Edition 16: 24 August 2017 Congratulations to our Public Speaking stars

Huge congratulations to Fletcher Moore in Year 6 who was the finalist winner of the Central Coast Public Speaking competition. Fletcher won the Stage 3 section at our school, went on to compete at the Gosford District competition at Avoca Beach, where he gained a highly commended, then at the Warnervale Regional finals for the Central Coast, which he won. We are so proud of you Fletcher, well done! Congratulations to Levi Young who is in Kindergarten. Levi was our Early Stage 1 winner of the Public Speaking competition here at school and went on to compete at the Gosford District finals at Avoca Beach. Here Levi gained a highly commended. How wonderful and he is only in Kindergarten. We are so proud of you too Levi, well done! Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 loved Horrible Harriet at Laycock Theatre

Last Friday all of our students from Kindergarten to Year 2 attended the “Horrible Harriet” performance at the Laycock Theatre in Gosford. Everyone loved the show and had great fun being part of an interactive audience. Here are some comments from some of our students:

Ivy - KW: I liked it when Mr Chicken was hiding behind Horrible Harriet.

Kaian - KW: My favourite part was the dancing and when Mr Chicken’s head popped out.

Tyler - 1M: I liked that Mr Chicken kept on stealing the show. They all ate monster soup and they even liked it.

Patty - 1C: At the end Horrible Harriet got frightened by the chicken. That was good.

Joshua - 2K: I liked it when I saw Mr Chicken. He was trying to hide all over the place on the stage. I could spot him.

Edward - 2S: It was really good. The best part was when Mr Chicken came out.

Dylan - 2S: It was hilarious! Mr Chicken was everywhere and everyone was yelling ‘there he is’ but he was hiding until the end.

It sounds like Mr Chicken was the star of the show and it sounds like everyone had plenty of fun. Such a great experience for all our students.

Stage 3 Police talk

Our students in Stage 3 participated in a Police talk about bullying and its effects on people. All types of bullying were explained and our students were given strategies on how to deal with bullying and on how to report it if it happens to them.

Kindergarten Information evening

There was a good turnout for our 2018 Kindergarten Information evening. This evening is designed to provide information about our school to parents and carers of children who will be enrolling for Kindergarten in the next school year. Thank you the Kindergarten team for organising and running the evening. The Kindergarten transition program will run in Term 4. Several information sessions will be run for parents at that time and the children enrolled in Kindergarten for 2018 will have the opportunity of experiencing class time in readiness for school. If you have not enrolled your child in Kindergarten for 2018 (if age appropriate) please do so now so that your child can be included in this very important transition program.

Enrolments for Preschool

At present letters of offer for our Preschool program for 2018 are being sent out. We only have 40 places available in our program and these are filling up fast. If you have not enrolled your preschool child in our program and wish to be part of our wonderful Preschool then please enrol your child now. Remember our Preschool program is only for the year before school. Children must be turning 4 before 31 July 2018.

Teaching our children resilience

Resilience is being able to bounce back from stress, challenge, tragedy, trauma or adversity. When children are resilient, they are braver, more curious, more adaptable, and more able to extend their reach into the world. The great news is that resilience is something that can be nurtured in all children.

As you know our teachers are currently teaching all of our students about resilience. Explicit lessons take place each week to help support students become more resilient and more able to cope.

An extract from an online resource called 10 Tips for Raising Resilient Kids by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is included as an attachment for you. It is always reassuring and important to be able to access valuable information.

Staff changes

Mrs Louise Rayner will be on leave from Tuesday, 29 August until the end of this term. Ms Whitney Williams will continue the learning program for 3/4R. Mrs Kath Taylor will relieve as Assistant Principal for Stage 2. Ms Leanne Wiliame will be on leave from 18 September until the end of Week 3 in Term 4. Ms Maree Caruana will continue the Early Intervention program and Mr Wayne Price will relieve as

Assistant Principal – Support. Mrs Ona Buckley will be on leave from 11 September until the end of this term and Mr Dan Betts will relieve as Principal. Mrs Janine Szostak will fulfil the role Assistant Principal – Welfare across the school.

Dogs on the school grounds

Just a word of advice - we are a dog free school so please leave your pets at home or arrange for your child to meet you at one of our school gates.

Please follow School Wellbeing policies

It is not appropriate for any parent to approach another parent’s child in regard to an incident that has happened on the school grounds. Please follow the school procedures and report any incidents that your child is involved in that the school may not yet be aware of. We have a very comprehensive wellbeing policy and procedures in place and every child in our school has the right to feel safe on the playground and the right to have a fair process to investigate any incidents that may have occurred during school hours.

Have a sunny fortnight.

Ms Ona Buckley Principal

This week teachers have been teaching their students about how to ‘Be Safe’ when moving around the school during class time (i.e. class-to-class transitions). Lessons have focussed on the importance of staying together in two lines, walking rather than running, staying away from the fixed play equipment and keeping one’s hands and feet to oneself. Next week we will be teaching students how to ‘Be Polite’ when going to the canteen. Teachers will emphasise the need to line up and be patient, and to say “Please” and “Thank you” when purchasing items. Students who successfully demonstrate positive behaviours when transitioning from class to class during learning time, and when visiting the canteen, will be rewarded with Win Bin tickets and stars on their Star Charts.

Parents and carers are encouraged to discuss PBL expectations with their children. If you have any questions related to the school’s PBL program or about student wellbeing policies and practices, please direct them to either myself or Ms Buckley.

Mr Dan Betts Assistant Principal (Student Wellbeing)

This week your child received a note to choose their sport for Term 4. This is an exciting program where students are given the opportunity to select a sport they may have some interest in and get specialised training and coaching from expert organisations. The students will be guided through their sport for 8 weeks and we are extremely lucky to be able to offer such an extensive program. These notes have to be returned to Mrs Taylor as soon as possible as there are limited places for each sport.

Term 3

Week 6 Aug 21 Zone Athletics Carnival

22-23 Stage 3 Bright Sparks

24 Year 4 Bathurst/Jenolan Caves (24-25/8)

Week 7 Aug 29 Fathers’ Day Stall

30 Book Week Parade

31 Fathers’ Day Stall

Sep 1 Fathers’ Day Breakfast

Week 8 Sep 7 Jump Rope for Heart

Week 9 Sep 11 Swim School – Week 1

13 School Maths Day

15 Mufti Day

Week 10 Sep 18 Swim School – Week 2

22 Last Day Term 2

Remember our Jump Rope for Heart Day is coming up soon – 7 September 2017. Don’t forget to register online. For more information visit https://jumprope.everydayhero.do/jumprope2017/Woy_Woy_Public_School_WOY_WOY_NSW_131301

Book Week Parade Wednesday, 30 August 2017

10:15am

This year the theme for Book Week is Escape to Everywhere! We are encouraging students to dress up as one of their favourite characters. Parents and carers are invited to watch the parade and stay for a picnic lunch.

The winners of the colouring in and poster competitions will be announced at the completion of the parade.

Mrs Sozomenou Teacher Librarian

Congratulations to all our students who competed at the Zone Athletics Carnival on Monday 21 August at Mingara Athletics Centre. Our school performed very well with some wonderful team and individual results. Many students reached the finals of field events and Lahni, Hayley and Kody made the finals of the 100m. Both the Junior and Senior Girls Relay teams also made the finals.

Dayne Jennings came 3rd in the Junior long jump. Hayley Flower and Kody Boyle both came 3rd in their 100m events and these two students have qualified for the Sydney North Carnival at Homebush on Monday 11 September. Well done to all our students and their wonderful parents who transported and supported them on the day.

Mrs Taylor

Canteen Roster

Mon 28 August Rebecca Tue 29 August Alice Wed 30 August Janette Thu 31 August Kay Fri 1 September Mel Mon 4 September Helper needed Tue 5 September Leanne Wed 6 September Vicki Thu 7 September Kirsty, Robyn Fri 8 September Janette Thankyou

Anne

Wednesday, 6 September

All sushi varieties are $3.50 each. • Teriyaki Chicken (chicken, rice, cucumber) • Teriyaki Beef (beef, rice, cucumber) • Vegetarian (tofu, rice, cucumber) • Tuna (tuna, rice, cucumber) • Chicken Schnitzel (chicken schnitzel, rice, cucumber) Orders are online only through Flexischools www.flexischools.com.au and need to be placed by Friday, 1 September by 8.50am.

Scone Drive Thank you everyone for the wonderful support for our Scone Drive. Scones will be available for collection from the kitchen between 2 and 4pm Friday afternoon.

REMEMBER you can buy fruit from the canteen in the mornings for fruit break.

Apples $1.00 Banana $1.00 Mandarin $1.00 Watermelon cups 50c

We now have homemade

macaroni cheese on our menu.

$2.50

Congratulations to the following recipients of our Academic Achievement Awards at our Week 6 Assembly

Name Class Name Class

George Kassi-Hurley K-6PC Lucas Herben K-6W

Conner Clark KLP Tyrone O’Hara KRM

Delisha Pandya KW Ayesha Douri K/1M

Prydi Bisson 1C Lucia Jian 1M

Mahlia Smith 1/2Y Axel Cridland 2K

Seth Bartlett 2S Stella Fitzmayer 3/4C

Tim Bakker-Huxley 3/4B Easun Zhang 3/4T

Layla Graham 3/4R Mason Bailey 3-6S

India Roewekamp 5/6B MJ Gavin 5/6H

Joel Weston 5/6S

Fletcher Moore 5/6B – Outstanding Achievement for winning the Regional Public Speaking Finals

Levi Young, KW – High achievement at the Gosford District Public Speaking Finals

Congratulations to the following students who have reached their 25, 50, 75,100, 125, 150 and 175 nights of home reading! 25 Nights Heidi Kerr 1C, Olivia Shannon 1C, Josh Reynell 3/4B, Danae Stockwell 3/4B 50 Nights Olivia Shannon 1C, Edie West 1C, Jasmine Alwahan 1C, Daniyal Kashif 1C, Isla Portelli 1C, Danae Stockwell 3/4B 75 Nights Will McAndrew KRM, Olivia Shannon 1C, Patti Bisson 1C, Prydi Bisson 1C, Danae Stockwell 3/4B, Tim Bakker-Huxley 3/4B, Chace Browne K/6PC, Thomas Conquest 1/2Y 100 Nights Skyla Malloy KRM, Jackson Dukes 1C, Danae Stockwell 3/4B, Imogen Graham 1/2Y, Jackson Sceats 1/2Y, Jackson Wang 1/2Y 125 nights Chloe Smith 1C, James Weaver 3/4B, Danae Stockwell 3/4B, Imogen Graham 1/2Y, Jackson Wang 1/2Y

150 Nights Chloe Smith 1C, Tamara Adshead 3/4B, Danae Stockwell 3/4B, Riley Stait 3/4B, Lana Corkill 3/4B, Natalie Hedge K/6PC, Annabelle Durrand 1/2Y 175 nights Azalea Carter 3/4B, Annabelle Durrand 1/2Y

Upcoming Events • A Father's Day stall will be held on Tuesday 29 August and Thursday 31 August with some great gift

ideas priced from $1 to $6. Notes have been issued to each student advising their allocated day. • A BBQ will be held on 7 September in conjunction with Jump Rope 4 Heart event. Uniform Shop Uniform shop is open every Wednesday 8.30-9am. Email orders to wwpsuniforms@outlook.com. We are always looking for volunteers, if you are able to help please email or drop in. Thanks. Debbie Tonkin Uniform Shop Coordinator School Banking Reminder that School Banking day is Friday. Please hand your bank book to your teacher for collection. Children who deposit money into their Youthsaver account through School Banking earn Dollarmites tokens (which is also recorded online). These tokens can be saved up and when your child earns 10 Dollarmites tokens they can be redeemed for any of the following exciting rewards available during 2017:

Term 1 Prizes:

• Cyber Handball – unavailable • Colour Change Markers

Term 2 Prizes, still available: • 3D Chalk Set • Tablet Case

Term 3 Prizes, now available: • Smiley Emoji Keyring • Volt HandBall

Term 4 Prizes: • Pencil + Tech Case • Epic Earphones

Please note rewards can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. If your require a Rewards Card to redeem a prize there are some in the School Office, you can also send the School Banking Team a note requesting a specific reward or we can send home a Rewards Card with your child’s bank book. Don’t miss out on the Grand Prize competition ending this term To be in the running for a family trip to Tokyo Disneyland, children need to make 15 or more School Banking deposits between 23 January 2017 and the end of Term 3. Nicole Golds School Banking Coordinator

Ph: 4341 3922 6 mths – Adult.

Heated indoor pool. AustSwim qualified instructors.

5 Mutu Street, Woy Woy NSW 2256

aquasplash@yahoo.com

295 West Street, Umina Beach, Ph: 4342 0255

P: (02) 4343 1774 Shop 1, Pavilion Building 29-37 George Street, Woy Woy, NSW, 2256

Woy Woy Wombats Water Polo REGO DATES Online from Saturday 2nd September 2017 Rego Day Saturday/ Sunday 16/17th September 9am - 12noon @ Peninsula Leisure Centre Woy Woy COME & TRY Saturday 16th September 9am-12noon @ PLC Woy Woy Sunday 17th September 9am-12noon Woy Woy

Contact: secretarywombats@gmail.com

10 Tips For Raising Resilient Kids By Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. While adulthood is filled with serious responsibilities, childhood isn’t exactly stress-free. Kids take tests, learn new information, change schools, change neighborhoods, get sick, get braces, encounter bullies, make new friends and occasionally get hurt by those friends. What helps kids in navigating these kinds of challenges is resilience. Resilient kids are problem solvers. They face unfamiliar or tough situations and strive to find good solutions. “When they step into a situation, [resilient kids] have a sense they can figure out what they need to do and can handle what is thrown at them with a sense of confidence,” said Lynn Lyons, LICSW, a psychotherapist who specializes in treating anxious families and co-author of the book Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children with anxiety expert Reid Wilson,Ph.D. This doesn’t mean that kids have to do everything on their own, she said. Rather, they know how to ask for help and are able to problem-solve their next steps. Resilience isn’t birthright. It can be taught. Lyons encouraged parents to equip their kids with the skills to handle the unexpected, which actually contrasts our cultural approach. “We have become a culture of trying to make sure our kids are comfortable. We as parents are trying to stay one step ahead of everything our kids are going to run into.” The problem? “Life doesn’t work that way.” Anxious people have an especially hard time helping their kids tolerate uncertainty, simply because they have a hard time tolerating it themselves. “The idea of putting your child through the same pain that you went through is intolerable,” Lyons said. So anxious parents try to protect their kids and shield them from worst-case scenarios. However, a parent’s job isn’t to be there all the time for their kids, she said. It’s to teach them to handle uncertainty and to problem-solve. Below, Lyons shared her valuable suggestions for raising resilient kids. 1. Don’t accommodate every need. According to Lyons, “whenever we try to provide certainty and comfort, we are getting in the way of children being able to develop their own problem-solving and mastery.” (Overprotecting kids only fuels their anxiety.) She gave a “dramatic but not uncommon example.” A child gets out of school at 3:15. But they worry about their parent picking them up on time. So the parent arrives an hour earlier and parks by their child’s classroom so they can see the parent is there. In another example, parents let their 7-year-old sleep on a mattress on the floor in their bedroom because they’re too uncomfortable to sleep in their own room. 2. Avoid eliminating all risk. Naturally, parents want to keep their kids safe. But eliminating all risk robs kids of learning resiliency. In one family Lyons knows, the kids aren’t allowed to eat when the parents are not home, because there’s a risk they might choke on their food. (If the kids are old enough to stay home alone, they’re old enough to eat, she said.) The key is to allow appropriate risks and teach your kids essential skills. “Start young. The child who’s going to get his driver’s license is going to have started when he’s 5 [years old] learning how to ride his bike and look both ways [slow down and pay attention].” Giving kids age-appropriate freedom helps them learn their own limits, she said. 3. Teach them to problem-solve. Let’s say your child wants to go to sleep-away camp, but they’re nervous about being away from home. An anxious parent, Lyons said, might say, “Well, then there’s no reason for you to go.”

But a better approach is to normalize your child’s nervousness, and help them figure out how to navigate being homesick. So you might ask your child how they can practice getting used to being away from home. When Lyons’s son was anxious about his first final exam, they brainstormed strategies, including how he’d manage his time and schedule in order to study for the exam. In other words, engage your child in figuring out how they can handle challenges. Give them the opportunity, over and over, “to figure out what works and what doesn’t.” 4. Teach your kids concrete skills. When Lyons works with kids, she focuses on the specific skills they’ll need to learn in order to handle certain situations. She asks herself, “Where are we going with this [situation]? What skill do they need to get there?” For instance, she might teach a shy child how to greet someone and start a conversation. 5. Avoid “why” questions. “Why” questions aren’t helpful in promoting problem-solving. If your child left their bike in the rain, and you ask “why?” “what will they say? I was careless. I’m an 8-year-old,” Lyons said. Ask “how” questions instead. “You left your bike out in the rain, and your chain rusted. How will you fix that?” For instance, they might go online to see how to fix the chain or contribute money to a new chain, she said. Lyons uses “how” questions to teach her clients different skills. “How do you get yourself out of bed when it’s warm and cozy? How do you handle the noisy boys on the bus that bug you?” 6. Don’t provide all the answers. Rather than providing your kids with every answer, start using the phrase “I don’t know,” “followed by promoting problem-solving,” Lyons said. Using this phrase helps kids learn to tolerate uncertainty and think about ways to deal with potential challenges. Also, starting with small situations when they’re young helps prepare kids to handle bigger trials. They won’t like it, but they’ll get used to it, she said. For instance, if your child asks if they’re getting a shot at the doctor’s office, instead of placating them, say, “I don’t know. You might be due for a shot. Let’s figure out how you’re doing to get through it.” Similarly, if your child asks, “Am I going to get sick today?” instead of saying, “No, you won’t,” respond with, “You might, so how might you handle that?” If your child worries they’ll hate their school, instead of saying, “You’ll love it,” you might explain that some beginning children might not like their school, and help them figure out what to do if they feel the same way, she said. 7. Avoid talking in catastrophic terms. Pay attention to what you say to your kids and around them. Anxious parents, in particular, tend to “talk very catastrophically around their children,” Lyons said. For instance, instead of saying “It’s really important for you to learn how to swim,” they say, “It’s really important for you to learn how to swim because it’d be devastating to me if you drowned.” 8. Let your kids make mistakes. “Failure is not the end of the world. [It’s the] place you get to when you figure out what to do next,” Lyons said. Letting kids mess up is tough and painful for parents. But it helps kids learn how to fix slip-ups and make better decisions next time. According to Lyons, if a child has an assignment, anxious or overprotective parents typically want to make sure the project is perfect, even if their child has no interest in doing it in the first place. But let your kids see the consequences of their actions. Similarly, if your child doesn’t want to go to football practice, let them stay home, Lyons said. Next time they’ll sit on the bench and probably feel uncomfortable. 9. Help them manage their emotions. Emotional management is key in resilience. Teach your kids that all emotions are OK, Lyons said. It’s OK to feel angry that you lost the game or someone else finished your ice cream. Also, teach them that after feeling their feelings, they need to think through what they’re doing next, she said.

“Kids learn very quickly which powerful emotions get them what they want. Parents have to learn how to ride the emotions, too.” You might tell your child, “I understand that you feel that way. I’d feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but now you have to figure out what the appropriate next step is.” If your child throws a tantrum, she said, be clear about what behavior is appropriate (and inappropriate). You might say, “I’m sorry we’re not going to get ice cream, but this behaviour is unacceptable.” 10. Model resiliency. Of course, kids also learn from observing their parents’ behaviour. Try to be calm and consistent, Lyons said. “You cannot say to a child you want them to control their emotions, while you yourself are flipping out.” “Parenting takes a lot of practice and we all screw up.” When you do make a mistake, admit it. “I really screwed up. I’m sorry I handled that poorly. Let’s talk about a different way to handle that in the future,” Lyons said. Resiliency helps kids navigate the inevitable trials, triumphs and tribulations of childhood and adolescence. Resilient kids also become resilient adults, able to survive and thrive in the face of life’s unavoidable stressors