From the Deputy's Desk

Setting Students up for Success 

I love coming back at the start of the school year. School is cool! I really enjoy seeing our students in their fresh, crisp uniforms and shiny shoes. They brim with pride as they start their new year, whether they are in Kindergarten or any other group up to their final year in Year 12. 

Our Year 11s have already commented that it feels 'good-different' to be a senior student. 

Helping all students achieve success is an important role that both families and school staff play. Here are some ways that you can help your child to achieve success from home: 

• Help your K-6 child to pack their school bag the night before school, or to remind them to get it packed if they are older and are capable. This should include schoolbooks, pencil case, diary (for Secondary), hat. 
• Ensure children and teenagers go to bed at a reasonable time with no distractions including phones and devices. All students need a solid 8-10 hours of sleep per night to be well-rested and more likely to be successful the next day in all aspects of school as well as for health reasons. 
• Provide nutritious fresh food for lunch and recess with a water bottle, which will also help them to be successful as their brains will be able to work better. Packaged foods contain additives, excess sugar and salt that may contribute to behaviour issues and lack of focus. Please let me know if you would like recipes ideas in future Newsletters.
• Wake young children in time to get dressed, or remind older children to set alarms, so that they can have breakfast, get dressed, brush hair and teeth and be on their way, with enough time to minimise the stress to both you and them. This can be harder at the beginning of term when everyone is adjusting to coming back to school, but it will get better. For children who have chores to do, this will need to be factored in as well. 
• After school, your child may have homework to complete. This will increase as students move through their school years. If they have a quiet place to complete this work, they are more likely to achieve success, especially if you also ask about their work, which helps them to remember it and reinforces the new learning. 

We have provided all Secondary students with a School Diary for 2022. Students will be given information in the coming weeks about how to use the diary to help them achieve success. Recording when homework is due, setting up a homework routine at home and using the timetable to plan which books to pack for school, will help each student to increase their chances of being successful at school. 

All of our students can be successful, but it takes effort, planning, consistency and support to achieve this. Together with parents and carers, the staff of Boorowa Central School, look forward to helping all students to be as successful as possible throughout the coming school year. Information on the last pages of this newsletter is provided as resources for families to support students in a variety of ways. Please remember to check these pages in the Newsletter regularly. 

Our door is always open if you need further information on how to support your child at school. Please do not hesitate to ask. 

Kind regards 

Chris Hawkins

Acting Deputy Principal