Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Lihir International School is committed to providing excellent learning experiences for children, and sharing those experiences with parents and caregivers.

Next week, Semester 1 student folios will be sent home. The folio displays a range of work samples completed by your child during terms 1 and 2, 2022.

These work samples will give you an indication of the range of topics your child has covered and the level of understanding they have achieved.

Please take time to view all work in the folio with your child and ask them questions about what they have been learning so that they get the chance to discuss their learning with you.

When going through the folio, please keep in mind that all children learn at different rates and have learning strengths in different curriculum areas. This is an opportunity as a parent to offer your child some encouragement and praise.

When you have finished perusing the work samples with your child, please return the folio to the school.

Reports

Students will also be given their Semester 1 reports next Thursday. Written reports are distributed at the end of term 2 for Semester 1 reporting and end of term 4 for Semester 2. If you are going on holidays early, your child will bring their report home next term.

Thank you to our teachers for putting a lot of time and effort into completing these over the past weeks. If you have any questions about your child's report, please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher.

Public Holiday

A reminder that Monday, the 13th June, is a public holiday for the Queen's birthday. I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend.

End of Term

The last day for term 2 will be Thursday,16th June at 12.30pm. Term 3 will commence on Monday, 11th July.

Sports Carnival

Mr McKeiver is busy preparing students for next week's track and field sports carnival. The twilight track events will be held at 4pm on Wednesday the 15th June followed by a sausage sizzle. All parents, friends and Wantoks are encouraged to attend and support their children’s house. If you would like to volunteer to assist with the BBQ, please see Mr Neville.

 Regards,

Mr Greg Neville

Organisation is currently underway for a Netball Carnival to be held here at LIS on the weekend of 6th/7th August. We have invited OLSH to participate and we are expecting to have primary (years 4-6) and high school (years 7-9) teams competing. Our LIS students have started training and enjoying having the opportunity to play netball again!

As announced by Maria Hosea at this morning's assembly, we would like to offer the opportunity for our LIS community women to also participate. Unfortunately, OLSH will not be bringing a complete team, so it will be more of a time for fun and fitness rather than a competition. If you are interested, please come along to the school next Tuesday evening at 6.00pm for a first training session. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner, you are most welcome. Hope to see many of our ladies there. 

In line with company policy, good hygiene and social distancing practices will continue to be implemented in the school during Term 1 2022. Please read the points below carefully. Thank you to all members of the STM/LIS community for your patience and commitment in ensuring that we keep our children and island safe.

1. It is imperative that parents and carers do not send their children to school if they are sick or showing any symptoms of a cold or flu. If your child is sick, please keep your child home and seek appropriate medical attention. Children who display any signs of sickness will be isolated under supervision in the school's sick bay and parents called to come and collect them.

2. Entrance to school for students and parents / carers will be via the Aginas Oval gate only, which will open at 7.45am. Students who arrive before this (which is discouraged) are to wait in the carpark undercover area until 7.45am. Students should be at school by 8.00am, ready to start the day at 8.10am.

3. On arrival all students are to wash their hands at the wash station and then proceed to the undercover area. Parents will be permitted to escort their children to the undercover area / classroom and pick them up at the end of the day. Parents will also need to wash their hands after entering school. If parents need to go to the office or see a teacher, they are permitted to proceed to the wash station and are then to make their way straight to the school office or to the relevant classroom. Parents and High School students are to have a face mask ready to use when social distancing is not possible

4.  Students will be required to wash their hands in the mornings, before school and before and after recess/lunch.

5. All desks, door handles, playground equipment and other high contact equipment will be sanitised twice daily or after use by cleaning staff.

6. Social distancing will be employed in classrooms through desk arrangements. Social distancing markings have been painted on cement areas where students line up and in the undercover area for recess/lunch eating times. The school will implement staggered lunch and recess breaks between the primary and high school to reduce the number of children in the eating area at one time.

7. High School students will each be issued with a reusable washable mask. Students will be required to use these masks for activities where social distancing is not possible.

8. Students will need to bring a packed recess and lunch each day - there is to be no dropping off of lunches by parents, siblings or haus meris. Students are also asked to bring a water bottle to school that they will refill. 

10. In Term 1 on Mondays, separate primary and high school assemblies will be held in the basketball court, employing social distancing measures. On Fridays, there will be a whole school assembly on the basketball court that parents are welcome to attend. Social distancing measures will be  employed.

Term 1: 31st  January – 31st March 

Term 2: 19th April – 16th June 

Term 3: 11th July – 15th September 

Term 4: 3rd October – 1st December 

Friday Assembly

A reminder that parents are welcome to attend our Friday assemblies. This week, it was the Music assembly and next week will be the Student Council assembly and also presentation of the Athletics age champions. Next week, assembly will be on Thursday morning.

Library Books

We ask that library books for Kindy - year 4 classes are returned next week. Students in years 5 - 10 are encouraged to borrow books to read over the holidays.

Year 8 / 10 Holiday Remedial Classes 

Thank you to Mr Joseph Takaundo from the STMC who will be running remedial classes over the first two weeks of the holidays for our year 8 and 10 students. We anticipate all students attend these important sessions unless families are going away on holidays. Exams are quickly approaching and we want our students to be as best prepared as possible. A note has been distributed to students as to their timetable for these sessions.

Mock Exams

Thank you to Ms Yip and the high school teachers for conducting our second round of mock exams this week. Teachers will analyse the data from these exams to identify areas where students need further revision and preparation.

Parent Helpers

Thank you to the parents who have been coming in to the primary classes to help support student reading programs. Your assistance is very much appreciated. If you are interested in helping out in your child's classroom, please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher.

Kind regards,

Ms Langusch 

Our Work Ready Program Trainees are continuing to progress well through their training. Students are beginning to write resumes and cover letters in preparation for applying for positions after the program.

We are continuing to work with our students from Lihir Secondary through our Academic Support program and look forward to hosting them again later this term.

Our FODE students and Elementary Teachers from across Lihir continue to work on their distance education with the support of our STMC Staff.

Please note the Kisim Save Library is open for use by all Newcrest Employees and Townsite Residents. Please email SchoolToMineCampus@newcrest.com.au to book a time to come. 

Regards, 

Mr. Kevin Collins