Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Public Holiday

Please note that Friday Week 4, the 24th February is a gazetted public holiday - National Remembrance Day of late Sir Michael Somare.

Screen Time / Social Media

It has come to the school's attention that some students are members of various social media groups. While recognising the positive influence such groups can have, parents and carers are reminded to monitor closely children's use of social media. Reports of inappropriate posts and language in such groups can reflect negatively on the individuals involved.

Parents and Wantoks

The Parents and Wantoks first meeting for the election of the new executive will be on Tuesday the 21st February at 6pm. The Parents and Wantoks Committee add a great deal of value to our school and this is a fantastic opportunity for families to become involved in contributing to school events throughout the year.  

Nominations are now being received for positions of President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, Canteen coordinator, Book Club coordinator and Fundraising coordinator. Please complete nominations at the office.

All parents, community members and others who are interested to join the P&W are encouraged to attend.

Parent / Carer Contacts

We would like all parents to ensure that they have current and up to date contact details for the school. Please see Lorna in the office if you need to update your details - especially email addresses.  If parents hear of other parents not receiving school communication, please direct them to contact the principal.

School Council

The annual General Meeting of the School Council will be held on Thursday, the 2nd of March 2023. At this meeting, voting for 1 vacant position for a Parent Representative will occur, in the Yr 9/10 room from 6.00pm– 6.20pm. Nomination forms are available from the school office and must be returned to the school office by Thursday the 24th February 2023. If you would like to know more about the functions of the School Council, please make an appointment to see the principal.

Regards,

Mr Greg Neville         

Soccer and Basketball sessions continue on Monday afternoon for Primary and High school students. These sessions will run for six weeks with Saturday matches commencing in Week 5 on Saturday 4th March from 8am-9am. Saturday matches will run through to Week 7. 

All students are reminded to bring along their school hat and water bottle.

Thanks to Ms Sausa, Mrs Exzil, Ms Savitas and Mrs Laien for supervising these sporting sessions.

Sausage Sizzle

To kick off our Student Council activities for 2023, next week Thursday, 23rd of February, the Student Council will be hosting a sausage sizzle to commence their fundraising. The cost will be K2.00, and students can bring this along next week to give to their class teachers. Money collected from SRC goes towards purchasing items for a school on the island. Last year, the SRC donated funds towards Sekunkun Primary School for assistance to purchase a new water tank for the school.

Tabloid Sports

Student Council (and supervising teachers) will run after-school Tabloid Sports on Weeks 4, 6 and 8 Thursday afternoons, from 3.10-4.00pm. Participation is voluntary. Out-of-town students need to ensure they have organised transport to collect them at 4.00pm if they wish to participate. Tabloid Sports is for students from Prep-year 10.

The P&W AGM meeting will take place next Tuesday, 21st of February 2023, at 6pm.

Nominations are open for the current roles for the P&W Committee:

President                Vice-President            Treasurer

Secretary                Canteen Coordinator            Book Club Coordinator

Fundraising Coordinator

If you would like to nominate someone for a role in the Committee, please see Lorna. Thank you for your continued support of our school.

This year, at the end of term 2, LIS will be staging a whole school dance and drama musical production titled – ‘Travel into Space on Apollo23’. This production will involve all classes, Prep to Year 10, as well as the LIS/STM staff. It is a musical drama about the Solar System that not only involves dance and drama but planning and preparation as well.  Apart from it being fun and entertaining, being part of a production is an activity that boosts students’ confidence. This will be a great experience for our LIS students.

Thanks to Ms Patricia Yip for being our production director.

Term 1 Monday 30 January to Thursday 30 March

Term 2 Monday 17 April to Thursday 22 June

Term 3 Monday 17 July to Thursday 14 September

Term 4 Monday 2 October to Thursday 7 December 

Week 4, Thursday 23rd February: Soundwaves Parent Information session: 3.15 - 3.45 with Ms Langusch in the 5/6 classroom

Tuesday, 21st February: P&W AGM - 6.00pm

Thursday, 2nd March: School Council AGM - 6.00pm

Afternoon activities:

Monday: Basketball (High school) with Mrs Laien and Ms Savitas: 3.15-4.00pm

Monday: Soccer (Primary school) with Ms Saua and Mrs Exzil: 3.15-4.00pm

Tuesday: Swimming lessons at the pool with Ms Hannah Ilave (times as per lesson schedule)

Wednesday: Homework Class: year 4 with Ms Tukata and year 5/6 with Ms Langusch from 3.15-4.00pm

Thursday: Tabloid Sports led by the Student Council from 3.15-4.00pm (on Weeks 4, 6 and 8)

Soundwaves Parent Information Session

Next Thursday afternoon, from 3.15 - 3.45pm, I will hold a short parent information session for any primary parents who would like to know more about the Soundwaves spelling program that we use at our school. This session will be in the year 5/6 classroom.

Uniforms

Thank you to parents for ensuring students are wearing the correct uniform to school. Please remember that students are to have a hat each day. If your child has lost their hat, please see Lorna in the office. 

Reading

We encourage our students to read every day! Please support our reading program and ensure that reading books and folders are returned regularly to school. In the primary school, students are to have a library bag in order to borrow from the library. Students can also borrow and return library books at lunchtime. 

Class borrowing days are as follows:

Monday: Year 4

Tuesday: Kindy and Year 3

Wednesday: Year 5/6

Thursday: Year 1/2

Friday: Prep

Kind regards,

Ms Cathy Langusch             

Our Work Ready Program continued this week and students continue to progress well. Thank you to both Hannah Ilave and Peter Ririma who came and spoke to our trainees about Trupla Man Trupla Meri on Monday. This was a very insightful session for our trainees.    

We have now finalised our new and continuing FODE enrolments for 2023. Next week we will welcome our new Grade 10 upgrading Lihirian students from LSS who will work with us to upgrade their results in selected subjects this year.

While on camp with our Grade 9 students this week, Mr Neville and I called in to the FODE office in Port Moresby. This provided an opportunity to meet with a number of staff to discuss enrolments, access new curriculum and also collect our Registration Certificate as a Registered Study Centre.

STMC staff are also working closely with the Local Provincial Education Office to finalise new Lihirian Teachers' enrolment in the DWU Bachelor of Primary Education, and also working with LSS to enrol teachers into the DWU Master of Education Leadership.

We are also working with the Local Provincial Education Office to finalise arrangements for the delivery of the Trupla Elementary Tisa Program this term and teachers for the Lihir Elementary Teacher Support Program.  

NML Learning and Talent have accepted our Academic Support students who graduated from LSS last year into the Tertiary Support Program. The contracts and paperwork for this program are being finalised for these students to be supported through their university studies. 

Regards, 

Mr Kevin Collins