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The Chalkboard
Term 3 Week 6 2015
The Newsletter from Warners Bay Public School
Email: warnersbay-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Phone: 49488129
Twitter: @WarnersBayPS
K-6 Whole School Newsletter
Event
Class
Activity Date
Cost
Note
Note Home
Due Date
Great Barrier Reef
Incursion
Aussie Bush Camp
3/4J &
4T
Year 4
19th August 2015
$4
Yes
31st July
12th August
7th-9th September
$250
Yes
31st July
7th August
Canberra Excursion
Year 6
16th – 19th November
$360
No
$5.00
Yes
Education Week (Open
Day)
Author Visit
K-6
Friday 14th August
3-6
20th August 2015
th
Book Week Parade
K-6
Thursday 27
School Disco
K-6
Wednesday 2nd September
Bookclub
K-6
Father’s Day
Breakfast, Stall &
Mini Concert
K-6
P&C Meeting
August
28th August
Friday 4th September
Monday 14th September 7pm
Please Note: No Payment will be accepted after the due date unless prior arrangements are made with the office.
**If you have not received a note for any activity, these are available from the office or the school website.
All notes and money must be returned to the office chute in an envelope with your child’s name, class and activity.
Thought of the week: “Read everyday, lead a better life.”
Principal’s Report
Safety around our school
As with every school, traffic safety and the behaviour of motorists around our school are is always a major concern.
While I would like to acknowledge the majority of parents who are parking in appropriate areas, and using the kiss
and drop zone effectively, we also have some motorists who are not abiding by the road signs. This was a very hot
topic of conversation at P&C last week. While I acknowledge the difficulties of a large number of children exiting
premises at the same time, student safety is always our number one priority.
To ensure our school is a safe place for all, please be aware of the following:

All students and parents must use the pedestrian crossing when crossing the road. It is never safe for
children to cross at other points. Motorists are not expecting children to run / suddenly walk out from in
between cars or buses, and this could lead to a tragedy.

Kiss and drop zone is NOT for parking. Please understand that this is a zone to drop your child off or pick
them up while the parent remains in the car, and then drive away. When the car in front moves forward, all
traffic should move forward if safe and appropriate to do so. Parked cars in this zone are causing major
congestion for buses and other vehicles trying to travel down Mills street.

Bus zones during designated times are not for stopping, even for a short while. If there is no space, please
consider driving around the block and returning. The congestion is for a very short period of time, and
usually passes very quickly.
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We really appreciate your assistance with this very important matter. I have attached a flyer from RTA in
regard to fines and demerit points. I know that rangers visit periodically and fines are very expensive. We do
not want tragedies, and we do not want our school community fined for traffic issues.
Bookweek Celebrations
This fabulous celebration of books and reading is happening on Thursday 27 th at 12.30 pm and we are all very
excited about our Bookweek celebrations. All staff and students are invited to come dressed as their favourite
book character. Younger siblings are also welcome to join in the fun! Our K-6 Bookweek parade will be very exciting
and you are warmly invited to attend this very special school event.
Our school canteen will be selling cakes and coffee on the day from 12 noon. Please feel free to come along, get a
cake and coffee and get a good spot to see the parade.
Public Speaking
Congratulations to our zone representatives for Public Speaking who represented Warners Bay Public School last
week. The adjudicators spoke of the high level of expertise that our young speakers possess. All students
performed well and should be very proud of their efforts. Special mention to Elijah Ball who was Highly
Commended.
The winners for each stage came from the following schools:
Early stage 1 – Biddabah PS
Stage 1 – Charlestown PS
Stage 2 - Dudley PS
Stage 3 – Valentine PS
School Uniform Forum
Thank you to the 110 parents who have completed the uniform survey.
In particular, I have really appreciated the many comments and the information they give.
Please note that the survey closes tonight at 8pm. If you have not completed this survey, it is very short, and I
appreciate your thoughts and responses. This is a whole school issue and requires a whole school community
response.
There have been some common themes coming through, which include overall frustration with the yellow shirt and
the lack of consistency of uniform and expectations. There was one comment about “just leaving the uniform as it
is”. While I know no community member relishes the thought of changing costly uniform, it is essential that our
school looks as good as we are. At this point, there is little consistency of uniform and many parents become very
frustrated with this, especially at school photo time when there is a variety of uniforms in the group shot.
Some parents felt that there had been many changes over recent years. Please be aware that this issue has only
arisen due to community requests, and discussion at P&C about the difficulties parents are having in trying to
comply with our current uniform.
I am aware through P&C that there is some confusion and stress about current uniform expectations. Last Tuesday,
I made it very clear to the students that at this point in time, while we are undergoing this process, that I did not
want there to be stress about uniform and which one was appropriate. When I looked at our whole school uniform, it
appeared that there were five or six different versions which were currently being worn. Please be assured that
the only issue with uniform which will be addressed at this point by staff will be if students are wearing colours
which are not school colours.
I greatly appreciate your support with this review, and I look forward to a positive outcome in the near future.
School website:
Our new school website is almost ready to go! We would love to use photos of our great students. Attached to this
newsletter is a chance for parents to update their permissions. Please return this form as soon as possible.
Warmest regards,
Sharon McFarlane
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Assistant Principal’s Report
Schools continue to be extremely busy educational environments where there has been a pronounced focus on
Literacy and Numeracy in recent years, due in part to the introduction of NAPLAN. Schools also have the difficult
task trying to fit into timetables instruction of the other Key Learning Areas that are also so important in the
overall education of students. For example the enjoyment displayed by students involved in the various Creative
Arts activities available including Starstruck and the Dance Festival cannot be overstated and these experiences
are sometimes at the top of the list in importance when reminiscing about their Primary years as students become
adults. Major excursions such as the Year 4 Aussie Bush Camp and Year 5 and 6 trip to Canberra are excellent
social and educational experiences not to be missed by students.
Last week I attended 2 days of the Annual Zone Athletics Carnival at Marks Point where our students competed
against students from 23 other schools in the Eastlakes Zone. Our Zone has always been very strong in sporting
talent and it never ceases to amaze me how all students give everything in their events and how talented these
students are. For example, watching an 11 year old girl in the High Jump clear 1m 42cm for a zone record was
pretty amazing.
I am also very proud of our students when they represent our school in sporting events and last week was no
exception. Many of our students made finals in their various events, including all 4 of our Relay teams, and while we
will only have one representative, Coby Hall, participate at the Regional Athletics Carnival, the effort from our
students was very pleasing.
I know how much students look forward to representing
their school at these cultural and sporting events and their
importance cannot be overstated.
Cheers,
Mark Toohey
Assistant Principal
Images from our Zone Athletics Carnival
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School News…
Library News
Author visit – Steven Herrick
Primary students will be enjoying this event on Thursday. Steven will have some of his books, which he will sign,
available for sale on the day. If you would like your child to purchase one of his titles, please ensure they bring the
correct change.
These are the titles available:
Untangling Spaghetti ($14)
Pookie Aleera is not my boyfriend ($15)
Bleakboy and Hunter Stand out in the Rain ($15)
If you want to find out more about Steven Herrick his website is www.stevenherrick.com.au
Book Week
Next week is Book Week and we will be celebrating with a parade on Thursday August 27th at 12.30pm under the
Primary COLA. Please see the note included with this newsletter.
Regards,
Roslyn Beard
School Disco
P&C will be holding a School Disco in the school hall on Wednesday 2nd September. K-2 will be held from 5.30pm7.00pm and Yr 3-6 from 7pm-8.30pm. The cost for entry will be $4 per student and food and drink will be available
for purchase from the canteen.
Woolworths Earn and Learn
Warners Bay Public School is participating in the Woolworths Earn and Learn program again this year. Please place
any Earn and Learn stickers in the box located in the front office.
P & C Meeting
Next P&C Meeting will take place on Monday 14th September at 7pm. All welcome.
New Enrolments
If you have or know of a child who is going to join us for
Kindergarten in 2016, please contact our office as soon as possible
so that we can commence pre-enrolment preparations.
MS Readathon
Every year children all over Australia read and raise money for
research into Multiple Sclerosis. Children at Warners Bay have
always made a great contribution to this fundraiser, and it is an excellent opportunity to read for a good cause. If
your children are interested, I have registration forms or they can register online at 56 The reading takes place
during August.
Happy reading everyone!
Ros Beard
Working with Children Check
We are sending home today a Working with Children Check which is a declaration for volunteers and contractors to
complete and return to our office. This is a DEC requirement if you are volunteering in any way at our school. This
includes, canteen, reading groups, classroom helpers as well as transporting students to and from school events.
Some people may have already filled in one of these in the past, however we do require that these are updated as an
Audit requirement.
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First Aid
This week our students attended First Aid courses run by St John Ambulance and
Life Saving Australia. The boys and girls practised first aid and discussed the
best way to help others and also themselves in a range of emergency
situations.
Please discuss emergency procedures with your child to help them consolidate
their understanding.
Father’s Day Breakfast & Performance
We will be holding our annual Father’s Day Breakfast from 6.30am on Friday
September 4th which is always well attended and a great opportunity for our
students to acknowledge their father’s and male carers. This will be followed by a
mini-concert being held from 9.30am which will demonstrate how hard our
students have been working in their dance, guitar, drumming, choir and aerobics groups.
Early Stage One News

Thank you to all the parents and families who attended our school open day
last week. We loved having so many visitors to the Kindy rooms and the
children loved having you there too. The sun was shining and we were happy to
see so many smiling families enjoying their picnic lunch on the field.

Last week was the first week for Homework Bags. We hope that you and your
child enjoyed completing the activities. Thank you for returning them on
Thursday. New bags were distributed on Friday. Just a reminder that this
will continue until the end of the term. Any questions, please see your child’s
teacher.

Kindergarten News Topics continue for this term. Please check the schedule
that was handed out earlier in the term, to help prepare your child for their
News day. We alternate between topic and free choice.

We were very proud of our Kindergarten Public Speaking representatives
Summer Burton and Sienna Hackney. The girls competed at Valentine Public
School last week and did an amazing job of speaking with confidence. Well
done girls, we are very proud of you!
What’s happening in KH?
Last week all of Kindergarten were very lucky to meet Danny, a local Lifeguard from Lake Macquarie. He talked to
each class about Water Safety and how to be safe at the beach.
KH really enjoyed our session and were so full of questions, that even Danny commented, “gosh, you guys have soooo
many questions!”. We all had a giggle and then kept asking more!
Here are some pictures to show the fun we had when Danny demonstrated how lifeguards save people who are
caught in a rip. Our wonderful assistants were Henry and Mia 
KH are very much looking forward to the weather warming up now, so we can head on down to the beach and enjoy
the water!
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Education Week 2015
In K-2B we had a fantastic time during our open class on Friday during Education Week. It was great to see so many
families come into the classroom and celebrate the success of all students in K-2B.
Students enjoyed showing some of the fun activities that that they do each day. The connector straws proved to be
a huge hit with everyone.
Thanks
Mr Berger
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Stage One News
Stage One has had a busy few weeks with lots of special events.
Transport Excursion
Our transport excursion was a great experience. The children thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the excursion, and
are to be congratulated on their fantastic behaviour at all times. We were lucky enough to have the jets from the
RAAF base fly across the area as we were arriving at Fighter World which made the excursion even more exciting
and relevant to our transport unit. A big thank you to Ms Hamilton and Miss Gentle for organising this excursion for
us.
CAPA Groups
CAPA groups recommenced last Thursday. This time each child was given the opportunity to nominate the creative
arts aspect they wished to participate in. An overwhelming number of our children chose Drama and Environmental
Art for this three week rotation. The children were placed in mixed ages groups with our Year Two's taking on the
role of peer support leaders in each group.
Open Day
Friday was also a special day for both the children and the teachers, welcoming our wonderful visitors into our
classrooms. We appreciate all our visitors for taking the time to come and see how our classrooms operate.
Public Speaking Competition
On Friday 14th two of our Year Two students, Elijah Ball (2SJ) and Ella Burton (2H) represented our school at the
Zone Public Speaking Competition at Valentine Public School. Both students represented our school admirably and
we congratulate them on their efforts. Congratulations to Elijah for receiving a Highly Commended.
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Work Experience Student
1H has been lucky to have Miss Natalie Newling from Hunter School of Performing Arts assisting with their class.
Miss Newling chose our school to have her work experience placement and we hope she has enjoyed her time with
us.
Up and Coming Events
IMPORTANT NOTICE - CHANGE OF ASSEMBLY DATE
Due to the hall being booked this coming Thursday for other purposes, this week's assembly has been postponed
until Week 8. In Week 8 the assembly will be run by 1M and some of 2/3M's Year Two's. All are welcome to attend.
Book Week Parade
On Thursday 27th of August, we will be having our annual Book Week Parade. A big shout out for Mrs Beard for
organising this annual event! Children are to come dressed in their costume. Please make sure that the costume
your child has chosen is one in which they can independently go to the toilet in and will be able to comfortably
participate in classroom activities. Children will still need to bring their school hat for the day. The Book Week
parade will commence at 12.30 p.m. and all are welcome to attend.
As part of the day children will participate in buddy reading. If your child has a favourite book they would like to
share, they can bring it into school on that day. Just ensure their name is on their book.
Father's Day Breakfast and Mini Concert
A reminder to keep Friday 4th September as a special date in your diary. Our traditional Father’s Day Breakfast
will be held in the morning before school. Come along dads and pops and grandpas for a yummy BBQ breakfast.
Also on the day, from 9.30, our mini concert will be held. At this concert children who take part in our drums,
guitar, choir, dance and aerobics groups will be performing. We look forward to seeing you there.
Swim School
A reminder that the school has organised a two week swim school program for children from Year 1 and Year 2 in
weeks 9 and 10. This is a very worthwhile program, with children engaging in daily swimming lessons in a heated
indoor swimming facility with experienced staff. If you wish to have your child participate, please ensure you have
returned your permission note with payment. If your child is attending they will need to ensure that all articles of
clothing and swimming equipment are labelled to save any confusion.
What’s happening in 2SJ?
Last week 2SJ joined with Mrs Wheeler’s Year 3 class to experience a Power Writing Lesson. This was a fabulous
experience, and a big thanks to Mrs Wheeler and 3W for having us. Based on the picture below the children wrote a
sentence that included a time connective, two adjectives, an adverb and a simile. Here are some of our efforts:
As the sun set, the black birds flew noisily like a car
revving its engine. (Oliver)
As the sun was rising, the black, small birds flew quickly
like a dog running in the park. (Abi)
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When the sun was setting, the small, black birds swiftly
flew like a herd of rhinoceros. (Ezekiel)
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As the night came, the black, naughty birds amazingly
flew like a horse running in the grass. (Lahni)
As the sun was rising, the black, soft birds happily flew
like a bat gliding to eat bugs. (Maddie)
When the sun was setting, the amazing, beautiful
birds flew marvellously like a shooting star. (Kit)
Stage Two News
Stage 2 students have lots of exciting things coming up during the next few weeks.
Author Visit: This Thursday (20th August), all of the Year 3-6 students will have the opportunity to see Steven
Herrick, who is one of Australia’s most popular poets. The cost of the performance is $5 and was included in the
term invoice. All permission notes and payments need to be returned to school no later than Wednesday.
Great Barrier Reef Incursion:
Permission notes were sent home several weeks ago for our Great Barrier Reef Incursion which will be taking place
this Wednesday (19th August) for 3/4J and 4T, and on 2nd September for 3M, 3W and 4OP. The purpose of the
incursion is to support our HSIE unit of work on National Parks. Please remember to return your permission note
and payment as soon as possible.
Aussie Bush Camp
Notes have been sent home regarding the Aussie Bush Camp excursion for Year 4. The excursion is in Week 9 this
Term (Monday through to Wednesday). We are all looking forward to having a great time on the excursion; it will
certainly be a highlight of the school year. Please return the notes and any payments owing, as soon as possible.
Spelling and Home Reading
Just a reminder how important it is for your child to read each night and practise their spelling words. Reading for
just 10 minutes is invaluable and helps children develop their skills, especially fluency. If you have time, it’s always
good to quiz your child’s spelling words rather than them just copying them each night. It is great practise for their
weekly test.
What’s happening in 2/3M?
2/3M have been learning about space as part of our integrated literacy unit. Here are some interesting facts we
have learnt.
Did you know…?
The Hubble Space Telescope found 10,000 galaxies in one photo it took (Tristan)
A shooting star is actually a meteor (Rani)
Jupiter has 63 moons (Trinity)
The tail of a comet never faces the Sun (Jazzy)
Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System (Austen)
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990 and is being brought down in 2018 (Allira)
Pluto is a dwarf planet and has 5 known moons. One of its moons is called Charon. (Sahara)
The loops of gas shooting out from the Sun are called prominences (Riddick)
Pluto is 7.5 billion kilometres from Earth (Gypsy-Lea)
A new planet named Kepler-452b has been discovered (Matthew P)
Jupiter has a spot on it which is a 400 year old storm (Matt S)
Neptune can be further away from the Sun than Pluto, during its orbit (Lucy)
Pluto’s surface is orange in appearance (Jordan)
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Venus had a volcano on it (Bailey)
Many scientists believe that space was created 14 billion years ago and use the ‘Big Bang’ theory to explain it (Lilly)
Venus has clouds that rain acid (James)
The Sun has black spots on it and they are the cooler parts (Chelsea)
Pluto’s surface is covered by solid ice (Isaac)
Mr David Wade (Jordan’s dad), has kindly offered to set up his telescope for a few hours, down at the Warners Bay
foreshore on the evening of Thursday 27th August, from 5.30pm. We will be able to look at the moon close-up and
even see the rings of Saturn. What an amazing opportunity! This is not a school excursion, but is open to all
students and their families K-6. This event will not take place if it is a cloudy night and we have inclement weather.
Have a wonderful week!
Maxine Morton
Stage Three News
First Aid: It was fantastic to have St John ambulance and also Lifesavers at our school to present a first aid, CPR
and water safety message to our students. Be sure to discuss these important messages with your child. You can
view some helpful information at this website -http://www.royallifesaving.com.au/training/first-aid
Canberra Excursion: The excursion to Canberra is almost upon us (16th -19th November - Term 4) please ensure you
have contacted the school if you are having any issues with payment and would like to set up a payment plan for this
wonderful learning experience. Payments need to be finalised by the end of this term.
3-6 Assembly: The next assembly will be held on Tuesday 18th August at 12pm in the school hall. We hope to see
you there.
Farewell Photos: I’m sure your busy getting a flash outfit together for the annual Yr6 Formal. I’m currently
putting together a presentation which includes images of each student. Please send photos in to me as soon possible
(digital images are best). I will return them as soon as I have them in the presentation. If a photo isn’t sent in I will
randomly select an image that suits each individual! That should be fun! Just kidding…please get them to me ASAP!
Father’s Day breakfast: On Friday September 4th we will be having a breakfast, before school, for all the
wonderful Fathers/Grandads/Pops of our students. Be sure to join us under the primary COLA for fun & games and
a feast.
Touch Football Gala Day: The Next Gala Day will be held on the 16th September. So grab a footy and start
practising your passing and catching skills. More info soon.
What’s happening in 5/6B?
Semester two is well underway and our classroom is buzzing with enthusiasm. The girls and boys are to be
congratulated on their wonderful assembly presentation back in week 2; they lit up the stage with their flags and
caring message. I must say that the children work together extremely well in the classroom and also when asked to
assist with jobs/activities around the school.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Estefan Velazquez to our class and school. Estefan and his
family (Noah in 3W) have moved from Victoria to Lake Macquarie.
We talk before and after each lesson about W.A.L.T (We Are Learning To) & T.I.B (This Is Because). Be sure to ask
your child when you see them after school ‘What they have been learning’ & ‘Why’. Please don’t accept one word
answers. We are always encouraging our young people to develop their conversation skills. This will also help to
highlight the range of learning experiences they have had throughout the day.
Please encourage your child to practise the Multiplication tables. There are several good websites with engaging
approaches to this area of learning. This is a particularly good site -http://kiboomukidssongs.com/kids-songs/math-
song/multiplication-songs/
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Term 3 Week 6 Awards
6P
5/6B
5MH
4/5OP
4T
3/4J
3W
2/3M
2SJ
2H
1M
1H
K-1W
KH
KB
K-2B
“I Achieve” Awards
Courtnie Anderson
William Parmenter
Jamie Manton
Miranda Robson
Isaac Barber
Ayden Corell-Hazelton
Shaun Hennessey
Kai Lewis
Angelina Ball
Molly Kirk
Beccy Mullin
Callum Harrison
Luke McAlister
Blake Isley
Emily Marsh
Elayna Behrens
Aimee Gollop
Rosie Moen
Josh Gibson
Jack Jones
Madden Potts
Mitchell Sands
Emma Katalinic
Ethan Welsh
Matthew Donaldson
Phoebe Kirk
Abbie Gilbert
Lucas Wonderly
Chelsea Brown
Sahara Lane
Matthew Price
Bailey Wettig-Wallace
Gracie Hann
Kit May
Elijah Ball
Callum Cornford
Ewan Powell
Cooper Varley
Thomas Connolly
Heidi Badior
Kiah Kelly
Joshua Andre
Sofia Sartori
Olivia Starkey
Charlotte Balchin
Cooper Coulter
Sophie Elston
Khloe Patterson
Jessica Balchin
Lara Wheeler
Cameron Waite
Bodie Carolan
Paige Newburn
Jack Stokes
Ava Murphy
Jacob Partridge
Isaac Potter
Samuel Godfrey
Amarliah Wetini
Chanique Brown
Matilda Roberts
Achievement Awards
Joel Worthing
Ben Stitt
Alarna Morley
Rhiannon Jones
Olivia Wonderley
Blake Heuston
Chelsea Whipp
Luke Edenborough
Charlotte Getley
Lukas Dzambo
Kam McClelland
Adam Rama
Ellie Johnson
Amelia Tuimaualuga
Mackenzee Freer
Jamaica Lane
Beau Slade
Adam Blackie
Tylah Bligh
Jorja Lee
Ava Carson
Sienna Smith
Jack Webb
Stella Honeysett
Montana Spruce
Olivia Murphy
Jack Denis
Esther Hammill Knott
Cooper Ryder
Tristan Archer
Gypsy-Lea Powell
Jordan Wade
Natasha Worthing
Niamh Mulhall
Barnaby Sullivan
Levi Wever
Jake Valderama
Tim Kimberley
Aaliyah Hiskens
Ashley Dennis
Izaac Hackney
Josie-May McMahon
Keira Beckers
Tyson Clark
Alicia Isley
Olivia Sands
Harmony Yates
Grace Young
Hamish Gayler
Rory Thomas
Sharlee Gilbert
Maddy Cameron
Henry Batchelor
Cayless O’Brien
Liu Fang
Sienna Hackney
Lillian Tunney
Andrew Parmenter
Sophie Whipp
Elyse Cannon
Mia Gilbert
Student of the Week
Tasmin Weller-Walsh
Jack Moen
Molly Burgess
Kai Lewis
Mataya Marshall
Christopher Hitchcock
Blain Simpson
Cole Ambjerg-Pedersen
Max Holland
Jayden Peter
Sienna Glynn
Rosie Pavitt
Jaz OBrien
Edan Feeney
Deacon Harty
Lilly Whatling
Taylia Verschoor
Abi Paterson
Harry Mason
Cooper Varley
Keira Beckers
Judah Lott
Violet Kirk
Khloe Patterson
Corey Mathot
Hope Wilson
Sarah Katalinic
Natalia Smith
Samuel Godfrey
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Community News
Has anyone seen a leopard-skin blanket that was left in the Kindergarten COLA area last week? This “blanky” is a
treasured item for a young sibling and is dearly missed. Please let the office know if you have seen it.
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