Thursday April 10 Newsletter

Dear Families,

I know we say this at the end of every term, but it is hard to believe that we are at the end of Term 1. It has been a busy term here at SBW, but a term where our students have thrived and flourished. Some of the achievements and events for this term include:

• Cross Country and Swimming 
• NAPLAN
• The implementation of the Children's University Program
• 2026 Kindergarten Information Evening
• The beginning of the discernment year process with data from students, staff and parents

Thank you to families who have completed the Insight SRC survey. This feedback is greatly appreciated and will inform future strategic planning and direction as we strive to provide the best possible learning environment for our students. I would also like to recognise the contributions of Mrs Tammy Clarke to our school. Tammy has resigned from her position as Teacher Assistant here at SBW after 16 years. Thank you Tammy for all of your contributions to our school community over that time and I know that all within our community wish you all the best for the future. 

Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to watch our students participate in the NW Basketball Tournament. Thank you to Miss McNamara for her work in organising our teams and to all of our families who volunteered to coach and assist. One of the main takeaways I had from watching our students participate was the living out of our school values outside of the school context. Our students showed care for their team-mates and opposition, connection by playing as a team and courage by giving their best effort. There was also plenty of curiosity and learning occurring over the weekend. This was also lived out yesterday at our Cross Country and we are greatly appreciative of the work of Miss McNamara in organising the event, MRC for providing student leaders and staff as well as all of our families who supported the day. Being part of a connected community is a key part of our vision here at SBW and this has been evident throughout Term 1, particularly in the events over the past few days. 

Life at school is busy. The ten weeks of each term are filled with successes, challenges and ultimately, growth. I hope that you are able to enjoy some family time over the Easter break and that children have time to rest and rejuvenate ready for Term 2. 

Thank you for your ongoing support

Nic

Holy Week Prayer 

As we journey towards the sacred time of Holy Week, let us open our hearts to the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. May we reflect on His passion, His suffering, and the joy of His resurrection.

Lord, grant us the grace to grow in faith, to be compassionate towards others and to follow the example of love and service that Jesus showed us. Help us to embrace His message of hope and peace and to carry it in our daily lives.

May Holy Week renew our spirits and deepen our love for one another, as we await the glory of Easter.

Amen.

Project Compassion

Thank you for your incredible support of Project Compassion here at SBW! Your generous donations will help to bring hope and positive change to those who need it most. We will share the total money raised early Term 2. 

Please note that our students last day for Term 1 is Thursday April 10. Students will resume school on Monday April 28. 

Effective communication is central to positive working relationships. This supports a strong partnership between staff and families and enables us to report your child’s progress better and cater to their needs. At SBW, we welcome the opportunity to meet with families to discuss your child's education.

It is important to note that class teachers are always your first point of contact in the partnership between home and school. Please contact your child's classroom teacher in the first instance to arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient time. Should you require further support, please make an appointment via the office to meet with a member of our Leadership team. 

This term, our Grade 4 students have been diving into the art of persuasive writing. They’ve explored how rhetorical questions, emotive language and high modality words can be powerful tools in influencing others. They put these skills into action by examining the critical issue of deforestation, a theme closely connected to our novel study of Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo.

A thought-provoking excerpt from Kensuke’s Kingdom challenged students to imagine what life would be like without the forest. How would the main characters have survived without coconuts, fruit and palm leaves? Without the trees, where would the gibbons and orangutans live? The book highlighted the devastating reality that forests around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate — a fact that deeply resonated with our young writers.

Inspired by this prompt, students explored how deforestation is affecting our world. They learned that cutting down forests for farming, roads and wood is destroying animal habitats and harming nature in many parts of the world. They discovered that orangutans face the risk of extinction within the next decade if forest destruction continues.

To strengthen their arguments, students used rhetorical questions like "Would you still support deforestation if it meant the extinction of endangered animals?" and "What if we lived in a world without trees?" These thought-provoking questions encouraged readers to reflect on the consequences of human actions.

Emotive language also played a vital role in their writing, helping them express their concerns passionately. Sentences such as “Every single day, animals’ lives, their families and their homes get ripped out, leading to them dying a dreadful death." and "While you are in your home, animals are losing theirs." created a sense of urgency. By incorporating high modality words like "must", "definitely" and "undoubtedly", students conveyed their strong belief in the necessity of protecting forests.

This learning experience has not only developed their writing skills but also deepened their understanding of environmental issues. It has empowered our students to use their voices for good, recognising that words have the power to spark change.

We are incredibly proud of their thoughtful and persuasive work.

Managing screen time has become a crucial aspect of family life. Here's how parents and children can work together to establish healthy tech habits and strike a balance between online and offline activities.

Setting Screen Time Limits

Collaborate on boundaries: Discuss and set screen time limits with your children, especially older ones, to increase their cooperation.

Use tech tools: Utilize built-in features like Apple's Screen Time or Google's Family Link to manage access and monitor usage across devices.

Create a schedule: Establish a weekly screen time schedule, allowing for flexibility on different days while maintaining consistency.

Implement device-free zones: Designate areas in your home, such as bedrooms and dining areas, as screen-free spaces.

Effective Use of Parental Controls

Family Safety apps: Use Microsoft Family Safety or similar apps to set limits across multiple devices and platforms.

Content filtering: Choose age-appropriate content and platforms, such as ABC Kids, for younger children.

Time restrictions: Set up downtime periods when only essential apps and calls are available.

Lead by example: Demonstrate good digital habits by adhering to the same rules you set for your children.

Encouraging Offline Activities

Outdoor exploration: Schedule daily walks to reconnect with nature and get physical exercise.

Creative projects: Encourage activities like fort-building, scrapbooking, or craft activities.

Skill development: Help children learn new skills, such as playing an instrument, cooking, or starting a collection.

By implementing these strategies, families can foster a healthier relationship with technology while promoting diverse offline experiences. Remember, the goal is not to eliminate screen time entirely but to create a balanced approach that enhances overall well-being and family connections.

It was communicated at the end of 2024 that all students would have transitioned to the new uniform requirements at the start of Term 2.

We expect all students to be in the updated school uniform at the start of Term 2.

Please see below the Uniform changes that have been rolled out over previous years. 

Highlighted Uniform Changes

Winter tunic dress—replaced by Skirt, available at the Uniform shop, or some families have altered their Winter Tunics into skirts.

Female students may also wish to wear trousers as per the uniform attachment. 

Track Pants and skorts - Updated design, material and logo placement

Socks - Short navy socks with two blue stripes around the top are to be worn with the P to 2 uniform and with the sports uniform in upper classes (instead of white socks). Please see attachment for further information

Rugby Jumper - Replaced by Smart Play Jumper

As part of our Positive Behaviour approach, students may receive a Heart Reward card for demonstrating our school values - Care, Connection, Courage, Curiosity. Every fortnight, Heart Reward cards are drawn out and students are invited to participate in a special activity. 

Congratulations to our Week 3 Heart Reward Students: Lila, Emerson, Morgan, Harriet, Rhett, Matilda, Jaxxon, Maya, Peter, Olive, Anakin and Luca. 

Trivia Night for St Brigid's Friday 13th June-SAVE THE DATE!