Good afternoon Artarnon families!

It has been amazing to have wonderful weather over the last couple of weeks and see all our students playing and learning outside. I know the mornings are starting to get a little cooler, so just a friendly reminder to ensure all your child / children's jumpers and extra layers are clearly labelled and there are constant reminders from home to put them in their bag when removed, and not on the floor or playground.

We are moving into students wearing their winter uniform and ensuring they are dressed appropriately at all times.

Some long term projects with funds raised through our Colourfun Walkathon last year are coming to fruition to help make our school more welcoming and inclusive for the entire community. 

Our old 'dirt triangle' that welcomed everyone at the front of our school has been replaced with a beautiful Artarmon logo with the words 'Warami', Hello and 'Walawaani', Welcome in the local traditional Aboriginal language.

We have also been working closely with the P&C multicultural committee to update our welcome signs at the front of the school to acknowledge and respect our diverse and inclusive community. The artwork on the side of the sign was designed and created by our current Year 6 students with the assistance of Aunty Bibi, an Aboriginal Elder within our community and pays tribute to local totems and designs from our Aboriginal culture.

You will also notice the addition of a welcome sign at the entry gate to support visitors and community members with where to go. These new additions are in line with our vision and values of inclusivity to ensure everyone feels connected and a part of our amazing school community.

It was wonderful to see all our students participate in the Cross country carnival at Artarmon Reserve. A huge congratulations to all our students for giving it their best and good luck to those who are off representing our school at the North Shore Zone carnival today.

My thanks also goes to Ms Carmichael and Ms Kilpatrick for their organisation and execution of the day.

Congratulations to Lauren Woo of 6IW for her publication in the recent 'Oz Kids in Print' magazine for her creative writing. Her piece was chosen from thousands of entries and once you read below I am sure you will agree why. A beautifully written poem with a heartfelt message.

Thank you to all our families who have paid their Term 2 fees and given online permission through the School Bytes portal. 

If you have not yet completed this, please log onto the portal or access it through the SchoolBytes app. Information on how to access is in the 'Office News' article.

Voluntary Contribution: As detailed last newsletter, our school voluntary contribution this year is included in the Term 2 invoice, and is tax deductible! The reason for this is the joint school and community funds are going towards major capital works to improve the classroom conditions and play areas for our students. These projects are collaboratively designed and communicated through P&C meetings.

Project one: Air condition remaining classrooms across the school.

Project two: Improve our playground space between canteen and school hall.

For more detailed information in regard to VC please see voluntary contribution letter here.

Below is information on how to book your parent teacher interview. Bookings open on Friday 7th June at 3pm.

These interviews will focus on the academic progress of your child and how they engage in learning at school. 

Individual times will be scheduled for 10 minutes each and your child's class teacher will be available from 1pm - 7pm on their allocated day.

These interviews have been extremely positive and well received in our community over the last couple of years and teachers value the scheduled time to ensure they get to touch base with each family individually and focus on individual strengths, growth and areas they are working on to have the greatest impact on learning.

Please note that on these scheduled days, only one interview per child can be booked. If there are extenuating circumstances in regard to this, please do not hesitate to contact the office.

Good luck to all our students and parent volunteers this weekend for our Music Intensive. This weekend is so valuable for our students and makes a significant difference for our music programs across the school.

I know there is a considerable amount of organisation and planning that goes into putting a weekend like this together, and I can not thank our P&C and parent volunteers enough. Coming together as a community to provide this opportunity and experience for our students is so appreciated and valued. Thank you!