THE UPSIDE

25th September 2024 - ISSUE 15

News and updates from

Exciting News: Ms. Nadolski Returns Next Term!

We are thrilled to announce that Ms. Nadolski will be rejoining us next term after her leave in the UK! We’ve missed her vibrant spirit and dedication to our students during her time away.

Ms. Nadolski has been busy expanding her teaching skills and exploring new ideas, which we can’t wait to see incorporated into her classes. Her passion for education and commitment to fostering a love for learning is truly inspiring.

Farewell Announcement: Ms. Emma Hutchinson

I have bittersweet news to share. Ms. Emma Hutchinson has been successful in securing a permanent principal role at Scarborough Public School. While she will continue in her current position at Otford Public School until the end of the year, I want to take this opportunity to officially say farewell.

We are incredibly proud of Ms. Hutchinson and excited for her as she embarks on this new chapter in her career. Her leadership and dedication have made a significant impact on our school community, and she will be greatly missed.

Please join me in wishing her all the very best in her new role!

Important Information: Bus Service 740s

I would like to remind you about the importance of tapping on and off with the School Opal card for our Bus Service 740s. It is essential that students tap on at the beginning and tap off at the end of their trip using an Opal Card Reader.

This process is not only a condition of using the service, but it also helps Transport for NSW gather data to assess demand for our bus services. If students do not consistently tap on and off, it may lead to a reduction or cancellation of services due to insufficient recorded patronage.

Please encourage your child to remember this important step during their daily travels. For those who need to apply for a School Opal card, please visit: Apply for a School Opal Card.

Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring our students have reliable transport!

We Want Your Feedback: Years 3-6 Guitar Program

We are seeking your valuable feedback on the Years 3-6 guitar program! Your insights are essential for us to understand what is working well and where we can improve.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts by completing our brief survey. Your input will help us enhance the program for our students.

Click here to provide feedback.

Thank you for your support and for being an integral part of our school community!

Reminder: Enrolments for 2025 are Open!

A quick reminder that enrolments for 2025 are now open! If you have a child starting Kindergarten in 2025, please make sure to finalise your enrolment to ensure you receive your invitation to the transition days next term.

Don’t miss out on this important opportunity for your child to get a head start in their educational journey!

Important Reminder: Sign In and Sign Out

Thank you for consistently signing in when you visit the school! Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

I’d like to remind everyone to please also sign out when leaving the grounds. This is crucial for our safety procedures, especially in the event of an evacuation, as it helps us account for everyone on site.

Thank you for your understanding and support in keeping our school safe!

Visit from Sydney City Police

We had an exciting visit from the Sydney City Police Station recently! Our students had the opportunity to meet with officers who shared valuable insights about how police can assist and support them in times of need.

The highlight of the day was when the police vehicles drove into the COLA, capturing the students' attention! They had a fantastic time role playing how to be police officers, engaging in fun activities that fostered a deeper understanding of community safety.

A big thank you to the officers for taking the time to connect with our students and for making this experience memorable!

Child Safety Handbook: A Resource for Families

Today, more than ever, our children face various risks that require our attention and awareness. We are pleased to share the Child Safety Handbook, a vital resource designed to raise awareness of child safety issues that all families encounter and provide practical strategies to help prevent these risks.

The Handbook covers a wide range of important topics, including:

• Bullying at school

• Personal safety

• Safety in the home

• First aid

• Safety online

• Fire prevention

• Road safety

• Safety outdoors

• Healthy living

• Drug and alcohol awareness

By using this Handbook, families can develop effective strategies to empower children and help them navigate difficult situations safely. We encourage you to explore these valuable resources together and discuss the important safety topics outlined.

Wishing You a Wonderful Holiday!

As we approach the holiday break, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for a fantastic term. Your support and involvement have made all the difference!

Wishing you all a restful and joyful holiday filled with family time and new adventures. I look forward to seeing everyone back refreshed and ready for the new term!

Term 3 has been an incredible journey for our students, filled with literary adventures and engaging activities!

We kicked off the term with a staff book tasting session, where our team sampled the new CBCA shortlist books. This sparked exciting discussions and recommendations for our students. A highlight was welcoming CBCA 2024 shortlisted authors Kate and Jol Temple. Their visit inspired both staff and students, igniting a passion for storytelling.

Book Week festivities were a joy, featuring our “Dear Time” sessions where Ms. Barbagallo read captivating stories and students had a blast making wands. The Multicultural Storytime was a wonderful celebration of the diversity within the Ultimo Public School community. We celebrated Australian School libraries day where Ms Parry shared her favourite childhood stories with a captivated audience of over 100 students! Students also enjoyed reading quality literature with their buddies, enriching their experience and appreciation for books. The inaugural Book Week parade was a wonderful way to showcase our love for literature! 

We were lucky to have Sean E. Avery spend time with our kindergarten students, guiding them in the art of illustration. Stage 1 participated in a fantastic comic workshop, fostering creativity and imagination.

Additionally, we celebrated Indigenous Literacy Day by exploring quality literature from Adam Goodes and Bronwyn Bancroft and other incredible authors, deepening our understanding and appreciation of Indigenous stories.

What a jam-packed and fulfilling Term 3! 

I want to express my gratitude for an amazing term filled with reading adventures and engaging activities. It has been wonderful to see our students so enthusiastic about books. 

With the school holidays approaching, I encourage everyone to continue exploring new books and stories. Reading can transport you to new worlds and provide endless enjoyment during the break.

Wishing you all a restful holiday, and I look forward to welcoming you back in Term 4!

Ms Barbagallo 

Teacher Librarian  

Dear Students and Families,

As the holidays approach, I encourage you to check for any lost library books while you’re doing some spring cleaning. While I love to support our readers with generous loan periods, some students have a large number of overdue books.

Please remember that our library books are for everyone to enjoy. I’ll send out reminders in early Term 4 for any outstanding items.

Thank you for your assistance. 

In 1 Lillehammer the students have been working hard in English on how to write an exceptional setting in a narrative based on the text 'Where the Forest Meets the Sea' By Jennie Baker. 

Students have been involved in the writing process, using a success criteria checklist to reflect on their writing and make edits when conferencing with Mrs Holland and Ms Finlayson. We are extremely proud of the wonderful writing 1 Lillehammer produced and how they were able to use their senses to add descriptive language features. Some students were able to share their writing with Mrs Parry. 

Go 1 Lillehammer!

This term, some students from Stage 1 have taken part in playing soccer with Mr. Riordan and Mr. Roby at Wentworth Park on Wednesdays at lunch time. The sessions involve small, sided games allowing students to work as a team, learn new skills and have lots of fun!

The program will continue in Term 4 with Year 1 students playing every odd week and Year 2 students playing even weeks, every Wednesday first half lunch at Wentworth Park.  We look forward to seeing our superstar footballer's again next term!

Mr. Riordan and Mr. Roby

Stage 2 Update

Stage 2 students are having a blast while learning and growing!

Maths groups continue to be a favourite part of the week, offering students engaging, hands-on problem-solving experiences tailored to their ability levels. It’s wonderful to see them diving into activities and developing their skills in such a dynamic way.

A special shout-out to Ms. McKittrick for her fantastic LEGO initiative! Each week, students flock to these sessions, where their creativity truly shines. The enthusiasm for building and designing with LEGO is a testament to the exciting and innovative environment she’s created.

Another highlight is Kindergarten Buddies, where Stage 2 students form meaningful connections with their younger peers. Whether they’re reading together, revisiting school values, or simply enjoying each other’s company, these interactions are a cherished part of the week.

R U OK Day provided a valuable opportunity for everyone to check in with one another and reflect on the importance of our support networks. It was a heartfelt reminder of the strength found in our connections.

Finally, Years 3 and 4 enjoyed hands-on activities that were part of the Ranger Jamie geography incursion. The students participated in birdhouse making, insect hunts, water experiments and solar oven making. A big thank you goes out to Ms Barbagallo and Mr McMullen for organising this fun-filled event.

Here’s to more fun, learning, and connection in Stage 2!

Excursion to Taronga Zoo

On Tuesday 10th September, Stage 3 spent the day at Taronga Zoo. We participated in a workshop learning about animal adaptations in a changing world and got to meet some remarkable animals up close! One fun fact that Stage 3 learnt was that meerkats have dark circles around their eyes which act as sunglasses. They are able to look across a bright desert and see predators from a far distance. This means they can get to safety in time. We also learnt about how adaptations are challenged by today’s changing environments, both natural and human induced.Students discussed examples such as natural disasters or deforestation while observing some of the zoo’s animals.

R U OK? Day was acknowledged at Ultimo Public School on Thursday, 12 September. The theme for 2024 was about the importance of asking " R U OK?" any day. Reminding us that meaningful conversations can happen anytime, not just on the annual day of action.

Students from K-6 were engaged in a lesson and learnt that asking R U OK? is the first step, but they also understood the importance of genuinely listening to what comes after!

Our Ultimo Primary School students were also visited by the Backflips Against Bullying crew!

The team used parkour & acrobatics to engage with our students, and addressed important topics such as resilience, making a change, acknowledging our mistakes, what it means to be a  bystander, how to be a good friend, and the consequences of our actions.

It was such a memorable day for our students and staff members. 

We thank our community for their support and here are some highlights from the day. 

Mrs Holland & Ms Baptist

Event Organisers

We are excited to share the results from the recent open competition held by Dancesport Confidence for Year 5 students involved in the ballroom dance program this year.

Congratulations to Sofia, Megan, Indigo, Kiah, Ezra, and Tom for their fantastic performances! A special shout-out goes to Tom, who placed 1st and 2nd in his events, and Kiah, who secured 2nd place. Both received well-deserved medals for their achievements.

Well done to all participants for showcasing their talent and dedication! We are proud of you!

Congratulations to Victoria G. for representing the Sydney East Golf Team at the NSWPSSA State Golf Championships in the Hunter Valley this past week.

All six students demonstrated great sportsmanship and an exceptional skill level in very challenging conditions. They were excellent ambassadors for Sydney East, their zones and their schools.

Victoria was an integral member of our ambrose team often hitting her chip shot the closest or making the putt. In the single player event Victoria had a tough first day shooting well above her handicap. She faced hard competition with grit and determination. It was made even harder by being in a group with two girls who made the NSW team so she was looking at her score in comparison to theirs. However, she came back on the Thursday and beat her Wednesday score by over 10 shots. The teacher in charge of that group came over to Tom Cleary, Assistant Principal, Strathfield North Public School to specifically mention how well Victoria went and praise her behaviour over the carnival. 

Well done Victoria on this achievement!

This month is Fruit & Veg Month! To celebrate, students are able to dress in the same colour as their 'Crunch N' Sip' this Thursday 26 September!

If you bring a banana you could wear yellow! If you bring a fruit salad you could dress in every colour of the rainbow! If you don’t bring any fruit or vegetables, you’ll have to wear the full school uniform.

We're also encouraging 'Nude Food'. Let's try to reduce the amount of plastic wrappers in our lunch box!

So don't forget to match your outfit with your 'Crunch N' Sip' this Thursday, and remember, together we are ALL Environmental Guardians!

We would like to congratulate all of our 2024 PSSA teams on a fantastic year. 

All teams played with great skill and displayed integrity and spirit throughout the competition.

PSSA will be back next year, so students should start thinking about what sport they would like to try out for!

Congratulations on a fantastic season! Our Junior Team were undefeated and the winners of their division. Our Senior showed team spirit and improved across the course of the season finishing 5th. Well done to all students for displaying our school values of respect and responsibility on the netball court.

General Expectations

Assemblies Expectations

Thursday 26th September Dress in a colour to match your Crunch N' Sip

Thursday 26th September K Sydney Assembly

Friday 27 September Last Day Term 3

October Cyber Security Awareness Month

TERM 4

Monday 14 October First day for Term 4 for all students

National Nutrition Week – 14–20 Oct

National Children’s Week – 19–27 Oct

World Teachers’ Day – 25 Oct

Grandparents and Friends Day – 29 Oct

School Counsellor and School Psychologist Recognition Day – 8 Nov

National Recycling Week – 10–16 Nov

Wednesday 18 December Last day of Term 4 for all students

Cyber Safe Parents

Information and resources to help families stay safe online.

– Set some rules about online safety basics

– Manage privacy settings on apps and social media together

– Explore websites and engage in games together