Natanya (Tany) Milner, Head of Primary

Grandparents and Friends Day

This week’s Grandparents and Friends Day was a beautiful way to celebrate Rosh HaShannah with some of our special community members. The children loved performing for their grandparents and sharing Rosh HaShannah activities. Thanks you to our Hebrew and Jewish Studies teachers, led by Hagit Bar-On and Adam Carpenter for their dedication to prepare for the event. Another important “thank you” to Sonia Newell and Stacey Rosenfeld for all their administrative support. There were many other staff members involved in the success of Tuesday – I thank them all for their hard work.

Years 3-5 camp

This week has seen a wonderful Sport and Recreation camp adventure for our Years 3-5 students and teachers. It is a fantastic opportunity to build independence and strengthen relationships in an exciting and fun manner. Thank you to Meghan Carroll and Holly Dillon for all their work to organise this event. It is truly a mammoth task. Thanks to all the teachers who attended camp. It is so much fun to share this special time with the students but also exhausting with time away from their families and friends – I thank them for their energy and commitment.

Innovation-athon

We are so excited for our upcoming Innovation-athon. This is our major fundraiser for the year and in previous years has funded some of our creative and fun initiatives including the chill zone, table tennis tables and new equipment. We would be so grateful for your support by sponsoring your children and encouraging them to seek sponsorship from special family and friends too.

Canteen closure

School closes at 1.10 pm on Tuesday 18 September for Yom Kippur. Due to the fact that no children will be on campus at lunchtime, the canteen will not open on this date. Please ensure your children bring food from home for recess on 18 September.

Upcoming closures

We will be closed on the following upcoming dates for various Yom Tovim:

10 and 11 September: School closed for Rosh HaShannah

18 September at 1.10 pm: School closes for Yom Kippur

19 September: School closed for Yom Kippur

24 and 25 September: School closed for Sukkot

Shana tova and chag sameach to all of our community. Wishing you a happy and sweet new year – may you all be written in the Book of Life – G’mar Hatima Tova.

Search for the Next Tech Girl Superhero Competition

Some Year 6 students recently entered the Search for the Next Tech Girl Superhero Competition with an entry called STEAMA6. These students created an app to empower girls and inspire them to get involved in STEM areas. This app is aimed at Primary school students, but especially girls. It encourages girls to see themselves as STEM superheroes through relatable female role models. The app involves learning areas in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics and Astronomy. A huge mazal tov to the students involved for their commitment and hard work: Gabriella Freed, Renee Korotkaia, Sophie Masnick, Alice Milner, Yael Rembach and Jacinta Shevelev. Thank you to Sophie Poisel for guiding the team and inspiring them to complete their entry to such a high standard. 

Sleep

Sleep Awareness Week is coming up at the beginning of October. It is important that your child gets enough sleep every night. According to the Sleep Health Foundation, sleep helps us restore ourselves physically and reorganise things in our brain, supporting our body and mind to function properly.

As a guide, children need the following amounts of sleep every night:

Ages 3-5 need 10-13 hours

Ages 6-13 need 9 to 11 hours

Ages 14-17 need 8 to 10 hours.

If you believe that your child is not getting an appropriate amount of sleep each night consider making a few adjustments using some tips from the Sleep Health Foundation:

• Establish a regular sleep pattern
• Be consistent with a routine as much as possible
• Establish when screen time stops and the bedtime routine starts (and keep children’s bedrooms screen-free)
• Make sure your child is getting enough exercise and time outside each day
• Consider what your child is eating, especially in the second half of the day. Decrease or eliminate any caffeinated items.
• Help your child make his/her room dark, cool and quiet.

A range of helpful fact sheets can be found at:

www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/public-information/fact-sheets-a-z.html