Dear parents and carers,

Won't you agree with me that the concert was an outstanding success? Thank you to all the family and friends who enthusiastically supported their children. I also appreciate the community support from a number of retired staff, retired volunteer Stephen Sandstrom, our local NSW Member of Parliament Julia Finn, three representatives from Holroyd Rotary Club, Pat Geradis (president), John Heslop and Robert Feils and our school's Director Educational Leadership, Andrew Williamson. Many wonderful messages of pride in our students and appreciation of the efforts of staff were posted on the Holroyd School Facebook page (you can view our Facebook page via the 'Like Us on Facebook' link above).

Thanks too to our P&C for organising the lucky door prize, a family pass to Taronga Zoo, and helping some parents to complete the Tell them from me survey.

It is not too late to complete the Tell them from me survey. Use the link to reach the survey and then let us know what you think. We value your opinions and look forward to sharing the results with you!

The Primary Sports Carnival (years K-6) is scheduled for Thursday 27 September. The High School Sports Carnival (years 7-10) is scheduled for the Friday 28 September. On whichever day you attend, parents will be welcome to enjoy morning tea in our recently developed Community Hub, a lovely meeting place for our parents, carers and community.

I look forward to seeing you at your child's carnival!

Until next time,

Anne Flint

Dear parents and caregivers,

The P&C will hold its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 9.15am, Wednesday 17 October, at Holroyd School.

At the meeting we will elect new committee members - president, secretary and two treasurers.

If you are interested in nominating for one of these positions, or would like to cast your vote, please join us at the meeting. It is only together that we can build a strong supportive environment for our children and staff members.

If you cannot attend, but have a question or concern you would like to raise, please email me at gricel71@outlook.com.

Until next time,

Gricel Mendez

P&C President

How long have you worked at Holroyd School?

Twenty years, with a two year absence (2007-2009)

What is your favourite childhood memory?

I am lucky to have so many happy childhood memories. My family owned their own business and a lot of time before/after school and weekends were spent at the 'shop'. Mum and Dad had a knack of making things fun while they were working. This created many great memories. Camping holidays are also high on the list.

What was your favourite subject at school?

English.

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

I have one keepsake box with little trinkets that evoke memories of loved ones and special times.

What is your favourite book?

All the Rivers Run by Nancy Cato.

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

MacGyver, Helen Keller and my great grandmother whom I was named after.

What is your favourite song to sing along to?

It's a lovely day today by Ella Fitzgerald. My Nanna used to sing this to me when I was little and I often catch myself singing it.

What pets did you have growing up?

Ricky (my Silky Terrier); Cuddles (my rabbit); and Fluffy and Snooks (family cats).

What is your favourite day of the year?

New Year's Day and the anticipation of what the year ahead will bring.

What fad or trend do you hope comes back?

Hypercolour shirts.

How long have you worked at Holroyd School?

Only 18 years.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

Christmas holidays. I would ride my bike all day and didn't have to be home until the street lights came on and since it was daylight savings, I was able to stay out even longer.

What was your favourite subject at school?

Biology. I got to do some really cool experiments.

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

Apart from family I would keep my BBQ, iPad, caravan, a never-ending supply of chocolate and a fridge to keep the chocolate in.

What is your favourite book?

My favourite book is a children's book, Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden.

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

Mr Ronald McDonald, someone who owns a Krispy Kreme donut shop and whoever invented the Chiko Roll. That would take care of entree, main course and dessert.

What is your favourite song to sing along to?

Badlands by Bruce Springsteen.

What pets did you have growing up?

I had a dog named Tequila who loved going to McDonald's with me to eat ice-cream.

What is your favourite day of the year?

That would have to be Christmas Day. Spending time with family, eating junk food all day, having an afternoon nap and then eating again.

What fad or trend do you hope comes back?

1980s Heavy Metal. Def Leppard and Van Halen rocked.

It was standing room only in the Holroyd School hall on Thursday 13 September, as teachers, parents, families and friends came together to watch all our classes perform in the annual school concert.

A highlight of our school calendar, this education showcase comprised 14 musical performances, which included themes such as Disney animations, change of seasons and sun safety.

The children's enthusiasm was infectious as parents and friends clapped and sang along to each tune.

It was a tremendous effort by all our teachers, staff and students and a culmination of many weeks of preparation and rehearsal.

Bravo to all!

"It was great to see Alegra's big smile as she held the cloud during her concert performance." Natalie Walters, mum

"I love dancing to the music!" Reyaz, S26

"Mum, dad and my nanna came to watch me!" Kiara, S26

"I love doing the actions to the song Taba Naba". Abdulkarim, S26

Congratulations to all students who participated in the recent read-a-thon, held in conjunction with the Premier's Reading Challenge. Your reading efforts raised $2166.35 for Holroyd School!

The read-a-thon involved students reading or listening to a minimum of thirty books from the Premier's Reading Challenge book list.

Special mention to classes J9 (primary) and S26 (secondary) for raising the most funds; and to classes J11 and S21 for returning the most sponsorship cards.

Congratulations to the following students who raised the most money in their class:

Costco Wholesale has generously donated a school bag with matching pencil case to every student at Holroyd School. The students were able to choose from four stylish designs and will no doubt put the gifts to good use for the rest of the school year and beyond. 

Principal Anne Flint, Deputy Principal Noel Gover and P&C Treasurer Antonios Skapetis were all on hand to express Holroyd's appreciation to Mark and Jay from Costco who kindly hand-delivered the bags to school.

Congratulations to our school cleaners, husband-and-wife team Shirley and Peter Burke, who both received separate awards this month.

Shirley was acknowledged for her outstanding service from her employer, ISS Facility Services. Shirley is only the second cleaner, out of more than 7000 ISS employees, to win this special award. Peter received the Rotary Club of Holroyd's vocational excellence award.

Well done! Holroyd School is so fortunate to have Shirley and Peter in our team!

Congratulations to Norm Clark, who celebrated his 90th birthday this month.

Norm was a long-serving driver and dedicated volunteer.

Principal Anne Flint, Assistant Principal Jan Dunne and retired former employee Aileen Shaw travelled to Wyong on the Central Coast for the celebrations. Happy birthday Norm!

The J3 weekly timetable is full of fun activities. We all enjoy our interactive morning circles, as well as reading, story, maths and art lessons. Physical activity and independence is a major focus of every lesson, with teachers assisting students to walk between activities, sit in a regular chair, stand up from the floor independently or stand to complete a task. These physical skills are difficult but with consistent practise we have all improved so much!

In this semester's unit of work, titled 'Looking after Myself', we studied the popular book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, to learn about healthy, independent eating. We used collage, paint and a sewing machine to create both caterpillar and butterfly costumes and hats for Book Week. We later used the costumes to create our very own The Very Hungry Caterpillar movie. We have also enjoyed sensory food play with healthy pureed foods from the book.

Another highlight of our week is spending time outdoors. We love going to the playground to use the basket swing and slide; as well as to practise walking up and down the stairs and ramp. Regular sessions in our indoor heated swimming pool are also a big hit!

The class has been very busy this year working hard and having fun. The J3 teachers are very proud of everything we have achieved!

J12 enjoyed the lead up to the annual book parade and all the stories that we explored ... many which related to finding treasure. We read lots of Dr Seuss books, so most of the class dressed up as the Cat in the Hat for the parade, but we also had a visit from Buzz Lightyear and Emma Wiggle!

We are currently learning about keeping healthy and safe. We try healthy foods during our cooking lessons, and do lots of whiteboard activities about staying safe in the playground and at home. We have all learnt to dial the phone number 000 for emergency services like police and fire fighters, who do great jobs keeping us safe.

Thursday morning sport is sometimes hard to get excited for in the cooler weather, but we make sure we have lots of outdoor activities during the week. Recently, we've checked out pinwheels and inflatable bumper bubble walls. We always have a perfect end to the week because on Friday afternoons we use the Liberty Swing and roundabout. What a way to get ready for the weekend!

We like doing learning activities that are fun and a little wacky, like painting while lying down using the net swing. Nobody gets bored in J12!

What has been the highlight of the year so far for your class?

We have enjoyed spending a day at the Art Gallery of NSW, where we learnt about famous paintings, attended workshops and made our own art and craft. We then enjoyed lunch at the Domain. We also had a wonderful day developing our soccer, basketball, hockey and baseball skills at Penrith Basketball Stadium.

What is the class studying this semester?

We are working on a variety of work skills, such as setting the table, folding tea towels, packing items into bags and boxes, stocking shelves and sorting recycling.

What are the highlights of your weekly timetable?

Definitely bowling every Tuesday at Villawood; and the many weeks of concert practice with our friends in S26.

How does S27 spend time outdoors each week?

We have been learning to play Boccia in our Friday sports lessons. We are also focusing on improving our athletic skills, such as running relays, throwing the javelin, plus enjoying the fun of an egg and spoon race.

REMINDER Holroyd School has now implemented the SZapp App for iPhone and Android mobile phone users. This has replaced Skoolbag.

If you have not done so already, we encourage you to install SZapp onto your mobile phone as soon as possible. SZapp is free to download and use.

This app will allow us to send notifications straight to your phone to inform you of upcoming events and other important school information.

The annual Creativity Unleashed exhibition will be held from 11am to 4pm, Saturday 6 October, at 7 Smith Street, Parramatta.

This exciting expo aims to give talented up-and-coming artists from refugee and migrant backgrounds a platform to showcase and market their creative works.

Please come along to this event and help support local talent and artists.

Looking for a fun family day out?

The Salvation Army Youthlink Open Day is on this Saturday, 29 September - 11am-1pm, Walters Rd, Blacktown.

To RSVP phone 9622 1823 or email skills4life@aue.salvationarmy.org