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- Principal's Report
- Student Leader Report
- Gold Card
- School Value Champions
- School Garden
- 1/2 A
- 1/2 B
- Health & Physical Education
- Rethink Waste Tasmania
- COVID-19 Vaccinations for Students aged 12 and over
- A message from CommBank School Banking
- School Canteen
- Launch Into Learning
- Social and Emotional Development in School-Age Children
- West Ulverstone Child and Family Centre is coming soon
- 2022 Student Assistance Scheme (STAS)
- School Calendar
- Community News
WUPS Vision and the value of Courage
At WUPS we are aspirational and expect our learners to achieve their best. Leading into the reporting period staff are working hard to provide opportunities for students to show case their ability. This week students from Prep to Year 6 are completing PAT (Progressive Assessment Testing) in Maths and Reading. Year 2-6 also have Spelling, Science, and Vocabulary Skills and Year 4-6 are completing the eWrite test. Teachers will use this evidence to assist with end of year assessment and to identify areas in which students can improve. Teachers are working with students to set individual goals for their learning. Has your child shared their learning goal with you?
This term I have seen a few students who have shown our value of ‘Courage’ identifying they need extra support with reading. Every day they find time during their break times to come and read with Mrs Crawford and I. Already they have increased their confidence reading allowed and can read words they previously could not.
World Teacher Day
WUPS celebrated and thanked the teaching profession on World Teachers’ Day on Friday 29 October 2021. World Teacher Day is a day to reinforce the significant role teachers play in the lives of children and students, their families, and communities. We celebrated World Teacher Day on the Student Free Day with morning tea and certificate presentation. Certificates were written by students. Do not wait for World Teacher Day to thank our amazing teachers.
Another addition to WUPS
Congratulations to Mr Gee and Miss McKay on the birth baby Harry on Friday, October 1. Welcome back Mr Gee and thank you to Miss Haines who covered Mr Gee during his period of leave.
Providing sanitary products for students
Limited access to sanitary products can affect student wellbeing and also be a barrier to learning.
At West Ulverstone Primary School, sanitary products for students are available in an emergency or as an ongoing supportive provision for students who may require assistance. After consultation with our students, these products are available through a discreet location in the office.
Congratulations to Paige Lehman and Rubi Coppleman on the leadership and maturity they have shown while leading this initiative. Paige and Rubi selected products for students to access, spoke to all students in Year 3 -6 about menstrual cycles being normal and nothing to be embarrassed about. They informed students about the discreet location. Paige and Rubi even wrote a letter to families to inform them of sanitary products at school.
Yours in partnership
Angela McAuliffe
Principal
Student Free Lunch
Last week we wanted to hold a free sausage sizzle for students. A very generous anonymous parent donation allowed this to occur. We spent their lunch time cooking sausages for all students. All together we cooked 160 sausages and most people really enjoyed them.
A special mention to two Year 5 students who offered their assistance. A huge WUPS thank you to the anonymous donor.
Remembrance Day Service
This year at WUPS we will be hosting a Remembrance Day Service on Thursday the 11 of November at 11am. Please come to the office by 10:55am if you would like to attend our service.
Halloween Dress Up Day
Last week, due to popular request, we held a Halloween Dress Up Day. This event was by a gold coin donation and money raised went to Breast Cancer Research. As a school, we raised $125.
Congratulations to the students pictured for being acknowledged for displaying our shared school value of Courage!
Courage – accepting challenges and embracing opportunities
Word Wizards
1/2A have been learning about how we can make our writing more interesting to read.
Our focus has been on using describing words in our sentences and replacing simple ‘boring’ words with better ones.
Students created a word list to replace good and bad this week. Their other words have a great range of options.
Our class display shows the amazing understanding students have of words that have a similar meaning.
We now face the challenge of including them in our story writing.
You have been a disgraceful dog.
It was digraceful to see them playing.
That was a horrible movie.
She wrote a nice story.
She is a girl.
She is mean.
- Maysi
You have been a naughty dog.
It was great to see them playing.
That was a terrible movie.
She wrote a lovely story.
She climbed a great rope.
There was an ugly girl.
- Maddison
You have been a horrible dog.
It was nice to see them playing.
That was an evil movie.
She wrote a bossy story.
I saw a rude fire chief.
I am a terrible person.
- Rudy
Term 4 is passing us by quickly! 1/2 B have recently discovered the joy of writing limericks! It was beyond exciting to see some of our students writing limericks in their own time at home – a true indication that we are developing into writers.
Limericks are a fantastic way to learn about rhyme, syllables and rhythm, as well as ensuring students think very carefully about the words they are choosing. Limericks set us up to become independent spellers and writers. Mr French is wondering who can write the most entertaining limerick!
Some of the favourites so far are:
There once was a girl names Pia,
Please don’t confuse her with Sophia!
To do so is lame
She is not the same,
And never ever call her Miss Mia!
- Pia
There once was a man named Steve
Who built his house out of trees
He then met a creeper
Who said nice to meet ya
And blew his house off with the breeze
- 1/2 B Co-Written
For the next two weeks we have Miss Mitchell and Mr McKeller from the University of Tasmania at our school on practical placements. They will be observing and teaching in Health and PE classes with Mr Pursell. During Health classes, students will be looking at Mental Health, whilst in PE they will be focusing on Athletic based activities as a lead up to the carnival that is scheduled for later in the term.
Rethinking Christmas – full of stats about Christmas waste and great ideas to have a fun and waste-free Christmas.
COVID-19 Vaccinations for Students aged 12 and over
The Tasmanian Government is working hard to provide the COVID-19 vaccination to all Tasmanian’s aged 12 and above.
As you may be aware there have been a number of clinics run in colleges to vaccinate students in years 11 and 12. There will also be a small number of regional high schools that will host a vaccine clinic but this is not something that will be occurring at high schools in larger population centres at this point in time.
However, there are a number of different options available for parents to arrange for students aged 12 and above to be vaccinated, these include:
- At one of the community clinics across the state. Appointments can be made by visiting www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/booking or calling the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738.
- At participating GPs - contact your local GP directly to make a booking.
- At selected pharmacies - find one near you at findapharmacy.com.au
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family and the wider community from COVID-19. Don’t wait. Vaccinate.
Young people under the age of 16 are encouraged to attend their vaccination appointment with a parent or guardian.
There are a number of places where you are able to find more information in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine. You may like to look at this information with your child to support them in understanding more about the vaccination:
- Information from the Australian Government about COVID-19 vaccines
- Information from the Tasmanian Government about COVID-19 vaccines
- Information from the Western Australia Government through a video presented by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki which answers common questions and dispel myths about COVID-19 vaccines.
A message from CommBank School Banking
For 90 years, our School Banking program has helped children learn about money, reinforced the importance of regular savings and provided structure for parents to support their children to save.
Support is strong from schools, principals and volunteers who choose to run the program, however you may be aware that in past months, a number of state and territory governments have announced bans on banks delivering programs in their schools, and the NSW Government announced a similar decision today, because of a report from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
We are disappointed with the position taken by ASIC and subsequent decisions by some state and territory governments to take the choice to participate away from individual schools and parents. Because of the ASIC review and these government decisions, we are unable to continue providing programs in schools and we have had to make a difficult decision to close our School Banking program nationally.
As a result, the CommBank School Banking program will not be returning to schools beyond 2021.
Our School Banking program was established in 1931 at a time when having a bank account was not commonplace, and since then we have helped more than 15 million Australians take their first financial steps.
This would not have been possible without the wonderful support we have had from the schools we partnered with over the journey, and for this we are deeply grateful.
Even though this is a sad time, School Banking has taught so many young Australians, past and present, the value of money and we believe this should be celebrated. We have created a place for you to share your stories, fondest memories and lessons learnt through the program. Share your story at commbank.com.au/sbstories
While our in-school program will close, we are committed to supporting financial wellbeing, and will always provide financial education to young Australians. We have launched a new CommBank Youth Hub, which brings together all our youth financial education resources for parents and teachers. This includes a range of free resources including lesson plans, videos and worksheets from our curriculum-aligned financial education program, Start Smart.
Our School Banking team will remain available until the end of the year to answer any questions you may have about running the program. You can contact our School Banking Helpdesk on 1800 674 496 Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm (AEDST).
To find out more about these changes and to access resources, visit commbank.com.au/schoolbanking
Closer to the end of the year, I will provide more information about the next steps required to wind down the program at your school. In the meantime, please feel free to continue to run the program as you normally would, in line with the relevant health advice and government directions for your area.
Thank you sincerely for your support of our program. It has been invaluable and has helped many Australian children learn the importance of saving.
Warm regards,
Veronica
Head of School Banking
CommBank
A huge thank you to our volunteers Robyn Britton, Sharon Mee and Jane Polden who have supported our school banking at WUPS.
We are pleased to announce that during Term 4 we will be offering a canteen for students.
The Canteen will run every Tuesday until the end of Term 4.
Canteen Order Forms will be available for students from their classroom and available at the office.
To allow us to collate and organise orders, we ask order forms to be returned the Friday, prior to the Tuesday.
Social and Emotional Development in School-Age Children
As children enter the school-age years, they begin to show signs of a budding independence. This period of growth is also marked by the active pursuit of, and genuine appreciation for, new relationships. Parents, or primary caregivers, continue to be the most important people in their child’s life, but relationships with peers become increasingly important. In fact, the appearance of a “best friend” is considered a universal feature of the school-age years. Other significant, and often defining, characteristics of this phase of development are a child’s capacity to control their urges and conform to an appropriate standard of behaviour without direct supervision. Collectively, this is known as Self-regulation.
Milestones
5- to 6-year-olds
- Are willing to play cooperatively, take turns, and share
- Show jealousy toward siblings
- Understand their own feelings
- Understand the consequences of their actions
- Enjoy playing alone, but prefer to play with friends
- Can dress themselves
- Are able to use words to describe their own feelings
- Show empathy and offer to help when they see another in distress
7- to 8-year-olds
- Show a competitive spirit when playing games
- Befriend children of the opposite gender
- Show an interest in joining a club or sports team
- Form a sense of humour and enjoy telling jokes
- Can distinguish between fantasy and reality
- Are able to do pretend play with another child or group of children
- Help out with chores at home, such as clearing the table after a meal or tidying up personal belongings
Parenting tips
- Self-regulation doesn’t happen overnight. However, children are very observant, so leading by example will help with their progression. Current research continues to support the belief that a parent’s own ability to self-regulate has a tremendous impact on their child.
- Teach and encourage your child to express their feelings, particularly when they show non-verbal signs of negative emotion: a slumped posture, prolonged fatigue, or obvious facial expressions.
- Praise your child when they continue to do things right, like picking up their toys, and always compliment them after a personal achievement.
- Establish clear family rules: for example, no hitting, and no jumping on the furniture.
- Consistently use positive discipline strategies inside and outside the home.
- Encourage your child to play with other children, whether it is on the playground at school, a park, or on a sports team. Inviting peers over for play dates is a good idea, too.
2022 Student Assistance Scheme (STAS)
Did you know?
When your child goes to a Tasmanian Government school you will find that there are costs that you will need to pay. These include levies, school uniforms, excursions and other costs associated with your child’s educational program.
If you are eligible, there are a number of financial assistance schemes available to assist you to cover costs.
Where to start
The levy you pay contributes to the cost of your child’s education program, and includes:
- Items your child uses during the school year such as learning materials and stationery.
- Services, such as school excursions, attending performances and school camps that are part of your child’s educational program.
Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) for 2022 School Year
The Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) provides assistance to low income families towards the cost of levies for students enrolled in a school from kindergarten through to year 12.
STAS is provided through school and college resourcing rather than payments direct to families.
Eligibility
Parents who have a current concession card as listed below can apply for dependent students for assistance under the STAS:
- Services Australia – Centrelink Health Care Card
- Service Australia – Centrelink Low Income Health Care Card
- Services Australia – Pensioner Concession Card or
- Department of Veteran Affairs – Pensioner Concession Card.
To apply for STAS please complete the Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) Application Form.
For further information please view the Frequently Asked Questions.
Wednesday 10 November | Terrapin & Scaredy Cat Performance 1:40pm - 2:25pm |
Thursday 11 November | Rememberance Day Assembly 11am |
Thursday 17 November | Ulverstone Secondary College Concert 1:00pm - 2:30pm with WUPS Choir Performing |
Wednesday 24 November | Year 6 Orientation Day at USC |
Thursday 25 November | Schools Triathlon Challenge |
Thursday 25 November | Year 1/2 Beach to Bush Program |
Friday 26 November | Devonport Show Day - Public Holiday |
Tuesday 30 November | Year 6 Transition Sports Day at USC |
Friday 3 December | Athletics Carnival |
Monday 6 December | School Association Meeting 4:45pm |
Friday 10 December | Transition Afternoon Kinder - Year 5 |
TBC | Colour Run |
Thursday 16 December | Celebration Assembly 10:45am |
Thursday 16 December | Last Day for Students |