SMOOSH Newsletter
OCTOBER 2010
Namasta and Welcome to term four everyone.
I hope everyone had an opportunity to have a break during the school hols from work and have some family time as we are heading into the busiest term of the year.
Before I go onto the business of term four I just want to give a Huge thank you to our Wonderful Staff and Committee Members who all volunteered their time for our Spring Fair and to make this family night great and fun for everyone.
Well plenty has happened over the term break in the school. The grounds are looking so spacious as all the fencing has all been taken done which means we can go back to using the field. The Library looks like its ready for use. New boundary lines have been painted. Both bathrooms in the hall have now been fixed with new tiles and a coat of paint.
So SMOOSH hopefully can now get on with term four without interruptions to our routine over the next ten weeks, Ten weeks eeeeeek didn’t we just have Christmas? That’s right ten weeks of term and 11 weeks to Christmas.
The next ten weeks will be busy with lots of visitors, activities and events for the children to be involved in at SMOOSH.
We begin our activities with the focus on the Commonwealth Games and the host country India. We have planned a week of activities around this event.
Week two, Pink Week, this is very exciting and our staff are looking forward to the events for Pink October. Everything is going PINK, PINK , PINK, SMOOSH staff have organised a week of PINK activities in support of Pink October , raising awareness of Breast Cancer. We are having lots of activities centred around the colour pink. The staff will be wearing pink shirts, with lots of pink accessories all week. The children can join in the pink theme on Wednesday 22nd of October by wearing something PINK and donating a gold coin. We will be making a garden of Pink Flowers, Pink Hair Day and Pink Craft, just to name a few.
We will be making lots of Pink Cup Cakes to sell.
If you wish to pre-order these Yummmmmy cup cakes see Lynda.
We will be holding a Cup Cake Stall at Marayong South Public School on Wednesday the 20th of October . We also have a beautiful selection of Pink Ribbon merchandise to sell. Including some oh so cute Teddy Bears.
All money raised from the event this week will go to Pink Ribbon Day Breast Cancer Foundation.
AASP
Active After School Sports starts on Friday 24th with Cricket / volleyball on Wednesday and Water Sports on Fridays. Make sure you sign the permission for forms for children to participate see Amy.
SMOOSH Children and Leadership roles. SMOOSH has appointed 11 Junior Leaders who attend over the course of the week and assigned them to junior leadership roles in areas of sports, craft, food prep, and room design. Children chosen for these roles are in year 5 and 6 and will be consulted about the day to day routines and activities at SMOOSH. This has been introduced to assist staff and gain more of a child’s point of view about activities offered. Having this consultation process gives the children more ownership and interest in what is happening at SMOOSH.
Our junior leaders have already presented me with one of their ideas, a Kids Café which will run on Tuesday 2nd November, Melbourne Cup Day.
The junior leaders will need to present a menu, learn about budgeting and go shopping with a staff member to purchase the goods.
I am sure it will be a wonderful event and one the children will get a lot out of.
Special points of interest:
· Pink Week
· AASP
· Children & leadership
· 2010 Kindy Enrolments
· 2011 Re-enrolments
· Business Achievement awards
· Accreditation
· Term 4 Pupil Free Days
Management Committee Meeting
Term 4
Tuesday 19th October
6.30 pm school Hall
Tuesday 16th November Parent Planning meeting. Your input is important so hope to see you there.
Refreshments provided.
In the school hall
6.30 pm start.
Mark it in your diary
2011 Enrolments
Enrolments are now being taken for kindy children for 2011, so if you have a younger child starting school next year now is the time to enrol them.
2011 Re– enrolment forms for existing SMOOSH children will go home in week 4.
Children not returning in 2011 will need to provide two weeks notice with a final date of attendance. If claiming the CCB Parents must be advised that your child/ren must attend on the final date, otherwise full fees will be charged. Fees need to be finalised two weeks prior to the end of term and attendance needs to be up to and including the last day.
Any changes to your family circumstances eg phone numbers, contact people. Please see staff about up-dating your enrolment form.
Parent Planning night
On the 16th of November our Management Committee will be holding a Parent Planning night. All parents are welcome. This is an opportunity for parents to come along and let the Committee know your thoughts on our service,. How we can do things better, some ideas on Policies and Procedures, payments of fees, vacation care, keeping parents better informed.
Accreditation
Accreditation comes around every two years and it is a very important process. Our service has to show evidence of meeting the 8 Quality Areas and 32 principals set out by the National Accreditation Council.
This process also involves a visit form a validator who will observe our practices as well our documentation related to running our service to back up our practices.
Everyone involved with SMOOSH has a role in the process, the staff in their care of your children and reflecting on how to improve those practices in caring for children. The Management Committee by ensuring the service is meeting all its legal obligations in running a childcare service of which there are many. Parents and children by providing feed back about our service. I would be happy to hear from any parent with ideas on how we can improve. All suggestions are welcome.
Our self Study is currently being prepared and will be available for viewing in week four.
Blacktown Business Achievers Awards
This year SMOOSH has been nominated into the Small Business Awards through the Cumberland Newspaper Group and has been selected as one of the Finalists. Thank you to all those families who voted for us via the Internet.
Grant Update
There has been no word on our grant submission to Blacktown RSL for funds to purchase our own small bus. I will keep everyone informed as soon as I here something.
Fundraising
Update on what our fundraising money has purchased for the children. We have increased our wooden train set by adding more tracks, wooden village and new carriages. Also purchased was additional construction equipment, adding to the Labyrinth. Mouse Trap and two Play-station games, Batman and Scooby, which were all on the children’s wish list.
December means a busy time for everyone. We will update you on what is happening in our next newsletter. Vacation Care Options will also be given out in that newsletter
Program & Events Term 4
Week 1 Commonwealth Games
Bollywood Dancing
Week 2 Pink Week , Cake Stall Cup cakes in school and at SMOOSH
Week 3 Fire Brigade Visit
Emergency Evacuation Week
Halloween Halloween Breakfast.
Week 4 Diwali / Melbourne Cup
Police Visit 4th November
Week 5 Visit from Karate demonstration
Week6 Visit from WIRES / Featherdale ?
Week 7 Christmas Craft
Week 8 Christmas Craft / Hamper /Giving tree
Week9 End of year party
Week10 Two Pupil Free days
16th RDA Visit ( Excursion) 17th Wet & Wild ( Incursion)
Pupil Free Day
Both Public School and Catholic School will be subject to Pupil Free days in December.
SMOOSH will be running two pupil free days on the 16th and 17th of December. Bookings are now being taken for:
Thursday 16th
Visit to Horse Riding School
Plus picnic lunch.
Friday 17th
Wet and Wild
A day full of Fun, Fun, Fun with water games and a jumping castle.
The Schools Back gate will now be open to SMOOSH families until 5.45pm each night for those families living on the Woodcroft side on the school. This will be subject to Weather Conditions, eg heavy rain. If in doubt please ring the SMOOSH number to confirm if the gate is open.
