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PRINCIPAL NEWS
Dear Families,
2020 NAIDOC week, Always Was, Always Will Be, was embraced by the school community and celebrated at our assembly on Friday. Children shared poetry, facts and artwork in response to their connections to country and learning at nature play. Nicole Smith, our school’s Aboriginal Education Worker, welcomed us in palawa kani and shared video footage of the song liyini milaythina rrala (Singing Country Strong) featuring local musician Jodie Haines. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to enjoy this visual and musical delight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cBvpm2F8ZA
Last week we also spent time reflecting on the meaning of Remembrance Day and commemorated the event as a whole school with a minute’s silence and the last post being observed at 11am. Four students laid wreaths at the Taroona and Kingston Beach services on behalf of our school community. Thank you to Alanna Carne, Jacqui Rogers, Daniel, Essie, Addison and Henry for participating in the services.
Congratulations to our Interschool athletes who were successful at Monday’s carnival, bringing home many ribbons as well as first place. A huge thank you to Kylie Broadbent for supporting the students in training for this event and to Kylie and Hilary Purdie for accompanying the team on Monday. Every student did their best despite the varied weather conditions that confronted them throughout the day!
National Skin Cancer Action Week (15-21 November, 2020) Did you know that more than 95% of skin cancer cases are caused by unprotected exposure to UV radiation from the sun, meaning it is a nearly entirely preventable cancer?
As a sun safe school, all TPS students are required to wear a school hat during the warmer months, from 1 September – 30 April. With the recent increase in temperatures and UV index ratings, children are also encouraged to apply sunscreen before coming to school, and re-apply as necessary throughout the school day. Children may choose to bring their own sunscreen from home or use school supplies.
End of year reporting Teachers are in the process of finalising assessments and moderating work in preparation for our end of year reporting to parents. Reports will be sent home on the last Friday of Term 4, 9th December 2020.
Best wishes
Danielle Bresnehan
Principal
Taroona Awards
Congratulations to the following students who received an award at our last Assembly.
- Creativity – Luka H, Tilo B, Leo J, Sienna F & Charlie J
- Respect – Maxine T, Luca D, Ewan S, Alec S, Meg S, Beatrix V.G & Harry D.L.M
- Resilience – Riley S & Thomas W
- Collaboration – Sam S, Charlie M, Isaac R & Miles B
- Excellence – Ethan B, Annabella C, Georgie C, Jasper M, Louie C, Hamish O & An T
- All 5 – Immy L, Elsa G, Charlie C, Henry N & Molly O
Zones of Regulation & Social Thinking
In our previous newsletter we provided information about social thinking and its connection to the Zones of Regulation. This week’s post focuses on Making and Keeping Friends, a topic that comes up regularly in the primary school setting for many of our learners.
Making and keeping friends is something that most of us take for granted, in much the same way we take for granted our ability to learn to talk and walk, be part of a classroom discussion, write our name or stand in line. When children don’t intuitively learn to develop friendships on their own, we support them to learn about all aspects of friendships, including that friendships must be mutual, they change over time, and even when nurtured, friendships may not be stable and long-lasting.
Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke, provide the following 10 Truths and Tips for Making and Keeping Friends to assist parents, care givers and professionals in supporting children to learn about all aspects of friendships.
- Friendship is a relationship – To relate successfully people need to feel comfortable together.
- The biggest compliment we give each other is our attention – Paying attention to something that is not always fascinating to us is the compromise we make to keep the relationship developing.
- Friendship involves communication: verbal and non-verbal – We use our eyes to continue to show people we are thinking about them or what they’re doing, we use our bodies to indicate we are sticking with that person, and we use our language to relate or to find new topics about which someone might want to relate.
- Friendships are mutual – Friendships require active perspective taking and compromise e.g. when accepting defeat when your friend wins, when sharing boredom together, or when focusing mostly on what your friend needs in that moment.
- Friendships require significant flexibility and problem solving – Friendships evolve as we work out how to stick together through good and rough times. Friendships involve trust, knowing who to tell what information and learning to apologize.
- Friendships can be stressful, unpredictable, and sometimes confusing – Friendships hopefully bring us many positive experiences and feelings; however, friendships can also be hurtful, stressful, and confusing. Learning to manage one’s anxiety, stress, and emotional negativity is also part of friendship management.
- Friendships end – Friendships are usually not for life. Friendships often fade out and some crash and burn.
- Making new friends is worth the work – No matter what stage and age in our childhoods or lives, we can continue to make new friends. It takes work to make a friend, starting with initiating your interest in that other person, making them feel special by giving them your attention, connecting around things that are interesting to both of you, and being flexible and patient when things aren’t always comfortable or easy.
- Friendships are complicated – When people say they don’t want a friend, they often are saying this because they feel defeated by the complexities involved in making and keeping a friend. Helping them understand that they can continue to learn specific social emotional competencies, as well as manage their social anxieties, is important.
- Memories of past social rejection may make it hard for us to want to make new friends – Rather than remembering how friendships went bad, focus on the ability to do things differently now and in the future. A positive mindset goes a long way toward developing new relationships, which eventually become positive memories in our lives.
For more information and resources go to https://www.socialthinking.com
e-Safety: Parental Controls
Figuring out what kind of parental control is best is entirely based on your own family’s needs. Some families can get by with simple, free browser settings to filter inappropriate content. Some families need help clamping down on screen time. Some folks are cool with spot-checks on their kids’ devices. This guide can help you make sense of the options for managing your family’s devices.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-parental-controls
CLASSROOM NEWS
Prep Pullen
Please click on the image below for further information.
5-6 Gregson
Please click on the image below for further information.
LAUNCHING INTO LEARNING – Super LiL Term 4
Families are encouraged to come along and join in the fun with special sessions scheduled in Term 4. Click on the flier for full details!
TPSA NEWS
Please find below links to documents from the most recent TPSA Meetings
TPSA Draft Meeting Minutes 031120
Principal Report TPSA Meeting 3 November 2020
Please send all enquiries / correspondence to TPSAenquiry@gmail.com
UNIFORM SHOP NEWS
Good News! After months of delay, our Size 10 and 12 Short Sleeve polo tops are back in stock. Orders can be made via QKR or in person at the Uniform Shop (Thursdays 2:45pm – 3:15pm).
Uniform Ordering
We encourage all parents to order their children’s uniforms online via the QKR! App. Click here for instructions.
All orders received via QKR by 11am on Thursdays will have their order ready for collection at the School Office on Friday mornings. QKR is the preferred method to order uniforms at this time. Please note, no cash will be accepted in the Uniform Shop – only EFTPOS payments until further notice.
Uniform Shop
The TPS Uniform Shop is open on Thursdays from 2:45pm – 3:15pm. The Uniform Shop is located directly underneath the staffroom, accessible via the Early Childhood Playground and the Quadrangle.
Please note: The Uniform Shop will be closed for the remainder of Term 4 from the 4th December to allow for stocktake. If you require any urgent items after this date, please contact Katie Ferguson directly.
Volunteers
A call for volunteers is now out for the 2021 Back to School Sales days which will be held on Wednesday 27 January (PM), Thursday 28 January (AM) and Tuesday 2nd February (AM). If you are able to assist in helping with the sales days, please contact Katie to register your interest. We very much appreciate the support of the volunteers during these busy days.
Second-Hand Clothing
The second-hand clothing racks will be on display inside the uniform shop for purchasing. Second hand uniform purchases are very popular so please be mindful of the time spent viewing the racks. We will do our best to serve everyone.
Second-hand clothing donations are very welcome, these can be dropped into the School Office during office hours.
Uniform Item and Price Lists
Please click here for the current list of uniform items.
Please click here for the order form (manual processing) and price list.
Covid-19 Rules for the Uniform Shop
The Uniform Shop is small with limited room to move around, so it is important we adhere to the current Covid-19 advice and ask that visitors follow the social distancing and hygiene measures in place at the school for visitors, parents and carers. ONLY two customers at a time are allowed in the shop, maintaining a physical distancing of 1.5 metres. A hand-sanitising station will be placed at the entrance of the shop and all customers must use this prior to entering. We kindly ask that customers be considerate of others waiting outside so please keep browsing time to a minimum. The shop doors will close at 3:15pm sharp.
If you have questions about school uniforms, please contact the Uniform Shop Coordinator, Katie Ferguson via email katieferguson@netspace.net.au
Changes to STAS Eligibility
A set of Frequently Asked Questions has been developed to assist with any questions you may have.
Further questions about STAS or Levies and Charges in general can be sent to the Department of Education’s Financial Services Unit at stas@education.tas.gov.au or by calling 1800 827 055
SCHOOL INFORMATION
Student Absences
A reminder to parents/carers to advise the school office if their child is unable to attend school due to illness or any other reason.
- By phone (6227 8325)
- Email taroona.primary@education.tas.gov.au
A medical certificate is required if a child is absent due to illness for 5 days or more.
Signing Students in/out
To ensure we have an accurate record of student attendance, we ask that any student arriving at school later than 9:00am, or leaving for any reason during the school day, be signed in or out at the school office.
Messages to Students
If you need to get a message to your child, please contact the school before 2:15pm to ensure enough time for us to pass the message on.
Duty of Care
Please note that students are not to arrive before 8:30am. This is for the students’ protection and safety as there are no teachers on duty prior to 8:30am and classrooms remain locked until this time. Supervision is provided before and after school:
- Playground (EXCLUDING PLAY WEST & OVAL) 8:30 to 8:55am
- Car park & bus area 2:50 to 3:05pm
LADY GOWRIE
Lady Gowrie Taroona Before and After School Care operates from the hall each school day from 7:00-8:30 am (Before School Care) and 3:00-6:00 pm (After School Care), catering for children aged 4-12 years. We offer a safe and stimulating environment based on the children’s interests incorporating both indoor and outdoor play. We employ trained Educators and provide a nutritious breakfast and afternoon tea each day. Please contact the Lady Gowrie Outside School Hours Care Office on 6230 6806 or email us at oshc@gowrie-tas.com.au for more information.
To ensure the safety of our school property, please ring Crime Stoppers if you see anyone acting suspiciously in our school grounds.
