GENERAL NEWS

REAL TALK

REAL Talk has been a huge success over the last four years and the team is back again this year! 

The REAL Talk team will facilitate workshops with our Year 4 and Year 6 students tomorrow (5th August) so it is important that parents are aware these workshops are taking place.

REAL Talk is an organisation that is about getting REAL on the topics of relationships and personal identity. Based on Catholic Christian values, Real Talk provides up-to-date resources, presentations and programs that help young people to understand God’s amazing plan for love and life.  

Presentation topics include; self-worth and appreciating diversity, making good choices based on respect and love of self and neighbour, the impact of the media (including social media) on how we see ourselves and how we act, the importance of our bodies, the value and meaning of sexual body language, the beauty of healthy relationships and friendships. 

FEAST DAY MUFTI DAYS

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

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.

DIOCESAN STAGE 3 DEBATING COMPETITION

This week our debating teams competed in the third round of the Armidale Diocesan Stage 3 Debating Competition. The topic for these debates was 'That primary students are ill prepared for high school.' 

Eve Simpson, Toby Errington, Bronte Rankmore and Mia Scott were appointed the affirmative team and debated against St Joseph's Uralla on Wednesday. They were announced the winners in what was a very hard-fought debate. 

Ruby Cook, Callum Anderson, Neeve Sheridan and Lyla Davidson were appointed the negative team and debated against St Xavier's Gunnedah today. They also came away with a victory in another close debate. 

Both teams should be extremely proud of the work that they have put in preparing for this debate and we look forward to their next debates in a few weeks. 

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

READ THIS AND BE AMAZED!!!!

All our students at St Nicholas school are constantly learning and improving  skills whilst applying VCOP strategies in their compositions. Prepare to be astounded by the following samples.

A description (using imagery) of a lawnmower 

by Bailey Maher Year 3

Just at that moment I felt a sickening vibration as the cursed knight in emerald armor started using his serrated knives to cut everything in its path to shreds. The smell was as toxic as a coal mine. The sound of the cursed knight’s growl was ear-piercing and his teeth were black, filled with chemicals. My heart started pounding, and I cried “What do I do now?”

A description (using imagery) of a toilet, shower and bathtub 

by Xander Kidd (Year 3)

Sssssh! The colossal white beast spewed its liquid. I sprinted away. I entered the white, glistening castle. The tall, towering creature howled with a gurgling noise and spluttered its wet poison. In fear, I jumped into the bubbling pool and the cogs started moving and a whirlpool formed.

OUR “GARDEN GANGS” ARE HARD AT WORK

The gardens at St Nicholas are taking on a fresh, brand new look! Due to the vast number of teachers and students who are eager to develop their “green thumb”, and also because we value and promote “working in teams”, each grade has now been allocated their very own garden space to plan, develop and beautify. Our teachers and their “Garden Gangs” have already begun work. Painted tyres for herb gardens and potted pansies for a splash of colour are the latest new additions….and there are many more creative plans in the pipeline. We also have a little tribe of “Garden Ninjas” who love pottering of a morning. As well as maintaining the gardens, they have been busy constructing natural teepees from sticks which are now flourishing with climbing snow peas and sweet peas. Watch this space for some very exciting developments!!!!

ATHLETE'S FOOT VOUCHERS

We have some more vouchers from Athlete's Foot to give away. Thank you to all the parents who mention St Nicholas when shopping at Athlete's Foot, as they are donating $5 from every pair of shoes purchased back to the school. 

To be the winner of a $20 voucher, be the first person in each grade to tell Mrs Daley the correct answer to the following riddle.

What is harder to catch the faster you run?

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.

Entries have now closed for these Exams. 

The Writing Test will be held on Monday 8th August and the Digital Technologies test will be held on Thursday 11th August. Dates for the remaining tests will be advised in coming newsletters. 

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.