From the Principal's Desk

Week 9

On Friday, we all celebrated our our athletes with the presentation of Armidale Zone medallions.

Addie, Oliver and Emma all came Runner Up champions in their age groups. Nixon was awarded Senior Boys champion and broke a NW record with a 13.06 for the 100m. The Senior Boys relay broke the NW record again with their 55 seconds.

Congratulations!!

Armidale Secondary Transition visits

Over the last few weeks, we have been very lucky to visit Armidale Secondary College to ensure connections are made prior to high school for our Stage 3 students. These experiences are not only a lot of fun, students have learnt new skills whilst also becoming familiar with the wonderful grounds, students and staff.

Thank you ASC for these opportunities!!

SAVE THE DATE

This week we are excited to announce our K-6 Musical, Lollies.

Our story takes place one night in a lolly shop in Term 4, week 5 on Tuesday 10 November for a matinee and Wednesday 11 November evening.

Watch this space for ticket information...

E-Safety

As children start to navigate the online world and interact with others more independently, they are more likely to be exposed to risks of bullying or unsafe contact, to accidentally come across content not designed for children or overspending on in-app purchases and in gaming.

Your guidance can help them watch for risks and understand what is expected of them. Let them know you are always there to support them.

For ways to start conversations about online safety and difficult topics like child sexual abuse online, see our advice for talking with children aged 0 to 12.

Advice for parents and carers

Keep the computer or device in an area of your home that can be supervised. Check in regularly with your child to see what they are viewing.
Stay engaged with their online activity. Consider setting up your own accounts with the sites they use most, or simply browsing the content, so you can see how they work and understand the risks. Show good privacy habits by asking your child before sending them a 'friend' or follow request. If they say they don't want to connect with you online, it may be a good opportunity to talk about risks and rules.
Explore the online world with them to help establish that you can share online activities as a family. You might want to play games with them or do a creative project together.
Encourage respect and empathy. Teach your child to avoid sharing or posting things that may upset others. See good habits start young.
Start building resilience. Explain to your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens them. This includes immediately telling you or another trusted adult of any concerns or uncomfortable material. See good habits start young.
Encourage them to learn about online safety by exploring the kids section of this site.

Technology tips for parents of kids 5 to 12

Ensure your own devices are protected by a password, passphrases or PIN, so your child can’t accidentally come across content not intended for children.
If you are thinking about giving them their own tablet or smartphone, check out are they old enough?
If your child does have their own device, avoid logging into your own accounts on that device. This will prevent any content you have stored in the cloud that may not be child-friendly from synchronising (downloading or sharing to) your child’s device.
Use parental control tools you feel are right for the age and experience of your child. Be upfront and get your child on board. Let them know these can be reviewed and changed as they get older, if they show responsible behaviour. Consider installing a ‘child-friendly’ search engine that will allow them to explore a limited number of sites. See parental controls.
Check out Raising Children NetworkExternal link's healthy screen time and quality media choices: 6 to 11 years.

Source - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Grandparents Day - Save the Date!

Next term on Friday 23rd Octoberwe will be inviting Grandparents into school to spend time with their Grandchildren. More details will be provided next week.

Please remember to check the What's Happening in School Bytes, which is updated every Friday.

Have a wonderful week!

Peta Deiderick