K/1M

Watch the student video - The Onceler Plot: Stop the Chop

4/5B

This term, the students in 4/5B participated in the Taking Care of Country School Design Challenge. They explored how to combine their knowledge of Country and science to care for the land. The project began with close observations of the nature around the school, noticing both big and small details. From these observations, the students developed ideas on how to improve the school's environment. After researching their ideas, they designed solutions and put them into action to make a positive impact.

Some of the creative ideas included adding hooks to bins to prevent cockatoos from opening them and eating plastic, planting native trees and shrubs to provide shelter for birds and insects, and building birdhouses to create homes for local birdlife. To showcase their learning journey, the students created a digital story that highlighted their observations, research and the positive changes made for the environment. Students then had the option of submitting their digital story to the competition with the chance to win many prizes including the major prize, A special screening of “The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History” in a portable planetarium dome at our school.

Mr Bray

Year 6 market day

Our Year 6 Market Day in Week 8 was a huge success! The students fully embraced their roles as young entrepreneurs, running their own food stalls and learning valuable lessons about revenue, working with their target market, and providing excellent customer service. After the event, they assessed their profit margins versus expenses, gaining a deeper understanding of real-world business.

A big thank you to everyone who supported our student businesses—Lemon Crush, Bussin Muffins, Shake It Up, Cookie Crafters, Smooth Smoothies, HSC Sundaes, and Sugar Rush Kids. Your contributions will go a long way toward supporting our Year 6 graduation!

Ms Deacon

Uncle Kevin visit

In Week 10, we were honoured to welcome back Uncle Kevin Butler, a respected Aboriginal Elder and award-winning artist, to Tarrawanna Public School. Uncle Kev led our students in special art workshops, sharing the significance of Aboriginal culture and passing on his incredible knowledge. His work, including the beautiful murals seen across Illawarra schools, continues to inspire future generations and is a personal step toward reconciliation. We are grateful for the time and wisdom he shared with our students, making this experience both meaningful and memorable.

Uncle Kevin will work with us again in term 4 to develop an artwork that will be used for a proposed student shirt and on signage around the school.

Ms Deacon

TCS Sydney Marathon goIT STEM project

Recently all Stage 3 students participated in the gotIT STEM Challenge, which encourages students to shape the future of the TCS Sydney Marathon. In teams, they designed a creative solution to make the Sydney Marathon one of the most environmentally-sustainable events of its kind in the world. This aligned perfectly with our study of People and their Impact on places in geography.

The students had many great ideas including pressure mats that trigger photos throughout the race as well as feedback times to runners and robotic cleaners. Brendan, Hugo and Fynn won the Regional NSW finals with their picth for the HydroFold, a collapsible water bottle. However, they didn't stop at just the bottle! They created a QR code that linked to a website with many features, including places you can collect free water refills.

The boys presented to the CEO of TCS and a large crowd at the International Convention Centre. They were truly amazing, and certainly did TPS proud. Part of their prize was an all-expenses-paid weekend in Sydney for each student and their families as well as a $350 sports voucher each. They competed against a Sydney team, who took out the grand prize of $10,000 for their school.

A big thank you to Russell Taunton STEM Project Officer based out of Corrimal High School (Illawarra Academy of STEM Excellence) for his support throughout the project. We can't wait till next year's challenge.

Mrs Judd

Wellbeing program

At Tarrawanna, our Wellbeing Program is designed to support students through Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). But what exactly is SEL, and why is it important for your child?

What is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)?

SEL is all about helping children develop the skills they need to understand and manage their emotions, build positive relationships, and make good decisions. Through SEL, students learn how to recognise their feelings, control their reactions, work through challenges, and show empathy to others.

Why is SEL Important?

SEL is essential for your child’s overall well-being and success. When children can manage their emotions, handle stress, and interact positively with others, they feel more confident and do better both in and out of the classroom. SEL also helps children:

Build strong friendships
Solve problems effectively
Stay focused on learning
Cope with difficult emotions, like frustration or sadness

By incorporating explicitly teaching of SEL into our Wellbeing Program, we aim to give our students the tools they need to thrive emotionally, socially, and academically.

Ms Cram

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