Tamworth West Public School
April 2024
Principal's Report
Welcome to the April edition of our school newsletter and I trust you all enjoyed a wonderful long weekend, and that the Easter bunny was very kind to you.
Thank you to our families and friends who joined us on Thursday for our annual Easter hat parade. It was a fun time for all students involved and a massive congratulations to our very creative families who did an amazing job with the Easter hats.
Term 1 has been very busy, and I can’t believe that we only have 9 days left until school holidays. Term 1 finishes on Friday 12 April 2024 and students return to school on Tuesday 30 April 2024.
Providing time to switch off
Staff wellbeing is one of the highest priorities in the Department’s Plan for NSW Public Education. In acknowledging that recent years have been challenging, one way burnout is being addressed is by setting clear expectations for digital communication outside of school operating hours.
As a parent or carer, you are an important part of our school community. We know that you play a crucial role in helping your child become a motivated learner. Communication between our school and our community is critical for us to partner together.
To give our teachers the opportunity to recharge, spend time with their families and bring their best creative selves to work, the Department is setting clear expectations for when and how we respond to communication outside school operating hours. This means teachers may not reply to non-emergency messages or emails outside of school operating hours.
Please use the school’s email address for non-emergencies in the first instance. Our staff will respond to your queries within 2 school days under normal circumstances.
For longer discussions or complex matters, we ask parents and carers to make an appointment to speak to teachers directly, at a time that works best for everyone.
For emergencies, please contact the front office on 6765 8316. Emergencies include serious student health, safety and wellbeing issues.
Our staff will always stay in touch because open communication is what’s best for your child and their education. We don't want you to stop communicating with your teachers – we still want to hear from you if you have any questions or need to discuss a matter about your child. We know it’s often easier to send emails or messages after work. We will make sure we read and respond in school operating hours.
Our dedicated teachers want to help our students achieve their best – we’re on the same team.
Thank you for treating our staff with kindness and respect.
Digital Devices and Online Services Plan
Please find below, a copy of our school’s approach to managing student use of digital devices and online services to ensure safe, responsible and respectful use of these.
In summary, students can carry digital devices while travelling to and from school. However, all digital devices, including mobile phones and wearable technology (smart watches and headphones) must be turned off and handed in to the front office during school hours.
Parents and carers can apply for an exemption, but such requests need to be in writing to the principal. All requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and granted when required by law or at the principal’s (or delegate’s) discretion.
Tamworth West Public School_Digital devices and online services plan.pdfCyber Bullying
Recently we have been encountering some incidents of cyber bullying in our school. These incidents have mostly been hurtful comments and remarks and some instances of threats of violence. In all instances, these behaviours have occurred outside school hours and off school premises but there is a clear and close connection between the school and students’ conduct. As a school, will not tolerate such behaviour, and actively address all reported instances immediately through restorative conversations between students or consequences in line with the school behaviour management procedures. At times, we will also seek support through our local police youth liaison officer.
We believe that education is the key to combating cyber bullying, and we are committed to taking proactive steps to address this issue within our school. However, we cannot do it alone.
We need your support and partnership in fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and acceptance among our students. Please have open and honest discussions with your children about the importance of being accepting, treating others with kindness and respect, and the appropriate use of technology.
We, in partnership, need to help our students understand the impact of their words and actions on others and discourage the use of apps and sites that are not appropriate to their developmental age.
Together, we can make a difference and ensure that our school is a place where every student feels valued, respected, and supported. Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Attendance
Good attendance is crucial to student success, both academically and socially. Our priority is to investigate ongoing poor attendance, regular partial absences and any unexplained/unjustified absences.
It is a legal requirement that absences are explained within 7 days. Parents/carers can do this in advance through School Bytes, responding to School Bytes notifications, sending an explanatory note with their child or calling the front office. Eliminating unnecessary absences will support your child to maximise their learning potential and develop positive social interactions with their peers.
Kind regards
Terrie Kay
Principal
From the Deputy
Real Schools
At the centre of the Real Schools Restorative Practice model is that Language builds culture. What we say and how we say it sets the culture of the school. Our three-year journey has just begun and we are learning to be behave restoratively instead of punitively.. We appreciate the support of our school community while we learn, practice, and engage in this effective, evidence-based model of developing a culture of restorative practice.
On Tuesday 19 March, Daniel Vella from Real Schools spent a full day in our classrooms and the playground modelling restorative practice for our staff and students. He then worked with our staff during our Tuesday afternoon professional learning session. And as if that wasn’t enough for the day, he then ran a parent information session in our hall at 6 pm.
The learning that occurred for staff, students and parents during that day was incredible. Daniel modelled restorative conversations and staff were able to see the theory in practice. You may hear your children using phrases such as “It’s not a race, lets go walking pace”. This is to enforce our expectation that students walk on hard surfaces around the school. Instead of staff constantly saying, “stop running” or “slow down”, we have developed what is referred to in the restorative practice model as a stored response. We have also been working with a group of students in the playground around playing football. Instead of endless meetings with the students about what is expected and usually having to react to an incident, Daniel has shown us how to use strategies like effective statements, positive priming, and stakeholder protection to work with these students and set up the game for success. Staff have been checking in with the group before and after each break to remind them of their agreed actions and check in how it went after the game. As a result, we have had a huge decrease in negative behaviours during the game and more importantly we have witnessed a big increase in positive talk among the students.
This is the beginning of our three-year journey with Real Schools and the changes to school culture we are already seeing are very encouraging. For those of you who were unable to attend our parent information session, there is a short video attached where Daniel explains the process we are engaging in with Real Schools. I have also included some parent information snippets to assist your understanding of restorative practice at home and school.
Why+doesn't+punishment+work+-+Parent+Snapshot.pdfWhen+things+go+wrong+at+school+-+parent+snapshot (1).pdfAttendance
Attendance Every Day Matters.pdfTerm 1 seems to have flown by! As we are near its end, I know all our teachers are looking forward to a successful term 2 and are excited to work with you to make this a memorable year for your child.
The evidence is clear that consistent attendance is the essential first step for your child to have a positive experience at school.
Every day matters for your child’s learning. In recent years we’ve seen too many students miss a day of school here and there. Missing school for students means missing assignments, time with friends, an important math lesson or getting picked for a sports team. With days missed, years are lost.
Students are required to attend school every day, whether it’s the first or last day of the term, Mondays, Fridays or days dedicated to sports carnivals, school excursions and incursions.
Help us make sure your child is achieving their best and stays ahead in their learning with regular school attendance. The more time your child attends school, the greater their opportunity to learn, make new friends and improve their wellbeing. Together, let’s build positive attendance habits for a lifetime.
If your child is absent from school, please let us know why as soon as possible, even if it’s just a few minutes at the start or end of the school day. Of course, there will be times when your child is unable to be at school (like when they are unwell). Medical appointments should take place outside school hours where possible and family holidays should be taken in term breaks.
If your child is feeling anxious about coming to school and you need support, please reach out to your child’s teacher or me directly. Our staff are here to work with you and your child to help them attend school each and every day. There are also helpful resources for parents and carers on the Every Day Matters website.
Thank you again for working with our teachers and support staff to make sure your child is at school, on time, every day. We all want to see our students learn, grow and belong in our equitable and outstanding education system.
Explaining All Absences
Recently we have been encountering some incidents of cyber bullying in our school. These incidents have mostly been hurtful comments and remarks and some instances of threats of violence. In all instances, these behaviours have occurred outside school hours and off school premises but there is a clear and close connection between the school and students’ conduct. As a school, will not tolerate such behaviour, and actively address all reported instances immediately through restorative conversations between students or consequences in line with the school behaviour management procedures. At times, we will also seek support through our local police youth liaison officer.
We believe that education is the key to combating cyber bullying, and we are committed to taking proactive steps to address this issue within our school. However, we cannot do it alone.
We need your support and partnership in fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and acceptance among our students. Please have open and honest discussions with your children about the importance of being accepting, treating others with kindness and respect, and the appropriate use of technology.
We, in partnership, need to help our students understand the impact of their words and actions on others and discourage the use of apps and sites that are not appropriate to their developmental age.
Together, we can make a difference and ensure that our school is a place where every student feels valued, respected, and supported. Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Wellbeing Wednesday
Our school chaplain, Mrs France has been busy running yoga sessions for our students on Wednesdays at recess in the hall. The group is growing each week, and our student wellbeing team are doing a fantastic job of supporting Mrs France.
Women In Sport– Alex Chidiac
On Monday 25 March, stage 3 girls attended a Centacare event at the Sports Dome where they were able to hear from Alex Chidiac, Australian soccer star. Alex talked about her journey as a three-year-old who loved football to representing Australia as part of the Matildas at the World Cup. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were genuinely inspired by her story.
Sara Spinks
Deputy Principal
Aboriginal Education TEAM
Yaama Maliyaa
Welcome back to another great year.
This year we have seen a change of leadership of the Aboriginal Education Team with Mrs Courtney Lyon taking on the role of chair person.
Mrs Spicer took some leave this term so our language lessons we put on hold while Miss Roworth taught cultural lessons in her absence.
This year we have started boys and girls groups for our year 6 students, with the possible extension into year 5. The boys have been attending Dig making lessons through JobLink Plus with Mr. E and Mr Taylor, and the girls have been working with Miss Courtney Stanton on creating their own Indigenous art works.
Mr Taylor will be taking leave in Week 11 of this term but will be replaced by Miss Spearim. During this time, we hope that Miss Spearim will be able to assist with the girl's group and assist with the creation of a school dance group for both boys and girls.
All students should have completed setting up their 1st PLP goal for the year. It is fabulous to see the students sharing their goals with other staff members and taking pride in their achievements. Please feel free to discuss these with your child’s classroom teacher.
We have a lot of exciting things planned for this year and cannot wait to share them with you.
Aboriginal Education Committee
P&C
Bunnings Barbecue
A huge thank you to the families and staff that helped to run our Bunnings barbeque on Sunday 24 March. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.
Easter Raffle
Another thank you to the families who supported our annual Easter raffle by selling raffle tickets, donating an item to be used as a prize or for doing both. The raffle was drawn during the Easter Hat Parade held on Thursday 28 March.
Mother’s Day Stall
The P&C will hold a Mother’s Day Stall on Thursday 9 May. Gifts will range from $1 to $7. We will send out a reminder early in Term 2.
Cookie Dough Fundraiser
We have decided that our Term 2 fundraiser will be selling cookie dough through Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough. More information will be sent out soon.
Next Meeting
Our next meeting will be held on Monday 9 April at 5:30pm in the staffroom. New members are always welcome.
Renae Mumford
P&C Vice President
Canteen
2024-T1 TWPS Canteen Menu.pdfPBL
Tamworth West Public School is a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) school. PBL is a whole school program that encourages positive behaviour and allows students to become responsible for their own actions. Students and teachers work together to create a positive learning environment within our school using consistent procedures, language and expectations.
We have three expectations that underpin teaching and learning at Tamworth West Public School.
These are:
RESPECT
RESILIENCE
RESPONSIBILITY
We encourage students to uphold these expectations to a high standard. Our PBL motto is:
EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, EVERY TIME
Positive Rewards
We have a school wide behaviour system that recognises and encourages positive behaviour. Students receive raffle tickets for displaying the correct behaviour.
Weekly Lessons
Students participate in weekly school wide lessons that focus on a specific behaviour which is determined by data. There is a fortnightly focus area taught after each PBL assembly, for example, sportsmanship in games.
RESPECT
We keep our areas tidy
We use our manners
We speak nicely to others
We keep our hands and feet to ourselves
RESILIENCE
We accept our consequences
We use also inclusive
We seek help when needed
We solve problems peacefully
RESPONSIBILITY
We look after our things
We wear our school uniform
We are honest
We stay in the right areas
Early Stage 1
What an exhilarating and dynamic term it has been for our kindergarten students! Time has truly flown by as we approach the conclusion of our first school term.
Tamworth Show
In week 5, Kindergarten embarked on their first out-of-school excursion to the Tamworth Show. With careful boarding onto buses, our students learned what it means to represent Tamworth West proudly in our community. From piglets to ponies, and a visit to the Jurassic Park exhibit, students had the chance to observe and interact with a diverse array of animals. Taking a much-needed break from the sun, kindergarten enjoyed lunch in the pavilion while witnessing horse riding and admiring artworks created by our talented students. Under the guidance of Miss Cunneen, students' hard work and creativity in their own artworks were recognised, with some even receiving prizes! It was a day filled with excitement and fun, though the ride back to school was a quieter affair as everyone relaxed after a long and eventful day!
Taronga Zoo Mobile
Students from K-2 had a thrilling opportunity to participate in a hands-on experience with some of Australia's incredible wildlife when the Taronga Zoo Mobile visited our school hall. Kindergarten were eager and attentive listeners as they learned about turtles, insects, possums, lizards, and snakes. Whilst showing respect for our school visitors and the animals, students were courteous when given the chance to interact with these fascinating creatures.
Bus Safety
Kindergarten were delighted to welcome a special guest from Tamworth Buslines to our school as part of our commitment to ensuring our students' safety. The visit focused on imparting crucial lessons on bus safety, equipping our young learners with the knowledge and skills needed for safe travel. Through engaging discussions, our students learned about the importance of waiting patiently at bus stops, boarding and exiting buses safely, and behaving responsibly while on board. Through this hands-on experience, our kindergarten students not only gained valuable insights into bus safety but also developed a sense of confidence and independence as they embark on future journeys.
Clean-up Australia Day
Clean-up Australia Day is an initiative that aims to involve children in vital environmental conservation efforts through active participation in clean-up activities. Kindergarten students wore gloves and vigilantly searched our school grounds for litter. This collaborative effort not only fosters a sense of responsibility towards out environment but also sets a powerful example of our students, demonstrating the importance of caring for our surroundings.
Mathematics
In the realm of mathematics, students have been delving into numbers, patterns, and measurement through a variety of hands-on learning experiences. From blocks and dice to everyday objects, they've been extending their mathematical understanding, engaging collaboratively in games, and making meaningful connections to their everyday lives in both the classroom and our school environment.
English
Kindergarten has been immersing themselves in the world of narratives, focusing on the significance of characters in storytelling. Through stories like Edward the Emu, Edwina the Emu, Thelma the Unicorn, and the Pig the Pug series, students have been exploring how characters evoke emotions in readers. They've been learning about nouns, adjectives, and verbs in narratives, using this knowledge to spark meaningful discussions about their own lives.
Upcoming dates
Cross country - Friday 5 April
ANZAC Day Service -Thursday 11 April
Last Day of Term 1 - Friday 12 April
-Georgina Clout, Chelsie Rivenell, Samantha Deaves
Kindergarten Teachers
Stage 1
Stage 1 continue to work industriously. As years 1 and 2 strive to meet expected benchmarks in both literacy and numeracy, it is fabulous to see all the children’s work as they apply themselves to learn new concepts. There are many photos attached of classroom learning experiences, both inside and outside.
What’s been happening in classrooms?
Classes continue to develop their understanding of how to create interesting texts. They have been examining elements required in texts such as noun groups, prepositional phrases and exploring the different types of sentences which can help create interesting pieces of work. Classes have also been researching to create information reports and persuasive texts.
Students have been working as mathematicians and continually building their knowledge of mathematical language in number and algebra, statistics and probability and measurement. So much has been happening around our school!
Sport
Stage 1 has been improving their striking and throwing skills. Regular fitness and sport sessions have focused on hitting with a bat or racquet. We have also been preparing for the upcoming Cross Country carnival and been running regularly to build our fitness. Enjoy some of these photos of us practicing.
Zoomobile and the Tamworth Show
Stage 1 enjoyed the visit earlier this term from Taronga’s Zoo Mobile. Students were able to touch a leaf insect egg, snake, lizard, possum and a tortoise. Many students took the opportunity also to look at the many domestic animals that are used on farms at the Tamworth Show, plus see the side show alley stands.
-Kirrily Milton, Sam Deaves, Kathleen Harris and Alex Hammond
Stage 1 Teachers
Stage 2
WOW! We have nearly made it to the end of Term 1! It has gone very quickly and the last few weeks of the term looks to be just as busy!
The past few weeks we have been focusing on information texts. The year 4 students have been reading the books Deadly Science - Solar System and Meanwhile back on Earth. Year 3 have been reading Iceberg and Earth's Incredible Oceans. We are having lots of fun learning new vocabulary and facts and hope to share them with you soon.
Students from across all the Stage 2 classes are also working in mixed class and year level groups for both sport and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Students who are doing swimming on a Wednesday for sport are in the process of having some basic skills assessed and students who are back at school are having fun learning new skills to put into practice. We are looking forward to our cross country which is coming up this Friday. Good luck Stage 2!
NAPLAN
Earlier this term our Year 3 students completed NAPLAN. The teachers involved were so proud of how resilient our students were to complete their tests. Well done to our students in Year 3.
We have some busy weeks ahead!
On Friday 5 April we will be competing in the school cross country. All students from K-6 will be running the cross country, plus joining in some fun activities on the day.
On Thursday 11 April our students will be commemorating ANZAC Day with our annual ANZAC assembly
Friday 12 April is also the last day of the school term and school starts back for Term 2 on the Tuesday 30 April.
As always, thank you to our families for the fabulous support they give our staff. Thank you also to our amazing staff for the work they do each day. We wish all our students and their families a happy and safe Term 1 holiday.
Felicity Bagshaw
Stage 2 Assistant Principal
Stage 3
Happy Easter! We hope all families had a refreshing Easter break and were able to spend quality time with family and friends.
As we move into the latter half of Term 1, Stage 3 has been continuing to be fully involved in all aspects of school life, from Year 5 participating in NAPLAN, to Harmony Day and Easter Hat Parade celebrations, Olympian visits, and Clean Up Australia day.
Recycling
Centacare - Women in Sport
Stage 3 girls had an incredible experience meeting Matilda’s player, Alex Chidiac, at the Centacare Women in Sport excursion, where they participated in a Q&A with Alex, had a sausage sizzle lunch, and a meet and greet opportunity.
Mokpo Hangdo Elementary School Penpals
At the start of April, 5R will be starting pen-pal zoom meetings with the South Korean school, Mokpo Hangdo Elementary School. During these meetings, occurring once a month, Year 5 will be learning about each other's school culture, traditional foods and holidays, national sports and costumes. 5R are very excited to be involved in this experience and can’t wait to start their meetings.
English
Year 5 completed the reading of their novel The Wild Robot, where students have been exploring science fiction narratives. At the end of the unit, Year 5 students completed a writing assessment, in which they created some engaging creative writing pieces.
Moving into the next 5-week unit, students will learn about genres and explore texts that cross genres, for example, informative texts that entertain, persuade, and inform. Year 5 will use the mentor text, Bright New World, and the supporting text, Dry to Dry, as a stimulus for writing informative and entertaining texts. Students will enhance their written texts by selecting appropriate multimodal features, including illustrations, maps, graphs, and audio.
Year 6 have also completed their Storm Boy unit, where they explored narrative writing features. At the end of the unit, for a written assessment, students had to write a sequel to Storm Boy, which saw students embrace their creativity and imagination, while also staying within the context of the original Storm Boy perspective.
Year 6 has now begun its next 5-week unit, where students will explore how a significant historical event can be portrayed through different genres. Students will engage with various texts that describe the Wave Hill Walk-Off under the leadership of Vincent Lingiari. Students will draw on this knowledge to create their own hybrid text about a significant Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.
English
Mathematics
During mathematics, Stage 3 has been exploring length/perimeter, time (e.g. elapsed time, ZOOM strategy, and 24-hour time conversions), and working with fractions. Students have been enjoying hands-on activities, using digital technology (e.g. stopwatches and PolyPad) and sharing their reasoning to consolidate learning and explore different approaches and strategies to questions.
Maths
Sport
With our primary Swimming and Water Safety program in full swing now, students have been learning key water safety measures to support staying safe in, around, and on the water.
Students participating in school sport have been engaged in a wide range of movement skills, from catching and throwing to static balance and sprint runs. They continue to develop their capacity to apply rules fairly and communicate effectively when participating in physical activities, including team sport settings.
Stage 3 Major Excursion
Thank you to all parents/carers for the fantastic response to our Stage 3 major excursion this year. EOIs are currently being collated, with the deposit and payment plan notes due to be sent out via SchoolBytes within the coming weeks.
Upcoming Events
School Cross Country Carnival - Friday 5 April
Girls and Boys Touch Football Gala Day - Monday 8 April
ANZAC Day Service - Thursday 11 April
Last day of Term 1 - Friday 12 April
6E Hosting Primary Assembly - Friday 12 April
Have a safe and happy school holiday break, with students returning to school for Term 2 on Tuesday 30 April.
-Kahla May, Cody Edstein-Boyes, Emily Roworth, Dee Burns
Stage 3 Teachers
Special Education
3-6L and 3-6R students with 2 x Australian Olympian and Commonwealth Games medalist Nathan Katz - Judo
The end of term is close approaching! We have all had a great term, with lots of different learning activities. Our school participated in a very busy day at Tamworth Show where we got to look at different exhibits and animals. The end of term is very busy with lots of activities. We celebrated our Easter Hat Parade in week 9 with lots of creative hat designs. (photo)
Cross Country is on 5 April. Students are practising building their running stamina in sport and PE session. We look forward to seeing our parents on the day cheering on our students. The ANZAC assembly will be held on 11 April.
We would like to extend our thanks to all the parents for meeting with us to discuss their child’s Personalised Learning and Support Plans. These meetings have been extremely valuable for building relationships and creating personalised learning goals for our students. So, thank you again for making the time to come in.
K-3N
K3N have participated in a range a fun learning experiences throughout the term. We have been learning about ‘context’ during English and we have enjoyed reading ‘Whoever You Are’ by Mem Fox. The students have enjoyed learning about similarities and differences within the classroom and around the world. In Mathematics we have been focusing on finding different ways to represent numbers and 2D shapes. Our math lesson took us on a shape hunt looking for different shapes in our environment that we could sort into groups. (photos)
This month Kindergarten participated in the Bus Safety Program. We absolutely love traveling on the bus around town and learning all about how we can keep ourselves safe! K-2 student had a very special guests from Taronga Zoo Mobile. We had the opportunity to meet and touch some of our native animals. This was very cool!
3-6L
In The Classroom
It has continued to be a productive term in 3-6L. We have started a novel study of ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ by Roald Dahl. The children are enjoying the action-packed ride, and I must admit so is their teacher. Reading and discussing such a vibrant text has led to some great debates. Most recently we had a vigorous discussion around who is good or bad in the text. The discussion kept reappearing every time we worked on the text with the final decision being that we don’t think anyone is ‘good’ and that it all depends on your point of view. Mr Lyon is waiting to see if they change their minds as we go further into the story!
Tamworth Show
We had a wonderful show experience this year. After last year's show Mr Ward and Mr Lyon had the idea of entering Lego designs. Both senior classes combined to work on this, and some very interesting and creative designs resulted. Miss Cunneen helped us out with ideas and encouragement. Then she and Mrs Deaves deliver our creations to the show committee. On show day our students exploded with excitement to see that four of our friends had winning entries. A massive congratulations to Layla and Abi for their first place and to Eli and Charlie for their second. A massive result!
As we move towards the holidays, we hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable time.
3-6R
In the Classroom
We have finished our narrative unit of Blueback and we really enjoyed creating a whole class art display based on the book, using watercolour, collage and sculpture.
We have now moved onto our hybrid text unit, Desert Lake: The story of Kati-Thanda-Lake Eyre, which combines a beautiful descriptive narrative with some informative passages, so we are learning so much about one of our great geographical wonders already!
Swimming
We have nearly finished swimming for sport, with our last week of swimming being Week 10, and have learnt lots of survival skills for when we are in and around the water.
Tamworth Show
We thoroughly enjoyed our show visit, we loved the dinosaur display, we had a great time in the baby animal section, we played some games on the grass, and we even got to make friends with a pygmy goat! The giant farming machinery was also a pretty exciting experience! Our best part of the excursion was seeing the lego creations from our unit win first and second prize! We were super proud!
We are looking forward to spending some lots of time with our families over the holidays!
Alexis Neilson
K-3N
Chris Lyon
3-6L
Tracey Rankmore
3-6R
Sports Report
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs Legends of League Gala Day
On the 5 March, a group of 23 students left Tamworth West to participate in the Tom Learoyd-Lahrs Legends of League footy gala day. Two teams made the trip down to the Plain St playing fields, 1 consisting of U10 boys from Year 4 and the other team of U/12 boys from both year 5 and 6. All participants represented the school with great pride and should be commended for their mature approach to the day.
In the u/10s competition, our boys won 3 from 4 games in what was a great display of Rugby League from the boys of a range of experience and abilities. Our one loss for the day came at the hands of Westdale who were too skilled and fast for our boys, beating us by 2 tries.
The U/12s competition saw our boys win 2 of their 4 games. While the troops were down on numbers with a few late withdrawals, they still managed to have an exceptional day out, with the whole team managing to cross the line to score a try at some stage of the day.
Both our Stage 2 and Stage 3 footballers should be commended for their efforts throughout the carnival, and we hope to see lots of these boys playing rugby league throughout the year.
PSSA Cricket Knockout
On the 6 March, Tamworth West participated in Round 1 of the PSSA Boys Cricket Knockout. This fixture took place at the Riverside Sporting Fields against Walcha Central School. Walcha proved to be too strong on the day, winning the game by 5 wickets, chasing down our total with 8 overs to spare.
The standout and shining light of the day came in the form of Hamish Blackman, who top scored for the home team with 38 runs, being dismissed LBW after a tremendous innings. Hamish also took a wicket with the first ball of the innings. The day was kicked off with a strong opening stand between Hamish and Cooper Moffat, getting the team off to a cracking start. Unfortunately, the batting order couldn’t propel the might of the Walcha bowlers.
All the boys who took part in the game should be pleased with their efforts. Well done boys!
-Mr E.
North West Regional Swimming Trials
On Monday 11 March, 5 students from Tamworth West travelled to Armidale to compete at the North West Swimming Trials.
Well done to our senior boys relay team consisting of Cameron Mumford, Josh Hart-Jones, Hamish Blackman and Jace Dawson. The boys did very well finishing 15th out of 27 teams. Both Cameron and Jace had the opportunity to compete in individual events. Both boys swam in the senior boys backstroke whilst Jace also took part in the senior boys breaststroke.
Savannah Mills had an amazing day with some extremely impressive performances. Savannah qualified to swim at the PSSA State Swimming Trials in Homebush in all four of her events. She received a third place in the junior girls backstroke and butterfly. She was awarded second place in the 10 year girls 50m freestyle. Her best result was first place in the junior girls 4 x 50m individual medley. We wish Savannah all the best when she heads to Sydney on 11 and 12 April.
PSSA Zone Trials
Congratulations to all the students who have recently attended zone trials and regional trials and represented our school with pride.
Students who have been selected into a zone team and made it through to regional trials are Cameron Mumford and Hamish Blackman in boys hockey. Hamish was also recently selected into the Tamworth zone cricket team.
Well done to Josh Hart -Jones who was selected to represent Tamworth zone in basketball. He attended the regional trials and was selected as a reserve for the North West team.
PSSA Regional Hockey Trials
Last Wednesday, 27 March, both Cameron Mumford and Hamish Blackman represented Tamworth zone at the regional hockey trials. Both boys trialled extremely well and have been selected to represent the North West boys hockey team. The team will play against the other regions in NSW in Newcastle from the 28 to 31 May. Cameron was fortunate enough to be part of last year's team who won the State Championship. He will be looking to replicate this achievement again with Hamish.
Tamworth Show Horse Sports
Cooper and Mackenzie Hammond recently represented TWPS at the Tamworth Show in the horse sports events. Both kids thoroughly enjoyed the day, especially being cheered on loudly by their friends from the banks of the arena. The brother and sister duo came home with lots of ribbons and big smiles on their faces. Congratulations Cooper and Mackenzie!
Jonathan Willis
Sports Coordinator
Teaching and Learning
All K-6 teachers are in full swing implementing the new English and Mathematics curriculum. This is a time of transition, experimentation and lots of learning!
With our aim to foster a love of reading amongst our students, Tamworth West has provided each Year 3-6 student, with their own school copy of the texts studied through the 2024 units of work. The Maths units of work across K-6 include daily number sense activities which enable students to warm-up for each Maths lesson by engaging with maths concepts in short, fun ways. A Year 5 example ‘Mastermind’ game is shown below.
Professional learning for all our teachers has been around identifying the reading comprehension strategies embedded in the K-6 English units of work and shaping student discussion across a range of Key Learning Areas utilising strategies such as wait time, turn and talk, revoicing, reasoning, adding on and repeating. Also, teachers are working to form consistent teacher judgements in the assessment of writing samples across the grade.
In week 7 and 8 our Year 3 and 5 students participated in NAPLAN. Well done to all the students for demonstrating a mature approach during the testing period.
In keeping your children busy these school holidays, here is a fun Maths game (that can be made easier or harder), which promotes thinking mathematically through reasoning.
