Ph: 9637 2638 3rd February 2011

Email: merrylande-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

important Dates
17/02/11 Swimming Carnival (Swimmers Only)
17/02/11 Wear Maroon for a Day (Flood Appeal)

Principal’s report

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome to our new Kindergarten students and all the new families that have joined our school. It is refreshing
to have a vibrant school community with so many exciting learning opportunities ahead of us.

The school enrolment is currently at 382 students, with 84% of students from a non-English speaking
background with 40 different language backgrounds and 10% refugees. It anticipated that classes will still be
formed on Monday morning but Kindergarten will stay as a group until they settled into a school routine.

This week, class teachers have been orientating students back to school by teaching social skills and reminding
students about safety in the playground. The school has new signs with visual images to remind students about
the expectations in the playground. I have been extremely impressed by the students’ self-discipline during the
hot weather by finding shade in the playground and being passive.

School uniform is compulsory at Merrylands East Public School. This is a joint decision by the School Club
(Parents and Citizens Association) and the teaching staff. Students are expected to wear the royal blue school
uniform each day, including a hat, and reflect the outstanding citizenship skills of our school community.
Voluntary parents Ms Beehag, Mrs Osland and other parents from the School Club have been supplying
uniforms during the week. We thank them for giving up their generous time to ensure that our students look
wonderful.

On Tuesday 8th February, the school’s Building the Education Revolution committee will be meeting with our
new Project Manager Coffey Pty Ltd, and commencing the process for the formal tender of the school hall,
Covered Learning Area, Canteen, Toilet block and Landscaping. It’s been a long wait but the self-managing
option by our school community will mean that our school will receive value for money. Already, the project
management fees are far less those prescribed under the previous managing contractor system. As indicated,
some of the architecture plans and the landscaping plans are available for previewing on the Library notice
board.

Congratulations to our school representatives who filmed It’s Academic yesterday at the Channel 7 studios. The
children looked superb in the new school representative blazers and performed credibly. Students won one
episode, tied another and came second for the remaining three. Overall, the school came in second. Thank you
to Miss Passerman and Ms Murphy for organising the opportunity. Our school representatives were:

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Henry Zeng, Redha Kadhemia, Samor Chaouk, Steven Tran, Rabia Rahimi, Diana Barez, Sam Budimlic,
Jeremiah Wendt, Sara Zenelaj, Katarina DiCostanzo, Ignacio Gambra, Morsal Orya, Leigh Payne, Matthew
McGuire, Shayan Hejabian, Renee McNamara and Ahmed Alqadi.

Students are reminded that mobile phones are to be handed into the office in the morning and picked up in the
afternoon. The school takes no responsibility for mobile phones or expensive electronic devices kept as
personal belonging in schools. Parents wishing to make contact with their child during the day can contact the
school office and a message relayed without disrupting lessons.

Punctuality to school is an important discipline for all students. All students are expected to be at school
between 8:30am and 8:55am. Late students often disrupt classroom programs and miss out on notices. Some
students are late because of their own tardiness while others are due to sleeping in from late nights. Lateness
to school will be monitored carefully by the Home School Liaison Officer and parents contacted for
unacceptable absences.

At 3pm each day, the students are dismissed from class. Parents are expected to make safe arrangements for
their child to arrive home safely. Students are not to walk home alone as this is often an unsafe practice. It is
unacceptable for children to be left at school without an appropriate reason. Last year, the school had to contact
the Department of Community Services and the Police on numerous occasions for parents failing to comply
with their responsibility. In one instance, a child was left till 5pm. Teachers are not in a position to care for
students after 3pm due to meetings and professional development. Out of School Hours (OOSH) service is
available on Tel: 0410 553 284.

The school swimming carnival will be held on Thursday 17th February. The main purpose of the carnival is the
selection of a school team to compete at the Auburn Zone Carnival. After an evaluation of the carnival in
previous years and the very limited numbers of students who can swim (less than 20 students), it has been
decided that only confident and competent swimmers who can swim 25 metres or more will be permitted to
attend. Details of the carnival and transport arrangements will be given to those students only next week. Non-
swimmers and their parents will be saving funds from pool entry and bus transport that can best be utilise on
other expenses. Later in the year, the Special Swimming scheme will be offered for students from Years 2-6
who are not competent swimmers.

Finally, I like to welcome Miss Park to our school as a permanent English as a Second Language Teacher.
Along with teaching English to newly arrived students, Miss Park has skills in playing the violin and piano.

John Goh
Principal

K-2 NEWs
Don’t forget to label your child’s belongings
You can:
 use a permanent laundry marker to label clothes, hats and shoes, or sew or iron on personalised
labels
 go through your child’s bag with them each night
 check that labels haven’t faded with washing
 if something doesn’t come home, ask at the office where your school’s lost property area is.

You are welcome at school

Children love to see their parents and carers at their school, whether helping out in the classroom or
being involved in other ways. Research shows that students perform better at school when their
parents or carers take an active interest in their school work. Your contribution to the school is
needed and valued.
Ways you might get involved:
 help in the classroom
 listen to children read
 help children on computers
 help with school excursions
 coach a sporting team.

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Tips for packing their lunch boxes
 Pack food that is easy to open, easy to eat and not messy.
 Write their name on their lunch box, water bottle and any other containers.
 Include a frozen drink bottle to keep food cold. Wrap it in a tea towel in case it leaks.
 Use insulated lunch boxes or cooler bags.
 Avoid using plastic wrap because children find it hard to pull apart, paper bags are better for the
environment too.
 Pack tissues or paper around fruit so it won’t bruise.
 Remind your child to wash their hands before eating and use the toilet at recess and lunch.
 Pack a water bottle for your child each day and remind them that they can also get water from the
taps or bubblers throughout the day.

Remember that we will have no school canteen

Please be vigilant in providing enough food for your child/children as we have no way of providing
food for them if they come without any. Please also talk to your child about the amount of food you
send as many eat all their food at recess and are hungry again by lunch. We thank you for your
consideration in this matter.

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