|
Ardtornish NewsletterTerm 1 Week 9 - 28th March 2025
|
No 5
|
In this issue
Diary Dates
April 1st - Parent/Teacher Interviews Dance Till You Drop 4th- Dance Till You Drop, Assembly 2.10pm 11th- Last Day of Term 1, 2.00pm Dismissal 28th -Term 2 Begins 30th - Finance Meeting 3.30pm FACE Meeting 5.00pm May 7th - School Photos, Grounds Meeting 8th - Group Photos 9th - SAPSASA Cross Country Carnival 10th- Aerobics Competition 12th- Governing Council Meeting 7pm Road Crossing
Monitors Wed 26th Mar – Tue 1st Apr Tania S, Ekas P, Aradhya K Wed 2nd Apr – Tue 8th Apr Aaryan P, Luba M, Myah J Wed 9th Apr – Tue 29th Apr Imogen S, Harper D, Molly W Please arrive by 8.25am |
Positive Responses to the Peaceful Kids Program
‘Peaceful Kids’ is a Mindfulness and Positive Psychology based program to lessen anxiety and stress and increase resilience in children. The program gives children the skills, practice and support to utilise coping strategies that lessen the symptoms of anxiety and stress. This program helps children to build their emotional resilience, so they are better equipped to deal with the day to day stresses that life brings them.
This Term, students in Rooms 9&10 undertook 6 half hour sessions run by a facilitator from Uniting Care Wesley Bowden. The goals of the program were to support students to:
The key elements of the program include: 1. Mindfulness Practices • Breathing techniques (e.g. belly breathing, mindful breathing) • Guided meditation and relaxation exercises • Body scans to increase self-awareness • Mindful movement and stretching 2. Positive Psychology Strategies • Identifying and expressing emotions • Recognising and challenging negative thoughts • Practicing gratitude and positive self-talk • Developing problem-solving skills 3. Practical Coping Strategies • Learning how to self-regulate emotions • Using visualization techniques to reduce stress • Creating personal ‘calm down’ strategies 4. Group Discussions and Reflection • Sharing experiences in a safe and supportive space • Learning from others and normalising anxiety • Building confidence in expressing feelings 5. Parent Information • Providing take-home activities for continued practice • Educating parents on mindfulness strategies to support children At the conclusion of the program students were asked, ‘How has Peaceful Kids helped you?’ Their very positive responses were as follows:
12. I learned new skills 13.I am now more mindful 14. Helped me with my feeling 15. It was fun 16.Taught me more about meditation 17. Helped me concentrate 18. I learned new skills 19.I am now more mindful The school will be looking to run the program in more classes in the near future. |
Canteen ROSTERTuesday 1st Annabella, Cassidy
Wednesday 2nd Deb M, Erin R Thursday 3rd Deneice P Friday 4th Bridget R Tuesday 7th Amari, Imogen Wednesday 8th Anna M Thursday 9th Jess C, Deneice P, Tui M Friday 10th Chris G Medication in Schools
Department for Education policy on Administering Medication in schools is: * All medication that needs to be administered in school is required to be accompanied with a completed Medication Authority form, which is to be filled out by the Doctor. * Medication must be within the expiry date of the product and delivered in the original container; with the label from the pharmacy, that has the child’s name on it. * If self - administering, a completed Medication Authority form still needs to be completed by the Doctor. * All medical plans need to be updated every year. Volunteer Information
If you would like to volunteer in your child’s classroom, transport to sporting events, camps, library, canteen etc you will need a working with children check and RRHAN-EC Training Certificate. Working with children check forms are available at the front office, RRHAN-EC training is available online via the following link Plink account for volunteers - RRHAN-EC Please give a copy of your certificate once competed to the front office. Please note: both these are required by the Department for Education to be able to volunteer. Contact the front office if you have any questions or queries about becoming a volunteer. 
Donations
We are looking for donations of little girls and boys’ underwear. If you have any you would be able to donate to the front office it would be greatly appreciated. 
World Autism Awareness Day: April 2nd
Wednesday, April 2nd (Week 10) is World Autism Awareness Day. This global event has been celebrated since 2007 to raise awareness, acceptance, and appreciation of autistic people. At Ardtornish, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and supported. Our Autism Inclusion Teacher (AIT), Natalie Hall, promotes inclusion and diversity by sharing best practices and resources through the AIT initiative. For more information about the AIT role, please see the poster below. If you have any questions or would like to chat, you can contact Natalie Hall at [email protected] Come and have a look at our Wellbeing Room We invite all family members to drop by our Wellbeing Room on World Austism Day, Wednesday, April 2nd, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Come and take a look at the space, and feel free to have a chat with Nat Hall or Mandy Arscott. We look forward to seeing you there! 
Reminder: School Fees
Are due at the end of this term 11/4/25. Thank you to the families who have paid their fees, organised payment plans or applied for school card. If you are unable to pay your fees by the due date please contact Cathy Manser by phone 8264 8099 or via email [email protected] to discuss your options. 
|
Kiss and Drop Zone
Please note: The area in front of the school office is a designated drop off and pick up area, Kiss & Drop. Cars should not be left parked there because they block the space and others are being forced to ‘double park’ to pick up children. As you can appreciate this is dangerous and illegal. Parents need to wait in their cars, they cannot leave their cars to get out to collect their child. Council fines do apply. 
Harmony Week - Developing Acceptance
From Monday 17 to Friday 21 March 2025, Ardtornish Primary School celebrated Harmony Week, a special time to recognise and embrace the diversity within our school and the wider community. Harmony Week is all about inclusiveness, respect, and creating a sense of belonging for everyone. It’s a chance to learn about and appreciate the many cultures, backgrounds, and passions that make up our school community. At Ardtornish, we planned a range of activities to celebrate this important week: 🧡 PALs (Play At Lunchtime) Activities – Older students lead fun lunchtime games and activities for younger students, fostering friendship and inclusion. 📚 Library Activities – Our school library offered engaging activities that promoted acceptance and belonging. 🎵 Music in the Yard – The schoolyard came alive with music during some break times throughout the week. 👕 Free Casual Clothes Day Friday, March 21– Students were invited to dress in orange, cultural clothing, or something that represents their uniqueness. This was a sports uniform, an outfit showcasing a favourite hobby, or something that reflects a future career dream! Harmony was a wonderful opportunity for us all to celebrate what makes us unique and come together to connect, accept, and get along. 
Members of our governing council can be contacted through the front office. Each portfolio head would love for other parents to volunteer, to join their group and assist them in contributing to the school's life.
|
Fridays, in our Year 1 and 2 classrooms, Room 23, 24, 26 and 27 have been exploring a fun and exciting way to spark creativity using artificial intelligence! With students aged six to eight, developing storytelling skills is an important part of their learning, and AI has become a fantastic tool to inspire young minds.
Recently, we started using AI to generate writing prompt images and questions. The students love seeing the unique and sometimes surprising pictures that AI creates. Whether it’s a half dragon / half dog, a talking toy, magical object or a mysterious door in the middle of a forest, these images encourage rich discussions and imaginative storytelling.
At times, we use AI-generated questions to assist brainstorming. Questions like “Who lives behind the door?” or “What special powers does the cat have?” help students develop their ideas further. It has been amazing to see their confidence grow as they form sentences and express their thoughts in creative ways. It takes the “RIGHT INPUT”, by humans to generate the right fit for writing, this means we are working with AI when creating.
One of the best parts of using AI for writing prompts is that it allows every child to engage at their own level. Some students love to write long stories, while others enjoy sharing their ideas verbally. No matter how they participate, everyone feels included and excited about storytelling.
Our journey with AI in the classroom has just begun, but it has already brought so much joy and enthusiasm to our writing sessions. As we continue exploring, we look forward to seeing even more creative stories come to life!
Authors aged 6 - Room 23
Recently, we started using AI to generate writing prompt images and questions. The students love seeing the unique and sometimes surprising pictures that AI creates. Whether it’s a half dragon / half dog, a talking toy, magical object or a mysterious door in the middle of a forest, these images encourage rich discussions and imaginative storytelling.
At times, we use AI-generated questions to assist brainstorming. Questions like “Who lives behind the door?” or “What special powers does the cat have?” help students develop their ideas further. It has been amazing to see their confidence grow as they form sentences and express their thoughts in creative ways. It takes the “RIGHT INPUT”, by humans to generate the right fit for writing, this means we are working with AI when creating.
One of the best parts of using AI for writing prompts is that it allows every child to engage at their own level. Some students love to write long stories, while others enjoy sharing their ideas verbally. No matter how they participate, everyone feels included and excited about storytelling.
Our journey with AI in the classroom has just begun, but it has already brought so much joy and enthusiasm to our writing sessions. As we continue exploring, we look forward to seeing even more creative stories come to life!
Authors aged 6 - Room 23
