NRMA Road Safety Presentations

Last Wednesday we welcomed educators to our school from the NRMA Road Safety program. Presentations were delivered to each stage with a number of relevant and important road safety messages promoted within them, connected with the Science behind road safety.

The students were reminded to wear helmets fitted correctly, wear seatbelts in vehicles, not sit in the front passenger seat of cars until they are 12 or tall enough not to be injured by the airbags and were remind of the 4 steps to safely crossing roads: Stop, Look, Listen, Think.

The presentations were highly engaging and very relevant for our circumstances. Our sincere thanks to the NRMA for facilitating and resourcing this fantastic evidence-based school road safety initiative. It was outstanding and very timely as children start becoming more active outdoors in the warmer months. For more information, check out Paige’s report (5L) further on in today’s newsletter.

Student Uniform

As we come into the summer months, can I ask all families to please review their children’s school uniforms. To be clear, although the uniform is still under review, there are no changes to the expectations for students to wear full school uniform to school. I understand that families are patiently waiting for the outcome, before investing in some uniform items but the students must still come to school in full school uniform. This includes having a school hat and jackets must be in line with the school colours – bottle green. At present, there appears to be a trend for students wearing coloured or black socks to school.

Our school uniform requirements are for black shoes Monday to Thursday and joggers for Friday sport but socks have always been, and always will be, white. The teachers and I have been reminding students over the past week of the uniform expectations, but we would appreciate your assistance to ensure your child/ren are wearing the uniform in line with these expectations.

School Disco

This coming Thursday 15 September is the P&C led Term 3 school disco. There are important reminders about start times, pick up and drop off arrangements further on in this newsletter. Here, may I just remind families that in line with the covid-smart measures, once you have dropped your children off, you are kindly asked to leave the school grounds unless you are an approved volunteer assisting with the disco. Similarly, on Thursday evening if your child is feeling unwell, they should stay at home and not attend the disco.

Also, if your child usually attends OOSH on a Thursday after school and you would like the OOSH staff to sign them out of OOSH and into the disco on your behalf, you will need to complete an OOSH permission note authorising staff to do so. Please see the friendly OOSH team and arrange to complete this permission note, this only applies to students attending the Junior Disco at 4:45 pm.  It promises to be a fun evening. My thanks to the P&C for organising the event and the volunteers for giving up their evening to assist us.

 NAPLAN

In last week’s newsletter, I shared data highlighting the school’s 2022 achievement results for NAPLAN. This week, please see below the trend data for Year 3 in the five areas of assessment as compared with the state average and the average for statistically similar schools. In each graph, the green line represents the school’s results.

Have a great week.

David Holland

The disco this week takes place on Thursday evening with two session times as follows:

·       K– Yr 2 – 4:45 - 6:00pm

·       Yrs 3-6 – 6:30 - 8:00pm

Children should not arrive more than 10 minutes before the session start time. All families are to enter through canteen/hall gates and make your way to the ‘check-in’ tables outside the hall cola (or under the Stage 3 eating cola in the event of wet weather).  Whilst it is not mandatory, it is recommended parents and carers wear a mask when arriving to drop-off or collect your child from the disco.  Teachers will be on hand to mark students as present. Once marked present, students will be directed to enter the hall and parents and carers are asked to make their way off-site immediately. 

Children are to be collected by a known parent or carer. At the conclusion of each disco, the DJ with the support of the teachers, will have students collect their drink bottles then sit on the floor of the hall. Parents will enter through the door closest to the grass side of the Cola. Students will be instructed to stand and meet their parents at the rear of the hall once they have spotted them. Parents and their children should then exit from the hall via the doors located closest to the canteen (Door B). If you have arranged for a friend or relative to collect your child from the disco, please provide a written note to the supervising teachers at the disco stating the name and relationship of the person collecting your child. All students must be collected by an adult. 

The Student Representative Council (SRC) have organised an out of uniform day this Friday September 16. 

Students are encouraged to wear the colour green in any shade. A pair of green socks, a green hat or bow, or your whole outfit could be green. It is up to you!

We ask that you bring a coin donation, any coin will do! The SRC are raising money for the Hunter Wetlands as they felt it was important to support a local charity that helps our local environment. 

Please see a link below to learn more about what they do.

https://wetlands.org.au/

As part of this day, we would like to take the opportunity to clean up our school playground.  If you have any, please send some gardening gloves or gloves along to school for this event. 

What you will need on the day:

• Dress in green
• A coin donation
• Gloves for clean-up

 Thank you for your support!

SRC representatives and School Leaders

There are only 2 weeks left for Year 5 and 6 families to finalise the balance owing for the Stage 3 Bathurst excursion. The due date for payment is Friday 23 September. This date has been set by the tour provider and we are required to pass on payment in full to them at that point. The school office staff have been regularly sending out statements to help parents and carers stay up to date with any outstanding amounts.

If, however, your family’s circumstances are such that you will not be able to make the deadline, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss how we can support you. We would not like any students intending on going to miss out.  

We are inviting parents and caregivers to participate in the 2022 TTFM parent survey.

What is the TTM Parent survey?

The parent survey helps to clarify and strengthen the important relationship between parents and the school. The survey is anonymous and will be used to identify trends within our school and better inform school priorities.

Participation

Participation in the parent survey is optional.

The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete. Parents with more than one child at the school may choose to complete the survey more than once if they feel that their children’s experiences at school differ for each child.

What does the survey involve?

The survey asks a range of questions related to the following influences on student outcomes:

· Parents feel welcome

· Parents are informed

· Parents support learning at home

· Parents' participation at school

· School supports positive behaviour

· Safety

· Inclusion

· School supports learning.

How do parents access the survey?

Click here to access the survey 

There are no usernames or passwords needed

Alternatively, in Weeks 9 and 10 (Term 3) and Weeks 1 and 3 (Term 4), our wonderful school captains will approach parents and carers during exit procedures to provide them with the opportunity to complete the survey. We would appreciate as much feedback from our community as possible, however, if you do not wish to complete the survey, it is ok to politely decline.

Vroom!! There goes Cameron, speeding across the hall on his hoverboard. Is this some sort of science fiction space movie? No! It's Science and Road Safety Day!

On Wednesday, a scientist from the NRMA came to teach us about road safety. We had a blast! We learnt about a bunch of tips on how to stay safe on and around roads in strange but awesome ways!!

Did you know the front seat is the most dangerous seat in the car??? I learnt that I have to be 12 years and up to sit in the front seat. At first I was suprised but then I realised that the rules exist to keep me safe. 

Crash!! When Bluey didn't wear her seatbelt things didn't end well.   

My favourite part was when we learnt about the important of wearing a seatbelt using a little Bluey figurine. It was great! (Don't worry, Bluey's OK).

My friends and I found this course really helpful and interesting and I hope they will come to visit us again.  And also, don't forget to Stop!! Look!! Listen!! Think!!

By Paige Waller  5L

Disco Tickets 

Last chance to purchase tickets for this week's disco. Ticket portal closes tomorrow night at 10:00 pm

Click here to purchase your tickets - Cost is $5.00 to attend which includes disco entry and a Quelch stick. 

Permission is also required to attend the Disco and can be given by completing the E-form below available via the Skoolbag app.

Volunteers are needed on the night to help. Teachers generously volunteer their time but they need our help. 

Volunteers needed include 4 x Junior Disco, 9 x Senior Disco & 3 for pack up.  The disco is a fun night for the kids but also a great social night for our volunteers.  

Please click here to register to volunteer at the event.

It promises to be a really enjoyable night for the students with all money raised going towards the P & C's fundraising efforts in 2022. 

• COVID-smart measures to continue throughout Term 3

From Week 5, Monday 15 August, the following COVID-smart measures will remain in place in our schools:

• Students and staff must stay at home if unwell and not return to school until symptom-free.
  
• If a student or staff member is symptomatic, they should take a rapid antigen test (RAT) and isolate until they receive a negative test result
• Masks continue to be strongly encouraged for all staff, students and school visitors, particularly when indoors and when physical distancing is not possible. Masks continue to be mandatory for all staff working with students at greater risk of severe illness if they were to get COVID-19.
• Household or close contacts who are symptom-free can attend mainstream schools if they receive a negative RAT result every day for 5 school days and wear a mask (staff and high school students) while on site.
• Vaccinations are no longer required for staff except for those working in SSPs. We continue to recommend all staff and eligible students and their families to keep up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations, including getting a booster shot.
• Visitors, regardless of their vaccination status, are able to come to school sites but may be required to wear a mask if in close proximity to students at greater risk of severe illness if they were to get COVID-19.
• Natural ventilation and personal hygiene should continue to be encouraged.
• Events, gatherings and overnight excursions are able to go ahead and we encourage schools to consider the risks associated and make COVID-smart decisions based on the current situation with COVID-19 and other illnesses in their communities.
• Additional circuit breaker measures continue to be implemented at schools working with the Health, Safety and Staff Wellbeing case management team, when needed.

Refer to COVID-smart measures for further details.

In this week's article Dr Justin Coulson talks about how the decline in free play over recent decades has corresponded in the increase in childhood and adolescent psychopathology with children today experiencing more mental health challenges than in the past. Play time encourages children to develop their interests, practice making decisions and solving problems, learn to regulate their emotions, assess and respond to risk, develop socially, and most importantly, facilitates access to joy. All of which contribute to good mental health and wellbeing.

This week's articles discusses the importance of and gives tips for parents on how to encourage more play time for their children. We hope you enjoy this week's article.