Student Parliament: Student Voice: Walk to School

Walk Safely to School Day in 2025 will be held on Friday 16 May. This annual event, organised by the Pedestrian Council of Australia with support from NSW education, encourages primary school children to walk or actively commute to school. The aim is to promote the health, road safety, and environmental benefits of regular walking, not just on this specific day, but every day. Data shows less than 25% of NSW school children currently walk or ride to and from school, down from 75% 40 years ago.

Our Wellbeing and Safety Ministers will coordinate school leaders, class representatives and all ministers to great students at all gates on Friday 16 May, from 9:00am. They will have conversations with peers about ‘being a safe road user.’ They will handout tattoos 3-6 and colouring-in/ activity sheets K-2.

Primary schools can support their parents and carers with advice about:

• Walking safely to and from school
• When can I let my child travel to and from school independently
• Starting high school safely

Transport for NSW advice:

• Hold your child's hand
• Walking safely together to and from school
• Children’s and supervised crossings

Translations are available in 15 community languages

The difference between a children's crossing and a pedestrian crossing

Please read the attached City of Ryde, School Zone Road Safety News.

Free Car Seat Checks

Keep your child safe

Your primary aged child is still developing an understanding of danger and safety. While they are often keen to do things for themselves, an adult must always be responsible for your child in the traffic environment.

Read the road safety information below about how to help keep your child safe. Share the information with all of the adults who care for your child.

Also take some time to explore and talk about the Safety Town activities with your child.

Watch the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison, explain the unique approach NSW takes to road safety education.

https://www.safetytown.com.au/families/

NSW Public Schools Student Survey

In Term 2, EHPS students in Years 3-6 will have the opportunity to participate in the NSW Public Schools Student Survey, which replaces the Tell Them From Me survey. The new survey will give students the chance to share their thoughts and feelings about life at school, including questions about engagement, learning experiences and wellbeing at school.

Hearing directly from our students will help us understand what’s working well and where improvements can be made to our school. The survey is confidential, takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and will be conducted online during school hours. Participation is voluntary, and an opt-out consent form was included in the Week 10 newsletter at the end of Term 1. 

Classroom teachers will support student understanding of the survey over the next couple of weeks. The survey will be implemented from Year3-6 from Weeks-4-8.

Mother's Day 2025

Thank you to Mrs Krystal Vaux and the P&C for our wonderful Mother’s Day Breakfast! It was absolutely delightful to witness the happiness and love being shared while enjoying a smorgasbord of delicious food and drinks! 

A huge thank you to Mrs Anjiri and our Senior Choir for their beautiful performance of ‘Stargazing.’  

Live Life Well @ School

We hope that you all have had a fun and refreshing school holiday break!

This term, we’re excited to share some great initiatives to support your family’s health and wellbeing!

Did you know there is now a Go4Fun online option?

Go4Fun online is a FREE healthy lifestyle program for primary school-aged children and their families to learn practical skills to make healthier food choices and move more at a time and location that suits their family.

The online program includes:

• 10 x online self-paced modules (around 30 minutes each).
• A personal health coach to provide weekly support tailored to the family.
• Online community access to chat to other participating families.
• Family fun activities.
• Prize reward for tokens earnt throughout program.

Register here: https://go4funonline.com.au/signup/

Screen Time Webinar for parents and carers

Screen Savvy Parents: Empowering Parents & Carers to Tackle Screen Time Impacts and Support Healthy Habits.

The Northern Sydney School Years team, along with local councils, is excited to offer a FREE webinar to primary school parents and carers on managing screen time and building healthy habits at home.

Join screen use management expert, Brad Marshall (aka The Unplugged Psychologist) for this free, online webinar to provide practical insights and strategies to help parents and carers navigate their child's screen use.

Date: Wednesday 28 May 2025

Time: 6:30-7:30pm

Where: Online via Microsoft Teams

 Register here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/49a9b177-d1f2-4700-8b40-2f19e7850074@a687a7bf-02db-43df-bcbb-e7a8bda611a2

Coming up in Term 2

• National Reconciliation Week - 27 May to 3 June 2025

• NAIDOC Week - 6 July to 13 July

Students at EHPS will participate in the Baya-Talk Program on Thursday 26 June 2025.

The Djalgala Baya – Talk cultural immersion program provides students with a calm and reflective experience grounded in Aboriginal cultural practices.

Through ochre paint-up, a traditional sweeping ceremony, yarning circles, and the practice of Dadirri (deep listening), students are invited to slow down, connect with Country, and listen with respect and intention.

A yarning circle is a traditional Aboriginal practice that creates a safe and respectful space for everyone to speak, listen, and be heard. It encourages open, honest conversation and promotes equality by allowing each person to share without interruption. Yarning circles are used across generations as a way to pass down knowledge, strengthen relationships, and resolve conflict.

This 40-minute session builds students’ understanding of Aboriginal ways of communicating and offers educators practical examples to continue using yarning circles as a respectful and inclusive teaching method within the classroom.

Students and staff look forward to this wonderful cultural immersion incursion!

Ljiljana Prothero

Stage 3 Assistant Principal