Edition 27: 23 March 2018 It has been another productive and happy 2 weeks here at Woy Woy Public School. The weather has been extremely unpredictable with a surge of hot summer weather hitting us for a last hurrah before the cooler weather of Autumn. Thank you so much to all our parents who were able to attend the information sessions over the last few weeks. This is always such an important time to meet your child’s teacher and find out what is happening at school for your child. We do understand that there were parents that could not attend due to work or other commitments. Information booklets for each stage of learning for 2018 are available at the school office. Some staff changes coming up Over the next few weeks until the end of Term 1 there will be a few staff changes during my period of leave. From Wednesday 28 March, Mrs Janine Szostak will be relieving as Principal of Woy Woy Public School until the end of Term 1 on Friday 13 April 2018. Mr Betts will be on leave from 26-29 March. Mrs Michelle Williams will step into the Student Wellbeing role for those four days. While Mrs Szostak is relieving as Principal, Mrs Kate Lord will be the Stage 3 manager and supervisor for the year 5 and 6 classes. As always the school will be in sound hands and I thank you for your continued support during these changes. New 2018 Parents and Citizens Association I would like to congratulate our new P&C team for 2018 and look forward to working with them as they work towards supporting our school through the many events, activities and resources they provide for our students. They are all volunteers and give of their time to promote and support Woy Woy Public School. The team for 2018 is as follows: President - Tina Jackson Vice Presidents - Leanne Jobson & Annette Karton Treasurer - Tracey McLennan Secretary - Lea Colwell Executive Position of Fundraising Coordinator - Rick Keuning, Uniform Coordinator - Deb Tonkin and Social Media Coordinator - Laura Morrison. Nicole Golds continues her role as Banking Coordinator. There are some unfilled non-executive positions waiting for other eager parents to fill to help our school.

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Harmony Day So wonderful to see our students dressed in a scope of orange on our celebration of Harmony Day. The Tivoli performance was loved by our students and certainly gave them a taste of a different culture. We are a multicultural nation and we are a multicultural school, where everyone belongs. School Leaders Investiture ceremony Congratulations to all of our 2018 School Leaders who received their badges of office at the Leaders Investiture. We have 22 students in leadership positions. Eight students are our School Leaders who will represent our school in and out of the school in official capacities. The eight consist of two school captains, two school vice captains and four school service officers. Fourteen students are in positions of Captains and Vice Captains for their Sporting Houses. All of our students undergo a leadership course at the end of Year 5 to be eligible to be voted for as a School Leader. At the investiture, they recited their pledge to our school to be the best leaders they can be, to wear our uniform with pride, follow all our school rules, be credible role models and to support all other students in the school. I look forward to working with these young leaders in 2018. School photos Our school photo days went smoothly and everyone had their best sunny smiles on for their class and individual shots. Thank you for making sure all our students looked their best and were in full school uniform. The photos will be back in a number of weeks and we will let you know when they are coming. A huge thank you goes to Mrs Tess Kleppen and Mrs Melissa Rologas for their coordination of our annual school photo shoot. A big job! Appointment with your child’s teachers It is important for parents to be able to obtain information about their child regarding their academic progress and social interactions with others at school. The very first port of call should be your child’s teacher. Your child’s teacher knows your child well, they know where they are up to academically, they know how you can best support them at home, and they know if your child has come across the radar of the school’s discipline code. Teachers cannot be accessed during times they are face to face teaching your child’s class. They have a duty of care not only to your child but to the many other children in their class. It is extremely important you do not expect them to talk to you at this time and extremely important that you do not walk into a classroom uninvited, hover in hallways or look through classroom windows during teaching times, as this distracts not only your child but the teacher and all the other children in the class. Teaching time is very valuable learning time for your child. The school and their classroom is a teacher’s work place. Teachers are very busy preparing work and setting up classrooms for student learning in the mornings and afternoons. They are required to attend meetings on some mornings and afternoons as well. Making an appointment where you and your child’s teacher can sit in a quiet place and discuss your child will produce a much better outcome. There are slips in the office foyer for you to fill if you wish to have an appointment with your child’s teacher. The completed form will be given to the teacher. The teacher will then get back to you about a suitable time for you both. Alternatively, you can telephone the school or contact the school on the school email to request an appointment. www.woywoy-p.schools.nsw.edu.au I Aspire Home reading program It is so important for us to read to children or when they are ready have them read to us. Being able to read is the key to all learning. You cannot even operate a computer if you can’t read what to do or where to find it. Our home reading program is designed to encourage children to read every night. Reading opens a whole world of travel, world history, science, space either in a factual or fictional way which stimulates the imagination. The world is now at your fingertips with the aid of an internet search engine but you still need to be able to read and understand the information. Please encourage your child to practice reading every night and open up the world of learning for them. As the little poem goes: Read!

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Read! Read! The more you read the more you know. The more you know the more you grow. So Read! Read! Read! Preparing our children for their future world It is a very different world today. Globally connected and extremely busy and changing every day. Our children now face a future where they are not sure what sort of a career they will have in the future as technology and world dynamics evolve. It is important that we ensure they are equipped to cope. Resilience is an important tool to have in their emotional kitbag for life.

Teaching our children resilience Resilience is being able to bounce back from stress, challenge, tragedy, trauma or adversity. When children are resilient, they are braver, more curious, more adaptable, and more able to extend their reach into the world. The great news is that resilience is something that can be nurtured in all children. An extract from on line called 10 Tips For Raising Resilient Kids by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is included as an attachment for you. It is always reassuring and important to be able to access valuable information.

Have another great fortnight. Ms Ona Buckley Principal

This week teachers have been teaching their students about how to ‘Be Safe’ when using the fixed play equipment during break times. Lessons have focused on turn taking and the need to keep one’s hands and feet to oneself. Students have been reminded that they can only use the fixed play equipment when there is a teacher directly supervising the area. Next week we will be teaching students about the importance of ‘Being Proud’ in their designated lunch and recess ‘eating areas’. Students will be reminded that putting rubbish straight into the bin will make for a cleaner, more hygienic, more presentable school that we can all be proud of.

Students who successfully demonstrate positive when using the play equipment and when eating their lunch and recess will be rewarded with Win Bin tickets and stars on their Star Charts.

Parents and carers are encouraged to discuss PBL expectations with their children. If you have any questions related to the school’s PBL program or about student wellbeing policies and practices, please direct them to either myself or Ms Buckley.

Mr Dan Betts Assistant Principal (Student Wellbeing)

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I will be auditioning students in years 3-6 on Wednesday, 21 March in the hall at first half lunch. Each student needs to sing me a short song, or the verse of a song without accompaniment. I will notify the successful choir members during week 8. We will then signify a weekly rehearsal time and I will publish this on the website. Thanks for your support. Louise Rayner Creative Arts Coordinator

P&C Fundraising Monies All monies for P&C fundraising activities like Wet and Wild are not able to be processed through the school office. They are to be given directly to the P&C by placing into the silver P&C collection container located in the office. Office Hours The school office hours are 8.30am until 3.15pm. Please note that the school phones are only manned during these hours. Changes to Going Home Arrangements Could you please ensure that your child is aware of how they will be going home in the afternoon. If these arrangements change during the day it would be appreciated if you could contact the office prior to 2.00pm to ensure that the message is passed on to your child. Skoolbag APP and Website You can download the WWPS Skoolbag APP to both iPhone and Android devices. Event updates and important information will be sent out via our Skoolbag APP and you can record your child’s absence from school here as well. You will also find our School website at http://www.woywoy-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/ which is regularly updated with events happening in our school. The School email address for correspondence is woywoy-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au. Student Mobile Phones Students who bring their mobile phone to school are asked to leave it at the office on their arrival and collect it at the end of the school day. Students are not permitted to have their phone with them during the day. It is helpful if their name is on their phone. Staff Parking The staff parking area inside the school gates is for staff use only. Parents dropping and collecting their children from Music Bus or Cubbyhouse BASC are asked to park outside the school grounds and walk their children to and from their car. This is a Department of Education directive. Late Arrival / Early Departure If your child is late arriving to school or needs to leave early for an appointment, a partial absence slip is to be collected from the school office prior to going to your child’s classroom. This slip is given to the classroom teacher.

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Payment of Money to the School School fees and activity costs can be paid by credit card via the Woy Woy Public School website (http://www.woywoy-p.schools.nsw.edu.au/) using the ‘Make a Payment’ tab. If you are making a cash payment please place the money in an envelope with the child’s name, class and the reason clearly noted. We have cash collection envelopes at the school office for your use. All money is to be given to your child’s teacher. When making payments for multiple children separate money and envelopes for each child is appreciated as it is very time-consuming to sort out at the time of receipting. Thank you Linda Goldsmith – School Administrative Manager Woy Woy Public School celebrated Harmony Day with a performance by Tivoli. The children learnt a traditional German dance and some German language. They also participated in classroom activities. Fun was had by all.

Keep collecting the Coles vouchers! We have lots of vouchers coming in every day. It helps us if you can write the number of vouchers you have collected on them before putting them into the collection box. This will greatly help us when the final count is made and given to Coles.

Congratulations to the following recipients of our Academic Achievement Awards at our Week 8 P-6 Assembly.

Name Class Name Class

Charlotte McPhee K-6PC Matthew Golds K-6W

Meisa Brown KM Amy Ferguson KRM

Violet Foxton KW Isabella Bridge 1CG

Noah Brown 1N Laura Jahn 1S

Emilie Liang 2B Edie West 2K

Isla Portelli 2Y Eva Carrodus-Scislo 3M

Mikaeli Zaragoza 3-6O Lera Ozhogina 3/4R

Ava Ayres 4E Leiyla Garcera 4T

William Hawksley 5/6A Lloyd Ulaiwi 5/6B

Jack Hawksley 5/6B Vali Focas 5/6C

Term 1

March 23 P&C Wet and Wild

Week 9 27 CARES Bike Safety – Special Ed

28 CARES Bike Safety – Special Ed

Scripture Easter Concert

29 Easter Hat Parade

Week 10 April 6 Wet’n’Wild

Week 11 12 Mufti Day – Year 6 fundraising

13 WWPS Cross Country

LAST DAY TERM 1

Canteen Roster

It would be appreciated if small notes could be used at the canteen. We only keep a small float at the start of the day and it is difficult to give change for $50 notes. We are unable to provide change for excursions and other school activities. Wet and Wild is on Friday, 6 April. Parents can order their lunch on the day using their child’s class as a reference. Thank you to all the volunteers who help out in the canteen. Anne Wilson Canteen Manager

Royal Easter Show

74 students went to the Sydney Royal Easter Show yesterday for the Paddock to Plate Preview Day. They had a great day!

Thanks to all the parents and teachers who came along as well.

Lina Williamson SAKG Teacher

Mon Tue

26/3 27/3

Helper needed Alice

Wed 28/3 Janet Thu 29/3 Kay Fri 30/3 Good Friday Mon 2/4 Public Holiday Tue 3/4 Leanne Wed 4/4 Janet Thu 5/4 Helper needed Fri 6/4 Sue Mon 9/4 Pat Tue 10/4 Alice Wed 11/4 Vicki Thu 12/4 Kay Fri 13/4 Helper needed

Hats are available in the canteen for sale for your

convenience.

$13.00

REMEMBER you can buy fruit from the canteen in the mornings for fruit break.

Apples $1.00 Banana $1.00 Mandarin $1.00 Watermelon cups 50c

Congratulations to the following students who have reached their 25 nights of home reading! 25 Nights Ava Ayres 3/4R, David Johnston 3/4R, Joshua Rose 3/4R, Shae Ferguson 3/4R, Joshua Durrand 3/4R, Jazmyn Tutauha 3/4R, Tyler Garrett 2Y, Lucia Jian 2Y, Leo Omura 2Y, Aleyah Flanagan 2Y, Kanesha Evans 2B, Sierra-Belle Pilson 2B, James Dukes 2K, Annabelle Durrand 2K, Isabella Lumley 2K, Zoe McAdam 2K, Sidney Brannigan 2K, Saraya Taylor 2K, Phoenix Stockwell KRM All our students from the Special Education Unit will be travelling next week to the CARES centre to undertake road safety training. From learning about traffic signs, crossing the road safely, to riding our bikes. Everything it takes to be safe on our streets.

Students who have gone in past years are really excited as they know there will be lots of fun, including riding bikes over the difficult road safety course.

Road safety is such an important lesson to learn and we are so happy to be getting help from the wonderful Police Officers who run this great program.

The P&C held its AGM and I would like to introduce our new committee: President: Tina Jackson Vice Presidents: Leanne Jobson & Annette Karton Treasurer: Tracey McLennan Secretary: Lea Colwell Fundraising: Rick Keuning Uniform: Debbie Tonkin Banking: Nicole Golds Social Media: Laura Morrison I would like to thank everyone for coming on board and look forward to a successful 2018 and working with the school community, Teachers and Ona to grow the P&C. I would also like to thank the outgoing committee for their time and dedication during 2017/18. Tina Jackson President

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Fundraising Update

The Wet n Wild has been postponed to 6 April 2018 due to the forecast of cold, wet, windy weather. We look forward to more permissions notes and sponsorship money coming in. Now you have longer to get more sponsors. It is going to be a great day. Mother’s Day is fast approaching and at this stage the dates for the Mother’s Day stall will be Tuesday, 8 May 2018 and Thursday, 10 May 2018. Confirmation of the dates and times for classes will be provided in due course. Rick Keuning Fundraising Coordinator Uniform Update Uniform shop is open Friday, 8:30am – 9:00am. If you are unable to attend then you can complete and email an order form to wwpsuniforms@outlook.com . Your order will be processed once payment is received and your items delivered to your child via their class. Debbie Tonkin Uniform Coordinator School Banking Update School Banking is a P&C initiative that benefits students and contributes to fundraising. This year we will receive an annual contribution based on the number of students who make at least one School Banking deposit. We will also receive $5 for every 10 School Banking deposits processed per student. Banking day is held every Friday during school term, unless otherwise notified. Nicole Golds Banking Coordinator

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Ph: 4341 3922 6 mths – Adult.

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5 Mutu Street, Woy Woy NSW 2256

aquasplash@yahoo.com

P: (02) 4343 1774 Shop 1, Pavilion Building 29-37 George Street, Woy Woy, NSW, 2256

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10 Tips for Raising Resilient Kids By Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.

While adulthood is filled with serious responsibilities, childhood isn’t exactly stress-free. Kids take tests, learn new information, change schools, change neighborhoods, get sick, get braces, encounter bullies, make new friends and occasionally get hurt by those friends.

What helps kids in navigating these kinds of challenges is resilience. Resilient kids are problem solvers. They face unfamiliar or tough situations and strive to find good solutions.

“When they step into a situation, [resilient kids] have a sense they can figure out what they need to do and can handle what is thrown at them with a sense of confidence,” said Lynn Lyons, LICSW, a psychotherapist who specializes in treating anxious families and co-author of the book Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children with anxiety expert Reid Wilson, Ph.D.

This doesn’t mean that kids have to do everything on their own, she said. Rather, they know how to ask for help and are able to problem-solve their next steps.

Resilience isn’t birthright. It can be taught. Lyons encouraged parents to equip their kids with the skills to handle the unexpected, which actually contrasts our cultural approach.

“We have become a culture of trying to make sure our kids are comfortable. We as parents are trying to stay one step ahead of everything our kids are going to run into.” The problem? “Life doesn’t work that way.”

Anxious people have an especially hard time helping their kids tolerate uncertainty, simply because they have a hard time tolerating it themselves. “The idea of putting your child through the same pain that you went through is intolerable,” Lyons said. So anxious parents try to protect their kids and shield them from worst-case scenarios.

However, a parent’s job isn’t to be there all the time for their kids, she said. It’s to teach them to handle uncertainty and to problem-solve. Below, Lyons shared her valuable suggestions for raising resilient kids.

1. Don’t accommodate every need

According to Lyons, “whenever we try to provide certainty and comfort, we are getting in the way of children being able to develop their own problem-solving and mastery.” (Overprotecting kids only fuels their anxiety.)

She gave a “dramatic but not uncommon example.” A child gets out of school at 3:15. But they worry about their parent picking them up on time. So the parent arrives an hour earlier and parks by their child’s classroom so they can see the parent is there.

In another example, parents let their 7-year-old sleep on a mattress on the floor in their bedroom because they’re too uncomfortable to sleep in their own room.

2. Avoid eliminating all risk

Naturally, parents want to keep their kids safe. But eliminating all risk robs kids of learning resiliency. In one family Lyons knows, the kids aren’t allowed to eat when the parents are not home, because there’s a

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risk they might choke on their food. (If the kids are old enough to stay home alone, they’re old enough to eat, she said.)

The key is to allow appropriate risks and teach your kids essential skills. “Start young. The child who’s going to get his driver’s license is going to have started when he’s 5 [years old] learning how to ride his bike and look both ways [slow down and pay attention].”

Giving kids age-appropriate freedom helps them learn their own limits, she said.

3. Teach them to problem-solve

Let’s say your child wants to go to sleep-away camp, but they’re nervous about being away from home. An anxious parent, Lyons said, might say, “Well, then there’s no reason for you to go.”

But a better approach is to normalize your child’s nervousness, and help them figure out how to navigate being homesick. So you might ask your child how they can practice getting used to being away from home.

When Lyons’s son was anxious about his first final exam, they brainstormed strategies, including how he’d manage his time and schedule in order to study for the exam.

In other words, engage your child in figuring out how they can handle challenges. Give them the opportunity, over and over, “to figure out what works and what doesn’t.”

4. Teach your kids concrete skills

When Lyons works with kids, she focuses on the specific skills they’ll need to learn in order to handle certain situations. She asks herself, “Where are we going with this [situation]? What skill do they need to get there?” For instance, she might teach a shy child how to greet someone and start a conversation.

5. Avoid “why” questions

“Why” questions aren’t helpful in promoting problem-solving. If your child left their bike in the rain, and you ask “why?” “what will they say? I was careless. I’m an 8-year-old,” Lyons said.

Ask “how” questions instead. “You left your bike out in the rain, and your chain rusted. How will you fix that?” For instance, they might go online to see how to fix the chain or contribute money to a new chain, she said.

Lyons uses “how” questions to teach her clients different skills. “How do you get yourself out of bed when it’s warm and cozy? How do you handle the noisy boys on the bus that bug you?”

6. Don’t provide all the answers

Rather than providing your kids with every answer, start using the phrase “I don’t know,” “followed by promoting problem-solving,” Lyons said. Using this phrase helps kids learn to tolerate uncertainty and think about ways to deal with potential challenges.

Also, starting with small situations when they’re young helps prepare kids to handle bigger trials. They won’t like it, but they’ll get used to it, she said.

For instance, if your child asks if they’re getting a shot at the doctor’s office, instead of placating them, say, “I don’t know. You might be due for a shot. Let’s figure out how you’re doing to get through it.”

Similarly, if your child asks, “Am I going to get sick today?” instead of saying, “No, you won’t,” respond with, “You might, so how might you handle that?”

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If your child worries they’ll hate their college, instead of saying, “You’ll love it,” you might explain that some freshmen don’t like their school, and help them figure out what to do if they feel the same way, she said.

7. Avoid talking in catastrophic terms

Pay attention to what you say to your kids and around them. Anxious parents, in particular, tend to “talk very catastrophically around their children,” Lyons said. For instance, instead of saying “It’s really important for you to learn how to swim,” they say, “It’s really important for you to learn how to swim because it’d be devastating to me if you drowned.”

8. Let your kids make mistakes

“Failure is not the end of the world. [It’s the] place you get to when you figure out what to do next,” Lyons said. Letting kids mess up is tough and painful for parents. But it helps kids learn how to fix slip-ups and make better decisions next time.

According to Lyons, if a child has an assignment, anxious or overprotective parents typically want to make sure the project is perfect, even if their child has no interest in doing it in the first place. But let your kids see the consequences of their actions.

Similarly, if your child doesn’t want to go to football practice, let them stay home, Lyons said. Next time they’ll sit on the bench and probably feel uncomfortable.

9. Help them manage their emotions

Emotional management is key in resilience. Teach your kids that all emotions are OK, Lyons said. It’s OK to feel angry that you lost the game or someone else finished your ice cream. Also, teach them that after feeling their feelings, they need to think through what they’re doing next, she said.

“Kids learn very quickly which powerful emotions get them what they want. Parents have to learn how to ride the emotions, too.” You might tell your child, “I understand that you feel that way. I’d feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but now you have to figure out what the appropriate next step is.”

If your child throws a tantrum, she said, be clear about what behavior is appropriate (and inappropriate). You might say, “I’m sorry we’re not going to get ice cream, but this behavior is unacceptable.”

10. Model resiliency

Of course, kids also learn from observing their parents’ behavior. Try to be calm and consistent, Lyons said. “You cannot say to a child you want them to control their emotions, while you yourself are flipping out.”

“Parenting takes a lot of practice and we all screw up.” When you do make a mistake, admit it. “I really screwed up. I’m sorry I handled that poorly. Let’s talk about a different way to handle that in the future,” Lyons said.

Resiliency helps kids navigate the inevitable trials, triumphs and tribulations of childhood and adolescence. Resilient kids also become resilient adults, able to survive and thrive in the face of life’s unavoidable stress.

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