GENERAL NEWS

GRANDPARENTS DAY

Thank you to all the grandparents and parents that were able to attend our Grandparent's Day last Friday. It was wonderful to welcome you back to what has always been a very special day for our school. We hope you enjoyed seeing the learning spaces of your grandchildren and spending some time in the sun for a picnic. 

FEAST DAY MUFTI DAYS

This term we will be celebrating the following feast days with a mufti day for the children in that house.

Wednesday 3rd August

St Dominic Feast Day - Mufti Day (Dominic students only)

Monday 8th August 

Mary Mackillop Feast Day - Mufti Day (Mackillop students only)

Friday 9th September

Fredric Ozanam Feast Day - Mufti Day (Ozanam students only) 

On any mufti day hats and enclosed shoes are a must.

VERITAS AWARDS

Congratulations to the following children who received Veritas Awards in the last two weeks:  

Taylor Langford, Lucy Shaw, Charlie Dunst, Patrick Johnson, Ruby Brooks, Oscar McMurtrie, Lucie Collison, Charlotte Tongue, Lyla Davidson, Mia Schumann Gross, Jaxen Carter and Laura Malcolm.

These children have been noticed by a variety of teachers leading by example and showing empathy and compassion towards others.

TAMWORTH SHOW 

The Tamworth Show is being held this year on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th September. There are various sections that students are able to enter if they wish. Please click on the links below to access information on each section if your child is interested in submitting an entry. Please note that all entries need to be made directly to the Tamworth Show Society, not through the school. 

The sections are:

• Gardening and Produce
• Junior Handicrafts
• Model Building
• Needlework
• Photography

NATIONALLY CONSISTENT COLLECTION OF DATA ON SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY (NCCD)

SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS

All parents need to be aware, our supervision of students

does not begin until 8.15am each day.

If your child/ren require care before 8.15am you have access to before school care here at school with Esteem  Please organise alternative care for your child if your child requires supervision before 8.15am. 

With before school care available to parents and with a duty of care to staff and students, St Nicholas School gates will not be open until the arrival of the first school bus at approximately 8.10am. It is not appropriate for children to be at school before this time with no supervision.

YEAR 5 LAKE BURRENDONG EXCURSION

WEDNESDAY 9 NOVEMBER TO FRIDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2022

Our Year 5 students and staff will be travelling to Lake Burrendong Sport and Recreation Centre (in Central NSW) for their annual excursion.  

Please refer to the Compass Event Notification which includes full details, consent forms and payment options. 

YEAR 6 CANBERRA EXCURSION

MONDAY 7 NOVEMBER TO FRIDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2022

Please refer to the Compass Event Notification which includes full details, consent forms and payment options. 

2022 Competitions & Assessments for Schools (ICAS) - Years 4, 5 and 6 students only

This year our Year 4, 5 and 6 students from St Nicholas School have the opportunity to sit for the ICAS Exams.  ICAS is the largest independent competition and assessment program for schools in Australia.  Each student receives an individual report as well as a certificate of acknowledgment for participation.  These certificates make valuable additions to student portfolios.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE ARE NOT COMPULSORY AND YOU MAY WISH TO DO AS MANY AS YOU WISH OR NONE AT ALL.  EXAMS WILL BE ONLINE AND CONDUCTED IN EXAM CONDITIONS AT SCHOOL.  You will be informed of exact sitting dates once scheduled.

Parents/Carers must go online to the ICAS Parent Portal to register and make payment for the exams your child wishes to complete. 

Your ICAS Parent Portal Link is:  https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps

Your ICAS Parent Portal Access Code is:  RLT738

• The ICAS Parent Portal will close on 1 August 2022. 
• No registration or payment will be accepted at school.
• Late entries will not be accepted. 

Any queries, please contact our office staff.

PUPIL FREE DAYS - Term 3

Please place the following dates in your diary. These dates are when staff will be undertaking professional development therefore will be pupil free days in Term 3.

Friday 23rd September (Last day of Term 3)

PARENTING TIPS

KNOW WHAT MAKES BOYS TICK

by Michael Grose www.parentingideas.com.au

Boys can be a mystery to many parents, particularly those who were raised in all-girl households or who have had minimum exposure to males in their formative years. Here are some insights into what makes boys tick:

BOYS ARE MORE  LIKELY TO LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE THAN BEING TOLD

Boys, more than girls, are likely to learn many of their lessons from experience rather than being told. This can be make parenting them challenging, particularly if you don’t have an appetite for risk yourself. Perhaps the biggest challenge is keeping them safe so some risks need to be out-of-bounds. It can also be difficult as a parent being the support person when the lessons that boys learn bring hardship and tears.

BOYS BRAINS ARE DESIGNED BY A DIFFERENT ARCHITECT

In the first five years of life a girl’s brain is busy developing fine motor skills, verbal skills and social skills, which are all highly valued by parents and teachers. Meanwhile, a boy’s brain is busy developing gross motor skills, spatial skills and visual skills. These are all handy hunting skills. So boys often start school with a distinct disadvantage when it comes to learning and fitting in. You can overcome this disadvantage through extra fine motor activities in the early years.

BOYS MATURE DIFFERENTLY TO GIRLS

The maturity gap between boys and girls of anywhere between 12 months and two years, seems to be consistent all the way to adulthood. Parents should take this into account when deciding the school starting age of their sons. This maturity gap is also evident when kids finish school and move into tertiary studies or the workplace. Girls are often better placed to succeed, and many boys get lost once they leave school. You need to be prepared to keep supporting boys well into their adulthood.

LOYALTY IS A HIGH DRIVER FOR BOYS

Understand that a boy’s loyalty to his friends and family is a key driver and you’ll begin to understanding the male psyche. They are incredibly influenced by their peers, which can hold many of them back. It takes a brave boy to get too far ahead of the pack, so they often hold each other back when it comes to achieving. Use encouragement rather than praise to motivate your son, thus decreasing his reliance on others for approval.

BOYS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE VISUAL LEARNERS

Boys generally need a reason to learn. If you are having difficulty motivating your son then try linking learning to their interests. They may play a musical instrument when they know they can play in a band or practise their kicking a football if they can see it will help kick more goals. If they love skateboarding the chances are they want to know more about it, so use this as a lever to motivate them if reading is a problem.

BOYS BENEFIT GREATLY FROM SILENCE

Boys don’t have the same innate tendency for reflection that girls are born with. Don’t get me wrong, males of all ages have the ability reflect on their behaviours, values and their lives (when older) but they need the environment to be right for them to do so.

Quiet time and down time give boys the chance to let their thoughts wander around inside their heads. It also helps them get to know and even like themselves. Boys will often do their best thinking on their own, so they tend to retreat to their caves (bedroom) when things go wrong at school or in their relationships. They need to go within to find their own answer.

BOYS JUST WANT TO BLEND IN

Boys are group-oriented by nature. They want to fit in. They tend to play group games and form themselves into structured friendship groups. Boys generally don’t want to stand out from the crowd.

Don’t put them down in front of their friends and understand that they may make poor friendship choices rather than be in a group of one – by themselves. They prefer the ‘wrong friends’ rather than no friends at all.

APPROVAL IS AT THE HEART OF PARENTING BOYS

Approval is at the heart of working parenting boys. They will walk over broken glass or hot coals if they feel you like them. In a sense this notion holds many of them back, as most boys will only work for a teacher if they like them and close down on learning if they sense the teacher doesn’t like them. If as a mum or dad you show your love and approval of them personally, even though you may not always approve of their choice of behaviours then you’ll more than likely enjoy a strong relationship with your son.

Take the time to nurture a relationship with your sons or the boys that you interact with. Some boys like to talk; others like to share an activity; some like you as an adult to do something for them; others are very kinaesthetic and love to be touched, cuddled and hugged; while some just love gifts and mementoes. Work out the relational preferences of the males in your life and make sure you match these.