News

Coronavirus - Department of Education statement

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 19:11:46 AEDT

The department is working with the Ministry of Health to monitor and respond to the unfolding international novel coronavirus situation.

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to novel coronavirus.

#Ready2020 – a great year starts here

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 13:41:35 AEDT

Starting school is a big moment in a child’s life. Here’s how to make the most of it.

We can’t wait for you to join us for a great year – the first step towards a lifelong love of learning.

Visit the department’s primary school resources for hints, tips and checklists to make a great start to the new school year, whether your child is starting Kindergarten or Year 6.

You’ll find:

Getting ready for primary school booklet – everything you need to be #Ready2020
Daisy’s First Day – the story of Daisy the koala’s first adventure at Kindergarten
advice from teachers – they’ve been through this before.

Video – #Ready2020: First day of Kindy

Duration – 1:00

Staying healthy into the new school year

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 17:11:20 AEDT

Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way to protect your family from harmful diseases this holiday season and into 2020. Visit your doctor for general health and vaccination advice.

Immunisation not only protects you and your family but also others in your community, by reducing the spread of preventable diseases.

Children starting school in 2020 must have up-to-date immunisations to enrol.

These vaccinations help protect children from highly infectious and severe diseases including whooping cough and measles.

Travel health

If you’re travelling overseas during the school holidays, you may need vaccinations or medication – both for general health protection and for region-specific diseases.

If you’re travelling to the Northern Hemisphere, you may even need a flu shot.

Find out more about staying healthy while travelling.

NSW schools respond to bushfires

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 17:25:52 AEDT

Many schools are responding to the catastrophic fire rating that is affecting communities across the state this week.

We are continuously updating the School safety page with a list of government and non-government schools, as well as TAFE NSW campuses that are currently non-operational.

While some schools are temporarily non-operational due to localised fires, many others in high-risk areas are non-operational as a precautionary measure.

Schools in some areas are being used as emergency evacuation centres at the direction of the Rural Fire Service.

For schools that are currently operational, school pickups and dropoffs will continue as usual. If your school is currently non-operational, it will likely remain so tomorrow.

Large scale distressing events affect our school communities in many ways. Headspace’s mental health support resource (PDF 100.52KB) is available to help students, teachers and school staff respond to the bushfires.

Visit the School safety page for updates. The department’s Facebook and Twitter accounts will also provide updates during this period.

Grab a ticket to Schools Spectacular 2019

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 17:23:53 AEDT

Will you be joining us at Schools Spectacular 2019? Tickets are on sale now. Experience our live show featuring a cast of thousands of public school students from across metropolitan, rural and remote regions of NSW.

Students from different ages, cultures and backgrounds will share the spotlight as they dance, play and sing for you. Choose from one of our four massive performances at Qudos Bank Arena on Friday 22 November and Saturday 23 November.

This year's events will feature:

more than 380 schools
5,500 performers
a 3000-strong choir
2,300 dancers
an 80-piece symphony orchestra
a world-class stage band.

Group bookings

Need to make a group booking for over 10 people? Complete the Schools Preview Order Form 2019 (PDF 110KB) to attend the discounted 11am Friday matinee. The Friday matinee is discounted for school students and accompanying teachers.

If you’d like to grab a spot at one of the other three remaining shows complete the Group Booking Form 2019 (PDF 110KB).

Tickets for you and your family and friends

Save you and your family a spot online or by phone on 132 849.

Video – Schools Spectacular 2019

Duration: 0:26

Have your say on before and after school care

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 13:40:21 AEST

We want to better understand your needs for before and after school care in NSW.

Have your say today on before and after school care.

Fill out the survey by Service NSW to share your specific care needs and to register interest to stay informed of new developments.

Your input will provide insights into where there are gaps in service availability and help us to deliver extra places where they are needed.

You can also contact the team responsible for rolling out the before and after school care commitment at BASCreform@det.nsw.edu.au.

Book yourself in for Reading Hour

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 11:26:39 AEST

This Australian Reading Hour, encourage your child to discover or rekindle their love of a good book. Take the time to learn, escape and relax on Thursday 19 September and read for one hour.

Get involved at home

Join in at home and read your child a bedtime story. Studies show that reading a bedtime story six days a week can give kids almost a year’s head start when they begin school. Reading has also been shown to develop empathy, promote critical thinking and help children find a sense of self.

Join in from the classroom

Bestselling children’s author and illustrator Matt Stanton will broadcast live to primary school children across the country from the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday 17 September. We invite schools to register for the livestream of this free event.

Stanton’s author talk is among more than 140 events happening across the country involving more than 50 authors.

Take the Book Swap Challenge

We all have favourite books that we come back to again and again.

To help celebrate Reading Hour take our Book Swap Challenge. We want students, teachers, staff and parents to try reading something new on the day. To get involved, simply pair up with someone and swap your favourite books.

Take a photo and tag it with #ReadingHour so we can see how you got involved.

Video – #ReadingHour authors talk about their favourite place to read

Duration: 0:38

Looking for a good spot to open a book? We asked authors Benjamin Law, Morris Gleitzman, Jacqueline Harvey and Mick Elliott about their favourite place to read.

How to be smart and safe on social media

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 11:48:12 AEST

Use our new Digital Citizenship toolkit to empower your child to understand how their online behaviour affects themselves and others.

You and your child can find information on:

how to ‘be positive’ by understanding online behaviour and its effect
'be smart’ by thinking critically and being digitally aware
'be safe’ by protecting your security, privacy and wellbeing.

A toolkit to empower you and your child

You can find articles and videos to equip and empower your child to minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities in our digital future.

We’ve partnered with leading researchers to produce a curated toolkit – aligned to the curriculum – which teachers and you can share with the young people in your lives.

Guide your child through important concepts such as:

managing privacy settings in social media
collaborating online
avoiding scams and hoaxes
understanding the law when it comes to online speech
Internet banking, shopping online and much more.

Keep your child safe and happy online

Visit and bookmark the Digital Citizenship website. We’ll continue to add articles and resources to ensure the best possible tools are available to help you guide your child to be positive, smart and safe online.

Kindergarten Experience

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 12:47:21 AEST

Education Week – Every student, every voice

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 14:13:47 AEST

We are celebrating our students and their powerful voices this Education Week Monday 5 August to Friday 9 August. Every year Education Week celebrates the achievements of public schools, our students and the value of public education.

This year, the theme is Every student, every voice.

Join us for #EdWeek19 as we celebrate our students and their power to shape the world.

Video – #EdWeek19 – Every student, every voice

Duration: 0:34

Creative and Active Kids vouchers now available

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 11:42:50 AEST

Creative kids can now put a $100 voucher towards extra-curricular creative activities outside of school.

Together with Active Kids, this program aims to encourage more NSW children to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities such as coding, languages, circus, performing arts and visual arts.

Parents can apply for one $100 voucher for each child enrolled in school on the Creative Kids website and use it towards the cost of registration, participation or tuition. You just redeem the voucher with a registered provider in your area when making your payment.

This is a great opportunity for your child to become involved in a range of activities that will build on their education, growth and development.

Service NSW is working with industry bodies to deliver the program.

For more information, contact Service NSW on 137 788 or creativekids@service.nsw.gov.au.

The Game Changer Challenge is back

Fri, 31 May 2019 12:27:38 AEST

It’s not too late to become a Game Changer with applications for the Education Week challenge due by 7 June.

The Game Changer Challenge brings 16 teams from public schools across NSW – eight from primary and eight from secondary – to Sydney during Education Week in August for a three-day, intensive design-thinking workshop.

The Game Changer workshops, which start on Tuesday 6 August, includes teacher training in the use of design thinking as a teaching methodology and its application for school planning.

It also includes a team competition where schools will work under the guidance of experts from industry and academia to develop a solution to this year’s critical question: How might we humanise technology?

Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott has encouraged students and teachers to get behind the event as it highlights the critical thinking students will need to develop to succeed in the future.

“The Game Changer Challenge is an exciting initiative that helps educate and inform our students and teachers on how to integrate the problem-solving methodology of design thinking into the classroom,” Mr Scott says.

“It embraces the 21^st century skills our students will need to thrive in a globalised world such as collaboration, creative thinking and communication.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students at all levels to be involved in discussing and addressing a real-world issue that will affect their future lives. I encourage every school to get involved.”

The challenge is designed to make strong learning and teaching connections to the NSW syllabus specifically in the area of developing general capabilities such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication and problem-solving.

The challenge also provides teachers with an opportunity to gain exposure to the design thinking process and includes teacher resources to introduce this creative problem-solving methodology into the classroom.

Finalists will be selected based on a 60-second video that showcases your team’s vision around the question of humanising technology.

For more information email edweek@det.nsw.edu.au or visit the Game Changer Challenge page.

Your NAPLAN questions answered

Thu, 09 May 2019 15:24:01 AEST

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The tests assess the foundational skills in reading, writing, spelling and numeracy that are essential for every child to progress through school and life.

This year NAPLAN takes place between 14 and 16 May for paper tests and between 14 and 24 May for schools participating in NAPLAN Online.

NAPLAN data is used to help monitor student progress over time against a national measure and to identify areas of strength and improvement. It is used in combination with other school assessments to guide and support student learning.

Watch students ask an expert the tough questions about NAPLAN.

Video – Kids ask the hard questions

Duration – 3:45

Apply now for My Community Project funding

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 15:14:46 AEST

Do you have a great idea to improve your area?

My Community Project is a new NSW Government funding program that is all about local ideas, local projects and local decisions.

You can apply now for grants from $20,000 - $200,000 for projects that will make a difference to your community. Projects could include new playground equipment, sports facilities, paths or ramps to improve access, public art or a community service.

The local community can vote for their favourite projects in July and successful projects will be announced in September.

Project applications close 15 May 2019.

Apply for My Community Project funding

Bring back memories, not measles

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 15:27:16 AEST

With school holidays just around the corner, it’s time to visit your doctor to check that you and your family are fully protected against measles, before you travel overseas.

Measles is a serious, highly contagious, viral illness that is easily spread through the air when an infectious person coughs, sneezes or breathes. If you and your family are not fully vaccinated, or have never been vaccinated, you are at risk of contracting measles.

Not sure if you’re fully protected?

In Australia, the measles vaccine (MMR) consists of 2 doses. If you’re not sure whether you’ve had 2 doses of the measles vaccine, visit your doctor. It’s safe to receive another dose.

Children born in Australia

If your children were born in Australia, they may have received the measles vaccine at 12 months old and the second dose at 18 months, in accordance with the National Immunisation Program.
If you have a baby under 12 months old, consult your doctor about getting their measles vaccination.

Adults born in Australia

Born before 1966 – you were most likely exposed to measles as a child and are generally considered to be immune. If in doubt, ask your GP.
Born between 1966 and 1994 – you may not have received 2 doses. Talk to your doctor about the free vaccine if you’re unsure.
Born after 1994 – the National Immunisation Program offers 2 doses, and you can check your vaccination status using the Australian Immunisation Register.

For more information about the measles vaccination, visit NSW Health or consult your local doctor.

5 road safety tips for parents and carers

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:42:22 AEDT

Now that students are back to school after a break it’s a good time to chat with your child about safe behaviours when you walk or commute to school.

Here are our top tips to help our students make a safe trip:

1. Be alert and aware

Take note of the dangers you come across on your walk and bring them to your child’s attention. Point out dangers, such as vehicles coming out of driveways. Talk to your child about being alert in a road environment.

2. Hold hands

When on the footpath, at a crossing or in a car park always hold your child's hand. It is advised to do this up to the age of at least 8 years old and closely supervise until at least the age of 10.

3. Choose a safe crossing

Lead by example and choose a safe place to cross the road. Explain why it is the safest place to cross.

4. Set a good example

Your child watches everything you do, so if you cross at the crossing they will too. It is also important to share these messages with other carers who may walk with your child to school.

5. Stop, Look, Listen, Think every time you cross the road

Discuss this important road safety message. STOP! one step back from the kerb. LOOK! continuously both ways. LISTEN! for the sounds of approaching traffic. THINK! whether it is safe to cross.

Practise makes perfect

The more supervised practice your child can get the better, so why not make Term 1 the start of a new routine to walk with your child to school more often.

Older children may be ready to make the journey to school independently. Before they take this step, observe if they are road safe and reinforce the road safety messages.

For more information, check out the department’s pedestrian safety advice for students, parents and carers.

Back to school

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 15:06:24 AEDT

The first day of Kindergarten and the return to school in the new year are busy times for your child – and for the entire family. To help you make the most of this time and enjoy the experience, we’ve compiled some useful tips and checklists. We want every student to be known, valued and cared for in our schools.

Our film #FirstDay2019 captures the excitement – and the nerves – of the rite of passage that is the first day of Kindergarten.

Video – Back to School 2019: First Day at Kindy

Duration – 1:00

2019 school budget allocations

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 16:27:52 AEDT

Like all NSW public schools, this week we will receive a School Budget Allocation Report with our funding for 2019. The report will help us manage our total budget delivered through the Resource Allocation Model (RAM).

The RAM supports schools through needs-based funding to ensure a fair, efficient and transparent allocation of funds. Our school has the flexibility to make local decisions based on the specific needs of our students.

We will use our 2019 funding to support students and improve educational outcomes. The school executive will continue to work with the school community as we implement the school plan using this needs-based funding.

Learn more about the 2019 RAM funding.

Twilight Concert

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:13 AEDT

2017 Twilight Concert

Thursday 23rd November at 5.30pm

Matraville Sports High School Hall

We are excited to announce this year's Twilight Concert. Please come along and enjoy in the fun as our students dance and sing their way through the ages. This year our theme is

"Music Through The Ages".

Tickets are $5.00 per adult. Children are free. All funds raised will help us with our future performing arts endeavours.

Tickets will be available for purchase from Wednesday 9th November. Your child will receive a note with details regarding how to purchase.

Permission notes and costume information will go home to families this week.

Twilight Concert (pdf 762 KB)

Enrol NOW for Kindergarten 2018

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:50 AEDT

Enrolments for Kindergarten 2018!

Enrol now as places are filling fast. Please speak to one of our wonderful office staff who will provide you with an enrolment pack and assist you with completing your documents if requested.

Please see attached flyer for our Kindergarten Readiness and Transition sessions. RSVP for attendance through our office.

Kindergarten flyer (pdf 164 KB)

Soldiers' Settlement Preschool - Exceeding

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:09 AEDT

I am proud to announce that our wonderful preschool achieved 'Exceeding National Quality Standard (E)' in the Australian Children's Education & Care Authority Assessment and Rating. The National Quality Framework raises quality and drives continuous improvement and consistency in Australian education and care services and focuses on seven Quality Areas. Soldiers' Settlement Preschool achieved exceeding in all seven quality areas. The overall summary comment stated:-

"Your service in commended on its achievements in providing quality outcomes for children. In particular, an education program that responds to children's interests and scaffolds their learning. The effective leadership and management of the service demonstrates the commitment to quality by educators and staff at your service."

Congratulations to our Preschool Educators and to everyone involved in continuing to ensure that Soldiers' Settlement Preschool is a warm, welcoming environment where we uphold collaborative partnerships with families and the community and ensure that children's health and safety, the physical environment and educational programs are at the core of everything we do.

Well done everyone.

Polly Palaitis, Principal

Uniform Shop

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:13 AEDT

Our Wonderful School

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:02 AEDT

Want to know more about our wonderful school?

Telephone our office on 9311-1175 for more information.

School beautification

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:07 AEDT

Our wonderful GA John has been working incredibly hard to update the gardens of our school including the meeting tree near the front gate (a great spot for students to wait at home time) and gardens on the outside of the front gate. Come and check out his wonderful work!

Yarn Up 2016

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:14 AEDT

On Tuesday 17th May, a group of year 5 and 6 Koori students attended the Powerhouse Museum for the first Yarn Up workshop of 2016. Yarn Up is a public speaking program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who learn speech writing skills at two workshops. The students are invited to present a speech on a topic of their choosing at NSW Parliament later in the year.

The students who attended the workshop on Tuesday were enthusiastic and represented our school wonderfully. We look forward to following their Yarn Up journey and can't wait to see them presenting later in the year.

NAPLAN

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:01 AEDT

In May 2016 the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will be completed by students in Years 3,5,7 and 9. NAPLAN has the support of all State and Territory Education Ministers and will assess the literacy and numeracy skills of students across Australian schools. Please read attached document carefully for information regarding dates and skills tested.

NAPLAN (pdf 227 KB)

Ultimo Network Principal Awards - We have a winner!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:13 AEDT

A big congratulations to our fantastic Principal Mrs Palaitis who received an Ultimo Principal's Network Award! Attended by the Executive Director Mr Murat Dizdar and the Ultimo Network Education Directors, the awards recognise the achievements and contributions of Principals, Executive, Teaching and Non-Teaching staff from the Ultimo Network which includes the Botany Bay, Port Jackson and Marrickville areas.

We are very proud of our wonderful principal! Well done!

Koori Art Expressions Opening Night!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:59 AEDT

Last night Mrs Palaitis, Miss Barr and Ms Cummings attended the opening night celebrations for the Koori Art Expressions exhibition at The National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour.

It was a fantastic night that celebrated the hard work of students, teachers, principals and staff across NSW. Mr Murat Dizdar, the Executive Director of Public Schools NSW spoke about the theme for this year's exhibit and the Aboriginal peoples' strong spiritual and cultural connection to land and sea.

This year our entry was once again a joint artwork, developed, created and completed by our talented Art Club, under the guidance of Mrs Morris, Miss Barr and Calita Murray. The students who collaborated on the work should be very proud of their hard work and the artwork that they have created.

The artwork is currently on exhibition at the National Maritime Museum

(please click to find out further details!)

A big thank you to the Art Club, Mrs Morris, Miss Barr and Calita Murray for their hard work on our amazing artwork. And a special thanks to Mr Sam Morris who kindly donated the materials and skills for framing the artwork - it really made the artwork look beautiful!

Looking forward to next year and another achievement for our talented students!

Rock Band Performance & Flash Mob!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:06 AEDT

Last week the whole school was treated to a surprise performance by the Rock Band! It was an amazing effort by our talented Rock Band and of course, Mr Brad Bergen, who organised the surprise concert at recess.

The Rock Band definitely had some enthusiastic fans, and the whole school turned out to dance, sing along and watch the added bonus of a 1/2 Daringyan Flash Mob dance to YMCA! Even the teachers had a dance!

Isn't it great to see the enthusiasm and talent at our school! We are so proud of our students!

Congratulations to our Maths Olympiad Champions!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:47 AEDT

We are so proud of those students who represented the school at this year's Maths Olympiad! Today they received their awards, medals and badges for their exceptional accomplishments at the Olympiad. Well done Soldiers' Settlement Maths Olympians!

Kindergarten to Year 1 Transition

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:57 AEDT

Last week we held our very first transition session for our students moving from Kindergarten to Year 1 in 2016. Our Year 1's hosted the Kindy students who got to experience life in the 'big' Year 1 classes. During the session our Kindy's participated in Year 1 activities, met the Year 1 teachers and had the chance to work with the current Year 1 students.

It was a fantastic experience for all involved and we look forward to our next session in Week 9!

Kindergarten Orientation 2015

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:56 AEDT

Last Thursday we hosted our first Kindergarten Orientation Session for our 2016 in-coming Kindy's and their parents.

It was wonderful to see all the eager faces ready for big school, and fantastic to see so many of our parents attend the information session!

Our current Year 5 students assisted the teachers in settling the new Kindy's into various activities and it was great to see the Year 5 Buddies show great responsibility in assisting with the orientation.

A big thank you to our Kindergarten teachers, Preschool teachers and support staff who assisted on the day.

If you are intending to send your child to Soldiers' Settlement next year for Kindergarten, please enrol at the front office.

See you for our last Orientation session on Thursday 29th October!

Deadly Kids Doing Well 2015

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:48 AEDT

Last week the annual Deadly Kids Doing Well Awards were held at University of Technology, Sydney. It is an important event that celebrates the achievements of Aboriginal students from across all different schools and grades.

Isaac was the recipient of this year's Deadly Kids Award, and attended the awards ceremony. This was a great event, with cultural performances by NSW Public Education students and speeches from the Department of Education's Executive Director, Mr Murat Dizdar, and the Education Minister, Mr Adrian Piccoli.

It was also a great privilege to have some of our Koori Dancers perform at the event. Everyone was very impressed with their fantastic performance and we had some lovely feedback from the special guests and attendees.

P&C GRANT APPLICATION COMMUNITY BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS - HAVE YOUR SAY

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:03 AEDT

The P&C recently applied for a Michael Daley Community Building Partnership Grant to construct some well needed playground equipment in our playground. Our fingers are crossed that we will be successful in our application. However, to be successful we desperately need the support of our community. Please read the attached information, fill out the voting form and return to the school office between 10.00am and 2.00pm on Saturday 26th September, email to msspandc1@gmail.com or alternatively you can post or email to the address provided on the voting form. Thank you in advance for your support ;-)

CP Grant Information (pdf 821 KB)
CPG MSSPS Voting form (pdf 1077 KB)
MSSPS PG equip draft (pdf 99 KB)

Art Attack at Art Club

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:45 AEDT

This term has been a busy one at Art Club! Every Monday students have been experimenting with different techniques, media, subject matter and skills. This is all a lead up to our entry into the Koori Art Expressions competition, and I must say... it's looking fantastic so far!

A big thank you to Mrs Morris, Ms Barr and Aunty Calita for their hard work in organising and running the Art Club!

Our Garden is Growing!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:02 AEDT

You may have seen some changes in our veggie garden recently! Mr Chris and Mr Ansell have been working hard to rejuvenate the area and add garden beds for our students to plant some vegetables and plants!

We have also had the help of some of our students who are assisting in the clean up and construction.

Watch this space for our ongoing garden project!

Twilight Concert 2015 - A great night of musical talent!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:12 AEDT

This week we held our 2015 Twilight Concert. It was a fantastic night that showcased the talents and experience of our students.

We are very lucky to have the support of our dedicated ACMF Music Teachers who have worked tirelessly to produce this evening of music. A big thank you to Rachel Scott, Brad Bergen, Richard Tardiff, Ben Sibson, Anatoly Torjinski and Leo Novikov. Without their hard work and support we could not have such a brilliant night!

A big thank you also to Ms Hume for organising the night, and our hardworking teachers who support the program, practice the pieces with their classes and assisted and supervised students on the night.

Well done everyone!

Father's and Other's BBQ

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:50 AEDT

Last Friday we held our first Father's and Other's BBQ Breakfast and Father's Day Stall. It was great to see all our families and friends coming together - even with the rain! A big thank you to our P&C for organising and cooking the breakfast!

Please see our Gallery for more pix!

Zoo Snooze Adventures!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:15 AEDT

Zoo Snooze at Taronga Zoo!

From all accounts, Stage 2 really enjoyed their first overnight camp to Taronga Zoo! They got a chance to see all the animals, and then they were able to stay the night at the zoo!

A big thank you to the teachers who supervised the camp, Mrs Palaitis, Ms Jackson, Mrs Theobald, Miss Barr, Ms Faulkner and Ms Leaudais. It was a great experience for everyone who attended, and most importantly... lots of fun!

Check out our gallery for more pix!

MSSPS Mindfulness Week

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:01 AEDT

Our Mindfulness Week are started off with peaceful yoga and friendship-building!

Have you checked out our Mindfulness Week activities so far? We started the week with a parent forum to discuss our Kidsmatter initiative, followed by yoga sessions for every student.

A big thank you to all the parents who attended our parent forum. It is through parent and community support that we can better improve our educational, academic and wellbeing outcomes for all students!

All the students really enjoyed the fantastic Yoga sessions yesterday. It was great to see the students stretching their bodies and their minds. It was so inspiring to the students and staff, as well as a very good way for students to remain centered and Mindful... rather than Mind FULL!

Today we had some industrious students helping thread beads for our Friendship Tree! This is a long-term project that we expect will evolve over time and will only improve! The Friendship Tree will be a place where students can go if they need a friend to talk to or somewhere to chill out if they are feeling upset. It's a very exciting project, so please come and visit us to have a look at our progress!

This afternoon we also said goodbye to our Stage 2 students who have headed off to their overnight ZooSnooze at Taronga Zoo! We wish them a fun and exciting experience with the lions and giraffes!

Stay tuned for more of our Mindfulness Week updates!

Senior Choir Performance at Redfern Oval

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:08 AEDT

Yesterday the senior choir gave up a beautiful sunny Sunday to perform the National Anthem at the South Sydney Juniors Grand Final at Redfern Oval.

It was a fantastic experience, and once again the students were given an overwhelmingly positive response for their singing and were given great feedback as they left the grounds.

This was a great opportunity for our students to showcase their talent, as well as allowing the students to perform in front of a large audience.

We are all very proud of everyone who attended and a big thank you to Mrs Elliott, Mrs French, Aunty Calita, Aunty Pauline, Ms Cummings and Mrs Palaitis for coming along and helping with the performance.

We even had an opportunity to meet some of our Rabbitohs heroes!

Well done Senior Choir!

Learning Potential Parent App!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:00 AEDT

The Federal Government have just released a fantastic app that helps parents support their child's learning from the early years through to high school.

The app will connect parents with articles and resources that are relative to your child's age group or interests, with everything from information on the benefits of camp or learning a second language, to ideas for increasing literacy at home and developing simple maths activities.

The app also sends alerts and reminders about various school and literacy and numeracy based events!

It looks like a really helpful app for busy families! If you do try the app, let us know how it works for you!

http://learningpotential.gov.au/

Stage 3 Camp!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:09 AEDT

Stage 3 at the Great Aussie Bush Camp!

On Monday our Stage 3 students along with Miss Hume, Ms Jackson, Mrs Palaitis and Mr Ansell, headed off to Tea Gardens for their Annual Camp.

It was a fantastic opportunity for students to bond with each other and their teachers, learn new skills, face new challenges and experience....Mud World!

The students spent three days kayaking, rope climbing, flying through the air on flying foxes, participating in archery and sleeping in tents!

They arrived back on Wednesday afternoon tired, but with huge smiles on their faces... and so did their teachers!

A big thank you to Mr Ansell for organising such a great camp, and to all the teachers for all their hard work over the three days!

*If your child has left behind any items of clothing or towels, please see their classroom teacher - we have a few miscellaneous items left behind!

K-2 Aquarium Adventures

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:56 AEDT

Last week all of our Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students visited the Aquarium in Manly. It was a fantastic day of learning, fun and adventure!

We travelled by bus to Manly, where we got to have a snack and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Then we visited the aquarium in our groups. We saw sharks, sting rays, tropical fish - even Nemo and Dory! We also got to visit with the cheeky penguins in their enclosure. The students learned all about turtles and crayfish, as well as the fantastic work of the Aquarium in looking after and rescuing some of our injured sea life. We even got to see a scuba diver taking a lady for a shark dive!

The students got the chance to have a walk along the Manly Reserve and we all had a picnic at the beach.

The next day we all wrote some fantastic recounts about our excursion!

A big thank you to Mrs Vandenberg for organising the great day, as well as to the staff who attended the excursion.

For more pix please see our gallery!

Science Week Expo a Blast!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:07 AEDT

No, the hall did not blow up, and we didn't fill the playground with bubbles, but the Year 5 and 6 Science Expo was a huge success!

From Lava Lamps, to Volcanoes, to MarbleTricks,, to icky sticky Goo, all our students produced amazing experiments and scientific tests.

Our whole school got scientific and visited the expo. Our 5/6 students then had to explain their experiments and show other students how they worked.

Not only did we learn a lot, but we all had a lot of fun!

Please check our gallery for more Science Week Photos!

Important Information Regarding the ACMF Music Program

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:54 AEDT

Attention Parents and Carers!

The ACMF Music program is funded by an external source and this funding is running out. In order for the ACMF music program and ACO String Program to continue at our school there are some important and necessary fund raising activities we need to consider.

In order for this program to continue, the school community (P&C, parents, families and friends) needs to raise approximately $40,000. If we cannot raise these funds, the ACMF have advised the school that from 2016 they will no longer able to fund the program as current funding has run out. This will mean that ACMF music program and ACO String Program will no longer be providing music education to the students at Soldiers' Settlement.

Please join us to discuss some fundraising ideas. Everyone is welcome.

When: Friday 21^st August

Where: The school library

Time: 3.00pm

We look forward to seeing you this Friday 21^st August at 3.00pm in the library.

Are You Ready For Science Week??!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:45 AEDT

MSSPS gets a sneak peek of Science Week from our very own Mad Scientists!

Professor Faulkner and Professor Barr visited our assembly today not only to kick off National Science Week, but also to give us a sneak preview of the upcoming experiments and fun activities we will be witnessing during our Science Week celebrations!

With the help of some assistants, we got to test the strength of balloons, as well as witness the very popular coke and mentos experiment! It was great fun, informative, exciting and messy!

Please check out our Science Week Poster for more information about our Science activities this week!

Science Week Poster (pdf 215 KB)

Infants Athletics Carnival 2015

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:55 AEDT

Last week we held our Infants Athletics carnival at Finucane Reserve. The students were very excited, and we were lucky to have a perfect day of sunshine!

All of our Kindergarten to Year 2 students participated, and we were even joined by our Preschoolers for a race! It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm, courage and sportsmanship among our students, as well as the care and support from our Year 6 helpers who worked very hard to help our Infants competitors stay in a straight line and follow the track!

We had many families and community members supporting the carnival and it was wonderful to hear them cheering our runners along.

A big thank you to Miss Russell for her organisation, and to all staff who attended and assisted with the smooth running of the carnival. It was a fantastic day!

For more pix please see our gallery!

Education Day 2015!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:48 AEDT

Thank you to our wonderful school community for helping us hold a spectacular Education Day!

Walking through the playground at lunchtime it was evident that all our parents, friends, students and staff were enjoying their time celebrating Education Week!

We enjoyed having our parents and carers visit our classrooms to see our fabulous work, and we held a very successful cake stall at lunchtime. A big thank you to our parents and carers who donated cakes and baked goods to our stall. Without your support we would not be able to have these fundraisers!

Our Education Day assembly showcased our talented choir as well as the hard work of our students in celebrating our local heroes. It was great to hear everyone from Kindergarten to Year 6 speak about their local heroes and why they felt this person was a hero to them.

We also celebrated our own local heroes, Mr Richard and Mrs Fran Reynolds. Both of whom volunteer endlessly at our school and have made a huge impact on the lives of all our students. In the case of Mrs Reynolds, this has been the case for quite a lot of years! Both received our "Local Hero" awards.

It was a fantastic day and really highlighted the positive feeling of our school community and how lucky we are! The following quote from Mrs Palaitis' Education Day speech speaks volumes about our school and our supportive community:

"At Soldiers' Settlement we are extremely lucky to have the opportunity of a good education. Our students are nurtured and supported by the teachers, parents and community and are encouraged to achieve to the best of their ability and beyond."

Our First Day of Art Club!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:02 AEDT

This week Mrs Morris, Ms Barr and Aunty Calita held the first Art Club session on Monday after school. The club will be held each Monday with the idea of enhancing students' art skills, whilst building towards the completion of our Koori Art Expressions artwork.

Our first class was all about experimenting with watercolours... and what a great afternoon for water! Some students utilised the rain to help create amazing patterns on their art pieces.

As you can see, we have some very talented students! Please check our gallery for more pictures!

Students were also given an opportunity to discuss their process and evaluate and appraise other student's works!

Whilst only 20 students are able to attend, we will be offering further opportunities later in the year for those that missed out this round!

String Ensemble visit the ACO

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:09 AEDT

Today our talented students from the String Ensemble visited the Australian Chamber Orchestra offices to watch them rehearse for an upcoming concert. This was an amazing opportunity for our students to watch some of the best musicians in the country practise and perform.

The students were able to witness these extraordinary performers being put through their paces as well as being given an opportunity to see them play some interesting instruments such as the bassoon and the harpsichord. The musicians also gave up their break time to speak with our students.

It was an amazing experience, and one that I am sure all the students appreciated. A big thank you to Ms Rachel Scott for her tireless efforts to enhance and improve the musical education of our students.

AAAaaaaarrrrgh! Pirate Day @ Soldiers'

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:43 AEDT

Today our school raised money for childhood brain tumour research with our Pirate Day fundraiser. Students were asked to wear Pirate attire and donate a gold coin to support this essential research. In return they had the fun and joy of being a Pirate for the day, plus a jaunty eye patch (NOT an I-Pad!).

All students enjoyed the day, with some particularly interesting characters roaming the playground!

Stay alert for more pix in our gallery.... coming soon!

Pirate Day Friday Website

Principal for a Day!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:05 AEDT

This week we held our first Student Principal for a Day!

Students were asked to submit an application and answer questions about why they would be a great Principal for the Day. We had an overwhelming amount of applicants, however one stood out.

Congratulations to Imogen who was given the opportunity to spend the day being the Principal. Imogen's day began with an interview with Mrs Palaitis and Robbie Buck on ABC radio.

Once she arrived at school she was given her Principal hat and jacket, and had a meeting with Mrs Palaitis about her schedule for the day.

Imogen participated in a parent school tour, assisted with playground duty and resolving some problems, as well as making announcements at assembly. She had lunch with the staff in the staffroom and visited our Preschool on a Safety and Information tour. It was an excellent day and Imogen did a fantastic job leading the school for the day.

Koojay celebration at Coogee Beach

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:58 AEDT

Koojay Celebrations on Coogee Beach

Yesterday our talented Warada Dancers, Contemporary Dancers and Senior Choir went to Coogee Beach to participate in the Randwick Council Koojay Reconciliation celebrations. It was a great showcase of the talented students at Soldiers' Settlement, and an opportunity to celebrate and foster the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.

It was a credit to the school and our community to see our students perform in front of a large crowd of people. A big thank you to Mrs Calita Murray who choreographed the dancers and organised the performance. She also performed alongside our students and it was evident the hard work over the past few months has paid off.

Our choir performed the National Anthem and there were many comments by the spectators on how beautiful it was.

Thank you to Mrs Pauline Beller for accompanying the students and assisting with costumes and ochre. Also, a huge thank you Mrs Palaitis who supervised the students on the excursion.

Please check out the link below for a story on ABC Online about the day:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-27/coogee-beach-corroboree-marks-national-reconciliation-week/6500898

Also, please stay tuned and check out our gallery for photos from the performances!

Indigenous Veteran's Ceremony 2015

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:54 AEDT

Student Executive attend the Indigenous Veteran's Ceremony

Last Friday our School Executive attended the Indigenous Veteran's Ceremony at Hyde Park. Accompanied by Mrs Pauline Beller and Ms Cummings, the students were among numerous other schools paying their respects to the memory of those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who defended Australia. These brave men and women faced various odds, and yet remained dedicated to their country and fulfilling their role as part of Australia's defence force.

Our Student Executive laid a wreath at the ANZAC Memorial after listening to speeches by various dignitaries and witnessing an Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony and Welcome Dance.

These students are to be commended for their exemplary behaviour and representing Soldiers' Settlement at the Ceremony.

Koori Dancers in the Courier

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:59 AEDT

Have a look at the front page of the Southern Courier today! Some of our talented dancers are on the cover and feature in a story about the upcoming Randwick Council Reconciliation Celebrations at Coogee Beach!

http://newslocal.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

Soldiers' Settlement and the ACO

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:09 AEDT

Check out this fabulous video featuring students from Soldiers' Settlement talking about their experience learning to play musical instruments with the help of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the ACMF!

What a great achievement for our students, thank you to the wonderful support of our outstanding music program through the ACMF and ACO. The sky's the limit for our talented students!

School Cross Country 2015

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:07 AEDT

School Cross Country!

Last Thursday the school held their annual Cross Country. Due to the weather we held the race at school. It was fantastic to see the students supporting their friends and trying their best. This Friday our finalists will be off to the Zone Cross Country to represent the school. Best of luck to all participants!

Please see our gallery for more photos!

P&C Disco!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:03 AEDT

Last Thursday night our wonderful P&C held a Heroes Disco at school! The children dressed up as their hero or idol and boogied away!

A big thank you to all the parents and staff who attended, and a big thank you to our fantastic P&C for organising and hosting the event. It was a fabulous night.

For more photos please check our gallery!

ANZAC Day at Soldiers' Settlement

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:44 AEDT

Even with the wild weather, Soldiers' Settlement celebrated and remembered our ANZACs with our ANZAC Assembly.

Mrs Jones and Miss Russell organised an outstanding assembly that showcased the talent of our students whilst also reflecting the strong ties our school has with our surrounding community and its history.

Soldiers' Settlement has particularly strong links with the ANZAC memory as our school and the community has landmarks named for significant ANZAC soldiers, battles and locations. It was wonderful to hear our students deliver speeches that reminded us of this connection and significance.

We were also very lucky to have in attendance some special guests including Captain O'Mara, Mr Matt Thistlethwaite and Mr Michael Daley. We were also lucky to have in attendance the dedicated members of our local RSL, and Mr Flinn who delivered a wonderful speech as always.

Our choir performed two songs that reflected the ANZAC spirit, including the song The Last ANZAC, accompanied by the students signing the words using AUSLAN sign language.

It was a wonderful assembly that truly reflected the ANZAC memory.

We would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Jones and Miss Russell who organised the assembly, and for their tireless efforts in making the day go smoothly!

We would also like to thank the parents and community members who attended the ceremony, despite the weather! Thank you for your support.

Harmony Day 2015

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:54 AEDT

Today our school community celebrated Harmony Day with our students coming to school dressed in their national dress, purple, white or orange (the colours of Harmony Day).

It was a day to celebrate Australia's diversity, to tell our stories and come together to respect each other. It's about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Our assembly showcased the fantastic work our students and teachers have been doing and how we celebrate Harmony within our school. We had joyful songs, lovely poetry, creative artworks and fantastic films. It was truly a wonderful celebration that highlighted the achievements of our students, but also the inclusive spirit of our school.

Thank you to all the parents who supported this day. It was fantastic to see you all up and dancing with us! We appreciate your commitment to our school community.

Please stay tuned for more photos in our gallery!

Books in Homes

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:47 AEDT

On Thursday our students received their first bag of books for 2015 from our Books in Homes program. This program has run in our school for several years and is supported by Mainfreight. Each year our students get an opportunity to receive a bag of books three times a year to support literacy within the school. We are very lucky to have this support!

This year we were visited by Lisa Upton, a journalist and film maker who has worked on projects for the ABC and SBS. She spoke to our students about how important reading is and how our students are supported by our fantastic schools.

Lisa and the Mainfreight representatives also visited classrooms to read with students and assist with handing out the books. Our students were so excited to open up their bags and have a read of their books!

For more information please click the link below:

Books in Homes

World's Greatest Shave

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:14 AEDT

A huge congratulations to our Wonderful Imogen who shaved her head for 'The World's Greatest Shave'. Imogen was very brave and shaved her head in support of the Leukaemia Foundation. Imogen's goal was to raise $2000 dollars. By 3.00pm today the total raised has climbed to over $3000.

Well done Imogen. You are extremely brave and we are so very proud of you!

NRL Community Carnival Launch at MSSPS!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:02 AEDT

Today marked a wonderful opportunity for our school, the community and above all our students! Please follow the link below to view the video about today's launch of the NRL Community Carnival at Soldiers' Settlement PS. This not only showcased the achievements of one of our students, April, but highlighted the great community we have here at Soldiers' Settlement PS.

A big congratulations to April for her fantastic achievements, and to the students of MSSPS who represented the school today!

NRL Community Carnival

Keep an eye out for our photo gallery of the day, including our visit from some very special guests!

End of Year String Concert

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:49 AEDT

Yesterday afternoon our talented String Group performed for friends and family at the end of year String Concert. Accompanied by Ms Rachel Scott, Mr Leo and Mr Anatoly, the students performed some impressive pieces, showcasing their talent and how much they have learned over the year.

The audience were also very lucky to be entertained by Ms Scott, Mr Leo and Mr Anatoly performing a piece as a thank you to their students, family and friends. What a fabulous afternoon of music and talent!

Presentation Day 2014!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:05 AEDT

What a wonderful showcase of student achievement!

Our annual Presentation Day was a fantastic celebration of the achievements of our students throughout the year. Thanks to Mr Ansell's excellent organisation, we were entertained by our Year 6 drummers and senior choir, and given the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our students in not only academics, but citizenship, dance, sport and music.

The assembly was also attended by some distinguished guests from our community including Mr Noel D'Souza, Mr Jim Flynn and Ms Tamara Amatto who very graciously presented awards to our students.

It was truly a day for students to be proud to be part of Matraville Soldiers' Settlement Public School.

Thank you to all the parents, family, friends and community members who helped make this a special event!

Also, a big thank you to Mr Ansell for his organisation, Ms Rachel Scott for the music contribution and to Ms Hume and Ms Jokai for their assistance.

For more photos please go to our gallery!

Announcement of our 2015 School Executive

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:44 AEDT

At Presentation Day all students were given an opportunity to farewell the 2014 School Executive and thank them for their hard work and leadership throughout the year.

There was also much excitement as the 2015 School Executive positions were announced. We wish our 2015 Executive and the outgoing 2014 Executive all the best for next year!

Year 6 Graduation 2014

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:50 AEDT

As part of our Presentation Day assembly, the whole school had an opportunity to acknowledge our outgoing Year 6 students with a graduation ceremony.

We were entertained by Year 6 performing on the Djembe drums accompanied by Ms Rachel Scott and Richard and later the students received their class photo as part of their graduation from Year 6.

Koori Art Expressions Opening Night!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:58 AEDT

Koori Art Expressions Exhibition Opening Night!

Last night was the Koori Art Expressions Exhibition opening night. It was fantastic to see not only our school's artwork but many other brilliant pieces on display at the Eora Centre in Chippendale.

The event was attended by many special guests including Aunty Fay Carroll (Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer), Mr Danny Allende (Assistant Director of the EORA College) and Mr Murat Dizdar (Executive Director, Public Schools NSW). It was wonderful to see the great achievements of our Public School students from across NSW and to have such a positive response from those who viewed the art.

The biggest thank you of the night was to the students who created the works, without whom the process would not be possible. So a big thank you to the students of Soldiers' Settlement who participated in our Koori Art project.

Another big thank you to Mrs Calita Murray who worked tirelessly with students to complete the work and to ensure that the NAIDOC message was embedded in the artwork. Without a community effort these projects are impossible, so thank you to Soldiers' Settlement for their support of this project!

Koori Art Expressions Launch

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:58 AEDT

On Monday 8th December, there will be a special launch for the Koori Art Expressions project. We would like to extend an invitation to all students who participated (and their parents) to attend this launch event!

This will be a wonderful opportunity to view the artwork and other entries at this special event. Please see the e-vite below for details!

If you and your child would like to attend, please RSVP via the office by Monday 8th December, 9am.

Year 2 and 3 School Swimming Reminder

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:14 AEDT

Attention Year 2 and Year 3 Students!

Splish Splash!!!

School Swimming starts tomorrow - Monday 1st December!

Wear your Sports Uniform to school and please don't forget your swimmers, goggles, towel and sunscreen.

Soldiers' Settlement Students on Sydney Weekender!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:09 AEDT

Our students on Sydney Weekender!

A few months ago some of our students were asked to appear on Sydney Weekender as part of a promotion for Bare Island and the Blak Markets.

The students were filmed at Bare Island participating in some traditional activities including boomerang throwing, bush tucker tasting and fishing. On Saturday 29th November this episode aired!

Check out the link below to watch the segment.

Watch the episode HERE!

For more pictures of the day out and making of the episode check out the pictures in our gallery.

Twilight Concert!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:13 AEDT

Last night's Twilight Concert was a big success!

A big thank you to our parents, friends and community members for supporting our Twilight Concert last night! It was a brilliant success and showcased the wealth of talent at our school!

We would also like to recognise the hard work of the teachers and our fantastic Music Teachers who have been working very hard to bring together such a wonderful concert. Without the support of our dedicated music teachers: Miss Scott, Miss Sloper, Mr Bergen, Mr Tardif, Mr Sibson, Mr Novikov and Mr Torjinski, we would not have the outstanding Music Program within this school.

We would also like to thank Mr Ansell and Miss Hume for their hard work with the Music Program!

And last but not least, congratulations to the students, who have practised and tried their best to learn and perform these musical pieces. The resulting concert was fantastic and all students should be proud of their hard work and dedication!

Board of Studies Curriculum Guides for Parents!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:46 AEDT

New Syllabus Resources for Parents

Over the past few years you may have heard discussed in the media and at school, the introduction of the new Australian and NSW Syllabuses.

With these changes occurring within your child's school, you may want to become familiar with some of these changes or look for resources to support your child's learning.

The following link has new resources to support parents, as schools begin the implementation of the new Australian and NSW syllabuses for English and Mathematics.

Board of Studies

These four guides provide comprehensive and practical support for parents in relation to grammar, reading, writing and mathematics.

Happy Reading!

Playground Upgrade - Excavation!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:51 AEDT

Early this week you may see workmen and trucks delivering fencing for our playground upgrades.

Later in the week the fencing will be up and works will begin to excavate then lay turf and astro turf on our playground. Please be aware that there will be extra trucks in the streets and of course construction and excavation occurring in the playground. There will also be limitations on our playground space, and alternative arrangements will be made for the children during lunchtimes and recess.

We ask that the community supports us during this time and of course if you have any concerns please direct these to the office.

The playground will look fantastic when everything is finished and the children will have some lovely grass to play on!

Koori Art Expressions

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:59 AEDT

This term many of our students have been collaborating with Calita and Ms Cummings to create our entry for the Koori Art Expressions Project.

This project has required dedication on behalf of the students who have given up their lunch times and worked hard to produce some great artworks!

The theme this year is our NAIDOC theme, Serving Country - Centenary and Beyond. The children have been painting their own individual stones that will come together for the final artwork. These stones represent our country and what it means to the students.

For a look at last year's entries please check out:

Koori Art Expressions 2013

Kids Deadly Awards

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:56 AEDT

The annual Kids Deadly Awards will be held at the University of Technology, Sydney. This year Isaac will be receiving the award for his efforts at school. We wish him luck and congratulate him on his achievements!

Students perform at ACO Fundraiser!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:11 AEDT

On Wednesday 22nd October Mrs Palaitis accompanied our talented String Group to the annual ACO Fundraiser entitled "Chateau de Fleurs" at Sydney University's Maclaurin Hall. The String Group performed the

Coldplay song "Paradise" alongside the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The ACO were so impressed with our students behaviour and talent that they sent an email to the school saying that:

"I knew that the students would play well, but I didn't know that they would be such beautiful ambassadors for their school and their community. Their performance, stage presence and behaviour was astoundingly good. I had proud tears in my eyes while they played... Congratulations to each and every student for all the hard work they put in to deliver a fantastic performance in front of such a large audience"

- Sarah Conolan

Education Assistant

Australian Chamber Orchestra

A big thank you to the extremely talented and hardworking Miss Rachel Scott and Mr Leo. Their dedication to the music program at Soldiers' Settlement is outstanding.

3/4R Perform at Ken Rosewall Dinner!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:42 AEDT

Congratulations to 3/4R who performed at the Ken Rosewall dinner last night!

The event was held at the Four Seasons Hotel to celebrate tennis great Ken Rosewall's 80th birthday. This was a fundraising event for the ACMF, and all funds go to the continuation of this great foundation which supports our school!

The children performed three pieces- Advance Australia Fair (in Aboriginal and English), 'Trepak' with percussion instruments and Don Spencer's song 'Australia' with Don and his special guest musicians.

It was lovely to see our students perform at such a special event!

A special thank you to Ms Scott for organising and coordinating our performance. And a big thank you to Mrs Rose, Mr Ansell and Mrs Palaitis for attending the event with the children.

Crazy Hat Day 2014

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:47 AEDT

Last Tuesday 4th November, our school had a Crazy Hat Day to raise money to support our efforts to improve the school gardens and veggie patch.

It was a great success and we saw some fabulous and creative hats at school! Have a look at our picture gallery for more amazing hats!

Garden Rejuvenation 2014!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:51 AEDT

On Thursday 30th October, our school had volunteers from Ernst and Young, the Botanic Gardens and the Royal National Parks come to assist with the rejuvenation of our Menin Road side gardens and Aboriginal plants walking trail.

Even though it was a hot day, everyone worked hard to plant, prune, clear rubbish and make our gardens look fabulous!

As you can see from the results along Menin Road, their hard work has paid off and our gardens are looking amazing.

Please take the time to have a look at our newly planted native trees and the beginnings of our Aboriginal Bush Herb gardens.

Matraville Sports High Executive Summary 2013

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:00 AEDT

Executive Summary 2013 (pdf 173 KB)

Preschool Parent Survey

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:05 AEDT

Attention Preschool families:

Please take the time to complete the Preschool survey which can be completed by following this link which will direct you to an online survey Click here for survey. There is also a paper copy attached to the Term 3 Preschool Newsletter. Your feedback gives us information about what we are doing well and areas for improvement. We really appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey.

Thank you Soldiers' Settlement

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:12 AEDT

It has been a pleasure to serve the Soldiers' Settlement Public School community for over four years. The journey we have been through together has seen a number of dynamic school programs, improved student results and resources that make our school look and feel like a quality learning environment.

Of course this could not have been achieved without the self-motivated staff with whom I have had the privilege to work. Your attention to improving student outcomes, unfailing willingness to go that extra mile, even when there is no recognition is the stuff of quiet achievement. It is a quality you all have in bucket loads. I am grateful for this and thank the school community who from time to time recognise the staff as working beyond for their child. There is not enough space to mention you all by name but I am grateful for your support.

Special mention must be made of the two most able Assistant Principals I have had the pleasure of knowing, Miss Jane Morton and Mrs Meghan Curtis who have stood beside and challenged me to ensure that we focus on students and the school. I will be forever grateful for your humour and clarity.

Mary Koulas and Liz Cleary make a difference to the lives of others. As the front people of the school your initial work with the community is truly about serving others.

To Calita Murray and the Aboriginal ‘Schools in Partnership' team thank you for assisting our staff to be creative to ‘close the gap'. Your work and the teaching staff have indeed produced amazing results through our NAPLAN results.

Thank you to the P&C who, whilst small in number, have tirelessly worked for each and every student in the school. Many people may not know the time you give and the ideas you have for improving the school but I have appreciated and take my hat off to you all.

Finally, thank you to the community to all our parents and volunteers for praising the school behind the scenes. Thank you for seeing the glass is half full and we are trying to each and every day try to find ways of adding more to what we do. I appreciate those parents who daily ensure that the students wear full school uniform, promote with their children a positive set of behaviours to support learning and work with the school to achieve these behaviours.

I am proud of all we have achieved together and will leave this school on Friday grateful for having had the experience.

Top Mathletics Users

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:11 AEDT

Congratulations to the following students who have received certificates from the team at Mathletics. The following students have been identified as the top users at the school where they have mastered activities with a score equal to or greater than 85%

Lachlan Jones (2C) who has mastered 95 activities,

Celine Chia (2C) who has mastered 46 activities, and

Alaster Yong (3R) who has mastered 36 activities.

One Laptop per Child

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:02 AEDT

The school has benefited from an extremely huge donation as part of the One Laptop per Child known as OLPC (Australia) program.

Founded in 2005 OLPC is a dynamic not for profit organisation dedicated to helping children enjoy learning. Their vision is to promote a world of equality, where everyone is connected to the same learning opportunities. At the heart of OLPC's work is a low cost device custom made for children, called the XO. Supporting teachers and students in their learning is One Education – a sustainable learning program based around the XO.

Over the past two years the school has purchased note pads for each student across Years 5 and 6.

Now through OLPC, every student from K-4 will have the XO laptop and its software.

Each XO costs $400. The OLPC program funds ¾ of this price. The P&C donated $8 850 at last Tuesday's meeting. The school has also funded $8 850 for XOs and a further $2 400 to complete its wireless access points. This should be completed with XOs delivered by the beginning of term 3.

Each XO will connect to the school's wireless network, which is currently being installed in every classroom, using all the security systems he Department has in place.

Instead of traditional software, the XO comes with its own unique software called ‘Sugar' and custom-made Activities. These Activities have all been created to empower and engage children, allowing them to learn through independent, hands-on experience.

Preschool Term 2 Newsletter

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:05 AEDT

Welcome back to Term Two, 2013. We hope you had a happy and safe holiday.

On arrival please feel free to stay and share an activity with your child. We are very excited by the learning that is occurring and the creativity that is being shown. We would love you to experience some of this joy with your child.

We are continuing to implement ‘Belonging, Being & Becoming The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia'. Our programming reflects the five Learning Outcomes.

For more have a look at our preschool page Latest Preschool news

Aust Chamber Orchestra performs with our violin and cello students

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:46 AEDT

Members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra visited the school on Tuesday 9 April for a series of workshops with classes and our violin and cello players. The students then took part in a concert with the orchestra playing 'Ode to Joy'. Listen to the performance here http://youtu.be/HxXocyYEeW0.

The Australian Children's Music Foundation negotiated the partnership with the Australian Chamber Orchestra for students to learn these instruments. Into our second year of the program, we have extended it to include more students. From semester two the program will be extended to the Little Bay Community of schools with more students being able to take part in music lessons and learn the cello and violin.

CPR Health Visits Years 3-6

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:47 AEDT

Wednesday 8^th May Years 5&6 and Thursday 9^th May Years 3&4

1 ½ hours $13.50 Sports Uniform

CPRHealth Training, is proud to be able to provide our children with the opportunity to participate in a CPR HELP Safety Awareness Program. Our aim is to educate young children from Years 3 – Years 6 with basic techniques for First Aid and CPR. The children will gain knowledge of the DRSABCDManagement Procedures (Danger, Response, Send for Help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillator).

The program is fun and interactive incorporating role plays and hands on activities around the process of looking for danger, making the emergency phone call zero, zero, zero "000", the recovery position, checking for breathing and clearing an airway. Students will also experience hands on techniques using manikins that will involve compressions and breathing.

By teaching your children these principles we are giving them the knowledge to stay safe and help in an emergency situation involving family or friends. Research has shown that "…children who learn the DRSABCD concepts at a young age are better equipped to deal with an emergency situation and have a greater grasp on these vital skills as a teenager and adults…" Australian Resuscitation Council

ANZAC Day

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:44 AEDT

The school celebrated ANZAC in two ceremonies last term.

It was honour to take the choir and Student Council members to Matraville RSL to perform Don Spencer's new song ‘For Love of Country', a tribute to the ANZACs. We followed this by our version of Advance Australia Fair.

Have a look at a rehearsal of the new song http://youtu.be/TdzuPUrDbro

The student council members then attended a lunch provided by the RSL with four other schools.

For the students who did not attend the service at the cenotaph, a spoecial assembly was held in the hall to commerate every Australian and resident of Australia's heritage

Embracing the Future at Matraville Sports High - Parent Focus Group

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:49 AEDT

Dear Parents

We need your help please about how to ensure Matraville Sports High School is on your list of possible schools to consider when making the choice about high school placement for your child.

Further to my discussions last year at each of your P&C meetings and as the School Education Director working closely with all of the schools in the Little Bay Community of Schools (LBCoS) I assure you that we are keen to collect your advice and suggestions. We want Matraville Sports High School to be the high school of choice in the local area.

To help us gather information the LBCoS sub-committee has organised for Ros Bastian, Sydney Region, Promotions Officer to conduct a series of focus groups for parents in each LBCoS. Ros has about 6 questions that will form the basis of the discussion with the group. There will be about 10 parents in each group. The discussion will take about 1½ hours. Your Principal will organise the most appropriate time and place for the group depending on who volunteers to be involved.

Please note that only your Principal will know the names of all the volunteers in the group. Ros will know first names only and no individual will be named in the final report to the sub-committee.

If you have ideas to share or comments to make and would like to be part of the focus group for your school please complete the sign-off slip below and return it to the front office. Your Principal will then be in touch about the organisation.

Thank you in anticipation of your support. We are all keen to make a positive difference for Matraville Sports High School – please help us.

Please don't hesitate to contact your Principal or me at Bondi Office on telephone 9298 6900 if you have any queries.

Thank you, (Dr) Sylvia Corish

School Education Director, Botany Bay Network

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LBCoS Initiative – Matraville Sports High School – Embracing the Future

I would like to be involved in the LBCoS focus group for my school.

Name: ………………………Contact number: ……………………….

Eldest Child: …………………………….. Class:

It has been an exciting first term for staff and students at Matraville SHS.

Our HSC Construction students have begun the restoration of structures at Bare Island in conjunction with National Parks and Wildlife and Sydney Business Education Partnerships; we have already started our "Aspire" connections with UNSW whose students are providing Maths and Science assistance in classes; and were recently announced as contestants in this year's Archibull Prize competition. The Archibull Prize for us will be a joint teaching and learning effort with Chifley Primary School, with students from both schools working together to research sustainable farming in Australia. It will also involve decorating the 2 life – size bulls that were delivered last week!

In order to build on our successes, we would like your opinion of the school, and to share your thoughts on how we can provide the best education for your children in the future.

If you are interested, please complete the slip attached to the LBCoS article in this newsletter, and return to your primary school Principal. I look forward to your input.

Nerida Walker, R/Principal

Matraville Sports High School

Thank you for the Easter Egg Donations

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:48 AEDT

At total of $550.00 was raised from the Easter Raffle.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated Easter Eggs and purchased raffle tickets.

Preschool Feedback

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:04 AEDT

As staff of Soldiers' Settlement Public School we are committedto maintaining strong partnerships with families in providing the best preschool experience for the children in our care. As parents are their child's first and most influential educator, your views and ideas on your child and their education is of the highest regard. We appreciate your taking the time to contribute the following information. Please return in the plastic sleeve provided by Wednesday 10^th April, 2013.Parent Feedback form (pdf 126 KB)

Aust Chamber Orchestra Visit Tues 9/4

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:46 AEDT

We always welcome a visit by members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. On Tuesday 9 April five members of the ACO will visit classrooms for workshops, perform a concert at 11.30 am and work with our expnaded cello and violin group. A special performance with our students is planned and should be a highlight for these budding musicians.

Preschool Newsletter Term 1

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:04 AEDT

For a copy of the latest preschool newsletter explaining the routines, learning program and things to remember please open the Term 1 newsletter. Term 1 Preschool Newsletter (pdf 1053 KB).

For further information about our preschool visit the preschool webpage under the Tab: School Years or click here Preschool.

Internet Safety Day

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:56 AEDT

Be Cyberwise

In a partnership with Life Education the students of Soldiers' Settlement Public School took part in the making of a film to educate young children about what is the internet and how to remain safe online.

Through Life Education's exciting Mobile Learning Centre experience, students in years 3 and 4 will be presented with engaging videos, discussion, problem-solving and role-play and will be given the opportunity to practice core life skills focussing on responsible online behaviour, cyber safety and cyber security.

Please click on the link (Safer Internet Day) to view a snapshot of why it is improtant that we educate our children about being cybersafe.

Twilight Concert

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:12 AEDT

Thank you to our terrific community for being the perfect audience for Tuesday evening's Twilight concert. Your outstanding support of the students was appreciated and contributed to the energy that was in the room.

A rich and variety of musical talent was on display from class and choir performances through to our violin and cello group. The fabulous Navy band and drumming groups were the outstanding performances. Such talent!

Thank you to our special guests who have donated from the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) and Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF) and to Jenny Allison our generous supporter of the drumming program.

Of course special mention must be made of the musical teaching talents of Rachel Scott, Ben Sibson, Brad Bergen and Leo Novikov without whom we would not be so musically rich.

The teaching staff work so ably behind the scenes to make sure everything flows smoothly and this work, whilst unseen is always appreciated.

Have a look at the Photo Gallery for a snap shot of items from the evening.

Surveys about our performance

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:00 AEDT

The school is always trying to improve its performance. At this time of year we ask parents to contribute feedback about our performance. For 2012 we are looking at the following areas as a part of continuous improvement about how we improve the quality of the school.

School Leadership Click here to take survey

Writing Survey Click here to take survey

Finally, we are using a survey started four years ago, and sent home each year, to compare how satisfied parents are with the school. We also collect information from students each year and compare how satisfied they are. This survey will be sent home with the 'Settler' shortly.

Athletics Carnival Movie

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:46 AEDT

Have a look at this movie trailer of our 2012 Athletics Carnival.

Education Week Open Day Wed 1st August

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:49 AEDT

Open Day: Wednesday 1 August

11.00 – 11.40 Classroom Visits

11.45 – 1.00 Showcasing Classrooms in the Hall

Singing, Big Books, Shared Reading with Big Book , Drumming, Science

with films including Year 4 Sculptures by the Sea, Twilight Concert, Little Bay Community of Schools advertisement

Other Education Week Events include:

Tuesday 31 July: UNSW English Competition Wednesday 1 August: Open Day, Book Fair in the library

Thursday 2 August: Qantas, Australian Chamber Orchestra Rehearsal - Violin & Cello

Friday: Year 6 Souths Cares Life Education Visit to Alexandria

Athletics Carnival Results

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:46 AEDT

Have a look at the list of results from the Athletics Carnival. A fantastic day of competition, sportsmanship and friendly play was held at the school's athletics carnival on Thursday 26 July.

Those students who turned 8 years and older left school straight after the morning bell sounded and headed to the field. Events got underway very quickly. By the end of recess the K-2 students joined the rest of the school for their modified races and track and field events.

Thank you to the many volunteers who acted as officials, we have such a loyal band of past staff member such as Fran and Marie who always come and support the school. Also to the P&C who organised the lunch. Thanks also to Sharon back at school for making sure all the lunches were hot.

A lsit of results can be found for the following events by opening the following link.

2012 Athletics Results (pdf 98 KB)

100 metre Age Races
200 Metre Races
800 metre Races
Relay
Discus
Shot Put
Long Jump

Mr Ansell was very happy with the support and behaviour of the students.

It is this type of day of respect, responsibility and learning that all students show that make our school a wonderful place to learn and work in. Thank you one and all.

Preschool end of Term 2 Survey

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:04 AEDT

We ask the parents of our preschool students to complete an online survey about the quality of our service. Please click on the following link to access the survey.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22G4BKGNTNE

Kindergarten Study Science

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:57 AEDT

Kindergarten students in KJ have made some decisions about clothing to wear for winter in their unit of work about weather

Grandparents Day 2012

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:51 AEDT

On Monday 7th May, MSSPS celebrated Grandparents Day. The event was a success with a great turnout! Guests were treated to morning tea, delighted by performances by preschool and the K-2 choir then spent some quality time in the library sharing stories with their loved ones. A big thank you to Mrs Jones and Miss Hume for organising the event. Here are some photos of proud family members and delighted students:

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:44 AEDT

In honour of ANZAC Day the senior choir sang this timeless Australian classic at our service. Given the history of the school and that three of our sporting house patrons won their Victoria Cross (VC) medals at Gallipoli this time of year is always special. A special mention to Matraville RSL who invited the executive of the Student Representative Council to their ANZAC service and provided a lunch.

Harmony Day Excitement

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:54 AEDT

Students K-6 celebrated the theme of Harmony Day on Wednesday 21 March with an Indigenous Games afternoon. A shared BBQ lunch with parents was followed by 8 games stations set up around the playground. The games included Kai, Koolchee, Wana, Kolap, Gorrie and Buroinjin.

Thanks to all out community helpers for your support.

Give Peace A Chance

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:51 AEDT

Soldiers' Settlement students receive many tremendous opportunities to perform with artists around the world each year. Have a trip down memory lane with this 2010 performance 'Give Peace A Chance' for the Peacebeliever' foundation. The video found under the Academic Opportunities part of the website starts with three advertisements followed by the song. Look out for our students about half way into the clip.

For more videos have a look at the school's Youtube channel You Tube channel

Buy a brick is back on

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:14 AEDT

INDIVIDUAL BRICK

Your donation of $40 entitles YOU to have your name engraved into a brick as a lasting record of your valued support.

DOUBLE BRICK

Your donation of $75 entitles YOU to have your name engraved into a double brick as a lasting record of your valued support.

HAND DRAWN

Only available to those who use the website students can draw or write something onto the brick for the same price as an engraved one. Make sure you download the link below and stay within the lines.

Brick order form (pdf, 842 KB)

Hand Drawing Master Sheet (pdf, 111 KB)

MSSPS on Twitter

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:01 AEDT

Join the school as it announces news and shares the achievements of our students @MSSPS

Twilight Concert Films on our Arts Page

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:12 AEDT

Have a look at our concert held at school on Tuesday 6 December. Every student performed culminating in the finale 'I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.'

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:04 AEDT

Standing at 3.5 metres tall these pencil monuments celebrate our Positive Behaviour for Learning rules. During February these monuments will be installed at the main entrance to the school. Alongside the pavers parents have purchased celebrating the students at the school and new garden with the MSSPS shield, we have tried to create an inviting entrance that tips our hat to our past. Thank you to the P&C for their generous contribution in promoting the school rules that encourage Positive Behaviours for learning.

Maths Olympiad - MSSPS makes top 10% in Australia

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:00 AEDT

Congratulations to our Years 5 & 6 Maths Olympiad Team who as a whole was placed in the top 100 schools (top10%) across Australia and New Zealand. Only one other eastern suburbs public primary school made this list. The team, who met each week for half an hour in Terms 1, 2 & 3 to develop their problem solving skills, have achieved outstanding success in this year's Olympiad tests.

Three members achieved a perfect score –Stuart Ross, Hayden Taylor and Mitchell Driver.

The School's team was – Mitchell Driver, Stuart Ross, Hayden Taylor, Min Jae Choi, Wendy Zhang, Shirley Chia, Pearl Lei, Deja Mayfield, Leo Charnas, Cailen Cheung, Robert Higgs, Erin Mylonas, Kai Moyce, Danielle Petrakis and Natasha Penitani. Well done to all members.

Parent Satisfaction Survey

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:03 AEDT

Dear Parents,

We have uploaded a Parent Satisfaction Survey to our website. We invite you all to take the time to answer the questions - your responses will assist us plan for the future.

The survey will close on the 7th December 2011.

Take Parent Survey

Please click on the above link to take

Djembe Drums by Year 6

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:48 AEDT

Film: In case you missed the drumming, Year 6 continue to show their mastery of the Djembe drums in this performance which first aired at the Australian Childrens' Music Foundation (ACMF) Gala held at the State Theatre on August 22nd. At our dedication ceremony of the new classrooms with the Minister of Schools and local member, Hon. Peter Garrett, the students repeated the performance for the community.

ACO & MSSPS perform Toy Symphony

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:43 AEDT

Film: Students in 5/6J at Soldiers' Settlement Public School performed the Toy Symphony with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Minister for Schools Hon. Peter Garrett opens new classrooms at MSSPS

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:00 AEDT

Film: For those parents who were unable to attend the dedication ceremony of the formal opening of the classrooms built under the Building Education Revolution federal grants, the Hon. Peter Garrett made a few opening remarks at a special assembly in August.

Mobile Phones

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:00 AEDT

Thank you to everyone for bringing in mobile phones last term. Thanks to your generous donations we have contributed a huge amount to CANTEEN which assists young people who have cancer. For our efforts, we were awarded a 78 inch Promethean Interactive Whiteboard which will be installed in the pre-school by the Sony Foundation. This is worth over $4000! A special thanks to 6M who helped to coordinate the effort. Another big thanks to the Royston family who collected over 150 phones. Well done everyone! Ms V Gillings

ABC TV 7.30 story about us

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:43 AEDT

ABC TV 7.30 NSW story about music at Soldiers' Settlement

100 Days of Kinder

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:42 AEDT

Kindergarten students celebrated 100 days of school on Wednesday 27 July with a fun filled day of activities around the number 100.

Year 6 at College of Fine Arts

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:14 AEDT

Year 6 were invited to work with students from the College of Fine Arts exploring traditional screen printing techniques and digital photography around the theme of aspirations. Each student created a bag for with an aspirational statement. The music was performed by Year 6 as a part of their weekly drumming lessons.

Year 6 Video Link

Percussion with a thongaphone

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:04 AEDT

Richard Tognetti & members of the ACO join the kids at Matraville Soldiers Settlement School in their percussion class...using chimebars and thongafones led by ACMF music teacher Rachel Scott.

ACO & Richard Tognetti Perform

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:44 AEDT

Don Spencer listened to the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Richard Tognetti (using a $10 million dollar violin) and the senior choir at Matraville Soldiers' Settlement Public School perform his song 'Backyard Birdbath'. The event was covered by the Sydney orning Herald $10 million dollar violin SMH article and ABC News. Click on both links to read the article and viw the news item.

Also have a look at this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrvyPmyIQTw

2010 Annual School Report

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:42 AEDT

Each year the school is required to produce an annual school report providing a snapshot about its performance.

This year's version can be found on the school's website at

2010 Annual School report Link

The current strategic plan and previous Annual School Reports can also be found on this page.

The Last Anzac - Senior Choir

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:12 AEDT

Click here to see the senior choir perform 'The Last Anzac' at our Anzac Day service 2011.

Anzac Service 11.30 Thurs 7 Apr

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:45 AEDT

As ANZAC day falls on Monday April 25, and students will be on school holidays, the school will commemorate ANZAC day with a ceremony on Thursday April 7, at 11:30am in the hall. We invite all family and friends to join us and pay tribute. The event will include the Choir with Auslan Signing as well as a Bugler playing the Ode.

Harmony Day

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:54 AEDT

Thanks to 1/2H for their poster on display in the foyer.

Notes for parents to sign

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:01 AEDT

Swimming Carnival

The school swimming carnival will be held on February 10, 2011 at heffrom park. Information and parent consent notes can be found here. 2011 Swimming Permission Note (pdf, 724 KB)

Student Information Update

Each year the contact details and medical information for each student needs to be updated. We look forward to your cooperation in returning to us the information we need for ease of contact with you. Student Information Update (pdf, 984 KB)

Adam Spencer Donates 200 Books

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:44 AEDT

Adam Spencer generously donated 200 books to the guided reading program for Kindergarten to Year 2. At a special assembly on 13 December 2010, Adam, his wife and a representative from the Macquarie Group presented a variety of books (multi sets) to our school captains. Adam also stayed on for the rest of the assembly wishing our Year 6 students well on their journey to high school.

Adam first visted the school in August as a guest particiting in the Principal for a Day program. He was a hit with all sthe students. We are very grateful for his donation and his association with the school in 2010.

Maths Survey - Parents & Carers

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:00 AEDT

Click on this link to share your thoughts about Maths Education at Soldiers' Settlement Public School.

Maths Survey for Parents 2010

We will use the information gathered from this survey and similar surveys being given to students and teachers to determine our 2011 target. Informing this target will be student assessment results and the patterns found in the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).

Peacebeliever is released

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:04 AEDT

60 Soldiers' Settlement students, in a world first, has supported by singing in the choir of peacebeliever® which has been given permission to launch a reworked version of John Lennon's, ‘Give Peace a Chance' in English and Spanish to raise money for the Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF). Released world wide on Dec 8 this song prominently features our students and famous singers from around the world. Peacebeliever website

In a project involving more than 20 musicians and 100 children collaborating from around the world, peacebeliever® has embarked on a historical journey to release a new version of the timeless classic ‘Give Peace a Chance', adding not only an additional verse, but also a new language.

Historically, the iron clad policy for John Lennon's songs has been that no new lyrics were permitted. In 2010, which marks the 30^th anniversary of his death, peacebeliever has obtained the rights to the song. John Lennon would have celebrated his 70th birthday on 9th October this year.

School Concert 23 November

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:07 AEDT

Come along to the Twilight concert for an evening of entertainment.

Preschool & 1/2M on video

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:04 AEDT

Have a look on the Preschool Page and the 1/2M page to see the performances of our students. Don't forget to have a look at the curriculum page to see a video demonstrating an example of our our problem solving workshops held last term. Other class pages have similar musical videos with the navy band, Australian Chamber Orchestra and our in school drumming program.

World Teachers Day Thanks

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:14 AEDT

This clip has been produced by Rising Generations. Rising Generations is a not-for-profit organisation established to equip young people with dynamic leadership capabilities.

ACO performs with students.

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:43 AEDT

The Australian Chamber Orchestra has sent members to perform with our students on two occasions during 2010. They are visiting again on Tuesday 21 September when they will play Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. One class will perform the percussion to this musical number. Everyone is welcome to attend.

On Tuesday each class auditioned to be the class that performs with the ACO. This term 4/5C will perform with the ACO. Congratulations!

23 October Spring Fair

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:42 AEDT

Come one come all to Soldiers' Settlements biannual Spring Fair

2C at the State Theatre

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:42 AEDT

Have a look at our year 2 students singing with Don Spencer at the recent ACMF concert held at the State Theatre.

Homework Survey

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:54 AEDT

We seek your point of view about homework.

Many diverse opinions exist about how much, or how little, homework students are supposed to do. With so many opinions around we are attempting to refine our practices to meet the community's expectations. We will be surveying the students and staff during the term in order to adjust our policy where necessary. A summary of the survey findings will be found in a 'Settler, next term and in the 2010 Annual School Report.

Click Here to take Our Homework Survey

State Sports Representative

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:09 AEDT

Karri has been selected in a NEW South Wales Primary Sports Association (NSWPSSA) team to compete at an Interstate Championship.

The event will be held in Canberra ACT from Sunday 24 October to Friday 29 October 2010.

Congratulations Karri we are so proud of your achievements.

Principal for a Day

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:05 AEDT

What is Principal For A Day?

Mr Adam Spencer, ABC Breakfast Radio announcer and television personality, noted maths and science expert will "shadow" the principal on Wednesday 4 August. This is a community partnership program which provides business and community leaders with the opportunity to experience first-hand a normal day in a government school. Principal For A Day™ is part of a global program, with sister programs in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Auckland.

Settler Spring Fair 23 October

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:08 AEDT

Have a read of our Spring Fair Newsletters

Spring Fair Newsletter 2 (pdf, 197 KB)

Settler Spring Fair Newsletter 1 (pdf, 256 KB)

Booking an Interview

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:47 AEDT

School Interviews Online

Please use the above link so you can log onto the Interview Booking system for

Monday 28 June - 4A and 3/4R

Tuesday 29 June - 4/5C, 5/6J and 6M

Wednesday 30 June - KW, K/1R, 1/2M and 2C.

Alternatively you can go to www.schoolinterviews.com.au/home

For instructions please follow the instructions on this week's 'Settler' and use this code to enter FESY8

Parents ~ Booking 10 minute interviews with teachers to receive your child's report is as easy as 1-2-3:

First enter your name, your student's name(s), and your email address.

On the next page, pick the teachers you want to meet. First select the subject or year, and then choose from the list of teachers.

Then you'll see a timetable showing when your chosen teachers are available. Simply click on the times that suit you.

When you have finished, your interview timetable will be emailed to you. And if something comes up, you can return to the site and change your interviews whenever you want.

You can start right now - enter the school code & press "Go"

UNSW English & Maths Comp

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:13 AEDT

University of NSW English and Maths Assessments

English: Tuesday August 3 Maths: Tuesday August 17

UNSW Competition closes 25/6 (pdf, 506 KB)

Please return all notes and money by Friday June 25. Please note this is the last day we can accept applications.

For further information please visit this site UNSW English and Maths Assessments.

Watch the You Tube clip of MSSPS

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:14 AEDT

The Australian Navy played Waltzing Matilda with our Year 6 students. In conjunction with the Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF) the navy band performed for 1 1/2 hours in a concert featuring the Big band sound as well as a rock and roll concert. Thanks to all the parents and students for supporting this event.

Students join Readathon!

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:11 AEDT

On Tuesday 1^st June our students began a drive for reading with the dual purposes of reading for pleasure and participating in the MS Readathon to help raise money for MS. Mrs Jones believes that it is very important for children to develop empathy for those who are experiencing difficulties in their lives. Participation in the MS Readathon provides a valuable opportunity for the children to help others and to improve their skills from reading regularly.

The class that has the highest percentage of participants who complete the challenge will be rewarded with a Pizza Party to thank them for their efforts.

Please encourage your children to register for the Readathon and to read as much as they can for the month of June. They can ask family members and friends to sponsor their reading efforts.

look at the library page on how you can join in.

You're Invited

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:14 AEDT

You are invited to the Biggest Morning Tea at school on Friday 28 May 9.00am - 11.am in the chess area. Donations of Cakes and slices are kost welcome

MSSPS Sings John Lennon

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:01 AEDT

The Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF) has provided sixty students an opportunity to be a backing choir for the chorus of John Lennon's song 'Give Peace a Chance'. The song will released to coincide with the anniversary of the 70^th birthday of John Lennon on October 10.

The ACMF has developed a partnership with a company called "peace believer" www.peacebeliever.com/site/index.phpoperated by Ritchie Yorke. Ritchie will release, worldwide, this single a remake of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" with Tim Freedman (from "The Whitlams") and a choir of 60 children.

The single will be professionally recorded, in Studio 301, in Sydney. www.studios301.com/sydney/sydrecstudios.htm on Wednesday 16th June. The single will be filmed, and released on 10/10/ 2010 world-wide

Stingrays Junior Rugby Club

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:09 AEDT

Eastgardens Stingrays Junior Rugby Club

Learn how to play rugby in a fun, safe environment

Venue: Nagle Park, Maroubra

Training: Wednesday 5-6pm

Games: Saturdays Between 9 and 12 depending on age

Cost: $0!!

Free registration and insurance. Socks provided

Age: 5yrs old+ (U6 and U7 non-tackling)

Girls more than welcome!

It is not too late to still join the club!

Call Peter on 0407 245 929

or email pdunn@investa.com.au

for more details

What about Soldiers' Pre-school?

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:35:14 AEDT

We are attempting to find out what the community would like us to provide in our preschool for 2011. Please take the attached survey and give us your thoughts.

Click here to take survey

Australian Chamber Orchestra

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 23:34:46 AEDT

On Tuesday March 23rd, children from years 4-6 at Soldier's Settlement Public School were visited by ACO2 to perform for the children and then work with them in their class music lessons. Four players from the orchestra came and give the children a concert first, and went to each class so that the children can see and hear what these fabulous musicians do close-up. ACMF teachers Rachel and Nicole have also hatched a plan involving and ensemble of chime bars, hand bells and 4 beautiful stringed instruments so that everyone there gets to make music together!
This story first appeared on the ACMF website. Thank you ACMF for supporting our school and broadening the musical horizons of our children.