From the Deputy Principal
Mr Anthony Speranza
From the Deputy Principal
Mr Anthony Speranza
Dear families,
Welcome back to 2024! I trust you've had a delightful break filled with relaxation and quality time with loved ones.
Getting back into the swing of the school routine might take a bit of adjustment for both parents and students. Establishing a consistent schedule at home can help tremendously, including a good night’s sleep. Well-rested students are more focused, alert and ready to tackle the challenges of the day.
Mornings can be a whirlwind, but with a bit of organisation, they can be as stress-free as possible. Help your child develop a sense of responsibility by arriving at school on time between 8:30am and 8:45am. Students should be on school grounds at 8:45am. This ensures they don't miss important instructions and can fully participate in the morning routines that set the tone for a successful day of learning.
A nutritious lunch is fuel for a day of learning and play. Encourage healthy eating habits by packing a well-balanced lunchbox. Involve your child in preparing food free of wrappers and packaging. Hydration is equally important, so don't forget to include a water bottle.
Lost items are a common occurrence, especially in the excitement of the school day. Take a moment to label your child's uniform items with their name. This simple act can save time, reduce stress and ensure that misplaced items find their way back to their rightful owners.
In our effort to create a focused and respectful learning environment, we kindly remind all parents and students of our mobile phones/smart watches policy. Please ensure that if your child has a mobile phone at school that it is on silent, placed in bags, and not used when on the school grounds. Smart watches and fitness trackers are permitted as long as they are also on silent and not interacted with during the day. This helps maintain a conducive atmosphere for learning and minimises distractions.
Seesaw app
Our Seesaw app is up and running again for 2024. Essential communication is delivered via this platform, as well as timely updates about your child’s learning from the classroom. It is highly recommended that parents turn on notifications from their account settings. If you require connection to this service or need to connect a second parent or carer, please contact myself or your classroom teacher.
Save the Date: “Meet The Teacher” Interviews on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st February
Information and a booking link will be issued via Seesaw next week for our annual Meet The Teacher interviews. The interviews are an opportunity to meet your child’s classroom teacher and discuss how they have settled into the year, as well as share information with your teacher about the needs of your child. An effective partnership between the home and school is key to the education of your child and we appreciate your time to make this conversation happen.
Face-to-face interviews in your child’s classroom will be running on Tuesday 20th February from 1:30pm to 6:00pm. Please note that students will be dismissed at 1:00pm on this day, and TheirCare afterschool care is available on this day.
Online interviews via videolink will be taking place on Wednesday 22nd February from 3:40pm to 5:00pm
Raising Kids In A Digital World 2024 Webinar (for parents)
Delivery: Community Webinar
Presenter: Martin McGauran & Carley McGauran
Date: Thursday 22 February 2024
Time: 7.30pm (90 mins) online
Register here: bit.ly/22feb2024
Registrations are open at the link above. The webinar is simply a must for all parents to be informed about the impact of the digital world on their children. Marty and Carley presented to our community last year, and their session was very well received. Topics include:
Social Media
Impacts of screen time
Online gaming
Managing devices in the home
Child & Tween online trends
Strengthening family communication
Cyber Bullying
Explict/Adult content
Live incursions (for our students!)
In 2024 all children will be participating in the Cyber Safety &Digital Wellbeing program. also hosted by Informed & Empower. This means that your child/children will be tuning in to live streamed incursions (with their teachers) every term that focus on healthy and safe digital habits.
The incursion content is all written and delivered by qualified teachers who are endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider. These sessions aim to help children better navigate the online world and becomemore aware, clever, brave and kind. They will focus on topics including navigatingunwanted contact, cyberbullying, help-seeking strategies, unsafe content, balancing screen time with "green time" and sharing personal information. You, the parents and carers, will also be given resources to support conversations with your children at home. We will be posting these “tip sheets” each term in the newsletter.