The Grapevine
Term 2, Week 1 Edition
The Newsletter of Glendore Public School
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land.
We pay our respect to Elders past, present and future.
We recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of the Awabakal People.
We celebrate with and respect members of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations.
Where Everyone Can Succeed
Welcome to Term 2.
Term 2 has started well (albeit wet) with staff engaging in a wonderful day of professional learning on Monday. This day was dedicated to explicit teaching for the new curriculum. Staff worked through establishing routines and norms that support student learning, using retrieval practice to embed learning, effective phonics and spelling instruction and explicit teaching in English and Mathematics. Thanks to Mrs Mountford and Mrs Houston for their leadership of this exceptional day.
Our students returned on Tuesday refreshed and ready to learn!
Please remind students to wear / bring school jumpers now that the weather is getting cooler.
Next week we host a number of events including our Athletics carnival, Mother’s Day stall, Muffins with Mum afternoon and Zone Cross Country for our long-distance athletes. We look forward to enjoying these events with you.
Please keep an eye out for updates particularly regarding the Athletics carnival as the weather forecast for Tuesday keeps changing! Our plan is to move forward with the Athletics event regardless of wet weather (unless there is an electrical storm), as the venue is classed as an ‘all weather’ venue. It will be incredibly difficult to re-schedule a booking at the Glendale Athletics Centre if we cancel.
In the event of wet weather, students in Years 3-6 and those students in Year 2 turning eight this year, will still attend the carnival as planned. The K-2 carnival will be postponed and rescheduled to occur at school, at a later date.
A final decision will be made on Monday afternoon, and we will communicate via the regular channels (Facebook, School Bytes, Sentral parent portal). Fingers crossed for some sun!
Thanks to Mrs Lawrence, Mr Howe, Mr Noble, Mrs Houston and Mr Lawrence for their planning and preparation of the carnivals, thanks to Ms Lindus for organising our Muffins with Mum afternoon in consultation with Mrs Chambers and a huge shout out to our P&C volunteers for the upcoming Mother’s Day stall.
On Thursday afternoon (9 May) we are hosting the Local Callaghan AECG (Aboriginal Education Consultative Group) meeting here in our library at 4pm – all welcome.
Looking forward to a spectacular week at GPS.
Annette Van Egmond
Principal
Trauma-Informed Practice at Glendore
As part of our current school plan, staff are embedding a range of Trauma-Informed practices from the Berry Street Education Model to support student engagement, inclusion and wellbeing. Berry Street focuses on five domains to support students to be ‘ready to learn’. These domains are: Body, Relationship, Stamina, Engagement and Character.
During Term One, all students have participated in a ‘Morning Circle’ at the start of their day. Morning Circles provides students and staff with an opportunity to check in, discuss values and expectations, join in a positive primer and share what is happening on that day. Students have also enjoyed a variety of ‘Brain Breaks’ throughout the day!
Kindergarten Students - Australian Early Development Census
Our school will take part in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) between May and July this year. The AEDC is a national census that is conducted every three years by the Australian Government, in partnership with state and territory governments. It measures how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.
Kindergarten parents/caregivers will receive further information and an AEDC fact sheet during week 1. You can learn more about the ways AEDC data is used at https://www.aedc.gov.au/.
I’ve been at Glendore Public School for over a year now, and I have really enjoyed working with the students, parents, and staff at GPS. This Term, I’m at GPS on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you would like your child to see me for assessment or counselling, please contact your child’s teacher with your concerns so it can be brought up at the weekly learning and support meeting. If needed, we will then email you a referral form. If the issue is of a confidential or sensitive nature, please call me directly via the school telephone number or email the school and they will forward your details to me. Please understand that there may be a 6 month wait for behaviour and learning assessments. We don’t have the capacity to assess every child who is referred and students will be seen based on priority.
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR TIPS
Building Positive Relationships: Fostering positive relationships is a crucial aspect of a child's emotional well-being and overall growth. Listed below are three practical tips on how you can actively support children in building and maintaining positive relationships with others.
1. Encourage Open Communication: Encourage your child to express their thoughts, emotions, and ideas openly and respectfully. Create a safe space where they feel comfortable sharing their experiences, concerns, and joys.
2. Teach Empathy and Understanding: Encourage your child to put themselves in others' shoes and understand their perspectives and feelings.
3. Promote Social Skills Development: Encourage your child to participate in group activities, clubs, or sports that align with their interests. Such endeavors provide ample opportunities for them to interact, collaborate, and develop teamwork skills.
Building positive relationships is a lifelong skill and your support as parents and guardians plays a crucial role. By implementing these tips, you are equipping your child with the tools necessary for establishing and nurturing healthy connections.
WELLNESS TIPS
Encourage Open Communication: Create a safe space for your child to express their thoughts and emotions without judgment. Encouraging open communication strengthens family connections and supports emotional well-being.
Marcus Geale
School Counsellor
Wallsend RSL ANZAC Day Dawn Service
Our Ministers paid their respects to our Service Men and Women at the Wallsend RSL Dawn Service. Thank you to all our students and GPS families who joined us for the service.
Lest We Forget
Class KO
KO learners have done a fantastic job at embracing all new challenges, building friendships, growing their phonics skills, focusing on addition and subtraction and having a blast together!
KO are ready to tackle Term 2!
In Term 2 we will dive deeper into reading, expanding our maths skills and continuing to foster beautiful friendships along the way!
Well done KO! Looking forward to the term ahead!
Class 3N
3N have had a great start to the new year. We have been working on developing our new friendships, improving our reading and writing skill and working on our mathematics skills.
3N are ready for the challenges of Term 2!
We start Term 2 with the Athletics Carnival on Tuesday Week 2. We will also continue to develop our reading, comprehension and maths skills.
Well done 3N! Looking forward to a great Term 2!
3N Parent Teacher Interviews
3N Parent Teacher Interviews will be taking place across Weeks 4 & 5 in Term 2. We encourage all families to take this opportunity to speak directly with classroom teachers on student progress. Interview times will be booked via the School Interviews platform.
Bookings will open on Monday 6th May at 8:30am and close Friday 17th May at 12:00noon.
Parents are asked to please refer to the School Bytes email and their Sentral Parent Portal for booking information.
What is the Thrive Program?
The Thrive Program is run by our Wellbeing and Learning Support Team and is designed to assist students in their transition to the high school learning environment through targeted learning and wellbeing opportunities. Students remain in the program as long as is necessary, from a few weeks at the beginning of Year 7, up to the full two years of Years 7 and 8. The program is run throughout the school year and provides personalised learning support in a small group environment during scheduled English and Mathematics classes each week. For the remainder of the school week, students continue in their allocated Year 7 class.
Application Submission:
Glendore Public School recommends students who we believe would be eligible for the program during the annual information transfer regarding all Year 6 students who would be transitioning to Wallsend Campus in 2025.
An online application form will be made available to share with the family of potential students by Wednesday 15th May 2024. Families should accurately complete the form and submit them along with any supporting documents by Tuesday 21st May 2024. Paper copies will be available for any family who is unable to complete the online form.
Interview and (if necessary) Assessment:
During Week 2 of Term 3, the team will conduct interviews with families and students to better understand their needs, goals, and expectations. This step may also involve academic or developmental assessments to determine the level of support required.
Acceptance Notification:
Families will be notified of the acceptance status of their application by Friday 16th August 2024. Accepted families will receive enrolment confirmation along with details regarding next steps, including orientation sessions and accepting their child’s placement.
Orientation and Transition Planning:
Students who have successfully applied to enrol in the Thrive Program for Year 7 2025 will be invited to participate in The Great Start Program (formerly known as ‘Supported Transition’). These are extra orientation sessions to help students familiarise themselves with the school environment, faculty, support services, and expectations.
This term students in Years 3 to 6 will participate in Spelling Mastery.
Spelling Mastery is a research-proven program that uses the evidence-based Direct Instruction method to enable teachers to deliver highly interactive, structured lessons that help students learn dependable spelling skills.
Spelling Mastery approaches spelling through strategies, patterns and rules. The straightforward lessons in Spelling Mastery combine phonemic, morphemic, and whole-word instruction to make spelling easier to learn, leading the way to more effective writing.
Spelling Mastery interweaves these three approaches according to students' skill development and provides lessons to help you efficiently and effectively teach the spelling skills students need to become proficient readers and writers. Explicit instruction, careful selection of spelling words, and repeated and cumulative practice help students master each concept and reinforce and retain key information.
Students will participate in the program four times a week and will work across grade groups to build their spelling skills.
Glendore Public School student will be attending the Athletics Carnival on Tuesday 7th May at Hunter Sports Centre Glendale. Students who have paid and given permission from K-6 will participate in activities. Students from 8-13 years will compete in running and athletics events for the chance to compete at Zone. Spectators are welcome to come and watch the events for the day.
We are looking forward to a great term in the library.
- Students will need to bring a library bag if they want to borrow a book to take home. An old pillowcase is a great library bag alternative if you don't have one.
- Please return any books you have at home from previous years (without penalty). We would love to have those books back on the shelf to share.
- K-6 are participating in the premiers reading challenge this year. The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading.
- K-2: teachers will assist with the completion of this challenge. 3-6: you must read books on your own, but someone can help you choose them.
Kinder
KB - Tuesday odd weeks with Mrs Lawrence
KD - Tuesday odd weeks with Mrs Lawrence
KO - Tuesday odd weeks with Mrs Lawrence
KR - Tuesday odd weeks with Mrs Lawrence
KW - Monday even weeks with Mrs Walsh
Stage 1
1G - Tuesday even weeks with Mrs Lawrence
1M - Tuesday even weeks with Mrs Lawrence
1N - Tuesday even weeks with Mrs Lawrence
1P - Tuesday even weeks with Mrs Lawrence
2A - Thursday even weeks with Miss Griffiths
2H - Thursday even weeks with Miss Griffiths
2M - Thursday even weeks with Miss Griffiths
Stage 2
3A - Thursday odd weeks with Miss Griffiths
3BD - Wednesday odd weeks with Miss Griffiths
3C - Thursday odd weeks with Miss Griffiths
3N - Thursday odd d weeks with Miss Griffiths
4C - Friday each week with Mrs Lawrence
4E - Friday each week with Mrs Lawrence
4W - Friday each week with Mrs Lawrence
Stage 3
5D - Wednesday each week with Miss Griffiths
5K - Wednesday each week with Miss Griffiths
5L - Wednesday each week with Miss Griffiths
6B - Monday each week with Mrs Lawrence
6L - Monday each week with Mrs Lawrence
6Q - Monday each week with Mrs Lawrence
6TB - Wednesday even weeks with Miss Meaton
Students should wear Sports Uniform and bring school approved hat. Additional water is recommended on Sports days.
Kinder - Friday
Year 1 - Tuesday (1P, 1N, 1O) Wednesday (1G)
Year 2 - Monday
Year 3 - Friday
Year 4 - Friday
Year 5 - Friday
Year 6 - Friday
Students should wear Sports Uniform and bring school approved hat. Additional water is recommended on PE days.
Kinder - Wednesday
Year 1 - Thursday
Year 2 - Wednesday
Year 3 - Tuesday
Year 4 - Monday
Year 5 - Tuesday
Year 6 - Monday
On Thursday 9th May, Glendore Public School will be holding a special afternoon tea to celebrate the wonderful Mothers’ of Glendore Public School. Grandmas, Aunts and special significant figures are also welcome. Join us for afternoon tea with students from 2pm – 2.45pm. Games will be placed on the field for families to participate in. $5 muffin and drink combos are available to order through Flexischools, with gluten free options also available. Any students who will be leaving early will need to be signed out at the office before leaving the school grounds.
On the Friday 10th May selected Glendore Public School students will be competing at the Crossroads Zone Cross Country Carnival at Federal Park, Wallsend. Notes and school bytes notifications have been sent out to these selected students regarding all additional information.
Good luck!
When: Thursday 16th May 2024
Where: Nancy Dwyer Netball Courts, Myall Road, Cardiff.
Time: 9.00am drop off, first game 9.30am, last game to finish 1.30. Parents are to drop students at the court after 9am and collect by 1.30pm
Players: Selected students from Stage 3
Additional information has been sent to parents.
Children's University Newcastle encourages children to be curious learners by participating in validated activities beyond the school curriculum.
Each time a learning experience is undertaken, children receive a stamp for the time spent learning.
It is important that passports are regularly validated, and their hours recorded by the school.
Students are encouraged to bring their passports into school to Mrs Queenan (Years 5 and 6) or Mrs Eacott (Year 4) for review.
This is a great opportunity for your child to talk about any issues they are having completing their hours.If students have not commenced recording their hours, they are still required to bring in their passport so they can be supported in this.
Also, a Term 2 learning booklet will be available from Mrs Queenan in the coming weeks – providing 5 hours of learning for those who complete it.
A Rising Star!
Over the April school holidays, Dhakota from 6Q starred in the stage performance of The Jungle Book at the Civic Playhouse Theatre.
In her role as Baloo, she brought a laid-back, fun-loving, and caring character to life and demonstrated her love and respect for the theatre.
Some teachers from GPS enjoyed being in the audience for the final performance.
Well done, Dhakota!
Enrolments for Kindergarten 2025 are now open!
Submit your child's online enrolment here -
Uniform Orders
A reminder as the weather cools down to order a school approved jacket from our uniform shop. Please ensure you put your child’s name on the tag so that if it is lost, we can get it returned to your child.
Orders are to be placed via our online ordering system Flexi-schools.
Instructions on how to access and create your Flexischools account can be found on the GPS School Uniform Flyer.
Orders can take up to 4 weeks to fill if current stock is unavailable.
The orders will be filled by our P&C volunteers on a regular basis and items delivered to your child's classroom or to collect from the Office.
Fantastic Feasts - Fruit Break
The Canteen has received lots of feedback regarding our Fruit Break Combo and we are happy to announce we have made some changes. You can now purchase Fruit Only OR a COMBO (Fruit and Water). Orders should need to be placed via Flexi-Schools before the 8am daily cut off with students collecting their Fruit Break from the Canteen before the morning bell (between 8.30 & 8.45).
Fantastic Feasts - Helpers needed
Our Canteen relies on the time given by parents/carers/grandparents and significant others from our Glendore community. Without their help we wouldn't be able to provide the healthy lunches and yummy treats that we do.
We are always seeking additional help in the canteen. There are a number of quick and easy tasks to be completed each day to ensure our students receive their orders on time. If you are able to assist, even if only for 20 minutes when you drop your child/ren at school, this would be gratefully appreciated.
No experience necessary however if you are volunteering for the first time, please see the office to complete some paperwork first.
Glendore Public School provides excellent educational programs for nearly 630 students in the western foothills of Newcastle, catering for its rapidly increasing in-zone population having grown by 175 since 2016. The school has close links with Callaghan College Wallsend Campus, the Callaghan Educational Pathways and the Callaghan-West Pre-Sch Links Network. Glendore Public School's staff are passionate about supporting student achievement and wellbeing. They are fully Explicit Instruction and Choice Theory trained and have access to an array of technology to support Futures learning. K-2 staff are L3 and TEN trained. Year 3-6 staff utilise additive and mutiplicative strategies; and MBB4N and TOWN strategies in their teaching practices. Glendore’s staff have an explicit focus on Assessment for Learning over 2020-2021. The school conducts several programs to promote excellence and creativity through opportunities to participate in enrichment and extension programs, including: Aboriginal Dance, Choir, Coding, Junior/Senior Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre Groups, lunchtime interest groups, PlayHub, PSSA, Robotics, Solar and Wind Challenges, STEM and a School Parliament. Glendore Public School celebrates and acknowledges student successes, and values supportive, cooperative and communicative relationships with its learning community. The school has a large Aboriginal student community (90+) and strong links with the Muloobinbah Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. Glendore Public School staff work in partnership with a diverse school community, explicitly partnering with healthcare providers, NDIS, NGO’s, LAECG and Storylines to co–design learning, to plan for success and to enable students to exceed State Priorities.