Holbrook Public School

Congratulations, Blade!

Last week, Blade M (Year 5) represented the Riverina at the State carnival for the Boccia Championships in Sydney. Blade is NSW singles state champion and was awarded the GOLD medal in the Primary competition and bronze in the team section. This achievement is outstanding for Blade, his family and Holbrook Public School. Well done, Blade!

Excursions 

Over the past couple of weeks, our students have had many opportunities to take learning beyond the classroom to broaden their horizons and engage in many exciting experiences. In Week 4, Kindergarten to Year 2, travelled on the bus to Wagga Wagga to watch a live performance of Possum Magic at the Civic Theatre. They also got to enjoy a picnic and visit the zoo at the Botanic Gardens. In Week 5, Year 3 and Year 4 students went to Borambola Sport and Recreation Centre for a 2-night excursion. Exciting adventures were had, and it was wonderful to see the students stepping outside their comfort zones, pushing themselves to engage in activities they may not have experienced before. See below for further insights into our amazing experiences with our students and staff. Just last week, our Year 5 and Year 6 students travelled to Ballarat to further strengthen the learning that they have been doing within History. Please keep your eyes peeled for our Week 9 newsletter to get a sneak peek of the fun!

It must be celebrated that the community has praised the way our students conducted themselves on school business. We have had such positive feedback from camp coordinators, bus drivers and the general public about the conduct of our students. We are so proud of our students and how they represented Holbrook Public School and our wider community.

A very big ‘thank you’ needs to be extended to our committed staff for the effort that they have gone to to ensure that our students are provided with such high-quality learning opportunities. The work that they do for our students does not go unnoticed. Thank you, Team!

2024 Staffing

We are delighted to share with our school community that Holbrook Public School staffing has been confirmed for 2024. We will plan for 6 or 7 classes across K-6 until we gauge final student numbers. We are awaiting final student enrolments to finalise class structures for next year. Even this week, we have been fielding EOI for enrolments; families have moved, and we are still receiving Kindergarten enrolments. We know things can change over the summer break, but please let the school know of any changes to your enrolment status as soon as possible for 2024 so we can strategically plan our classes.

2024 Kinder Transition

Our Kindergarten Transition program has been an enormous success. Last week, our 2024 Kindergarten students and their Buddies had a lovely Teddy Bears' Picnic. Sharing a barbecue lunch with our 2024 Kindergarten parents and Year 5 Buddies’ parents was also lovely. Thank you to the team at the Holbrook Bakery for supplying the delicious bread for our sausage sizzle. A special mention to Akear Boers and Vanessa Purcell (representatives from our P&C) for cooking the barbecue. We are so grateful for your support. Our next Transition session will be on Tuesday, 21 November. A reminder that our 2024 Parent information session will be on Tuesday, 28 November, at 2:00 p.m. in the school hall. We look forward to meeting with all of our families (new and existing) to chat about all things Kindergarten.

Thank you to Miss Hemphill for coordinating our Transition Program and Mrs de Steiger for her fantastic assistance.

We are excited to announce that our 2024 Kindergarten teachers will be Miss Ashleigh Hemphill (3 days) and Mrs Kimberly Ross (2 days). Ashleigh and Kimberly look forward to working together to lay the successful foundations for student learning at Holbrook Public School.

Growth Mindset

In classrooms, we have been talking at great length about our mindsets. Students have been working alongside their teachers to develop their very own Learning Pit. Originally created by James Nottingham in 2007, the Learning Pit is part of what he calls a learning challenge. The learning challenge is designed to normalise challenges and build a growth mindset. When we go into the Learning Pit, we face a challenge. We then practise using our muscles in resilience to have a go at solving the challenge. At this point, we may begin to feel frustrated, overwhelmed, or even excited (for some). We must realise that these feelings are a normal part of learning something new and that we can draw on resources (teachers/friends/what we already know) to push through these feelings to experience the ‘aha’ moment.

When learning new things, we often talk about the power of the word ‘YET’. Using ‘yet’ brings hope. It ignites a ‘can-do’ attitude! It creates an encouraging environment. But we must all be willing to learn from our mistakes and persevere! This requires patience, and it requires belief in yourself.

May we all continue to embrace new learning, work together to climb out of the Learning Pit and celebrate the resilience we have shown when we achieve things we didn’t think we were capable of.

Have a wonderful week!

Amelia White
Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction

Thank you to everyone who completed the Tell Them From Me Parent Survey. Your valuable insights significantly contribute, and we appreciate your time and effort in sharing your thoughts. Thank you for helping us improve and enhance our school. Your input is truly valuable!

The following people won a $30 Athlete's Foot gift voucher and can collect it from the office.

• Bec Cardile
• Kym Freischmit
• Chontelle Henderson
• Damien Lindsay
• Kat Reid
• Brigette Yensch

In the past, the children and families of Holbrook Public School have generously donated gifts to go under our Giving Tree, believing that Christmas was a time to be caring and sharing and reaching out to people.  

Our school community has shown that kind gestures can go a long way, and we have donated more than 140 gifts to children who are not as well off as ourselves. 

This year, our Giving Tree will again go up, and we can again show how caring and generous we are as a school community to our local families.   

Once again, our pupils are encouraged to consider purchasing a small gift to leave under the tree for an unknown student their age. This year, we are asking for the gift NOT to be wrapped.

Mrs Dionysius and Mrs Jones 

School Bytes is an online platform that allows parents and carers to access important school information and make online payments for school events and fees. By registering with School Bytes, you can access online forms for:

• uniform orders
• student health condition support
• students to carry their asthma, adrenaline autoinjector
• change of details
• refund application
• application for extended leave
• declaration for child-related workers
• family education and occupation index

You will also receive notifications about upcoming events, such as excursions and performances, Book Club and P&C meetings, to name but a few. Through School Bytes, you can also pay for these events and other fees, such as school fees and uniform purchases. This saves you time and effort, as you don't have to make payments in person or send cash or cheques to the school.

Don't forget, Audiri will no longer be available at the end of the year, so School Bytes will be our primary communication platform.

Registering with School Bytes is easy - follow the instructions on the image or contact the school office for assistance.

Don't miss out on essential school updates - register with School Bytes today!

Please collect your 10-cent recyclable bottles, cans and fruit boxes and bring them to school for collection in our newly delivered big green drums.  

Please ensure that these items are clean and free of food, liquid or other contaminates. This is a simple, easy way to help raise more funds for our students.  

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