March 24th

Welcome to our last newsletter for term 1....how quickly this term has flown by!

It has been wonderful this year to return to a certain level of normality within our school, particularly in relation to being able to have families and community members join us for events such as our recent athletic carnivals. Family and community partnerships are an extremely important part of children's education and we have, and continue to work hard to find ways to maintain and strengthen this partnership whilst adhering to all Public Health requirements. I sincerely thank you for your continued understanding and support as we continue to make adaptions to meet Public Health requirement in order to include our school community in school events and everyday activities. 

Please remember that it is a Department of Education requirement that you have a current Working with Vulnerable People card if you would like to be part of our family support within classes. 

Registration to work with vulnerable people (cbos.tas.gov.au)

Thank you to all our parents who were able to join us for our recent Parent/Teacher meetings. Our move to holding these during term 1 is in relation to further building family connections between students, parents and teachers early in the year. If you were not available to meet with teachers during the scheduled two-week time, but would like to make a time to meet, please contact your child's class teacher. 

Car Park Safety

Unfortunately, and highly concerning, the national statistics for child injuries and fatalities on roads continues to be alarming. It is the responsibility of all adults to teach and model the appropriate safety to our young people. I have included a link below that displays some information in relation to road injury and fatality statics. 

Many of our staff have recently expressed some concern in relation to the foot traffic within the school car park of a morning. We ask that you only access the school car park of a morning if you are dropping off children to Before School Care, and that when doing this you take extreme care to be vigilant with cars coming in and out by having your children close to you and in your sight at all times.  

Please also remember that the car park is not to be accessed for pick up (other than for disability parking), for drop off, or pick up to and from school. Pedestrians are also required to walk within the walk ways and not through the car park. We will be working with children to also give reminders about the appropriate walk ways. 

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/health/injuries#howmanyinjuries

Can we all please be sure to take care and consideration for our residents living close to the school. We have had reports of cars parked over residents driveways, sometimes up to 10-15 minutes at the end of the day. Aside from this being a traffic offence it is very disruptive and intrusive for the residents.

Finally, thank you to everyone, including our students, who have been wonderful in following the rules of the pick-up and drop-off area. Students and now waiting at the top of the zoned area for traffic to keep moving up for pick up. Please remember that just one car parked there and left, disrupts the entire process. 

I understand that this all sounds like lots of reminders, however, we all want each and everyone of our children to remain safe and we all have a part to play in that.

Kind regards, Karen

A reminder that next Thursday 1st April is Moderation Day. Students do not attend school on this day. Enjoy your Easter and school holiday break.

Grade 3-6 NPS Athletics Carnival

Nearly two weeks ago we held our Grade 3-6 Athletics Carnival at the St Leonards Athletic Centre. Athletics was a topic that took up much of the discussion in PE lessons and classrooms at the start of the year, showing how much interest our students have in competing and participating in physical activities. All Grade 3-6 students spent their first weeks of PE lessons practising for this day, as well as completing some events before the carnival.

The day itself gave us wonderful weather, perfect for an Athletics Carnival. Enthusiasm to participate was high and there was a lot of colour around the carnival with students showing house spirit. Students participated in running events such as the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 metre running events, the long jump as well as some novelty events. A couple of the Grade 5/6 only events such as discus and shotput were completed before the carnival to save time on the day.

Throughout the day, participation from students was very high with many outstanding individual performances. The battle for house supremacy was strong and extremely close. Waratah was leading early in the day with Wattle and Banksia not far behind. Each house was leading at some stage throughout the carnival. All houses finished the day with over 700 points, showing the level of participation over the day. Incredibly, given the large number of points each team finished on, there was only 16 points between all 3 houses, and only 1 point between first and second. For reference, one point is gained by each student who attempts an event, not withstanding their place.

The final scores were: Wattle 739, Banksia 738, Waratah 723.

I would like to thank all the parents, grandparents and other family or friends that came and supported the students. I especially want to thank you for following the COVID safe procedures in place at the venue.

LSSSA Athletics Carnival

The LSSSA Athletics Carnival was held one week after the Norwood Carnival at the same venue. 49 students, who participated outstandingly well, were selected to represent Norwood at the inter school event. Norwood is in Division B and competes against Punchbowl, Summerdale, Youngtown, Glen Dhu and for the first time this year a Riverside ‘B’ Team.

The competition between individuals and school was strong but also fair, with some great sportsmanship being shown. We had some great individual performances throughout the day, with the following young athletes winning an event: Gabi L, Casey N, Rhys W, Laura H, Kasper P, Farishta A and Ashton B. Gabi L did so well she won every event she went in! Our team work shone through in the relays with top 2 places in 7 of the 8 events.

At the end of the carnival, we finished in 3^rd position behind Punchbowl and Summerdale. All students who competed in the LSSSA are to be congratulated for making the team and then participating and performing excellently.

Early Childhood Tabloid Athletics Carnival

On Monday the 22^nd March, the Prep-Grade 2 Tabloid Athletics Carnival was held with much enthusiasm from all students. We were blessed with a lovely day allowing all events to go ahead as scheduled. Students participated in events such as running races, sack race, egg & spoon race, tunnel ball and rob the nest. It was lovely to see their smiling faces and eagerness of students to give activities a go and try their best. Each student was rewarded with a ribbon for their participation.

It was lovely to have so many parents and family members in attendance, thankyou for your support and for following the COVID procedures in place.

Ben Humphrey

Please be aware that we are unable to provide supervision of children before 8:30AM. Lady Gowrie provides Before School Care to support with this.

On Wednesday afternoon we have a Pre-Kinder operating at 3:15pm in our Kindergarten area. Could you please ask your children not to play on the equipment in the Kinder yard. Thank you for your understanding.

Lynn Wyllie-Watson 

Social-emotional learning enables students to develop self-awareness, self-control, and the interpersonal skills that are important for school, work and life outcomes. Social-emotional competence helps students cope with everyday challenges and improves learning and wellbeing.

We are aiming for all student to develop understanding and skills which:

• nurture a positive sense of self
• promote respectful relationships
• build capacity to manage emotions, behaviours and interactions with others.

The Zones of Regulation is a framework that we are using to teach our students how to regulate their feelings, energy and sensory needs. We are working with students throughout the school to develop their vocabulary around emotions; to understand how their body and brain feels when they are experiencing different emotions; to understand the different zones which describe their emotional, physical and mental states; and to develop strategies (or tools) to support them to regulate. Please see the chart below which briefly describes the 4 Zones. More information about this will be shared throughout the year in the newsletter and on our school FB page. Please let us know if you'd like to know more.

Lynn Wyllie-Watson

We know that being active matters for us all. Our children increasingly live in a world dominated by screens and ensuring that they have plenty of opportunities to be physically active and enjoying the outdoors is vitally important. We have beautiful playgrounds and forest areas in our school where our students enjoy a variety of types of play and high quality PE and Daily PE classes throughout the week. Mr Humphrey is happy to talk with you about your child's physical development. Please contact our office if you'd like to make a time to do this.

Each newsletter we are going to share some ideas about games and activities that you can also enjoy with your children at home to support their physical development.

If your child is born in 2017 and you live in our Norwood Primary School area, we would love to hear from you so that we can invite you and your child along to our Pre-Kindergarten programs. Children who participate in our Pre-Kinder groups find the transition much smoother when they come to start kinder the following year. Please contact our school office via phone or email to add your names to our list.

We have had our first round of pre-kinder this term with children and families enjoying all the experiences offered.  Our last pre-kinder for this term is Wednesday 31st March and our first pre-kinder session for term 2 will be Wednesday April 28th.

Lynn Wyllie-Watson

3 R Certificates

The following students received certificates in our Early Childhood Assembly for following the 3 Rs.

Tip of the week:

“Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge of skills they will eventually require for learning to read.” Marilyn Jager Adams

Did you know that we have family borrowing available through our fantastic school libary every Monday at 8:30-9:00 and supported by Mrs Parkin?

Do you have a child born in 2018?  Do they like painting, playing with playdough, singing, listening to books, climbing and riding bikes?

If so they would love Chatterbox.  Every Wednesday from 12:30-1:15pm in the Kinder building.

Please RSVP to Tania Fankhauser via the LIL facebook page or contact the office on 63442533.

We look forward to seeing you at our next session!

Mrs Tempest invites all Prep – 6 students to the library on a Monday, Wednesday and Thursday morning (8.40am – 9am).

This is a wonderful chance to read to a Norwood Staff Member, Senior Student Council/Literacy Leader or a friend. You can even enter it into your 100 Nights of Reading Logbook.

Students are encouraged to go to their classroom first, drop off their bag and collect a Reading Club pass from their teacher.

Happy reading!

Zoe Marshall

Norwood Primary School Association Easter Raffle is ending soon, with raffle prizes drawn at school on Friday 26^th March. The Easter Raffle prizes are now on display with 22+ prizes to win.

1st Prize Cocobean Chocolate Bunny valued $180 generously donated by Josh Hart Team + Easter basket, total value $300.

2nd Prize. Anvers marble Easter Egg generously donated by House of Anvers + Easter basket, total value $200

20 + other prizes to win.

Tickets $2 each available at the office.

Books need to be returned by Thursday 25^th March.

You have to be in it to win it. Good luck!!

IT'S BACK!! MOTHER'S DAY STALL 2021

We're excited to announce that we will be able to run the much-loved Mother's Day Stall this year. Preparations are underway for the stall which will be held on the 6th and 7th of May.

We would love your support to make the stall a huge success. This year we are asking for donations of the following items:

• multipacks of individually wrapped lollies,
• chocolates, toffees or biscuits (no nuts please)
• individually wrapped tea bags e.g. Twinings
• homemade craft, potted plants etc.

All items need to be in their original packaging, unopened. Donations can be left at the school office.

We would also love your help on the day to run the stall. If you have a spare half an hour (or more), please put your name on the roster which will be on the parent noticeboard outside the office and also, in the Kinder Breezeway. All volunteers will be required to have a current WWVP card. 

For any queries, please contact Savanna Moore on 0438774669

Next School Association Meeting:

When:           Tuesday 11^th May

Time:             7pm

Where:          Staff room

Did you know every person with a child at our school is automatically a member of the School Association, we love seeing new faces.

Please send all additional agenda items to norwoodpsa@gmail.com

Everyone is welcome to attend!

AGM Report:

On March 9th, we held our Annual General Meeting. We are excited to announce our 2021 Executive Group:

Chairperson – George Walker

Vice Chairperson – Ben Cunningham

Treasurer – Chantal Innes

Secretary – Fiona Baker

We wish them all the best for the year ahead!