THE UPSIDE

7th February 2024 - ISSUE 1

News and updates from

As we step into the exciting year of 2024, I am thrilled to extend a heartfelt welcome to all our families including those who are new to the vibrant community here at Ultimo Public School. 

At Ultimo Public School, we believe in fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment where every child can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Our dedicated team of educators and staff are committed to providing a supportive and enriching educational experience for each and every student.

As you embark on this journey with us, I encourage you to get involved in school activities, engage with our teachers and staff, and participate in the various events and programs we have planned throughout the year. Together, we can create memorable experiences and build lasting connections within our school community.

I also want to extend a very special welcome to all of new Kindergarten children who started their learning journey with us on Monday. It was a smooth start for all and they are thoroughly enjoying making new friends and trying new things.

I am delighted to welcome back Ms. Ho'are to our school team after her leave in 2023. Ms. Ho'are will be working part-time, Monday to Wednesday, as an English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) teacher. Her return adds valuable expertise and enthusiasm to our school community, and we look forward to her contributions to our school.

At the end of last year, Mr Strachan made the decision to relinquish his position at UPS after many years of dedicated service to the Ultimo community. Mr Strachan has been on leave from Ultimo Public School for the last two years and was committed to working closer to his home. We express our gratitude to Mr Strachan for his years of service and wish him all the best in his future endeavours. Finally Jitu Biswakrama, our General Assistant has also decided to take leave this year and I wish him well during this time.

I am also thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our new staff members who have joined the Ultimo Public School family. Their dedication, expertise, and passion for education will undoubtedly contribute to the vibrant and enriching environment we strive to create for our students.

Teaching Staff from left to right: Ms Leisa Holland, Ms Lauren Wickham, Ms Grace Keane, Ms Sarah Rawling, Mr Kevin Harty, and Ms Sarah Carkagis (appointed permanently through central appointment).

School Support Staff from left to right: Mr Andrew Goon Pan, Ms Vanessa Hawethorne, Ms Jill Farac, Ms Kim Morris and Ms Zaynab Ali  (Relieving School Administration Manager)

School Learning Support Officers from left to right: Ms Lauren Millist, Ms Lily Dewberry, Ms Sarah Maclachlan, Ms Batoul Tawbe, Mr Callum Moulds McGowen and Ms Kathryn Arkapaw (appointed permanently through Temporary to Permanent Initiaive.

Our first community event if fast approaching and all families are invited to attend. Remember to put the date in your diary - make sure you get there on time so you don't miss out on the delicious noodles and spring rolls!

When families enrol their child at our school they enter a partnership where their child's education becomes a shared responsibility. Developing open, two-way communication between home and school increases the opportunities for success of all students. 

When parents set high expectations, talk regularly about school, promote the value of learning, and encourage a positive attitude and respect for school, teachers and leadership, their children perform better.

The School Community Charter outlines the responsibilities of parents, carers, educators and school staff in NSW public Schools to ensure learning environments are collaborative, supportive and cohesive. To ensure the wellbeing of students, staff and the community in our schools, steps will be taken to address unacceptable behaviour. This includes the inappropriate use of parent WhatsApp groups. This may include restricting contact with the school community or, in more serious cases, referral to NSW Police. 

If you have a concern or grievance, always contact the school first to talk about the issue. Most issues can be resolved quickly if they are raised early.  

The best person to meet with is your child's teacher. If you are not satisfied with the outcome you can always escalate your concern to the Principal who will either manage the issue directly or work with the Assistant Principal of that stage .

If your concern is more serious in nature, issues can be directed to our Director Educational Leadership, Angela Lyris.

Please contact the school admin team for more information.

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the new 2024-27 plan for NSW Public Education, aimed at enhancing the learning experiences and outcomes for all students across our state. This comprehensive plan focuses on several key areas to ensure that every child receives an outstanding education.

Every young person in our state deserves to have the opportunities and experiences they need to achieve ambitious outcomes and reach their potential. All students should feel known and cared for at school so that they are well prepared for life beyond – informed, curious citizens, confident and well equipped to contribute to the modern world.

Our school aligns with the high expectations that the department expects for our students and I am very proud of the high quality education that our students receive. 

Each year the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is undertaken by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

NAPLAN 2024 will take place from Wednesday 13 March to Friday 15 March.

NAPLAN is just one part of our school learning assessment program. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school.

In preparation for NAPLAN, our school will undertake activities to help students become familiar with the format and functionality of the online tests. These activities are not an assessment of student ability and will not be marked. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended. The public demonstration site is available to see the types of questions, tools and functions used in the NAPLAN tests.

Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA website.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher.

We are excited to join the PSSA competition in 2024. The competition officially begins on Friday 23rd February 2024 and we will be hosting try-outs for the following teams: Snr and Jnr Oz Tag, Snr and Jnr Netball and Snr Cricket.

Joining PSSA has meant that we have had to make some changes to Friday bell times so as to minimise disruption to learning time. Bell times on Friday will now be:

• Lunch: 11.00 - 11.30 pm
• Recess: 1.15 - 2.00 pm

This change also means that K-2 and 3-6 assembly times have been moved to Thursday at 1.00 - 1.40 pm.

I am thrilled to announce that our school canteen will be opening next week for the first time. Orders will be placed via FlexiSchools and families can now order, both lunch and recess orders every day of the week.

All ordering will be online and the menu should be available from tomorrow in FlexiSchools!

On the first Staff Development Day of the year, we hosted a combined professional learning session focusing on mental health with over 100 staff from Forest Lodge, Glebe and Ultimo Public Schools. The morning session was led by experienced speaker and coach, Niall Clerkin, who shared his deep belief in the power of self improvement to transform lives. All staff thoroughly enjoyed the session and walked away with tools to support their personal wellness journey and prioritise work life balance.

The session also perfectly aligned to the announcement of the Department of Education's new Staff Wellbeing Strategy 2024-27 made by Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car and Secretary Murat Dizdar on the day.  The announcement was filmed at our school in the holidays and I was pleased to share some of our plans for 2024.

Our new line markings were finally put down of the holiday period and they have been a big hit with our students. The line markings have transformed three of our playgrounds and bring a sense of colour and fun to our school! Be sure to check them our the next time you visit.

Welcome back and a special welcome to all the new families starting at Ultimo Public School. I hope you have had a restful break and managed to get some time to recharge.

No doubt your children have enjoyed their visit to our Library this term. Here are a few reminders to make sure they make the most out of every visit:

Library Day and Library Bags:

Bringing a library bag is all important in helping our bookworms bring their literary adventures back home in good order. Please check in with your child or classroom teacher for which day your child is visiting the Library. You can order an Ultimo Library bag by using the Flexischools app. You can also use any cotton tote bag to borrow books. We request no plastic bags to be used.

• Kindergarten: Borrow 2 books weekly
• Years 1-6: Borrow 3 books weekly

Book Club

New Families to Book Club: Our school actively participates in Book Club. Book Club will be distributed throughout the year to your child via a brochure and orders can be placed online. The books will then be delivered to your child’s teacher for your child to take home. Families can purchase books at a discounted rate through scholastic book club. The best part is 15% of your order value is given back to our school. It is easy to order. Just go to scholastic.com.au/loop or by using the LOOP app which you can download from the App Store or Google Play. Once you select your books, use the drop-down menu to find your class and the books will be delivered to your child’s classroom. Please note the school does not take cash for Book Club orders.

Some helpful resources to Introduce NEW families to Book Club

• Book Club Parent Guide
• Other resources for parents online

Issue 1 will be sent home with your child this week.

Scholastic Book Club: Orders due Monday 19th February

Premiers Reading Challenge

This year's Premiers Reading Challenge will commence on 26th February 2024. This is for all students from Years 1-6. Kindergarten will complete their challenge with me during Library time. I am pleased to report that many students have excitingly commenced reading in anticipation of the challenge.

Please ensure your child logs into their PRC account and record their books read. If you have lost your login details, please let your child’s teacher know.

We will also be ensuring students have access to new PRC books during the challenge. More information will be provided later in the month.

Francesca from 5/6 Pyeongchang

Congratulations to Francesca for being offered a place in the 2024 Primary State Dance Ensemble program through The Arts Unit.

In 2024 she will perform at the Regional Dance Festival, State Dance Festival and the School Spectacular. We wish you the most incredible year of dancing and hope that you enjoy every performance!

Have you heard your child talk about a guard dog, the sifting sooty, a sensitive octopus, an elephant who tries to remember and a wise owl? You may be wondering what on earth this is all about! 

At our school, we believe that education is about academic achievement AND about developing well-rounded individuals who can navigate the complexities of life. We know that when children have the skills of resilience, emotional regulation and perspective, they will do better socially, academically and physically. With the Grow Your Mind program, we aim to provide our students with the tools and resources they need to thrive in all areas of their lives. 

Why the animals? Why the brain? And why Grow Your Mind? 

The animals are a playful and engaging way to teach children about their brain and some of the core functions. Linking social and emotional wellbeing habits to the brain provides purpose and sparks a child’s interest in topics that may otherwise cause a yawn or eye roll! E.g. gratitude, exercise, healthy friendships, and growth mindset are just a few examples.

We chose this particular program for 4 core reasons. 

1. All of the content within the platform is linked to both NSW and Australian curriculum. Please see below for a detailed outline of this. 

2. The program has been independently reviewed by the University of Wollongong with results showing positive gains in psychological and physical wellbeing as well as a greater sense of connection and belonging and See full report 

3. Grow Your Mind provides a detailed learning continuum so that students are exposed to different topics and learning activities in each year group. An example of this can be seen here:  

And finally: 

4. Grow Your Mind provides a whole school approach to wellbeing. This means your mental health matters too - as does ours as a staff. The program provides accessible information we can pass on to you as parents and carers. Including their free, award winning podcast that we hope you make the most of at home and in the car. 

How will Grow Your Mind work at our school? 

We will be running an explicit lesson each week as part of our PDH/PE curriculum and we will be grabbing 5 minutes of wellbeing throughout the day in a way that is reflective and responsive to the needs of the students. This may look like a mindful breathing exercise, a plan to be kind, listening to one of the Grow Your Mind songs, challenging unhelpful thoughts, practicing positive affirmation, being of benefit and picking up rubbish around the school or classroom.

What is all this talk of mental health? 

Grow Your Mind is on a mission to reclaim the term mental health. It is often associated with mental health disorders. Whereas in fact, we all have mental health, just as well have physical health. It can be brilliant, terrible or somewhere in between.  

Poor mental health is a serious issue however Grow Your Mind believes that mental health education does not need to be. They use storytelling, engaging videos, podcast episodes, interactive learning activities, songs, drama, dance and reflection opportunities to shine a playful light on the importance of taking care of your mental health. 

Our school values prevention and building the skills of positive mental health habits in our students. By the time our students leave our school we want them to have a tool belt of strategies they can use and practice to help them on the path of enduring good mental health. This might mean you hear your child talking about character strengths, kindness, doing something joyful, helping others, moving their bodies and more. We will be using our brilliant books as well as the Grow Your Mind recommended reading list to further strengthen your child’s awareness of flourishing, emotions and resilience.

Information on the curriculum: The current NSW curriculum is shaped by five propositions, organised into three content strands. The outside of the circle is comprised of five interrelated PDHPE Propositions, of which our content is strongly aligned with. 

As well as complementing the current PDH/PE curriculum, The Grow Your Mind Schools Program is a quality-assured program in the NSW Department of Education’s Student Wellbeing external program catalogue in the theme/themes of Behaviour/Resilience/Sense of Belonging. 

Grow Your Mind has been independently reviewed and is listed in the Be You Programs Directory. It meets the minimum evidence requirements set by Be You and has been awarded a rating for evidence and implementation.  

We are confident that the Grow Your Mind program will have a positive impact on our students, staff and community. We look forward to working together with you to support & develop your child's social and emotional skills in an engaging and playful way. 

Thank you for your continued support,

Mrs Olivia Parry and Miss Emma Hutchinson

Community Event

Our school community is invited to participate in this year’s Dragon Boat Festival at Darling Harbour on 16 February 2024

The Harris Centre in collaboration with the P&C are putting together a crew and we would love parents, carers, teachers or staff to participate. 

To register, participants can complete this form. 

We have half the crew but we need more participants.