Education Week 2020

The innovative teaching and learning happening at Quakers Hill Public School will be on display as part of Education Week 2020 celebrations. Education Week is an annual state-wide event held during the first week of August to recognise the variety of achievements of NSW public schools and students. This year’s theme ‘Learning Together’, is aimed at capturing the vital role the local public school plays as the cornerstone of the local community where teachers, students, parents, carers and the general community gather to learn. Over the past year, the need to ‘learn together’ remotely has seen the local school become the epicentre of recovery and resilience from the threat of bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, Quakers Hill Public School will celebrate Education Week virtually through the school website https://quakershil-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/ and social media accounts. You can find us on Instagram quakershilp.school, Twitter @QuakersHPS,  Schoolstream App and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Quakers-Hill-Public-School-254166201373045/?ref=hl

Please refer to the information below about the week’s activities:

Monday 3 August             

Education Week Launch

 Live Streamed Video

Education Week will be launched with a special live streamed video event from 10 am. The event will be available at https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/education-week/a-virtual-celebration#Monday0, giving every government school and local community a chance to be part of the celebration. Expect to hear from dignitaries and department leaders, as well as performances by students and film reflecting on the year so far.

QHPS Online Gallery

A virtual collage of student work from each class will be posted on our social media platforms for the community to view. 

Tuesday 4 August              

National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day  

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day a time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to celebrate the strengths and culture of their children. The day is also an opportunity for all Australians to show their support for Aboriginal children, as well as learn about the crucial impact that community, culture and family play in the life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child. The theme for this year’s Children’s Day is We are the Elders of tomorrow, hear our voice. Planned activities will provide all students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing.

An Introduction to Aboriginal Languages

Presented by the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (NSW AECG), this one-hour Zoom webinar at 10 am will provide a playful introduction to four Australian Aboriginal languages for learners of all ages. The NSW AECG Aboriginal Language Educators will use a variety of presentation styles – including puppetry, song, and even a trip to the Dubbo zoo – to teach people the original names for unique Australian creatures. An Introduction to Aboriginal Languages will use the NSW AECG’s languages app, which incorporates the languages of Bundjalung, Gamilaraay, Gumbaynggirr, Murrawarri, Paakantji and Wiradjuri, and includes a dictionary and three games. Download the AECG languages app, register for the webinar and get ready to celebrate National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day. The link to register for the webinar will be provided by Friday 1 August 2020. For more information visit: https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/education-week/an-introduction-to-aboriginal-languages

Wednesday 5 August       

Virtual Open Day

A day in the life of …

Since parents cannot come into the classroom, our students would like to bring their classroom to you! Experience a day in the life of students across each stage, through videos which showcase the different activities that they engage in at school. These videos will be released on our social media platforms throughout the day.

Book Fair in the Library

The Book Fair is like having an exciting bookstore come into the school. Each student is given a time to visit and explore the books on offer. Students may bring home a ‘Student Wish List’, you can use this to discuss the books they have seen. To purchase from the Book Fair, simply go online to place your order and make your payment. Then return the form with the titles listed, and your child will bring them home to enjoy. Students can also purchase items from their wish list with CASH on the day. A note with additional information will be sent home shortly.

Thursday 6 August           

 Parent Workshops

Smiling Mind

Just as we teach kids to eat well and stay fit to keep their bodies healthy, teaching children how to proactively care for their mind is equally important. Smiling Mind is a formal and informal mindfulness session to help enhance learning, build resilience and support positive wellbeing. This virtual parent workshop introduced by Mr Madden and Mrs Meiring will provide information on what the program is and how it is used within the classroom.

Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapists work with teachers and students to promote student wellbeing, participation and success in daily life. They utilise specialised knowledge and skills to help enhance students’ fine and gross motor skills, motor planning, sensory, cognitive and psychosocial skills. Miss Hazel will present a workshop outlining the importance of OT skills and abilities for primary school students and provide useful tips to support their development at home.

Supporting your child with numeracy at home

Developing numeracy skills gives children an important foundation for their learning and development. It helps prepare them for daily life, including general problem solving and handling money. Incorporating maths into everyday experiences is easy and fun. Watch this virtual parent workshop presented by our Instructional Leader Mrs Simmons, which outlines various strategies to help your child build important numeracy skills at home. 

Communicating with confidence at school

Miss Lina will be focusing on the integral communication skills needed for confidence and success at school. Without adequate communication skills, a child may experience a number of challenges and set-backs at school. These include hindered literacy development, difficulty socialising and making friendships as well as general behaviour issues. If we can understand these communication needs and expectations, develop confidence within communication skills, then we can offer our children the best chance of achieving academic goals and social well-being in school.

Technology for Parents & Carers

Presented by the Federation of Parents and Citizens Association of NSW (the P&C) in partnership with the NSW Department of Education’s Rural & Distance Education team, this one-hour Zoom webinar at 7 pm on Thursday 6 August has been specially created to give parents and carers a working understanding of the technology most commonly used in NSW public schools to facilitate learning. The seminar will cover: common platforms in public schools, decisions schools make when selecting products, where parents can access information (including both departmental resources – in particular, the Learning from home hub – as well as resources supported by Google and Microsoft), ‘deep dives’ into both GSuite for Education and Office365 including exploring how to check for upcoming work and submitting work and general questions related to GSuite or Office365. Participants of this session will be guided through the use of both Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams products that are common software platforms used throughout NSW Department of Education schools. Reserve your place at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_w-af-xBkSTyLn2x3mNJsMg Book early! This is bound to be popular.

Friday 7 August                  Film By … Festival

Film by … is the Department of Education’s virtual student film festival. It will be streamed during Education Week, presenting the best of 2019 student short films. Film by … patron and Australian film legend Bryan Brown will name his festival winner at the festival close, while the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education, Murat Dizdar, will officially open the event.

We value the time that many families dedicate to being part of our school community and sharing in their child’s education. We hope you enjoy this exciting week from home as much as our students and staff.