problem. You can also use the empathy tool to say u did it and not blame other people. People above the line are responsible for their mistakes. 

LEARNING IN OUR SUPPORT CLASS

Our support unit has had an amazing start to 2025!

We’ve been settling into our routine, enjoying sensory stations, and participating in morning circle.

There’s been lots of reading, writing, and math, with plenty of counting and number activities. Everyone is working incredibly hard.

Congratulations on a fantastic start to the year!

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LEARNING IN THE LIBRARY

Library Monitors 

We are so excited to announce our library monitors for 2025. 

Aleena W, Joelle K, Fatima N, Maha S, Rama A and Khadijah Y. 

These six students have taken on their role showing responsibility, dedication and outstanding work ethic. 

Books in Homes for our Year 4 students

Fun in the Library

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Book Club Orders

Up to twice a term, during the school year, we will send home the Book Club catalogue with a different selection of books offered for all ages. You will find award-winning books and bestsellers, as well as old and new favourites. Book club has a wide range of children’s reading levels and interests and are inexpensive (some books cost as little as $3). It is easy to order. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school and the books will be delivered to class. You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/loop or by using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Or alternatively you can return the competed order form to the office with the payment, and we can process your order. Once orders arrive, they are then sent back to the classroom teacher who will send the orders home with the student.

Valerie Rutherford and Gemma Goggins

SPORTING STORIES

District Swimming Carnival 

Congratulations to the students who participated in the District Swimming Carnival! These students demonstrated exceptional determination, endurance, and confidence as they competed against swimmers from various schools. They should be incredibly proud of themselves for representing our school with such pride and commitment.

Their hard work and sportsmanship were truly inspiring, and we are excited to see what they will achieve in future events.

Well done to all involved!

Gala Days

We are excited to announce that this year, our students will be participating in Gala Days instead of the traditional PSSA competitions. Tryouts for Winter Gala Day will take place on Friday, March 21st. Students will have the opportunity to try out for a variety of sports, including:

• Girls and Boys Soccer
• Newcombe Ball
• Netball
• League Tag

Gala Days will be held on Fridays and are a full-day event, offering a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their skills in a fun and supportive environment.

Here are the important dates for the Gala Days, as well as the backup dates in case of weather disruptions:

• Friday, May 9th (Backup: Friday, May 16th)
• Friday, May 30th (Backup: Friday, June 6th)
• Friday, June 20th (Backup: Friday, June 27th)
• Friday, August 1st (Backup: Friday, August 8th)

Cross Country Carnival 

The  2025 Cross Country Carnival will be held on Friday, April 4th at Roberts Park. This event provides an excellent opportunity for our students to demonstrate their running skills in a fun and competitive environment.

Students will receive a permission note for this event, which must be signed and returned in order to attend the carnival. 

House Sport Captains and Vice-Captains

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected as House Sport Captains and Vice-Captains for the year! These students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership and teamwork skills at various sports events throughout the year.

We are confident that these students will lead by example, inspire their peers, and contribute to making our school sports events even more exciting and enjoyable.

Best wishes to our House Sport Captains and Vice-Captains for a successful year ahead!

PARENT COMMUNITY GROUP NEWS

Learning made easy at Playgroup! 

 At our Playgroup, we believe learning should be fun and exciting! 

Through interactive games, hands-on activities and a supportive environment, children develop essential skills in preparation for kindergarten. 

Fun, engaging lessons boost creativity & problem-solving while encouraging social skills in safe and nurturing space.

Join us every Thursday morning 9am - 11am and watch your little one thrive in a place where learning and play go hand in hand! 

UNIFORM SHOP

Uniforms are no longer available to be purchased from the school. Only hats and library bags are still sold from the office.

All other uniform items are available from Yagoona Uniforms and Embroidery.

MOBILE PHONES AND SMART WATCHES AT SCHOOL

All devices including smart watches are not to be brought to school.

If your child must bring a phone, tablet or smart watch to school they must report to the office and hand the device in for safe keeping until 3pm bell.

CANTEEN LUNCH ORDERS

OUR CANTEEN IS NOW ONLINE WITH FLEXISCHOOLS

Great news everyone! You can now order lunch orders from our canteen for your children online through the Flexischools app. Download the app via the QR code on the attachment, create your account and place your next order online via Flexischools. Please be aware that students and families can also still place orders in person in the morning over the canteen window or via the lunch basket in the classroom.

Lunch orders should be written out and prepared completed at home with correct money enclosed so your child can proceed directly to class even if you are running late.

We appreciate your assistance with this matter.

Should you need to contact the canteen, they are available between

8.30am-9.30am Monday-Friday

Please note: There will no longer be “credit” available at the canteen and we will no longer be accepting orders via phone calls.

Diane Richardson

School Administration Manager

PLEASE SCAN OUR QR CODE AT THE FRONT GATE BEFORE ENTERING OUR SCHOOL

The Department of Education has requested that any person entering school grounds for meetings, courses, uniform purchases or anything else through the office is required to use the NSW Health App (school check in) to register your visit for COVID-19 contact tracing purposes.

Please take a moment to use your mobile phone to scan the QR code located on the front gate or office door before entering our office area.

Our EFTPOS transactions can only be taken up until 2pm each day. If you wish to pay for something after 2pm, please ensure you bring cash.

Our school office accepts cash and EFTPOS transactions, but EFTPOS is preferred at the moment.

Please understand that we are unable to give change so we ask that you bring correct money when dealing with us as we cannot give change immediately.

As always, we appreciate your cooperation.

Diane Richardson
School Administration Manager

PARKING SAFELY AROUND SCHOOLS – IMPORTANT

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