The Turtle Times

Parents/Carers,

Last week the year 6 students went on camp to Batchelor and enjoyed themselves immensely. The bus driver was extremely impressed by our students and made a special effort to come and speak to me after returning from camp and commented on how great our school and kids were at helping get the bus packed and unpacked. He said he does lots of school trips and never once has he experienced such fantastically supportive and generally happy kids. This type of feedback is important for us as a school but more importantly for you as parents because this type of supportive and helpful behaviour starts at home. We foster this through our collaborative learning environment and our philosophy on learning whilst they are at school. So well done to all those students you have done your parents and your school proud.

Anzac Day Assembly was held on Monday and was well attended by parents and defence personnel. A huge thank you to Kristy Retzlaff our DSTA for organising everything on the day. The winners of the ANZAC Day colouring competition were Ella Lynch and the writing competition was won by Scarlett Fletcher, congratulations to both girls and well done to all the entrants. The following day the ANZAC Day March held in Palmerston was attended by some of our students representing Rosebery Primary School and once again organised by our DSTA. Thank you to all involved. Lest we forget.

As our school is continuing to grow in enrolment numbers it has become necessary for me to create a new 1/2 class. This class will be made up of some students from Ms McNair and Ms Gilder’s co-teaching year 1 class and from Ms Young and Ms Kmon’s co-teaching year 2 class. I will also be looking at moving some students from both Ms Ayres/Jeffery’s year 1/2 class and possibly some year 2 students from Ms Carroll’s Year 2/3 class. For the short term this class will be held in the Outside School Care Room which will be utilised as a small classroom until we get the demountable buildings that are currently being organised for us to expand our school classrooms. If your child attends before school care you will be contacted by Janet White the Director regarding this change. Parents whose children will be moved into this smaller individual class will be contacted in coming weeks as this class will commence Week 5, Monday 15 May. I look forward to the support of all families on this creation of this new class as it has been a difficult decision to take at this time of the term. However, the benefits are great and for all students and teachers creating this class sooner rather than later will allow a reduction in class size and produce a much more conducive learning environment for everyone. Now I have to secure a teacher and we will be on our way to getting it up and running in time for Week 5 this term.

Our school is undergoing an external review this year which will take place in the last week of August. This involves us showcasing everything we do well at our school and looking at where there can be improvements. This is a very good process and will produce a report with an assessment on how we went to the school. This report will help determine our school’s strategic directions into the future as well as providing affirmations on what we are doing well. As a parent community you may be asked for input into this review at some point as we gather our evidence to present to the external assessment panel. I encourage you to be open to this idea and support our school provide all the evidence we can for the panel to make their best judgements on our performance as a school.

Enjoy your weekend and take some time to read the attached article on ‘The Language of Independence’ from our Parenting Ideas by Michael Grose subscription.

Gail Smith Principal

Belyuen Rd Rosebery, NT,0832 PO Box 650 Palmerston, NT, 0831 Phone: 8930 5100 Absentee Line: 8930 5140 Email: roseberyps.admin@ntschools.net Website: http://roseberyprimary.nt.edu.au

28th April 2017 Term 2 Week 2

MOBILE PHONES / ELECTRONICS

Students bringing to school mobile phones and or electronics must hand them into reception before school commences. All equipment handed into reception will be secured safely. Students may then collect their equipment at the end of the school day.

MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

If your child requires medication whilst at school please call into reception to complete the relevant ‘Medication Request To Administer’ forms. All medication will be stored in reception’s sick bay and will only be administered once completed forms have been signed.

May

1st PUBLIC HOLIDAY

3rd Early Childhood Assembly

5th Whole School Assembly followed by

Parents/ Carers morning tea.

8th –12th Mothers Day Stall

9th—11th NAPLAN for Years 3 & 5

10th Early Childhood Assembly

15th Musica Viva Makukuhan

Performance

16th Group 1 Preschool School Photos

17th Early Childhood Assembly

18th DISCO

19th Group 2 Preschool School Photos

19th Whole School Assembly followed by

Parents/Carers morning tea.

19th Year 5 Camp Payment Due

Our Mothers Day stall will run from Monday 8th— Friday 12th May.

All classes will attend our Mothers Day stall at an

allocated time chosen by the teacher. Your child/rens teacher will advise you which day

their class will be attending. Gifts at the stall will range from $1 to $20 and all

profits will go towards recourses for our school.

UNIFORM POLICY

Students are required to wear the full school uniform to school, every day. Students must wear the prescribed school hat all year round (to meet the school’s commitment to be in a SunSmart school ). If your child/ren does not have a RPS school hat they can be purchase d through reception.

For Parents & Carers

Date: Friday 5th May & Friday 19th May (Time: 9am—following assembly

Venue: OSHC Room (near canteen)

Integrity

Respect

All Values

Multiple Values

Merit Awards

Cooperation

Confidence

Tran Garrigan Jayde Forrester

1 Gilder Mya Da Silva

3/4 Bird Meiko Houston

3/4 Gray Mason Whiley

4 Knight Chen Delos Santos

4/5 McIntosh Taylah

1/2 Ayers/Jeffery Ella Lynch

4 Carey Ayana Salting

4/5 Morgon Exocee Solomo

Tran Blackmore Taylor Hayes

Tran Halliday Savannah

4 Carey Bradley Innes

Tran Dean Ethan Nguyen

Tran Halliday Ahliya Elsegood

2/3 Carroll Rubylee Muriwai

Yr 1 McNair Tiarni James

2 Young Victoria Brinkworth Cooperation & respect

2 Kmon Rihanna Smith Cooperation & respect

Book Club orders are due back Monday 8th May. Please

ensure you have fully completed the order form with your child's

name, class and selection of books you would like to order.

Orders should only be handed in with the correct money in a

sealed envelope.

Resilience

3/4 Clarke Stephanie Dent

Come dance the night away

at our Term 2 Disco!

Date: Thursday 18th May

Time: 6-8pm

Cost: $3

Food, Drinks and Glow

sticks will be available to purchase.

Parental Supervision recommended for students in

Preschool to Year 2

Student attendance each day is very important to a child’s education. If your child will be absent from school you must contact our absentee line to notify us of your child’s name, class and reason of absence.

Parents/carers are reminded that if your child is absent from school due to illness for more than 3 days a medical certificate must be supplied to the school. This is a requirement under the Truancy Guidelines of the NT.

FACE PAINTING

Anzac Assembly

ANZAC Day Assembly We commemorated Anzac Day during a whole school assembly on Monday 24th April. Our assembly was beautifully addressed by students Kyesha and Jordan, Anneliese, Jake and Chloe. Thanks to our amazing Rosebery School Choir and Mrs Primero who eloquently performed a song called the Spirit of the Anzacs.

We thankfully acknowledge visitors LTCOL James Ryan, Sgt Pete McGrane and Defence Force Cadetsas well as special guests PO Paul Thorp and PTE Fiona Woolley for speaking during our assembly. To all our students and staff thank you for preparing beautiful wreaths which were laid during the assembly.

Anzac Day Colouring/Writing Competition Congratulations to Ella Lynch and Scarlett Fletcher for winning the Anzac Day Colouring and Writing competition. Thanks to all students who submitted an entry.

Anzac Biscuit Stall Monday during Recess and Lunch time we had an Anzac Biscuit Stall to fundraise money for Soldier On. Soldier On supports those who have served by focusing on their physical and mental health, their community and future. Thanks to everyone who purchased an Anzac biscuit or two – we raised $250 for Soldier On. Amazing! Palmerston ANZAC Day March and Service Thanks to the students and parents who attended the Palmerston Anzac

Day March and Service. I am so proud of our beautiful students who

endured the heat of the day but represented our school with so much dili-

gence and respect.

BCE

(Best Camp Eva)

Year 6 Camp

Bachelor Outdoor Education Centre

Community Notice Board

The Top End Cricket season starts soon!

There are fun and interactive programs for kids of all ages and

abilities. Australia’s favourite sport.

FREE – Clay Tile Making with artist Janie Andrews.

Learn how to make your own clay tile and then embellish, write or paint your own pattern and thoughts using professional glazes. This is part of the

Voices of Palmerston project and is open to anyone and everyone who lives,

works or plays in Palmerston.

All materials supplied and no previous experience required

When: Wednesday 3 May from 6 - 7:30pm

Where: The Heights Durack Community Centre, 33 Packard Ave, Durack Heights

Independence-building is vitally important for parents. It’s the pathway to children’s competency, confidence and creativity, and the short cut to resilience and real learning.

Families always develop shared language around the values that have strong meaning for them. If resilience is a shared value then there invariably will be a strong set of words and phrases about resilience factors such coping, flexibility and perseverance.

Similarly, the values of independence and self-sufficiency are reflected in a family’s proprietary language. In fact, it’s through shared language that culture exists. If you are looking to building a culture of independence in your family then creating your proprietary language around independence is a great way to start.

These following twelve examples of independence-building language, and the principles behind them, will help you create your own family’s language.

parentingideas.com.au now we know.

The language of IndependenceBy Michael Grose

POSITIVE PARENTING

1. Never regularly do for a child the things a child can do for him or herself Goal: Independence

This is perhaps the original parenting-for-independence manifesto, and it’s a philosophy that guides many teachers and parents today. In effect, this sentence means that wherever possible - we give children the skills and competencies to look after themselves physically and emotionally. It requires a great deal of patience, time and courage from parents and teachers as the sentence is easier to say than to put into practice. But it’s a worthy guiding principle that leads to self-sufficiency in children, and ultimately redundancy as parents.

2. “Is this something you can do?” Goal: Self-help

Independence takes many forms but perhaps the most common is the development of self-help skills. The confidence, pride and, for most, sheer pleasure that kids doing the simple things for themselves such a toddler tying his shoelaces or a child making her own lunch is immeasurable. Yet it is so easily denied by well-meaning parents and adults who see it as their job to do everything for children. Independence begins at home with the development of self-help skills.

POSITIVE PARENTING

3. “Have you checked the help roster today?” Goal: Contribution

A great way to develop a sense of independence is to give kids opportunities to help out at home. There is no need to overburden children with jobs, but a sensible allocation of chores according to their age and study requirements is not only a great help to you, but fantastic training for them. It also builds accountability and a work ethic, both highly valued characteristics for continuing success at school and later in life.

4. “Which of these two would you prefer?” Goal: Decision-making

Parents as wise leaders need to call the shots on how the family life is conducted, including health and welfare issues such as appropriate bed and bath times. Some things are not up for negotiation. But there are areas where parents can rightfully hand autonomy to children and say, ‘It’s your call!’ Choice of clothes, how they keep their bedroom, what they eat and who they play with are the types of decisions they can make. Naturally, this is age-related and you do need to have some influence on their choices.

5. “How can you make this happen?” Goal: Problem-solving

Kids get used to bringing their problems to parents to solve. If you keeping solving them, they’ll keep bringing them. A problem-solving approach relies on asking good questions, which can be challenging if you are used to solving your child’s problems. The first question when a child brings you a problem should be: ‘Can you handle this on your own?’ Next should be, ‘What do you

want me to do to help you solve the problem?’ These questions are not meant to deter children from coming to you; rather, to encourage and teach them to start working through their own concerns themselves.

6. “We rely on you to do this.” Goal: Reliability

Reliability is closely connected to responsibility and other aspects of independence. Every child over the age of five, at the eldest, should do something that someone else relies on whether it’s looking after a pet, clearing the meal table or emptying the garbage on a regular basis. Having others rely on you has its challenges and can be a learning curve. They’ll inevitably forget to put the rubbish bins out on garbage night, meaning your bin will be overflowing for the next week. They’ll need to be reminded about feeding the pet or clearing the table. Kids inevitably won’t get things right, but that doesn’t mean we should stop giving them responsibilities.

7. “What can you learn for next time?” Goal: Self-sufficiency

Learning from mistakes is part of the independence-building process for children. Often adult impatience or unwillingness to put up with errors prevents us from giving kids the chance to do things for themselves or take real responsibilities. If independence is to be a major part of your family’s culture then it’s imperative that we help kids learn from their mistakes whether social, behavioural or just messing up while helping out at home.

parentingideas.com.au now we know.

The language of Independence-building

© Parenting Ideas 2017

POSITIVE PARENTING

parentingideas.com.au now we know.

The language of Independence-building

Visit our websitefor more ideas and information to help you raise confi dent and resilient young

people.

Special note: I’m thrilled to announce that my latest book Spoonfed Generation: How to raise independent children is out. It’s available at parentingideas.com.au

© Parenting Ideas 2017

8. “How do you feel about this?” Goal: Emotional intelligence

An often over-looked aspect of independence is the ability to self-manage your emotional state. Emotional self-management starts with the recognition of how you feel about a particular event or action and then labelling that feeling. If possible prompt to identify their emotions before they act on them. You can also revisit events and ask children about the feelings that may have led to a certain behaviour such as hurting or yelling at a sibling.

9. “When you muck up, you make up.” Goal: Accountability

Kids of all ages will make mistakes. In fact, mucking up is part of the learning process. But kids will just repeat their mistakes unless they experience the consequences of their decisions. The use of behavioural consequences is a way of teaching children to take greater responsibility for their lives and to learn to make smarter choices.

10. “How will you fi x this?” Goal: Restoring relationships

Independent kids are usually socially-smart kids who don’t operate in a bubble. They know that their behaviour impacts on others they are mindful of the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of others. They also make amends or restore relationships when their behaviour impacts negatively on others.

Relationship restoration is a lifelong skill and involves the following: swallowing your pride, making up, giving something back, not holding a grudge and moving on.

11. “You need to do what’s right, not what’s easy.” Goal: Integrity

A sense of integrity is important for a child’s independence because it’s the basis of reasoned and socially focused self-control and self-management. The job of parents is to move their children from ‘Me’ to ‘We’. Integrity is the great socialising agent for a child. They may get by without courage, endurance and grit but they won’t get far socially without integrity.

12. “Let’s fi nd a way to make this happen.” Goal: Positive risk-taking

One of the ways to develop independence is to work with them to build their skills and abilities to safely navigate an ever-broadening environment outside of the relative safe confi nes of their home. Ideas include adults and kids doing things together such as catching public transport until they are ready to go it alone or with friends; and giving kids smaller freedoms that lead to bigger liberties such as allowing a young child to walk part of the way to school on their own and then extending the distance as they get more experience and feel more confi dent.

Independence-building is vitally important for parents. It’s the pathway to children’s competency, confi dence and creativity, and the short cut to resilience and real learning. We’ve gradually retreated from this approach over recent generations much to our children’s detriment. It’s time to help kids reclaim their independence. Getting our language right is a good place to start as family change always begins with shared language.