Two Wells Primary School Newsletter- Term 2, Week 6 2024.
Leadership welcome
"Everyday is a chance to learn something NEW!"
Dear parents and families,
Well done on making it half way through term 2!
Our last Governing Council meeting provided a great opportunity for parents to talk about their expectations and values while discussing the Departments strategy for improving equity and excellence, wellbeing, learner agency and effective learners. High on the agenda was training for staff and students on preventing bullying behaviour, rewarding students for modelling excellent behaviour, a buddy system, emphasis on health and PE and educating on differences and disabilities in our student community. Many of these issues have arisen over the last few years as the Two Wells community changes from a rural to a large metro town. We are the fastest growth area in the state and schools need to be responsive to the community. This brings change as expectations and standards shift.
In terms of values and our expectations some students find it harder to behave than others. By developing better habits, while providing feedback we can support our students to achieve our high expectations. Strong relationships and explicit routines are very visible in our classrooms. We are however challenging low standards in language across our site at recess and lunch. We have seen an increase in very offensive swear words and some racism which is totally inappropriate . As such we are seeking your support, please talk with your children about inappropriate language or red words. Our staff will provide details through class Dojo and we are removing breaktimes for students who continue with this habit despite feedback. Sadly I have also suspended several students for bullying and racism, clearly our community are keen to ensure all our students are respectful and understand that violent words and actions are challenged in our school and in our homes.
Thank you to all our students and staff for a fabulous week of reconciliation activities, we hope this theme continues throughout the year.
Kind Regards,
Rosie Gilsenan-Reed | Principal
We are working extremely hard to provide further support for all students including our students with disabilities and additional needs.
We acknowledge at times frustration and the perception of action not being taken quick enough is evident within our community, I would like to take this opportunity to share the process and to further open those lines of communication as we together continue through this journey.
When a student either enrols or displays the need for higher levels of adjustments the school will: -
- Meet with the family (Teacher)
- Leadership will be notified
- Official diagnosis will be identified or families will be provided information to start the process of gaining higher or further intervention
- Student(s) will be tracked and monitored using the school based IESP data collection (please see below)
- Review meetings with teacher, families and leadership
- Referrals and consultation for Student Support Services to offer higher levels of intervention and feedback through observations (student services offer: Special Educator, Behaviour Coach, Speech Therapist, OT)
- School based intervention (Social & Emotional Learning through, Kitchen and Gardening group, SEL groups, Speech and language, LGU and Phonics groups)
- SSO Learning Support in Classroom and play times
- Negotiated and agreed part time programs
- Modified programs
- IESP application made after 10 weeks of data collection. (Please see below the levels of IESP funding depending on the student’s needs)
It’s also important to share with you what the levels of adjustments are that will inform our pedagogical methods and practices, levels of intervention and support for our students. All of our teachers at TWPS are expected to provide level 1&2 as part of the Professional Standards for Teachers. With additional resourcing and staffing, we can then provide higher levels of adjustments.
Once an IESP application has been made, it then gets reviewed by an independent panel who will then provide a category based upon the evidence the school and family have provided. Please see TWPS model of how we distribute the funding that covers, but not limited to supporting students with additional needs: staffing, resourcing, equipment, external service providers, and well-being. Category funding is no longer linked to a set amount of hours. We base the category funding as a set $ amount per lesson over 200 days of schooling which then equates the amount of lessons/breaks per week.
If you have any questions regarding the IESP process or funding model, please book a time with Cindie at the front office and will be more than happy to discuss further.
Thank you
Kind Regards
Darrell Avery
Deputy Principal
Curriculum learning
"The only dreams impossible to reach, are the ones we never persue" - Michael Deckman
Engaging Literacy Through Music: A Transformative Experience at Our School
Room 18 and 19 have been at the forefront of an exciting initiative, weaving together the threads of literacy and music to create a vibrant tapestry of learning experiences.
Through a grant application, our school was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in the Musical Foundations Course with Kodály SA, in collaboration with the Music in Education Strategy, Department for Education SA.
This week, Angela had the privilege of attending the program at University SA, where she delved deeper into the nuances of the Musical Foundations Course. Armed with newfound insights and strategies, Angela is poised to bring the magic of musical literacy into our Junior Primary Years.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Kodály SA, the Music in Education Strategy, Department for Education SA, and all those involved in making this initiative a reality. With your continued support, we look forward to composing many more harmonious chapters in the story of learning at our school.
Thank you,
Rosie Sarakinis
Curriculum and pedagogy
Reconciliation Week
As part of Reconciliation Week, we have organised to take our Year 2 – 6 ATSI students on an excursion to The Barossa Bush Gardens.
The Barossa Bush Gardens is supported by Nuriootpa Council and run by 60 volunteers. Students walked the trail and learn about Native plants and Bush Tucker and visiting their Community Nursery.
We were also given the privilege to start a stone perimeter for aboriginal bones that where found when upgrading a new road.
Kind Regards,
Maria and Leonne
Health and Physical Education
"Be fit for life!"
What is the Challenge?
Our TWPS students are in their 4th and final week of The Premier’s be active Challenge (PBAC).
PBAC is a physical activity program introduced by the Premier in 2007 to:
- Encourage students to be more active more often
- Improve the health and wellbeing of South Australian students.
The Challenge requires students to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity on at least 5 days of the week for at least 4 weeks between the beginning of the school year and late September. After completing and recording the 4 weeks of daily physical activity, students later in the year will be rewarded with a medal as they do with the Premier’s Reading Challenge.
Thank you to the families who support their child(ren) to keep active, not just for this time period, but developing healthy habits for life.
Healthy Habits have it……
Gratitude For Kids - How to Develop the Attitude of Gratitude
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KcXHO4v7F0
Gratitude, Appreciation, Thankful, Grateful - Kids, teens, and adults can all benefit from a healthy dose of Gratitude each day. Studies show that there are many long-lasting benefits when we develop the attitude of gratitude, such as bringing down your blood pressure, heart rate and breathing to help with overall relaxation and better sleep.
Simple Activities to Develop “The Attitude Of Gratitude”:
- Show Appreciation
- Savour the Small Things
- Daily Gratitude Journal
- Gratitude Jar
- Replace A Negative Thought with A Grateful Thought
- Ask Yourself, “What Can I Learn?”
- Write A Gratitude Letter
- Gratitude Walk
https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/products/my-gratitude-exercises-worksheet
https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/collections/character-education-posters
You’ll get the biggest health benefits of Gratitude when it becomes a habitual part of your thought process. But even alotting some time each day or week to prioritize gratitude can be truly beneficial.
In Health, Room 19 participated in a Gratitude Walk this week. Well done to Charlie from room 19, and Hannah from room 16 for their amazing wow work!
Anthea Pounendis
HPE Teacher
TWPS Playgroup - Coming soon!
"Play is our brains favourite way of learning" - Diane Ackerman
Exciting news coming to TWPS! In term 3, children aged birth-5 years will have the oppurtunity to attend our playgroup.
Playgroup can help children develop:
- Literacy and numeracy skills
- Social and emotional skills
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Sensory pathways, which are important to all learning
- Cognitive and executive functioning skills
- Dispositions for learning (‘habits of mind’), such as cooperation, purposefulness and persistence.
Fine and gross motor skills can be acquired through activities such as:
- Cutting and rolling dough
- Painting
- Drawing
- Writing and mark making
- Threading
- Building and construction
- Climbing and balancing
- Digging
- Dancing.
Cognitive and executive functioning skills include:
- Working memory – being able to hold and use information in their heads over a short period of time, for example remember where they left their shoes
- Inhibitory control – the ability to self-regulate, not give into impulses, filter out distractions and stay on task
- Mental flexibility – the ability to adjust to different scenarios, applying what we already know to new situations or juggling demands and priorities
More information to come soon - for any questions, contact stephanie.seccafien903@schools.sa.edu.au or 85202277.
Premiers Reading Challenge
"Reading is a passport to countless adventures" - Mary Pope Osborne
How many books has your child read so far for the Premiers Reading Challenge? The countdown is on - there are 91 days left to go!
The Premier’s Reading Challenge is a literacy engagement program that was introduced by the Premier in 2004 to:
- Encourage students to read more books and enjoy reading
- Improve literacy levels.
This challenge targets and promotes reading development within schools as students have the oppurtunity to select books to read within their school or home libraries.
Reception to year 6 students will read 8 books from the Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist and 4 personal choice books and log them into their students reading record. students will need to get their books signed off by an adult/teacher/librarian to verify it.
At the end of the challenge, students will hand in their records and will recieve an award for their efforts.
We look foward to seeing how many books our students can read throughout the year - which class do you think will read the most? Let's find out!
Read more information through the URL embedded below.
Recess and Lunch clubs
TWPS have started recess and lunch clubs! Students will have the oppurtunity to attend during break times to immerse themselves in various clubs.
We have:
- Dance & Creativity Club
- Team Games Club
- Minecraft Club
Upon reflection of our new and improved school values - Compassion, growth mindset, respect and courage, we have created an exclusive club to celebrate making A choices and demonstrating our school values within our school. For our Minecraft club, classroom teachers will select one student from each class twice a week to attend in reward for their success.
We hope to see many of our students attend these clubs! See you there.
Material & Service fees
REMINDER MATERIAL & SERVICE FEES ARE NOW OVERDUE!
Payment of this charge is offered via some flexible options, including the following:
- QKR app will accept full payment or partial payments. Please note the QKR app shall only show the full amount of $187.00 at all times (even if you part or fully pay), the balance of the account shall be via statements sent home.
- Electronic funds transfer (EFT).
Bank details for the school account are:
· BSB – 065 174
· Account Number – 10000275
· Account Name – Two Wells Primary School Council Inc Consolidated Account
Please ensure that you provide your child’s full name as a payee code and email remittance advice to dl.0444.finance@schools.sa.edu.au
Credit card via phone or at the Front Office daily from 8.30am - 3.30pm.
If you have a current concession card from Centrelink, you may be eligible for School Card. Application forms can be completed online at www.sa.gov.au School Card Scheme.
Contact us on 8520 2277 for any questions - we are here to help!
Staff car park
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
We are sending out a gentle reminder that our staff/disabled carpark is a NO ENTRY zone - unless you have permission from admin. Otherwise, only staff, buses and disability parking permit holders are to enter. We please ask that no parents are entering to drop off/ pick up their child, unless they require a disabled space.
We have had two unfortunate incidients where a staff's car has been damaged from another. As a school community, we need to ensure we are looking after students, families, staff and ourselves. We are here to support you, and most importatly - keep you safe.
If you have any questions or queries, please don't hesitate to contact us.