Principals' MessageDear Parents/Carers, Welcome to the new year! We have been able to form our 2023 classes and the students have settled well with a positive energy to begin their new school year. Following a week of BestStart and small group play dates our kindergarten children have settled well into ‘Big School’. We are so delighted to welcome our new kindergarten students and their families to UPS. A big welcome is also extended to our new students in years one to six and their families who have joined us this year. Congratulations to all the children who participated in the swimming carnival on Tuesday. All students were encouraging of one another by cheering each other on and clapping at the end of each race. We are certainly proud of you all! A big thank you to our volunteers and to all families who assisted the staff and students throughout the day. Finally, thank you so much Miss Scruby and all staff who worked tirelessly throughout the morning and beforehand to ensure that the day ran smoothly! The day was a great success and we are all are very appreciative of the hard work and dedication in preparing for this carnival. Well done everyone! Head Lice As the warmer weather continues, we may have an increase in the incidences of headlice across the school. Head Lice can, not only be uncomfortable but also be quite distressing for the child if, not treated in a timely manner. Please refer to the information provided to avoid and/or treat your child/ren for headlice. https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/headlice/pages/default.aspx Healthy Food Choices As you may be aware all students eat with their class and/or stage groups. Our staff are always happy to see and hear the children chatting happily to one another making healthy food choices. Ice-packs inside insulated lunch boxes are encouraged during the warmer weather to keep food fresh and safe to eat. We also encourage children to bring healthy food choices such as fruit, vegetables, fresh sandwiches, rice or pasta etc to school and remember to leave sweet treats and chips as a sometimes food. Drinks bottles (filled with cold water) are essential as the days are warmer so, please ensure that these are also clearly labelled and can close securely after use. Staying Sun Safe Please ensure that your child/ren wear the correct full school uniform including a school hat and that all items are clearly labelled. It is also a good idea for all children to apply sunscreen in the mornings before school as part of their morning routine when possible. On very warm days we ensure that the children eat in shaded areas and that everyone wears a hat while playing outside. Applying For Extended Leave Any family wishing to take five or more school days of extended leave (for travel purposes) should contact our school and complete the relevant paperwork. A certificate will be completed by the school and provided to the family, prior to their trip. This certificate can be used, whilst on your trip, should you ever be requested by authorities. Please note that this is an expectation from the NSW Department of Education. It is important to also note that requests should be made, where possible, well in advance of the leave occurring, to ensure that all paperwork can be completed. UPS are Allergy Aware Please be aware that there are students in our school with allergies to nuts. We ask that you consider to voluntarily agree to not send nut products, in particular peanuts and peanut butter to school. Drop off and Pick up Procedures. A big thank you to our parents/carers for their patience and flexibility during the start of the year and the earlier pick-up times for kindergarten students this week. All students K-6 will finish at 3pm starting next week. Parents/carers are reminded not to park in our neighbours’ driveways or stop on or too close to the pedestrian crossing. It is important that our students’ safety enter and exit our school grounds each day. Thank you for supporting the staff during these times of the school day. Swimming Scheme- Year 2 The students in Year 2 will have received a note to participate in a swimming program that will begin on Monday 20 February and continue for nine days to Thursday 2 March 2023. Each swimming lesson will go for one hour and buses have been booked to transport students to and from the pools. We encourage all eligible students to participate with the total cost being $30. Contact the office for further information. Induction Assembly Each year, students are elected by their peers into leadership positions at Unanderra Public School. This privilege is highly valued by our students, community, and staff. The development of children is a partnership between home and school and the leadership responsibility is considered as a recognition of how successful that process has been. To celebrate this achievement, we are hosting a School Leaders’ Induction Assembly, on Friday 17 February 2023. The assembly will be held in our school hall at 11:30am and we request that all children wear full and correct school uniform for this important occasion. A note has been sent home to the families with children who will be receiving awards during this assembly. Meet the Teacher Our ‘Meet the Teacher’ parent/carer information sessions in Week 5 has been arranged. This is an opportunity for parents/carers to hear from their child’s class teacher about expectations, homework, excursions, units of work and other activities being offered this year. This year, parent/carer information sessions for Kindergarten to Year 6 will be hosted by individual class teachers in their respective classrooms on Monday 20 February & Tuesday 21 February in separate afternoon sessions. Please see the note for more details. Please be mindful that this is not a parent/teacher interview about your child’s progress as this requires privacy and allocated time. If you would like to arrange a meeting regarding your child, please contact the office or speak to your child’s class teacher. Welcome to UPS Fete The P & C will be hosting a Welcome to UPS fete on Saturday 18 March 2023. It will be held at school starting at 11am and concluding at 3pm. Further exciting details will be shared soon. Wellbeing for all Each year on returning to school several students and their families often request information around building a positive mindset, developing resilience and promoting wellbeing. At Unanderra Public school we embrace and celebrate the uniqueness of each child and we are certainly proud of all students and their individual achievements in all areas of learning academically, emotionally, and socially. Unanderra Public School is committed to providing safe and supportive learning environments that respect and value diversity that are also free from violence, discrimination, harassment, and vilification. We know that the research shows the supportive environment schools provide can have a lasting impact on both the educational and lifelong outcomes for students. Below are some additional resource links from a variety of support services that may be useful. For general health · Health direct is a provider of trusted, free health information and advice and is supported by the government. For calming the mind · Smiling Mind - A web and app-based meditation program developed by psychologists and educators to help bring mindfulness into your life. · Headspace - A web and app-based mindfulness app. · Stop Breathe & Think - An app that allows you to check in with your emotions, and recommends short guided meditations, yoga and acupressure videos, tuned to how you feel. · Calm - An app for mindfulness and meditation to bring more clarity, joy and peace to your daily life. · Colorfy - Colouring therapy for adults on your mobile. · Pacifica - Daily tools for stress, anxiety, and depression alongside a supportive community. Music to help you unwind · ‘Unwind’ playlist on Spotify - A great playlist for relaxing and unwinding. · Relax Melodies - Relaxing sounds and sleep meditations that you can custom mix and fall blissfully asleep to. Some good TED Talks · Why we all need to practice emotional first aid - Guy Winch. · There's no shame in taking care of your mental health - Sangu Delle. · The power of vulnerability - Brene Brown. If you feel comfortable to reach out to talk with someone, below are some additional supports that may also be useful. 7 Cups of Tea - Find someone to talk to: 7 Cups of Tea provides online therapy and free counselling. The Better Access initiative provides better access to mental health practitioners through Medicare. If you’re eligible, you’ll receive Medicare benefits for up to 10 individual consultations with a mental health professional in a calendar year. For more details head to Beyond Blue or the Better access to mental health care factsheet. We understand that exploring professional help in person might not be the best option for you, so below we’ve listed some alternatives: · Have a conversation with friends or family members · Call Lifeline if you require crisis support - 13 11 14 · If you’re under 25 you can use eheadspace for online and telephone supports - 1800 650 890 · Call the Beyondblue support service - 1300 22 4636 · Visit Head to Health to explore a range of digital mental health resources Please contact the school via email [email protected] or telephone 4272 8730 if you require any further information or clarification. My continued thanks to the Unanderra Public School community for their ongoing support and generosity. I look forward to sharing an exciting year of teaching and learning with you all in 2023. Have a great fortnight ahead! Kind Regards, Anissa Rajendra Staff Development DayDuring the Staff Development Day, UPS staff spent time reflecting on the School’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP is a document that details the school’s commitment to promoting reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider Australian community. After reviewing our school’s progress from 2022, the staff shared thoughts in a Yarning Circle, respectfully listening to other’s ideas to promote reconciliation at Unanderra Public School. It was an extremely productive session! We were all motivated and committed to continuing our work to incorporate Aboriginal culture into learning, both in and outside of the classroom. School CanteenScripture
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