Principal's Report

Welcome to our September newsletter. It has been a busy term so far with a range of events and activities. 

Public Education Week

We were excited to celebrate Public Education Week 2025 under the theme “Ignite Your Potential” here at Tamworth West Public School. This special week highlights the talents and achievements of our students and showcases the vibrant community we have built together.

One of the highlights of our celebrations was the event at Tamworth Shoppingworld, where our students proudly displayed their talents. Our choir and dance group performed with enthusiasm, captivating the audience. Students from various classes also joined in, sharing their skills and creativity. Our school leaders took the opportunity to speak to the public about the wonderful programs and opportunities available at Tamworth West Public School.

During our assembly, we celebrated student awards, recognising their hard work and dedication. We were also fortunate to hear inspiring talks from two amazing students—Chayse Shepherd from Peel High School and Ella Scott from Tamworth High School. They shared how their high school experiences have helped them ignite their potential and encouraged our students to dream big.

P&C Trivia Night

Looking ahead, we invite you to support our upcoming P&C Trivia Night on 19 September at West Leagues Club. It promises to be a fun evening filled with laughter and friendly competition. Come along, enjoy yourself, and show your support for our school community.

Canteen Volunteers

Amy, who manages our school canteen, does a wonderful job catering for students, especially on special event days. If you would like to volunteer in the canteen on any day—particularly Fridays and during special events—please contact the school office for more details. The only requirement is a volunteer Working With Children Check.

Student Absences

A reminder about absences: when you explain your child’s absences on School Bytes, the class teacher will review and approve or mark them as unjustified. Unjustified absences mean the reason does not meet school policy or there may be attendance concerns. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher. We aim to approve all legitimate reasons while following attendance policies.

School Gates

We are trialling a new gate system during school events to improve visitor access and ensure student safety. Adults signing students out after whole school events must exit through the administration block and Bridge Street gate, please note this will be marked as an unjustified absence. Other adult visitors may leave through any gate by pressing the button, but staff will ask you ensure no students are near the exit. In the mornings from 9:26 am, the only visitor exit is through Bridge Street to keep our students safe and maintain accurate attendance records. Thank you for supporting these procedures and helping us keep everyone safe.

We hope you enjoy reading about the wonderful activities that have happened so far this term. Thank you for being part of the Tamworth West Public School community!

Sara Spinks

Relieving Principal

Reading Awards

Congratulations to the following students who have completed 75 nights of reading:

Ayerah Aamir, Austin Moore, Lexi Crump

Congratulations to the following students who have completed 150 nights of reading:

Jill Kerr, Shiloh Moore, Theo Casini, Austin Moore, Lexi Crump, Olivia McGregor

Jeans for Jeans Day

Thank you to the SRC for organising our Jeans for Genes Day and to our families for their contributions. It was a sea of denim in the playground. Tamworth West raised $321.65 which will be donated to this worthy cause.

Planned travel and school holiday

As we get closer to the school holidays, it remains important that your child attends school every single day. Being at school is the best place for students to learn as well as to keep social connections and build life-long skills. 

We understand that families are eager to see and reconnect with loved ones and take a well-deserved break, but please remember that planned travel should only be taken during scheduled school holidays.  

Students should be at school every day during school terms, including until the end of term, unless they are sick or are absent for a justified reason.

Missing a day here or there may not seem like much, but absences add up and can negatively impact your child's learning and wellbeing. When your child misses one day a week, that’s 40 days of school and 8 weeks of learning in one year. Over an entire school journey this adds up to 2.5 years of lost learning.

Why it’s good for children to be bored

In days gone by before our current ‘Screen Age’, children’s cries of “It’s sooo boring!” or “I’m bored!” were often met with the one solution: “Go outside and play!”

It seems these parents were really onto something. Research globally shows that allowing children to feel boredom and encouraging them to create activities to fill the space can be a springboard to building better emotional wellbeing and mental health. And this is a state that should be encouraged not avoided.

Leah Stevenson, The Resilience Project’s Teaching and Learning Advisor, agrees and says we all need time to sit with our feelings, not find ways to continually escape them.

“Technology and devices can really numb our feelings. If we don’t give ourselves time to allow our thoughts to wander, to daydream, we don’t give ourselves the space to process big emotions, especially something like trauma. We just don’t get the time to learn how to deal with it. This is important for children too. The way I like to explain it is, device-free time creates presence; presence creates conversations; conversations create connection and connection creates resilience.”.

What the research says

In 2017, Toy Company Melissa and Doug commissioned a survey of 1,000 parents each from the UK, Canada and Australia to discover how children’s free time was spent. It revealed that “too few parents let boredom work its magic”. Although more than two thirds of the parents surveyed said they were worried their children spent too much time on electronic devices, only a quarter of them let their child confront boredom on their own. 

Scientific American also revealed research by the Lego Foundation, which found that unstructured play – that is, activity guided more by imagination than rules – helps children to develop fine motor skills and importantly, social, communication and emotional skills that build resilience. 

This type of play, VicHealth says, also fosters risks-taking, demonstrating that it is okay to make mistakes and helps children learn how to deal with the consequences of mistakes. These are essential skills that are needed all throughout life. 

Role modelling boredom

Leah also stresses how important role modelling is in influencing behaviour change with children.“I think a really big point is how are we role modelling back to our kids. How often do we allow ourselves to be alone with our thoughts, to have time-out from our devices? How many times are we in a doctor’s waiting room for example or waiting for a friend in a cafe and are filling in the time on our phones or other devices?” 

Persuading your children to replace screen time by embracing boredom and doing a bit of creative thinking instead of numbing out with screens will take practice. You might want to name these new activity sessions something like “Boredom Busters” that will signal to the children that fun times are ahead, and they may start to look forward to them or even request them.

Making the most out of boredom

Giving children opportunities to see just how inventive they can be by allowing them to come up with their own boredom busters, can turn out to be quite magical. While parents and carers can help provide a framework for their imaginative play, kids should be empowered to drive the creativity. 

If you need it, check out the ideas below to help get them started:

• Encourage kids to explore the space they’re in. This could be your home, the backyard, the park – wherever you are. If they’re stuck on what to explore, try suggesting a hunting expedition. What objects can they find in that space? A feathery one, a green one, a fluffy one, an object that starts with “A” and so on.

• Give kids some masking tape and prompt them to create a race track or town roads on the floor. Add a few matchbox cars, blocks or Lego to the mix and this could provide hours of imaginative play.

• Pull out a couple of old cardboard boxes when boredom hits, along with drawing materials or decorations and let imaginations run wild — from creating a rocket, car, plane or just a colourful space to play in.

• Help little kids, or simply encourage bigger kids, to set up a cubby. They could use big sheets and some chairs to play houses, neighbours, camping or whatever they can dream up.

https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/wellbeing-hub/why-its-good-for-children-to-be-bored/

-Jo Sheedy

Deputy Principal

You may have had your child arrive home and say that their class participated in a circle today, what does that mean? At TWPS, a “circle” is a time when students and teachers sit together in a circle to talk and listen. This helps everyone feel part of the group, solve problems if there’s a disagreement, and get ready to learn. Circles also give students a safe place to share how they feel and support each other. Everyone takes turns speaking and listening, and the circle is a calm, respectful space where everyone is equal. These circles usually last about 15 minutes and help students learn and build positive relationships. 

Throughout the remainder of term 3, our Real Schools facilitator, Daniel Vella, will be working with staff to further develop our knowledge and understanding and how to implement circles effectively in classrooms.

Trivia Night

The TWPS P&C is excited to announce our upcoming Trivia Night on Friday, 19 September 2025, at the WTLC Blazes Auditorium. 

• Tickets: $10 per person

• Tables: Up to 10 people

• Raffles and Lucky Door prizes

If you would like to register a table or are able to donate a prize, please email: tamworthwestpspc@gmail.com. 

A big thank you to everyone who has already registered a table, and to our generous local businesses who have kindly donated prizes. Your support is greatly appreciated, with all funds raised going directly back into our school to benefit our students and community.

Raffle tickets - coming home with students

Students will soon be bringing home raffle tickets for our Trivia Night Raffle. Tickets are just $1 each and are due back at school by Thursday 18 September.

There are some fantastic prizes up for grabs, generously donated by local Tamworth businesses - we are so grateful for their support in making this raffle possible.

Prize winners will be drawn at the Trivia Night, but don’t worry - you don’t need to be there on the night to win! Winners will also be shared on the TWPS Parents & Carers Facebook Group.

Be sure to return your tickets and be in the running for these amazing prizes!

Next Meeting

Our next P&C meeting will be held on Monday, 8 September at 5:30pm in the school staffroom.

New members are always welcome and valued! The P&C plays an important role in supporting our school and contributing to the wider school community, and we would love to see some new faces join us.

If you’re unable to attend in person, a Zoom link will be shared via the TWPS Parents & Carers Facebook Group, so you can still be part of the conversation.

Your involvement - big or small - helps make a difference for our students and school.

- Laura Jahnke

P&C Vice President

Thank You!

A big thank you to everyone who supports the canteen on an everyday basis, as well as during specials and events!

If your child has a lunch order and will be away or going home early, please let the office know so they can pass the message on to me. We can then arrange for their order on another day, preventing food and money from being wasted on orders that cannot be collected.

Please note, I do not accept late orders. If you miss the 10am cutoff time, a sandwich will be arranged for your child.

I am available to contact via the office from 8:30am until 12:00pm each day. Please do not use my personal Facebook Messenger for lunch enquiries, as I do not check it while I am at work.

As of Term 4, the menu will change for the warmer months, with fewer hot meals and more salad options.

Amy Reading

Canteen Operator

Canteen Menu - SUMMER 2024/25 [Download]

Yaama Maliyaa

Our Junior AECG held a Storytime event today celebrating First Nations authors and their stories. This is the first of many initiatives organised by our JAECG, and we look forward to seeing what they have planned for the future.

At their next meeting, they will review data about Aboriginal culture in our school, gathered from the NSW Public Schools survey completed by our Year 3–6 students earlier last term. It will be fantastic to hear their perspectives on cultural aspects within our school.

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

Gardening Club

As students have returned this term, we have been lucky enough to plant new crops and harvest our carrots and onions! 

Gardening club has been very fortunate to have received a generous donation from Lorraine and the team at Bunning Warehouse. We thank you for allowing us to buy more vegetables, flowers and gardening equipment. 

We have planted some new flowers, broccoli and green beans to get started for our spring crops. 

Thank you, Bunnings!

Book Week 2025

Wow! What a week! The parade on Monday was epic! Thankyou so much to all the students and parents who supported this by organising costumes, dressing up and attending the parade. It is always so wonderful to see all the kids and parents enjoying this occasion together. This was then topped by some delicious food supplied by our wonderful Amy in the canteen. Thank you so much.

Thank you to everyone who supported the school by attending the Book Fair and purchasing books. We have sold over $3500 in books, of which a large percentage of profits returns to the school. Book Fair continues until Friday afternoon so it is not too late. 

The students have also been enjoying a range of activities including a character scavenger hunt, finding Alexander and a Guess Who? Activity. It has been so heart warming to see the students enjoying these activities and talking about books.

Again, thank you so much for everyone’s support. Can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Natalie Ward

Library

-Melinda Wilson, Jordana Cooper, Alle Wirth

Kindergarten Teachers

English

So far this term we have enjoyed reading some fractured fairytales, exploring different perspectives and offering our own points of view. We wrote texts from the perspective of different characters and particularly enjoyed becoming the Troll, as we were able to put those trespassing Three Billy Goats Gruff in their place. 

We also read a text written by Australian Olympian Cathy Freeman, in which she explains how she achieved her dreams. We then discussed a goal we have achieved or would like to achieve. We wrote about significant and important people in our lives and drew a symbol that represented them. We also wrote about and shared with others our own special memory.

We continue to improve our reading and comprehension skills, as well as our phonics knowledge and fluency, through daily practice, working with partners and in groups.

Maths

Our mathematics units this term have help us develop knowledge, understanding and skills of making and using equal groups, creating and recording repeating patterns, making arrays, presenting and communicating to others about data and diving further into place value.  We have undertaken activities such as using arrays and various representation of diagrams, images or objects to model to help solve multiplication and division problems. 

We have learnt to identify that repeating patterns have a core that repeats over and over again, and to name these patterns using numbers or letters.

 We identified simple objects on a map and described their position in relation to another object. We really enjoyed creating a series of instructions for others to follow that guided them along a path, allowing them to arrive at a destination somewhere on the school grounds.

2H's Favourite Memories

I love my footy team and my friends. In summer I played footy on a Saturday. My whole family showed up, surprisingly we won, and I was the man of the match. It was the finals, and I won a trophy. When I look up at it, I remember how much fun I had.

-Jonah

One Wednesday at soccer practice, I tried to kick the ball into the goal, but I kicked it over the parents' heads. It turned out to be a pretty funny day, as my friends went crazy and laughed. This is my favourite memory because it was fun and hilarious. I wish I could do another big kick again.

-Kiedis

One school holiday I saw Oscar and Xavier at the skatepark. It was super hot outside and we rode together all day in the sun. It was Oscar's birthday. I always have so much fun at the skatepark with my friends.

-Alex

For my 5th birthday myself, my mum and my cousin went to get ready for my party. In my back yard, my cousin and I played dinosaur tips, and I won. All of my family were there and all of us had fun. It was a hot day, and it felt like an omelette was getting fried on top of us. My family is important to me because they love me, and I love them back.  

-Louie

When I went to Portugal, my soccer ball got signed by Ronaldo and I had a photo taken with him. It was as hot as a hot chocolate. All of my family came too, even though it was a very expensive trip. So surprising, right? He's the best player on earth! I’ll always remember this day because I saw Ronaldo play for Al Nassr, and his team made it into the world cup.

-Zac

One Saturday I went to Sheba Dam with my friend Boston. It was my birthday party, we fished all day long. I caught an old band aid, we all laughed, and then we decided to make a campfire. We had S’mores. It was a lovely sunny day. I will always remember that funny time I caught a band aid. 

-Oscar  

One day, when I was five years old, my family and I went to see the Opera House. Then we saw a boat and decided to hop in. On the boat trip we could see the Harbour Bridge. This is one of my favourite memories because I love the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

-Zain

One summer day in Port Macquarie, we went to the beach and had a good time. I played in the sand, and I got messy, and I remember this, because some of my family were there, especially my Nan, who brought lollies for us.

-Sutton

Bumblebee is my favourite toy and my best friend. I sleep with her every night, because I can’t sleep without her. I got her when I was born. My Mum’s friend gave her to me. This is a special memory because she has been with me since I was born and it feels like there’s a special connection between Bumblebee and I.                      

-Maddie

One Saturday, Sophie, Cooper C, Ivy, Harrison, Cooper H and I went with our Mums and Dads to Pony Club, and then the stadium where we were jumping on our horses. It was fun. We had the horses and the horse float. Our Mums booked us in for Pony Club and I am happy that they did that. I remember this time and it is special because I galloped on my horse Ken for the first time.

-Mackenzie

One school holiday, l went to see the Rabbitohs play at the fields. Before they played, we got chips and drinks. After the game the Rabbitohs signed my dress. I will always remember that time because I had so much fun.

-Ruby

One lovely day I missed school because it was the day before my birthday. We caught the plane to Sydney, then we got a cab and went to our accommodation. The next day I saw Katie Brown at Luna Park interviewing Greens Food Company. I did this with my Mum and Brother. It was lots of fun. Turning 8 was a big thing for me!

-Grace 

My aunty took me to Inflatable World for Flynn’s birthday. I went on the inflatable slides. It was fun. I had pringles and fizzy drink.

Xander

One night, in the holidays, my family drove to Dubbo. When we got to Dubbo, we went to my sister’s place to pick up my nephews, then we went to the zoo for a while. Then we took my nephews back to their home and went to the jail. That day was my favourite day ever.

-Boston

In Summer in the holidays, my whole family came when it 2 o’clock. We went to an aquarium, and we saw one large shark, stingrays, fish, crabs and starfish. We just did it for a family holiday. In Summer, I think about all the fun we had.

-Arley

When I was little, I got a microphone for my birthday. I was just one year old when I got it. I don’t know who gave it to me, but it was at my house. When I travelled, I would only travel with my mic. I would sing every day. I would like to share this memory because it explains how it made me confident to sing.

-Iviah

-Kirrily Milton, Sam Deaves, Kathleen Harris, Chris Lyon

Stage 1 Teachers

Welcome to the September newsletter. Term 3 has gone very quickly and we have so much still happening before the end of the term.

Athletics Carnival

Great job to all students who participated in our school athletics carnival last month. It was great to see so many students having ago in different races and events. Participation in our sports carnivals is a valuable way to contribute to overall school and sporting house spirit, and it is important that we encourage our children to have a go. Congratulations to MacArthur and ALL students who went in track and field events. Stage 2 students did an amazing job across the day by not only participating but also cheering on their friends and house. Well done to those students who have been off to Zone and Regional athletics carnivals in the past few weeks. 

Sport

Well done also to the students who have been off playing in the various other sport’s gala days this term. These include softball gala day for boys and the Todd Woodbridge Cup (tennis competition). It is great to see students trying new sports and being pushed out of their comfort zone. 

Sydney Excursion

Our stage 2 students returned from Sydney in week 6 for a 3 day/2-night excursion. 85 students and 5 staff headed off excitedly on Monday 25th to visit Sydney Tower, The Maritime Museum, walking tour of The Rocks area, the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon, walking ACROSS the Harbour Bridge, and of course Taronga Zoo! It was a busy few days and we had a great time. The students loved the accommodation and food, and we were lucky enough to have a cinema-like experience on the Tuesday night after our long day! Thanks to the Stage 2 staff (including Mrs Ward) who came away with us!

CAPERS

Well done to our students who have been practicing hard to learn their CAPERS dances (and songs!). We look forward to seeing it all come together next term. Thanks to Miss Roworth and her band of helpers that are giving students this amazing opportunity.  we look forward to reading (or watching or listening) to the projects. If your child needs cardboard for a poster, please see your classroom teacher. They are due in week 9.

Crunch N Sip

Thank you also to parents for packing fresh fruit for our morning crunch and sip. Food doesn’t have to be whole piece (even an apple cut into slices is good) and it makes eating their food while doing our morning routines nice and easy.

Coming up in Term 4:

CAPERS

The Be Skilled, Be Fit Ninja program is coming to Tamworth West!

It provides an exciting approach to sport and fitness. The program is designed to develop balance, fitness, skills, problem solving, and movement through a wide variety of locomotor challenges. We can’t wait to see them!

Presentation Day

West Factor

Class party Day

The stage 2 teachers look forward to continuing to work with you this term. Thank you to our parents and staff for everything you do to support our students at school. 

-Felicity Bagshaw

Assistant Principal, Stage 2

Wow! Halfway through Term 3 already and what beautiful warmer weather we are currently having. 

Stage 3 has had a jam-packed and wonderful first half of Term 3. Alongside numerous fantastic learning experiences in the classroom, we have seen many of our students represent Tamworth West Public School in multiple sporting events. While there has been fantastic learning happening in the classroom, we have also seen so many of our students represent Tamworth West Public School in multiple sporting events, and it has been wonderful to hear all the exciting stories from the recent Canberra excursion.

Canberra

In Week 5, we saw 80 of our Stage 3 students and the Stage 3 classroom teachers head off on an exciting week to Canberra. It was a jam-packed week full of exciting experiences for the students. The students learnt so much while visiting the museums, Parliament House, and the War Memorial, where they represented our school with such pride and responsibility. The Australian Institute of Sport and Questacon were lots of fun, and the smiles on the students’ faces were priceless. The students had an absolutely amazing week, and we are so proud of how well they behaved. A massive thank you goes to Mrs Nuske, Miss May, and our school's credible Admin team for all the hard work and organisation to make the week so successful. We also thank Miss Burns, Miss Roworth, Miss Firth-Panetta, and Miss May for attending the excursion. 

PACER Acknowledgement

Students from our school have recently undertaken an education tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy.  The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government has contributed funding to our school in the amount of $67.50 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

In The Classroom

Check-In assessments have commenced this week and will continue over the next two weeks. Year 5 will have two assessments; reading and numeracy, while Year 6 will complete 3 assessments; reading, writing, and numeracy. ICAS assessments (optional) have also been completed over the last few weeks by selected students in the following areas: English, Writing, Spelling Bee, Mathematics, Science and Digital Technologies. 

Warm Weather

With the weather starting to warm up, a reminder to students that hats are expected to be worn outside at all times. Stage 3 students are also encouraged to be aware of their personal hygiene. Roll-on deodorant only can be carried by students in their bags, aerosol sprays are not acceptable due to students with asthma. 

-Kahla May, Grace Firth-Panetta, Emily Roworth, Dee Burns

Stage 3 Teachers

Welcome To Term 3!

We have had a busy and exciting start to the term with Education Week, Book Week, and the upcoming Wellbeing Week. Some of our students also attended the Stage 2 and Stage 3 excursions and came back full of wonderful stories to share. It has been fantastic to see everyone getting involved and celebrating these special events.

Our new play program has made break times extra exciting! We now have sensory play, movement activities, and drawing as fun alternative play options. The playground is buzzing with creativity, laughter, and teamwork. Lots of students from our Inclusive Education classes and mainstream classes are joining in together. We love having a special space where everyone can feel included, make friends, try new things, and enjoy play in their own way.

English

In English, we have been exploring characters through the story Edward the Emu. We have loved learning about the different animals and talking about their personalities. In phonics, we are doing really well with our sounds. We have started blending CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words and are learning how to put our own sentences together.

Maths

In maths, we have been investigating measurement. So far, we have explored length and area by comparing and describing different objects. During number talks, we are focusing on dot talks. We are getting much better at explaining what we see and sharing our mathematical thinking with the class.

We are looking forward to another fun and busy term of learning, playing, and growing together!

Wow, what a wonderful term we have been enjoying so far!

Excursions

Congratulations to all the students who attended the Stage 2 and Stage 3 excursions. It was fantastic to see you exploring new places and learning in different environments. A big well done also goes to the students who remained at school and participated in the engaging incursions, we know you had a great time too.

English

In English, 2/6P have been studying the text Wonder. While this has proven to be a complex and thought-provoking story, students have impressed us with their ability to identify characters and recognise what makes each one unique.

Maths

In Mathematics, we have been exploring time, 2D and 3D shapes, and extending our knowledge of place value. Students have particularly enjoyed applying their learning to real-life situations, making maths both meaningful and fun.

Astronomy & Science Centre

At the end of Term 2, 2/6P and 3/6C were lucky enough to visit the Astronomy and Science Centre. This was a highlight for many, and a fantastic way to conclude our English unit Deadly Science. We also celebrated a Science Day, where students engaged in a range of hands-on experiments. The volcano eruption was an exciting finale, and we loved having some of our families join in the fun!

We are excited for what lies ahead this term and can’t wait to share more of our learning journey with you.

What an exciting Term 3 we are having. At the end of Term 2 our class and Miss Pollick’s class went to the Astronomy Center and what a fantastic time we had. So many things to see and learn and play with. It was a fantastic experience, and we all would love to visit it again.

Excursions

Some students in Stage 2 and 3 attended excursions to Sydney and Canberra. From all reports, they had an amazing time with lots of fun things to do. Students who remained at school joined their peers and participated in activities about the two excursion locations. The students had a lovely time learning about these interesting places and working with their friends.

English

This term our class have being studying the text The Twits. It is a fun and interesting text all about a very nasty couple who like playing mean tricks on each other. The students are learning to write interesting descriptions about the characters and are working towards creating an interesting and creative piece of writing about every character in the story.

Science

In Science, our class and Mrs Pollick’s class have joined forces to work on mini experiments—some of which haven’t always gone to plan. Our first experiment was a success, as we managed to ‘walk coloured water.’ Next, we explored whether milk or water would cause the colour in Skittles to bleed.

However, our next major experiment sparked a big debate in the classroom. We decided to try the social media experiment involving an egg dissolving its shell in Coca-Cola. Before starting, we discussed our opinions and the reasons behind them. We began the experiment with high hopes, but a week and a half later, we were still waiting for results.

This hasn’t deterred our enthusiasm. Now, we plan to boil the egg, and some students want to crack the egg open to see how Coca-Cola affects it. This spirit of experimentation and curiosity is wonderful to see, and we look forward to many more mini experiments together.

As there was no August newsletter earlier this term, updates from late Term 2 and early Term 3 are included.

North West Softball

Late last term, Hamish Blackman and Kasch Lockrey represented the Tamworth Zone at the Regional Trials. We are pleased to announce that Hamish was selected for the North West team, earning a spot at the State Softball Championship in September. Congratulations to both boys for their outstanding efforts!

Basketball Knockout

In the last week of Term 2, both our girls' and boys' basketball teams participated in the PSSA Basketball Knockout. The girls faced Timbumburi and, despite a spirited performance, unfortunately lost. They fought valiantly in their second game against Tamworth Public, narrowly losing by just one point in the last minute. Their excellent teamwork and sportsmanship were evident throughout both matches. Well done, girls!

The boys had a successful day, achieving an impressive 37-19 victory against Timbumburi. They then faced Tamworth Public, where they kept the game close in the first half. Although they ultimately fell short, they should be proud of their efforts.

Junior Primary Basketball Finals

All three of our Tamworth West teams advanced to the semifinals and made it to the Grand Finals of the Semester 1 competition.

• The 3/4 Boys Tsunamis team played a strong match against St Ed’s in the A Grade Grand Final. Although they were defeated, they kept the game competitive until the final minutes.

• The Year 6 Boys Storm team also reached the A Grade Final. They battled hard against an exceptionally talented St Joseph’s team, and although they lost, they were pleased to have come the closest to defeating them all season.

• The Year 5 Boys Thunder faced St Joseph’s in the C Grade Grand Final. After a slow start, the boys improved their decision-making under pressure, made effective passes, and defended well to secure a dominant victory.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Kane for coaching the Year 6 Storm, Bronte for coaching the 3/4 Tsunamis, and Mr. Willis for managing the Year 5 Thunder. The boys are eager to continue their journey in the Semester 2 season.

Tamworth Zone Athletics

On Friday, 15 August, 32 students represented Tamworth West at the Tamworth Zone Athletics Trials, competing across a variety of track and field events. All of our students performed with determination and pride, showcasing their talent and commitment.

We are especially proud to have 12 students qualify for the North West Trials on Wednesday, 3 September. A special mention goes to Patrick Miskle, who was crowned Senior Boys Age Champion after an outstanding series of results at the Zone Trials:

• 1st – 100m

• 1st – 200m

• 1st – 800m

• 1st – Long Jump

Congratulations on this remarkable achievement, Patrick!

The following students also achieved excellent results and joined Patrick at the North West Carnival:

• Flynn Bishop – 2nd, 11 Year Boys High Jump

• Hamish Blackman – 1st, Senior Boys Discus

• Mella Carrigan – 1st, Junior Girls Discus

• Myles Carrigan – 1st, 11 Year Boys Discus

• Skyla Gardner – 3rd, 8 Year Girls 100m

• Cooper Hammond – 2nd, Junior Boys Discus

• Layla Hatch – 4th, Senior Girls High Jump

• Mason Mulligan – 3rd, Senior Boys Shot Put

• Jaxon Murray – 3rd, 11 Year Boys 100m

Senior Boys Relay Team – 4th place

• Jaxon Murray

• Xavier Parkes

• Sebastian Leahy

• Patrick Miskle

North West results??? Need to get update

North West Boys Softball Team

Congratulations also to Hamish Blackman, who represented the North West Boys Softball Team at his third State PSSA Championship, held in Woolooware from Monday 11 to Wednesday 13 August. Despite the opening day being washed out, the North West team went on to play several strong games, including wins against Western and Combined Independent Schools. Hamish thoroughly enjoyed the experience and continues to make Tamworth West proud with his efforts at state level.

Additive Thinking

At Tamworth West, we have a strong focus on additive thinking within our mathematics lessons. Additive thinking is a way of understanding how numbers work by focusing on adding and combining them. It means knowing that you can put numbers together (add) to make a bigger number, or break them apart (subtract) to get smaller numbers. For example, if you have 5 apples and get 3 more, you know you now have 8 apples because 5 + 3 = 8. Additive thinking helps children solve problems, understand patterns, and build strong foundations for all kinds of maths.

You can have fun practising this at home with your family! Here are some easy activities to try:

1. Snack Maths: Use small snacks like grapes or crackers. Ask your child to count some, then add a few more and count again. Talk about how many there are altogether.

2. Toy Groups: Gather toys and make small groups. For example, put 3 cars and 2 dolls together and ask, “How many toys do we have now?”

3. Number Stories: Make up little stories together, like “I have 4 apples, and you give me 3 more. How many apples do I have?”

4. Shopping Challenge: Give your child a pretend budget and a list of items with prices. Ask them to add up the cost of different combinations of items to stay within the budget. This helps with adding numbers and making decisions.

5. Card Game Add-Up: Use a deck of cards and have each player draw two cards. Add the numbers together, and the player with the highest total wins the round. To make it trickier, include face cards as 10 or assign special values.

6. Recipe Maths: Pick a recipe and ask your child to add or double the amounts of ingredients. For example, if a recipe calls for 3 cups of flour and 2 cups of sugar, how much is that altogether? What if you double the recipe?

These activities make adding numbers fun and practical!