EDUCATION WEEK AWARDS

UPPER HUNTER LEARNING COMMUNITY

EDUCATION WEEK RECEPTION To recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements and contribution of members of the Upper Hunter School’s Communities.

To Be Held at

Scone High School Tuesday 6 August

Commencing at 5.30pm All families welcome!

ASSEMBLY TIMES 9.30am Years 3-6

12.45pm Years K-2

DATES FOR THE CALENDAR

6 Aug Education Awards 7 Aug Zone Athletics 14 Aug Year 5 Leadership Day Zone Public Speaking M’brook 16 Aug Kinder Excursion Oakvale Zoo 20 Aug Rewards Day 22 Aug Kinder Orientation 10am 23 Aug Year 1 Reptile Park

CANTEEN ROSTER

TERM 3

Week 3 5 Aug Rachael J 6 Aug Rachael J 7 Aug Rachael J 8 Aug Jodi R 9 Aug Kristy O Louise J

Week 4 12 Aug Rachael J 13 Aug Rachael J 14 Aug Rachael J 15 Aug Louise M 16 Aug Brooke Mc Sharon C

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

This week we are celebrating Education Week! This year’s theme is Every Student, Every Voice.

Student voice is more than just having a say. Valuing and actioning the ideas, opinions and expertise of all students has significant impact for student wellbeing.

At SPS our students actively participate in decision-making through the Student Representative Council (SRC). They work collaboratively with other students to contribute to making our school a better place for all. They also work together to make the world a better place for others through their fundraising for various charities.

Our Youth Council Representatives join with other students across the Upper Hunter to contribute positively to the wider community, promoting activities to engage the local youth and help to create a sense of belonging.

We are proud of our students and value their input. This week we celebrate Every Student, Every Voice!

Deborah Fisher Principal

SCONE PUBLIC SCHOOL Success For All 82 – 98 Liverpool Street, Scone NSW 2337 Phone: 6545 1049 Fax: 6545 3046 Email: scone-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: www.scone-p.schools.nsw.edu.au

Term 3 Week 3 Tuesday 6 August 2019

LITTLE RIPPER PRIZE WINNERS FROM THE BLUEY DRAW

2 August 2019 Our Friday 2 August Little Ripper Winners: Primary – Amber (6D), Reg (4S), Jazmin (6A), Eloise (6A), Lacey (3/4B), Ella (3M), Nate (4F), Bridget (3O), Lachlan (4F), Leelan (6M). Infants – Billy (KO), Maddison (KO) Isabella (KO), Amelia (KR), Nicholas (KO), Nathaniel (1/2D), Isobel (2W), Deborah (KR), Harper (KH), Hazel (KO).

Bluey will be spending his time in KH and 4F this week. We look forward to hearing about his adventures.

Term 3 Week 3 Tuesday 6 August 2019

EDUCATION WEEK OPEN DAY On Monday our school held their Education Week Open Day. Students performed for their parents and carers in a Showcase. The Showcase featured poetry recitations, public speaking and our choir. Parents visited classrooms before joining their children for Shared Reading and a Picnic Lunch. Thank you to all the parents and visitors who attended our Open Day and helped us to celebrate Education Week.

NEW SRC REPS

On Friday we welcomed our three new Year 2 SRC Representatives for Term 3. We look forward to hearing their ideas and having them as members of our SRC.

1/2D - Isabelle M 2S - Archie S 2W - Isobel M (absent)

Mrs Russ SRC Convener

DEBATING TEAM NEWS The debating team consisting of Hallie, Eloise, Lachlan, Laura, Olivia, Lauren, Phoebe, Clayton, Zander and Alexia travelled to Aberdeen Public School on Monday 5 August to participate in the final rounds of the Premier's Debating Challenge. We were lucky to have a win and two losses. Students did a fantastic job showing much resilience and skill in debating a range of topics. Topics included – ‘Teachers should have to participate in all school sport and exercise classes just like students,’ ‘Year 6 students should be left in charge and responsible for looking after younger siblings’ and ‘Parents should be banned from smacking their children.’ After yesterday’s results Scone Public Storm are in equal first position with two other schools to go to Zone Debating. We look forward to updating you on this development.

Jessica Faras Debating Coordinator

Term 3 Week 3 Tuesday 6 August 2019

2019 SCHOOL CONCERT- IMAGINE. We are well underway with preparation for our 2019 school concert. The concert times and dates are as follows: Tuesday 24th September • Rehearsal. Class run through at Scone High School with students watching, catching buses to the high school and returning to Scone PS in the afternoon. Wednesday 25th September • Matinee performance at Scone High School (catching buses to the high school and returning to Scone PS in the afternoon). Thursday 26th September • Night Show (6:30pm - approx. 9:00pm, time to be confirmed) Children will need to be dropped off to their holding rooms at 6pm.

Tickets go on sale Week 5 If you have any questions about your child’s costume/item please see your child’s teacher.

Regards SPS Concert Committee

PBL REWARDS DAY We hope you are ready for some fun! Our next Rewards Day is right around the corner. The students all had so much fun playing on the Obsta-cool course that we are having them back again for those students who meet the attendance requirements and have displayed positive behaviour throughout the first five weeks of term 3. Obsta-cool will be coming to our school on Tuesday 20 August. Keep your eyes out for more information.

Kimberly Russ PBL Team

Term 3 Week 3 Tuesday 6 August 2019

GUARD DOG AND WISE OWL BRAIN By Anyssa Grendel, BS, LMSW, RYT

‘Behavioral’ is what we label certain kids based on their actions. The problem with that is that kids are only acting out what they feel in their body based on thoughts and emotions. What we think and feel affect how we behave. Most adults can state to others when upset, “I am disappointed, I am frustrated, I am angry”. Children however, do not understand this. See, the part of their brain called the amygdala is still developing and that part of our brains doesn’t develop fully until we are in our 20s. The amygdala is responsible for emotional regulation, fight or flight so ultimately protecting ourselves. The amygdala is responding to situations that make us uncomfortable or are a perceived threat. It gets us ready to run, fight or freeze which is a good thing, when there is a real threat! But when things like math or speaking in public it is over reacting to things that might be challenging. Another situation that fires up the amygdala is when we are experiencing constant threats like domestic violence, emotional, verbal or physical abuse or neglect because we are experiencing a constant state of fight or flight in our minds and bodies so the amygdala becomes hyper alert.

The cortex which is responsible for problem solving, reasoning, making good choices shuts down when the amygdala is functioning to protect us. It says “No thinking is involved here, only run, freeze or fight” to protect.

But this response is not always appropriate given the overreaction and hyper vigilance sometimes of the amygdala. It sometimes just gets it wrong. In order to use the cortex part of our brain to problem solve what we are having a reaction about we have to learn to regulate the emotional response of the amygdala.

See the behaviors are a result of the amygdala reacting to uncomfortable situations. When kids can’t focus on math as an example, it might be because they don’t understand it so they shut down or act out in the classroom doing anything to get kicked out of class to avoid having to do math. They feel stupid and don’t have the knowledge to say “I just don’t understand it”, instead they do what kids do, they react to the nervousness, the agitation in their bodies, the racing thoughts of “I’m not good at this, I’m going to fail, I’m stupid” by acting out. They don’t understand emotions and can’t associate their reaction to an emotion.

Knowledge is power! Teaching kids that there isn’t anything wrong with them and giving them control back, over their minds, bodies and reactions is powerful. To see kids transform in understanding that they aren’t “Just another bad kid” and instead are normal in their reaction. Adults act out just the same because of their amygdala too. Emotions are real and all of them are ok but it’s how we respond to them is most important. Teaching kids about emotions in general is key because they don’t know that they are “scared” “angry” or “sad”. They don’t know how to label the emotion but they can tell you what happens in their body. They can describe “Yelling” “Crying” “Hitting”. When we help connect for them their behavior to an emotion, they then have the ability to identify and self-regulate before the negative reaction if they have healthy tools to use.

Throughout this term all children at SPS will be learning about their Amygdala, “Guard Dog Brain”, and the Cortex, “Wise Owl Brain”, and learning some helpful breathing tools and other strategies for calming our guard dog brain down and putting him back on his leash so our wise owl flies back helping us then think of the best possible solution to the situation.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Parents of children from Kindergarten to Year 12 must ensure their children attend school every day. On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:

• being sick or having an infectious disease • having an unavoidable medical appointment • being required to attend a recognised religious holiday • exceptional or urgent family circumstances e.g. attending a funeral

Parents must provide an explanation for absences to the school within 7 days from the first day of any period of absence. The school can be notified by the Skoolbag app, (preferred option), a phone call to the office on 6545 1049 or a note sent to the class teacher. Where an explanation has not been received within the 7-day timeframe, the school will record the absence as unjustified on the student’s record.

Term 3 Week 3 Tuesday 6 August 2019 P AND C NEWS

BLOOM IS BACK FOR 2019 - SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW • The warmer weather and longer days will be upon us, so we are planning a Christmas-themed

twilight market. • Planning is well underway but we really do need your support. • The last few years have seen our markets get bigger and better! This is fantastic because Bloom

is the major annual fundraiser for our school - but it also means that we need more help to organise and run the markets.

• Last year’s market provided us with the funds to engage Lex James, who painted our awesome

playground art. This year, funds raised will be used to purchase Interactive Touch Tables for our school library and our special needs classroom.

HOW YOU CAN HELP • We are looking for parents who want to get involved by helping us co-ordinate and decorate the

stalls allocated to each of the grades. • For example, if you have a child who is in Year 1, you could co-ordinate the Year 1 Cake Stall.

You are welcome to team up with another parent/friend and co-ordinate together – loads more fun and not so overwhelming. FYI, for Kinder parents, it is tradition that Kindergarten is allocated the Tombola stall. It is a fun and exciting stall and arguably the most popular on market day!

• Co-ordinating a stall is a great way to learn new skills, use your existing skills, make a valuable contribution to your child’s school, meet new people and have a bit of fun. There is absolutely no requirement to come along to meetings, though you are very welcome if you would like to.

• We’d love you to get in touch with us by emailing bloommarkets@outlook.com.au if you are interested in being a stall co-ordinator for this year.

• We are also currently looking for sponsorship. If you own a local business and you are interested in supporting the markets by way of sponsorship, please email us on bloommarkets@outlook.com.au for more details.

Term 3 Week 3 Tuesday 6 August 2019

COMMUNITY NEWS