Newman News Term 1 Week 4: From the Leader of Primary
This week I have been meeting with teachers to check in on how the year has begun and how our students are settling back into the routine of school life. It has been a great opportunity to hear about some early successes in the year, and the positive way students are adapting to their new classrooms and teachers. One thing I discovered, is that many teachers have already met, or are scheduled to meet, with a large number of families over the coming weeks. This is such a pleasing thing to see, as parent engagement in the learning process is so important in supporting a successful year for our students. The Australian government has a site called Learning Potential that provides information on how families can engage in their child’s learning across all ages, through games, and everyday activities such as cooking or walking the dog. I would encourage all families to have a read of its content and see if any of their tips could be useful in your homes too.
Swimming Carnival
Today’s Faction Swimming Carnival was a great success enjoyed by all. Students took part in their races with great enthusiasm, and it was great to see so many excellent displays of not only sports ability, but more importantly, sportsmanship too. While all students did a great job on the day taking part and listening to their teachers, I would especially like to highlight the efforts of our student leaders and the Year 6 cohort for the positive way they led their factions throughout the day. We are also very grateful to those families who were able to attend and follow the COVID guidelines in place to keep our event as safe as possible.
A big congratulations goes to Knox faction who were our shield winners on the day. They proved themselves the dominant force in the pool, while Brigid faction were great in taking out the Spirit Award. To see all the fantastic photos from the day please click here. I would like to thank our amazing Physical Education Teacher, Mrs Tasha Richards, for all of her efforts in the lead up to the carnival. There were many late nights and early mornings spent putting this day together for us all and we are so grateful to have her as part of our staff.
Our Age Champions and Runner-ups will be presented with their awards at next Friday’s Assembly and published in the next edition of the newsletter.
Parent Information Evening
I would like to thank all of the parents who attended our Parent Information Evening last week. It was so pleasing to see so many families in attendance and I think it says a lot about the commitment families at our school have to the learning of their children. The Parent Information Evening is of course about disseminating information relevant to each year level, but more importantly, it is about creating a relationship between parents and teachers so that they may work in partnership to create the best experiences for children. It is important that families know they can reach out to their child’s teacher at any time throughout the year, as we are here to help and support however we can.
Carpark
Last week, I shared some information with families via SeeSaw around the proper use of the drive through lanes in our carpark. It is important that families understand this is a shared space between many students and parents and above all, we need to keep our students safe. I would like to thank the many parents of our community who continue to exercise safe, responsible driving practices when in this area and who also display great patience when collecting their children. These parents really do help make our school a nicer place to be. There are teachers on duty until 3.30pm each afternoon, so if you want to skip the rush, you are also welcome to wait until then to collect your children.
Homework Club & Coder Dojo
A reminder to all families that Homework Club and Coder Dojo clubs are up and running for the term. The Homework Club runs each Monday afternoon from 3.30pm – 4.30pm under the guidance of teachers who are there to support students in completing their homework. For many students, this can be a good opportunity to get a head start on their homework for the week, in a space that is conducive to good learning and free of distractions. All students are welcome to attend throughout the year.
Coder Dojo runs on a Tuesday afternoon from 3.30pm – 4.30pm and is a joint venture with some of our Marcellin students and teachers. It is an opportunity for students to explore their curiosity and develop their coding skills through a set program for our young coders, with more independent options for our senior coders. Again, all students are welcome to attend.
CyberHound
With the beginning of the school year commencing, students will soon be using their iPads in class and at home to complete their learning. The school uses a tool called CyberHound in order to help keep students safe while in school. It acts as a filter for inappropriate content and shares a report with school leaders each day to let us know if there has been any searches for inappropriate topics. I would encourage all families to discuss with their children the things they consider appropriate for both school and home, relevant to their age. It is also a good idea to chat with kids about what to do if they come across something inappropriate online and who they should tell. Sometimes, having these small but important conversations can help prepare students for any situations that may one day occur.
Newman Parents – ySafe Cyber Safety Education Session
Newman College is looking forward to welcoming Australia’s leading provider of cyber safety education, ySafe to Newman Parents this term. This practical, strategy-rich session will cover the most important points that all families need to know regarding online safety, covering key information about social media and gaming, screen time recommendations and step-by-step instructions on how to set up a cyber safe home for kids of all ages.
When: Monday 22 March 2021, 7.00pm
Where: Newman College, Marist Auditorium
To register for this free session please click here.
We look forward to seeing you there.
