Kinross Wolaroi Family Bulletin

From the 

Head of Junior School

Mrs Denise Hayward

Welcome to Term 3! We hope everyone has had a relaxing break and is returning refreshed for Term 3. We are thrilled to embark on an exciting term ahead, filled with special activities and opportunities for growth. Get ready for an action-packed term that will leave you and your children energised and inspired!

 

Over the last two days the Junior School has quickly come alive with students, staff and parents catching up with one another and sharing stories from the term break. Around the school students have returned to their classwork and activities with great focus and application demonstrating the importance of these breaks. As always it will be another incredibly busy and exciting term with a myriad of happenings taking place across the school. Please refer to the proposed dates or calendar on the Hub, placing important dates in your diary and working with your child to include the dates in their diary. This is a great skill for children to start developing.

 

Winter sport recommences this week for hockey, soccer, netball, and rugby. These sports provide a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their skills, learn about teamwork, and enjoy the benefits of physical activity. Please continue to access the Hub for the most current information regarding venues and game times.

 

Stage 3 students are busy preparing for the production of "Tut Tut the Musical." They will showcase their acting, singing, and dancing talents, working together to put on a memorable performance for the school community. Students in Years K-4 are participating in the Orange Eisteddfod and will be the opening act for the Stage 3 musical on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 September. These musical and dramatic opportunities along with our Performing Arts evening in Term 2 and our K-2 Nativity play in Term 4 are memorable experiences for all our students.

 

We have a special Father's Day breakfast planned on Friday 1 September for fathers and the significant men in our students' lives—an enjoyable breakfast to celebrate their support and involvement in their child's education. It's a wonderful opportunity to strengthen family bonds and recognise the important role these men play in our students' lives. We'll be circulating more information about this soon.

 

This term, we extend a warm welcome to new staff members joining our school community. Their fresh perspectives and expertise will enrich our learning environment, providing even more opportunities for students to thrive. We welcome The following new staff for Term 3: Miss McDonnell in Year 3 covering for Mrs Whiteley who is on long service leave;  Ms Hamlin on Year 5 covering for Mr Tyack who is on paternity leave for the beginning of Term 3 after the birth of his first child; Mr Campbell our new PDHPE and Sport Coordinator.  

 

We also welcomed new students in Pre-Kinder, Years 1, 2, 4 and 6. Any kind of change, particularly starting at a new school, can be daunting and nerve wracking. Thank you to students and their families who have reached out to include our new families in social media groups, taken on the role of a buddy or set up play dates over the term break.  

 

Amazing Me is being held on Thursday 20 July for students in Years 5 and 6. Each session is designed for both parents and students from Year 5 and Year 6 to attend. Students must be accompanied by a parent and attendance is highly recommended. This event forms part of our PDHPE curriculum and follow up content is delivered in class the next day. The evening is an invaluable support to you as the parent of a young student and informative for your child. Equipping them with knowledge and understandings as they negotiate the sometimes-tricky nature of growing up. 

 

Student-led conferences will take place on Tuesday 25 July and 1 August, allowing students to take ownership of their learning and share their progress with parents and carers. These conferences foster independence, self-reflection, and effective communication skills.

 

We haven't forgotten about parents either! We will be hosting workshops designed to provide valuable insights and strategies to support your child's education. These workshops are an excellent opportunity to connect with other parents, share experiences, and build a strong community.

 

We are looking forward to a remarkable term filled with growth, learning, and exciting experiences for all. Let's make this Term 3 a memorable one together!

Early Drop Offs

As we start the term a reminder that supervision does not commence in the morning until 8:25am. We have been experiencing several students arriving well before this time. If you need to drop off early please book students into Gowrie. Thank you for your support with this. We want all our students to be safe and supervised while at school.

Cyberworld

In the Junior School we proactively teach students how to manage friendships through our URSTRONG program. This is also the case for the cyber world. In ICT we actively teach students strategies to stay safe online. The office of the eSafety Commissioner provides many resources for parents to understand this ever-evolving space and support children. Their latest article Protecting our (increasingly younger) children from cyberbullying takes a few minutes to read to learn more about cyberbullying, what it is, ways to protect your child, and how to get help if your child experiences it.

 

Tools and resources to safeguard children from cyberbullying

eSafety provides advice and resources to help you support your family’s online safety at the links below: 

Uniform

Thank you for reviewing uniforms over the term break. 

 

A reminder regarding sport uniform

Sport/PE uniform is worn to school on:

• Monday and Wednesday only if a student is engaging in after school sport training. 

• On days students have timetabled PE lessons. 

The uniform includes full tracksuit to and from school and the official school hat or cap. 

 

Jewellery 

Jewellery is not worn with the School uniform. This includes rings, bracelets, chains and wristbands. Students may only have piercings in earlobes. Earrings are small, 3mm in diameter, plain gold or silver studs, and only one per ear. No other piercings are permitted. Medical alert bracelets may be worn. Make-up and nail polish are not permitted while in School uniform. 

 

Hair 

Unusual, unorthodox, undercut, shaved hair styles and dyed hair are not permitted. Provided hair is kept clean and neat, there is no restriction on length. When wearing school uniform (including sports uniform) any student whose hair reaches to the middle of the collar or longer must have their hair tied back. If a ribbon is to be worn, it must be a regulation ribbon purchased from the Uniform Shop.

 

School Uniform information is located on the School’s website at: https://www.kws.nsw.edu.au/school-life/uniforms

Communication

Communication is a vital as it enables the effective partnership between School and home to function. The Hub, handbooks, term overviews, weekly communication, the student diary and opportunities to meet with staff are designed to update families with what is happening in the School and in the life of your child. 

 

Email is a convenient way to communicate. During the school day a teacher’s focus is on students. For this reason, teachers may not respond to emails during the day and there may be a 48-hour turnaround. At the end of the day, it is important teachers step away from being a teacher. They are strongly discouraged from responding to emails after regular work hours i.e., after 5:00pm. I would like to add to this and ask parents to consider times they are sending emails to staff.

 

Sometimes email is not the best form of communication for difficult or complex matters. In these instances, families are encouraged to arrange a phone or face-to-face meeting with Kinross Wolaroi staff. The class teacher is always the first point of contact for student academic and wellbeing matters. If you would like to talk with the Head of Junior School, please contact junioroffice@kws.nsw.edu.au. You may be asked for information to better facilitate the meeting. That said, it is not essential to provide.

Kinross Wolaroi Students making their Mark 

At Kinross Wolaroi we value and strive for academic rigor. Students have a myriad of opportunities to engage in enriching learning experiences which in some instances the school provides or facilitates student access to them.  Please share with us your child’s interest, passions, and achievements by emailing junioroffice@kws.nsw.edu.au.