New Lambton Heights Infants School

Tomorrow, 26 May,  is National Sorry day and Friday sees the start of National Reconciliation Week. On National Sorry day, it is important that as educators we recognise that some past practices in education have had impact on some of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Thankfully policies have changed, but there is still work to be done. National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The National Reconciliation Week 2022 theme, “Be Brave. Make Change.” is a challenge to all Australians to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we  can Make Change for the benefit of all Australians. Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  

At New Lambton Heights Infants School we are committed to improving learning outcomes for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.  In 2022 we are challenging ourselves to more actively involve our parents in educational decision making through improved consultation around the development of Personal Learning Pathways for each Aboriginal student. We are investing in professional learning opportunities for staff to ensure that staff have access to cultural education. Miss Castle and I will be attending learning In Term 3 around building cultural capability in Aboriginal Education and STEM. This will help us continue to work on helping all of our students develop a deeper understanding of Aboriginal histories, cultures, languages and perspectives. We have purchased resources for each classroom to set up an interactive space where students can engage in Aboriginal cultural activities. There is still a long way to go, but these are all steps in which our school is taking to enact reconciliation every day. 

Lisa Hughes

Principal

Thank you for the opportunity to fill the role of President of the NLHIS P&C Committee in 2021.

 2021 came with many challenges for the P&C, and the year looked very different to what it would have been in ordinary circumstances. We were unable to be on school grounds for just about the duration of the year, which made the running of P&C events difficult at times. Parents and committee members were unable to meet at school to plan/organise fundraisers, count money, gather notes and other P&C correspondence, and canteen and uniform shop had their challenges also with being limited as to how many could be on site.

 Despite the many restrictions we faced, we still managed to run the canteen (and continue to align with the Healthy Canteen Strategy) and Uniform Shop for the duration of the year. A huge thank you to Vicki Maltby, Jeanette Collins, Tiff Nelson & all the volunteers who supported these two operations.

 As well as the Uniform Shop and Canteen, we managed to run some very successful fundraisers, including Hot Cross Buns, The Easter Raffle, Mother's Day craft, An Apple a Day fruit boxes, 70 year Anniversary Bricks and Tea Towels and finishing the year with Gingerbread Houses and Tamburlaine Wines. We raised a total of $5,650.34 and were able to support our school in donating $2,500.00 toward a set of Decodable Readers.

Operationally, our Square system has allowed us to run all of these fundraisers, as well as the Uniform Shop smoothly, with very little to no contact, and has therefore played a huge role in us being able to continue operating throughout the pandemic. It has become a very important and beneficial asset to the P&C.

 Although last year we were unable to hold any on site events (both school & wider community), I am still amazed by the support our families showed in supporting each fundraiser we held. It was noted by many throughout the year that there was significantly less ‘connection’ made between teachers & parents, and between parents and school families, which is a great shame for our Family School, however the support was still evident in our families getting involved in whatever we were doing throughout the year. I do hope that the school builds back its beautiful community in 2022, and I’m sure it will.

 I want to give a big thank you to all the beautiful staff who are apart of New Lambton Heights Infants School. The past year (well, two) have been extremely difficult and challenging to navigate. Lisa has done an exceptional job in navigating her staff and the school through the past 2 years, and all the teachers have put in 200% to ensure the wellbeing of all the kids. Thank you for the support you have all shown the P&C in getting on board with every initiative we have made and supporting us however possible. Thank you Kerry for the many Skoolbag notes she put out!!

It has been a wonderful experience to be apart of the NLHIS P&C. It has been the reason I personally have connected with other parents and made friends within the school community. It has been so wonderful to witness how we can to contribute to our school and make it better by working together as a team. The P&C plays such a vital role in building a sense of community within the school, and I am so grateful to of had the opportunity to be involved in it. Thank you again, and best wishes for 2022,

Andrea Stig

President of NLHIS P&C

The P&C need your help! Please take 5 minutes to have

a read.

Well, the P&C just held their Annual General meeting last Wednesday, where the annual hand over of roles takes place, and a new executive take over. As it happened this year, all the Executives are moving on from their roles, either because children had finished their time at the school, or because of other family commitments. We want to say a huge thanks to all of 2021’s Executive, for all their hard work, for being so generous with their time, and for their passion to help and support the school! 

This has, however, left a great hole in our P&C team, and it is for this reason that I am writing to YOU – the parents & carers of our beautiful NLHIS students!!

 NLHIS is a small school, but it has a huge heart!! The sense of community you can tangibly feel when you step foot on to the school grounds is one of the main reasons my husband and I chose this school for our daughter 2 years ago. The P&C plays such a vital role in our Family School, and it is through the work of the P&C, of parents & carers like yourself, that we can see more wonderful resources and assets added to the school grounds and classrooms.

 So! We are putting a call out for the following roles:

-         President

-         Secretary

-         Treasurer

-         Support person for the Uniform Shop

-         Support person for the Canteen

-         General members!!

 Thank you to Tiffany Nelson & Vicki Maltby for both taking on the role of Vice President.

 If you have any skills in any of these areas, or if you have a bit of free time and are keen to contribute to our school, we would love to hear from you!! I will attach a description of what each of these roles involve, and if you would like to ask any more questions, you are welcome to email us (nlhipandc@gmail.com) and someone will get in contact with you. If you would like to chat to someone, flick an email through with your name and best contact number, and one of us will give you a call!

 If you are unsure, but think you could possibly help, then please get in touch! We promise we will not force you into a role without your consent J We would love to hear from you and are so grateful for any level of involvement – we know life is busy and we all have plenty on our to do lists, but many hands make light work!

 Andrea Stig,

President of NLHIS P&C 2021