WELLBEING
Parents and carers are a child's first educator
Parents and carers provide support, values and life-long lessons to their children.
At the same time, children benefit from the expertise of teaching professionals and a structured learning environment.
Research shows that engaging parents and carers in their child’s education at school leads to better educational and wellbeing outcomes.
That is why we are building stronger partnerships across education communities, between learners, parents and carers, educators and staff, to help to foster engagement and positive learning and wellbeing outcomes.
For additional information, please access file:///C:/Users/lprothero/Downloads/Engaging-our-parents-and-carers.pdf
Healthy Lunchbox Week
About Health Lunchbox Week
National Lunchbox Week is an initiative of Nutrition Australia that aims to inspire Australian families to create enjoyable and nourishing lunchboxes.
Throughout the campaign we're celebrating the lunchbox and how it reflects diversity, enjoyment and nourishment.
Encouraging enjoyable and pressure free lunchbox experiences supports children’s wellbeing and helps build a positive relationship with food.
National Lunchbox Week helps families, schools and early childhood settings by:
- inspiring practical lunchbox ideas and recipes
- supporting positive lunchbox experiences for children
- embracing the diversity of lunchboxes
- promoting supportive, judgment-free conversations around food.
Why 9 - 15 February?
Occurring at the start of Term 1, National Lunchbox Week provides timely information for families as they return to the routine of daily lunchbox packing. It also supports schools, early childhood settings, teachers and educators to share inclusive lunchbox messages within their school and early childhood community.
Healthy Eating
A healthy lunch box keeps kids active alert and focussed by providing with the nutrition they need every day. Check out Cancer Council NSW's Healthy Lunch Box resource for recipes, ideas and tips: https://healthylunchbox.com.au/ and Nutrition Australia at https://www.healthylunchboxweek.org.au/.
Healthy Harold and Woolworths Fresh Food Kids are on the lookout for Australia's Healthiest Lunchboxes.
Simply build a healthy lunchbox for your school child, upload a photo and describe in words what’s in their lunchbox.
It’s as simple as snapping a photo of your child’s healthier lunchbox as part of our search for Australia’s Healthier Lunchboxes, with partner Woolworths.
PLUS if your child’s lunchbox wins, their school does too!
There will be six winning families selected who will receive a Woolworths e-gift card valued at $1,000 each. Their school will also receive a Woolworths e-gift card valued at $2,000.
You’re not alone!
Healthy Harold and Woolworths will be providing free tips, information and resources to help – from budget-friendly recipes, to colourful activities you can do at home with kids to spark healthier conversations.
A collection of quality free material designed to help out parent & carers at home can be accessed at https://lifeed.org.au/families/resources-for-parents-carers/
Enter here https://lifeed.org.au/australias-healthier-lunchboxes/
When do entries close?
Entries close on February 28 2025 at 12:00am AEDT.
Learning and Support Team
Our Learning and Support Team will meet every Friday morning before school. This team collects information and gives recommendations for the teachers of students who need adjustments to access the curriculum and meet their educational goals.
They play a key role in meeting the specific needs of students with a disability and additional learning and support needs. It is very important that parents share any reports from paediatricians, speech and occupational therapists as well as psychologists, so that we can work with our paraprofessionals in addressing student wellbeing needs.
The team includes:
Principal - Nicole Henderson
Stage 3 Assistant Princiipal/Coordinator - Ljiljana Prothero
School Counsellor - Belinda MacPherson (Mondays and Fridays)
Assistant Principals - Jenny Calagis - Stage 1
Nerys Hull - Stage 2
Karen Sparrow - Early Stage One
Learning and Support Teacher - Rekha Rajvanshi
English as an Additional Language or Dialect EAL/D - Yoyce Yee
How will the Learning and Support team support your child?
- get to know your child
- work with your child’s teachers to make sure your child’s additional learning and support needs are identified
- organise the planning process, and design the supports for your child
- work with the whole school community and other professionals to improve learning for all students.
- The learning and support team also assists in early intervention planning, processing and allocating resources.
Meeting the Learning and Support Team/Teacher
As part of your role in supporting your child, if your child requires an individual plan, you will be asked to meet with a member of the learning and support team or classroom teacher to:
- discuss your child’s strengths, interests, and areas for development
- plan adjustments and supports
- monitor your child’s progress.
Planning ahead can help every child experience a smooth transition to a school, new year, new class.
Please provide:
- any supporting information - medical reports, any reports provided by therapists or other agencies, organisations or health personnel
- details of any resources or equipment that are used or required for day-to-day activities.
By taking into account the insights and information parents and carers can offer, we can make well-informed decisions about each child's individual learning and support needs. At EHPS we work closely with parents and carers to develop a set of planned activities to help make school a success for every student so that they are known, valued and cared for.
You Can Do It Education
Eastwood Heights Public School is a “You Can Do It‟ school. The You Can Do It program aims to foster the social and emotional development of students, assisting them to develop to their full potential. Within a common theme of developing resilience, the program focuses on the five key foundations of confidence, persistence, organisation, getting along and emotional resilience.
Positive Habits of the Mind provide the "nuts and bolts‟ that support these foundations. This program is successful when it is embraced by our entire school community, staff, students, parents and carers.
This year, all students K-6 will be introduced to an updated digital version of the You Can Do It Program. This means that there will no longer be a focus on one key each term.
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The Kindergarten program includes:
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The Years 1-6 program includes:
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You Can Do It: Stella Star Awards
The Stella Star program is a whole school reward system that is aligned to the 'You Can Do It' program which reinforces the Five Keys to Success: Confidence (work, social), Peristence, Organisation, Getting Along and Resilience.
All students from Kindergarten to Year 6 have been issued a new individual Stella Star Chart. The star charts are displayed in all classrooms. Teachers award stars when students demonstrate one of the five keys to success within the classroom or learning time. Students either colour a star or attach a star/sticker to their chart.
The Classroom Stella Star System
- When 5 stars have been coloured/covered, teacher present students with a Stella Key certificate.
- When 15 stars have been coloured/covered, students are presented a Bronze award at K-6 assemblies.
- Once 30 stars are awarded students will be presented with a Silver award at K-6 assemblies
- Once 45 stars are awarded students will be presented with a Gold award at K-6 assemblies
- Once the student has attained all 60 stars they will be presented with a Principal’s Award and invited to a Principal’s, morning tea.
Note: The Principal will acknowledge student achievements and recognise student work and effort through an additional Principal Merit Award and prizes. The principal can award Stella Stars to individual students.
Teachers may supplement and align additional class incentives to the Stella Star Award system. Classroom teachers will inform parents of their behaviour strategies at our Meet the Teacher sessions in Week 5.
Stella Fun Club
The Stella Fun Club encourages social play and assists students in making connections, building friendships, and strengthening social skills. EHPS Parliament will be coordinating activities through their Wellbeing and Safety Ministry.
Buddy classes have been allocated for 2025
Buddy classes have been allocated for 2025:
Buddy classes will further strengthen student relationships and enable students to be supported in curriculum areas and school-based activities.
Getting Ready for Primary School
Starting school is a big milestone for children and their families. The transition between learning environments can be both challenging and exciting.
This guide is packed with information to help you and your family get your child ready for primary school.
Download Getting ready for primary school resources:
Cyber Safe Parents
The Cybermarvel program is designed to provide information and resources to help you and your family stay safe online.
The internet has opened up fantastic opportunities to learn, socialise and share information, but it can also bring risks, especially for young people.
Parents play an important role in supporting their child’s online safety by understanding these risks and learning important tips and tricks to help reduce them.
Check out the parent video, podcast, articles and resources at https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/cybermarvel/parents
Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day is on Tuesday 11 February 2025!
Safer Internet Day - Tuesday 11 February 2025 - is a global day of action dedicated to raising awareness of online safety. On this page, you'll find everything you need to make online safety visible in your school, workplace, home or community.
Back to School safety
Tips for parents and carers
Drop-off and pick-up by car
- Make sure your children are in appropriate child car sets that are fitted and used correctly
- Stick to the 40km/h speed limit in a school zone as children are aabout and can be unpredictable
- Look out for buses pulling out - watch for wig-wag lights
- Always park and turn legally around schools and avoid dangerous manoevres like U-turns and three-point turns
- Always give way to pedestrians, especially when entering and leaving driveways
- Drop the kids off and pick them up on the school side of the road in your school's designated drop-off and pick-up area. Calling out to them from across the road is dangerous because they may run to you with checking traffic
- It's safest for the kids to get out of the car on the kerb side of the road to be away from passing traffic.
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Walking together to and from school
- Plan your trip to school so you are using pedestrian crossing areas where possible.
- Always hold your child's hand up until the age of eight. Young children need your help to spot danger like vehicles coming out of driveways. They can also be easily distracted and wander into traffic.
- Drop off and pick up your child near the school gate and avoid calling them from across the road. Talk to your children about Stop, Look, Listen and Think every time they cross the road:
- Stop one step back from the kerb
- Look continuously both ways
- Listen for the sounds of approaching traffic
- Think whether it is safe to cross and keep checking until safely across
Your child's safety depends on you
Young children can learn these safe pedestrian habits from you and use them when they are old enough to travel alone.
Backflips Against Bullying Performance
'Backflips Against Bullying' is an anti-bullying incursion that features high-energy performances by a team of incredible acrobats. Parkour and flips are one of the fastest growing trends in students today. Action Education use this to engage students and teach them about bullying.
A permission note and payment was sent out via School Bytes. Due date is Friday 21 February 2025
When: Thursday 27 February 2025
- 9:45am - 10:45am K-2
- 10:45 – 11:45am 3-6
The performance supports the PDHPE syllabus and assists students to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills important for building respectful relationships, enhancing personal strengths and exploring personal identity to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others. They develop strategies to manage change, challenges, power, abuse, violence and learn how to protect themselves and others in a range of situations.
