Principal's Report

Welcome to our first newsletter for term 4. I believe I missed a fantastic Grandparents Day last Friday. It is always lovely to have our community in the school for these special events and I am told that we had more than 200 visitors. Thank you for your support of our wonderful school. 

Changes to the enrolment policy

What is the enrolment policy? The enrolment policy assist schools to meet their obligations under the Education Act 1990, ensuring that all students have access to their local public school. The policy also provides clear information to staff and the community about how enrolments are handled in NSW public schools.

Why is the policy changing? The NSW Department of Education consulted with education partners, community groups and school leadership teams on the current enrolment policy. We received significant feedback on the importance of addressing the barriers that families encounter when trying to enrol in NSW Public Schools. The updated enrolment policy addresses these barriers and aligns with the department’s commitment to building and sustaining an equitable and accessible public school system.

• The NSW Department of Education is committed to ensuring that every student learns, grows and belongs in an equitable and outstanding public education system.

• In line with this commitment, the department is changing the enrolment policy to support students and families to have more equitable access to NSW public schools.

• The changes will apply to enrolments commencing in Term 1 2025.

• Under the changes, all temporary resident students in our intake area will be entitled to enrol at our school. Enrolment and tuition fees will also be waived for regional students on Temporary Skills Shortage (subclass 482) visas.

• We will prioritise non-local enrolments for siblings of students currently enrolled at our school.

• If you have already submitted an enrolment application for your child for Term 1 2025, you can apply or reapply to enrol your child at our school from 25 October 2024. If your child has been accepted into another school for 2025, you will need to contact that school to withdraw their enrolment.

2025 School Development Days

The Department of Education has released changes to the current structure of Staff Development Days (SDD).

 In 2025 the following are SDD, students do not attend school: 

• Term 1: Friday 31 January to Wednesday 5 February

• Term 2: Monday 28 April and Tuesday 29 April

• Term 3: Monday 21 July

• Term 4: Monday 13 October

Students Not Returning in 2025

If your family is relocating or leaving Tamworth West at the end of 2024, could you please advise our administration office via phone or email.  This information assists with class formation for 2025. 

Tell Them From Me Survey

As we draw closer to the end of the year, our staff will be working hard on student reports and our School Improvement Plan (SIP). As part of our SIP, we gather a variety of data to effectively analyse our achievements and areas for development as a whole school. We would very much appreciate our families completing the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) survey to help inform our future direction moving into 2025. The TTFM parent survey is an opportunity for you to provide feedback on many areas of school life. It is completely anonymous and can be accessed through the link below

http://nsw.tellthemfromme.com/twps

Week 4

5 November 

Stage 2  Far Out: Treasures From The Bush

7 November 

Applications for Year 5 & Year 7 (2026) Selective Schools Test open

Transition K-3N & 3-6 R

Year 2/3 Swimming

Week 5

11 November

Remembrance Day

P&C meeting- 5:30pm in the staffroom

14 November - 

Transition K-3N & 3-6 R

Year 2/3 Swimming

15 November

Colour Run

Week 6

21 November

Transition K-3N & 3-6 R

Year 2/3 Swimming

Oxley High School Year 6 Transition

22 November 

Peel High School Year 6 Transition 

Week 7

25 November 

Year 6 2025 SRC Speeches and Voting

28 November

Transition K-3N & 3-6 R

Year 2/3 Swimming

Week 8

3 December

Presentation Day Rehearsal

4 December

Presentation Day

5 December

Year 2/3 Swimming

6 December 

Year 4 & 5 nominations for Student Wellbeing Team

Week 9

9 December

P&C meeting

2025 Wellbeing Team speeches and voting

10 December

WEST FACTOR

11 December

Election of Sporting House captains and Vice Captains 2025

P&C Christmas Carols

12 December

Year 2/3 Swimming

Year 6 Graduation Assembly

Year 6 Farewell Dinner

Semester 2 Reports sent home

13 December

Class Party Day

Week 10

16 December 

Class Moving day

18 December 

Last day for students

Sara Spinks

Relieving Principal

Grandparents’ Day

Grandparents' Day at Tamworth West is always a special day. It was wonderful to see so many families celebrating together and enjoying each others’ company. The ‘little oldies’ parade was a highlight. Reading to children is so important, so seeing grandparents and grandchildren spread throughout our playground immersed in books, chatting and laughing with one another, was a fantastic sight. Thank you to our SRC team for their leadership at the assembly and to our organising committee.

The Resilience Project app is a daily wellbeing journal. Each day users will be prompted to identify their emotions, record moments of gratitude and practice mindfulness. The aim is to develop emotional literacy, engage with the positive things in life and be actively present.

We’re immensely proud of the app and we believe that it’s the perfect tool to help you practise gratitude, empathy & mindfulness.

This app is suitable for and has programs designed specifically for primary & secondary school students, as well as adults of all ages wanting to improve their mental well-being. We’re also very fortunate to have worked with Buddhify and Happy Waves who have donated several mindfulness scripts to ensure this app has everyone covered.

You can purchase the app for $4.99 – and you’ve got it forever. Here is the link below if you are interested:

https://theresilienceproject.com.au/the-resilience-project-app/

How to get a better night’s sleep

A great day starts with getting enough rest the night before. Sleep is such an important factor contributing to our wellbeing and unfortunately so many of us are struggling to get the amount and quality of sleep that we need.

The 10-3-2-1 method aims to help you get to sleep on time, sleep better and wake up feeling rested and ready to take on the day ahead. Give it a go this week and see if it improves your sleep.

10 hours before bed – No more caffeine

Caffeine has a half life of 4-6 hours, meaning that half the caffeine you consume is still present in your body up to 6 hours after. This method is great for coffee lovers all around because it doesn’t require you to cut out caffeine completely. The focus is on being mindful about when you consume caffeine to allow your body the time to get it out of your system before bed.

3 hours before bed – No more food

Being mindful of finishing big meals 3 hours before you plan to go to sleep can help reduce symptoms of reflux or digestive issues that impair your natural sleep cycle.

2 hours before bed – No more work

In the 2 hours leading up to bed, the focus should be on winding down and relaxing your brain. Working right before bed doesn’t really fit into that category as it overstimulates your brain and can heighten anxiety. We understand the stress to get things done, but your body and wellbeing needs you to switch off. If there are tasks you need to continue, try writing them down as a to-do list for the next day. This way it clears your mind for the night and allows you to be better rested to complete them the next day.

1 hour before bed – No more screens

The blue light that our screens emit confuses your brain into thinking it’s daytime and inhibits the hormones your body uses to prepare for bed. The issue with devices is not only the blue light stimulation, but also the influx of information your brain receives and is stimulated by when you are scrolling. Both of these aspects of screen devices work against the body naturally trying to wind down. Try avoiding screen time for the hour before bed to allow your body the time it needs to feel sleepy and ready for bed.

At TWPS we are well and truly on our way to embedding restorative practices into many parts of our daily lives. Our staff often share their stories of successes and wins, both within the classroom and out in the playground, it is so wonderful to hear… and see! 

As a follow up from last months ‘Priming for Success’ video from Daniel, please have a read of ‘Getting Primed’ which has some great little tips.

Wow! How is it term 4 already? Hasn’t this year flown by!

Things happening in Term 4

Christmas Carols - 11th December 5:30-7pm. We will have lots of fun activities for the kids and a sausage sizzle and drinks available for purchase. 

Christmas Raffle - We are asking for donations to be included in a Christmas raffle, anything to add to the hampers. This will be drawn on the Carols night. Keep an eye out raffle books coming home soon, they will be $1 per ticket.

Clothing Pool - We continually welcome any donations to our clothing pool. Opening times will be announced on the Facebook page. 

Next meeting - Monday 11th November. 5:30pm in the staffroom. Everyone is welcome.

-Emily Crompton

Canteen Menu - SUMMER 2024/25 [Download]

Yaama Maliyaa

Welcome back to term four. The last but by far the busiest term for the Aboriginal Education Committee (AEC).

Term four sees our year 6 cohort beginning their transition to secondary education. To assist our students with this monumental leap, the AEC in consultation with the Opportunity Hub Tamworth are offering First Nations students in year 6 the opportunity to participate in further transition activities. These activities will be taking place at school every Thursday afternoon from week 3 through to week 8. If you have any questions or would like any further information, please contact the office and ask to speak to Mr Taylor.

Term four also sees the return of our annual Presentation Day. To celebrate and showcase our amazing students, members of the AEC are working with students to put together a spectacular performance. Mr E is doing Didgeridoo in the break times to practice and perform, whilst Mrs Spicer and Mr Taylor are working with students every Monday and Tuesday lunchtime to practice dances. If you have any questions or would like any further information about either performance, please contact the office and ask to speak to Mr Taylor.

While these activities are happening the AET will be planning and preparing for a busy 2025. More information about these plans will be shared with the Tamworth West community later this year.

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

Welcome back to Term 4! We are thrilled to embark on this busy and exciting term together. As we enter the final stretch of our learning adventure, the children are buzzing with energy and enthusiasm. It’s wonderful to watch their love of learning and see their curiosity to explore new concepts and ideas!

Writing

We continue to focus on writing narratives, persuasive texts, and informative pieces. Our passionate young authors are developing their writing skills and learning how to express their thoughts and opinions clearly. We are also enhancing our sound and phonics knowledge, which is helping them become more confident readers and writers as they continue to progress.

Maths

In Mathematics, we are putting our skills together in engaging and practical ways. The children are developing their understanding of numbers, patterns, and problem-solving strategies. We can’t wait to see how they apply these skills in different situations throughout the final term of kindergarten. Thank you for your continued support, and here’s to a fantastic term 4 filled with learning and fun!

Dates To Remember

Week 5 – Friday 15 November – COLOUR RUN

Week 8 – Wednesday 4 December – PRESENTATION DAY

Week 9 – Wednesday 11 December – CHRISTMAS CAROLS

Week 9 – Friday 13 December – CLASS PARTY DAY – Water Fun Day

Week 10 – Wednesday 18 December – Our last day in Kindergarten

Stage 1 has been fortunate to start the term with some fabulous events! Year 2 have begun the swimming program this term. Students who are attending the weekly swimming lessons are returning tired but happy. The feedback from the staff at the 360Gym is that our students are polite and engaged. This invaluable program has been subsidised by the School Sport Unit. A ratio of 1:10 with qualified Austswim instructors, students' swimming skills and awareness of water safety should be greatly improved.

Grandparents Day

In Week 2 we celebrated the many grandparents in our lives. Those fortunate to attend enjoyed a heartfelt and entertaining assembly. It was lovely to meet some stage 1 grandparents and see the students share their reading with their loved ones.

Gymnastics

In Week 3 we began the gymnastics program. Specialised instruction from qualified gymnastics staff occurs each Tuesday. The students unable to access the gymnastics will be completing a modified sporting program with teaching staff at the same time.

Support Teachers

Classes have continued to gain additional support from the learning support teachers; Mrs Spicer, Mrs Wirth, Miss Chudleigh, Miss Cunneen and Miss Firth-Panetta. The students have been specifically working on numeracy and phonic knowledge to improve reading and writing skills. The results to date have been pleasing, we hope this program will show improved results, especially as Year 2 students prepare for NAPLAN in 2025.

We welcome Mrs Hickey to the stage 1 team this term. Mrs Hickey has been working in the school for a year and is a wonderful addition to our team. Mrs Hammond remains in Sydney for further treatment for Leukemia and our thoughts are with her and her family. 1M have a Pre-service teacher, Ms Wilson working with them currently and she will be teaching lessons from Weeks 2-6.

Reports

We are preparing for reporting season, if any parents have questions or concerns about their child, please contact the school and arrange a meeting with the class teacher or Mrs Milton. 

-Kirrily Milton, Sam Deaves, Kathleen Harris, Erin Hickey

Stage 1 Teachers

Stage 2 have had a very busy and wonderful start to Term 4. So many exciting things have happened as well as a lot of fantastic events still to come.

Welcome to Olivia Barton who is currently doing a practicum with Mrs Lyon and 3L. If you see Olivia around the school, please make her feel welcome.

Homework Projects

This term Stage 2 students will be presenting a project on a celebration or commemoration from around the world. Students received their project information in week 2 of this term. Projects are due in week 7. We look forward to reading and viewing our students’ presentations. 

Presentation Day

Presentation Day will soon be upon us! Year 3 and 4 are deep in organisation to entertain you at the end of the year. Watch this space…

Musica Viva

Thank you to Miss Cunneen for the organisation of Music Viva on Monay 28th of October. Musica Viva Australia brings some of Australia’s best musicians into schools, providing interactive and engaging live music performances. We loved listening to the different music. Maybe it has inspired some budding musicians!

FAR OUT – Treasures to the Bush

FAR OUT – Treasures to the Bush is run by The State Library of NSW and “was developed by Learning Service to address equity of access for students and teachers in regional NSW. While city based students and teachers have the opportunity to interact with cultural organisations and their collections this is not always the case for those in remote communities. The State Library is committed to addressing this inequality by providing an education outreach program.”

We are looking forward to their visit and seeing the different artefacts they have on offer!

Weather

It is beginning to warm up quite a bit, it is important that students move into summer uniform to ensure they are comfortable and don’t overheat. Our school uniform consists of:

• Girls – white polo and navy skort or summer dress 

• Boys – grey shorts and blue polo 

• White socks (not multi-coloured or coloured socks)

• Black school shoes

It is also important that students have hats, so they are protected and safe from the sun. Our school policy is No hat – play in the shade. Our designated shade areas include the COLA, Hall COLA and sandpit area. Students also need their hat for sport which is on Thursdays. 

As it is warming up, it is essential that students are coming to school with a water bottle to ensure they are staying hydrated and healthy. Please make sure your child has a water bottle to assist us.

Upcoming Events

FAR OUT – Treasures to the bush – Tuesday 5th November 

Remembrance Day- 11th of November

Colour Run – Friday 15th November 

Presentation Day Practice - Tuesday 3rd December

Presentation Day – Wednesday 4th December

West Factor – Tuesday 10th December

P&C Christmas Carols – Wednesday 11th December

Year 6 Graduation and Farewell – Thursday 12th December

Class Party Day – Friday 13th December – MOVIES – More information to follow

Moving Day – Monday 16th December

Students last day at school – Wednesday 18th December

Thank you to all our families and staff that support our students so well.

-Felicity Bagshaw, Jonathan Willis, Melinda Wilson, Courtney Lyon

Stage 2 Teachers

Stage 3 have had a very busy and exciting start to Term 4, with so many fantastic events still to come.

In the Classroom

Students are being fully immersed in new units of work this term, with Year 5 exploring imagery and symbols through the cultural narratives of Ngaawily Nop: An old story retold by Kim Scott, Joyce Cockles and Roma Winmar, and Noorn: An old story retold by Kim Scott and Ryan Brown. Year 6 students have been analysing the mentor text Queenie in Seven Moves by Zannie Louise, to deepen their understanding of ‘narrative’ and ‘imagery, symbol and connotation’.

In Mathematics, students have been consolidating their understanding of multiplication and division through intentional talks and number talks, while investigating fractions and the place value system in their core learning activities. 

6M have been enjoying their Wednesday buddy reading sessions with K/1D, demonstrating excellent empathy and leadership throughout the experience. Thank you, Miss Firth-Panetta and Miss Cunneen, for organising this opportunity for the students. 

In the Miss Katelyn Issac and Miss Hayley Maliszewski

This term, Miss Katelyn Issac has been working with 5R. Miss Issac is studying teaching at UNE and is completing a 3-week practicum with our class. We have enjoyed having her work with our class and teach us new skills.  

In Week 4, Miss Maliszewski from UON will be starting a 4-week practicum in 6M. We are looking forward to meeting her and having Miss Maliszewski join our classroom. 

Presentation Day

Presentation Day will soon be upon us! Year 5 and 6 have begun their preparations on this year’s items. Please keep an eye out on SchoolBtyes for any further information.

Peel High Taster Day – Year 5

Year 5 students were lucky enough to have a taster of high school life at the Peel High Taster Day on Wednesday the 23rd of October. During this day, Year 5 participated in activities around the subjects of Art, Science, History and English. 

Weather

It is beginning to warm up quite a bit, it is important that students move into summer uniform to ensure they are comfortable and don’t overheat. Our school uniform consists of:

• Girls – white polo and navy skort or summer dress 

• Boys – grey shorts and blue polo 

• White socks (not multi-coloured or coloured socks)

• Black school shoes

It is also important that students have hats, so they are protected and safe from the sun. Our school policy is No hat – play in the shade. Our designated shade areas include the COLA, Hall COLA and sandpit area. Students also need their hat for sport which is on Thursdays. 

Events

Remembrance Day - 11th of November

Colour Run – Friday 15th November 

Year 6 High School Orientation – Tuesday 3rd December 

Presentation Day Practice - Tuesday 3rd December

Presentation Day - Wednesday 4th December

West Factor – Tuesday 10th December

P&C Christmas Carols – Wednesday 11th December

Year 6 Graduation and Farewell – Thursday 12th December

Class Party Day – Friday 13th December – Tenpin and More Excursion 

Moving Day – Monday 16th December

Students last day at school – Wednesday 18th December

Thank you to all our families and staff that support our students so well.

-Kahla May, Cody Edstein-Boyes, Emily Roworth, Dee Burns

Stage 3 Teachers

Welcome back everyone for a very busy term! We have lots of exciting things happening and time is going to fly. 

English

Our English unit to start the term is focusing understanding on characters in Pig the Pug, Pig the Rebel by Aaron Blabey. These books are a favourite within the class. 

Maths

Our maths unit is focusing on collecting and analysing data. The theme of the unit is superheroes! 

Gymnastics

We are extremely excited for our sport focus this term which is gymnastics! Some of our students in k-2 are doing the program with McGinnity Gymnastics and we are all very excited! Any student who is not in this program will still be completing a school-based gymnastics program. 

Assembly

We are hosting the assembly in week 4 and are practicing very hard as this is our first time. We can’t wait to see our families there.

-Ms Neilson

Welcome back to term 4! We are in for a huge end of the year. 

English

Our new English unit focuses on the text ‘Brother Moon’. Students will reflect on the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ways of storytelling throughout this text. They will explore imagery, symbols and connotations through this Cultural narrative. Students are already loving learning about the moon, stars and seasons throughout this text. 

Science

Science has us exploring the factors that shape the Earth’s surface, focusing on both natural and human influences. They will dive into natural processes like weathering and erosion and understanding the environmental effects of human actions. 

Homework

A homework grid was sent home at the beginning of the term. This is not compulsary, however students are strongly encouraged to complete the activities. This grid is for the whole term and those students who complete a ‘bingo’ on their grid will get a reward. The homework book also included a ‘Decodable Readers Australia’ login card and parent information note. This is a great resource for students to use at any time. Any questions with this, please let me know. 

Term 4 is going to be massive and there are so many exciting things planned! Keep an eye on school bytes for all that is happening. Any concerns or questions please contact me either through the front office or on the class phone – 0448285044. 

-Miss Roworth

Welcome back to everyone for an exciting new term. 

Science

In English we have begun the adventure story ‘Rowan of Rin’. This is an exciting novel with mystery and thrills with the treat of a dragon lurking at the top of the Mountain. I would recommending having a conversation with the students about it as they loving to hear more every time I lift the book!

Did you know Mt Everest grows 2cm every 10 years?

This term is very busy with lots of changes and events happening. It will be exciting, so keep an eye on Schoolbytes so no one misses out.

As always, if you need to get in touch, contact the office or text the class phone on 0448291575.

-Mr Lyon

Alexis Neilson   Chris Lyon Hannah Roworth

AP, K-3N                                       3-6L                                 3-6R

PSSA State Athletics 

Both Patrick Miskle and Jace Dawson recently attended the State PSSA Athletics Trials in Homebush. Both boys greatly enjoyed the experience of competing against the best kids in the state in their age groups. 

On Day 1 of the trials, Patrick competed in the 11 Year Boys 200m with a time of 28.63 seconds beating his previous Personal Best of 29.97 seconds. Meanwhile Jace took part in the Senior Boys Shot Put. His best throw was 9.43 metres which was almost half a metre further than his qualifying throw of 8.99m at the North West Carnival. 

On Day 2 Patrick competed in the 11 Year Boys Long Jump where his best jump was 4.11 metres. 

We are extremely proud of both Patrick and Jace for qualifying for the State Athletics Carnival. It is wonderful to see some of our students progressing so far. Congratulations boys!  

Boys PSSA State Cricket

Hamish Blackman recently attended the NSW Boys PSSA Cricket Trials representing the North West team. The carnival took place in Armidale over 4 days, from the 15th to the 18th of October. Hamish’s North West team faced some high quality opposition and improved as the week progressed. His team finished 12th overall out of 14 teams which is an admirable result for a North West team. Hamish had a great time and hopes to make the team again as a Year 6 student in 2025. Well done, Hamish!

Saturday Winter Comp Netball

At the end of last term, four Year 5 girls competed in the Saturday Netball Competition grand final for the 11/12C division. Airlee, Susie, Ava, Emily and the rest of their Westview Pirates Buccaneers team played hard in an edge of your seat game, coming out with a 25-19 victory! Congratulations girls on a fantastic season and a very well-deserved win.

Country State Championships Baseball

Emily and Charlotte Vesey competed in the Country State Junior Zookaball (junior baseball ages 8-12years) Championships over the long weekend as part of the Tamworth team. The team tried their little hearts out over the three-day carnival but unfortunately only came away with one win. Both girls had a fantastic weekend, Emily was even voted MVP for the Tamworth team by the opposition coaches and umpires. Congratulations Emily! Great job to both the girls!

ISHE 2024 - Inter-Schools Horse Extravaganza

In October, one of the nation's largest interschool horse events is held at the AELEC. Paisley Murphy, from 6E, represented Tamworth West at ISHE. With over 500 competitors from Victoria, Queensland and NSW the standard of riders is exceptionally high. Equestrians can compete in dressage, cross country, showjumping, hacking, sporting and campdrafting.

Paisley represented our school proudly. Although not in the ribbons, she rode well, and her horses looked amazing. Congratulations Paisley, you conducted yourself sensibly and thoughtfully, especially as one horse is only new!

Dates for ISHE have been released for 2025, if your child is able to walk, trot and canter independently and keen to compete on their horse next year, please let Mrs Milton know.

Maths is all around us!

Maths will help prepare your child for life and work in the 21st century and to meet the needs of communities they will come to engage and lead. Maths will help students better adapt and succeed in any career, especially in jobs playing a transformative role in our future society.

As a parent or carer, you play a vital role in how your child thinks and feels about maths. Even if it wasn’t your favourite subject when you went to school, maths is all around us. The Department of Education has great ideas about mathematical opportunities for your child.

For more great ideas from the Department of Education, click here!