Tottenham Central School - Principal: Amanda Thorpe Week 2, Term 1 Thursday, 6 February 2020 - NSW Government
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ENCOURAGING ALL IN THE AIM TO BETTER OUR BEST
Tottenham Central
School
Principal: Amanda Thorpe
Week 2, Term 1
Thursday, 6 February 2020
Principal’s message
Welcome back!
Welcome back to school and a new year. I trust everyone is well rested, had a great holiday and is
looking forward to a new school year.
Welcome to Kindergarten students
Yesterday, we welcomed our 2020 Kindergarten students. They had a great first day at school and
settled quickly into school routine. Next week our Kindergarten students will undergo Best Start
testing. Best Start is a state-wide Kindergarten assessment that helps teachers identify the literacy and
numeracy skills of each student at the beginning of Kindergarten. Children start school with a range of
early literacy knowledge, skills and understandings. Best Start Kindergarten Assessment helps
teachers develop effective learning programs that build upon what students know and can do when
they start Kindergarten.
Staffing
Congratulations to Mrs Melissa Greig who has been permanently appointed to our school as the School
Administration Officer.
Mrs Kirrily Quade will be joining us one day a week to work with our secondary classes. Welcome Kirrily.
Student resources donation
Yesterday, our students received packs of school equipment from Loftus Public School. The goodies
were distributed to all students on the first school day of the year and it felt like Christmas in February!
The supplies our students have received are amazing and we are very, very lucky. Thank you, Loftus PS!
Using digital devices, including phones at school
You may have recently seen stories in the media about whether phones and other digital devices are
harmful for students. We know that using technology is a key part of our daily lives and digital
technology skills are important for learning and preparing our children and young people for life
beyond school. We also know we need to support our students to use technology in safe, responsible
and respectful ways.
To support schools and students, a new policy on the use of all digital devices in schools will apply in
all NSW public schools from 27 January 2020.
Our school will be updating our procedure to reflect the new requirements.
The new policy includes the digital device restriction for primary schools announced by the NSW
Government in December 2018. Under the new policy, from the start of Term 1 2020:
Primary schools will restrict the use of digital devices, including mobile phones during school
hours. Primary-aged students will not be allowed to use digital technology during class time,
recess and lunch unless for an educational purpose, or where a student needs it for other reasons,
such as an adjustment for disability.
Secondary schools will retain the flexibility to opt into any restriction on device use or pursue the
approach that best suits the learning and wellbeing needs of their school community.
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Information on this policy and responses to some Frequently Asked Questions are available at the
NSW Department of Education’s website.
We will update you on any future changes that may be required to our school procedures.
We are looking forward to working with our school community to support our children and young
people be safe online and balance the benefits and risks of digital technology.
Registration for Secondary Aboriginal Dance Workshops are open!
These one day contemporary Aboriginal dance workshops are run by the NSW Department of
Education in collaboration with the internationally renowned Bangarra Dance Theatre. Throughout
the workshop, students will learn a contemporary indigenous repertoire from some of Bangarra’s
leading artists. This is a highly motivational program that is recommended for all Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students. It satisfies the current educational priority areas of rural and remote, gifted
and talented, careers pathways and Indigenous engagement.
This workshop aims to foster the development of dance skills and cultural significance for indigenous
students (male and female) from Years 7 – 12. It is suited to both experienced and inexperienced
dancers.
During these workshops, students with exceptional talent and potential will be considered eligible for
selection for the 2020 NSW Public Schools Aboriginal Dance Company.
Registration is due ASAP. Please let us know if your child is interested. Our closest workshop is in
Dubbo on Tuesday 17th March.
Student Grants
Variety, the Children's Charity is providing grants of up to $1,500 for kids living in financial hardship to
help ease the burden of back to school costs.
Grants include help with iPads or laptops, educational apps or software, protective cases and
accessories, as well as school uniforms and school shoes, camp and excursion fees and educational
resources such as textbooks, stationery or a school bag.
Applicants must live in NSW or the ACT, be attending school or TAFE and be between the ages of 4
and 18.
Go to www.variety.org.au/backtoschool for more information.
Amanda Thorpe, Principal
School news
TCS Careers Page
This year we are excited to have our own careers page. This page provides the latest information which
will help students make decisions about their future careers. You can use this site to locate universities,
TAFE and other types of course across Australia and it get information about the HSC.
https://www.tottenhamcareers.com/
Thank you
Jodie Attenborough
SRC Speeches/ Elections
SRC speeches and elections will be held during class time on Tuesday 11 February 2020. Any student is
welcome to nominate themselves and complete a one minute speech in front of their class members,
identifying why they would be a candidate for the 2020 Tottenham Central School Student
Representative Council. Successful nominees will be announced at the assembly on Wednesday 19
February 2020.
Australia Day
Congratulations to Ben Larkings and Shai Handsaker who participated in the official ceremony of
Australia Day. All students represented themselves, their family and the school extremely well.
EXCELLENCE RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY
ENCOURAGING ALL IN THE AIM TO BETTER OUR BEST
Timely reminders
Students are not to arrive at school before 8:35am as there is no supervision before this time.
If children are being dropped off or picked up from school, we ask that you do so at the Meryula Street
entrance (near library) to avoid the bus zone at the front of school. We also ask that you remain at the
seating in front of the library until children are dismissed.
All parents and visitors are requested to report to the school office first and sign-in. If you need to sign
your child in or out of the school you also need to come to the office. This is an WH&S requirement of
the Department of Education and Communities and Tottenham Central School. We can organise for
your child to be brought to the office.
Any changes to address, phone numbers, student medical conditions or other important details
should be given to our office staff as soon as possible. This will help us with communication and
keeping all students safe.
Parents are requested to please notify the school by a note or phone call if their child’s after school /
pick up arrangements change, even for one day. This will prevent confusion at home time. Please also
try and avoiding phoning at the last minute.
All students need to bring hats to school. We have a “No Hat - Play in the Shade” policy. In the
interests of protecting young skin, we ask all students to wear a hat to school. Students will be
restricted to the shade if they don’t wear a hat.
Could all parents please clearly label their children’s belongings including hats, sloppy joes, lunch
boxes, drink bottles etc.
All student absences need to be explained by a letter as soon as possible after the absence. Students
should give their absentee notes to their teacher in the morning. Blank explanation notes will be
printed in the newsletter from time to time for your convenience.
Students unable to participate in sport or physical activity must have a signed note from a parent or
guardian explaining the reason for the inability to participate.
Please read the newsletter every week and ‘Like’ us on Facebook to be kept up to date with the
goings on around school.
DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP OF CHILDREN BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
All parents please take note of our ‘road safety policies’ regarding the drop-off and pick-up of children before and after
school.
For safety reasons, parents who drop-off or pick-up their children by car are asked to park in Meryula Street near the
library. If using Merilba Street, please park past the bus zone ie adjacent to the Science Lab and Room 10. This will
prevent students trying to cross the road where the buses park and make their U- turns.
Parents of primary students who wish to collect their children from school of an afternoon are asked to either wait
at the gate near the library, or to sit on the aluminium seats under the tree adjacent to the Kindergarten room.
Secondary parents may wait at the gate in front of the main secondary block.
Parents are requested not to come into, or wait in school grounds for any other reason, without signing in at the office
first.
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School news
Newsletters
The weekly newsletter will automatically go home with the youngest child in the family unless the
school is notified.
If you would prefer to have an electronic copy of the newsletter, please provide the school office with
your email address. Thank you.
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Primary news
Year 2 Maths homework
This year, Year 2 will receive a homework book from Mrs Baker to be used for Maths homework only.
Maths homework will be sent home on Monday and should be returned on Friday to Mrs Baker to be
marked. Other homework for Year 2 will be distributed by Mrs Horsburgh in a separate homework
book. If you have any questions about this please contact myself or Mrs Horsburgh at school.
Mrs B Baker
K-6 Home Reading 2020
The Home Reading program will start next week with the students taking home readers that are at an
easy reading level. The purpose of home reading is for the students to practise in a fluent manner
where they can easily read and comprehend the text. The texts should not be too hard, and the
students should not be struggling to read their current level. This year, all the students from
Kindergarten to Year 6 will be given the same home reading log. This reading log will help us keep
track of when your child will receive an achievement for reading consistently at home. Please sign the
home reading log when your child has completed an amount of home reading each night. This makes
it much easier for us to keep track of the reading completed at home. Please do not sign for multiple
books or multiple nights with the one signature. If you have any questions about home reading please
do not hesitate to ask your child’s class teacher.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Book Club
Book club order forms will be distributed and will be due back to school on Friday 14 February.
Any cheques should be made payable to Tottenham Central School. Thank you.
Welcome back to our primary students and a special big,
warm welcome to our new Kindergarten students for 2020!
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Secondary news
Secondary Assessment
Schedule
Week due Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6
Term 1 N/A N/A Year 11 – N/A
Week 2 Year 12 – N/A
Secondary Information
Welcome to all of our secondary students. The students have had a terrific few first days. A few
reminders for parents:
Students need to have all of their books labelled including their diary
Diaries will be expected to be at school every day
All stationery items need to be taken to school every day
Students need a hat for sport and PE
Please ensure the correct shoes are worn in the laboratory and Industrial Arts room
PE gear is to be taken to school on Tuesday – the students will need to change at the end of
lunch and can wear their PE clothes home. Joggers must be worn for PE and sport
Best Start Year 7
Best Start Year 7 will be completed in the next few weeks.
Access Camp
This year, students in Year 11 and 12 will be attending the annual Access Camp at Lake Burrendong,
from next Wednesday 12 February to Friday 14 February. Permission notes and money need to be
returned to the office by next Tuesday.
Sports news
Swimming Carnival
Our annual swimming carnival will be held tomorrow, Friday 7 February. The carnival will begin at
10:00am. Students can come to school as normal and we will walk to the pool at 9:30am. Students
need to remember to bring and wear their hat, a rash shirt, clothes to put on after they finish
swimming, sunscreen and lots of water. Students can either bring their lunch or purchase from the
kiosk at the pool. Please note there will be no canteen operating at school tomorrow. Notes need to be
returned to staff tomorrow to indicate how the students are getting home after the carnival finishes.
This year we are introducing the all age 100m freestyle championship event for primary students. This
event will be done first and the students will not swim the 66m freestyle championship.
Gobondery/NARRAF District Swimming Carnival
The Gobondery/NARRAF district swimming carnival will be held Friday, 21 February at Narromine.
Secondary and Primary sport
Primary sport commenced today, Thursday 6 February and secondary sport commenced yesterday,
Wednesday 5 February. Please make sure all notes are returned as soon as possible to allow all
secondary students to participate in sport next week.
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ENCOURAGING ALL IN THE AIM TO BETTER OUR BEST
Calendar 2020
TERM 1
3 February 4 5 6 7
WEEK 2 Staff Development Staff Development Students first day Swimming
Day Day back for 2020 Carnival
10 11 12 13 14
SRC Speeches WAP Camp WAP Camp WAP Camp
WEEK 3
17 18 19 20 21
Assembly Gob/NARRAF
WEEK 4 swimming -
Narromine
24 25 26 27 28
Gob/NARRAF tennis
WEEK 5 trials—Tottenham
2 March 3 4 5 6
World of Maths Life Education Van Assembly
WEEK 6
9 10 11 12 13
PSSA Tennis CHS Swimming - PSSA Swimming -
WEEK 7 Dubbo Dubbo
16 17 18 19 20
Secondary Gob/NARRAF Gala
WEEK 8 Aboriginal dance Day cricket - Peak
workshop - Dubbo Hill
23 24 25 26 27
Assembly
WEEK 9
30 31 1 April 2 3
CHS state
CHS state CHS state Swimming
Swimming Swimming
Captain Barnacles
WEEK 10 performance
Russell Hodge talk -
Secondary
6 7 8 9 10
State PSSA State PSSA GOOD FRIDAY
WEEK 11
swimming swimming
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Other news
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Other news
2019 Yearbooks
Our colourful 2019 Yearbooks are available at the school office for $15.
Canteen news
There will be no canteen this Friday, 7 February due to the swimming carnival.
Oral Health Services
Please contact the school office to request a copy
of the forms to be completed. Thank you.
All children are free, and eligible adults are also
free (Health care card holders etc.)
Contact us
Principal Miss Amanda Thorpe Your say
You are encouraged to use this space to give us any
Assistant Principal Mrs Meggan Adam (rel. Thurs, Fri)
feedback on things which you feel you need to:
Head Teacher Secondary Studies Mrs Sarah Lindsay congratulate a student, teacher or parent, let us
know what you think of the newsletter format, make
P & C President Mr. Greg Radford a suggestion or request.
_____________________________________________________
Tottenham Central School
_____________________________________________________
Merilba Street
Tottenham _____________________________________________________
NSW 2873
_____________________________________________________
Phone: 02 68924006 _____________________________________________________
Fax: 02 68924159
_____________________________________________________
E-mail: tottenham-c.school@det.nsw.edu.au
We are on the web and Facebook: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
www.tottenham-c.schools.nsw.edu.au
Signed:___________________________________
Tottenham Central School
We would like to pay our respects and acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and also pay respect to Elders both past and present.
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