TERM 3

This term is shaping up to be a very busy term with lots of events for both students and families. Some of the key events include …

Website photo shoot

Next Wednesday, 12th August, our website designers will be visiting the school to take photos in order to update our website. This is an exciting opportunity for those students with full media consent to be the face of Greenock Primary School!

Book Week parade & VIP event

On Tuesday 25th August, parents, grandparents and pre-school siblings are invited to view our magnificent Book Week parade and then to join the children and their teachers in their classrooms for some fun activities. Afterwards, please join us for a whole school Morning Tea (please bring a plate to share).

Book Week theme: Symphony of Stories

Working Bee

On Sunday 30th August, the Governing Council are looking for some handy-dandy helpers to assist with a working bee in the junior primary playground. Some of the jobs involved will include:

·         Recoating/oiling the timber decking

·         Calking/filling and sanding timber ‘steppers’

·         Smoothing sharp edges on rocks

·         Covering exposed irrigation pipes

·         Clearing and cleaning play spaces of sand and debris

·         Emptying the sandpit – and spreading the sand as ‘top dress’ on the oval

·         Re-filling the sandpit with clean sand

To entertain your children while you work, there will be some sports equipment available and games in the Wellbeing Room. We’ll also be putting on a sausage sizzle lunch to nourish all the hard workers.

If you think you can help out, please save the date. An Audiri notice to gather names of volunteers will be coming out soon!

Fathers’ Day stall

For our Mothers’ Day stall, we asked if you could ‘make 10’. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the creativity and generosity of the donations. To make sure our lovely dads and fabulous father-figures don’t miss out, we are asking the same question: can you ‘make 10’? 

Your arty, crafty, makey, bakey items will go on sale at the Fathers’ Day stall on Thursday 3rd September.

FOG family night

Our amazing FOG team will be hosting their next family night on Friday 11th September.

Festival of Music

The choir students will be performing at the Entertainment Centre on Wednesday 16th September. Make sure you get your tickets ASAP, as this is always a fabulous night. This year, our very talented Ruby Boyle will be performing a solo rap within one of the songs.

Swimming Week

As usual we will end Term 3 with the R-5 swimming week. More details coming soon!

SITE LEARNING PLAN

How are we progressing with the priorities on our Site Learning Plan?

Area of Impact – WELLBEING

Classroom routines are well established and teachers are using resources to support students to become adaptable, independent learners.

This term, teachers are focusing on developing the emotional intelligence of students, so that they can express their own wellbeing. This will then lead into developing ready-to-learn plans with students.

SA CURRICULUM: Mathematics

Teachers are all planning differentiated teaching to support all learners. They are all using a variety of strategies to develop mathematical proficiency (ie: explicit teaching, skills mastery & enquiry approaches).

This term, further work will be done to explore the dispositions: resilience, resourcefulness, reflectiveness.

LITERACY: Writing and Phonics, Spelling & Morphology

All teachers have been explicitly teaching narrative writing and all have built in frequent resilience-building writing activities. All teachers have implemented the new learnings from the LGU (phonics, spelling and morphology) into their teaching practice and are effectively planning intervention strategies with the SSOs in their classrooms.

This term, we will focus on using the ‘teaching points’ from Brightpath to help students strengthen their writing skills and set their own goals for improvement. 

Hello,

We are well into another term, and I can't believe we are already up to Term 3!

There have already been a few events this term. We recently held a Pancake Breakfast, and I would like to thank all of the parents who came in early to help, as well as those who generously donated supplies. Without your support, these fun, tummy filling mornings would not be possible. Our next Pancake Breakfast will be held on 1st September.

We also have a Family Night coming up later this term on Friday 11th September. If you have any ideas or would like to help organise the evening, I would love to hear from you.

I have also just completed the Wiseguys and Girlwise program with our Year 4 girls and Year 5 boys. I am incredibly proud of the way the students participated, got involved, and shared openly throughout the program. It was wonderful to see each of the young people grow in confidence and develop personally over the time we spent together. We finished the program with a celebration filled with sharing, fun, and games.

Here’s some hightlights from the children:

          “Wiseguys is so fun  because we do fun stuff”

          “It is very fun to do and that it helps us talk about our feelings”

          “Having fun with your friends and wellbeing”

          “It has helped me because there is someone who listened to me”

          “Wiseguys is fun and I really want to do it again”

Are Your Child's Games Age Appropriate?

A large part of my role involves talking with young people about what is happening in their lives. I always enjoy hearing about their interests, friendships and the activities they have been enjoying. One topic that has come up more frequently this year is online gaming.

While gaming can be a fantastic way for children to learn, solve problems, be creative and connect with friends, I have noticed that an increasing number of students are playing games that are designed for much older audiences. This provides a valuable opportunity for us, as parents and caregivers, to take an active interest in the games our children are playing and the online environments they are accessing.

Children's brains are still developing, particularly the areas responsible for emotional regulation, decision-making and understanding consequences. Games that contain intense violence, strong language or mature themes can be overwhelming for younger children and may contribute to anxiety, emotional overstimulation and difficulty sleeping. Many popular games also include online chat features, which means children may be communicating with people they do not know.

As parents and caregivers, we all want to give our children the best opportunity to grow into healthy, resilient young people. Taking an active interest in their gaming is one simple but effective way to support their wellbeing.

Ask yourself:

• Do I know what games my child is playing?
• Have I checked the age rating?
• Do I know who they are playing and chatting with online?
• Would I feel comfortable sitting beside them while they play?

A few simple steps can make a big difference:

• Check the age rating before purchasing or downloading a game.
• Use parental controls to help manage content and online interactions.
• Keep gaming devices in shared family spaces where possible.
• Encourage a healthy balance between gaming, outdoor play, family time and sleep.
• Spend some time watching or even playing the game with your child—you may be surprised by what you discover.                                   
• Gaming is an important part of many children's lives, and when enjoyed safely, it can provide opportunities for learning, creativity and connection. By staying informed, setting age-appropriate boundaries and maintaining open conversations about online experiences, we can help our children enjoy the benefits of gaming while protecting their developing minds and overall wellbeing.

Here is a very helpful website that has the latest information about cyber safety and parent support:

·         Online safety | eSafety Commissioner

Hopefully, I'll see many of you around the school over the coming weeks. Enjoy the sunshine as spring begins to make its way towards us. As always, if you or your family would like some support, or if you'd simply like to have a chat, I am available.

Take care, Cheers Jo

Media Consent Form - Child/Student

Complete this form on the Audiri App.  Permission is needed for your child/ren to have work and/or photos published on our new official Facebook page (NB  names will not be published)

NB:  This is not the same form as the usual Permissions & Consent form that needs to be updated each year.  It is a new, once off, consent that will hold for the time your child/ren attend this school.

Please complete the 'Change of Details' form on the Audiri App to update any of the following changes to your circumstances:

*  home address (residential and/or postal)

*  contact phone number

* employment &/or place of employment

* email address

* emergency contacts

* student's medical condition

* *shared living arrangements

** custody information

*** Please contact the Front Office by phone, email or in person to provide further details regarding shared living arrangements and custody information

Please be aware that students who indicate that they have a medical condition requiring medication /specific healthcare needs stated on their Water Safety Consent form, must provide the instructors with an up to date healthcare plan from their doctor and current medication or they will receive either basic first aid only or may not be permitted to participate in swimming lessons by the instructor.

Staff will take plans and medication held at school for students to the pool each day.

If you are unsure if everything is current please contact the Front Office to check and act on reminders or requests sent to you from us regarding  your child's healthcare needs.

It is recommended that healthcare plans and medication agreement forms be reviewed every 12 months and preferably at the beginning of each school year ready for excursions and  activities throughout the year.