Dear Children and Families,

We hope you enjoy reading through this week's newsletter learning about some of the different things that have been happening across our place of learning.  Our newsletter is just one of the ways that we provide updates on all things related to learning, events and celebrations at IPECS.  We also use Facebook to update on important happenings across the school.  If you use Facebook, I encourage you to click here to like our page and maybe even set up notifications so that you receive our updates.  Another way to stay connected to your child's learning is through SeeSaw.   Our educators will post regular updates to SeeSaw during the school day.  These updates might be for the whole class or individual children.   If you haven't already, please talk to your child's classroom teacher to find out how to set up SeeSaw.  

What is Social and Emotional Learning?

Social and emotional learning, or SEL, is an integral part of our teaching and program at IPECS and is how we support our children to apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes that help them to develop healthy identifies, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships and make responsible and caring decisions.  

A key action aligned with our 2023-2027 School Plan priority is to review our approach to SEL.  To achieve this, we have partnered with Professor Deborah-Pasternak who is a leading researcher from the University of Canberra specialising in SEL.  Professor Deborah-Pasternak has been working with us to unpack what is known as the CASEL model.  This model addresses five broad and interelated areas of competence including:

1. Self awareness

2. Self management

3. Social awareness

4. Relationships skills

5. Responsible decision making

Along with our PRIDE values, this new learning will support us to inform the design or our SEL curriculum, including standards, instruction and assessment.  For more information about CASEL SEL Framework, I have included a short. video that outlines the framework.  I will keep you updated regarding the direction that our approach will take and seek opportunities for your input along the way. 

Who was elected at our GEMS P&C AGM?

Our GEMS P&C held the AGM on Thursday 16 February.  The following parents/carers have been elected to executive positions:

• President - Joanne Clarke

• Vice President - John Bernardi

• Secretary - Jessica Woodruff

• Treasurer - Matt Walsh

• Public Officer - Joanne Streatfield

We are truly grateful for this group of parents volunteering to fulfil these roles and thank them for the dedication and commitment to supporting our school community.  There are many ways to become involved in the GEMS P&C and I encourage you to attend a meeting to learn about the different ways you can contribute.  Later in the newsletter is some information from the GEMS including when the meeting are scheduled.  You may also invited to like the GEMS P&C Facebook Page by clicking here.

Does being late to school matter?

Put simply, yes, being late to school does matter.  Consider this; if you child is late to school by 15 minutes each day this equates to one hour and 15 minutes of lost learning per week, 12.5 hours per term and 50 hours across the year which is about two weeks of lost learning time in a year.   Being late can also disrupt the flow of the school day, not just for the child late, but for other children whose learning can be disrupted as the teacher helps to settle in the little people who arrive late, catching them up on what has been missed.  

School begins at 9am for all children across preschool to year two.  We have noticed over the last few weeks an increase in children who are arriving late to school.  While we understand that at times this can be avoidable, it is important that as much as possible children are at school ready to begin learning at 9am.  The beginning of the school day establishes routines and sets the children up for rest of the day.  Key learning is also generally timetabled at the start of the day.  Children who are consistently late from school may miss out on important learning opportunities.  

We keep records of children who arrive late to school and because we care deeply about children's learning, we will be in touch with parents/carers for a supportive conversation on how we can work together to ensure a consistent and on-time start to school. 

What support is available to help with the cost of schooling and every day needs?

Apply now for the Future of Education Equity Fund for the 2023 school year. Eligible low-income ACT  families can receive one-off payments for financial aid to help cover the costs of their children’s  educational costs, such as sport equipment and activities, music lessons, school uniforms and  excursions. 

The Fund is open to eligible students enrolled in preschools that are attached to an ACT government  school, through to Year 12 in the ACT. Further information and the online application form is available at https://www.education.act.gov.au/support-for-our-students/financial-and-resource-assistance-for-families.

How can we work together to keep children safe from strangers?

This is a reminder to ensure your children and young people understand the importance of stranger awareness safety and information has been included on how to report an incident.

Please support us to keep our children safe by having conversations about moving safely around the community. You may wish to visit the Australian Federal Police website section on Child Safety for tips. In addition, the Safety4Kids is a non-government website that has useful information and links. The Constable Kenny website also has a number of tips for parents for younger children.

If you become aware of an incident or notice anyone acting suspiciously around a school or student, contact police immediately on 131 444 or in the case of an emergency call 000. If you witness an incident or if you have any information that could assist police, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information can be provided anonymously. We would also ask that you notify the school so we can also support the wider school community to be aware of incidents.

Take care,

Simon Barker

How can we support early literacy skills at home?

Supporting and nurturing our children’s early literacy skills is a team effort.  We are consistently amazed with the curious, determined nature of our children when learning to communicate effectively and learning to read and write.   Here are 3 offerings I have to support your child/ren in their early literacy skill development: 

• Mex Fox, one of my favourite children’s authors, and advocate for all children learning to love reading!   She shares her 10 commandments for parents and carers to consider when reading with their child, I invite you to have check them out: https://memfox.com/for-parents/for-parents-ten-read-aloud-commandments/ 

• Reading aloud to children is a wonderful opportunity to develop a life long love of reading, check out this clip by Mem Fox (embedded below)

• Little People’s Literacy Learning: A guide for engaging parents and carers- Reading and Learning  is produced by the Australian Literacy Educators' Association, it contains some interesting tips for families to consider embedding in their everyday routines (embedded below)

We are always open to conversations about how you can support your child at home with their literacy learning, just ask!    We are in the process of planning some workshops for families to support their children with early literacy skills- watch this space.

How can we grow our littlest learners?

On Friday morning from 9:30-11:00 we host ACT Playgroups Backyard Rangers Paint & Play!  It's a wonderful playgroup outdoors in the farm and Ash playground targeted at families and their children up to 5 years of age.  Grab a coffee from the coffee cart, bring your child/ren along for some fun outside and have the opportunity to meet to meet  families in our community as well.

All children across our K-2 years have settled into a steady pattern of school. They now enjoy sharing their lunch and recess breaks eating outside with their friends across all classes, having a social chat and making and consolidating social connections. 

The children and teachers are ready at school and ready for learning to start at 9:00 am. 

Play workshops began this week with all the children in the Building 6 which is now dedicated to these workshops and allows for the children, teachers and coeducators to spread their imaginations, their creations and learnings into many different areas in a larger space. 

Kindergarten

Starting this Friday, Kindergarten has their 'Mystery reader' initiative at 2:45pm. You are welcome to come and to read in any language.   Please don't forget your community photos. Check your emails kindy families for more information. 

What a busy week for the Ambers and the Jaspers, they are also starting their community walks program this Friday so please, if you have not already returned the community permissions, please do so.

Years 1/2

Congratulations to the Opals for a wonderful Whole School Gathering this Wednesday. They were all so confident in their presentation, dancing and singing.  We also got to see their amazing artwork around penguins which related to the book they were reading in class. 

The Garnets walked to the Post Office at the Isabella Plains shops this week to send letters they have written to children in Nimbin NSW. This is part of a program which connects children across Australia. I am sure they are all impatiently waiting to receive a response. How exciting for them!  Letters are such a rare but often precious thing.

As part of our PBL learning and our changing PRIDE values the children have been part of  working on designing the posters for our school. They have drawn some interesting initial attempts at capturing our values in pictures. 

Sandra Hargraves

The preschool children across the cohort are settling beautifully into the routines and rituals of the preschool program. We have seen a strong desire of children to connect with each other to form new friendships and join in group discussions, a curiosity in the world outside the preschool gate, a willingness to share aspects of their culture and an openness to learn new things.

Learning Through Inquiry 

The preschool team have been working hard to provide a range of varied experiences and materials for children to explore, with many rich discussions about how we can build on this curiosity of connection. We will harness this richness through a year long research question, working alongside children and families to inquire into How do we we navigate the complexity of relationships with others to live in a responsive community? We are working closely with the team from the ACT Education Directorate (Gina Nugent and Simone Hobday) and UC academic, (Dr Deborah Pino Pasternak) as our critical friends to ensure our program is closely aligned to the new Early Years Learning Framework and contemporary research. The play base program will allow for open ended play experiences, as well as explicit teaching episodes in whole group and small group discussions, to build on children's understanding of what connection means, deepening understandings of self awareness, relationships and responsible decision making. 

Connecting with each other

Some additions and adjustments to the program have already been made to increase social connections and deepen relationships. Children are connecting over 'the long lunch', with tables in the outside courtyard providing a space for children to linger over a shared love of food. Some groups are beginning their morning connecting through a shared love of books, whilst others are finding shared interests in animals, plants, role play, music and numbers. Provocations for children to understand the physical component of connection including magnets, pipes and clay as well as social connection with each other such as learning each others names and games. 

Connecting with Community 

We have begun visits outside the preschool gate to build connections with our neighbours.  All groups have visited the Isabella Ponds and two have visited the Grans at Isabella Gardens.  Weekly visits provide opportunities to build our oral language, explore connection through our senses, and extend our social interactions. We are also connecting with the spaces in our school such as the playground, play workshop spaces, vegetable gardens and the chickens. We are learning ways different cultures connect to Country, with a strong focus on exploring understandings from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. 

Connecting with Families

Families are such a valued and important part of our program and we want to make sure our learning is connected to the conversations you are having at  home. We were overwhelmed by the response from families to our question 'What does connection mean for you and your family?'.  Children thoroughly enjoyed sending home these letters and using our post office to deliver them back to us.  Thank you for your heartfelt responses and the rich conversations you had as a family.  If you haven't had a chance to share your ideas, please complete and return the form to your classroom teacher. 

We hope you and your child are having a positive experience at IPECS preschool. If you need anything or have any questions,  feel free to have a yarn with myself or any of our friendly preschool team. 

Michele Foley

The Parents and Carers Association for the school is locally called 'GEMS,' (Genuine Engagement, Mutual Support). This year we plan to meet each term:

• Week 3 - Thursday 5:30 - In the Family Room and Online. This will include a report from the school and Comms at Work Service

• Week 6 - Friday 9:15 - In the Family Room (a less formal meeting where we sort out details of actions)

• Week 9 - Thursday 5:30 - Online (and Face-to-Face location TBC).

We would love you to be involved. Keep an eye-out for the meeting code if you can't come in person, and check out the next newsletter for the 'who-is-who' in GEMS!