Guildford West Public School
NEWSLETTER - 2024, Term 3, Week 10
Are they old enough for a mobile phone?
When is your child old enough to take their first online steps and begin to explore on their own?
How soon are they ready for smartphones and social media accounts?
As a Department and a school there is a phone policy, which states no phones in primary schools. All phones MUST be checked into the office each morning and picked up in the afternoon.
How to navigate for your child- Esafety commission Australian Government states:
A smartphone is about much more than making phone calls. It allows your child to spend time online using their own device, rather than a shared family tablet or computer. It literally puts the online world in their hands.
The right age for your child will depend on their level of maturity and your family routine. It is worth asking yourself the following questions before handing over a digital device.
Does my child have a good sense of responsibility?
Are they able to stick to the rules?
Do they show a good understanding of actions and consequences?
Do they come to me or another trusted adult when they are distressed or if they encounter problems?
What are the rules about when and where my child can use their smartphone? For example, will they only be able to use it while they are away from the house, and not in their bedroom at night.
For younger children it may be best to start with a mobile phone without internet access, and only introduce a smartphone when they demonstrate an appropriate level of maturity. There are a range of mobile devices available that allow you to control which tools or services your child has access to.
Some younger children might argue that they are ready for a smartphone, especially if their friends already have one. But it is worth holding out until you feel confident that your child is mature enough.
If you have a family online safety contract (see online safety basics), it would be a good idea to go through it carefully with your child in the context of the new responsibilities they are taking on with their own phone.
When are they ready for social media accounts?
Both the physical age of your child and their level of maturity and resilience can affect their ability to have positive experiences on social media.
Each social media site and app has its own criteria for minimum age requirements. Most require users to be at least 13 years of age before they can register, although some sites are created especially for children under 13.
Does your child know how to report cyberbullying and other kinds of abusive content?
Although there are huge benefits to being connected through social media, your child may experience some form of online bullying or harassment. If this happens, it is important that they know how to manage and report this behaviour.
Together with your child, check the safety resources for individual social media services and look for information about how to block and report other users. Read The eSafety Guide for more online safety advice including how to report inappropriate content on different platforms.
You can also report online harm to eSafety. We can help you with:
Cyberbullying – when someone uses online content or communication to seriously humiliate, seriously harass, seriously intimidate or seriously threaten a child or young person under the age of 18.
Image-based abuse – when someone shares, or threatens to share, an intimate photo or video of a person without their consent, no matter what their age.
Child sexual abuse material – we prioritise the investigation of online child sexual abuse material and work with law enforcement to remove this content wherever it is hosted.
Does your child know how to deal with negative online experiences?
Does your child understand the importance of protecting their personal information?
Does your child understand how privacy settings for social media work?
Does your child understand what is safe to share online?
Support Unit News
Writing
S Newcastle have been very busy learning about natural disasters. Students have enjoyed hands-on learning, like making a tornado in a bottle and creating our very own volcano. This has supported students to produce some amazing writing! Now they are working hard to research historical weather events, such as the 1999 hailstorm, the 2004 tsunami, the 2017 drought and Cyclone Tracy.
Lifeskills
This term S Newcastle and S Katoomba have participated in the Lifeskills program. This is where students learn about important values such as resilience, kindness and teamwork while doing yoga and learning how to relax and calm their body. It has been a big learning curve and now they look forward to each session with Miss Mandy. Thank you Miss Mandy!
Early Stage 1 News
This marks the end of a very busy term!
Our little learners have been working hard during literacy rotations. To develop and practise reading and writing skills, students begin each morning with a variety of activities to challenge themselves. Students practise their sound drill, read with the teacher, complete short writing tasks and identify sight words. These daily tasks have had a significant impact on our learners, as they have shown more confidence and independence in attempting their learning.
Every Thursday, Kindergarten students have been working towards building their sportsmanship and soccer skills. Together as a team, our little soccer players have worked on kicking the ball correctly and aiming their kicks towards the goal. It is hard work to try a new sport, but our students have shown just how ready they are to take on a new challenge. Great teamwork everyone!
Kindies also had an incredible adventure this term, going on their very first excursion. We got into our yellow bus, sat down with our partners and had a very exciting drive to Sydney Zoo. We visited the magnificent lions, sleepy koalas, bouncy kangaroos and scaly crocodiles. Students showed their kindness and care by gently petting Ron the blue tongued lizard and Spaghetti the snake. Kindergarten had an incredible time at the zoo and I’m sure if you ask, they will tell you some very special stories about their adventures.
Stage 1 News
Stage 1 had an amazing adventure this term with an excursion to the Field of Mars. We boarded the bus, settled in with our partners, and enjoyed an exciting ride to Buffalo Creek Reserve. There, we bushwalked through rugged terrain, discovering a variety of Indigenous and native plants and animals. We listened to captivating indigenous stories, created story maps using elements from the natural environment, and tried our hand at capturing different insects and creatures. We had lunch by Sugarloaf Point, and the highlight of the day was the rock concert by the river.
Stage 2 News
English
In English, students have been exploring the different ideas to create their very own hybrid animals. The students hybrid animal will consist of combining 2 existing animals of their chioce to create 1 hybrid animal. The students will then use their hybrid animal to create unique facts according to their research and write an informative text. All students have been working hard to create their animals and slowly developing their text.
Here is a little sneak peak…
Excursion
This year Stage 2 have been learning all about different artists and art styles.
This term, we had the opportunity to visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales and their Here Comes Everybody exhibit.
The fantastical is at the heart of the Welcome Plaza of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ new building with the arrival of Francis Upritchard’s towering figures, inspired by mythology, folklore and the surrounding Moreton Bay fig trees. Enticing visitors of all ages, Upritchard’s playful bronze beings are workers, collaborators, creators and guardians who, in the artist’s words, ‘ready your mind to be receptive to anything’.
Students got to go on a guided tour of exhibitions in the gallery, participate in drawing inspired by the artworks and work in teams to create interesting creatures made of paper.
Stage 3 News
Stage 3 have enjoyed Term 3 with many different learning opportunities.
Drama
Students have been learning about the different elements of drama and demonstrating their understanding of these by collaboratively performing a script/play. Students have explored scripts and have started to improvise their own scenes to popular plays. To end the lesson, students attempt to say fun tongue twisters as a challenge. Can you repeat this three times? If two witches would watch two watches, which witch would watch which watch?
First Foot Forward
In Week 8, students in Year 6 attended First Foot Forward at Western Sydney University, Kingswood Campus. Throughout the workshop, students explored the campus and participated in a range of activities designed to stimulate interest in further education. The on-campus experience also gave students the opportunity to start imagining life as a university student.
Cooking
Stage 3 have been cooking up a feast! During the second half of the term, students baked falafel pita pockets using chickpeas and made a mint greek yoghurt dip. This opportunity has provided students with a deeper understanding of the importance of regularly eating healthy and the delicious foods that originate from different cultures!
GWPS Choir Performs at the Opera House!
On Tuesday, 17 September the Years 3-6 choir performed in the Granville Area Our Spectacular concert in the main concert hall at the Sydney Opera House. The concert, attended by 4000 people, was a great success and showcased the amazing talent in schools all around Southwest Sydney.
This year we had 16 performers who joined in the 500 student mass choir. Across the year, students attended three rehearsals to learn how to effectively use their voices and learn the material. Students sang a range of music from the decades focused on the theme “Incredible Music Moments” including Whitney Houston’s One Moment in Time, Toto’s Africa and the classic Crocodile Rock by Elton John. Students put many hours of practice into learning the music and represented Guildford West PS well. They should be proud of their effort and their enthusiastic performance.
Guildford West Public School
Email: guildfordw-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: www.guildfordw-p.schools.nsw.edu.au
Location: 23-51 Palmer Street, Guildford West NSW, Australia
Phone: (02) 9632-9942
Facebook: guildfordwestps