Hill Street News

 A Connected, Creative, Caring Learning Community. 

Term 4 Week 10

Acknowledgement of Country 

We would like to pay respect and acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land and pay respect to Elders both past and present and emerging.

We have had another wonderful year at McCallums Hill Public School.  The 2023 academic year has been marked by growth, achievement, and a collective spirit that defines our MHPS family. As I reflect on the journey we've undertaken together, I am proud of the resilience and determination demonstrated by our students, staff, and parents. In the face of challenges, we have come together as a community, and supported one another. 

We have had significant school improvements again this year. 2023 saw the following:

• new decking for Block 4 
• yarning circle 
• new seats and awning near the library
• new roofing for the stage 2 & 3 blocks, Year 2 block and library
• outdoor classroom and adjacent artificial grass
• morning muster artificial grass
• library, interior and exterior, stage 2 classrooms and exterior, KD classroom and exterior and staffroom being painted

Over the holidays we expect the completion of some more items added to the sensory garden, a bush tucker garden in the library quad, a new kitchen in the staffroom, new cupboards and flooring in the sick bay, new cabinetry in the library and the print room as well as some additional painting around the school. Our school really deserves the very best!

On 12 December, we held our Presentation Day assembly in the hall. Many thanks to the Director of the Beverly Hills Network, Mr White; Principal of Kingsgrove North High School, Mr Stasos; the MP for Canterbury Mrs Sophie Cotsis and our P&C President Mrs Moussa for their attendance and support of our school.  Thank you also to Mrs Sklavounos and Mrs De Lautour for their organisation of Presentation Day. Congratulations to all award winners. A huge congratulations goes to Jingling who was awarded Dux of the school!

MHPS certainly has got talent! A wonderful morning was had by all on Thursday with greatest thanks to Mrs Batalis for her organisation of this event!

Congratulations to our Leadership Team for 2024! 

• Captains: Spencer and Shreyaa
• Vice Captains:  Zahra and Oscar
• Prefects: Thomas, Charlie, Trust, Valentina, Frances, Antonia

 A huge thank you to our School Leaders from 2023 for all their hard work and dedication during this year. We will miss you all!  

On Friday 14 December, we farewelled our Year 6 students. They did a wonderful job accepting their graduation certificate and personalised graduation bears (with a huge thanks to our P&C) and enjoyed seeing the clips from their time at MHPS. I would like to thank the students K-5 and their teachers for ensuring our students had wonderful messages of support and congratulations as they made their way through the arches. They had lots of mixed emotions as they made their way through the arches to their parents. Many thanks to Mrs El-Esh, Ms Witts and Mr Aggett for their organisation of such a beautiful ceremony. Wishing our 2023 Graduates all the very best in High School and the many years to come!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every MHPS staff member for their dedication and commitment this year. They work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our students remain at the centre of all that we do. 

At MHPS we are lucky to have such dedicated and compassionate parents who give up their own time to help the school and our students. On Thursday 7 December, I had the pleasure of taking our Learning Assistance Mentoring Program and Social Literacy mentors to lunch as a small token of our appreciation for their time each week to mentor students one to one. Every child that has participated in these programs has told me that they now love Thursdays! It is the true partnership between the school and community that enriches the lives of our students. Thank you mentors!! I would also like to thank Mrs Currie and Mrs Sklavounos for their coordination and involvement in these programs that take place every Thursday.  

Congratulations and a huge thanks to the P&C for their many events and initiatives this year and a huge thank you to those parents and carers who volunteered their time to ensure all school events went well this year.

I am extremely grateful for the unwavering support throughout the year from our parents and carers. Your partnership is invaluable, and together, we have created an environment where our students can flourish and grow.

To assist in planning holidays, please find listed the school terms for next year: 

• Term 1 Tuesday 30 January to Friday 12 April 
• Term 2 Monday 29 April to Friday 5 July 
• Term 3 Monday 22 July to Friday 27 September 
• Term 4 Monday 14 October to Friday 20 December 

Please note that School Development Days for staff are included in these term dates and parents and carers should not send their children to school on these days. 

Staff Development Days occur on the first two days of Term 1, the first day of Terms 2 & 3 and the last day of Term 4. 

Please help keep our school safe.  If you see anything unusual happening in the school grounds over the holidays, please call School Security on 1300 880 021.

Please click on the link below  to view school holiday activities available for children

https://www.cbcity.nsw.gov.au/community/community-services/children-families/school-holidays-programs

As we bid farewell to the current academic year, we also eagerly anticipate the opportunities and challenges that the next one will bring. With the lessons learned and achievements celebrated, we are equipped to continue our journey to excellence. 

Wishing everyone a restful and rejuvenating summer break and for those families who are celebrating, a very Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful and safe new year!!

Looking forward to the exciting adventures that await us in the upcoming school year. 

Kindest regards,

Elizabeth Markovski

TERM 4 CALENDAR 2023

Our final weeks of 2023 have been full of fun activities such as the end of year concert, Meerkat Production Show, Presentation Day and the Talent Show.

During literacy activities, K1/S students used Soundwaves to check their spelling. They used mini whiteboards to write words with graphemes (writing the sound they hear) before writing the words in a sentence. Students also modelled their, there and they're by putting each word in a sentence. KD and KC students have also been practicing what they have learnt throughout the year in phonics and across all areas with more independence and confidence. We are proud to witness this growth and achievement.

K/1S had their final computer lesson for the year. They have gained confidence in logging in, navigating the computer, typing sentences and printing documents. KC were very excited to plan their own sun-safe playgrounds including features such as a water-play area, dinosaur slides and much more! We are immensely proud to witness the growth in their confidence and skills.

As we reflect on these achievements, we encourage and support opportunities for your children to practice their reading and writing skills both at home and in real-life situations with your families and carers. We believe that fostering these experiences will further enhance their independence as writers.

The Early Stage One teachers extend our gratitude to all parents and carers for their continued support this year. Your involvement and encouragement has played a pivotal role in the success of our students. As the holiday season approaches, we want to wish our students and their families a happy and safe holiday and continued growth and achievement for your children in 2024. 

It has been a wonderful year of learning, friendships and growth in Stage 1 this year. As teachers, we have had the privilege of watching Year 1 and 2 develop into resilient, independent students right before our eyes. We have been so fortunate and privileged to be a part of our students’ journeys and achievements, and we are all very proud of each and every one of them.

Some of the year’s highlights include each class running and performing at our K-2 assemblies, the colour fun run (where 1E raised the most money of any class in the school!), our excursion to Centennial Parklands, the school disco, the end of year concerts and our writing showcase/ Father’s Day BBQ. 

A big thank you to all our Stage 1 families for your ongoing commitment and support. Our school and students are so fortunate to have such dedicated families. From organising costumes for the end of year concert, to bringing in recyclables to make instruments in RFF, and reading with your child at home each week, thank you for all that you have done this year!

It has been a very busy fortnight at McCallums Hill as we prepared to farewell our 2023 classes and enjoy the summer break. Congratulations to all students who received awards at our presentation day assembly on Tuesday and to those students who entertained us with their performances at McCallums Hill’s Got Talent on Thursday! We know that 2024 is going to be filled with even more learning, fun times and personal growth.

Have a wonderful holiday.

Mrs Davis, Ms O’Connor, Ms Withers, Miss Clasper & Mr Nalder.

Stage 2 have had a fabulous two weeks with students visiting Symbio Wildlife Park, practising for the End of Year Concert and MHPS has got talent.

The Stage 2 staff would like to thank the students, parents and carers for an incredible year. Wishing you all a very safe and happy holiday break and thank you for your support.

The last two weeks have been extremely busy for Stage 3 students. We have celebrated many student achievements including the following announcements:

Congratulations to Spencer and Shreyaa our 2024 school captains and congratulations to our 2023 Dux student: Jingling. A special thank you to our 2023 school captains Romeo and Nike who have done such a great job as school captains at McCallums Hill Public School.  

Thank you to all students and their families for such a memorable night at our Year 6 Farewell! It was lovely to see all our Year 6 students enjoy a seated dinner with friends and dance the night away to some of their favourite songs. A special farewell to a wonderful Year 6 group! Best wishes for high school. Make your parents and yourself proud in your new school!

The 3-6 end of year concert was a time to shine for our Stage 3 students with all classes performing a creative dance to our whole school community. Many of our students shared their dancing talents on stage. Here are some of the captured photos.

The last day of school in 2023 was a big hit for all our Stage 3 students. The students all had the opportunity to celebrate together through a Pizza Day. It was definitely an emotional day for many with lots of tears and laughter shared amongst friends and teachers.

The Year 6 Farewell ceremony was a beautiful and special way to bid farewell to our 2023 Year 6 cohort. It was again great to see so many families and friends attend this sentimental occasion and important milestone. We wish you all the very best for your future. Dream big, stay positive and be kind to yourself and others. Congratulations, class of 2023.

Support Classes News 

K-6K students enjoyed the excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park where they were able to get up close and meet some of Australia’s native fauna. In maths groups, students have been learning to identify and sort two-dimensional shapes by their properties. Students have also been working on developing their fine motor skills through art and craft activities to celebrate the holiday season. 

1-2S were busy preparing for the end of year concert and had a great time participating in their Sports in Schools sessions each fortnight to further develop their gross motor skills.

2-4M enjoyed themselves at the Symbio Wildlife Park where they were able to get up close and personal with a few of the reptiles. Students have also been engaging in visual arts activities to celebrate the upcoming holiday season.

Students in 3-6BP enjoyed their excursion to Symbio Wildlife Park where they were able to meet some of Australia’s native animals and reptiles. We also celebrated the achievements of James who will be heading for high school in 2024. Good Luck, James!

MERIT AWARDS

PRINCIPAL'S AWARD 

It is a requirement that students attend school, and all non-attendance days must be explained. If your child is away from school, please make sure that you communicate with the office about the reason for this. Some of the reasons may include:

• sickness – with identification of what type of sickness not just ‘sick’ 
• medical appointment 
• travel  
• attendance at urgent or exceptional family circumstances. 

It is also important that all children are at school by 9am. The diagrams below show the lost time and its cumulative effect on missing out on school.

Our preferred method of payment is online, this can be accessed through our school app or website. Feel free to contact the front office if you require any help with this.

If you are unable to make payment online and wish to pay cash, please ensure you have placed all money in an envelope or zip lock bag clearly marked with your child's name and class and what the payment is for.

school bytes instructions.pdf

 Spriggy_Schools_Flyer_DL_Bleed.pdf

Spriggy Schools Canteen Guide_ Adding Menu Items & Options (1) (1).pdf

Spriggy_Schools_Posters_A4_Bleed.pdf

 A checklist for parents -

App checklist for parents.pdf

Lost property has been cleaned up this Term.  We encourage parents and carers to pick up any uniforms/items that may be your child's by the end of Term 4. Any uniforms or items that have no name, will be given to charity.  Please clearly label all belongings so that they can be returned to the student.

Please see images below of driving offences in school zones.

Please remember there is only a 10-minute park from 8.00am-9.30am and 2.30-4.00pm on school days. Please note the signs and make sure you keep to the 10-minute limit. 

Please help keep our school safe.  If you see anything unusual happening in the school grounds at any time, please call School Security on 1300 880 021.

Newsletter Term 4 2023 Week 9 & 10 McCallums Hill.pdf

02 9759 4396
mccallumhi-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
McCallum Street, Roselands NSW 2196
mccallumhi-p.schools.nsw.gov.au