8 June 2023

Principal Report

Dear Families,

We currently have six teaching prac students learning from our very capable teachers. These students are in a variety of classes from Prep – Grade 6. They have been planning for and teaching lessons across a range of curriculum areas and been witness to the rich professional learning teachers are constantly a part of. On Monday after school our School Psychologist, Lesli, spoke about the external and internal expression of neurodivergence in children.  The information gained from this session has been the topic of many conversations since. It was highly valued by teaching staff as we understand that we must constantly grow and evolve in our knowledge as professionals to support the well-being for learning of the students in our care.

During recent Respectful Relationships lessons grade 3/4 classes have been exploring a range of ways to solve conflict. Students have been looking at three ways to deal with a disagreement: passively, aggressively or assertively. A lion, a meerkat and a giraffe are used to illustrate these three ways of handling disagreements.

* The Lion (Aggressive): only interested in winning an argument; not worried about hurting others’ feelings; threatens or hurts people to get its own way.

* The Meerkat (Passive): scared of disagreements; pretends the disagreement is not happening; runs away or leaves; gives in too easily for fear of losing a friend or because it is frightened.

* The Giraffe (Assertive): stands tall and stays calm and tries to sort out an argument with solutions where both people win; says sorry when wrong; asks for help to sort things out; says what it thinks or feels without getting angry.

Students worked through scenarios and identified whether the characters were responding like a lion, a meerkat or a giraffe and how they could change to be more like a giraffe. Classes discussed why is it important to consider the feelings of all people involved in a disagreement and be respectful towards each other. Grade 3/4 classes presented this in our whole school meeting on Tuesday so they could share this learning with the entire school. Some teachers mentioned they have already been using the ‘lion, meerkat, giraffe’ language with students experiencing a conflict and it is very effective.

Certainly as adults we can also learn from this. Perhaps you could try using this strategy at home with your own family.

MAST sessions

Last week Marine And Safety Tasmania visited the school to follow up on the Boat and Water Safety element of our Swimming & Water Safety Program.  Students from Grade 3-6 were able to look at and identify all of the different equipment that helps keep us keep safe when in or on the water.  Some were even brave enough to try on the self inflating lifejackets!!  Thanks to Ian and Keygan who took the lessons for our students.

A reminder that parents and carers are responsible for their child outside school hours unless they have accessed school-based childcare during these times. Duty of care is provided students by school staff during the hours of 8.30 am – 3.00 pm.

Lastly, a reminder to please not use the disabled parking bay next to the library unless you have a pass that relates to either yourself or the child that you are collecting. Last week on a rainy afternoon a parent who needed to access this parking spot was unable to resulting in them having to park on the road.

Thank you for your support in ensuring this parking is left available for those who need to access it.

Kind regards, Cathryn

Calendar of Events

School Photos

School Photos will be taken on Wednesday 28 June 2023.
Photos are to be ordered online following the information provided below.
Family photos are available following the same process and must be ordered no later than 
Tuesday 27 June.
Family photos will be taken during recess and lunch on this day.

Canteen Week 8

Due to unforeseen circumstances muffins will not be available to order for Week 8 or Week 9. Anyone that has already placed an order for this product will be refunded.

OMG Decadent Donuts will be avaialble to order for recess during this time. 

Thanks for your understanding. 

Art News!

Comfy Clothes Day

Next Thursday, the SRC have organised a Comfy Clothes Day to be held at Illawarra Primary. For a gold coin donation, students are encouraged to come to school dressed in the clothes they feel most comfortable in.  Money raised from this event will go towards supporting our KidsMatter day in term 3 and the ‘Socks & Jocks’ campaign organised by the Tassie Mums.

We have also purchased a range of delicious lollies and stuffed them into a glass jar for our lolly guessing competition. For $1, students can try and guess how many lollies are in the jar, with the winner announced on Thursday afternoon.

We look forward to an enjoyable day and raising funds for a great cause.

Think U Know Program

Dear Families

Further to the information we have sent out about ThinkUKnow presentations for Prep-Grade 6, you’re invited to attend a ThinkUKnow (www.thinkuknow.org.au) presentation on Tuesday, 13 June from 8:45am-9:45am. As parents and carers, you play an important role in protecting your child from harm whilst online. ThinkUKnow aims to support you in preventing and managing safety challenges that your child may face, as well as guiding your child to understand these and feel empowered to take action. This one-hour event will provide an overview of online experiences your children may have today, consider the challenges, and offer options to take action in building a safer online world for them. There are two ways to join the event. Either, you can join us in the support room at school (closest classroom to GP room), where we will connect into the online presentation. Alternatively, you can connect from home, work or anywhere else using the link http://aka.ms/TUK_Illawarra All you need is a PC, Mac, or phone that is browser enabled. Please note that this event is for Parents and Carers ONLY. Some content is considered inappropriate for children.

Regards Michael Hayen

Skipping Ropes

Movie Night

Book Club

Book Club catalogues were sent home on Friday 

Can these please retured to the office by Monday 12 July or parents can order via LOOP (online)

Thank you Kingborough Helping Hands

Last term, Illawarra Primary School received a very generous donation from local community group, Kingborough Helping Hands, to purchase new decodable readers for our home reading program. We were able to thank Edna and Graeme from Kingborough Helping Hands at our recent assembly and present them with a lovely thank you gift on behalf of our school community as well as a special ONYA certificate. These beautiful new books will be a hugely welcome addition to our home reading program and will allow students to practise newly learnt phonics skills at home. Thank you, Edna and Graeme, for your care and support of our learners!

A huge well done to Sami, Lily and Elsie from 2B for their lovely speech at assembly and for helping to create the beautiful gift for Edna and Graeme.

Lisa King

School Levies 2023

School levies for 2023 are now overdue. Please contact the school office if you would like to put a payment plan in place.  Arrangements can be made for weekly, fortnightly, or monthly payments to assist with paying of the school levies.

There is also the opportunity for families to apply for the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS).  The following information is provided about STAS and how you can apply.  If you have any questions about this process, please contact the office.

Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) for 2023 School Year

The Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) provides assistance to low-income families towards the cost of levies for students enrolled in a school from kindergarten through to year 12.

STAS is provided through school and college resourcing rather than payment direct to families.

Eligibility

Parents who have a current concession card as listed below can apply for dependent students for assistance under the STAS:

Services Australia – Centrelink Health Care Card

Service Australia – Centrelink Low Income Health Care Card

Services Australia – Pensioner Concession Card or

Department of Veteran Affairs – Pensioner Concession Card.

2023 Eligibility for Previous STAS Recipients

Parents who received STAS during 2022 who do not hold a concession card outlined will be approved using the 2022 process where evidence is provided to support their claim. The Department will contact parents in relation to this.

To apply for STAS please complete the Student Assistance application form.

Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) (education.tas.gov.au)

For further information please view the Frequently Asked Questions.

Public FAQs - Schools Levies and Charges (education.tas.gov.au)

Other Financial Assistance

• Families on low incomes who meet the eligibility conditions of the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) will not be required to pay school levies.  Grandparents raising grandchildren may also be eligible for STAS.
• Families who are not eligible for STAS, but who may experience financial hardship should talk to the school about payment arrangements and other financial assistance which may help.
• School staff understand that financial matters are highly sensitive, so your questions will remain completely confidential.
• These matters will also be dealt with directly with you and not through your child.
• Your child’s participation in learning will not be affected.

Winter Wellness

Community Notices