01 Nov 2021
Upcoming events
- Thursday 4 November - Book Parade (Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this event will be for students only)
- Tuesday 9 November - 5 Week Intensive Swimming program to begin (Tuesdays only. Note has gone home)
- Wednesday 10 November - 2022 Kindergarten Transition Program (Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this program will be for students only until further notice)
- Wednesday 24 November - 2022 Kindergarten Transition Program (Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this program will be for students only until further notice)
- Thursday 2 December - Year 5 Prefect Speeches. Start time 9:15 am (Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this program will be for students only)
- Wednesday 8 December - IPS End of Year Disco (further details to come)
- Thursday 9 December - IPS 2021 Presentation Day
- Tuesday 14 December - Year 6 Graduation Dinner (further details to come)
- Wednesday 15 December - Iluka Community Carols, held on the Iluka PS Bottom Oval (further details to come)
- Thursday 16 December - Last day of Term 4 and 2021 for all students
- Friday 17 December - Staff Development Day (no students to attend)
2022
- Tuesday 1 February - All Students return to school for Term 1, 2022.
- Thursday 10 February - IPS Swimming Carnival - whole school attending. Maclean Olympic Pool
Principal report
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are still operating under Level 3 Covid settings, which prevents schools from attending excursions and camps. Stage 3 teachers and myself are working hard to make safe and alternate arrangements as we approach the halfway mark of the term.
However, on the bright side slowly the DoE (Department of Education), are now allowing an easing of restrictions. These include;
Water bubblers can now be turned back on. Ours have been cleaned, pipes rinsed through and are operating again.
The Learn to Swim classes can once again resume. Students in Years 2, 3 and 4 have taken home a permission note with details of the program.
Professional learning
On Tuesday afternoon all staff will attend a 90 minute Professional Learning session called, Trauma Informed Practice training. This was the first session of four in the program. The Professional Learning will take place each Tuesday over November. The goal of the training is to;
- Realise the widespread impact of trauma and understand paths for recovery;
- Recognise the signs and symptoms of trauma in students and families,
- Integrate knowledge about trauma into our policies, procedures, and practices at Iluka PS; and
- Actively avoid re-traumatisation.
We thank our coordinator of the program, Sue Rees and to all staff (including our dedicated SLSO’s) for giving up family time.
Kindergarten orientation 2022
Our Kindergarten Class of 2022 arrived last Wednesday for the first of their three transition days. The enthusiastic children met their new teacher Mrs Howard and learnt about how Kindergarten works at Iluka Public School. The children spent time in the library, some time in the playgrounds and became more familiar with our beautiful surroundings. The children also met next year’s Year 6 class who will help teachers guide them all the way through their transition to Kindergarten at IPS in 2022. We look forward to meeting you all again on Wednesday 10 November 2021.
Tell them from me
The Tell Them From Me surveys provide schools with student, teacher and parent perspectives about the engagement and wellbeing of their students. This information is valuable to schools and can be used to identify strengths and successes, as well as areas to target for improvement.
To have your say please follow the link http://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/tr44v
2022 Planning
As previously requested, we would appreciate knowing as soon as possible if your child will not be returning to IPS in 2022. Likewise, if you know of any families intending to enrol for Kindergarten next year, please encourage them to do so as soon as possible.
External validation
Once in a five-year cycle every school in NSW undergoes an External Validation by an independent panel, of the evidence of their school’s self-assessment of progress. Throughout 2021 our whole school team at Iluka Public School, teachers and Principal supported by our admin team, carried out a rigorous process of self-assessment, involving selection and analysis of artefacts to form high level, robust evidence sets which support school practice.
The evidence is annotated to describe the what, when, how and why, enabling us to reach on-balance judgements for each element of the School Excellence Framework. The External Validation process provides an assurance to the school and system that the progress being made aligns with the expectations articulated in the School Excellence Framework (SEF).
An independent panel from Sydney determined whether the evidence presented supported the school’s assessment. The panel meeting provided an opportunity for the IPS School Leadership team (Mrs Cunningham, Mr Jones and myself) to share their evidence with the panel and engage in meaningful discussions about progress and achievements using the School Excellence Framework (SEF).
Our panel meeting was held last Wednesday 27 October. Some of the comments from the panel members were focussed on our:
- Student voice; The stories, ideas, creativity news and opinions for students, by students, shines through.
- The learning culture that you’ve built is obvious and we can see how well you all work together.
