I am so excited to be a part of your community. With some 28 years in education, I am a firm believer that you never stop learning and I am particularly excited by what I can learn from the students, parents and staff here at Holroyd School.

I have been a Principal for close to 15 years, with my most recent posting being at the nearby Redbank School, an SSP school on the grounds of Westmead Hospital. In these changing times I hope to bring value and experience to Holroyd while Anne Flint remains on leave.

I look forward to meeting you all over the coming weeks. The next P&C Meeting, on Wednesday 2 June, presents a great opportunity to meet you in person and hear your thoughts and feedback on our school.

Regards,

Kylee Thorson

Principal (relieving)

Dear parents and carers,

We encourage you to register your interest for our upcoming subsidised CPR training on 8 June, if you haven't already done so. At just $10, the skills learnt from this class could potentially save the life of a loved one. If interested, email me at holroydschoolpc@gmail.com. The class will be capped at just 20 participants, so don't delay. More information can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.

We are also seeking support - by way of raffle prize donation - for our school concert to be held in mid-September. This annual, all-school concert is an opportunity for our students to showcase their learning achievements and talents to their parents, extended family and community members. Your generous donation of a gift voucher or raffle prize would be greatly appreciated. Send me an email if you can help.

Mums, we hope you loved your gifts bought from our stall this Mother's Day. We had selected some lovely items and the children really enjoyed choosing a present for their mums, nannas and other loved ones. We will keep you posted with more information on our Father's Day stall later in the year.

Why not come along to our next P&C meeting? We would love to see you there! We meet on the first Wednesday of the month [during school terms] in the Community Hub on-site at Holroyd School. Our next meeting is at 9.30am, Wednesday 2 June. 

Thank you everyone for your continued support - we couldn't do this without you!

Until next time,

Liz Brannon

President

How long have you worked at Holroyd School?

Nine years.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

Riding a bike and playing badminton in the park with my friends.

What were your favourite subjects at school?

Art, music and biology.

If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?

My phone, hard drive, wallet, favourite handbag and glasses.

What is your favourite book?

Too many! A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini; Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden; and the Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling.

If you could invite any three guests to a dinner party, who would they be?

G-Dragon from K-pop group Big Bang; Fashion designer Issey Miyake; and American actor Jonathan Van Ness.

What is your favourite song to sing along to?

La Isla Bonita by Madonna.

What pets did you have growing up?

Three dogs [Cookie, Lollie and But But] and a duck [App App].

What is your favourite day of the year?

Christmas Day - I love watching my kids opening their presents.

What fad or trend do you hope comes back?

Avant-garde.

How long have you worked at Holroyd School?

Sixteen years.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

Christmas holidays - I am sure they were longer!

What was your favourite subject at school?

History.

If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?

I am not very materialistic so I could probably live without most things.

What is your favourite book?

The Talisman by Stephen King.

If you could invite any three guests to a dinner party, who would they be?

Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana and my mum - because we would love all the inside goss!

What is your favourite song to sing along to?

Wild Thing by The Troggs.

What pets did you have growing up?

Dogs.

What is your favourite day of the year?

Anzac Day. I love watching the Anzac Day March and feeling the community pride.

What fad or trend do you hope comes back?

Yo-yos!

We officially welcomed our 2021 school leaders at recent induction ceremonies.

Congratulations to the following students who have been elected to leadership positions by students and staff. We know you will all represent your peers proudly.

Junior student leaders : Ken, Mina, Yasin and Sabah.

Senior student leaders : Jack, Andy, Hanna and Montathar.

A highlight this term for many of our students has been the four-week skills clinic with Jack Newton Junior Golf instuctor Robert.

Students have particularly enjoyed learning how to hold the club correctly, perfecting their swing and demonstrating their new-found sporting skills.

Your child's statement of account was sent home earlier this term.

Outstanding fees can be paid online via the Holroyd School website or in cash at the office.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, or would like to discuss this account further, please contact Melissa on 9637 1219.

J8's busy timetable sees our youngest learners spending time outside the classroom, in the school's heated indoor pool, playground and class garden.

With regular time in the water, our students are steadily growing in confidence. We are working on improving our kicking and floating techniques, as well as having fun with toys such as spouts, balls and funnels.

In the school's playground, we enjoy riding bikes, spending time on the liberty swing and round-a-bout and jumping on the trampoline. We all eagerly anticipate playing with the large colourful parachute during Thursday morning sport sessions. We love to move the parachute up and down, over our heads, and then run underneath it!

Back in the classroom, we have been studying the Paddock to Plate science unit this semester. Our junior gardeners planted seeds, watered the plants regularly and grew some delicious beans. J8 has also been learning about farm animals by watching videos, singing songs and creating artworks using painting, printing and sticking techniques.

Last term we made colourful Easter hats and baskets in the week leading up to the Easter Hat parade, and walked around the school wearing our hats so we would be ready! On the big day we loved waving to our parents, meeting the Easter Bunny, and going on an egg hunt with our friends in J11.

Class staff Michelle, Kylie, Rose and Fotema are all incredibly proud of these young students, who have all been busy settling into their new class routine, making friends and growing in confidence every day. Well done J8!

S24 is a class of budding masterchefs! All eight students love to cook a variety of meals each week and their confidence in using kitchen equipment safely is certainly building. Our classroom transforms into a busy cafe with class mates taking turns to select a business name and theme.

Our class is responsible for ordering groceries online each week too, and then packing and distributing them to our friends in the middle and senior classes, in preparation for the school's cooking program. 

Students also participate in weekly work skills lessons, marking off tasks around the classroom from a checklist. These tasks build on important home and work skills, such as stuffing envelopes, hole punching, stapling, washing dishes and sorting groceries.

We also enjoy our weekly outdoor sensory play. While some students create masterpieces with chalk on the pavement, others sing and dance along to music while blowing bubbles.

Off school grounds, our class had fun at the Active Inclusion Sports Day, held at Stanhope Gardens Leisure Centre, in March. We all enjoyed learning new skills from expert coaches in a range of sports, including basketball, cricket, football, netball, rugby and tenpin bowling.

Students in S30 - Alan, Tabark, Amin, Melad, Maggie, Kuberan, Aylin and William - have had a positive and exciting start to high school this year. Our year 7 students have been welcomed and guided by their peer support buddies in S24. Together, they participate in science, PDHPE and personal safety activities each week. This has helped engage students and enabled them to feel more confident in a new setting, especially in the playground.

Working together and practising social interactions through meaningful learning experiences is a big feature in S30's learning program for this year. Students deliver pamphlets in the local area each week where they practise walking safely and taking turns to provide a paid service to the community.

They also take turns to help with classroom responsibilities and participate in a weekly shopping program where they shop online and deliver grocery items to classes in the primary school. Students practise knocking on the door, saying hello and approaching staff to appropriately deliver shopping to each classroom.

During Crunch n' Sip, sensory play and emotional literacy activities, students also get a chance to make requests, comments and express feelings using their preferred mode of communication.

It is a pleasure to see our students engage and flourish in their new environment and we are very proud of the successful transition they have made from primary school to high school. Well done and keep up the amazing work S30!

Holroyd School is seeking people living in the local area who are interested in working as a casual Assisted School Travel Officer, known as an ATSO (bus escort), before and after school.

ATSOs are required to undertake mandatory training and have a current Working with Children clearance.

ATSOs must be over 18 years of age, physically able, have good communication skills, be respectful and understanding of students with disabilities and able to work collaboratively with others.

If you are interested, please contact the school office on 9637 1219 for an application package.