During term 4 we celebrated World Teacher's Day with a cooked breakfast to say a huge thank you to our dedicated teaching team. It is their hard work in the classroom - planning, assessment and teaching - that makes the biggest difference for our students. Their empathy and care for each and every student is evident across the school, and is reflected in feedback we regularly receive from our community. Thank you teachers for everything you do!

Less visible but just as important is our own School Psychologist, Lainie Ng. We held a small morning tea for Lainie to acknowledge her contribution to our school on School Psychologist Recognition Day. Lainie is an integral member of our Learning and Support Team, using her extensive knowledge to inform the decisions we make to help our students and families. Thank you Lainie!

Operation Art

Congratulations to Aria W (year 4) who has had her artwork recognised in the Operation Art Touring 50! This is a big achievement and means that Aria's artwork Dragons of the Water will be touring regional galleries across the state, before joining the permanent collection at the Children's Hospital in Westmead. Thanks to Ms Lewis, who coordinates entries and runs a weekly art enrichment group. Aria will receive her award at the upcoming Tarrawanna Spectacular.

We will also be celebrating art from across the school by producing new art work signage for our school fences. A special sign will be created for Aria's artwork, acknowledging her Operation Art success. These should be on display by term 1, 2025.

WriteOn competition

Student successes in competitions also extends to writing, where Adam I (year 1) received a silver medal in the NSW WriteOn competition for his poem titled The Boy in the Yellow Raincoat. Adam's poem has now been published in the annual WriteOn book, and will be available to borrow from the library. Given this magnificent achievement, I will also be printing Adam's poem on a sign, which we will display on the fence alongside student art work. Thanks to Ms Layton, who led the K-2 High Potential and Gifted Writing Program this year. It clearly had an impact!

High Potential and Gifted Class Expo

Congratulations to the year 5 students from the 2024 HPAG Extend Class for their outstanding showcase of learning last Wednesday In just 24 weeks, these students planned and delivered innovative projects, presentations and poems that inspired all who attended.

At Tarrawanna PS, it has been a privilege to host the Wednesday HPAG Extend Class, led by Mrs Lam. Congratulations to participating students from Corrimal Public School, Woonona Public School, Woonona East Public School, Corrimal East Public School, Bellambi Public School, and Russell Vale Public School . Applications for the 2025 program will open in term 1 for year 5 students.

Congratulations also to our own two participants, Paxton and Sophie. Your poem about chickens was magnificent!

Forest High School Band

On Monday we welcome the Forest High School Band to Tarrawanna Public School. They will be putting on a performance for students in years 3-6 as part of their tour of the South Coast. Students will be able to enjoy some music classics and could even have the opportunity to conduct the band themselves! Parents and friends are welcome to join us for the performance, which starts at 2.10pm in the hall.

Deadly Award Recipients

Congratulations to our two Deadly Award recipients, Zaylen C and Ty P! Zaylen received an award for his engagement with culture, and Ty for leadership. Well done, and very well deserved.

Illawarra Edible Garden Trail

Last weekend we welcomed avid gardeners from across the Illawarra (and further afield) to our permaculture garden as part of the Illawarra Edible Garden Trail. Our involvement was organised by Tarrawanna PS parent, Manami Henderson, and was a wonderful experience to share our garden knowledge and experience with others. Thanks to all the parent volunteers who supported the event, and to our Garden Ambassador volunteers.

Canteen open Thursdays

We have decided to trial opening the canteen on Thursdays for the rest of the term to see if this is a viable option for next year. Many schools no longer have a canteen and we are extremely lucky to have Kay, who serves quality homemade food that is very affordable. Your ongoing business keeps our canteen open, so please continue to show your support.

Hats

We are getting towards summer and hats are more important than ever. Students who do not have a hat will be required to play under the COLA. Hats can be purchased from the office for $15.

P&C Meeting: 4 Dec

Our next P&C meeting will be held in the library on Wednesday 4 December, from 1.30pm. I will be sharing our school plans for 2025 (including class structures) and providing a general overview of the budget priorities. If you would like to be involved in the discussion, please do come along as this is your P&C. Parents can also join online using the link in the School Bytes calendar.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our P&C for organising the wonderful Halloween Disco, which was very well received by students and parents!

2025 Calendar

We have been working hard on planning for 2025 and you will now find most key dates on the School Bytes calendar. Our aim is to try and give families as much notice as possible so it is easier to get involved.

Please note the change of starting date for term 1, 2025, which is a result of the recent teacher pay agreement. Students now begin school on Thursday 6 February, which includes students starting kindergarten.

Tea towels

Thanks to everyone who ordered tea towels. We sold just under 150, which means a profit of around $750 for the year 6 farewell. Fees should have been added to your School Bytes account (cash is also accepted in the office). The tea towels are currently being printed and will be handed out by the end of term, once payment is received.

Tell them from me survey

Thanks to all the parents who responded to this survey, we had 42 responses! I have emailed all parents a response to the feedback we received as I firmly believe that trust in what we are doing is built on transparency. Overall, the feedback was very positive and shows that we are heading in the right direction. If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to contact me.

End of year events

Please don't forget to save the key dates for the end of the year in your diaries as we would love to see you at our celebrations!

Mr Chris Hopkins

Principal

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