Caves Beach Public School Newsletter

Week 2 Term 3

Last week, we celebrated NAIDOC Week with the theme ‘50 Years Deadly’. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Chensee and her dedicated team of teachers, parents and community for their outstanding organisation. It is truly wonderful to have members of our school community generously share their knowledge and time with us.

At the Opening Ceremony, we were honoured to receive a special gift of hand painted clap sticks from Aunty Carol and the Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council. It was a delight to see these being beautifully used by our Didge Group during Friday’s Closing Ceremony.

Tomorrow, our Aboriginal students will participate in the NAIDOC celebrations hosted at Swansea High School, joined by the Galgabba Community of Schools. We thank Mr. Pesle and his team for providing this fantastic opportunity for our students to connect and celebrate their culture with peers.

Today, we farewelled our Year 5 students as they departed for the Great Aussie Bush Camp. This adventure promises many exciting activities designed to build resilience, foster teamwork, and of course, ensure lots of fun.

Looking ahead, next week we will celebrate both Education Week and Book Week. Education Week’s theme is ‘Inspiring Excellence’. We warmly invite families and community members to join us on Thursday 6 August. The day will begin at 9:30 am with a parent information session led by Marion, our Real Schools facilitator, focusing on working together to build a resilient child at Caves Beach Public School. Following Marion’s presentation, you are welcome to visit classrooms and the library, where the Book Fair will be in full swing. Please bring a picnic lunch to enjoy with your family and friends.

After lunch, we will hold our much-anticipated Book Parade, with this year’s theme ‘Symphony of Stories’. I look forward to seeing our students and staff dressed as their favourite book characters, adding colour and creativity to our celebrations.

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in our vibrant school community.

Kind regards,

Lisa Dallaway

Relieving Principal

Week 2

• Monday 27th - Wednesday 29th July - Year 5 Camp
• Tuesday 28th July - 100 days of Kindergarten
• Tuesday 28th July - Swansea High Aboriginal Visit

Week 3

• Thursday 6th August - Education Week Celebration

Week 4

• Monday 10th August - Galgabba Public Speaking
• Tuesday 11th - Wednesday 12th August - Year 3 Camp
• Friday 14th August - Zone Athletics

Congratulations to the following Gold Award recipients:

           Harriet H - 3/4N

Congratulations to the following Merit Award recipients:

Week 1

Congratulations to the following GYM Award recipients:

Week 1

Information for parents and carers

What is phonics?

Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds and is vital in learning to read. Some children struggle with learning to read so it is important that these children are identified quickly so teachers can plan for any specific support they may need.

What is the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check?

The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is a short, quick assessment that tells teachers how your child is progressing in phonics. Your child will sit with the class teacher and will be asked to read 40 words aloud. These words include 20 real words and 20 nonsense words. The test normally takes a few minutes. If your child is struggling the teacher will stop the check. The check is carefully designed not to be stressful for your child.

Why use nonsense words?

The assessment includes pseudo or nonsense words to see if the student is able to use their knowledge of blending to read a word rather than their memory of having seen that word before.

More information

If you have any further questions, please talk to your child’s class teacher.

Last week, our school proudly came together to celebrate NAIDOC Week, recognising and honouring the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our celebrations were attended by representatives from Swansea High School, Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council, our local Member for Swansea and Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley MP, along with our Aboriginal families and members of the wider community.

A special thank you to the Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council for leading the Smoking Ceremony, and to the Swansea High School Aboriginal Dance Group, for their powerful and engaging performance.

We would also like to thank Lake Macquarie Landcare for their generous donation of native trees. Together with Yasmin Catley MP, Sue Stewart and our Aboriginal students, we held a special tree planting ceremony, creating a living symbol of growth and our ongoing connection to Country that will continue to flourish for generations to come.

Throughout the day, students participated in a range of meaningful cultural activities and learning experiences, deepening their understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal culture, traditions and connection to Country. We are incredibly grateful to our Aboriginal families and community members for so generously sharing their knowledge, stories and culture with our students.

A heartfelt thank you to Mrs Chensee, Mr Honeysett, our Aboriginal families, local community members and everyone who contributed to planning and coordinating this wonderful celebration. Your dedication created a truly memorable and meaningful experience for our students and school community.

Band

Welcome to another big term of music making! This term will see band focus on preparing for bandfest in term 4, family band night and potentially a workshop or camp opportunity. All band rehearsals return from Tuesday week 2 and tutors will also be back on site this week. More information will be available in the coming weeks for semester 2  performances. 

Mrs Scott

Week 2

Junior band 8:15am – 8:55am - Tuesday and Thursday 

Senior band 8am – 8:55am - Wednesday and Friday 

Week 3

Junior band 8:15am – 8:55am - Tuesday only - No Thursday - book parade day! (Aug 6th) 

Senior band 8am – 8:55am - Wednesday and Friday 

Please send a black display folder with current band music to rehearsals each week. 

Tutor Lessons:

Lance Verdon- clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone & percussion - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday  

Rachael Sebastian- keyboard -  Tuesday

Isabella O'Brien - flute and bass guitar - Tuesday

 Fees:

Fees will be collected through the school office for all band members. These will be allocated to your School Bytes account in the next few weeks and include the whole year fee and instrument hire, if applicable. 

These fees can be paid off termly @ $60 per term or in full at any stage of the year. Instrument hire fees are due term 1 to secure the instrument for your child. Instrument hire fee is non- refundable.

Band fee - $60 per student per term.

Instrument Hire fee - $100 per year, due term 1

Reeds:

Reeds are available for purchase with cash only to Mrs Scott or Lance at band rehearsal:

Clarinet - Rico - $3.50 (Beginner students) 

Clarinet - Vandoren - $4.50 (Intermediate - advanced Students) 

Saxophone - $4.50 

Bass Clarinet - $7.50

Students will be supplied with a reed when one is broken so they can continue to participate in rehearsals and lessons.  A slip will be sent home with your child with the cost displayed and payment is expected within the same week.  Happy  music making! 

Book Fair

This year, we will have a selection of books available from scholastic. The Book Fair will be in the library from Tuesday August 3rd to Thursday August 6th. It will be open during open classrooms for our Education Week/Book Week celebrations and from 8:30am to 9:15am in the mornings. Book fairs help our school stack up on resources to enrich our children’s education. Best of all, each fair provides kids access to more books. More books means more choice, which means kids get to read books they want to read. The right book can ignite a passion for reading so we encourage families to work together to create a reading culture at home.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Just a friendly reminder that the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge is still open. Student entries for years 3-6 close on Friday 18th September. If you require any assistance or have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the school. 

📣 Where to Find Us & Stay Connected

📧 Email: cavesbeachpublicschool@pcaffiliate.onmicrosoft.com

🌐 Website: Caves Parent

📱 Facebook: Caves Beach Public School P&C

🛍️ Buy, Swap & Sell Group: Caves Beach Public School P&C Buy, Swap and Sell

Together, we’re creating special memories and opportunities for our kids. 🏫✨

Caves Beach Public School P&C

Working together for our kids 💛 

👋 Seeking canteen volunteers  

If you are free and keen to help please email me below.

We are also looking for more volunteers on Thursdays and Fridays. 

You can help by volunteering once a month on the roster or casually when you’re available. Shifts are 9:00am–12:00pm, everything is easy to learn—we’ll show you what to do 😊

Please spread the word and encourage friends to get involved. The kids love seeing you at school, and it’s a great way to be part of the community 💙

Contact email: cavescanteen@gmail.com

Volunteer Roster for this fortnight:

Thanks so much for your support!

Madonna at  Seaside Bites🏖️