Dear Parents and Carers,

Over the last two weeks teachers have held appointments with parents to discuss how students have started the school year. Staff at Norwood Primary decided it was important to offer parent teacher meetings in term 1 as a way to build connections and communicate with our families. It has been wonderful to see so many families making the most of this opportunity, coming in to meet with their child’s teacher. These connections build a true partnership. The Department for Education, Children and Young People has released a reporting and communication procedure document which outlines how schools will communicate learning progress with families each term.

At Norwood, we will communicate learning progress with families in the following ways:

This will look different for Kindergarten, with our Kinder team trialling the use of Canvas, an online platform, to share evidence of learning with families. More information around this will come in term 2.

NAPLAN

Over the past two weeks our Grade 3 & 5 students completed their annual NAPLAN testing. We were very proud of the way our students approached this. For many it is a tiring couple of weeks and the cognitive load can be quite high. Our students were calm and motivated to try their hardest which is all we ask of them! A big thank you to the rest of the school who also have to be very flexible around changes to timetables due to NAPLAN.

School Improvement Plan for Norwood Primary School

We are currently working to develop our School Improvement Plan for this year in line with our goals and targets for every student. Key priority areas in 2023 are Mathematics with a focus on number and once again reading will remain a priority.  These priorities have come from our data which continues to show that although students at Norwood are progressing well in these areas even more learning and growth is possible. We hold the highest expectations for the level of success for every student. We have been able to access some support from the Principal Education Officer for Numeracy who will begin work with our teachers in term 2. Striving for improvement in leading, teaching and learning as well as our partnerships with families will help us to achieve even better results. 

Breakfast Club – making a good start to the day

There is a lot of research that highlights the importance of eating breakfast. Numerous studies have shown that eating breakfast helps a child’s attention span, concentration and memory which are all important for learning at school. We are aware that some families are struggling in this economic climate and may struggle to put food on the table, as a result we are starting up a breakfast club. This will begin in term 2 operating from the staffroom after 8.30am for students in need. This wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the generous donation from Woolworths Kings Meadows of bread, butter, and some spreads. It is wonderful to see companies like this supporting their local community.

On another note, Woolworths Kings Meadows have kindly donated a morning tea for our staff this Thursday as a way of thanking them for all the hard work this term, this generous form of appreciation is a wonderful way to end the term.

Retirement

Ms Jacqueline Glen will be retiring in June at the end of her Long Service Leave. Ms Glen has worked at Norwood for the last 15 years and contributed greatly to students well-being and learning. We thank Jacqueline from the bottom of our hearts for her many years of service to the NPS community. Jacqueline’s care, support and dedication to countless students over her time here at NPS will certainly be missed. Jacqueline, we wish you all the very best for this next new chapter in your life, enjoy every day.

HAPPY EASTER

This will be our last newsletter before the end of term, the term finishes for students on Wednesday 5^th April. Teachers will be attending a Moderation day on the 6^th April. I would like to wish all our families and community a happy and safe Easter break. Students will return to school on Wednesday the 26^th April.

Elizabeth O'Donahue

The Norwood Primary School Student Parliament supports the philosophy of commitment through participation and democracy. The Parliament is based on a strong emphasis on student voice and on empowering students to lead and shape many aspects of Norwood Primary School culture.  

Our Student Parliament representative will:

• Uphold and display our School Values and Expected Behaviours
• Be organised
• Show flexibility
• Be able to communicate clearly

Student Parliament representatives have been elected by their peers in each class (Yr 3-6)  to bring their concerns, requests and feedback to the Parliamentary meetings for consideration, verification and action.

Value Certificate Recipients

It was fantastic to acknowledge students across the school, during a recent end of lunch line up, who were deserving recipients of Values Certificates. These certificates highlighted those students who have displayed exceptional behaviour, an outstanding approach to learning and academic excellence. Congratulations to all recipients.

The focus for Prep-2 students in Wellbeing over the last two weeks has been on continuing to explore each of our 4 zones in detail with a focus on the Yellow Zone and Red Zone. We have continued to explore what we might see, hear or feel if we, or other people, are in these Zones and have explored how the Yellow Zone is different than the Red Zone. We have also started to talk about strategies that can help us when we feel emotions that fit into the Yellow or Red Zone.

Have a chat with your child about what they know about the Yellow and Red Zone!

Grade 3-6 Athletics Carnival

Despite strong winds and rain in the morning, we were able to push through to complete another successful Grade 3-6 Athletics Carnival, with some excellent participation from students. Students had been preparing for the carnival during PE lessons and the enthusiasm and excitement towards the day was obvious throughout preparations.

This year’s carnival was slightly different to previous years with the addition of some extra events and novelties for students to increase opportunities for all students. As a result of this, record point totals were made by all Houses. Waratah had the lead heading into the carnival after some pre-carnival day events and never let go, taking out the carnival with 1163 points. Banksia finished in 2^nd place just ahead of Wattle.

The carnival cannot happen without the amazing support of our parent helpers throughout the day – a massive thankyou to those who gave up their day to allow our students to participate in such an opportunity.

LSSSA Athletics Carnival

Today 50 students competed in the LSSSA Division B Athletic Carnival.  We are proud of the way they represented Norwood demonstrating our values and wonderful sportsmanship. 

There were some outstanding individual and team performances, placing in the top three of all of our relays and winning the Tug-o-War.  As a result, we are thrilled to say Norwood Primary won the carnival.  A big congratulations to all involved. 

Transitioning from primary to high school is a time full of fun, excitement and new experiences, but it can also be challenging or worrying for many students and their families. Norwood Primary School are fortunate to be able to collaborate with local high schools in order to make this process a smooth one. Below is an exciting opportunity for students transitioning to Kings Meadows High School:

On Tuesday, 4th April (5:00-5:30pm), Kings Meadows High School will be conducting a school tour/walkthrough for Grade 6 families of students who will be attending Grade 7 in 2024.

This will involve a tour through our buildings to share our facilities. Children must be accompanied at all times. 

Please note, an information session will occur at a later date.

For planning purposes, please register your attendance.

bit.ly/KMHSTOUR1

After hosting Yvonne from the Salvation Army to run Circle of Security in Term 1 we are excited to be able to offer 'Bringing Up Great Kids' to NPS parents during term 2. Sessions will run on Thursday afternoons. If you are interested in participating in this program please email norwood.primary@decyp.tas.gov.au.