Head of Primary
Mrs Nicole Smith | Head of Primary
Bullying – NO WAY
Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.
Bullying can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices, and it can be obvious or hidden. Bullying behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying.
In Australia, 1 in 4, Year 4 to Year 9 students (27%) have reported being bullied every few weeks or more often.
The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence is an important day in our school calendar where we join with other schools across Australia to say "Bullying. No Way!’" On Friday 19 March, our school joined the nationwide movement with schools across Australia to take action together against bullying; we are proud to say "Bullying. No Way!" Our students have heard about some of the ways they can stand up to bullying. We encouraged them to be an upstander and speak up, walk away and tell a trusted adult. At GPCC bullying is taken very seriously. Students need to know that they are being heard, their feelings matter, and the matter will be investigated swiftly and fairly. For helpful resources click on bullyingnoway.gov.au. and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6dDBgahVis
Photos: Primary students supporting NDA Against Bullying and Violence
CIS Carnival
Last Thursday 14 of our Primary students went to Sydney Olympic Park, Aquatic Centre, Homebush to compete against other Independent Schools in the Combined Independent Schools Swimming Carnival. We are so proud of our team, who combined with other Christian Schools to compete against Independent Schools.
Head of School Awards
Congratulations to the following students who achieved the Head of School Award for Week 8:
Eliana v, KDL; Tiago P, KG; Tara J, KJ; Nixon C, 1PH; Daniel M, 1B; Michael H, 2D; Kade O, 2P; Esther W, 3D; Liam O, 3B; Tobias S, 4B; Oliver B, 4M; Chelsea S, 4G; Meikayla V, 5P; Jacob L, 5L; Eadi R, 6M; Abbey S, 6S; Amelia M, 6T.
Big Vegie Crunch
Only 5% of NSW children eat enough vegetables. We are on a mission to change that statistic by increasing children’s knowledge, exposure and positive attitudes towards vegetables.
Throughout this week we have been discussing with students the benefits of eating vegetables and the super vitamins they give us.
On Thursday 18 March, many of our students brought in a container of vegetables to crunch on. Together we joined with other NSW Primary Schools in "The Big Vegie Crunch" - an attempt to break the record for the highest number of children eating vegetables simultaneously – and to get kids excited about vegetables!
Our winners for the most vegetables brought to school is KG. They are celebrating with a corn on the cob lunch.
Online Activity
Increasingly, we are finding that many of our students are allowed to watch content that is unsupervised and well above their age range. This is extremely dangerous and impactful. Parents and carers play a key role in guiding their children as they access the online world and begin to learn through exploration, play and social interaction. Over the next few weeks I will be featuring information from the E-safety Commission. Please take time to look at some of the resources on offer:
How do I choose age-appropriate content?
Good quality media can support your child’s learning, especially if it ties in with their interests or sparks their imagination. The following sites are highly recommended and can help you make informed decisions about your family’s entertainment choices.
- Check age ratings and consumer advice for apps and games on devices your children use: via the App Store or Google Play, and for movies and games, the Australian Classification Board’s online database.
- Commonsense Media offers a database of apps, games and websites searchable by age and is an excellent resource.
- The Australian Council on the Children and the Media provides reviews of movies, apps and games, including gambling content advice, searchable by age and platform.
- Raising Children Network has advice about choosing video games, online games and apps.
- NetAware (UK) offers a guide to popular social media apps, sites and games, including risks, age recommendations and safety tips.
- The Australian Council on the Children and the Media provides reviews of movies, apps and games, including gambling content advice, searchable by age and platform.
NAPLAN Online 2021
NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy - important skills that each child needs to succeed in school and life. The NAPLAN tests are designed to help us ensure students are on track with their literacy and numeracy development. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in NAPLAN tests for reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.
In May, our school will participate in NAPLAN Online. Students do not need to be computer experts to take the NAPLAN test online. Making sure students have computer skills is part of our school curriculum, and our teachers will ensure your child is familiar with the online format. To see the types of questions and interactive features of NAPLAN Online, visit the NAPLAN public demonstration site.
In preparation for NAPLAN online, the College will take part in an online practice test early in Term 2. The practice test involves a 45-minute Omnibus Test which includes Reading, Language Conventions and Numeracy Test items. The College does not receive individual student test results for the practice est. The aim is for students and staff to become familiar with the online environment as well as a variety of different question types.
Please refer to Naplan_online_information_brochure_for_parents_and_carers for more information.
If you have any questions about NAPLAN Online, please contact your child’s teacher or Mrs Jane McLarty
6M Lighting up their Classroom
Students in Year 6 have been investigating how electricity works. They have made circuits and 6M have used this knowledge to wire lights for their shoebox houses
