Prescott Primary Northern eNewsletter

Newsletter Term 4, Week 3 2024

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Newsletter Term 4, Week 3 2024

School Highlights
Leadership Remarks
Chaplain's Remarks
Values
Wellbeing
For your Information
Sports Update
Community Info
Key Dates

Year 4 Design and Technologies: Saving Tomato Town!

Toot! Toot! It’s that exciting time of year again for our Year 4 students as they embark on a fantastic project to help save Tomato Town and its beloved Munchkins!

In this adventure, our students discover that while Tomato Town has an endless supply of delicious tomatoes, the town’s only supermarket offers limited ingredients.

Last week, they gathered together for a fun taste-testing session, sampling a variety of ingredients - some sweet, some bitter - to spark their creativity.

Now, the real challenge begins! Students will work in small groups to develop a healthy recipe that will help the Munchkins gain the strength they need to defeat the pesky Frog-wogglers and reclaim their town.

Stay tuned for more updates on their culinary creations and the brave battle to save Tomato Town! We can’t wait to see what nutritious and delicious recipes our Year 4 students come up with!

STATE Chess Tournament

On Monday 12 students travelled to Tyndale Christian School to participate in the STATE Chess Championships. At this tournament, the Zone winners from each Interschool tournament from around the State come together to compete. It was a great competition with lots of very talented players from around the State, and Prescott did well to come in fourth place.

It was also good for the players to practise their Sportsmanship skills, knowing that winning medals always feels great, but sportsmanship is a great life lesson. Friendships were forged across schools, wonderful sportsmanship was shown. I am so proud of this team! Mato also supplied everyone with lots of pizza at half time and ice-creams at the end! What a great way to end a fantastic tournament. This was the last tournament for our wonderful Year 6's, we wish them well in their new schools and thank them for their dedication to the chess team over the years. Well done, everyone.

Music Recital

Last week thirty-four of our talented students, performed in a school recital. Each of these students are learning an instrument at school and blessed us with repertoire they have been learning. As each child sat on the piano stool, picked up their flute or sat with their guitar, I felt butterflies in my tummy as though I was sitting with them. Yet, the student's fingers did not tremble, nor did their voices shake. Rather, each of them performed with a joy and confidence which could only come from the encouraging tutors and family members who've sat by their side. What a beautiful way to celebrate the many hours of hard work and support at both school and home.

Many of these students will extend their music journey by completing AMEB exams at school next week. I have full confidence that these students will continue to excel wherever they choose to walk on their music journeys. I thank God that I've had the blessing to see their adventure so far, and pray that He will continue to bless them every step of the way.

God bless,

Caitlin Irankunda

Prescott Playdate

The weather was perfect this morning for a special Summer themed Playdate with Prescott. The children enjoyed lots of fun activities in our beautiful nature play space. They painted sea shells, played with ice, created beach scenes, and of course enjoyed the sandpit and mud kitchen. Our final Playdate on November 29 will have a Christmas theme. We look forward to seeing you and your preschool-aged children there!

Little Giggles in the Big Library

Last week some of our friends from Little Giggles Playgroup visited PPN for their Storytime. They always love Mrs Blyde reading to them, and the opportunity to explore the all the books in the library. We can’t wait to have them back again in 2025.

Science Week Nature Play

This year's National Science Week theme is Species Survival - More than just sustainability. The theme aims to highlight the importance of science and innovation in ensuring the survival and thriving of different species in an ever-changing world.

The amazing year 6's have been running a variety of scientific activities throughout the week, including ocean themed sensory bins, nature scavenger hunts, paper making etc that are in line with the theme of sustainability.

Butterflies are such an important part to our gardens and the activity the year 6's ran in the week in the nature play space, is a way or helping and sustaining our important butterflies. Drawing inspiration from the year 6's activity we set up other stations around the nature play space that were all about butterflies. There was a reading station, with a lot of picture and information books the students could look at about butterflies, there was a butterfly scavenger hunt with a list of butterflies and a magnifying glass to help the students investigate them. Finally, there was a nature craft station where the students could use leaves and other pieces of nature to make a nature butterfly. It was a very popular place in the nature play space with students really enjoying the opportunity to investigate butterflies.

There are many ways for us to help our native butterflies, by planting native flowers and providing drinking stations in our yards. How will you help our native butterflies in your garden?

Nature Maths

The past two weeks, we have had the years 3's visit the nature play space for nature maths. Last week we took what they were learning in maths outside to map the nature play space and give directions according to the location on the grid. The students had fun mapping out their play space and locating different spaces on their maps. This week, the students took their graphs down to the nature play space where they went on a nature hunt and placed it onto the graph. The students then answered questions related to thge information they collected. We had a great time in nature maths with the year 3's.

Leadership Remarks

“Hi, I am new here” – that’s what the big sign in the library says. I know it was not put up for me but how appropriate! If someone had told me three months ago that I would be the principal of Prescott Primary Northern, I would not have believed them but here I am.

Last week it was, flowers, cards and food and even some tears as I said goodbye to familiar faces, voices, surroundings, circumstances and routines at my previous school. The Bible story of Abraham saying goodbye to everything he had ever known and following God’s call into to the unknown comes to mind. However, in my case, I am privileged not to be walking into “the unknown.” I have, in the last few weeks, been able to visit PPN and even attend some of the meetings here. So, I walked into school this week recognising smiles and greetings—even some hi-fives. I have walked into a great reception and awesome assistance to settle in from everyone on the team.

With a very strong belief in Adventist education that has had a profound impact on my life, and previous work in Adventist institutions in various parts of the world, I am looking forward to a great experience at PPN.

When God calls us to something new, often, He asks us to leave something behind. I hope this encourages you to reflect on what you have been called to do.

What is it that you must leave behind so you can move on to say, Ï am new here?”

Chaplain's Remarks

I can’t believe it's already Week 3 of Term 4. Holidays are right around the corner and there seems to be a billion things to fit in before then. The teachers are under the pump with report writing, large programs such as our Christmas Carols are underway, our wonderful new principal Ms Ongalo has just started this week. It is a lot. The tension between longing for the holiday break and desiring more time to fit everything in reminds me of our focus during staff worships over the past couple of weeks. We have been looking at the return of Christ in what we call His second coming. This is an event in which Christians eagerly await because it marks the return of our Savior and the beginning of our eternal, sinless lives in heaven with Him. And yet even though we have such an amazing event on our horizon, we still manage to get bogged down in the day to day and lose sight of the big picture. It’s often the big picture that orientates us correctly, in a manner that makes us most proud. If we spent every day remembering that Jesus is coming soon, and that eternal life in heaven is the goal, the little hiccups that riddle us with anxiety each day or each week wouldn’t hold so much power over us. Let’s take the time to remember the big picture. Many tasks throughout our day are important, and I don’t want to trivialize them or the urgency they require. But in comparison to eternal life with Christ, it puts things into a new refreshing perspective. Now Jesus talks in Matthew 25:14-30 very clearly that it would be irresponsible to take no initiative. To throw away responsibility and take less care in your work here on earth is unwise according to scripture. It’s not that the things on earth are worthless, it’s that the things on earth are not worth copious amounts of stress and anxiety. If you catch yourself in a negative mindset today, think about how beautiful heaven will be. Think about what your current attitude contributes to the Kingdom of heaven. I pray God brings you peace today in knowing that the ultimate holiday is just around the corner.

God Bless.

Toby A.

Values

Last week, we talked about joy for our values, and this week we honoured several students from all the classes in our school for demonstrating this value.

Yuvraj, Jaylinn, Ayla, Zackary, Amanat, Sebastian, Abeer, Samara, Reyansh, Aarav, Aria, Gurjaan, Amrin, Abolfaz, Josiah, Leo, Chesta and Jared

Ekanjot, Tatiana, Adhak, Amreen, Gurkeerat, Gab, Enock, Nairiti, Fateh, Vihaan, Caleb and Cantique (absent)

Shlok, Owen, Pepper, Sanvi, Gurreet, Lucas, Eli, Brooklyn, Divit, Emmy, Guransh, and Shivadhya (absent)

Wellbeing

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For your Information

Pupil Free Day

Position Vacant - School Administration Officer

Birthday and Christmas Gifts

Parents are reminded that while birthdays and Christmas are exciting times for children, we ask parents not to send or bring gift bags to hand out to other students. Our teachers will celebrate each student on their birthday in various ways. Any gifts, food, cake or lollies brought to school will be sent home. Thanks for noting this to avoid any embarrassment.

Can and Bottle Drive

2025 School Fees

To assist families in their planning, below is breakdown of school fees for 2025. We have worked hard to keep fee increases as small as possible despite the continuing rise in costs. Discounts continue to be available for families with multiple students enrolled, prompt payments, and school card holders. Please contact the school if you have any questions about your fees for 2025.

Thank you too for ensuring your fees are up to date as we enter into Term 4.

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Christmas Carols

Sports Update

Sporting Achievements Year 2B

We’re thrilled to celebrate the achievements of two of our talented students in Year 2B!

Rosie has been making waves on the soccer field as a key player for Para Hills United U8s. Awarded a trophy for her fearless approach, she’s always ready to tackle the challenge of getting the ball from opponents. Rosie’s fantastic teamwork and ability to set up incredible goals contributed to her team’s strong season. She’s now gearing up for summer soccer competitions and looks forward to returning next year!

Meanwhile, Jireh has embraced his passion for rugby league this season with the Eels Rugby League Club. Inspired by watching family members play and enjoying matches on screen, he couldn’t wait to dive into the action this year. He had an incredible season, scoring an impressive number of tries for his team! We’re so excited to see how he continues to shine on the field!

Congratulations to both Rosie and Jireh for their amazing accomplishments!

Community Info

My OSHC - Pupil Free Day Nov 8th

Key Dates