Principal Chat

Dear Families,

At our small school, with just a few children being picked up occasionally and one school bus servicing our students, it can be easy to become relaxed about road safety. However, it is precisely because our community is small that staying vigilant is so important!

While the number of children and vehicles around the school may be limited, this does not reduce the risks. In fact, familiarity can sometimes lead to complacency. Without a pedestrian crossing and busy traffic, it’s understandable to feel comfortable, but safety must always remain a top priority.

We are actively in new discussions with the Tamworth Regional Council about improving the layout and safety of our school’s bus and pick-up areas. These improvements aim to make drop-off and pick-up smoother and safer for everyone. However, these changes may take time to implement. In the meantime, we want to emphasise the importance of road safety for parents, carers, and community members. Please remember:

Always drive slowly and carefully in and around the school grounds. Children can be unpredictable and we need to take this into account.
Be vigilant when children are boarding or exiting the school bus. Stop and give way as required.
Watch closely for children near parked cars, and never double park or block sight lines.
When in the carpark with a child please increase their visibility by holding their hand. It maybe a quiet carpark but it is also instilling good habits for road safety when in the wider community.
Every child must be secured correctly in the appropriate child restraint or booster seat for their age and size. Always wearing seat belts, even on short trips, significantly reduces the risk of injury in the event of an accident. Make sure your child’s car seat is installed properly and regularly check it as they grow.

Even in our small school setting, lapses in attention can lead to accidents. By staying alert, following road safety rules, and modelling safe behaviour for our children, we can make sure everyone stays safe on their way to and from school.

We thank all families for their cooperation and commitment to safety as we work together with the council towards improved facilities. Until then, let’s keep road safety top of mind every day.

As Term 3 draws to an end, I have been reflecting on the term that was. Apart from the fact it flew by, my highlight would have to be the Kids teaching Kids lessons. The students have done a wonderful job and we have had lots of fun sharing in other student's interests and learning some new skills along the way. I think we will have to run this program again next year as it has been a great success and a rewarding teaching experience with the students having to use quite a few new skills sets to teach their lessons effectively all whilst having fun. What's not to love about that!

Look forward to seeing everyone for Term 4, always an exciting and busy term with lots of fun and exciting things happening - Kindergraten Transition Program, getting ready for Presentation Day, School Swimming and lots of teaching and learning. I guess those pesky elves will return again before we know it too!!

Wishing everyone a restful and relaxing break from making school lunches and not having to rush out the door to meet the bus for a couple of weeks.

Stay safe and take care.

Hannah Crawford

Principal

Niangala Public School